Quote:
Originally Posted by GranteedEV
I'm sure Richardson and Lewis make the coach happy with their attention to detail, habits, consistent effort etc. But I'm equally sure, for instance, 2019 Ryan and Hathaway would have made the coach equally happy, even with zero experience in the postseason.
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It's not just about making the coach happy, it's about having earned the respect of both the coach and the other players. Lucic, Richardson, Lewis, Coleman. These are guys that not only make the coach happy by playing the right way night in and night out, they have been there. They can positively contribute to the locker room and command respect even as 4th liners (in some of their cases) because they have the experience and the pedigree. They actually know what it takes and what kind of effort is required to win the cup. It's not just coming from the coach, it's coming from guys scattered throughout the roster.
I loved Hathaway, but if you think he commands even 1/4 of the respect a guy like Lewis does, you're probably wrong.
Sports psychology is a real thing. A big part of the game is played between the ears, in the locker room, and in practice. To change the culture you can't just have one coach and say "ok, change the culture," you need guys who buy in. And the more guys you have, the easier it's going to be to change the mentality of guys who struggle with buy-in. It's natural for guys like Tkachuk and Monahan who may not be producing the way they'd like to go back to old habits, but they have an entire team holding them accountable and saying "this is the way you win" from guys who have actually won.
Saying any one of these guys was a passenger is completely missing what it takes to win the cup.