It’s That Time Again

[Drivesaitl]

Probably some truth to this.

This team is always uptight when big expectations are placed on them.

But that dynamic is getting all the way to teh SC final and having so much of the hockey world saying you are the cup favorites. That brings pressure regardless of who is in the room. Its hard performing so hard for so long and you can see it in guys like Hyman, Booch specifically. They actually overperformed, immensely, and gave so much. Physically as well as mentally it would be impossible for them to garner the same energy this season. Or at least for awhile.

This pressure exists in every professional medium. The pressure to keep getting better, to keep showing more. Even in music bands like Led Zep even had some albums panned because they were not perceived to be as good. Now this is a weird example to sports but what success does is it can take away the fun and novelty and start being just so much expectation. None of us realize what its like being McD or Drai and having to be great every shift, to do things that are fantastic every game. We would all cradle under this expectation.

 

[timekeep]

Quenneville, Peters, Babcock, Keenan, Woodcroft, McLellan, Eakins

If this is a response to 'who', it was regarding Kieth's question (Schwartz).

But I doubt the McDavid and crew could play some of those coaches, I'd like to see Bruce Boudreau. But these spoiled players couldn't handle him.

Eakins shouldn't be allowed into an NHL building other than the Saddledome the other Rogers

 

[bobbythebrain]

It's that time again......for dumb thread making

 

[Soundwave]

But that dynamic is getting all the way to teh SC final and having so much of the hockey world saying you are the cup favorites. That brings pressure regardless of who is in the room. Its hard performing so hard for so long and you can see it in guys like Hyman, Booch specifically. They actually overperformed, immensely, and gave so much. Physically as well as mentally it would be impossible for them to garner the same energy this season. Or at least for awhile.

This pressure exists in every professional medium. The pressure to keep getting better, to keep showing more. Even in music bands like Led Zep even had some albums panned because they were not perceived to be as good. Now this is a weird example to sports but what success does is it can take away the fun and novelty and start being just so much expectation. None of us realize what its like being McD or Drai and having to be great every shift, to do things that are fantastic every game. We would all cradle under this expectation.

Well they show it in the playoffs too ... almost every playoff round they play worse at the beginning and then find their legs later in the series.

I mean the obvious one is the Cup Final, where they had to get down 0-3 before they started playing their game.

LA series ... they had a bit of a sloppy first game but woke up and won, then lost game 2, and it's kind of like uh oh, but they generally have LA's number and I think they know it so they were able to shut it down a bit faster here.

Dallas series ... they were down 2-1 so a bad start.

Vancouver series ... they were down 2-1, so a bad start.

It basically checks out.

It's not a criticism of McDavid/Drai, it just means the locker room can get tight. If anything it's a sign they care *too much* instead of too little. There's not a lot of easy going personalities to counter-balance it and the pressure is sky high with a generational player in a Canadian market.

Looking at their start this year, it looks like it has happened again and Knoblaugh is just another in a series of coach's who probably underestimated it and was waltzing through training camp.

A goalie who could give this team some breathing room and give them some confidence to relax a bit would be a godsend.

 

[GOilers88]

The core of the club that went to one game away from SC have figured it out fine. But like any players or team they know that the task is herculean and in WC is never repeated the next year. I don't get all the leadership commentary or that theres some kind of flaw in the core other than Nurse. What we have here as per usual is a lack of contribution through the lineup. Like I said in another post today Knights have 7 players with 4 or more goals in lineup. We have 1. Knights have a dozen players with 3 goals already.

Knights have several players that have scored several goals. For us its just Draisaitl.

The leadership of McDrai is actually pretty amazing to have drug the team through so many series wins in recent seasons. I do mean drag each playoffs very few are earnestly in the hunt. Last season it was 5 players hauling this team all the way. year before it was 4.

Look at the Knights roster and every player is solid and has a role. Not at all the case with this bargain basement roster.


No, not the only one.

Agreed with all.

Obviously I don't advocate for trading core players cause I think they are good enough. But every year they say all the right things in the offseason, and come out completely passionless and flat and dig themselves a hole. We can point to defense or goaltending or depth scoring, but the fact is over the first 5 or so games, everyone was saying how disinterested everyone looked, and that went right on from McDavid down.

Every year.

So I'm not saying to trade core players to shake things up. But if people think the team is listless enough to even consider another coaching change, I think you have to look directly at the core as ask Ques Que f***?

 

[Soundwave]

Obviously I don't advocate for trading core players cause I think they are good enough. But every year they say all the right things in the offseason, and come out completely passionless and flat and dig themselves a hole. We can point to defense or goaltending or depth scoring, but the fact is over the first 5 or so games, everyone was saying how disinterested everyone looked, and that went right on from McDavid down.

Every year.

So I'm not saying to trade core players to shake things up. But if people think the team is listless enough to even consider another coaching change, I think you have to look directly at the core as ask Ques Que f***?

It isn't disinterest, it's being uptight (again it's really caring too much rather than the opposite) and then getting into a cycle of "not this shit again" when you're down like 0-3 in the Jets game even though you were out chancing them to start the game.

Uptightness + then frustration and then it snowballs.

I doubt there's many people in the sport that take their game prep more seriously than Connor McDavid. This is a guy who would refuse to eat birthday cake at birthday parties as a child because he had a game the following day and it would violate the pre-game diet. Imagine an 8 year old refusing to eat cake at a birthday party, lol.

A legit good goalie would be able to break this negative spin cycle, but alas our management is too incompetent to ever find one of those guys. Getting a huge save or winning a game (or two!) you didn't deserve to have would just let this group f***ing exhale and go "ok, lets get it going now".

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Just out of curiosity I've seen McD snapping at team mates and admit it could be difficult to be around that. But have their been instances of Drai doing this with team mates? He certainly does it to the press or opposition but I can't remember specific incidents with team mates.

Drai also makes sure to have a laugh with team mates and McD does at times as well. But in a lot of interaction, pressers etc where two players interviewed at once drai is pretty comical, and I think easier to be around.

Not sure I agree with the coach needing to be much different. Depends on situation. If the read is the players aren't dialed in then yeah. But if the players are feeling snakebit the calm approach is best. I want different tactical approaches from the coaching and different line usages and schemes. But not sure about different mannerism.

Draisaitl tore a strip off Kane if you recall.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Obviously I don't advocate for trading core players cause I think they are good enough. But every year they say all the right things in the offseason, and come out completely passionless and flat and dig themselves a hole. We can point to defense or goaltending or depth scoring, but the fact is over the first 5 or so games, everyone was saying how disinterested everyone looked, and that went right on from McDavid down.

Every year.

So I'm not saying to trade core players to shake things up. But if people think the team is listless enough to even consider another coaching change, I think you have to look directly at the core as ask Ques Que f***?

I haven't seen any of Drai, McD, Ekholm, Booch Hyman looking disinterested. What I have seen is much better opponent preparation and circling Oilers in a calendar as a measuring stick. Every club except Pittsburgh gets up for us. The Pens were the only club to again lay down.

Even last game so many posters saying why don't the Oilers put any effort into it. The core players were. We weren't getting much from anybody else.

Disinterested? Against Vegas? Didn't see that unless looking at Nuge, J Skinner and our entire bottomsix.

Hyman exemplifies problems this year that it was just going to be much harder to do the same or similar things. Thats NHL correction occurring, and better marking and checking. This is the aspect that needs to be considered more is that two different clubs in a team sport are butting heads. Two good teams, one will prevail. Not the end of the world. I don't support this thread at all, just making some comments. I gather you're doing similar.

The only coaching change I need to be seeing is Schwartz. Few coaches are going to be ideal, and I can see some wrinkles forming but would stay the course with these coaches. Haven't heard as much from Coffey though this year. He may be the first to decide that he doesn't want this anymore. He was talked into the gig, not looking for it. Strikes me as odd too that Broberg wasn't a priority in an org that had Coffey as coach. Not making any comparable but Broberg skillsets is most like Coffey. Speed, wheels, shot, offensive gusto. You'd think Coffey would've enjoyed further molding of Broberg. Just a thought. Now he's got lumps like Dermott, Emberson to work with instead. heh

Draisaitl tore a strip off Kane if you recall.

I remember the one where Perry was bashing Kane. Now that you mention it I'm recalling something with Drai and Kane but not remembering the details. Thanks for jogging my memory.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Quenneville, Peters, Babcock, Keenan, Woodcroft, McLellan, Eakins

No, racist, asshole, asshole, already tried him, already tried him, already tried him.

 

[barry halls]

Just out of curiosity I've seen McD snapping at team mates and admit it could be difficult to be around that. But have their been instances of Drai doing this with team mates? He certainly does it to the press or opposition but I can't remember specific incidents with team mates.

Drai also makes sure to have a laugh with team mates and McD does at times as well. But in a lot of interaction, pressers etc where two players interviewed at once drai is pretty comical, and I think easier to be around.

Not sure I agree with the coach needing to be much different. Depends on situation. If the read is the players aren't dialed in then yeah. But if the players are feeling snakebit the calm approach is best. I want different tactical approaches from the coaching and different line usages and schemes. But not sure about different mannerism.

In an episode of The Drop the team is in the locker room after winning game 7 vs Van and Leon is visibly frustrated and shouting at the room “we can’t let this shit keep happening” (referring to almost blowing the lead, and fair enough for him to be upset by that). Of course I don’t know what he’s like most of the time but we know these guys are deadly serious about winning, and good on them for it but I think there is value to having players around that help let some air out of the room.

I think 97 is so singularly focused on needing to win a cup for his legacy, and feeling the clock running out, that the pressure he puts on himself might be impacting his performance. He strikes me as someone who is all business all the time and I think having that energy exuded by your leader, in any sort of workplace, can be detrimental to performance at times.