Quote:
Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache
I think you are on to something but it’s a bit more than that
The team played a style, more consistently, across the bottom 3 lines. The 13-28-19 line played their own game once they checked and retrieved the puck. They used stretch passes, generated off the rush. Nobody was putting the puck in Gaudreau’s corner for him to bang around and retrieve it.
(Also another thing I mentioned elsewhere was the PP setup. Tkachuk in front to screen or tip, or step aside for the quick touch pass out to Lindholm in the slot.)
This team has players with high skill but the coach doesn’t play them together. He hasn’t loaded up a top line.
And where last year Gaudreau would carry the puck, this year you see Huberdeau dump it in. They aren’t playing the same game on offense. They are doing what the coach wants
The high skill that the players had last year, and the success, gave them more carte blanche to do their own thing. You heard Sutter grumbling about people doing things for personal stats
To me, it is right on point. People have been complaining all year about it being boring and ineffective because the high skill guys are playing a low skill game
And one more thing - they miss Kylington and his puck moving ability more than a lot of people realize
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How anyone can watch this team and come to the conclusion the star players are playing the same game as last season.
Johnny and Matthew did what they wanted, Huberdeau and crew are doing what the system wants.
John Stevens even said that he knew Sutter was not happy with the stars last year padding stats and playing for numbers. You aren't going to bench two 100 point players to teach a lesson so he just rode that line.