The Bottom Line

I mention the struggles of two of hockey’s best veteran players to make the point that our talented young kids are going to struggle, too. The bottom line when it comes to us, though, is that when all of our kids produce, we win games, and when all of our kids don’t produce, we lose.*

A tough burden for the kids to bear? Sure. But definitely a lesson they need to learn when the time comes to be in the top 5 of the league standings and a perennial contender for the Cup. Some nights, Crosby might have to pick up for Malkin; some nights, Malkin might have to pick up for Crosby. (I don't refer to effort, which should be assumed, but to escaping the checking or defensive pair of an opponent.) But to go anywhere, really, Crosby, Malkin, Staal, Whitney, Fleury, players like Armstrong and Moore, they all have to produce.

*(Caveat: Of course sometimes our kids will produce wonders and still another team might produce more depth, or even better stars, to beat our kids—but those are going to be the league’s elite teams, the ones that are considered Cup contenders. As for the rest of the league, perhaps 20 other teams, when every single one of our kids produces, this team wins far more frequently than it loses.)
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