"I think at some point you have to get upset at what's happening and where we're at," said veteran Andrew Cogliano when asked what role anger can play. "It's not easy to come out of these situations, it's actually really tough. It's a lot of hard work and it's really mental toughness to get out of what's been happening of late. It's mentally being able to commit yourself to doing the right things and focusing on details and really competing and outworking the next team."
So whatever emotion helps you get to that place is the right one, Cogliano said.
Asked if the weeklong work stoppage that postponed four games played a role in making the Stars rusty on Monday, Cogliano disagreed. He said not only does the team not want to accept any excuses, but that the theory doesn't make sense. Florida was playing its third game in four nights and will play five games in seven nights when this series is over.
"Physically, let's be honest, there's teams that have played a lot of hockey," Cogliano said. "I think that was three games in four nights (for Florida), so physically we should be feeling good. We haven't played that much hockey. Yeah, mentally, with all of the unfortunate things that have happened, it's been disrupting for everyone. But you look at the other side of it, and our legs should be there and our focus should be there. No excuses, we should be ready to go."
So mix in gratitude and perspective to the emotional bouillabaisse. In the end, finding that right mix is the key to getting out of this slump and pushing this 5-4-4 team closer to one that can confidently compete for one of the four playoff spots in the Central Division.