Yeah, I don't think Sutter says anything without ulterior meanings. Everything he says is carefully thought out to either motivate his team or to psych out the other team.
The second part of his statement is just simple math. By my calculations, if a single player is getting 4 points per game, you need to score at least 5 goals per game to win, and that isn't counting for goals scored that he isn't in on.
The first part of his statement is careful word crafting to both motivate his players and to try and get the opposition relying too heavily on one player, because if they do that and you manage to contain that player, it helps you win. Truthfully, there are some things that McDavid does better than any player in the world. He is dangerous every time he has the puck in the offensive zone and can single handedly win games. The Oilers got 104 points this season with a roster of mostly middling, has-been, and replacement level players and McDavid accounts for at least 50% of that. Every team would suffer a set back without their best player, but the Oilers would be a last place team without theirs.
But we also know how Sutter feels about players that do not dedicate themselves the same in the neutral and defensive zones the same way they do in the offensive zone, or about neutralizing their offensive contributions by allowing as many opportunities when they are on the ice. Obviously he isn't going to criticize McDavid publicly, but if he played under Sutter, it would drive him nuts. It definitely works to Sutter's benefit to pump his tires and encourage him to focus on his offensive game.
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"A pessimist thinks things can't get any worse. An optimist knows they can."
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