#I get long winded about feelings about some masshole

[kmarli]

Yeah he's funny but he also needs to be good

I’m not gonna write an essay on the Yandle v Cats front office issue but a lot of people (non-Cats fans on Twitter especially) are getting indignant on his behalf and it’s a bit frustrating from the perspective of a fan who’s been watching him play since he got to the team.

Like read this tweet, I’ll get back to it (shout out to my discord group for pointing it out since I don’t listen to Elliotte Friedman’s podcast)

Keith Yandle is (like many athletes) good at what he does but a truer statement would be - Keith Yandle is as good as the teammates he’s surrounded by, the plays that compliment his strengths, and the effort he puts in.

I’m not going into the changes in front office/coaches but in re: Yands, the acquisition of Bob and the departure of Daddy and Hoffman really exposed his weakness.

As the PP QB, Yandle is money for a goal. But when it comes to five on five and defending his own end (because you know, he’s a defenseman) he is inconsistent bordering on irresponsible.

So if you had been going to Cats home games from 2014-15 onward, you probably would see me in the 300s, and ever since we got Yands (16-17) you’d hear a faint “fucking Yandle” every time he’d miss a pass, turn over the puck, fail to finish (or even start) a check, or skate lackadaisically. And let’s be frank, unless you’re there watching it, following his movements specifically, a lot of this does not make it on stat sheets. (Clarification: watching the games on tv you also miss some of this because the camera follows the puck and the announcers are cowards who don’t critique the players)

So circle back to the tweet. If I can see it as a fan, bet money his teammates can see it too and it must be frustrating. Especially on the Cats, considering the core (R.I.P. Troch, enjoy the Canes) has been at this for a while and in spite of the changes around them, they always prided themselves in their effort. They weren’t always good but they tried their best. Barky is a beast and Huby/Troch/Ekblad followed where he led. And for a time Yands did too. He became so integral that the A’s expanded from 2 to 4. Huby, Troch, Ekky, and Yands split it, two A’s at home, two A’s on the road.

But the 19-20 season, Qs changes, and Bobs playing style really laid bare the incompatibilities.

Qs high expectations of his D corp didn’t help. Yand's lackluster performance in the bubble didn’t help. The new GM who knew what kind of D Bob needs to succeed didn’t help.

But in spite of this, they went to bat for him to get him in the game. Why? Because they're loyal and know what he's capable of, because he’s core, and a leader, and you (aka Barky) don't give up on that. Yands always has been a leader (legit think he would’ve been captain had he stayed in Arizona and if OEL wasn’t so good) and I think that’s why he was hurt when he was called out.

But I watched him play on Sunday (of course the tv didn’t stay on him enough to see the full picture) and while he made some mistakes (turnovers and a penalty that lead to a goal), this is the hardest I’ve seen him skate in a while (and I’ve been watching since 2016).

Really hope he keeps it up, I wanna keep yelling “Fucking Yandle”, it’s really cathartic.

#I get long winded about feelings about some masshole #fucking Yandle #but with love #florida panthers