Absolutely which is why I can almost get where the "they're not tough enough" notion comes from but I think lack of cohesion and commitment to a team plan (is there one???) is different from we have to fight Nick Ritchie or whatever the f***. And bringing in Reaves and Tinordi doesn't solve the former.
People bring up leadership, but leadership is in the front office just as much as on the ice, if not more. They've had four years since McDonagh was traded and they can't name a captain, acquire a captain, or develop a captain? They let this go on. And I refuse to believe that this disjointed mess cleans itself up if a particular guy had a particular letter on his shirt.
On any team worth a damn, this freelancing on offense wouldn't be accepted, which is why I keep going back to the idea that somebody up there is ok with it.
I think it's a mix of things. It's Sather, it's always having that security blankie between the pipes, it's the Broadway culture and the idea that you come here to be a star, it's the idea that toughness always the problem regardless of what it actually is (which is probably just an extension of Sather).
Somebody, someday has to step up and let everyone know this isn't how you run a hockey team.
I was hoping Gallant's strong personality would get that done. I was actually afraid he'd get canned for doing it too forcefully, as he's been known to do. So far, though, it looks like Gallant wants to get out of the business of bouncing around, because he's done nothing but enable all of this.
