I think many are overreacting, but I think there's an interesting question in what you said. Before I get to it, everyone should remember how difficult we've been to score against all year. As the season has gone on, the stakes have ramped up, and we still kept pushing higher in the NPI despite playing what looks like looser hockey. I think our opponents place a bigger target on our back when we're ranked as highly as we are and the season starts culminating toward playoff hockey. Does that mean a 5-1 loss on home ice is suddenly acceptable? No, but not a huge cause for panic quite yet. Duluth is a top 6 team in the country, hates us, and has a multiple-time championship head coach. In a one-and-done, if you don't bring your A-game, this will bite you. Dane will use it as a teaching moment and we'll be ready to go in Round 1 of the NCAA.
But, jumping back to .357's point...assuming these mistakes are as prevalent as what some want to say...I wonder if there's a difference in having a head coach now who played as a forward throughout his career versus having Brad or Hak who were both defensemen. I don't think it means much, especially with Dane having been behind the bench for almost 20 years in some capacity, and we have Smaby and Simpson helping out (both defensemen), but was just an interesting thought.