Close your eyes a moment and imagine: you are playing on this team as a 16yr old rookie, or a 17-18year old. You have secured a spot on the team. First half a season you can’t win because you are the most penalized team in the league and there is zero accountability for players performance in and off the ice. Two players quit the team, eventually one returns. Coach gets fired and new younger coach with NHL experience and his dad begin coaching along with two new hires as Assistant Coaches. Team play and defensive play improve drastically, your GM sells at the deadline and releases your OA goalie. Your team has limited depth and a new tender comes in from another league as an unknown. Your top 17year old forward misses a month with an injury, same as an elite 18 year old forward. An OA forward, great on draws and PK, gets suspended 6 games. But somehow you are 2 games below 500 and tied for the last playoff spot.
The coaching has been great since the change over (will be exceptional after PP gets figured out). Krawchuk “Chucky”has been a pleasant surprise in net and has earned and is getting more starts. Brassard is who he is. If he was Martin Brodeour he wouldn’t have been placed on waivers. I’m guessing when Ranger struggled mightily after the first month no other team was willing to trade a tender, so there may have not been many options.
Furthermore, Galton goes down with a long term injury.
We still have an open Euro spot.
We can easily point our fingers and blame Paps, Coaches, Scouts and undisciplined players but ultimately what we are watching is young players growing and developing. They play the game, they are ultimately responsible for the outcomes.
To me, we now have one of the top 3 coaches in the league. Not every penalty is undisciplined, some are good penalties or just terrible calls.
Mistakes will happen: Mania is so talented and probably the best skater with the best edges on the team, he now knows he can’t be skating back towards our net with the puck blind as the last line of defence. Mental mistake, technically he can turn and face up ice to make an outlet pass(he will learn). I can’t believe Coach DM isn’t teaching a proper PP, but now players need to execute.
From what I read on these boards: there are teams in way worse situations than our Wolves. This was never going to be our year. Best outcome make the playoffs and let the players gain the experience and have fun with it. If we make it, we will be getting a top 6-8 pick in draft. Lots of draft assets so the sun will come up tomorrow. Better days ahead.
We are still making the playoffs.
