On Blame and Preparedness

I’ve been thinking a bit about comments from Jimmy Howard and Jeff Blashill following last night’s loss to the Vancouver Canucks.

Howard accepted some blame for the loss, specifically stating that he misplayed the puck on the first and third Vancouver goals. On the first, he said that, knowing the end boards at the Joe, he should have stopped the puck before there was a chance for a “lively” bounce back into play than ended up in the back of the net. On the third, he said that he can’t give up a rebound straight to an opposing player.

Blashill said that the team came out unprepared and that it was his fault, he did not give specifics on what he could have done differently, though.

I’m curious about that because the team had three days off between their loss to Buffalo on Monday and the Vancouver game on Friday. I’d really like to know what Blashill thinks he should have done to have the team more prepared.

Should he have not taken the time off to scout the Griffins on Wednesday and run a more structured practice? Should they have spent the week practicing different things? Should they have had more time off to rest?

Or was he just saying that to deflect blame from his team?

I don’t expect Blashill to share specifics but without them, it leaves me wondering.