Honestly you bring up something that’s maybe key to all of this and that’s the ‘possession’ Kings were the ones racking up the hits. So maybe the shots didn’t bother me as much then because even if we weren’t dirty other teams were paying for every inch of ice. The idea of the power play as enforcer was faulty because we couldn’t score for shit but at the same time it arose because teams got frustrated with getting smoked by big Kings all game.
Now, we’re getting the shit kicked out of us and it’s STILL happening. I’ve changed my stance after that Stephenson hit. If a f***ing cream puff like that can smoke a good kid like Toby and have nothing happen, I WANT instigators. I want to be as gritty as f***ing possible at this point. Protect the kids at all costs, show them you’re going to stick up for them, W/Ls don’t matter this year imo as much as creating an environment over this year and next of a culture that’s going to have to grow with Turcotte, Byfield, and the rest of the kids. You have to start setting the tone now—and the tone so far this year is lose, get kicked in, don’t respond to dirty play at all. It’s time for some criminals. Need to be the cliche ‘harder to play against.’