“The good, the bad and the ugly.”
That famous phrase could summarize the Moncton Wildcats 1st home stand, but let’s face it the 2024-2025 Wildcats just need time to gel. Chemistry takes time and the search for chemistry and cohesion can’t be forced, it needs to happen organically.
Learning and building chemistry on the fly, that’s the goal for the Wildcats and they will undoubtedly reach that goal. There might be some good, bad and ugly things that happen over the course of that progression or search, but that’s what the process is all about!
Obviously, you can look at the tape, you can look at their specialty teams play, the goals against and shorthanded goals they surrendered and start pointing fingers and be negative, but from a team perspective you can learn a lot from that and build on it.
Everyone knew the Wildcats would be in the crosshairs entering the season, but one would assume the main objective right now is to solidify the group and build chemistry and rhythm within the line combinations and D pairings.
Some would look at building chemistry and claim they have had enough time to figure everything out, but it’s not that simple especially when you throw a wrench in the plan like having your 1st line center get hurt in the 1st period of play in your home opener.
The Desnoyers injury throws off the balance and continuity of the group. The daunting task to get know player tendencies and personalities while building trust and chemistry amongst the group doesn’t always rest solely on the coaching staff’s shoulders.
Every single player in the lineup has a role in building chemistry within the framework of team structure and systems.
MacDougall and the entire coaching staff are trying to implement their systems and philosophies within a very deep and talented group and that a lone takes time. The players are also trying to figure out their roles and identities within the group and that takes time as well.
If you think about it, it’s a great problem to have, especially when you have arguably one of the most talented rosters in the QMJHL, but all that doesn’t matter if you don’t execute the game plan when the puck is dropped.
It was clear the Cats didn’t execute, they looked disjointed at times due in large part to the lack of chemistry within the group.
Every team with championship aspirations must create a deep bond which is often forged with hard work, character, chemistry, culture and adversity. Those are the intangibles all great teams work through and possess. Starting the season 2-2 might be the best thing that could have happened to the talented Cats especially given the way they lost the games.
Losing the way they did, sends the message, but it also provides the coaching staff with vital teaching points to review and reinforce. There were tendencies that no doubt drove Gardiner MacDougall and the entire coaching staff bonkers Saturday and Sunday, but those tendencies will be addressed, worked on and corrected.
You see, most of those tendencies circle back to the lack of chemistry amongst the group and that’s going to take time to develop. You can’t force team chemistry, but you can sure as hell build on it and that’s exactly what the Wildcats are going to do over this week in preparation for this weekend’s games.
The search for chemistry continues for the Moncton Wildcats.
FDS Sports Blog 