I am in the "Petey is injured camp". I don't think it's his hands though. He doesn't have that much power in his stride when he takes them. He kind of keeps going when he's already travelling in a straight line and can't change directions quickly. He's weak on the puck again, which he wasn't during his hot streak. It's similar to Boeser except Boeser started the season like that and ended it like that. Also Boeser was doing this when the team was a turd, I don't think either he or Petey would basically be malingering in the playoffs. A core injury could do all that, including the decreased shot strength. Or a bad back as someone earlier suggested.
We're all speculating but Tocchet saying that EP is healthy and most of the reporters telling them that sources tell them EP is injured...I believe the reporters. Did we all forget the infamous "lower body injury" fad that went around the NHL? To me it's semantics where the doctors are like "oh he can't hurt it any more" or "he should be ok by now" so Tocchet takes their word for it. Also the insiders don't need to lie, what are they going to get a cut off of another contract for EP?
I personally think he should have shut his f***ing mouth because "we don't lie" is basically untrue given his past personal history. More importantly, if it inevitably comes out that Petey and a bunch of other guys were playing injured it makes him seem like a baby. Why couldn't he have just avoided the question?
Honestly Tocchet is shitting the bed in terms of coaching and this just adds to his mistakes this off-season. Like forget Petey, he has no ability to adjust lines and icetime to how guys are actually playing. In many ways this is not so dissimilar to the old WilleD 1-2-3-4, except with line composition. Like he couldn't even drop a forward deep to take pressure off of Hughes getting hammered by Nashville forechecking. This is basic shit. Like if we had shortened our bench after the last goal, we had an amazing chance to win the game. It's annoying to me that Tocchet is doing this whole "calling out thing" when it's obvious he doesn't currently have the self-awareness to see that his "steady eddie" approach is barely working and could fall apart completely.
Wow? Can't believe how divided EP40 has turned this fanbase.
Do you want your coach to provide a bunch of excuses and exclusivity to certain players by saying "yes he's playing through something" "cant say exactly but Petey's hurting"? Since when has that ever been a thing for coaches to do in the media
What does that say to everyone else who's playing through something or hurting? And of course that narrative is relying on the fact that he's actually hurt.....like for 2 months now without even resting him at the end of the season when he could have?
What ice times is he struggling with? Wasn't Lindholm and Miller out together on a "shortened bench" last game when Bouchard scored?
"not dropping a winger" to stand beside the Norris winner to help him with body contact? Not sure what your even talking about here....insulating Hughes....really? What does that even look like and where does your C go and what about the zone clear stretch pass do you just abandon that altogether so Joshua can protect Hughes......i'm confused by what you're talking about?
We are in the quarter finals coming home 2-2 without a goal from Hughes Hronek No Demko and 1 from Pettersson and you are comparing Tocchet to 1-2-3-4 Willie???
C'mon man this really reaching here and villainizing Tocchet for no reason. Could he stand to make some adjustments sure but will they all work and do we even have the horses to pull it off when 4 of our best players if you include Hronek continue to provide so little.
I'm not sure why posters keep wanting to provide so many excuses for the players. Tocchet was spot on saying players were in pause mode i thought the exact same while i watched and the people who i was with who mostly played fairly high level hockey were saying the same. "We're not getting stuck in" and our "forecheck isn't good enough" Lafferty Mikhayev Suter Pettersson Hronek Karlsson all had too many moments of watching/pausing vs being assertive
i'm not saying Pettersson should be getting ripped either (when he's trying his hardest) playoffs are tough and he was obviously sick and was one of our best in the 3rd.
So many can't even get to this point and there are a few reasons why his stats are getting skewered with his wingers. This is not about Coach vs player...you're letting emotions get the best of you