The quotes were all the same from last night.
Different players framed it in slightly different ways, but deep down they were all trying to say the same thing. This team is too good to be losing as often as they have been.
The most consistent sound coming out of the mouths of Golden Knights players in the month of November has been a deep breath.
They know they should be better, but no one completely understands why they haven’t been better. The underlying stats show the Golden Knights are deserving of a better fate, but time and time again the scoreboard has not agreed. It’s led to the same feeling up and down the Golden Knights organization, the feeling is frustration.
Frustrated with themselves, but mostly frustrated in the results.
Just about every player and coach had something to be frustrated with. Whether it was Mark Stone’s missed breakaway, the blown penalty shot by Jonathan Marchessault, defensemen finding themselves on the wrong side of the puck, or the decision to try a brand new set of forward lines, everyone had something to think about when heads hit pillows last night.
What does frustration do though?
Speaking for myself, being frustrated doesn’t lead to the best me. When I’m frustrated I usually make poor decisions. They have the best intentions, but choices made out of frustration don’t tend to solve my problems. It’s not until I change my attitude that I see the results turn.
That’s just what the Golden Knights need right now. A change in attitude. Enough looking for the ceiling for answers. Enough wondering when it is going to turn. Enough disappointment. Try something new.
Maybe it’s anger. The “rage room” is all the rage, right?
Maybe it’s some Tony Robbins life coach bullshit. “Your past doesn’t equal your future.”
Maybe it’s something weird, like a wacky Joe Maddon-esque team bonding thing. Onesie pajama party on the plane. Bring a mime to practice. (Maddon did both of these things.)
How about hypnotism? (There’s literally a professional hypnotist with a Vegas Strip show that is a diehard Golden Knights fan.)
Go hang out with the crazies from Cirque du Soleil again.
Whatever it is, this team needs a new feeling in the locker room.
Frustration is not the answer and it’s up to someone to do something, anything, to change it. Even if it looks really stupid while they are doing it.
tweedle D
no, the answer is very simple. They need to go back to defensive fundamentals. Positional play. Zone d in their own zone. Players being where they are supposed to be. Wingers covering the opponent’s point men ( last night the 2 goals that beat the Knights were scored by chicago dmen getting open)
and in the offensive end quit trying to make slugs like McNabb and Merrill into Bobby Orr. NO PINCHING when it is a gamble likely to lead to a breakaway or 2-on-1.
The NY Islanders and Coyotes are good examples of what can be done with less talent but adhering to defensive structure and making the goalie’s job a lot easier. Keep the opponents to the perimeter, to the outside, to bad angle long shots, and keep all 5 Knights between the puck and their net.
The forwards have to clog up the neutral zone and not let the opponents skate freely into the Knights zone.
Why can’t they see the obvious? it is because the ego of the coaches will not let them admit that they are wrong and need to tailor their system to the personnel they have, and that personnel is NOT defensively responsible, except for a very few guys like Stone and Karlsson. Thus, the system HAS to force the others to contribute defensively.
tweedle D
Gallant today—–“Gallant: Defense comes first. We’ll create offense with our offense. We have some skilled guys who can create offense from the blueline, but I don’t want our defensive defensemen to do something they’re not used to doing.”
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gee, I guess he read my post. maybe there is some hope for him after all…..
🙂
Branden Earl
Just posted something very similar to this, but all I could come up with was a Bull Durham quote, “Don’t think, just throw.”
Richard Santomauro
I was all for seeing Deryk scratched, retired. I have to rethink that one after seeing just how green the new guys are. MISSING: Haula has 8G 3A for Carolina. Belly – 3G 4A for the Avs, David Perron – 8G 10A. We shouldn’t under estimate the impact of these 3 guys being gone. The 3rd and 4th line have been struggling – a lot. On top of that we’ve had to play with Tuch and Schmidt out for quite a bit early in the season. Lastly, the only goalie to win 2 pts since April is MAF #29. That’s a sad statement on our back up goalie. We still have a ton of talent, but we are no where near the team that was fielded the past 2 years. And it shows in the W/L column.
Richard Santomauro
On the other hand, Marchy missed a penalty shot, Stone’s break away fluttered away, and Tuch hit the pipe and the crossbar on a single shot. I think we are 1-3-2 the past 6 games. That’s the bad news. The good news is that we were competitive in every one of those and collapsed after having 2 and 3 goal leads. It’s way to early to give up on this edition of the VGKs! There’s a lot of hockey left in 2019-2020.
Easy ed
Your right they are not the team they were who as the misfits had something to prove and truly did. They appear a little comfortable and not hunger which is unfortunate and will only change with a change of attitude. They have some great players l am not sure they are being used to their full potential.
Tim
To slow a foot by the 10 minute mark of the third period were out of gas. Cody Glass on the wing is a mistake and after Nate S. and Shea T. our defense is in trouble. I believe it’s to much to fix this year but this is the hand we were dealt.