After an absolutely brutal loss to the Minnesota Wild, the Detroit Red Wings had some things to say.
During post-game interviews, Andrew Copp and J.T. Compher both took to the press to deliver their thoughts. Oddly enough, Patrick Kane, who lost the team the game with his penalty, was not available for comment. Copp and Compher, however, offered their thoughts on the game. Neither player's comments were received well by the Red Wings fans.
There's only so much "it is what it is" a fanbase can take after nine straight years of missing the playoffs.
Copp discusses "outside noise"
When asked about whether or not the pressure from fans has affected them, Copp was candid. “We have to find a way to not let it weigh on us," he said. "We have to find a way to free ourselves up; as soon as you let the outside noise and you guys start to impact what we're doing in here, that's when issues start to happen.”
Copp's comments seem to suggest that the media - and pressure from the fans - have started to affect the team.
When taken in good faith, it sounds like the team is disconnected. They're in their own heads. Mistakes are magnified. But, the thing is, the pressure isn't going away until they start winning. If the team can't handle the pressure, which, in turn, causes them to lose, the pressure grows. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. But it's on the players and coaching to find a way. Fans aren't going to come in with a positive attitude until the team gives them a reason to be positive.
The next few games against the Columbus Blue Jackets, New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers can spell the difference between a playoff berth and a late-season collapse. It's on Copp and the rest of the team to adapt and thrive under pressure.
J.T. Compher's carefree comments
If Copp's comments suggested a lack of cohesion in the locker room, Compher's comments cemented that theory. When asked about the frustrations of having to scoreboard watch, Compher put it simply: "it is what it is".
It is what it is.
That's the attitude Compher has towards this final leg of the season. No fire, no fury. It is what it is. When contrasted with Copp's remarks about issues happening from "outside noise", it becomes extremely apparent that these players are not on the same page. Where Copp is concerned about external voices, Compher seems quite carefree about the voices inside the locker room.
That's the opposite of the mentality this team should have in its final leg. Now is not the time to go on autopilot. Compher is a Stanley Cup champion. He knows what it takes to make the playoffs and what a winning culture looks like.
Does "it is what it is" when you're out of the playoffs sound like the words of a winning culture to you?