“For an outsider looking in and looking at their roster compared to last year, it’s just a little less intimidating,” he said. “I don’t think it’s that deep, I don’t think they’re that dynamic when it comes to lineups. That doesn’t mean they can’t win games, and that doesn’t mean they can’t be a good team. It’s just a little different path that they have to take to become a good team and win hockey games.”
“From an outsider looking in and looking at their roster compared to last year, it’s just a little less intimidating. I don’t think it’s as deep, I don’t think they’re as dynamic…” – Dan Bylsma on the #LeafsForever
@thegoldenmuzzy | @Jay_D_Rosehill
Part of that struggle, Bylsma noted, was the team’s key inconsistencies. He cited Auston Matthews and goaltending as good examples, where the inconsistency in their play led to both winning and losing stretches.
“We’ve seen at times where they looked like a pretty good hockey team that was able to win some games,” Bylsma said. “So that’s their battle, that’s their battle, and they’ve got to get back into that. … Again, after I put their lineup on the board last year and played against them, it was daunting. It was a daunting team with skill, speed and offensive ability, it’s just a little less intimidating for a team to see on the roster before the game. They’re battling that, how to be a good team in a different way.”
The loss of that skill and speed in such a short space of time is noticeable, although whether this should be attributed to management, coaching or players is up for debate.
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