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The captaincy


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OK, let's have at it. I thought Patches was a good choice for C. His all-around excellence last season convinced me that he'd matured to the point that the added pressure wouldn't weigh on him or interfere with his performance.

But he has, as it turns out, captained us into one of the most abominable slumps in recent memory. More to the point, he has appeared helpless to do anything about it, with his own game idling at "mediocre" and his defensive play much less notably vigorous than last season's. At this particular moment - and hey, maybe tonight's game will turn it around - he seems to be a man lost at sea. His body language is terrible. It's weighing him down like a ton of bricks. At no point have I looked at him and thought, "well, at least he's showing leadership." Indeed, the "Max Perimeter" accusations have seemed well-founded. By contrast, Subban at least has played with some drive.

What do you think? Was Patches, in fact, a good choice? Should it have been another player (e.g., Gallagher or Subban)? Is it even possible that giving Max the "C" has subtly altered the dynamic of the "leadership core" that seemed to work so nicely last year? - in which case maybe we should have retained the four-A model? Discuss.

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You're right CC. Max being named Captain was the correct choice at the time. No objections here. But, when the team needed him to step up and carry a hefty load, he wilted. That's why I coined the term "Max Perimeter". He drops f-bombs in a postgame tirade, like he's so pissed off and will rectify things by going through a wall the next game. But what's he do...pulls a Houdini act, again. He's letting everyone in Hab Nation down and doesn't seem to give two shits on the ice

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You're right CC. Max being named Captain was the correct choice at the time. No objections here. But, when the team needed him to step up and carry a hefty load, he wilted. That's why I coined the term "Max Perimeter". He drops f-bombs in a postgame tirade, like he's so pissed off and will rectify things by going through a wall the next game. But what's he do...pulls a Houdini act, again. He's letting everyone in Hab Nation down and doesn't seem to give two shits on the ice

Well, I think he cares. In fact, I think it's eating him alive. Like I say, his body lingo is just atrocious. He's not a power forward and never has been, so expecting him to turn into Eric Lindros is a bit much; my guess would be that his perimeter play has more to do with a lack of confidence at the moment.

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I agree with your assessment, Cukes. The problem is that he was a default choice to begin with - I suspect that Gallagher was seen as too young and the players didn't want the flashy, mercurial PK as their leader (Pleks and Markov not really being in the discussion). I don't think we have a true captain candidate on our roster, and maybe we were forcing the C into a situation where it doesn't fit.

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The Captain's C is just a letter....

Real leadership emerges in the room regardless of whether or not you have a letter.

It seems that as I long suspected, Carey Price is the real captain of this team... the real leader.

Now its up to the rest of the core to step up.. this isn't all on Max, this is on other core players to step up too, whether they have letters (PK, Markov, Plek) or not (Petry, DD, Alex G, Weise). If you are a leader, you have to step up and lead, and it doesn't take a letter on your jersey to prove if you are a leader or not.

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Guest Stogey24

The Captain's C is just a letter....

Real leadership emerges in the room regardless of whether or not you have a letter.

It seems that as I long suspected, Carey Price is the real captain of this team... the real leader.

Now its up to the rest of the core to step up.. this isn't all on Max, this is on other core players to step up too, whether they have letters (PK, Markov, Plek) or not (Petry, DD, Alex G, Weise). If you are a leader, you have to step up and lead, and it doesn't take a letter on your jersey to prove if you are a leader or not.

That's pretty easy to say
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I agree with your assessment, Cukes. The problem is that he was a default choice to begin with - I suspect that Gallagher was seen as too young and the players didn't want the flashy, mercurial PK as their leader (Pleks and Markov not really being in the discussion). I don't think we have a true captain candidate on our roster, and maybe we were forcing the C into a situation where it doesn't fit.

I also agree that Max does care and it's killing him the way things are going. At the start of the Caps game he was hyperventilating even before the puck dropped, a sure sign of anxiety. Is Max the right guy for the C? Hard to answer but he's among the select few on this team that I would consider candidates for all the same reasons mentioned above. Perhaps the best would be Gallagher but he is young but there is no denying that he is the guy who is best at leading by example.

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The Captain's C is just a letter....

It's also more than a letter for the guy wearing it. Patches is swearing and going on about how he can't sleep - pretty sure that's partly coming from the added pressure of being the annointed leader and the guy that fans and the media are turning to to break the slump.

I also agree that Max does care and it's killing him the way things are going. At the start of the Caps game he was hyperventilating even before the puck dropped, a sure sign of anxiety. Is Max the right guy for the C? Hard to answer but he's among the select few on this team that I would consider candidates for all the same reasons mentioned above. Perhaps the best would be Gallagher but he is young but there is no denying that he is the guy who is best at leading by example.

I'm starting to think that Gally would be the obvious choice if we waited another year to name a captain.

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Max Perimeter's compete level has been atrocious...it's not just about confidence...his work ethic is suspect. Nobody expects him to be Lindros...BUT...a man that size and that strong should never be as fluff-soft as Max has been during this abysmal slump. I question his heart...and Gallagher should be named our new captain the day he returns to the lineup IMO. I'd rather have a guy who's all heart and never takes a shift off, much less a game, be captain. He sets an example out there for the other guys at the very least, and I'd bet he'd be a more vocal leader in the room as well.

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Max Perimeter's compete level has been atrocious...it's not just about confidence...his work ethic is suspect. Nobody expects him to be Lindros...BUT...a man that size and that strong should never be as fluff-soft as Max has been during this abysmal slump. I question his heart...and Gallagher should be named our new captain the day he returns to the lineup IMO. I'd rather have a guy who's all heart and never takes a shift off, much less a game, be captain. He sets an example out there for the other guys at the very least, and I'd bet he'd be a more vocal leader in the room as well.

You do remember the players voted for Pacioretty to be captain, right? For management to strip him of the C midseason in his first year to give it to someone that the players didn't vote for wouldn't go over well.

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OK so you all agree with me now? We should have left it alone 4 A's no C's. Don't fix what ain't broken. This is putting too much pressure on Patches and he don't need it but we are stuck with it now. The humble pie will be served later on for of you who should partake. Don?

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OK so you all agree with me now? We should have left it alone 4 A's no C's. Don't fix what ain't broken. This is putting too much pressure on Patches and he don't need it but we are stuck with it now. The humble pie will be served later on for of you who should partake. Don?

He took on some pressure in the shootout.

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Start of season: Oh captain my captain!

First slump: was he the right man for the job?

Post-slump: credit to the leader!

Next slump: who is the real captain?

Hoisting the cup: I never doubted him

Definitely got my vote for post of the year..

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Pacioretty is a streaky player who produces at a 0.70 ppg pace and this isn't the 1st time he has seemed lost for an extended period; but he is 3rd in NHL in shots and as long as he keep shooting we all know sooner or later he will start burying a few.

He is a fine choice for captain.

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I really don't know if keeping 4 'A's or picking a 'C' is better, worse or same. But we all agree it isn't a huge deal and #31 is the real backbone of team, but my beef was that it would just seem odd or turn it into a bigger issue if one wasn't chosen sooner or later. Still say Max is a fine choice and of course there will be stretches where he will be non-productive and many will again call for him to be traded or stripped of the 'C'., but would happen with any other choice as well, be it Subban, Plekanec or Markov.

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My choice would have been Subban for captain, but I see this as a non-issue. The players picked the captain. This isn't Gainey and Martin imposing one on the team.

Stamkos has gone long stretches without scoring this year, last year and in the playoffs. I have never heard anyone say someone else should be captain. Toews had a long drought last year or the year before, yet he is unquestionably the captain. Crosby is playing more like Kessel than Crosby, but no one is saying he shouldn't be the captain. In his last year belevieau was just another player, but there was no question that he was THE captain who the NHL's leadership award should actually be named after.

Only in Montreal would this even be talked about.

I really don't know if keeping 4 'A's or picking a 'C' is better, worse or same. But we all agree it isn't a huge deal and #31 is the real backbone of team, but my beef was that it would just seem odd or turn it into a bigger issue if one wasn't chosen sooner or later. Still say Max is a fine choice and of course there will be stretches where he will be non-productive and many will again call for him to be traded or stripped of the 'C'., but would happen with any other choice as well, be it Subban, Plekanec or Markov.

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Really? That's what you got? He is the best scorer on out team, he will always be in the shoot out. What pressure?

This was a week ago, it was pressure to score the game winning goal and end the losing streak.

That said, again, i don't think it really matters who wears the C

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That said, again, i don't think it really matters who wears the C

Now that statement right there. I can agree with that. There just ain't no Jean Beliveau's on this team.

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