Got a beauty email from a friend, let's call him "Dave", who has been a season ticket holder for a number of years. Other than his association with me, Dave doesn't frequent the Oilogosphere. It was interesting to read his independent conclusions, so much so that I asked and received his permission to post his comments here. I thought it would be a nice change of pace for my blog to have a post that featured short sentences, each one that actually had a point.
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As for the Oilers:
Color them dark brown, as in done like a Sunday roast.
The two Minny games and the Phoenix game amply pointed out the prime problems.
There's no passion. The Coach yawns through games.
This is a a passive collection of individual players, not a team.
There's no real leadership, starting right at the top, but mostly behind the bench.
There is no obvious focus, strategy, game plan or set of tactics other than passive defence and inflexible offence.
The penalty kill consists of a simple box with no puck pressure.
The power play consists of "ring around the rosie" then pass to Souray.
Defence is "active sticks'" positional play with little physical play or puck pressure.
A one goal lead is protected by single player forecheck and "back up like mad" defence.
Breakouts are based on multiple in-zone passes until the other team is organized, followed by slow movement through the neutral zone.
Offence consists of drop passes and making plays at the offensive blue line.
Nobody is encouraged to dump and chase.
Leaving a defensive position to recover a puck broken loose by a good forecheck or hit is discouraged. They never outman the defence in the oh-oh zone.
The best scoring player is harangued by the coach to play defence.
The +/- leader is relegated to the 4th line while the No. 1 line is deep in the +/- hole.
The line blender get turned on every second period.
The big bruiser gets left in the press box so the skilled players get pushed around.
The No. 1 goalie gets worked until he starts giving up bad goals from fatigue.
Four lines get played regardless of the score, until the 3rd period at least.
I hope they finish 12th. Maybe that will finally push the owner into making the necessary changes in management, the coach for non-performance and Mr. Lowe for not recognizing the fundamental problems and dealing with them. At least I wouldn't waste money in a fruitless first playoff round and the possibility that the futility would continue next year.
Color them dark brown, as in done like a Sunday roast.
The two Minny games and the Phoenix game amply pointed out the prime problems.
There's no passion. The Coach yawns through games.
This is a a passive collection of individual players, not a team.
There's no real leadership, starting right at the top, but mostly behind the bench.
There is no obvious focus, strategy, game plan or set of tactics other than passive defence and inflexible offence.
The penalty kill consists of a simple box with no puck pressure.
The power play consists of "ring around the rosie" then pass to Souray.
Defence is "active sticks'" positional play with little physical play or puck pressure.
A one goal lead is protected by single player forecheck and "back up like mad" defence.
Breakouts are based on multiple in-zone passes until the other team is organized, followed by slow movement through the neutral zone.
Offence consists of drop passes and making plays at the offensive blue line.
Nobody is encouraged to dump and chase.
Leaving a defensive position to recover a puck broken loose by a good forecheck or hit is discouraged. They never outman the defence in the oh-oh zone.
The best scoring player is harangued by the coach to play defence.
The +/- leader is relegated to the 4th line while the No. 1 line is deep in the +/- hole.
The line blender get turned on every second period.
The big bruiser gets left in the press box so the skilled players get pushed around.
The No. 1 goalie gets worked until he starts giving up bad goals from fatigue.
Four lines get played regardless of the score, until the 3rd period at least.
I hope they finish 12th. Maybe that will finally push the owner into making the necessary changes in management, the coach for non-performance and Mr. Lowe for not recognizing the fundamental problems and dealing with them. At least I wouldn't waste money in a fruitless first playoff round and the possibility that the futility would continue next year.
Bruised Black and Blue Dave
12 comments:
It is a refreshing list with a number of points not seen commonly here. Send a thanks along to "Dave" for sharing it.
His closing point is why I find it hard to get too worked up. Sure I cheer for the team to play well and win; to grow.
At the same time, every dispassionate loss is also welcome site, for I feel is another step closer to forcing managements (and preferably Katz's) hands in taking some action.
Regardless of where we finish, the only thing I really dread is another season with the same people pulling the strings.
The hilarious part is if MacTavish gets fired Buchberger will be our next coach.
Dave sounds a lot like my cousin. His real name isn't Albert, is it?
The +/- leader is relegated to the 4th line while the No. 1 line is deep in the +/- hole.
Man, I thought the average ticket holder hated the big man.
Breakouts are based on multiple in-zone passes until the other team is organized, followed by slow movement through the neutral zone.
Bruce, after our conversations I'm more convinced that ever that a smallish team with a skilled defense NEEDS to constantly look for the long bomb pass to break out, whether that pass be the lob or just a three zone stretch pass.
Every time they get the puck, those guys should be looking to hit a forward in the opposite offensive zone.
Every time they get the puck, those guys should be looking to hit a forward in the opposite offensive zone.
Exactly. The skill is there, on both ends; 71, 37, and 77 can all make that pass, and most of the top six can take that pass. This team just isn't built to grind through the neutral zone; it's built to sneak around the D and make them look silly, but that doesn't happen.
Is Bruce Boudreau available, perchance?
Coach: I'm not sure I would classify Dave as an "average" ticket holder. Not sure such an animal exists. Let's just say he's not one to swallow whole whatever pap the marketing dept (which includes most of the MSM) feeds him.
Agree with you and Doogie (and Dave) on the long bombs, we got three D that are capable of delivering them accurately, and lots of speed up front which has been underutilized in my view. They call it the "stretch" pass for a reason, tends to open other options up.
Is Bruce Boudreau available, perchance?
Sing it. I get to watch them in person a few times a year and it's stunning to see the likes of Morrisonn, Jurcina and Schultz looking to hit that pass EVERY TIME THEY GET THE PUCK. I mean, you expect Green and Poti to do it, but the grinders? The hulks? Jesus H, when Alzner was called up, he hit that pass in his first period on the ice! As you said, this team is set up perfectly for it if you get rid of Strudwick. Hemsky would be as happy as a schoolgirl in that system.
He might not be available, but an ECHL or AHL assistant of his has to be out there somewhere.
The problem of course is that if you miss a stretch pass to, say, Andrew Cogliano, you wind up with an icing face-off taken by guess who. Not that I want to get you started, Coach :), but the dearth of trustworthy pivots might well have an impact on risk/reward considerations from the coach's perspective.
@Coach: Having had the privilege of a front-row seat for Alzner's last two junior years, I'm not surprised that he could do it, so much that he had the confidence to go for it at the NHL level from the word go.
@Bruce: Yeesh, fair point. Still, if 78's on that line, for example, he's at least a decent FO option.
The problem of course is that if you miss a stretch pass to, say, Andrew Cogliano, you wind up with an icing face-off taken by guess who. Not that I want to get you started, Coach :), but the dearth of trustworthy pivots might well have an impact on risk/reward considerations from the coach's perspective.
If Cogliano is on the wing and the next coach has Horcoff, Brodziak and Pouliot at his disposal and an improving Gagner, that strategy is fine. They just have to move Mr. 36.9%. Now.
@Coach: Having had the privilege of a front-row seat for Alzner's last two junior years, I'm not surprised that he could do it, so much that he had the confidence to go for it at the NHL level from the word go.
And I think that Smid would be able to make that pass. He's improving steadily. Souray and Staios? Not so much. The super-secret outlet they use is the hard around. Annnnnnnnd reverse.
Coach: Agreed on Smid. (I'm a poet.) He is a very decent, and improving, passer.
Hard to envision a scenario where all of 5, 37, 71, 77 will be back, but three of them likely will be. The elephant in the room is those long-term contracts to the over-thirty crowd which are going to be almost impossible to get rid of in a declining cap environment. The likelihood of both Grebs and Smid re-upping this summer seems remote.
More from "Dave", published with his permission:
Comments by John MacKinnon in today’s Journal.
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“MacTavish is a bright, creative, knowledgeable, driven and demanding coach…”
“MacTavish is a first-class coach; the list of his betters is a short one, indeed.”
“But the notion that MacTavish's coaching is the direct and central cause of this sub-par season doesn't wash.”
“In MacTavish, the Oilers have a coach with exacting, unbending standards who also can impart real wisdom as only Stanley Cup winners can.”
“There are franchises in the NHL that would kill to have such an asset on their coaching staff.”
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What has this guy been smoking??? Which team has he been watching this season??? In the same column he says:
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“not-yet-ready-for-prime-time group that is struggling to become a team with five games remaining in the regular season.”
“This is MacTavish's eighth season on the job and the club seems headed to a fifth non-playoff result on his watch.”
“But even if you forgive four pre-lockout seasons … the post-stoppage performance is disappointing...”
“MacTavish himself fed the pre-season beast by suggesting in training camp this team could compete for a division title.”
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Doesn’t MacT’s record count for anything?
Since the year after the lockout, I’ve watched and heard the same BS.
The team struggles at the start, makes a minor push around Christmas, crashes after the all star break, comes to life very late in the season and winds up just out of the playoffs.
The team plays the same, passive, predictable hockey with predictable results.
There’s no sign of improvement over the course of the season or year over year.
Isn’t one of the Coach’s main jobs to improve the team?
“Unbending” is right. We see the same philosophy, same strategy, and same mistakes ad nauseam.
One definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result. Does this sound like the current Oiler coaching philosophy?
Same could be said of keeping a coach who can’t get results year after year.
I think the organization, like Mr. MacKinnon is too ready to live on past laurels.
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“But in the real world, Lowe is a fixture in this city,…”
“…as only Stanley Cup winners can. A man who won three of those Stanley Cups right here alongside Lowe and the other Boys on the Bus.”
“The Lowe-MacTavish connection can be superficially dismissed by angry, impatient fans, and not without justification.”
“But that built-in connection to a great past has been a part of the Oilers package for years. If it is about to be dismantled, it should be done with great care and respect.”
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Respect is earned. We can respect Mac T as a player and an individual, but his record as a coach sucks.
It’s time the sportswriters in this city took off the blinders of past glory and looked at the real world.
Then with great care and respect call for Mac T to do the right thing for the Oilers and resign.
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