You played like sacks of shit for 60 games, but it seems that you are indeed capable of playing strong hockey. We get it. But guys, enough with the winning. Are you fucking retarded? If you keep this up, you'll be in the same situation next year. And the year after.
Fuck!
Winning was fine when you started this streak, as you were so far back that it didn't matter. But now you're a win away from 9th place (also called hockey limbo). You're smart enough to know that 8th place simply cannot happen. I mean, you have to see that, right? You have to earn 6 more points than the Flyers in only 10 games. Sure, you're only 5 points behind, but they have more wins, and unfortunately, wins are the tie-breaker. You have to beat them outright. That is as close to impossible as it gets without being mathematically eliminated.
Assume you get all 20 possible points; if Philly gets 15 points in their remaining 11 games, you are still fucked. Does it sound unreasonable that they will go 7-3-1? It doesn't to me. They are 5-2-3 in their last 10 games, and if they go the rest of the way at 6-2-3, they are in, for sure. And, fuck, that is assuming you get every possible point until the end of the season. No fucking way that will happen! Your team is good enough to make it interesting, but not good enough to win 10 straight. You know this.
If you continue to win, you are going to place 9th. And where does that leave you? With a draft pick around 12th - 14th overall - high enough to get a quality player, yet much too low to get a blue-chip prospect. Grab yourself another Jiri Tlusty and you'll be in this same predicament every year. Your draft choice may or may not pan out, and certainly will offer no short-term help.
It's as if you're missing that part of the brain that learns from previous events. Gunning for the playoffs after it's too late - for the third year in a row - is outrageous. It's very noble of you to break out the 'Never Say Die' attitude...after its far too late for it to mean anything. It's a poor choice, and poor choices lead to poor outcomes. Your run toward 9th place is indicative of poor decision-making and short-term thinking. Fer fucksakes, break out of your funk of mediocrity and give us something to cheer for.
I'm not asking you to tank; only to do the things that a team not in the playoffs should. Rest your #1 goalie rather than giving him 23 straight starts. Give more icetime to the young players rather than riding the veterans. Last night Mats Sundin went down with a groin injury - could it be because the coach just played a 37 year old player more than 25 minutes the night before?
I've talked about it in a previous post, but some of that icetime needs to trickle down to the guys trying to earn roster spots for next year. For instance, does Matt Stajan need 20+ minutes per night? We already know what Matt can do - he is a 3rd line centre without the ability to check, and not much more. Can't his icetime be better utilized?
So do we agree then? We'll give you credit for not giving up - giving 110% as you are wont to say - and you do a few of the things that you should be doing anyway to facilitate a better draft pick.
Fuck!
Winning was fine when you started this streak, as you were so far back that it didn't matter. But now you're a win away from 9th place (also called hockey limbo). You're smart enough to know that 8th place simply cannot happen. I mean, you have to see that, right? You have to earn 6 more points than the Flyers in only 10 games. Sure, you're only 5 points behind, but they have more wins, and unfortunately, wins are the tie-breaker. You have to beat them outright. That is as close to impossible as it gets without being mathematically eliminated.
Assume you get all 20 possible points; if Philly gets 15 points in their remaining 11 games, you are still fucked. Does it sound unreasonable that they will go 7-3-1? It doesn't to me. They are 5-2-3 in their last 10 games, and if they go the rest of the way at 6-2-3, they are in, for sure. And, fuck, that is assuming you get every possible point until the end of the season. No fucking way that will happen! Your team is good enough to make it interesting, but not good enough to win 10 straight. You know this.
If you continue to win, you are going to place 9th. And where does that leave you? With a draft pick around 12th - 14th overall - high enough to get a quality player, yet much too low to get a blue-chip prospect. Grab yourself another Jiri Tlusty and you'll be in this same predicament every year. Your draft choice may or may not pan out, and certainly will offer no short-term help.
It's as if you're missing that part of the brain that learns from previous events. Gunning for the playoffs after it's too late - for the third year in a row - is outrageous. It's very noble of you to break out the 'Never Say Die' attitude...after its far too late for it to mean anything. It's a poor choice, and poor choices lead to poor outcomes. Your run toward 9th place is indicative of poor decision-making and short-term thinking. Fer fucksakes, break out of your funk of mediocrity and give us something to cheer for.
I'm not asking you to tank; only to do the things that a team not in the playoffs should. Rest your #1 goalie rather than giving him 23 straight starts. Give more icetime to the young players rather than riding the veterans. Last night Mats Sundin went down with a groin injury - could it be because the coach just played a 37 year old player more than 25 minutes the night before?
I've talked about it in a previous post, but some of that icetime needs to trickle down to the guys trying to earn roster spots for next year. For instance, does Matt Stajan need 20+ minutes per night? We already know what Matt can do - he is a 3rd line centre without the ability to check, and not much more. Can't his icetime be better utilized?
So do we agree then? We'll give you credit for not giving up - giving 110% as you are wont to say - and you do a few of the things that you should be doing anyway to facilitate a better draft pick.
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