First of all, you absolutely do scoff at it. You're doing it in the very same post by engaging in this reductionist BS. This is the equivalent of saying the key to winning games is to score more than the other team. It says nothing about how you actually accomplish "being good, making the right play", as you say. And if we as fans don't have a clear observation of what this team's identity, that's not a good sign that it's well defined within the organization. Did anyone ever have any trouble pinpointing the identity of the Devils between 1994-2012?
It's not reductionist BS. I have no idea how a team forms an identity, but all the winning teams do it, apparently. Can you pinpoint Colorado's identity? How about Vegas? Tampa? Florida? These are all really good teams and the last 4 to win the Cup. They score goals and they play good defense, and they have some physical players, and some not-so-physical players. I'm sure every player on these teams could tell you what their identity was. I don't know that because I'm not on the team, but it all amounts to the same idea. None of these teams are trying to reinvent anything.
This isn't remote a goalpost shift. Chemistry and identity are linked for obvious reasons. An identity requires everyone being on the same page consistently. How the F can you be on the same page if you don't have chemistry?
It absolutely is a goalpost shift. Lines can have good chemistry on teams that don't have identity (i.e. that don't win).
Every good team plays solid defense. How did they play solid defense? Speed was part of it. They were also killer in transition. Again because of speed. That was their identity. It's not what they are accomplishing, it's how.
How was speed part of their defense? Severson and Marino are above-average skaters - I wouldn't describe anyone else on that blueline as being fast, and indeed Brendan Smith is probably slow. I do not understand how speed is an identity but okay, you just left out the part about how they want to force the opposition into turnovers via quicker skating and then transitioning the puck up ice.
I don't know what you're talking about regarding ZZ Pops. They were the most consistent line across three seasons and there was a reason for it.
Jamie Langenbrunner played the fewest minutes of the 3 over the 3 seasons between 2008 and 2010. He played 2961 minutes 5v5. What percentage of those would you guess he played with Zach and Travis? And sure shifts bleed over and whatnot and there's the end of served penalties and so on, so obviously something like 90% isn't possible, that's not how hockey works. But what percentage would you guess?
Yeah Meier and Hughes don't work together, but it goes beyond that. Who are the guys that really work well together consistently? People will say well Timo + Nico and Jack + Bratt, yet coaches don't seem to stick with those pairings consistently either. Do these guys still produce? Yeah, but I never get the sense they consistently click in a way that lines with great chemistry do. The potential never seems to fully materialize across the long term.
Timo has not had a full season here where he wasn't injured for half of it. Travis Green had the bad Jack almost exclusively and then not at all. So basically, you have one coach who didn't stick with those pairings.
And yet they have a top 6 of the exact opposite type of player. I'm not saying every single one of them should fit the exact same mold, but the dichotomy shouldn't be that striking.
It's not really the case, either. How does Nico Hischier not fit that? How does Timo Meier not fit that?
More reductionism. Tampa intentionally targets players that are highly skilled but willing to spear you in the nuts if you f*** with them, who can embarrass you if you want to play a high flying game but also are willing to play lock-down, shot-blocking 1-0 games if needed. Yeah coaching is part of it, because you need someone to demand that identity. The coach is hired by management.
Oh, okay. Wow, what a list they've got, incredible they manage to find their guy every time. It's not reductive - Tampa looks for good players first and foremost. Yes, they look for speed, and yeah, they like grit.
This has nothing to do with bringing the 90's back, there's no reason to even bring that up. I agree Keefe is trying that.
lol, then why did you bring it up at the beginning of the post? There's reason for you to bring it up but not me, got it.
I agree that identities aren't build in a day, but this statement is again you clearly scoffing at the concept of identity by passive aggressively implying that it's just a nebulous ascription to winning, as opposed to an active ingredient in the formula.
I scoff at the notion of identity because I do not have access to the Devils' locker room or their coaching staff. Sure, teams have to understand how to play as teams, to trust that their teammate will be in the place they expect them to be. But for me, yes, it is just a nebulous ascription to winning, you've gotten that exactly correct. Losing teams don't have identity, that's their problem. If they had it, they would've won. But they didn't, so they don't.
