I'm kidding, sort of. Seattle heads down the I-5 tonight to face the Portland Winterhawks. The Winterhawks have mostly had their number in the past few seasons and we're all well aware that the Tbirds are coming into the game riding a 4 game losing streak.
To be honest, I'm expecting nothing more than getting blown out by the Winterhawks.
I'm not happy about how the team is playing and I don't think fans should be happy either.
However...
Here's the thing.
There may come a day where it might make some logical sense for me to advocate massive changes for the team but that day isn't going to come after a 4 game stretch.
Everyone needs to calm down. We know this team is more talented than they have been in years past and we know they made a couple of trades that have changed team dynamics. Over the past 4 games, it hasn't worked. Let's give it a little more time to see what happens.
There may come a time to reasonably panic and freak out but doing so after 4 games would be an overreaction.
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Can we freak out after 5? :)
Nope.
This team still need to improve on their defense (not the players on defense, on actually playing defense)and they need to improve their level of intensity and consistency for the whole game. It might take a while.
People who are freaking out right now are blinded by the record of the tbirds. They tend to forget that 5 of their wins was by one goal, add a few by two goals.
They also forget that they got outmatched by Por 10-4 and blanked by tri 3-0.
I also doubt that having line-ups with Forsberg and Sheen would of made any difference in the last 4 games results.
But I am really looking forward to see Honey back.
Benoit is a scratch and according to the announcer the last spot was between Holub and Elliot but the summary shows that Elliot is in.
Again this is my current problem, if your 20's aren't good enough to play every game replace them or drop them for players with a larger upside.
And his concludes my overager bitch of the night.
How many times have we let a team score on us in the first minute this year. Feels like a record breaking season.
remember when the blogger was telling us to print those Memorial Cup tickets..... Maybe the early luck on this team has ran out. All those one goal games early might have fooled some people.
Time to over react now...5-0 after 1 period is a joke
5-0 first period. Wow
At least fuel is cheap now (for the wasted trip to Portland)
Most teams start a brawl or change goalies when they start getting "blown out"
Wolf, horrible, not ready for the WHL. Has no idea what to do with the puck when pressured.
Kolesar, can't see what they see in him. Get's a regular shift and on the power play. I realize he's only 16, but he's not ready for a regular shift.
Just my opinion. May be my last year for season tickets.
Not even December for the usual collapse.
Ok, I'll take all this rant back if they win both games in Victoria.
Let's go for the #1 draft pick via the lottery. Lethbridge should end up with a worse record.
Your supposed rival games, Portland and Everett.....and you don't even show up. No passion, no heart no desire, no effort. It is an embarrassment to play this way. At least hustle and play hard.....just quit! Unacceptable.
Guess what, boys and girls? The best team the T-Birds have iced in recent memory is still not (yet) that good.
Consider that after twenty games last year, Seattle was 9-10-1-0. This year's iteration is 11-7-0-2. All this talent has given us a whopping two extra wins in the first twenty games.
FYI
It was announced that Benoit was waived which opens up a 20 year old spot.
Anyone else think it just might be the coaching???
I'm always more inclined to put more blame/pressure on players, but the effort from this team is so poor that coaching has to be looked at. A good amount of players don't appear to be progressing either which is worrisome.
Well, five straight and counting. What'd we hit last year? 15 straight? We're already 1/3rd of the way there.
I'm kind of just shell shocked at the moment but I do want to clarify one thing. Jon may have mentioned it sarcastically but nobody ever seriously thought we should start printing Memorial Cup tickets. Haha, that's hilarious.
I've been wondering about the coaching for a few weeks now. We all remember the shots taken at Farwell in the last few years, but he ain't going anywhere, and you can't fire the whole team. Coaches make easy scapegoats, though in this case it might be justified.
I told you guys at the start of the season that keeping Wolf & Kolesar was ridiculous. Neither will ever be a good enough skater for this league. Should keep Benoit and send Kolesar back to midget and just outright release Wolf.
Barzal should also be kept in a developmental role for now as a 3rd or 4th line center. 3 goals in 20 games doesn't justify his ice time - nor do all those second assists off the power play he gets credited with. Just another over-hyped primadonna who doesn't feel he should have to pay his development dues like the rest of the 16's in this league and those before him. Connor McDavid he ain't. Not even close. He'll be a good player in this league one day but that day isn't now
I can see that this comment thread will be a long list of everyone countering the comments of the previous post. Barzal is getting a golden chance to develop right where he is. Those second assists? McKechnie isn't scoring. Eansor isn't scoring. Gropp isn't scoring. Yakubowski isn't scoring. Mitch 'shouldn't be here' Elliot isn't scoring. That's 5 forwards who have crap assist numbers that I would rather see it the 4th line before I would ever put Barzal there.
O U C H !!! Was the team bus legged? Did they forget to sharpen their skates? Did they realize that it was a game and not practice?
December has come early. Let the breakdown commence.
Anyone else think it might be the GM?
For those going on the trip to Victoria, have fun in the city and the sights, caution on going to the games it might ruin your trip.
Barzal has 22 points which is 2 points behind the team lead... and the team leader is a 1st round draft pick who is two years older than him.
I think he's "developing" just fine. He's arguably the best player on the team and most nights he IS the best player on the team.
He's a great set-up man, and he sees the ice well, but the kid needs to figure out how to score goals. That's my only real knock on him so far.
But Gropp, man, that kid's looking pretty raw. He needs a lot of work.
Hopefully getting Wardley back and Bear healthy will help on the back-end, but this team needs Honey badly too.
this has nothing to do with barzal. what a joke, like tyler said hes second on the team in scoring. he has had a few bad games but hes 16. this is about the defense. they have to figure something out there. they cannot keep putting wolf out there, and even smith, hauf, henry, and even theo at time seems like they dont want to be out there. somethings gotta give. i was thinking that with the release of benoit it was a lock for them to pick up a 20 year old dman. but a little thinking out of the box here what about getting corbin boes from leth. they just picked up a third goalie, and myles has been really bad is last few starts. not suggesting that they make that move. it seems weird to me they would just release benoit. ( he had to of asked for his release or got in trouble with the team ) and not just released elliot who was bringing less to the table. i think if the d can get fixed, it will allow the offense to free up.
I agree with the overhype comment on Barzal as well. There are 6 forwards who are out-scoring Barzal on this team. The 2nd assist count is smoke and mirrors. Barzal mishandles a pass and the puck bounces off his stick and into the corner, Trook heads down and wins a battle for the puck, feeds Delnov or Lipsberg and BOOM the kid gets another second assist. half these phantom points are added the fact as well - sometimes days after the fact. A real concerted effort to pad this guys stats. Scotty Easnor shouldn't even be here, but give him Barzals ice playing alongside our legitimate goal scorers and play him PP1 and go in after the games over and find questionable assists to add to him - and PRESTO - all of the sudden Scotty piles up the phantom second assists as well. Barzalo is nowhere near the best player on the team in any game this year. he's not a top 6 forward on this team - just a coddled princess who feels he's entitled and Farwell is trying his best to make him look pretty so he doesn't look foolish. Guys who understand the game see what's happening. Fortunately for Barzal, most Seattle fans don't understand the game.
half these phantom points are added AFTER the fact as well - sometimes days after the fact.
Barzal a setup man ... LOL. Yeah, and Elliott is second coming coming of Ovechkin
To complain about Barzal is completely asinine.
There are 47 bigger issues than whatever nitpicking you want to do on his game. SMH
So what is wrong with being a setup man?
Was Gretzky a bad hockey player that was overhyped? Last I checked, he was a setup man before goal scorer (894 goals, but 1,963 assists). Last I checked, that is 2.2 assists per goal).
Crosby, overhyped (246 G, 442 A, 1.8 ratio).
For every pure goal scorer, there are guys that set them up.
Barzal's stats in bantam 55 G 98 A. In Midget 29 G 74 A. Always had more assists then goals.
Time to take a serious look at the management and coaching these boys are receiving. Sad that blame continues to flow towards the players and yes, they need to shoulder some of the responsibility, but seriously folks - coaching and management need to be shaken up.
Difference is, Gretzky and Crosby were legit setup men, not second assist specialists.
Passing Barzal off as a setup man based on phantom assists doesn't wash. Ironic that you bring up his Bantam and Midget stats, which are also padded with phantom assists. In his bantam and midget days, the players would tell the refs who to give the points to, not the other way around. The refs obliged or the coaches would tweak the scoresheets afterwards. Barzal, and his stats, are a product of the Barzal marketing campaign that has cloaked him since his Burnaby days. Too many guys now invested in his success and will look to fabricate whatever is in that interest. It appears now that the Seahawks and the Seattle media has joined his marketing effort. Makes sense I guess. They did invest a lot in him.
Here's a guy who's on pace for a 10 goal season and we are skating him 20 minutes a game just to get those measly 10 goals. His linemates are going to score regardless if he's there or not. Put a guy like Yakubowski in Barzals spot - there is a guy who had 32 goals last year and could produce 50 for us if we give him the same ice we are giving the princess.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion. That one is a doozy.
Hindsight is 20/20. I am sure if Seattle could re-draft in 2012 they would have likely taken Merkely or Gennaro. But that ship has sailed, so no point crying over spilled milk.
Barzal is still a good player. Granted, after watching the Team Pacific tryouts in Calgary last summer, he is average within his peer group. As someone said, certainly no Connor McDavid. Not even a Nick Merkely and quite far off from the RNH comparisons he has made about himself.
Someone hit the nail on the head earlier. It's about DEVELOPMEMT. Look at the way Calgary handles the development of their 16 year olds. No special treatment for Jake Virtanen. He comes in at 16, starts in the stands and works his way onto the 4th line. From there he gets some 3rd line ice and fills in for injuries. No special treatment. First overall pick is treated like every other 16 year old rookie. It didn't stop him from playing on the U18 National team and it won't stop him from being a high pick in the NHL draft. It helps him, and it helps the TEAM that everyone is expected to come through the same process.
On the other hand, the last hyped up 1st overall - another kid who was supposed to be in the NHL at 18 - was Alex Forsberg. Prince George rushed him right along, riding him like a rented mule, 20 minutes a game and all situations. Put him and his hype above the team and look where it got him and them - in a big muddled mess. If you think Forsberg felt entitled BEFORE he got to PG, just imagine how he felt after they confirmed his ego. He became unmanageable and his development stunted accordingly.
There is no rush to race these players to the top. They should earn it like the rest of the team. Putting a players individual interests before the team can and will have detremental effects on the team.
The chickens are coming are coming home to roost ...
This discussion is literally cracking me up.
Thunnex, if it's cracking you up maybe you are part of the problem. Whats happening on the ice is far from funny and these are all valid points worth exploring. Time for some accountability with the players, management, media ... and bloggers
LOL. If you try scratching Barzal or moving to the third line or off the PP etc., his dad would have him in Surrey so fast it would make your head spin. Get used to it Seattle. He's a fixture. You want to discuss the recent slump? Go ahead. As Tyler said, there are 47 other things he's willing to discuss. Not everything is up for serious discussion though. Some things are off limits. Tyler knows it to and wouldn't dare step out of line where Barzal is concerned. Thats a media death sentence unless or until the kid steps out of line publicly, which he will never do. he's been well prepared for the spotlight.
Ronny...
A) Nobody is forcing you to read my blog. If you want to go read another blog, you are more than welcome to.
B) You're completely missing my point. My point is that there are a ton of things wrong with this team right now (see how I was honest about the team being bad). I just said that Barzal is the least of the problems.
If you watch the games (and I question whether some of you do or if you just read the box scores from the road games) Barzal is consistently one of the better players game in and game out.
You're welcome to disagree but that is how I see it.
I have absolutely no problem criticizing Barzal if I feel it is warranted. I have no ties to the team and very rarely do we make any requests from the team.
What exactly would I have to lose?
It wasn't Barzal who "self-compared" his talent to RNH, it was his bantam coach, who also coached RNH as a bantam player, who made that comparison. Anyone complaining about Barzal's talent loses a lot of hockey IQ pts. There are 21 other WHL teams who would take him right now and play him every game. There are too many players on this team who don't want to fight through adversity right now, he's not one of them. How many more assists would he have if his teammates could shoot straight or into a wide open net? We have two import players who only play hard when they want to. A captain who takes too many dumb penalties and an overager who has no value to this team on the ice. Not to mention a group of defensemen (outside Wardley) who need a Charles Atlas body building course. Have any of them ever lifted a weight?
Thunnex said ... "What exactly would I have to lose?"
If you are critical of the golden child you won't likely be getting any interviews out of him and you will likely find the team less accomodating as well for those "rare requests" you do make. I'd say tread lightly ... but you already know that.
We've never requested an interview with Barzal, nor would I want one.
We'd have very little to lose.
LOL Anonymous 9:51
Typical. It's everyone BUT Barzal. You are now exposing your own lack of hockey IQ. 21 teams would surely take him, but only a few are foolish enough to play him as much as Seattle does.
If you are competing in the toughest division in the CHL and handing the keys to the franchise to a 16 year old with a grand total of 21 WHL games and 3 WHL goals under his belt, I'd say that's problem #1.
A real franchise with proven success would be developing him properly with a dispertion including the 3rd and 4th line and the odd game in the stands.
This is just Seattle showing it's inexperience as a franchise. The slide is inevitable. It's going to get worse. Barzal is problem #1. Anyone with a Hockey IQ who has played the game at this level can see that. Fortunately for Barzal, not many of those guys in the Seattle organization, and the ones who are there prefer to keep their mouth closed and their job current.
Like I said... everyone is entitled to their opinion. I just question how many games you've actually watched.
I watch them all Tyler.
I should clarify, I am not saying Barzal himself is the #1 problem. He is a great hockey player. A legitimate elite talent who belongs in the league at age 16.
What I am villainizing is the way we are using him. It doesn't work. He aren't doing him any favors and when you elevate a player over his team mates that becomes a cancer on a team. Special treatment of an individual is never the answer in a team game.
As good a player as he is, he isn't top 6 material in this league and we are shunning guys who are. Sheen was ready to be top 6 but we sent him packing in favor of a 16 year rookie who isnt ready. Now we have a legitimate 50 goal man in Yakubowski, but he's in the back seat for Barzal.
It's poor player management and poor career development for Barzal.
Lots of 16 year olds in this league just as good as Barzal but getting developed properly - slowly. We should be taking the same approach.
Let our veteran top 6 guys be veteran top 6 guys and let our developing rookies be developing rookies.
Its a symptom of today's society. Everyone wants instant gratification. Instant results. Things done properly take time, so let's stop rushing it.
We will have to agree to disagree.
Sorry. I'm just not buying your argument.
If you had ever been part of a highly competitive athletic team it would make sense to you. It's true what they say - there is no "I" in team, but there is an "I" in losIng and that's what's happening to the Thunderbirds. Farwell is turning Barzal into a cancer which is eating at this team from within.
Remember, every veteran on this team earned his way. Payed his dues. Proved himself at the WHL level before getting rewarded with that top 6 ice. It's not wrong for them to expect the same from their team mates.
We'll agree to disagree for now Tyler, but I do hope the light bulb goes on for you sooner rather than later. There is no mystery to the current slide. I'll say it again ...
If you are competing in the toughest division in the CHL and handing the keys to the franchise to a 16 year old with a grand total of 21 WHL games and 3 WHL goals under his belt - that's problem #1.
I played college baseball at the Division 3 level and played competitive hockey up through Bantams, though nowhere near Major Junior.
Who exactly are you putting in your 6 PP spots over him?
I find it hard to believe that a player who is clearly a pass first talent is playing "me first" hockey. Sorry, that doesn't make a lot of sense.
Is he perfect? No. But I would hardly say he's been "given the keys" when there are a handful of players getting just as much ice-time as he is.
"Who exactly are you putting in your 6 PP spots over him?"
Delnov, Lipsberg, Swenson, Hickman, Yakubowski, Honey, Troock, Mcecknie ... can also use Elliott as a big body in front of the net. You know, EXPERIENCED veterans, who have been around and paid their dues.
"I find it hard to believe that a player who is clearly a pass first talent is playing "me first" hockey. Sorry, that doesn't make a lot of sense."
Who said he's playing "me-first" hockey? Not even sure what that is. He is "pass-first" only because he is forced to be because he is playing over his head as a top 6 in the WHL. As a bantam/midget he scored as much (or more, given half his assist were phantom) as he passed.
Management is putting Barzal and his individual goals ahead of the team. Barzal feels entitled and they are accomodating him. That is going to bite them in the ass. We are just now seeing the start of it.
"Is he perfect? No. But I would hardly say he's been "given the keys" when there are a handful of players getting just as much ice-time as he is."
The handful of players getting just as much ice are 18-20 year old veterans who have paid their dues, have a lot of experience and are ready for the larger roll at this level. Barzal has not paid his dues. Has little to no experience and is not ready to be a top 6 forward in this league.
It's not rocket surgery
Putting Barzal and his ambitions ahead of the team is only asking for trouble. Maybe and maybe not for Barzal, but absolutely for the TEAM. Unearned favoritism has no place in a team game. Period.
Rocket Surgery? haha... sorry you lost me after that one.
LOL. Glad you enjoyed that, but let's face it Tyler, you were lost loooooong before that. Admit it, you've been drinking the Barzal kool-aid from day one. ;0)
Easy on that stuff buddy .... it impairs you're judgment
Yup. Clearly I should lay off the Barzal sauce. I mean... The players you mentioned obviously weren't on a team last year that went 24-38-10 and slipped into the playoffs.
Obviously, those experienced players have to be better than Barzal.
Btw... email me private and tell me who your son is that isn't getting the playing time he deserves. At least I could understand where you are coming from. I'm not mad about it... I just think it's clear you have motives here.
Ahh, I saw it in there. The 'we need Elliot's big, experienced body in front of the net' crock. Yawwwn.. The time to part ways with that guy is long overdue.
I admire your patience Tyler. This argument between you and "Ronny" must be like boxing a glacier.
"Btw... email me private and tell me who your son is that isn't getting the playing time he deserves. At least I could understand where you are coming from."
Really Thunnex? Adhominen attacks on the meesenger is the first sign of a losing battle. The guy is making valid points on an article addressing the teams current flaws, but it appears the topic is off-limits.
Rock on Ronny. You aren't the only educated hockey fan in Seattle. Others "get it" as well. Let's hope Farwell tunes in soon
What makes his points any more valid than mine? Because they confirm your points?
Plus, I'm not attacking the guy. I've said no less than two times we can agree to disagree. It just seems pretty obvious that he has ulterior motives and it kind of sounds like you do too.
Ad hominem. Cool word but there is a space there.
LOL Tyler. Because guys who were on the team last year (and almost pulled off the playoff upset of the century) and didn't have a winning record - now we should move them back in favor of a 16 year old?
This is going to make for a real big laugh next year, after these Thunderbirds turn in another losing season, I wonder if you'll be calling for Barzal to be demoted in favor of some 1998 player or if he gets a free pass. I suspect it's the latter . LOL
Good try on the kid bit, but go fish - not even close brother.
"It just seems pretty obvious that he has ulterior motives and it kind of sounds like you do too.
Ad hominem. Cool word but there is a space there."
Yes, obvious because he doesn't agree with you that he has alterior motives .... get over yourself. Now you're the word police? I suppose anything but address the real issues. Ad hominem attacks. Spelling police. 47 other issues. Anything but address the real problem. And fans wonder why nothing ever gets fixed with this team ... lol ... gonna be a long year. Thank God this blog provides some comic relief
ok "brother". Like I said... we can agree to disagree.
I don't have motives. I don't work for the team. I don't make requests from the team and I don't have any reason to "pump" Barzal's tires.
You see it one way... I just don't get it.
Squamich... do you think fans have any control over what gets done? I'm just curious.
Do you think I have some power to effect change? I hate to break it to you... but I don't. I started this blog to give my opinion and give people like you a forum to agree or disagree. Sadly, most are keyboard tough guys and remain anonymous while I freely put myself out there for public consumption.
So yeah... if you are going to try to throw big words around in an attempt to discredit me, I'm going to be a little sensitive about it.
PS - It's ulterior, I just used it correctly for you in the comment before this.
That's fine that you don't get it. I know you don't get it. You said as much in your article;
"I don't know what else to say. This team is in a death spiral and I honestly have no idea what will bring them out of it."
I'm just shedding the light man. I do have a very good idea what it will take to bring them out of it. Let your experienced veterans bring what they have to the party and let your developing rookies develop.
It's not a mystery man. It's a tried and true recipe that other more succesful franchises have been doing in this league for decades. No need to re-invent the wheel.
" if you are going to try to throw big words around in an attempt to discredit me, I'm going to be a little sensitive about it."
ummmm .... I'm not trying to discrdit you. It's kind of ironic you say that because YOU WERE TRYING TO DISCREDIT THE COMMENTER with an Ad hominem, side stepping the argument to attack the commenter by fabricating an unscrupulous motive for him.
Why would you get "sensitive" over the very thing you were guilty of?
And then to come back as the spelling police? On a comment field of all places to be sticky on spelling? Come on man - be better than that. Let's stick to respectable hockey talk.
I'll ask you then since you seem to know and I don't.
How was Portland a lot different last year when some of their top scorers were Leipsic (18), Petan (17), Bjorkstrand (17), De Leo (17).
I actually don't disagree that experience matters. I've written articles that say that teams that are older typically are more successful.
What I'm saying is that the older players are not distinguishing themselves from a guy like Barzal. Players like Troock and Delnov and Swenson shouldn't be getting outperformed by a 16 year old but they are.
Honestly, I'm tired of this. I respect your opinion but I think there are way bigger problems for this team than Barzal.
Ronny and Squamich, give it up. If he's anything like Farwell he will double down on his error. He's a "right-fighter", which is half the problem with this team. Nobody is willing to accept responsibility for an error. Nobody is willing to step up and say, "hey, I messed up. Let's go a different direction." Instead, we double down on bad draft picks (not saying Barzal is a bad draft pick, but they are here), bad line combos and bad systems.
No accountability and the snake rots from the head down. It starts with Farwell and trickles down to the players, and apparently, maybe even the bloggers.
haha... seriously? I've criticized our poor draft picks nearly every single year. What would you like me to do?
"How was Portland a lot different last year when some of their top scorers were Leipsic (18), Petan (17), Bjorkstrand (17), De Leo (17)."
That's actually a great question. Look what Portland did with their 16 year olds last year, Bittner, Iverson and Turgeon SHARED two 4th line wing spots. They DEVELOPED. All 3 might arguably be better pro prospects than Barzal. Iverson for sure.
Take a guess who the 4th line center was the year before that? A guy who went 28 straight playoff games without a single point, because he didn't get top 6 ice? It was Nic Petan. Ditto De Leo and I am sure wherever Bjorkstrand was when he was 16, he wasn't playing top 6 minutes against NHL draft picks.
Portland KNOWS how to develop elite 16 year olds. It's done slowly, with patience. That's one of the reasons they are Champs and we are Chumps.
Portland was also a much better team right? That's my point.
Not sure what anyone thinks being a dick on this blog is going to change. If you're SO unhappy with the Tbirds, speak with your wallet and STOP GOING TO FUCKING GAMES. If you continue to attend games just to bitch about it, nothing will ever change. Tyler's opinion is just that, an opinion of a fan, who goes to games and enjoys discussing hockey.
They are better because they have a better DEVELOPMENT model. That's MY point
Let the vets be vets and let the rookies be rookies. Let them EARN their way up the ranks, not GIVEN to them out of the gate. Not only does it not work, but it sends the wrong message.
I don't really have anything else to add to this discussion, and feel now like I am just beginning to beat a dead horse, so that'll be my last post on it. We can agree to disagree, as you said.
You'll see what I mean as it continues to unravel. I just hope we don't end up with another Alex Forsberg situation here down the road, but that's how it's playing out. Hope I'm wrong
" Tyler's opinion is just that, an opinion of a fan, who goes to games and enjoys discussing hockey."
Yeah, so is mine dick-tard! If Tyler doesn't want comments then he should turn off the option. Likewise, if you don't want to read differing opinions, then don't read it. Or, just go along being the dork you are. LOL
Ronny, lets end this. WE understand the point that you have made over and over and over.
You feel the issue with this team is very simple. Younger players are not earning the ice time they are receiving, and that older players that have been the development process should receive that ice time. All of the other successful teams have followed this method, and that is why they are better then Seattle. Barzal is the highest profile player that is the benefactor of this system, and should be a 3rd line center until he is 18. Players like Elliot that have been on the team for 5 years should be 1st line material. Players like Theodore that played 3rd line as a 16 year old were developed correctly.
And Tyler doesnt get it, never will because he follows a company line, is part of the entire Seattle fan base that doesnt get it, and never played an organized sport at a high level to understand it.
Do I have it correct?
Is it then correct that if we make these changes today, we will start to compete with the likes of upper teams in the conference.
Anonymous who put out the stat on Barzal and phantom 2nd assists. Of his 19 assists, how many do you feel fit this assumption, and how many do you feel are valid ones?
Well my eyes have been opened. But I think we need to go further. I blame Barzal for last year's 14 game losing streak. Those vet players just knew that Barzal was waiting to take their ice time without paying his dues, clearly it affected them last January. Boo Barzal!
Oh and all those national scouts and writers up in Canada who project Barzal to be a top ten pick in the NHL draft...clearly just toeing the T-Birds company line. Farwell's reach is long my friends!
I give you credit Ronny. You have the patience of Job. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. As my favorite book says, "don't cast your pearls to the swine, as they will only trample them". Some guys will never get it. Best quit while your ahead
"Is it then correct that if we make these changes today, we will start to compete with the likes of upper teams in the conference."
It is correct that if you install a "culture of accountability", where no individual is bigger than the team and where everyone makes the same commitment to learning what the team is all about, learning the systems, learning what it is to be a Major Junior player, becoming part of the PROCESS .... then yes, this is the STARTING POINT.
A WINNING CULTURE starts with ACCOUNTABILITY where rewards are EARNED and the TEAM is first.
WINNING teams have WINNING cultures, and these principals are the cornerstone of those cultures.
I know from playing 5 years of Major Junior and coaching at this level as well, it's all about CULTURE and TEAM.
We don't currently have a winning culture and we won't consistantly be a winning team until we do. What we have is an entitlement culture and complete lack of accountability at all levels.
In Tylers article he stated he didn't know how to turn things around. Well it starts with creating the proper CULTURE. It always has and it always will.
"Oh and all those national scouts and writers up in Canada who project Barzal to be a top ten pick in the NHL draft..."
That's an excellent point. Those very same scouts and writers said the exact same things about Alex Forsberg, but then Prince George did to him the very same things we are doing to Barzal. Treating him like he's bigger than the game, and somehow he doesn't need to go through the same learning process that all other 16 year olds are going through. That worked out real well for Alex now, didn't it?
Ronny, let's give it a rest.
You clearly know a lot more about the game than I do. You're probably right. Let's just leave it at that.
Forberg was a bad deal. Matthew has his head on right. I am confident that won't happen to Matthew.
That being said, I do agree that he was given too much too soon. It would have only strengthened his character to have had to earn his way up the ranks.
In our defence though, we've been so bad for so long we are thirsty for a fresh start and Barzal certainly seemed to fit the bill.
Maybe when Honey gets healthy he can retreat to a lower line and take some pressure off of him as well.
Ok Ronny, time for some accountability. I don't disagree with some of your points. Having said that you came in here acting like a troll. After numerous posts you then throw out that you played 5 years of major junior and coached at that level. This implies that you have more credibility than the rest of us fans. If your experience is real you should identify yourself to lend credibility to your statements. You have made yourself out to be the expert and you may very well be, but if you are going to be the resident expert then don't be an anonymous troll. Please tell us about yourself so we can better appreciate your knowledge. Otherwise you just come off as a flame baiter and that ain't cool.
WB, how do you figure it's "flame bait"?
Since when did the team first ideals of accountability, patience, process and equality that Ronny is espousing become "flame bait"?
Maybe I'm old fashioned, but in my day, those were considered desireable qualities
This too-much too-soon instant gratification entitlement society that we have become permeates everything. Even sports. Thats sad
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