Paddy Roy pissed after that poor display to finish the game. Love how fired up he gets.

Hi guys. Hey we won tonight and we still get nervous with a lead. Have ya heard?

They can't even win right

Hi guys. Hey we won tonight and we still get nervous with a lead. Have ya heard?
- potvin05

Was it nerves or was it laziness? I suspect the latter. We've seen these guys take off entire periods, especially the 3rd period. Last night, having played hard the first half of the 3rd and built a 4-goal lead, they decided to relax for the last half of the 3rd. It nearly came back to bite them.

Was it nerves or was it laziness? I suspect the latter. We've seen these guys take off entire periods, especially the 3rd period. Last night, having played hard the first half of the 3rd and built a 4-goal lead, they decided to relax for the last half of the 3rd. It nearly came back to bite them.
- JohnScammo

Could it be they do not have the energy to play a complete game? No idea. Just does not seem to be a coaching issue. This is a vet team that should know how to play the right way.

Was it nerves or was it laziness? I suspect the latter. We've seen these guys take off entire periods, especially the 3rd period. Last night, having played hard the first half of the 3rd and built a 4-goal lead, they decided to relax for the last half of the 3rd. It nearly came back to bite them.
- JohnScammo

IMO it’s absolute laziness. They absolutely took their foot off the gas, and a few times made poor decisions in the d zone to get the puck out. Turnovers are the Achilles heel for the isles in the 3rd.

Was it nerves or was it laziness? I suspect the latter. We've seen these guys take off entire periods, especially the 3rd period. Last night, having played hard the first half of the 3rd and built a 4-goal lead, they decided to relax for the last half of the 3rd. It nearly came back to bite them.
- JohnScammo

I think it’s both. They relax for whatever the reason when they think the game is over and then once they give up a goal, the sticks start getting gripped a little tighter. The players are too comfortable and the coaches seem not to punish any of the players for it.

Was it nerves or was it laziness? I suspect the latter. We've seen these guys take off entire periods, especially the 3rd period. Last night, having played hard the first half of the 3rd and built a 4-goal lead, they decided to relax for the last half of the 3rd. It nearly came back to bite them.
- JohnScammo

It sure looked like complacency to me. They were up four with under 10 to go and they assumed the game was wrapped up and they were coasting.

Keep playing like that and Sorokin is going to ask for a trade. Roy was right, that was total horse shit

I think it’s both. They relax for whatever the reason when they think the game is over and then once they give up a goal, the sticks start getting gripped a little tighter. The players are too comfortable and the coaches seem not to punish any of the players for it.
- potvin05

If nervousness was a factor, then Roy's approach of screaming at them during Chicago's timeout was the wrong approach. I think Roy was trying to wake these guys the (frank) up during that timeout. You could see him turning beet red, while he was "letting them have it."

One thing noticeably different about these isles vs trotz’ isles is their inability to safely get the puck out of the zone. It’s always a bad pass or a giveaway in the neutral zone causing a rush the other way. They need to simplify the exits and be able to safely get pucks deep. They seem to panic under pressure and cough up the puck.

One thing noticeably different about these isles vs trotz’ isles is their inability to safely get the puck out of the zone. It’s always a bad pass or a giveaway in the neutral zone causing a rush the other way. They need to simplify the exits and be able to safely get pucks deep. They seem to panic under pressure and cough up the puck.
- kindlyrick

Team has not been the same since the last ECF. Older in key spots and missing some key pieces. I would understand the panic more if they were mostly a young team.

One thing noticeably different about these isles vs trotz’ isles is their inability to safely get the puck out of the zone. It’s always a bad pass or a giveaway in the neutral zone causing a rush the other way. They need to simplify the exits and be able to safely get pucks deep. They seem to panic under pressure and cough up the puck.
- kindlyrick

Agree that Trotz's Isles were better at zone exits. I do think the d-men were better at skating the puck out of trouble during Trotz's era, especially Nick Leddy. Toews, while he was here, was pretty good at it, too.

Agree that Trotz's Isles were better at zone exits. I do think the d-men were better at skating the puck out of trouble during Trotz's era, especially Nick Leddy. Toews, while he was here, was pretty good at it, too.
- JohnScammo

Leddy and Toews skating the puck out of trouble was huge John along with Pelech and Pulock being younger and healthier.

Agree that Trotz's Isles were better at zone exits. I do think the d-men were better at skating the puck out of trouble during Trotz's era, especially Nick Leddy. Toews, while he was here, was pretty good at it, too.
- JohnScammo

Bingo. And the guys that are still here are now are much older than they were under Trotz. Hence why re-signing Scott Mayfield for 7 years was an exceptionally stupid idea

Bingo. And the guys that are still here are now are much older than they were under Trotz.
- eichiefs9

Not bad for internet GM's. The roster is important and it's not just all on the coach.

Not bad for internet GM's.

- ses111

The Isles can pay my internet GM salary in internet money aka cryptocurrency.

The Isles can pay my internet GM salary in internet money aka cryptocurrency.
- JohnScammo

I'll allow it.

Bingo. And the guys that are still here are now are much older than they were under Trotz. Hence why re-signing Scott Mayfield for 7 years was an exceptionally stupid idea
- eichiefs9

I know I'm in the minority here, but the Mayfield contract doesn't bother me as much as it does you guys. Sure, I wish there was less term, but I do think Mayfield would have received more money elsewhere. I realize he takes more than his share of dumb penalties, and is not a great skater who can skate the puck out of trouble, but I like his physical play. The $3.5 MM cap hit is not terrible, even for a 3rd pairing d-man, and with the cap going up, it looks less like an albatross. When healthy, he's reasonably effective for a 3rd pairing d-man, as demonstrated by his having the best +/- on the team this season (+10).

Okay, I just put on my flak jacket.

Agree that Trotz's Isles were better at zone exits. I do think the d-men were better at skating the puck out of trouble during Trotz's era, especially Nick Leddy. Toews, while he was here, was pretty good at it, too.
- JohnScammo

Boychuk

I know I'm in the minority here, but the Mayfield contract doesn't bother me as much as it does you guys. Sure, I wish there was less term, but I do think Mayfield would have received more money elsewhere. I realize he takes more than his share of dumb penalties, and is not a great skater who can skate the puck out of trouble, but I like his physical play. The $3.5 MM cap hit is not terrible, even for a 3rd pairing d-man, and with the cap going up, it looks less like an albatross. When healthy, he's reasonably effective for a 3rd pairing d-man, as demonstrated by his having the best +/- on the team this season (+10).

Okay, I just put on my flak jacket.
- JohnScammo

I just think $3.5M and 7 years is too much for a guy who is now an average third pairing defender. He misses significant time about every other year and it's only going to get worse as he ages with his style of play. I just think they can get better value shopping for free agents on shorter term deals and that those players would be around as effective as Mayfield is and they don't have to be stuck with them until they're almost 40.

The +/- thing doesn't move the needle much for me in either direction without a deeper dive to uncover some of the context. He plays the 2nd lowest minutes among the 7 or so regular defensemen and he's definitely not checking other teams top lines.

It's not to say I think he's a bad player, but at 32 and signed for this season plus 5 more it just seems like they could have allocated a lot of that money elsewhere. His contract isn't an anchor in and of itself, but having a few guys here and there making just a little bit too much money and/or term and all the sudden you arrive in "death by 1000 cuts" territory and I believe that's where they are now.

We're back!! Apparently the Wahlstrom waiver claim broke HockeyBuzz!

We're back!! Apparently the Wahlstrom waiver claim broke HockeyBuzz!
- PeteM

And here I thought it was my post defending Mayfield.

And here I thought it was my post defending Mayfield.
- JohnScammo

It was John. I thought the same thing when the site went down.

It was John. I thought the same thing when the site went down.
- ses111

I just think $3.5M and 7 years is too much for a guy who is now an average third pairing defender. He misses significant time about every other year and it's only going to get worse as he ages with his style of play. I just think they can get better value shopping for free agents on shorter term deals and that those players would be around as effective as Mayfield is and they don't have to be stuck with them until they're almost 40.

The +/- thing doesn't move the needle much for me in either direction without a deeper dive to uncover some of the context. He plays the 2nd lowest minutes among the 7 or so regular defensemen and he's definitely not checking other teams top lines.

It's not to say I think he's a bad player, but at 32 and signed for this season plus 5 more it just seems like they could have allocated a lot of that money elsewhere. His contract isn't an anchor in and of itself, but having a few guys here and there making just a little bit too much money and/or term and all the sudden you arrive in "death by 1000 cuts" territory and I believe that's where they are now.
- eichiefs9

Now I can finally answer. I pretty much agree with your post. Just to be clear, I was talking about the Mayfield of today, not a few years from now. The last couple of years of his contract could be terrible. But right now, I'm not sure you could find many veteran d-men for a $3.5 MM cap hit who would be a major upgrade.

Edit: I just went back and re-read my post that crashed the site. I forgot what I wrote. I was talking about the contract as a whole, not just this season. So I guess I was optimistic about the next several years.