Was Cozens the problem?

[1point21Gigawatts]

This team tends to thrive in zero pressure environments, which they are in post deadline.

They technically aren't eliminated yet and you are crazy if you think the players aren't aware of that. I would argue they feel more pressure now to play well. I think it's a simpler explanation that they just don't get their shit together until it's too late in the season. Call it a slow starting team if you want (that feels like an understatement) but i don't necessarily think it's wilting under pressure.

That said; Do i have hope for next year, based on this season's end? Of course not. I am not that gullible.

 

[toddkaz]

Its hard not to change my opinion that it was management.....maybe it was Cozens.


Watch Ottawa win the cup. That seems to be the way.

 

[joshjull]

They technically aren't eliminated yet and you are crazy if you think the players aren't aware of that. I would argue they feel more pressure now to play well. I think it's a simpler explanation that they just don't get their shit together until it's too late in the season. Call it a slow starting team if you want (that feels like an understatement) but i don't necessarily think it's wilting under pressure.

That said; Do i have hope for next year, based on this season's end? Of course not. I am not that gullible.

You’re going to dislocate your shoulder reaching with that logic.

They’ve been in “we got nothing to lose territory” for a while now. It’s the season equivalent of score effects. That said, it’s not the only reason they’re having success right now. There are bunch of things in play.

The question is how many of those things are going to carry over into next season? Outside of Tage/Dahlin, I’m not sure we can’t count on much of it.

 

[1point21Gigawatts]

You’re going to dislocate your shoulder reaching with that logic.

They’ve been in “we got nothing to lose territory” for a while now. It’s the season equivalent of score effects. That said, it’s not the only reason they’re having success right now. There are bunch of things in play.

The question is how many of those things are going to carry over into next season? Outside of Tage/Dahlin, I’m not sure we can’t count on much of it.

That explains the sharp pain in my rotator cuff.

Goaltending will most likely be the biggest area of regression. I want to believe that our defense has at least learned how to limit scoring chances more to the perimeter, but i am too lazy to actually look up the stats on that.

My biggest takeaways from this season are:

1 - UPL is not our guy.
2 - Quinn is either cooked or a player who gets going too late into a season. Either way, he needs to go.
3 - I have no clue what's going on with our defense.

There are more, but i only want to list those 3 as i think they are the most obvious.

 

[Chainshot]

That explains the sharp pain in my rotator cuff.

Goaltending will most likely be the biggest area of regression. I want to believe that our defense has at least learned how to limit scoring chances more to the perimeter, but i am too lazy to actually look up the stats on that.

My biggest takeaways from this season are:

1 - UPL is not our guy.
2 - Quinn is either cooked or a player who gets going too late into a season. Either way, he needs to go.
3 - I have no clue what's going on with our defense.

There are more, but i only want to list those 3 as i think they are the most obvious.

They are still among the league worst in terms of quality given up. They haven't gotten appreciably better at it overall and certain players are regularly doing the wrong thing defensively. One in particular is having a great season scoring while the other he's often paired with is not so the level of fury gets directed away from the flashy one who doesn't defend toward the less flashy one who can't stay on his skates. Then figure in how the team's primary goal scorer still makes plays around the bluelines that result in quality rush chances going the other way almost every game...

The defense won't get better until more than a couple of the forwards decide they too have to be involved in playing the entire ice. They have too many guys who are just interested in getting up the ice and leave the work to everyone else. Either start getting JJ and Quinn and Thompson as the bigger offenders to play the right way or this isn't going to be solved.

 

[Zman5778]

The defense won't get better until more than a couple of the forwards decide they too have to be involved in playing the entire ice. They have too many guys who are just interested in getting up the ice and leave the work to everyone else. Either start getting JJ and Quinn and Thompson as the bigger offenders to play the right way or this isn't going to be solved.

Oddly enough, given the 3 specific forward names you mentioned -- I'm least worried about Quinn's dedication in his own end. He's shown flashes of defensive awareness before and has even showed a flash here and there during this run of good play that he's remembering that the defensive zone is a thing.

JJ and Tage? Yeahhhhhhh......I think it's time we recognize that while they're great offensively (and in Tage's case, near-elite)......neither are going to be much better than middling in their own zone.

 

[dickiedunnwrotethis]

Oddly enough, given the 3 specific forward names you mentioned -- I'm least worried about Quinn's dedication in his own end. He's shown flashes of defensive awareness before and has even showed a flash here and there during this run of good play that he's remembering that the defensive zone is a thing.

JJ and Tage? Yeahhhhhhh......I think it's time we recognize that while they're great offensively (and in Tage's case, near-elite)......neither are going to be much better than middling in their own zone.

It's why I'm okay with parlaying Peterka+ into a top 4 RD or top 6 veteran forward with defensive chops. Someday we may be able to slip into the playoffs with two defensively mediocre forwards in our top 6, but we'll never be contenders.