The top guys were all MIA. McDavid, Draisaitl, Nuge, Hyman, all AWOL. Great timing to pull a disappearing act. Bouchard went from hero to a complete zero, and was not just invisible but an active detriment back there, with absolutely terrible puck management and passing which led to at least one goal directly. And this is why I will never laud his performance at the NHL level -- he'll have games like this where he reverts back to form and looks like a f***ing nervous rookie out there, handling the puck like it's a pre-season game. McLeod continues to f***ing duck hits and nope out instead of eating one to make a play.
They kept turning it over near or at their blue line, or our blue line, and coverage in our zone was once again passive, reactive and looked like a 3 alarm fire. Scrambling all over the place, guys wide open in the slot or the D backing up and letting the guys move in from the tops of the circles to have good looks... FFS this team. Just do not have it in them, and I suspect they'll fold like wet noodles next game. Always making it hard for themselves at every turn possible instead of playing smartly and intelligently.. have to be some of the most f***ing stupid people playing the game at the NHL level man.
Without Pickard, this would have been like a 4 or 5 goal deficit, not a one goal game. Another year, another wasted chance, another lineup shrivelling up and curling into a fetal position as they sewer the dwindling years of two of the top players. Embarassing.
