@Winnipeg - 100.02 years
- Thread starter mostman
- Start date
I'll say this, Sway better be apoplectic with himself after the game and himself alone. If he gets caggy or standoff-ish that will be a really bad sign of where his head is at right now
They were hoping if they won a couple of fights, the league would give Sweeney another crack at the 2015 draft. Maybe he’ll see Connor there on the board this time.
The time to make a decision on Marchand is in the offseason. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he hasn’t been extended. However I don’t think it’s worth conveying to the players that management doesn’t believe in the group if the sell off veterans this early.
Like, most of us knew how lucky this organization was to have Chara then Bergeron. I think even we may have underestimated the effect, though.
Yeah that's part of it that I've seen this season because Bergy would have never been OK with the way Pasta is playing this season, he would have been all over his ass. You can even feel in the Alt casts when Bergy is thinking "what the fuck are you guys doing" I'm not calling for a change yet and I believe Brad has earned the right that if he wants to spend his entire career in a B's sweater I'm all for it. I think though with him he leads by hustle and going into the dirty places where Chara and Bergy lead by being sound hockey players. It's starting to look like those surgeries have sapped his athleticism enough that he can't do those things anymore, at least not right now, and he's compensating in really bad ways like picking or trying to be too cute with the puck, yet not having that initial leg push to chase back his mistakes.
I'm not ready to write him off and especially not trade him, but he needs to completely simplify his game and lead that way
I think Marchand is mostly healthy again. He's made moves in recent games that were classic Marchand fluidity. I just don't think he's a leader. I've watched him quit too many times at too high of stakes (like say, Game 7 of a Stanley Cup), get frustrated and do something stupid, etc. You just can't have that as your primary leader, you simply can't. He was a fine assistant, where he could hustle on the ice, keep things light in the room, etc., but a captain needs to be as much a leader as the coach. Marchand simply lacks the temperment to do the job and it shows up time and time again. I had hoped McAvoy was that guy, but the fact he's not showing up either is really concerning, and I don't know who the leader in that room is anymore. But it's not Marchand.
Loss last night is not on him, but we are now at .885 for our fearless market setter.
Hope the extra $400-600k AAV was worth the self-doubt and ill-preparedness for the season, bud
Hope the extra $400-600k AAV was worth the self-doubt and ill-preparedness for the season, bud
How do we know Marchand is not on Pasta or anyone else? We're not in the room, nobody knows what is going on. For all we know Marchand is ripping these guys. Also, Pasta's injured. He got hurt in the World Championships last summer which delayed his offseason program and he's now hurt again, missed practice on Monday with a UBI. Marchand played through 3 injuries requiring surgery last year. Seems like a pretty good "folllow me" type guy.
The problem isn't the leadership. The problem is the talent. The market setting goalie missed camp and has largely sucked. The top 5 RW in the game came in hurt and hasn't gotten on track and is probably hurt again.
They don't have the depth to overcome these things.
I'll say it for the millionth time, this is post-holdout Byron Dafoe all over again. I do not see Swayman rounding into form this year. He'll have to do so next year. He gets to count his money now, however.
Expected goals against was 3 last night assuming that I’m reading it correctly. Just a horrible performance.
I’m not saying there is a lack of leadership, and it drives me nuts on SOSH in general that “it’s this, therefore it can’t be that” general posting mentality. Yes there is a lack of talent, but that absolutely does not mean there is a disconnect in leadership. Both can be true.
You’re right, we don’t know what’s going on in the room, but even if Brad is yelling at them who knows if they are listening because if he’s preaching playing your position and play smart hockey, he’s the one outside of Pasta cheating the most and disengaging on D too early. “Do as I say, not as I do” doesn’t fly in professional sports.
Also, if we are taking your point on things we don’t know, we don’t know what injury Pasta suffered over the summer, so how can you assume it’s the reason affecting his poor play?
You are hand waving a point by saying we don’t know what’s going on in the room while using an injury that we don’t know as an excuse
I think it would be silly to call the deal bad forever today. (Which you are not doing). But I think it would be equally silly for the team not to recognize the reality of today. They should either sit him for a few straight, or at least go to a regular every other game thing to give the now-better goalie more PT. There *is* a season happening, after all.