Do I even need to write anything? This is a guy that sounds like a future coach and he just ripped his team a new one. So, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to buy a Stolarz jersey while you press play on this video and cheer him on.
I will point out a few of my favourite quotes for this video, which is still too short at just over 2 minutes long.
- They outworked us
- For their goalie it’s like playing catch in the yard
- A lot of guys have been here for a while, you know, overtime you can’t let someone beat you up the ice there…… you know, a minute left, if you want to be on the ice in that situation you have to work hard
They were definitely outworked for most of the night, but that doesn’t stand for the entirety of the roster. The star players have looked lazy and disinterested since the season opened and it’s being noticed by more than a few fans. They aren’t working to make the other goalies job harder, as they seem content to shoot from the perimeter and try to win by pure skill alone.
The final quote is EASILY my favourite though. If you watch the replay you can clearly see that it’s William Nylander that was beaten up the ice to give up the breakaway, game winning goal and first goal to Josh Mahura in over 100 games (his last also came against the Leafs in Toronto, go figure!!). While Auston Matthews is in the play and isn’t exactly working hard, the Leafs are clearly playing a man-on-man system in overtime and Matthews’ guy isn’t an issue. It’s Nylander that, once again, is outworked on the ice, but this time it very clearly cost them a point in the standings. I’m beyond thrilled to know that somebody in the room has, without a doubt, said something to call him out on it, because by the sound of the coach, he doesn’t have the balls to do it himself.
My least favourite quote is “hopefully we learn a lesson here” because it’s been used far too much over the years.
Lesson time is over. This team, being lead by the guys that are wearing letters, will never change, they are who they are. The only people who have needed to learn that lesson and haven’t are the guys in the management group.