That was a very frustrating ending, but we don't need to panic.
Let's remind ourselves:
We are missing our best two way center, and our top D pairing.
We are a fairly top heavy team, so that's like 75% of our dynamism right there.
Then you have Demko, Joshua, and Miller who aren't up to speed yet recovering from injuries (and whatever was going on with Miller), and Boeser himself is just getting his game back too.
Given those circumstances, the chance things would be rough was there.
Of course, it's HOW they lost that's so frustrating.
I have seen people say that this is proof we suck and should rebuild blah blah blah.
I think what's lost psychologically is that if we had nursed that to a 4-1, or even a 4-2 win, then all of our foot soldiers gain confidence, and get rewarded for playing within their limits. It would have reinforced positive habits, and contributed to higher confidence and team cohesion.
Instead, it leaves a seriously bitter taste in the mouth.
With that said, we still got a point.
And what's important is what we do with this. Our pathetic ot/shootout record obscures the fact that if we were a little above break even in extra time we would be like 20-10-and 5 which is an incredible record given our injury absences (despite how ugly it's looked). And lest we forget, the playoffs don't have shootouts or 3 on 3.
So what do we do with this? Is this a wake-up call for our team? A call to focus on fundamentals until the final buzzer? Or do we collapse and get pouty.
I will say, it's been troubling just how low-event and boring we have been lately. We are generating so few chances lately (bottom in the league over a 6 week stretch) and that's troubling.
I have to think that our braintrust figured they could add D during the season and found it harder than expected.
Because even if Soucy and Myers had played better, we were always one injury on D away from catastrophe.