- MBFlyerfan

I picture Homer standing off to the side behind him, trying to casually hide his bloody hands behind him as he glares at the media with a look that says "you're next"

This is the comical part. He did this to take the heat but then when the fans react to it, the way Hextall planned it, everyone gets up in arms for the reaction the fans had to Hextall comments.

So i should believe that this was a master stroke by Hextall to take the heat off of the players and the coach and to have it solely focused on him and his comments.

He truly doesnt think the team is playing well other then a "critical" error here or there?

Then me the stupid guy who can't read between it all should just say, well gosh golly, that Hextall, he is good. He took the heat for his team and coach.

Also, if everyone knew what he was doing then how does that actually work? Wouldn't everyone just see through it and still focus on the players and the coach?

Sorry for all the questions, clearly i am just not smart enough to follow all this logic.
- ggunky

Dude, no need to get all weird about it. I'm not calling you an idiot. I'm not proclaiming to be some prophet of the LORD either. Just putting forth what I think is a viable explanation.

Personally I think his route is better than roasting this team, again, who is up and coming. They're not supposed to be good. He said that, mentioning being 5-4 if they didn't make stupid mistakes, etc

I think theres truth to what he's saying. Could he have sugar coated it a little less? Yeah, I think so. Calling Jake out for defensive lapses either by name or by insinuating it is warranted for example. Making a blanket statement about staying focused for 60 minutes is warranted. Bur there's truth. They're blowing leads, not getting trounced. Some thing are going right, some going wrong, and some going unlucky. That's what he told us, and that's what is true.

I picture Homer standing off to the side behind him, trying to casually hide his bloody hands behind him as he glares at the media with a look that says "you're next"
- BiggE

Right before he did it he said, "Dale, why the long face?"

Your welcome and for the record a HB membership entitles everyone to their opinon whether your or anyone else likes it or not. In time you will say that fool joe was right
- joegreif17

You're entitled to your opinion and we're entitled to call you a (frank)ing lunatic every time you spew it.

Dude, no need to get all weird about it. I'm not calling you an idiot. I'm not proclaiming to be some prophet of the LORD either. Just putting forth what I think is a viable explanation.

Personally I think his route is better than roasting this team, again, who is up and coming. They're not supposed to be good. He said that, mentioning being 5-4 if they didn't make stupid mistakes, etc

I think theres truth to what he's saying. Could he have sugar coated it a little less? Yeah, I think so. Calling Jake out for defensive lapses either by name or by insinuating it is warranted for example. Making a blanket statement about staying focused for 60 minutes is warranted. Bur there's truth. They're blowing leads, not getting trounced. Some thing are going right, some going wrong, and some going unlucky. That's what he told us, and that's what is true.
- Giroux_Is_God

WAIT!

I wasn't taking a shot at you or challenging you, sorry if it came across that way.

I just feel frustration, with so many, about how i shouldn't listen to Hextall and take what he says seriously.

Sorry, i in no way meant to come across as coming at you. I am seriously baffled by how so many say "what Hextall is really saying is".

Also, i never said i wanted heads to roll or he should roast the team. I just take issue with how he thinks the team "isn't playing poorly"

I dont have any issue with what he said. Just don't see a huge "reliance" on young guys. They are there on the team, no doubt, but not really relied on
- YuenglingJagr

Maybe I didn't clarify well enough

The younger players are key. That's what I was trying to say, and that's why this team is going to have growing pains. They don't rely on Patrick for example like he's McDavid, but he sees enough minutes and has enough skill to put them in a better position to win if he plays well. Same with the 4th line and a guy like Weal. If Weal is flying out there then suddenly hey there's a threat outside of the 1st line. That's all I'm trying to say.

Your welcome and for the record a HB membership entitles everyone to their opinon whether your or anyone else likes it or not. In time you will say that fool joe was right
- joegreif17

But if you hate the team and its management so much, why even waste your time spewing the same thing day in day out?

WAIT!

I wasn't taking a shot at you or challenging you, sorry if it came across that way.

I just feel frustration, with so many, about how i shouldn't listen to Hextall and take what he says seriously.

Sorry, i in no way meant to come across as coming at you. I am seriously baffled by how so many say "what Hextall is really saying is".

Also, i never said i wanted heads to roll or he should roast the team. I just take issue with how he thinks the team "isn't playing poorly"
- ggunky

Interpreting a GM's public comments is like interpreting a politician's public comments. History, context, audience, motive all have to be taken into consideration. You simply cannot take anything at face value. That doesn't necessarily mean that what is said is an outright lie, but it may not be the whole truth either.

Personally I think his route is better than roasting this team, again, who is up and coming. They're not supposed to be good. He said that, mentioning being 5-4 if they didn't make stupid mistakes, etc
- Giroux_Is_God

Two things:

1. If they're not supposed to be good, then he shouldn't say he believes they're a playoff team

2. They would be 5-4, or at least 3-6, if they weren't making mistakes. But that's not the case, because they ARE making the mistakes. Teams that are playing well don't make that many glaring mistakes over a 9-game stretch. So while they may be playing well at times in each game, I don't think they've played a full game well.

I just take issue with how he thinks the team "isn't playing poorly"
- ggunky

Taking the season as a whole I don't disagree with that statement.

I dont have any issue with what he said. Just don't see a huge "reliance" on young guys. They are there on the team, no doubt, but not really relied on
- YuenglingJagr

They can't get off the bench in the third during a tied game but you know... mounting losses and tired legs and all that.

Interpreting a GM's public comments is like interpreting a politician's public comments. History, context, audience, motive all have to be taken into consideration. You simply cannot take anything at face value. That doesn't necessarily mean that what is said is an outright lie, but it may not be the whole truth either.
- Scoob

Nor we even have to agree with what he was trying not to say. I would have stayed away from saying that I thought the team was playing well, or even not playing badly (which is a more accurate interpretation of what he said)

Like Scoob says, a GM RARELY if ever just comes flat out and tells the media what he really thinks. He does this for numerous reasons of course.

Two things:

1. If they're not supposed to be good, then he shouldn't say he believes they're a playoff team

2. They would be 5-4, or at least 3-6, if they weren't making mistakes. But that's not the case, because they ARE making the mistakes. Teams that are playing well don't make that many glaring mistakes over a 9-game stretch. So while they may be playing well at times in each game, I don't think they've played a full game well.
- jmatchett383

Which brings us back to youth, learning, and untimely veteran mistakes, all of which can be rectified.

Maybe I didn't clarify well enough

The younger players are key. That's what I was trying to say, and that's why this team is going to have growing pains. They don't rely on Patrick for example like he's McDavid, but he sees enough minutes and has enough skill to put them in a better position to win if he plays well. Same with the 4th line and a guy like Weal. If Weal is flying out there then suddenly hey there's a threat outside of the 1st line. That's all I'm trying to say.
- Giroux_Is_God

I get it, I just think I would be more okay with things if they were actually relying on some of the younger guys. Guys like Hagg and Sanheim have had to PK or play more minutes due to injury or game misconducts, but in the high pressure situations Hakstol seems to shorten the bench. Rely on guys like Flippula, Weise, and Manning instead of the younger guys.

The presence of young players on the team doesn't mean we can just chalk everything up to "rookie mistakes" if you catch my drift.

Like Sanheim turns the puck over earlier in the year in OT and they lose...oh well, big deal...Voracek completely loses his man or Ghost watches a pass go to his guy...that pisses me off. Raffl shoots a puck over the glass on the PK.

Which brings us back to youth, learning, and untimely veteran mistakes, all of which can be rectified.
- Scoob

with coaching?

Interpreting a GM's public comments is like interpreting a politician's public comments. History, context, audience, motive all have to be taken into consideration. You simply cannot take anything at face value. That doesn't necessarily mean that what is said is an outright lie, but it may not be the whole truth either.
- Scoob

You know, when I was 22, my cousin and his mother lived with my grandmother. One night, my cousin decided to take a shower by candlelight...not with a girl, by himself. He was a weird dude. So, like the idiot he was, he doesn't blow the candle out. I get a call at 3 AM (living with my parents at the time) from him saying there's been a fire. He burned the whole house down. They moved in with me for 3 weeks (my parents were going to Jamaica the next day), then moved into a furnished apartment, and then moved back into their rebuilt house about 18 months later. We had to go through a lot of paperwork and other bullpoop (we didn't trust the others to do it right) and it all ended when my cousin, a 5'6 100 lb heroin addict, tried to fight my 5'10 180 lb lumberjack dad (he is a professional tree surgeon, not an amateur one). And I never saw my grandmother again.

I hope you're all happy.

Interpreting a GM's public comments is like interpreting a politician's public comments. History, context, audience, motive all have to be taken into consideration. You simply cannot take anything at face value. That doesn't necessarily mean that what is said is an outright lie, but it may not be the whole truth either.
- Scoob

Fair enough.

I think part of my problem is i am so fustrated with this teams play and the last thing i want to hear is "they aren't playing poorly."

To me, that made my blood boil. This team has been frustrating but that comment got to me like few others in a long time, in regard to this team.

I guess i just wanted to know Hextall feels my frustration, understands that this losing is taking it toll.

Which brings us back to youth, learning, and untimely veteran mistakes, all of which can be rectified.
- Scoob

Yes. They can be (as in future tense), at which point they will be playing well. They are (present tense) not.

Taking the season as a whole I don't disagree with that statement.
- Scoob

I do. 6th worst team in the league.

I can not say a team that is 6th from the bottom is anything other then a lackluster team.

Could you imagine if we traded for RNH right now?

with coaching?
- YuenglingJagr

Or self reflection

You know, when I was 22, my cousin and his mother lived with my grandmother. One night, my cousin decided to take a shower by candlelight...not with a girl, by himself. He was a weird dude. So, like the idiot he was, he doesn't blow the candle out. I get a call at 3 AM (living with my parents at the time) from him saying there's been a fire. He burned the whole house down. They moved in with me for 3 weeks (my parents were going to Jamaica the next day), then moved into a furnished apartment, and then moved back into their rebuilt house about 18 months later. We had to go through a lot of paperwork and other bullpoop (we didn't trust the others to do it right) and it all ended when my cousin, a 5'6 100 lb heroin addict, tried to fight my 5'10 180 lb lumberjack dad (he is a professional tree surgeon, not an amateur one). And I never saw my grandmother again.

I hope you're all happy.
- jmatchett383

I get what you did there.

Could you imagine if we traded for RNH right now?
- hereticpride

Amac and a 2nd for RNH

stealth tank = stank

Taking the season as a whole I don't disagree with that statement.
- Scoob

Yup

As bad as this stretch is record wise, a couple bounces, a couple bad calls, and they could be 3-6 or 4-5 which again isn't great but it isn't bad. Which is exactly where we all expected them to be. A bubble team. Good enough to be almost a solid team but not.