Rookie
What an energetic game tonight against Lethbridge. If Leth had this team and Anholt as coach from the beginning of the season, things would've looked way different for them. The Rebels looked very dangerous in their offensive zone, how many posts have they hit this year!! All Sutter mentioned in the post game interview is how they've made dishonest mistakes and that they shouldn't be happy with their performance. It was a real hard battle and this one could have easily gone the other way.
4th Liner
I suppose not being able to beat Lethbridge in your own barn is part of this very optimistic prognosis?Originally Posted by hockey4
I'm pretty confused as to how everyone, including Brent Sutter, can be unhappy with the way they've played the last month, but you see it as them being on the right track. Eye of the beholder I guess. If they keep this up they will be swept out of the first round. Not exactly my idea of "being on the up."
Last edited by calcheyup; 03-01-2015 at 12:40 AM.
Back-up Goalie
It goes without saying the quality of play is much higher than what it was in late january into mid feb. That post was written this am, so i apologize for not forseeing an avg performance tonight. Anytime you lose, the natural reaction is that you can play better. At the end of the day, the team needs to play some better opponents this time of year to improve the pace of play. Weaker teams are always more dangerous when the games mean nothing. PG took it to everett tonight, kamloops to victoria last night. Its been that way in every league for years and years.
Nonetheless, i stand by my opinion the team is playing much better the last 7 games, and if healthy probably win all 7. Less about injuries, everyone gets them, but i feel its the types of players missing that has hurt them. No sniper/finisher in bleackley, and the toughness/physicality of Polei.
4th Liner
Fair enough I guess. They way they have played the last 7-8 games doesn't really inspire me with a lot of hope that this team is going to be able to even compete in a playoff series, but we will see here pretty shortly.
Back-up Goalie
Fair enough. They also are playing without 3 top players.
4th Liner
Sutter finally publicly calls out his veterans, saying they should be embarrassed that a 16 year old getting called up because his team lost out is playing better than them. He is obviously finally at his breaking point with this team as well. Kind of surprised it took him this long, but he has shown the last couple of years that he would rather deal with things in the dressing room as opposed to in the media like the Sutter of old.
Benching half his team in the first period of the Lethbridge game, putting out 5 d-men on the power play and now calling out 2 - 20 years olds, he is definitely trying to send a message. Unfortunately it is a process they have to go thru to get playing the way they need to play again and I am afraid the playoffs will be here before they complete the process. Going to need stellar goaltending and a healthy Conner Bleackley throwing the team on his back to have any chance of making it thru the first round from what I can see.
To bad because it looked so promising 20 games ago.
Rookie
You mentioned that Sutter hasn't been calling anything in the media as of late. I fully disgree; there has been numerous occasions the past few seasons where he mentioned that a player got a penalty which resulted in a pp goal for the opposition costing the Rebels the game. So a teenager picks up the paper and with the rest of Red Deer reads how he was to blame for screwing up the game...He just commented on how scouts call him and ask what is going on with Pawlenchuk, I'm sorry, but that kind of comment does not belong in a newspaper. In his defence, he did say that Pawlenchuk is turning it around. This is not the NHL, fair enough some of these players are preparing for the next level, but the fact remains they are only in the Dub and should be treated accordingly. These players are not responding to their coach. Why is that? I refuse to believe that the whole dressing room is full of brats. Mentioning that the AP player will take up the spot of anybody not delivering the goods is also not very smart. It creates animosity towards the very innocent 16 year old , that is just the way it works with team dynamics.
Rookie
You mentioned that Sutter hasn't been calling anything in the media as of late. I fully disagree; there has been numerous occasions the past few seasons where he mentioned that a player got a penalty which resulted in a pp goal for the opposition costing the Rebels the game. So a teenager picks up the paper and with the rest of Red Deer reads how he was to blame for screwing up the game...He just commented on how scouts call him and ask what is going on with Pawlenchuk, I'm sorry, but that kind of comment does not belong in a newspaper. In his defence, he did say that Pawlenchuk is turning it around. This is not the NHL, fair enough some of these players are preparing for the next level, but the fact remains they are only in the Dub and should be treated accordingly. These players are not responding to their coach. Why is that? I refuse to believe that the whole dressing room is full of brats. Mentioning that the AP player will take up the spot of anybody not delivering the goods is also not very smart. It creates animosity towards the very innocent 16 year old , that is just the way it works with team dynamics.
Last edited by Newice14; 03-02-2015 at 10:12 AM. Reason: Sp
4th Liner
Strong, honest comments from Sutter, who obviously has lost his patience with this crap, not unlike the fans. Whether or not it will have a positive impact on motivating these guys remains to be seen, as I'm certain these sentiments have been expressed within the locker room already. You also never know how each individual will react to public embarrassment. Some guys might get a fire lit under them, and some might fold up the tent even further. However, I believe those kinds of specific and pointed comments represent Sutter's last resort to motivate certain guys, as whatever tactics he has taken this far within the room have obviously failed.
10 games and playoffs left, but it sure feels like these guys are just playing out the string right now.
4th Liner
Yes I agree. I said he was doing it, I didn't say I agreed with airing the dirty laundry in the media. There was a time ten years ago where he called out players by name after every game. I have noticed the last couple years he uses more general comments like, a few players or some of the veterans. I, like you, would love to know the underlying reason why this happens to this team every year.
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