Why Lightning fans boo to Kucherov?

[Miiqus]

Does anyone know?

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

7 minutes ago, Miiqus said:

Does anyone know?

 

I am not so sure Kucherov getting "booed" is a big problem.
Does it happen? Sure. What superstar player who isn't quite living up to the standards fans set for them hasn't?

Regarding getting booed, I mean, in TB it would be mild compared to, oh, I dunno, a place like Toronto, Philadelphia, New York....places where fans are notorious for their impatience with star players who aren't performing.

Even if the fans are negatively reacting to Kucherov right now, personally, I think that might be a good thing. And I think even Kucherov may agree it is a good thing.
Why?

Because it shows fans care. They know they have a superstar player for years to come and just want him to play like it. They want to see leadership out of the highly skilled and highly paid players on the team and no one can blame them.
Kuch himself has to understand....he IS a mega talent, he IS getting paid lots of money to perform, and right now, he isn't living up to his abilities on the ice.

I'd rather fans get upset about things like that than have apathy. As a Lightning fan since almost the beginning, I have seen my share of that with this team and its players.
Times have changed, the Bolts are a big deal in Central Florida, and the fans want a winning product (which they do), that PERFORMS like one.

I think Kuch will be fine with a smattering of boos here and there.... maybe Stamkos, Johnson, and Palat could use some of that too. 
If any player folds under a bit of booing, then one has to question whether they should be on this team. Really, the booing is NOT as bad in Tampa as it could be elsewhere. Not by a long shot.

But when you finally get passionate, knowledgeable, caring fans to cheer you on, you best expect that same group to let you "have it" when you don't do what you are paid to do.

I consider myself a patient and generally laid back person, yet I have found myself at times disgusted with some of the things I see on the ice from some players......because I really am into my team. I care what goes on.
I want a Detroit Red Wing-like perennial contender and win some Cups along the way.
Because I want proactive players on the ice....not passengers.
And since booing isn't really my style, I just might react instead to letting out a few choice four letter words instead as I switch the channel.

Kucherov 11 points in 13 games. Not bad really. 
But when you look at how lethargic he looks on some nights, one can't help but wonder if he should be PPG player or more even at this early stage.
And maybe he will be. But nothing wrong with the fans letting him or any other player know, they want results.....now.

[WordsOfWisdom]

On 11/8/2019 at 2:53 PM, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

Regarding getting booed, I mean, in TB it would be mild compared to, oh, I dunno, a place like Toronto, Philadelphia, New York....places where fans are notorious for their impatience with star players who aren't performing.

Even if the fans are negatively reacting to Kucherov right now, personally, I think that might be a good thing. And I think even Kucherov may agree it is a good thing.

 

Fans in Toronto have a fairly long leash actually, mostly due to fan apathy I think. If you look at players who got booed out of Toronto, they had to significantly under-perform for a tremendous length of time before fans finally turned on them. If any of those same players had played in a town like Philly or Boston and done the same, they would have been run out of town way sooner. My two cents. 

 

In recent years, the only players to be booed out of town were Jonathan Bernier and Phil Kessel. What did they do? Well, Bernier was statistically the worst goalie in the NHL during his time in Toronto and was eventually demoted to the minors. Kessel was a moody, strange, distant winger who was a locker room cancer, who refused to learn any kind of defensive game, and who initiated the "stick gate" incident where the players didn't salute the fans after a game. He was Toronto's highest paid player and he played like the 5th best player on any other NHL team during his time here. 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

4 hours ago, WordsOfWisdom said:

 

Fans in Toronto have a fairly long leash actually, mostly due to fan apathy I think. If you look at players who got booed out of Toronto, they had to significantly under-perform for a tremendous length of time before fans finally turned on them. If any of those same players had played in a town like Philly or Boston and done the same, they would have been run out of town way sooner. My two cents. 

 

In recent years, the only players to be booed out of town were Jonathan Bernier and Phil Kessel. What did they do? Well, Bernier was statistically the worst goalie in the NHL during his time in Toronto and was eventually demoted to the minors. Kessel was a moody, strange, distant winger who was a locker room cancer, who refused to learn any kind of defensive game, and who initiated the "stick gate" incident where the players didn't salute the fans after a game. He was Toronto's highest paid player and he played like the 5th best player on any other NHL team during his time here. 

 

I'll defer to you on how long a leash Toronto fans would give their star players if they underperform.
I guess since Toronto is one of those "we must win NOW!" towns, I figured, highly paid players wouldn't be given so much slack....then again, you DID say it was more out of apathy than anything else! 

As for Nikita Kucherov, I honestly don't think he is anywhere near the stage of "being booed out of town"... I HAVE heard a smattering here and there this season, and believe it or not LAST SEASON of all things, when perhaps Kuch may not backcheck, or seems to float around a bit in the offensive zone waiting for the stretch pass.... and to think, the man STILL puts up crazy numbers!

Not all sure what the fans are really wanting from him.... I mean, if he isn't producing, ok, but even in his alleged 'lethargic state', has a pretty good point pace going.
But again, I'd rather have fans care enough to boo.... even if it is somewhat ignorantly guided....instead of not caring at all, or wondering when the next Orlando Magic game will be going on, while a Lightning game is going on.

As you know, being a Toronto fan, it is how you build a long lasting fanbase.... built on people who are all in with their teams, through the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Still...Kucherov being booed is overblown, IMO.
If anything, "sky is falling" fans on forums are worse.... but Kucherov doesn't hear them while he is out on the ice.  

[WordsOfWisdom]

3 minutes ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

Still...Kucherov being booed is overblown, IMO.
If anything, "sky is falling" fans on forums are worse.... but Kucherov doesn't hear them while he is out on the ice.

 

The danger there is if a guy like Kucherov gets booed, he has plenty of other options as far as interested teams are concerned. So if things were to go bad in Tampa, a player like Kucherov is going to land on his feet in a place like St. Louis, Colorado, Boston, Philly, New York, etc... You name it, teams with cap space would be lining up to acquire him.   

 

[WordsOfWisdom]

7 minutes ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

I'll defer to you on how long a leash Toronto fans would give their star players if they underperform.
I guess since Toronto is one of those "we must win NOW!" towns, I figured, highly paid players wouldn't be given so much slack....then again, you DID say it was more out of apathy than anything else! 

 

Definitely. Toronto fans have a completely different mindset than fans in Boston. Boston fans expect to win now. Toronto fans don't expect to win at all.  

[J0e Th0rnton]

Being booed on the home team is akin to people at work always giving you grief.

 

Yes it can sometimes motivate you to do better to shut them up but it can also make work miserable and ruin your effort

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

1 hour ago, J0e Th0rnton said:

Being booed on the home team is akin to people at work always giving you grief.

 

Yes it can sometimes motivate you to do better to shut them up but it can also make work miserable and ruin your effort

 

I can absolutely see that point of view, J0e.... thing is, if a player is that sensitive to fan reaction, then I'd have to question his overall fortitude.
I think we can all agree athletes don't live in the same "world" as regular working folk.

Even if the fans are wrong, the player can't worry about what negative energy the fans are trying to give him... he has to draw strength from his teammates, his coaching staff, and his own resolve based on him being a professional and his own talents.

Not saying he would, but if Kucherov were the type of guy who wilts under the "pressure" of Tampa Bay fans, once again, I will say, he likely wouldn't last very long in a much more rabid hockey market.

[Alexandron]

Unbelievable. Just shocked of that. I usually do no visit other teams forums. And I even did not know, that could happened last fall in Tampa? Where in Tampa? I think it will not happen ever never any more for him out of Tampa fans, because Kucherov helped a lot, first of all to get the Stanley Cup for those Tampa fans by having the most points during these playoffs (34 points; 7 goals; 27 assists; +/- +15) as well as Tampa never had in their history such the best consistent player. By looking on his stats for years - they are amazing: 128 points; 100 points; a double of 85 points in 2 seasons including this short season of 2019-2020 (33 goals;52 assists; +/- +26). Our Wild team never had in our history such a talented player with these impressive records.

 

https://www.nhl.com/lightning

 

Forgot to mention Steven Stamkos consistency, but his best did not get above 98 points. 

 

 

 

Edited September 30, 2020 by Alexandron

[Math]

He has now delivered a Cup for Tampa.

 

Everything's forgiven.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

7 hours ago, Villette/Lavaux said:

He has now delivered a Cup for Tampa.

 

Everything's forgiven.

 

It better be.
The guy still leaves it out there on the ice, whether he is slumping or not.

Most TB fans appreciate this....some, well, are just plain ignorant.
Every fanbase has those types.... you know, the ones that think they know everything, will tell everyone they know everything, and you can't tell them anything different (such as Kucherov still is playing well away from the puck, despite his point drought), and they will still go on and on with whatever ridiculous spiel they have cooked up.

Wouldn't surprise me if the next "target" of fan's ire is Steven Stamkos.
I've actually heard some twits say the team doesn't need him....and are now using this Cup win as an example.

Yes, the Bolts got it done mostly without him, but I am willing to bet the Bolts would have cruised a bit more to this title win WITH him playing at 100%.....and not to mention the fact that he was a big part of the regular season to even get the Lightning playing well game in, game out and in the mindset they finally got to when it mattered most.

 

[OccamsRazor]

On 11/8/2019 at 2:33 PM, Miiqus said:

Does anyone know?

 

Who even cares with company like this?

 

Generational Russian talent!!!