Was happy I got to catch a full game for the first time in a while.
First off, I have no idea what people are talking about with the refereeing. It was inconsequential to me. They didn’t deserve any more than they got in that department.
Secondly, and I don’t say this as a “complaint”, but more as what I feel is an acknowledgement of current reality.
I think it’s a mid-level team. Yes, yes, I know they are at the top of the standings. But there is no aspect of this team (outside of goaltending) that really looks to be an upper echelon performer. I am not impressed with their ability to move the puck out of their own end (haven’t been all year). I am not impressed with the puck movement through the neutral zone. Not impressed with physicality. Not impressed with the effort of some players (we all fall victim to our own biases I understand, but to me Jake DeBrusk’s nightly effort is as bad as it’s ever been).
And honestly, I think that is just what this team is. It’s what many expected coming into the year and I think it’s what we are seeing now. Many teams have more talent. And the coaching, for me, has raised some serious eyebrows. It's just not a combo that I can see bringing them very far.
They have 2 #1D, 2 #1G, and an elite winger as the core of what makes them win games. Its not just goaltending.
Marchand and Carlo are also "above average" for where they slot into the roster.
But, the rest of the roster is mid at best for the roles they are slotted into.
They went into the season needing to see what they had in the kids and regroup with a hard cap situation with the bonus overages.
To be successful, they had to kick ass against the soft schedule at the beginning of the year, and then try to win a lot of tight low scoring games.
They are breaking in kids. They are winning games with defense and goaltending. They are really checking off all the checkboxes a realistic fan had going into the season.
So it's natural to want to change the goals mid-stream here. But, their ceiling is limited without some additions to the roster. And it's not that time of year, yet.