CrashingTheGoalie

by Ron Spence

Referring back to the Dwyer article again, I talked to Larry Robinson once about the culture of winning.

He was coaching the L.A. Kings at the time, and was very frustrated by his team’s lack of effort, in a loss to the Canucks.

“Would your players play differently back in Montreal?” I asked.

“You always play different,” he said. “Over there you’re under the microscope. And sometimes it comes down to, you just have to play, or you’re going to be embarrassed. I don’t know if some of the athletes [in L.A.] are embarrassed by not performing.”

“If you were to take these same L.A. players, who are taking nights off, lack pride, and are underachieving and beamed them into a Montreal uniform – would it be any different?” I asked.

“A lot of players came to Montreal,” he shrugged. “But, there were as many players who made it there, as there were players who didn’t. It was because of the pressure. So some of these players wouldn’t be able to take the pressure….”