Teams win.
It is a lesson to us all. A constant reminder.
Great stars are important to a franchise but teams win.
Momentum wins. What a series for the Boston Celtics. What momentum for the Montreal Canadiens.
As owners it is our job to build our teams around our stars. In the playoffs it is who has the best system, the best role players, and who creates the momentum and rides it ALL THE WAY to conclusion.
Capitalizing on breaks, getting the good calls from officials and health are vital to success. And stepping up the pace of play. Teams that can crank it up higher and higher and keep their energy and wits about them and pour it on under pressure. That seems to matter the most, doesn’t it?
No Lebron. No Alex. Not even Sid the kid.
It feels strange to not see these three great players still in the heat of the battle. The Caps had the best record in the NHL during the regular season and the Cavaliers had it in the NBA. We both lost early in the playoffs.
Teams with momentum win. Great teams win.
We have miles to go before we sleep. We can’t and don’t make excuses. We have work to do. Teams win. Momentum wins. We need to break that code.
I have heard Bruce say that home ice advantage is really most utilized for Game 7. If that is the case, then why have 8 of the last 10 Game 7s been won by the road team? Why even try to do well in the regular season if it is a disadvantage to be at home?
Very apt…Supertwit abd King LeBron crashing out on consecutive days…as if to drive the point home that teams, not individuals, do indeed win in team sports.
I think Montreal’s defeat of Pittsburgh does make me fell “slightly” better about the Caps being eliminated, but at the same token, we know “great teams find a way to win”.
I think some changes are in order and I hope a revamp of the defense is priority #1. We all heard time and again how Schultz was #1 +/- and how competent Erskine / Poti / Mo and others were (even juice before being traded) and then young John Carlson is added to the list, and immediately establishes himself as the #2 or #1 depending on how you look at it??????????????
I get that JC is uber talented, but if you sold us that your defense is extremely talented and a rookie can crack the top 2 in the play-offs – well, that’s a red flag that someone is lying and changes are required.
#2 center –
A) I thought it was Morrisson
2) It’s not Belanger (despite what BB says)
3) who is it?
Well said Ted.
Habs season was quite different…. tons and tons of key injuries. They struggled to make the post season.
But they obviously bought into a system, a set of ideas and played as a team.
Post season is often so very different then a regular season game.
What does Bruce blame the first ten minutes of game six on? The Caps were down 2 goals by 9:01 of game 6. Maybe the coach didn’t have his team ready. That was a problem all season. It killed them in the playoffs. As Ted says, teams win games… teams that play start-to-finish.
Why is that every time someone tries to answer a question openly, critics turn it into a whine or excuse-making? Coach Boudreau stated his reaction to the fog flight not offer an excuse. Should he have “manned-up” and said it had no effect if he believed it might have? And Owner Ted rightfully acknowledges that there is more building and growing for his team to do. I’ve got no complaints with either.
You can’t make excuses bout your coach can:
Bruce Boudreau: I think the fog flight had a profound effect on us. The players missed an entire night of sleep and got out of their routine. We missed practice the following day and it showed in the first 10 minutes of Game 5, when Montreal scored both their goals.
Well, time heals all and I have moved to summer. But the analysis still goes on. I don’t agree with the momentum issue, Ted. We were up 3 games to 1. The Pens were up 3-2. Both teams had the momentum.
If you hired an independent hockey consultant to analyze the last few games of each series, I believe you will find the reason the Caps/Pens lost was 1) tactical and 2) adequate but not great goaltending.
Tactically, neither team adjusted to Montreal’s play. It was not heart or talent. Sorry Bruce B and Dan B. I know you both know a lot more hockey x’s and o’s than I do, but both of you felt what ‘brung’ you was good enough. It wasn’t.
And both the Caps and Pens got good but not great goaltending. The last goal by Cammaleri against us had to be a game saver. It was not. Fleury’s weak first goal in game 7 turned that around as well.
Off to plant flowers.