SI
Registered User
- Feb 16, 2013
- 7,906
- 4,102
Let's break this down -You keep telling us how much you believe in those players - The "core" of the team. However you keep missing the most important point...Why if all those players are so great, and in the prime of their careers, are the Isles struggling to make the playoffs yet again?
I love almost every single Islander playing on this roster, but there's a difference in loving them...And them being good enough to matchup against the very best teams in the league.
So sure I love Barzal, Horval, Nelson, Dobson, and Sorokin...But I'd trade them all to get a handful of other "cores" around the league including Colorado, Florida, Edmonton, Vegas, etc. We have good talent...They have elite talent, and that is proven where it matters most - The standings (and championships).
Never said I wanted Boudeau. I might've taken him over Lambert, but he would never be a target of mine. I like and support Roy (but I still don't think this is the right roster for him to ultimately succeed with).
This is kinda the whole point. Yes the standings don't lie and yes the east is a mess this year and yet...The Isles are behind a totally average team in the Flyers (who might even be a seller at the deadline despite being a playoff spot). No matter what metric you use that is bad.
I think you care more about being right than anything else, but let's address your post -
The core of this team has - has elite talent - Sorokin is elite, Dobson is elite, Barzal is elite. Sorokin is a top 5 goalie in this league, Dobson may finish with 70+ assists - more than Makar, Fox, Karlsson, and McAvoy, and Barzal has found another level to his game, his speed, his speed with the puck on his stick, his willingness and confidence in his shot, and now his tenacity away from the puck has been amazing to witness this season.
You build around that - they have struggled the last 2 seasons to make the playoffs - last year they went on a heater and made it and this year they blew about 20 points with not being able to close out games, but they are within striking distance of 3RD place in the Metro, which would be playing through Carolina and possibly the Rangers to get into the conference finals.
Maybe it was the coaching, the system, the process that's been the problem the last season and half - maybe it got stagnant and they needed a fresh voice and now that has been addressed... Roy is now implementing an entirely new system "ON THE f***ING FLY" one that is about aggressive hockey and focused on possession.
Wanting another Core - do you mean you want Eichel? McDavid? Mackinnon? Barkov? Tkachuk? Who wouldn't want those players, but THOSE PLAYERS ARE NOT AVAILABLE! And when they were, i.e., Tkachuk - they did not want to come here.
And if you mean blowing this up and starting again, which is f***ing stupid - there is no guarantee that you get those players; it doesn't mean those high picks easily turn into S-tier players, i.e., Nolan Patrick, Nico Hischier, Patrik Laine, Kappo Kakko, Alex Lafreniere, PDL, Juolevi, Pulijaarvi, Dylan Strome, Kotkaniemi, Dach, Byram, Turcotte, Yakupov, Murray, Galchenyuk, Drouin, Bennett, etc.
And Edmonton and Florida have no championships.
And on BOUDREAU - yes, you did.
And let's finish on the standings - because I would really like to understand your point.
The Devils are flawed - hurt - and need a solution in net; they have a tough stretch of games too. Washington and the Penguins are just clinging on, and the Flyers are a couple of seasons ahead and this success is most likely not sustainable, so they are very catchable... the ISLES - IF they have flipped the switch here - can go on a run and make the 3rd seed. I do NOT understand what you mean by what METRIC I use - you win or you lose that's it. It's certainly not a "they suck and they have a better record than us so that means we suck more" METRIC.
I wonder if you have ever played a sport before? Or if you only look at sports through the lens of a FAN.
Adversity and obstacles are part of a team's journey... nothing is definitive. There are things like overcoming those adversities and obstacles. Who the team was in January or February is very different than who they can be in March and April and certainly in May or June. There is momentum, ebbs and flow, peaking at the right time.
Their path via 3rd in the Metro means - Carolina and then the winner of NYR & whomever the wildcards are Detroit or Tampa Bay. HOW does that prospect not excite you as an Islander fan?
And if you come back at me with well they are not good enough to win the CUP - why are you even watching the game?
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