Seriously Now

Dear guys,

"We need to earn the respect of our fans here. Our fans are dying for us to work. All they want to see is hard work...Compete and work and not quit." - John Stevens, Dec. 1 post-game interview

Uh, totally.

Stevens is pissed. I'm sure everyone of you is as well, if the report of a minor altercation between Tiny!Briere and (my HH) Kapanen is anything to go by.

The Jekyll/Hyde routine has to go. To roll out two trite - but true - cliches (as though there were any other kind):

• There's no good reason for what's been happening lately.
• You're all better than this.

When you work together and don't give up too many stupid penalties, you give me great hope. As I said following the win in Ottawa, please quit flirting with your A-game. Make it part of your equipment so that it goes with you for every contest.

I hope the enforced togetherness of a road trip brings back some of the team zen you achieved in Whistler earlier this year.

Coach, if that doesn't do it, I humbly offer my apartment as a potential venue for a team smack-down/slumber party to help everybody work this out once and for all. I have experience with this from my competition days. (Trust me, if it can work for a bunch of PMS-ing female athletes, I'm sure it can work for guys facing testosterone overload.) Additionally, I am trained in conflict resolution, peer counseling, and active listening skills.

Love yas,

Nadine