We’re five weeks into the playoffs. Do you know who your favorite team will be copying?
If not, you will soon. This is the time of year where we’re constantly reminded that the NHL is a copycat league, one where the teams that have success establish the blueprint for everyone else. This year, that’s the Habs, Hurricanes, Avalanche and Golden Knights.
But while the copying might be inevitable, the lessons that the other 28 teams learn from the four winners is still to be determined. That’s where we come in. Every now and then, we try to nudge all those copycats towards answers that make the league more fun, not less. After all, the NHL is an entertainment product. And while winning is more entertaining than losing, we’d rather see teams do that by being fun.
So today, we’re going to look at all four conference finalists, and try to highlight three lessons from each that we wouldn’t mind seeing everyone else copy. And we’ll also find one lesson that we really hope doesn’t catch on.
I read an article in ESPN about Mitch Marner that included some quotes from you. In the article, you essentially put the blame on Marner for Pastrnak's overtime goal in game 7 a few years ago.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I think it's "analysis" like that that led him to feel so uncomfortable in Toronto. He should have been skating harder? He literally just got on the ice when Pastrnak went by him with a full head of steam. That goal was 90% the fault of Rielly, who, like usual, was in the wrong zip code (like really) and 20% on Samsonov for sitting back and not even trying to poke check.
And you're blaming Marner for his effort on that play? That's just Marner Derangement Syndrome.
Would love a thoughtful explanation of how Marner is actually to blame for that one.
Haha I meant 10% on Rielly. My math isn't that bad.
ReplyDelete