Well....I've stayed away from commenting on this team because I didn't feel it was time. Its time. 2 shutouts...the first one blamed on TJ Brodie's circumstance.....the last one....just suckery.
.500 by Thanksgiving and effort in about 3/4 of those....Leafesque! I'll try my best here to describe this. At the NHL everyone has an ego....and they are now more fragile than ever for some reason. During the offseason management was dealing with missed expectations from the playoffs.....they made it apparent that certain individuals were expendable if the opportunity came along...it did not and those folks are still in the dressing room. Bill Peters isn't exactly the type of coach that the players are going to rally around so they have to find it within the locker room. And if the locker room can't fix it then its on Treliving once again to make changes to the locker room.
It would be one thing if this team didn't have the talent and put forth mad effort. However its full of talent without effort. I've seen so many versions of this team having the same crisis of confidence over the years and I am not interested in waiting around for them to figure it out
. Find the Passion and hire a full time sports psychologist already!
If that means moving out the trade bait from the beginning of the year....or a one time untouchable like Monahan (flip him for Nylander!) hitting the road so be it. Bennett......gone....Czarnik.....good in pre-season and with space....maybe should play overseas. Frolik...wretched...obviously not interested in being here. Jankowski.....yeeeouch.....clean it up. Lucic....well its Lucic.
Talbot is about as average as I expected him to be. Rittich is serviceable.
So they play the Avs this Tuesday, who are depleted but still finding ways to win with effort and teamwork. If the Flames can't get up to win that one at home its alarm bell time.