At the point where it became 5-0, I told myself that if I am JR, no one on my team is untouchable at this point. Then the third period came around where the team played much better, including Sekera's goal that was total guts. You could see how exhausted he was when he got to the bench. That showed me how much he cares, and I think it woke his team up as well.
So at this point I think I go back to what I said a couple months ago. The pieces are there, they just need better structure. The play is very disorganized and the chemistry is often missing. Every now and then they get going and can play as good as anyone in the league. It's just not there on any consistent basis. For me, that goes back to the coaching staff.
I think this team needs a complete change in management. This coaching staff, while great guys, just aren't getting it done. The scouts are not good. The drafting has been terrible and the cupboards are bare. This all ultimately goes back to Jim Rutherford. I like the guy, I just think maybe he needs to step aside. He doesn't strive for greatness like your upper tier teams. He's a lot like my dad. He tries to fix stuff by taking the cheapest way out, buying parts that no one else wants, and taping things up so it runs. What you get is a functional team, but one that is never good enough to get above 9th or 10th. The culture needs to change and I think it may be time for some fresh faces in management. |