Go work as an auto mechanic or lumberjack, being a pro athlete is a privilege.
Snooter-McGavin
Yeah this makes sense. They’re mentally checked out.
specifichero101
Ya, the vibes have been off for most of the season. Shit ain’t fun this year for anybody. I appreciate guys voicing the reality of the situation instead of just repeating cliches. They’ve earned the criticism this season, but it’s also understandable that it’s not a lot of fun right now.
ancedactyl
So they are as soft mentally on the bench as they have been physically on the ice.
Gullible_Training773
Then don’t be an NHL player. What kind of garbage is this
uticadevil
Lou literally would have traded him for saying this.
mustachiolong
Say what you will but the lack of expectations from last season to the pressures of this season might be the best thing for this team and its window.
This season is a harsh reality check and the players will probably go into the summer and next season better prepared. They’re realizing you can’t skate off of last year’s success and winning in the NHL isn’t easy.
TronVin
This level of softness is a coaching issue. Guys should love the pressure.
ExperienceEvery1866
Pft, cry me a river. Tell that to twitch streamers as big as Hasan Piker, who really have it harder than most people.
caveman_chubs
Seems like a coaching issue
VindictiveRakk
this is a real indictment of Ruff imo. the coach needs to set the fucking tone and keep the guys from putting their head down after we make a bad mistake, as he says. our team is way too god damn soft, and I don’t just mean physically. they’re young and a lot are undersized, I get that and it should ideally improve with experience, but it does not seem like the right mentality is being instilled in these guys. at. all.
I never cared all too much about making a deep run or whatever this year, I just wanted to see them fight, and too often we’ve seen them quit instead. that can’t happen. I always think of the best coach I ever had and how he would react if he saw his guys tucking tail like how we did against the rangers. it would not be pretty, and there would be a trash can at center ice for players to go puke in next practice. and you bet your ass they’re still playing like it’s a tie game next time we go down a few goals.
DevilJacket2000
If only we had a coach who could somehow mitigate this? Hmm. Where could one of those be? Probably doesn’t exist.
Coach_G77
They need goggins to follow their candy asses around four a week. Enough of this pity party bullshit this season
weaver787
In other news: The sky is blue.
Does anyone here seriously think the players here are happy with their position in the standings or non-stop heartbreak losses?
Thank god he can at least be honest but this should not be news to anyone.
DougieDee13
Idk how hard it is to fire Lindy. That’s the only pressure coming from fans… To fire Ruff. If ruff is pressuring them, that’s because he’s fearful of his job. As he should.
Rise3711
I always find it hilarious to read the comments and people bitch about cookie cutter answers, then a player gives and honest answer and they bitch about that too lol
caldo4
Loser talk
Quikz
they dont have a sport psychologist???
MatteHatter
FYI- Bahl was saying in a positive way that things were different in the bench last night. I think my wonder is (and has been for a lot of the season) is why now? They’ve been struggling for a while. Why the mental shift now?
usernamendhsk
While I appreciate honesty,
What the fuck do they think the pressure will be like in the playoffs in the years to come. This is fucking NOTHING compared to deep playoff runs.
These boys need to learn to embrace this grind. It’s a privilege to be fighting for a playoff spot and battling with your brothers night in and night out.
ghostofkozi
For this season, I keep going back to Antetokounmpo’s post season presser where he was asked if the season was a failure and his response of it not being about success or failure but building towards the team’s goal. This fanbase has been toxic as hell this season because the team overperformed las year and made us believe they suddenly went from missing the playoffs to being playoff favorites.
nostradamefrus
* The poor performance of the team this season and feeling the pressure to make something out of what’s left is perfectly valid
* The pressure of past mistakes causing a feedback loop and turning into new mistakes is also valid, especially for younger players
* Lindy voicing these concerns during a presser endorsed the players feeling this way and empowered them to say the same in their own interviews
Point 3 is where the problem is. Lindy’s job as the coach is to fire guys up. This should’ve been a closed door locker room discussion. Don’t go broadcasting how deflated you are. There isn’t even a reason to when the on-ice performance shows it better than it could be said. This team, by and large, has given up lately and Lindy single-handedly gave the ok for players to whine publicly
I don’t agree with the « he should be traded for this », « then don’t be a hockey player », « you’re soft » takes in here. The guys are still just people with their own individual complexities and, again, nothing he said was wrong. The problem is that they don’t have their house in order. Yet another one of Lindy’s failures
gothenburgpig
Jesus Christ, you’d think this was the Toronto Maple Leafs, not the *thinks for a second* ninth most popular sports team in the area.
Marvelous_Chaos
I had to watch Bahl’s interview twice to make sure, but this title takes his quotes grossly out of context. He talks about the team learning to deal with the pressure of expectations/being in the playoff hunt, and while guys were more enthusiastic on the bench last night, they need to re-group and get ready for the next game.
Bahl’s comments are not problematic at all, and anyone suggesting he’s soft because of this interview should actually watch the video.
Exit56
They need Ted Lasso
IntrepidBandicoot757
Bunch of you guys are idiots and taking this way out of context, re watch the video.
PumpkinFar7612
Zero leadership on this team. I thought this was what palat was brought in for.
PaversPaving
At least they aren’t ok with what’s going on.
FloppyCanFly
I was literally thinking this last night. They’re winning by 5 and everybody looks pissed off.
Hopefully they can string a few wins in a row and clear out the negativity
sanbaba
I get that, but it’s pro sports? Do those guys want to make $8 million a year, or go back to playing in juniors?
Devil_Dane
There is a lot more nuance to what Bahl is speaking to, as opposed to just what the title suggests:
There has been pressure, they are very aware of their standings, there has been stress during games / on the bench, but the Sharks game absolutely demonstrated that they can win and be more relaxed / happy while doing so.
So now is the time to develop new confidence and build upon this success (“flip the page and keep it rolling”) for upcoming games.
I watched the full video, and recommend everyone watch the interview to fully understand Kevin’s comments / perspective.
Here’s a link with just the Bahl interview with a different title:
I just can’t get over the privilege. Everyone has pressure at their job. You don’t think nurses and teachers feel incredible pressure. Or something like sales there’s immense pressure to meet goals and expectations. Or has he even seen a restaurant during rush, I could go on and on. Except all those careers seem way less fun and don’t pay as well. If you want a low pressure job go work at the DMV or something.
Also he plays in New Jersey, no offense to us but he could play in Toronto, New York or Boston that’s extreme pressure.
Level-Variation-8208
The title is taking this way out of context. All the tough guys here need to settle down.
ColdBrewedChaos
Okay? The pressure from my job makes me unhappy and unenthusiastic but for most of us checking out is not an option if we want to keep our jobs.
sapphires_and_snark
Sounds like it was all fun and games until there were expectations. Pretty much like for us 😝
Shadow_of_Yor
We have 6 guys making 6 or more million dollars and 2 #1 overall selected players and we made the playoffs last season. Yes there are going to be expectations, it’s still a job at the end of the day.
AlpineSK
Might be another reason why they are not playing better at home.
I’d wonder how much players pay attention to the static what with so much of the fanbase declaring that they’re doomed.
pretzelogically
He never said they were unhappy. Stop. They are experiencing pressure as young players that they never experienced before at this level.
Having to hear the asshole fans who insist on booing and chanting to fire the coach has to get on them when they know damn well when they’re making mistakes.
Cheer or don’t say anything. The silence & groans are enough. These kids are playing their asses off but it is so obvious they are playing tentative because they’re afraid to make a mistake. Doesn’t help you got Dano saying 10x a game how you gotta focus blah blah. He was making the same mistakes as a 20-23 yr old and the game is 100x faster and more skilled than in his day. The reads these guys need to make are milliseconds sometimes. Everyone needs to lighten up a little.
ScrewOff_
Sounds like a soft ass group
slimycoldcutswork
If that is what he really said I would be pretty embarrassed. The title is a bit of a spin or different interpretation of what I heard though.
Without transcribing his entire interview my interpretation is that guys are very high strung on the bench because they’re acutely aware of what is at stake. They’re worried about making mistakes instead of what is in front of them and when the mistakes occur it can compound the tension or feel deflating (idk what exactly. He makes a noise.) he’s trying to make the point that they need to stop worrying about anything other than the next play despite what may or may not have occurred on the last play.
Certain_Swordfish_51
This thread has become a cliche-fest of people who seem to have succeeded at everything and prevailed in the face of pressure everytime. Why? Because you’re just to hard to handle. Either that or most of you just fired off shit-takes without even listening to the interview. He didn’t say they shouldn’t feel pressure. He implied that learning to deal with it is a process. You don’t get to the NHL by having a lot of experience with losing.
ozzman86_i-i_
this is why they need a new coach. they want to talk about pressure? what do they think the pressure is going to be like to win the cup?! they need a coach who is going to be hard on these guys and get them mentally tough.
44 Comments
Go work as an auto mechanic or lumberjack, being a pro athlete is a privilege.
Yeah this makes sense. They’re mentally checked out.
Ya, the vibes have been off for most of the season. Shit ain’t fun this year for anybody. I appreciate guys voicing the reality of the situation instead of just repeating cliches. They’ve earned the criticism this season, but it’s also understandable that it’s not a lot of fun right now.
So they are as soft mentally on the bench as they have been physically on the ice.
Then don’t be an NHL player. What kind of garbage is this
Lou literally would have traded him for saying this.
Say what you will but the lack of expectations from last season to the pressures of this season might be the best thing for this team and its window.
This season is a harsh reality check and the players will probably go into the summer and next season better prepared. They’re realizing you can’t skate off of last year’s success and winning in the NHL isn’t easy.
This level of softness is a coaching issue. Guys should love the pressure.
Pft, cry me a river. Tell that to twitch streamers as big as Hasan Piker, who really have it harder than most people.
Seems like a coaching issue
this is a real indictment of Ruff imo. the coach needs to set the fucking tone and keep the guys from putting their head down after we make a bad mistake, as he says. our team is way too god damn soft, and I don’t just mean physically. they’re young and a lot are undersized, I get that and it should ideally improve with experience, but it does not seem like the right mentality is being instilled in these guys. at. all.
I never cared all too much about making a deep run or whatever this year, I just wanted to see them fight, and too often we’ve seen them quit instead. that can’t happen. I always think of the best coach I ever had and how he would react if he saw his guys tucking tail like how we did against the rangers. it would not be pretty, and there would be a trash can at center ice for players to go puke in next practice. and you bet your ass they’re still playing like it’s a tie game next time we go down a few goals.
If only we had a coach who could somehow mitigate this? Hmm. Where could one of those be? Probably doesn’t exist.
They need goggins to follow their candy asses around four a week. Enough of this pity party bullshit this season
In other news: The sky is blue.
Does anyone here seriously think the players here are happy with their position in the standings or non-stop heartbreak losses?
Thank god he can at least be honest but this should not be news to anyone.
Idk how hard it is to fire Lindy. That’s the only pressure coming from fans… To fire Ruff. If ruff is pressuring them, that’s because he’s fearful of his job. As he should.
I always find it hilarious to read the comments and people bitch about cookie cutter answers, then a player gives and honest answer and they bitch about that too lol
Loser talk
they dont have a sport psychologist???
FYI- Bahl was saying in a positive way that things were different in the bench last night. I think my wonder is (and has been for a lot of the season) is why now? They’ve been struggling for a while. Why the mental shift now?
While I appreciate honesty,
What the fuck do they think the pressure will be like in the playoffs in the years to come. This is fucking NOTHING compared to deep playoff runs.
These boys need to learn to embrace this grind. It’s a privilege to be fighting for a playoff spot and battling with your brothers night in and night out.
For this season, I keep going back to Antetokounmpo’s post season presser where he was asked if the season was a failure and his response of it not being about success or failure but building towards the team’s goal. This fanbase has been toxic as hell this season because the team overperformed las year and made us believe they suddenly went from missing the playoffs to being playoff favorites.
* The poor performance of the team this season and feeling the pressure to make something out of what’s left is perfectly valid
* The pressure of past mistakes causing a feedback loop and turning into new mistakes is also valid, especially for younger players
* Lindy voicing these concerns during a presser endorsed the players feeling this way and empowered them to say the same in their own interviews
Point 3 is where the problem is. Lindy’s job as the coach is to fire guys up. This should’ve been a closed door locker room discussion. Don’t go broadcasting how deflated you are. There isn’t even a reason to when the on-ice performance shows it better than it could be said. This team, by and large, has given up lately and Lindy single-handedly gave the ok for players to whine publicly
I don’t agree with the « he should be traded for this », « then don’t be a hockey player », « you’re soft » takes in here. The guys are still just people with their own individual complexities and, again, nothing he said was wrong. The problem is that they don’t have their house in order. Yet another one of Lindy’s failures
Jesus Christ, you’d think this was the Toronto Maple Leafs, not the *thinks for a second* ninth most popular sports team in the area.
I had to watch Bahl’s interview twice to make sure, but this title takes his quotes grossly out of context. He talks about the team learning to deal with the pressure of expectations/being in the playoff hunt, and while guys were more enthusiastic on the bench last night, they need to re-group and get ready for the next game.
Bahl’s comments are not problematic at all, and anyone suggesting he’s soft because of this interview should actually watch the video.
They need Ted Lasso
Bunch of you guys are idiots and taking this way out of context, re watch the video.
Zero leadership on this team. I thought this was what palat was brought in for.
At least they aren’t ok with what’s going on.
I was literally thinking this last night. They’re winning by 5 and everybody looks pissed off.
Hopefully they can string a few wins in a row and clear out the negativity
I get that, but it’s pro sports? Do those guys want to make $8 million a year, or go back to playing in juniors?
There is a lot more nuance to what Bahl is speaking to, as opposed to just what the title suggests:
There has been pressure, they are very aware of their standings, there has been stress during games / on the bench, but the Sharks game absolutely demonstrated that they can win and be more relaxed / happy while doing so.
So now is the time to develop new confidence and build upon this success (“flip the page and keep it rolling”) for upcoming games.
I watched the full video, and recommend everyone watch the interview to fully understand Kevin’s comments / perspective.
Here’s a link with just the Bahl interview with a different title:
[ Bahl | POST-RAW 2.27.24 ](https://www.nhl.com/devils/video/bahl-post-raw-2-27-24-6347814105112)
I just can’t get over the privilege. Everyone has pressure at their job. You don’t think nurses and teachers feel incredible pressure. Or something like sales there’s immense pressure to meet goals and expectations. Or has he even seen a restaurant during rush, I could go on and on. Except all those careers seem way less fun and don’t pay as well. If you want a low pressure job go work at the DMV or something.
Also he plays in New Jersey, no offense to us but he could play in Toronto, New York or Boston that’s extreme pressure.
The title is taking this way out of context. All the tough guys here need to settle down.
Okay? The pressure from my job makes me unhappy and unenthusiastic but for most of us checking out is not an option if we want to keep our jobs.
Sounds like it was all fun and games until there were expectations. Pretty much like for us 😝
We have 6 guys making 6 or more million dollars and 2 #1 overall selected players and we made the playoffs last season. Yes there are going to be expectations, it’s still a job at the end of the day.
Might be another reason why they are not playing better at home.
I’d wonder how much players pay attention to the static what with so much of the fanbase declaring that they’re doomed.
He never said they were unhappy. Stop. They are experiencing pressure as young players that they never experienced before at this level.
Having to hear the asshole fans who insist on booing and chanting to fire the coach has to get on them when they know damn well when they’re making mistakes.
Cheer or don’t say anything. The silence & groans are enough. These kids are playing their asses off but it is so obvious they are playing tentative because they’re afraid to make a mistake. Doesn’t help you got Dano saying 10x a game how you gotta focus blah blah. He was making the same mistakes as a 20-23 yr old and the game is 100x faster and more skilled than in his day. The reads these guys need to make are milliseconds sometimes. Everyone needs to lighten up a little.
Sounds like a soft ass group
If that is what he really said I would be pretty embarrassed. The title is a bit of a spin or different interpretation of what I heard though.
Without transcribing his entire interview my interpretation is that guys are very high strung on the bench because they’re acutely aware of what is at stake. They’re worried about making mistakes instead of what is in front of them and when the mistakes occur it can compound the tension or feel deflating (idk what exactly. He makes a noise.) he’s trying to make the point that they need to stop worrying about anything other than the next play despite what may or may not have occurred on the last play.
This thread has become a cliche-fest of people who seem to have succeeded at everything and prevailed in the face of pressure everytime. Why? Because you’re just to hard to handle. Either that or most of you just fired off shit-takes without even listening to the interview. He didn’t say they shouldn’t feel pressure. He implied that learning to deal with it is a process. You don’t get to the NHL by having a lot of experience with losing.
this is why they need a new coach. they want to talk about pressure? what do they think the pressure is going to be like to win the cup?! they need a coach who is going to be hard on these guys and get them mentally tough.
Just win, baby.
Should probably look into another career then