Adversity or not this team doesn’t seem to have matured one lick since those early Boston series.
The fact that this team lost 4 straight entering the playoffs playing brain dead meaningless hockey and then have dropped 3 of 4 to Boston to go a combined 1-7 in the most critical time of the year, while struggling with consistency, details, composure. Tells you a lot.
Health and injuries are what they are. But it’s just the fact that it looks the same as it always has that is the problem.
With Matthews, I dunno. Don’t have info on his health. But Coyle is better than him. Before that it was Barkov and Bennett. Before that it was Cirelli. Before that it was Danault. Then Dubois. He’s played head to head against a lot of meh whatever centers and how many times has he come out ahead.
Marner’s kind of entering the meh who cares territory. He’s not capable so stop expecting it.