xXx..CK..xXx

Draisaitl is one of the most clutch players in the NHL. The counter argument seems to be that no one is clutch but only great. From that standpoint, it’s easy to dismiss every statement in regards to him because in reality he is a great player. With that being said, one can be a great player and clutch at the same time. The conversation seems to have taken a specific route into the definition of clutch relating to how someone performs in the regular season versus the playoffs but it’s more than that. It’s the mental state of how someone performs when there are key moments within a specific game. In one sense, all 60 minutes are equally important. In the other sense, there’s the shift where the game is on the line for both teams. There are plenty of good and skillful players who one wouldn’t necessarily want out in those moments. On the other hand, there are also less skillful players who one would want out on the ice because they seem to perform in those moments. To me, it’s not purely about a statistic but more-so a mindset. Because that mindset is not necessarily quantifiable, it’s easy to dismiss that it exists. There are plenty of players who suffer from mental health issues in professional sports, so it’s a lazy argument to state that the world has weeded out the mentally weak once it comes to professional sports and not true because once again, there are many different variables that make up a professional player. One may have the skill but not the mental ability to perform under pressure. One may have skill but lack the tactical and strategic defensive mindset of a clutch player on defense. There’s no one definition of what a clutch player is, but they do definitely exist. In terms of who is clutch, I could see how that is debatable. Here is a list of players who scored important goals this year. “Game ending goals”, “late game winning goals”, “game winning goals”, “late game tying goals”, “game tying goals” were some of the criteria used in determining who was clutch when it came to scoring important goals for their team this year. Are they all great players? Sure. Are players like Wilson, Rossi, Boldy, or even Nick Suzuki top 10 players in the league when it comes to “greatness”? Possibly? Swinging back to Draisaitl. He is at the top of the list. He is a great player but so is McDavid who doesn’t appear. The next player on the list was Marner, and that’s where the debate surrounding what clutch means comes into play because some argue that players like Marner cannot elevate their game in the playoffs, however it turns out that he scored important goals for his team this year, and he also scored an important overtime goal for Canada in the 4 nations cup. McDavid also scored the game winning goal for Canada at the 4 nations vs USA but is he clutch, or was being surrounded by other great players beneficial to both players discussed in this paragraph? I do believe there could be some variance when it comes to clutch related statistics and that it can be a somewhat difficult thing to measure. With that being said, I do believe it exists in sport and denying it is like saying not a single player feels pressure prior to the game. Yes, even professionals feel pressure and while some thrive off of it, others can be impacted. Just off the top of my head, Hellebuyck is an example that comes to mind in the reverse sense of being clutch and handling pressure. Anyway, like you said it’s a topic that has been beaten to death but it all stems from one’s perception of what clutch even means. If it’s based off of a specific mindset, then it exists. There are simply toooooo many circumstances where clutch can be used to deny that it fully exists. Clutch can be elevating your game when the games are more important (playoffs, game 7, etc.). It can be a player who seemingly makes key defensive plays when the game is on the line. It can even be a player who raises their game when the going gets tough, period. While all NHL players are professional athletes, not every single one of them has a growth mindset. A player with a fixed mindset, will think things like “I can’t” whereas a player with a growth mindset will believe “they can”. I already know that the rebuttal will be that all professional athletes have a growth mindset and that’s why they are professionals but considering my profession is being an athlete turned coach, I can say with 100% certainty that it isn’t the case. Most are, but some got where they are with pure skill rather than that elite mindset. If these negative thoughts creep into a professional’s mind, and they do, then the reverse is possible as well.

If there’s a mental aspect to sport, and there is, then there is clutch in sport. It’s easy to say that all players in the NHL, or any professional sport are great rather than clutch but there are different elements that allow someone to attain the level of professional. - Skill - Mental fortitude/Psychological capacity - Tactical ability - Technical ability - Physical attributes It doesn’t have to be defined or proven by statistical output. Denying “clutch” as an attribute is like denying that professional athletes are humans who have the same mental problems that the general public have. Anxiety, phobias, whatever it be. It is a fact that regardless of the fact these players are all professionals, some people play better when they are losing, some people play worse. Some people play better when the game is on the line, and some people perform worse. Some people want to take a penalty shot, and some people would rather not. There doesn’t have to be a precise definition, but having a clutch element to one’s game falls somewhere within that line. I think the side who argues against, perceives clutch as being something that results in success 100% of the time. I think it’s more than that as it stems from an emotion and mindset within an individual, even if the results don’t show it 100% of the time.

It’s a shame the Habs didn’t play within the division during the playoffs. Regular season stats: 18-7-1 within the division & 4-0-0 vs the Panthers. 9-12-3 against the Metropolitan division & 1-2-0 vs. Capitals.

I have the same feeling as a Habs win tonight and it’s all due to the Leafs being eliminated.

Hat trick for Granlund 🧢🧢🧢

Something that hasn’t been said enough and in fact the opposite has been stated more often than not… the Habs need some grizzled vets. We need that experienced player who people think are over the hill but scores that unexpected goal in the playoffs. No one loves signing 30+ year old players but eventually we’re going to have to, or we’re going to have to trade for one or two nearing a trade deadline. Habs youth surrounded by proven veterans from the outside = recipe for success. Suzuki, Canfield and Evan’s made the cup final early in their career, but they were surrounded by Staal, Perry, Weber, Price. Admittedly, Tampa’s older players were younger than the Habs but they had a bunch of 30 year olds (5) and Mcdonagh, Killorn and Maroon older than 30. The Habs do have a few 30+ year olds (Gallagher, Matheson, Armia, Anderson) but someone like Giroux, Crosby, etc. would be a step above in terms of point production. Not comparing Giroux and Crosby, but rather comparing them to someone like Armia.

Fleury - Garand is an interesting tandem.

Yeah I saw the Preds as well. It’s a combination of both and one could even throw a little bit of the Wild in there with them trying to incorporate nature within the logo. Mountains vs forest. They were apparently going to go with “Yeti” but a copyright infringement took that option away.

We took Caufield at 15 and Newhook was 16 that same draft.

Pacioretty’s game winner sends the Leafs to round 2.

While we’re at it let’s take Ovechkin out too… and then score some goals.

Dobeš is keeping us in the game.

Going to need our first line to step up to the plate.

On that note…. Carrier is a game-time call Laine is out Montembeault is out

Yep, we already knew about Carrier, Laine and Montembeault at the very least.