Last night I found myself taught the meaning of our motto: Hockey The Hard Way.
The first thirty minutes was some of the worst hockey I've seen lately; we played like we wanted to lose. Doan got an early goal after being pretty lackluster lately, but we definitely didn't deserve it, not as a team.
Smith was the only reason we were able to hang around, and we left him for the wolves so many times. Negative comments about him leaving the net last night have been driving me up the wall; he didn't let one in, and where in the world was the defense during all this? Would the Sabres get that great scoring chance on an empty net if some of the other Coyotes decided to do their job? Seems unlikely, unless you haven't been paying attention to all the success we've had with Smith playing the puck so much.
In regards to time and space, Buffalo got miles and hours to go to work. The Kaleta goal still makes me sick to my stomach.
Then all of the sudden, we decide to actually play. And Buffalo gets shut down. And Smith doesn't have to make those insane diving saves anymore. We put in effort after spending half the game looking like we could care less, and we get a great victory out of it.
It's taken me this long to stop being so pissed about that, to stop with the "why didn't you play like that in the first place?" It's easy to think that way, because it makes a lot of sense. But then it would be easy, and it's silly for me to expect things to be easy.
"Hockey the hard way". It's more than just the blue collar plays and garbage goals. It's more than having castoffs and has-beens on our roster and seeing merit in them. It's more than finding success in a league where everyone predicts we'll fail. If that was all we had to worry about, I don't think our motto would be very fitting, not with the coaching staff and leadership behind this team.
It's hard because, sometimes, we make it more difficult on ourselves. Sometimes we get lazy in the last minute of play and let the opposition score. Sometimes we get too focused chasing the puck and the game and forget to stick to the basics. Sometimes, like last night, was don't play like we want the two points, or even one. But we find ways to win anyway.
They're mistakes, and that's just as much a part of the adversity this franchise faces as anything else. Yes, they did poorly, and they knew it. They didn't let it get to them, they didn't stand around feeling sorry for themselves, but moved on, scored, and won the game. If they can put their mistakes behind them and move on, well, then I can put them behind me too.
But seriously, boys, don't do that anymore.
The first thirty minutes was some of the worst hockey I've seen lately; we played like we wanted to lose. Doan got an early goal after being pretty lackluster lately, but we definitely didn't deserve it, not as a team.
Smith was the only reason we were able to hang around, and we left him for the wolves so many times. Negative comments about him leaving the net last night have been driving me up the wall; he didn't let one in, and where in the world was the defense during all this? Would the Sabres get that great scoring chance on an empty net if some of the other Coyotes decided to do their job? Seems unlikely, unless you haven't been paying attention to all the success we've had with Smith playing the puck so much.
In regards to time and space, Buffalo got miles and hours to go to work. The Kaleta goal still makes me sick to my stomach.
Then all of the sudden, we decide to actually play. And Buffalo gets shut down. And Smith doesn't have to make those insane diving saves anymore. We put in effort after spending half the game looking like we could care less, and we get a great victory out of it.
It's taken me this long to stop being so pissed about that, to stop with the "why didn't you play like that in the first place?" It's easy to think that way, because it makes a lot of sense. But then it would be easy, and it's silly for me to expect things to be easy.
"Hockey the hard way". It's more than just the blue collar plays and garbage goals. It's more than having castoffs and has-beens on our roster and seeing merit in them. It's more than finding success in a league where everyone predicts we'll fail. If that was all we had to worry about, I don't think our motto would be very fitting, not with the coaching staff and leadership behind this team.
It's hard because, sometimes, we make it more difficult on ourselves. Sometimes we get lazy in the last minute of play and let the opposition score. Sometimes we get too focused chasing the puck and the game and forget to stick to the basics. Sometimes, like last night, was don't play like we want the two points, or even one. But we find ways to win anyway.
They're mistakes, and that's just as much a part of the adversity this franchise faces as anything else. Yes, they did poorly, and they knew it. They didn't let it get to them, they didn't stand around feeling sorry for themselves, but moved on, scored, and won the game. If they can put their mistakes behind them and move on, well, then I can put them behind me too.
But seriously, boys, don't do that anymore.
well this is beautiful <3333
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