I may be crazy...but...

[TooLoud]

...this does not seem to be a team that is desperate. From some of the games leading up to last night, to the 8-1 embarrasment of last night, there just seems to be something missing from this group. Is it leadership? Is it coaching? Is it talent? Is it heart? What? All I know is that I am absolutely sick to know that I will not be watching any Hurricane playoff hockey yet again...and it sucks.

[caniac # 2]

...this does not seem to be a team that is desperate. From some of the games leading up to last night, to the 8-1 embarrasment of last night, there just seems to be something missing from this group. Is it leadership? Is it coaching? Is it talent? Is it heart? What? All I know is that I am absolutely sick to know that I will not be watching any Hurricane playoff hockey yet again...and it sucks.

You're not crazy , maybe fed up like i am with all the excuses and nothing ever changes. We lack everything you metioned. Case closed, no arguement here.

[Bocephus]

We're real close. We've proven we can play with any team in this league on any given night.
If the boys stick to the gameplan and stay out of the box they can be one of the top teams.
Sincerely,
Matt K
Looks like Gatorade now makes a flavor called SUNSHINE.
If only he realized the good teams do it night in and night out. Otherwise, you are bottom feeders, AKA Pretenders.

[2speak4all]

...this does not seem to be a team that is desperate. From some of the games leading up to last night, to the 8-1 embarrasment of last night, there just seems to be something missing from this group. Is it leadership? Is it coaching? Is it talent? Is it heart? What? All I know is that I am absolutely sick to know that I will not be watching any Hurricane playoff hockey yet again...and it sucks.

I agree that is there is something missing, but if we all knew for sure, the problem would not exist. I can't believe for one minute that these kids would not want to be in the playoffs. We have seen many of them play with much heart and some not play with any heart. As depressing as last night was, I'm sure it is just as depressing for the team. There isn't any one thing that can be blamed for this season, but I look back at how this team was in September and October. If not ONE player has improved, then I don't think the players can be blamed. Coaching is not an easy job, however it is a job that someone has been entrusted with.

Don Hay has coached at the junior level for many years and then stepped up to the NHL level but didn't last too long there. Some coaches excell at the NHL level, some at the WHL level, some at the JUNIOR A level and some are best suited for Bantam, Midget or PeeWee. I believe it takes an art to be able how to coach, train, and relate with players at different age levels.

I am not one to point at the coaching staff directly, however, if no improvement is seen in all team members, it has to reflect at them. One or two players not showing improvement would reflect an individual issue, but not a team issue. I personally don't agree it is a lack of talent, as I don't think the talent on our team has been totally exposed or refined.

As said.. on any given night we are close and very competitive to any other team. We have had good games with Red Deer, Med Hat, Cranbrook and Kelowna.

Since September, had all 4 lines been rolled continuously and constantly, all players would be more fully developed. Given the circumstances, even winning Friday and/or Saturday will not help the Canes now and it should not have come down to this final stretch. This could have been avoided earlier in the season. Playoffs were lost in November/ December.

Fans cry and cry and maybe deservedly so, but those kids looked dejected on the bench in Edmonton as well. I have to believe they wanted to win and have a chance at the playoffs, but sometimes things just do go as planned.

Ever run so hard and so fast, you end up tripping over your own feet? Ever work so hard at painting a job, only to find that after the paints dries it is all streaked and patchy looking? Sometimes, IMO, you work so hard and you just don't get the result you desire.

I am as disappointed as any fan, but I am sure the team is even more disappointed.

[grainbear]

We all are able to look at this team in hindsight and unless we have the most unlikely event of PA getting beat twice we will once again be on the outside. Good for drafts picks but not much for the bottom line. Perhaps, the decision to keep all the veterans except Yadlowski and Renners was the mistake. I hope going forward that remaining players realize they are now most likely playing for spots on next years team. Some of them do not deserve to be here. I think some trades need to be made of some of our 2nd and 3rd line forwards and also d-men. We needed more that 1 16 year old from last year kept on the team. It is nice to say they will develop more being the go to guy in AAA but look at the development of Maxwell. If we had 1 or 2 of our younger dmen and another 1 or 2 youngsters around some of the 18 year olds would have been elsewhere.Keeping these players did not help us as they got minimal time and we too often shortened our bench and it did not get us into the playoffs. I honestly think we need a coach who is not both a gm and coach. There is only one Kelly from Brandon in the league who is unbelievable who fulfills both roles. Well, I am going to hope that somehow CGY and speed creek help us . see you Friday

[lethyfan]

agreed with you grainbear! well said i also think we should have kept more 16 yr olds and got rid off some off the dead weight on the team lets face it there are two guys inpaticular that this is there second year and have only 2 or 3 goals , granted they dont get alot of playing time but in training camp it was obvious there were some 16 yr olds who were better ! ive also heard rumors of some of the draft picks wanting out and getting trades!

[TooLoud]

[QUOTE=2speak4all;164631]As said.. on any given night we are close and very competitive to any other team. We have had good games with Red Deer, Med Hat, Cranbrook and Kelowna.

Fans cry and cry and maybe deservedly so, but those kids looked dejected on the bench in Edmonton as well. I have to believe they wanted to win and have a chance at the playoffs, but sometimes things just do go as planned.

I have no doubt that the boys are not feeling great about things. I guess my point was that this is an "older" team, and I kind of expect, that, at the very least, the boys leave it on the ice. No regrets...no questions about what might have been...and no excuses. There has been many good efforts this year, as you pointed out, but many times those good efforts are followed up by the 7-0 and 8-1 fiascos. It's almost like two different teams. I guess I'm still wondering what's missing from this team. As others have mentioned, good teams find a way to win. This team has proven, from time to time, that they can be good. But they have also proven, just as often, that they're not. This team does not have a right to be "disappointed" when they come up with 8-1 efforts, or more correctly, no effort. IMO, the team should be apologizing to their fans when they decide, especially in a playoff race, to give up. And, WE should be disappointed when we settle for the type of crap that occurred last night.

Rant finished.

[2speak4all]

[QUOTE=TooLoud;164644]

[COLOR="Blue"] IMO, the team should be apologizing to their fans when they decide, especially in a playoff race, to give up. And, WE should be disappointed when we settle for the type of crap that occurred last night.

Rant finished.

I don't think any apology offered by anyone at this point would be accepted by any fan or even welcomed. From all the rants on here and other sites, all the gripes from all the fans, I hardly think any kind of apology would do the trick.

I am disappointed as well, but it will be interesting, Lethbridge fans are fickled and I am half expecting a large majority of them to boo our team when they step on the ice --- a classless act by the fans if they do. !!

End of my Rant !!! Been an interesting season, see you all next year !

[blacksheep]

pa 6 calgary 2. we're done.

[shushu]

. Good for drafts picks but not much for the bottom line. Perhaps, the decision to keep all the veterans except Yadlowski and Renners was the mistake. .

why in the hell did preston hold on to fyten,braes,maxwell,reddington when the whole thing was about building from within, and in a year when the prices for players were through the roof.....f@$k me, i dont get it. what did preston think he was going to win a long playoff run....you are building for the future so DO IT,move your assest for players that can help down the road and speed up the process, but he does nothing....f@$k you B.O.D, and the same goes for preston and company.......you can shove my tickets for next year right up where the sun dont shine...............