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Coaching Search Thread a.k.a. the Jeff Blashill Thread

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SimonSin is the master of doom n gloom, I still have much to learn of his ways.

No, I'm really not. I think it's alarming how happy people are that the best coach in the game jumped ship and is being replaced by an inexperienced question mark.

It'd be like if Datsyuk left for Russia tomorrow, and we decided to replace him in the lineup next season with Mantha. Giving Mantha matching playing time, on the top line, etc, etc. Sure Mantha could be really good in that spot next season, but he could also be really bad, or maybe just mediocre. At the end of the day it's probably just be better to hold onto Datsyuk.

Let's face it, we got stuck with plan B.

Plan A > Plan B

I think there is no harm in being excited. It's something new. Sure there is a small chance it can be really bad. But in the end, even if Babs stayed, he wasn't gonna coach forever. The team is about as best suited to replace a coach as a team can possibly be.

I agree that keeping Babs would have been the best option. But he is gone. I'm not gonna dwell on it. Just gonna be excited to see what Blash can do. He may be option B, but he is a damn fine option B.

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SimonSin is the master of doom n gloom, I still have much to learn of his ways.

No, I'm really not. I think it's alarming how happy people are that the best coach in the game jumped ship and is being replaced by an inexperienced question mark.

It'd be like if Datsyuk left for Russia tomorrow, and we decided to replace him in the lineup next season with Mantha. Giving Mantha matching playing time, on the top line, etc, etc. Sure Mantha could be really good in that spot next season, but he could also be really bad, or maybe just mediocre. At the end of the day it's probably just be better to hold onto Datsyuk.

"But Mantha knows the players!" Gimme a break

Let's face it, we got stuck with plan B.

Plan A > Plan B

I think there is a very small minority here that is actually happy Babs signed with Toronto. Just some people making the best of it and of course, getting bit overly optimistic but that's the way it is. Babcock is gone time to move on. We'll be so sick of hearing from the media how terrible we are without Babs all season it will eventually make us resent him

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So are we all supposed to be depressed that Babs is gone and have no hope for the Red Wings going forward? I'll miss Babs but he didn't want to be here anymore. Its time to move on. Plan A has won 2 playoff rounds in 6 years. If this is Plan B does this mean we win no rounds the next 6 years? I dont believe that. I see this team improving each season. Too much young talent is here and on the way. We draft and develop better than anyone else. I'm excited. No time to be pessimistic. It's a waste of time. I heard the same things after Bowman left. It's all over. The Wings will get worse each season. Well it didn't happen then and it's not going to happen now. Seriously though...what do you expect here? Blash to come in and totally fail? Are Red Wings fans supposed to give up now because Babs is gone? I'd like to hear what you think.

Edited by Helmethead

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I think there is no harm in being excited. It's something new. Sure there is a small chance it can be really bad. But in the end, even if Babs stayed, he wasn't gonna coach forever. The team is about as best suited to replace a coach as a team can possibly be.

I agree that keeping Babs would have been the best option. But he is gone. I'm not gonna dwell on it. Just gonna be excited to see what Blash can do. He may be option B, but he is a damn fine option B.

This is my problem. He's new. He's different. He's Jeff Blashill

Shiny new toys always get everyone excited. Then you find out you have lead poisoning from the cheap - yet shiny - paint on that new toy. And when you go back to play with your actually good old toy, you can't find it in the toy chest. And that's when you remember, you donated your favorite old toy to the needy kids in Toronto.

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So are we all supposed to be depressed that Babs is gone and have no hope for the Red Wings going forward? I'll miss Babs but he didn't want to be here anymore. Its time to move on. Plan A has won 2 playoff rounds in 6 years. If this is Plan B does this mean we win no rounds the next 6 years? I dont believe that. I see this team improving each season. Too much young talent is here and on the way. We draft and develop better than anyone else. In excited. No time to be pessimistic. It's a waste of time. I heard the same things after Bowman left. It's all over. The Wings will get worse each season. Well it didn't happen then and it's not going to happen now. Seriously though...what do you expect here? Blash to come in and totally fail? Are Red Wings fans supposed to give up now because Babs is gone? I'd like to hear what you think.

This is all straw man arguments.

I haven't said anything about how I believe the team will do next season, I didn't say you should give up and be depressed, I haven't said anything about the playoffs, and I haven't said anything about drafting and developing.

When I highlight the fact that what happened was not good, everyone seems to think I hate the Red Wings or something. I don't. I just don't share this puffed up enthusiasm for going with plan B.

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These are also always situations where the teams fired previous coaches due to being in a tail spin. That was not the case with Babs and Detroit. The team wasn't s***ting the bed or badly under performing. At worst they played to their potential.

If Blash can have them continue playing to their potential, great! But he isn't gonna suddenly turn them into a cup winning team. It will take more than just coaching to do that. We had a coach that could get the job done before. I also feel like we still will going forward.

With Babs coaching this team, they were never at any point out-coached. Out played? Overmatched? Sure. Come up short? Sure. But never out coached. If anything the Wings at times overachieved with the help of Babs doing the outchoaching. Q had no answers for Babs when we went up 3-1 on Chicago a couple years back. It was Chicago taking their game and deeper roster to that next level that allowed them to come back.

Don't get me wrong. I'm excited for the Blashill era. I'll also miss Babs being around. But I have no doubts Blash can become a great NHL coach. But people just need to keep expectations in check. The team should improve next year based on experience alone. Blash just needs to have them playing the way they can to reach that. Blash vs Babs is something that can only be judged after a few seasons. Not just one. I have no doubt the team will buy in to the new coach. But it's not like they were tuning Babs out. This team worked their asses off for Babs. They made mistakes, they've at times struggled, but they've always played hard. We've been lucky to have Babs for 10 years, and we are lucky to have a guy like Blashill groomed to take the reigns. Reasons like this are just one of many at why Holland is great at what he does.

Bylsma (rookie coach) took over for Therrien the year after Therrien had coached the Pens to the finals. The result? Bylsma won a Cup. Randy Carlyle (rookie coach) took over for Mike Babcock after he left Anaheim. The result? Took his team to the conference finals the first year, and won the Stanley Cup the second.

It's not always a case where a team is in a tailspin.

It is entirely possible that a different coach can get more out of this team. It's not a guarantee. But it's not outlandish either. It does happen with some regularity. Again, not because the new coach is necessarily better than the old one, but because he brings a new approach to the team. There isn't only one right way to coach a team, and a coach who's good for one group of guys may not be good when that group begins to change.

Edited by kipwinger

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This is my problem. He's new. He's different. He's Jeff Blashill

Shiny new toys always get everyone excited. Then you find out you have lead poisoning from the cheap - yet shiny - paint on that new toy. And when you go back to play with your actually good old toy, you can't find it in the toy chest. And that's when you remember, you donated your favorite old toy to the needy kids in Toronto.

The old toy wasn't donated. He left. It was out of Holland's control. He wasn't forced out to be replaced. Blash is a guy Babcock hired. Babcock pretty well groomed him. The Babcock stamp of approval on Blash is what keeps me at ease about our coaching situation.

Bylsma (rookie coach) took over for Therrien the year after Therrien had coached the Pens to the finals. The result? Bylsma won a Cup. It's not always a case where a team is in a tailspin.

It is entirely possible that a different coach can get more out of this team. It's not a guarantee. But it's not outlandish either. It does happen with some regularity. Again, not because the new coach is necessarily better than the old one, but because he brings a new approach to the team. There isn't only one right way to coach a team, and a coach who's good for one group of guys may not be good when that group begins to change.

The Pens were s***ting the bed when they fired Therrien and brought in Bylsma. That was 100% a case of exactly what I was talking about. A struggling team bringing in a fresh face is always a great thing in the short term. Like I said, the true test of Blash will be beyond this upcoming season. Babs kept this team competitive and working hard for ten years. Even through a rebuild. Only great coaches do that. People keep pointing to early playoff exits as concrete evidence of Babcock some how not being one of the best coaches in the world. While conveniently overlooking the youth on the roster having yet how to learn how to win. Screw the year we lost to Chicago in round 2. That was a shortened season. Weird things happened. The Leafs made the playoffs for god sake. The Tampa series was the first real playoff lesson for the youth on this team. That is when they finally started to get better every playoff game. That would have continued going into next season with Babcock, and it will continue going into next season without Babcock. When the team does better next year, it won;t be because of a magical coaching change. Like I said, a new voice only makes an immediate positive impact when the ship is sinking. Not when a team is already on the rise anyway.

We are well aware you are gonna prance around about how "right" you are about Babcock holding this team back when the Wings improve upon things next season. But most of us will also know there is so much more to the story than a coach. The team has made strides in becoming better this past season. Babcock had a huge part in that, whether you agree with it or not. Blashill will do a fine job carrying that torch. But he isn't gonna be setting the world on fire like some of you expect.

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The old toy wasn't donated. He left. It was out of Holland's control. He wasn't forced out to be replaced. Blash is a guy Babcock hired. Babcock pretty well groomed him. The Babcock stamp of approval on Blash is what keeps me at ease about our coaching situation.

The Pens were s***ting the bed when they fired Therrien and brought in Bylsma. That was 100% a case of exactly what I was talking about. A struggling team bringing in a fresh face is always a great thing in the short term. Like I said, the true test of Blash will be beyond this upcoming season. Babs kept this team competitive and working hard for ten years. Even through a rebuild. Only great coaches do that. People keep pointing to early playoff exits as concrete evidence of Babcock some how not being one of the best coaches in the world. While conveniently overlooking the youth on the roster having yet how to learn how to win. Screw the year we lost to Chicago in round 2. That was a shortened season. Weird things happened. The Leafs made the playoffs for god sake. The Tampa series was the first real playoff lesson for the youth on this team. That is when they finally started to get better every playoff game. That would have continued going into next season with Babcock, and it will continue going into next season without Babcock. When the team does better next year, it won;t be because of a magical coaching change. Like I said, a new voice only makes an immediate positive impact when the ship is sinking. Not when a team is already on the rise anyway.

We are well aware you are gonna prance around about how "right" you are about Babcock holding this team back when the Wings improve upon things next season. But most of us will also know there is so much more to the story than a coach. The team has made strides in becoming better this past season. Babcock had a huge part in that, whether you agree with it or not. Blashill will do a fine job carrying that torch. But he isn't gonna be setting the world on fire like some of you expect.

Well that was pretty passive aggressive.

You seem pretty dead set on Blashill "not setting the world on fire". All I've ever said is that it's possible he gets more out of this team. It's happened before. Lots of people have done it. Even inexperienced coaches. I'm not sure why you're so insistent that he's "not going to set the world on fire" and that any improvement in the teams' play won't be the result of his coaching?

People forget that we were competing for a top spot in the conference at one point in time this season. Then we lost 57,000 points in the shootout, completely fell apart down the stretch, and lost in the first round. Is it unreal to think that Blashill can improve on that?

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Well that was pretty passive aggressive.

You seem pretty dead set on Blashill "not setting the world on fire". All I've ever said is that it's possible he gets more out of this team. It's happened before. Lots of people have done it. Even inexperienced coaches. I'm not sure why you're so insistent that he's "not going to set the world on fire" and that any improvement in the teams' play won't be the result of his coaching?

People forget that we were competing for a top spot in the conference at one point in time this season. Then we lost 57,000 points in the shootout, completely fell apart down the stretch, and lost in the first round. Is it unreal to think that Blashill can improve on that?

Not particularly, you already stated something along the lines of "when I am right" in another post I read earlier today lol.

I'm also not saying Blash won't do good things. I said many times he has the makings of becoming a great NHL coach. I just think people should temper their expectations. a little. Most cases of teams suddenly surging under a new coach is when s*** has been bad with the previous coach. Usually because of a team fully buying into the new coach. I am 100% confident the team will 100% buy into Blash. The thing is, they 100% bought into Babs as well. I do expect improvement, I just don't expect a sudden cup run because of a new coach, is all.

The struggle at the end of the season was something that happens to most teams. It was just ill timed. Not many teams get through the season without battling through a tough time. The team also started to play at a level in the first round we haven't seen in a long time once game 3 rolled around. Look at what Tampa has done after the first round. You have to give Babs credit (and of course the team as well) for stifling Tampa's D like they have. Not saying Blash can't do the same behind the bench. Just giving Babs his props. He has done a great job with this organization. Blash will to. Ignoring NHL experience, we are going from one really good coach to another. Both who have shown they can get the best out of players. Because of that, I'm not expected some sort of drastic improvement based 100% on coaching. Though I do expect improvement overall.

In the end, I think experiences the young players have gotten will impact the team most. I have no doubt Blash will do a fine job continuing what has been started in the rebuild. No doubt there will be some minor changes to how the team plays. But he isn't gonna drastically change the makeup and play of this team. Nor will he be expected to.

Edited by marcaractac

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The old toy wasn't donated. He left. It was out of Holland's control. He wasn't forced out to be replaced. Blash is a guy Babcock hired. Babcock pretty well groomed him. The Babcock stamp of approval on Blash is what keeps me at ease about our coaching situation.

The Pens were s***ting the bed when they fired Therrien and brought in Bylsma. That was 100% a case of exactly what I was talking about. A struggling team bringing in a fresh face is always a great thing in the short term. Like I said, the true test of Blash will be beyond this upcoming season. Babs kept this team competitive and working hard for ten years. Even through a rebuild. Only great coaches do that. People keep pointing to early playoff exits as concrete evidence of Babcock some how not being one of the best coaches in the world. While conveniently overlooking the youth on the roster having yet how to learn how to win. Screw the year we lost to Chicago in round 2. That was a shortened season. Weird things happened. The Leafs made the playoffs for god sake. The Tampa series was the first real playoff lesson for the youth on this team. That is when they finally started to get better every playoff game. That would have continued going into next season with Babcock, and it will continue going into next season without Babcock. When the team does better next year, it won;t be because of a magical coaching change. Like I said, a new voice only makes an immediate positive impact when the ship is sinking. Not when a team is already on the rise anyway.

We are well aware you are gonna prance around about how "right" you are about Babcock holding this team back when the Wings improve upon things next season. But most of us will also know there is so much more to the story than a coach. The team has made strides in becoming better this past season. Babcock had a huge part in that, whether you agree with it or not. Blashill will do a fine job carrying that torch. But he isn't gonna be setting the world on fire like some of you expect.

I feel like a bitter ex girlfriend

bahaha, prance for me kip, prance

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There is always a strong correlation between a new coach and improved play. The key is too look at why teams usually go with a new coach. Compare it to the Wings situation, and it is completely different. The Wings were gonna be better this season whether it is Babs or Blash behind the bench. Blash is just the best option for keeping things going in the right direction with the departure of Babcock.

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Not particularly, you already stated something along the lines of "when I am right" in another post I read earlier today lol.

I'm also not saying Blash won't do good things. I said many times he has the makings of becoming a great NHL coach. I just think people should temper their expectations. a little. Most cases of teams suddenly surging under a new coach is when s*** has been bad with the previous coach. Usually because of a team fully buying into the new coach. I am 100% confident the team will 100% buy into Blash. The thing is, they 100% bought into Babs as well. I do expect improvement, I just don't expect a sudden cup run because of a new coach, is all.

The struggle at the end of the season was something that happens to most teams. It was just ill timed. Not many teams get through the season without battling through a tough time. The team also started to play at a level in the first round we haven't seen in a long time once game 3 rolled around. Look at what Tampa has done after the first round. You have to give Babs credit (and of course the team as well) for stifling Tampa's D like they have. Not saying Blash can't do the same behind the bench. Just giving Babs his props. He has done a great job with this organization. Blash will to. Ignoring NHL experience, we are going from one really good coach to another. Both who have shown they can get the best out of players. Because of that, I'm not expected some sort of drastic improvement based 100% on coaching. Though I do expect improvement overall.

I was talking about the part where you said I'd "prance" around. It was pretty clearly intended to be condescending.

Temper expectations a bit? We lost in the first round of the playoffs. What do tempered expectations look like? Should I assume we'll miss the playoffs? That's we'll get swept?

Here's why I think Blashill will do better. Because his teams can score goals at even strength. Babs' teams usually don't do much of that (unless he's got prime Dats, Z, Lids, Rafalski, Hossa, Franzen). We were awful in the department last season. Awful. Way worse than our talent suggests we're capable of. We had a team full of 20 goal guys and we weren't even scoring at even strength. Just imagine?

If we improve even strength scoring, then our four 20 goal scorers might be closer to 30 (or even 35), our 15 goal guys might push 20. With all those extra goals we might go to less shootouts. We might win a couple more overtimes or close games. And IF we do all that we'll get more points. And we'll get a better seed in the playoffs. And we'll get to play crappy Ottawa, instead of awesome Tampa Bay.

And instead of losing a close series, we might actually win one or two.

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I was talking about the part where you said I'd "prance" around. It was pretty clearly intended to be condescending.

Temper expectations a bit? We lost in the first round of the playoffs. What do tempered expectations look like? Should I assume we'll miss the playoffs? That's we'll get swept?

Here's why I think Blashill will do better. Because his teams can score goals at even strength. Babs' teams usually don't do much of that (unless he's got prime Dats, Z, Lids, Rafalski, Hossa, Franzen). We were awful in the department last season. Awful. Way worse than our talent suggests we're capable of. We had a team full of 20 goal guys and we weren't even scoring at even strength. Just imagine?

If we improve even strength scoring, then our four 20 goal scorers might be closer to 30 (or even 35), our 15 goal guys might push 20. With all those extra goals we might go to less shootouts. We might win a couple more overtimes or close games. And IF we do all that we'll get more points. And we'll get a better seed in the playoffs. And we'll get to play crappy Ottawa, instead of awesome Tampa Bay.

And instead of losing a close series, we might actually win one or two.

No, it was just a descriptive word I used to describe someone being happy about being right lol. Nothing negative meant by it.

In the end, at some point the Wings will slump (as all teams to) and some will find a way to turn it into Holland's fault for Babs leaving :lol:

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No, it was just a descriptive word I used to describe someone being happy about being right lol. Nothing negative meant by it.

In the end, at some point the Wings will slump (as all teams to) and some will find a way to turn it into Holland's fault for Babs leaving :lol:

Do you prance around when you're right about things? I don't. I guess because I've been right before. The novelty has worn off.

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Tons of coaches have been hired, mid season and with the exact same roster, and dramatically improved the team thereafter. Bylsma did it. Sutter did it. Hitchcock did it. Boudreau did it. Therrien did it. Laviolette did it.

Literally the exact same roster. Better results. I don't know why people think that Blashill can't get better results with the same team. Or why any improvement must be attributed to internal growth. It's not like this is some unheard of thing.

Sometimes a midseason coaching change from a bad coach, or a coach that's burned his team out, can re-energize a team. Sometimes the team continues to suck. Babcock isn't a bad coach, though, and even though some guys probably didn't like him or disagree with decisions he makes, you can say that about any coach.

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Do you prance around when you're right about things? I don't. I guess because I've been right before. The novelty has worn off.

Nope. I just don't tend to take such minor things so seriously. I also don't take every single word I read in my day to day life to its absolute literal meaning. Lighten up, and keep the thread on topic.

Sometimes a midseason coaching change from a bad coach, or a coach that's burned his team out, can re-energize a team. Sometimes the team continues to suck. Babcock isn't a bad coach, though, and even though some guys probably didn't like him or disagree with decisions he makes, you can say that about any coach.

Exactly

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I want Bashill to come in and make some crazy changes.

Not crazy like making Mrazek our #1d, but maybe having Nyquist switch on and off with z at center, stretch zs health out, and teach nyq center slowly at the NHL level so his d picks up.

Keep athanasiou or nosek up and let them try centering the fourth line.

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Sometimes a midseason coaching change from a bad coach, or a coach that's burned his team out, can re-energize a team. Sometimes the team continues to suck. Babcock isn't a bad coach, though, and even though some guys probably didn't like him or disagree with decisions he makes, you can say that about any coach.

And sometimes a midseason coaching change "re-energizes" a team because a new coach with a new approach is exactly what they need to play better than they were before. Why are you so insistent that the coaching change part of the formula is incidental to the success part?

You're acting like the Red Wings were maxed out on potential, and that there's no possible way to get more out of them than Babcock already was. I don't agree. As I've stated above, one obvious way to improve the team is by scoring more goals at even strength. Something that Babs is bad to mediocre at. Is it really impossible to think that Blashill can't get more offense out of the team? And if he does, what affect would that have? A huge one when you consider our abysmal overtime and shootout record.

Nope. I just don't tend to take such minor things so seriously. I also don't take every single word I read in my day to day life to its absolute literal meaning. Lighten up, and keep the thread on topic.

You'll have to forgive me. I got a warning today for calling someone a "Babcock Slappy", which is apparently a "personal insult". So I'm not exactly sure where the line is.

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And sometimes a midseason coaching change "re-energizes" a team because a new coach with a new approach is exactly what they need to play better than they were before. Why are you so insistent that the coaching change part of the formula is incidental to the success part?

You're acting like the Red Wings were maxed out on potential, and that there's no possible way to get more out of them than Babcock already was. I don't agree. As I've stated above, one obvious way to improve the team is by scoring more goals at even strength. Something that Babs is bad to mediocre at. Is it really impossible to think that Blashill can't get more offense out of the team? And if he does, what affect would that have? A huge one when you consider our abysmal overtime and shootout record.

You'll have to forgive me. I got a warning today for calling someone a "Babcock Slappy", which is apparently a "personal insult". So I'm not exactly sure where the line is.

The lack of scoring 5 on 5 comes from a lack of offensive defensemen. Not so much the coaching.

Babs absolutely got their max potential out of them. The thing is, with the experience they've gained, that ceiling going into 15/16 rises. So that max potential is now higher than it was this year. Along with expectations.

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The lack of scoring 5 on 5 comes from a lack of offensive defensemen. Not so much the coaching.

Babs absolutely got their max potential out of them. The thing is, with the experience they've gained, that ceiling going into 15/16 rises. So that max potential is now higher than it was this year. Along with expectations.

You say those things as if they're a fact, when in reality they aren't. Our defense contributed more offense than most other playoff teams. We were above average amongst playoff teams. They scored lot more than non playoff teams. Our defense generated offense just fine. It scored more than Chicago's defense did, as a matter of fact. And Tampa. And I think New York too (but I've have to look it up again).

We were 25th in the league in even strength scoring. The five teams below us were non playoff teams. The five above us were non playoff teams. You really think that was our team "maxed out"? You really don't think they could have improved in any way?

What are you even arguing anyway? That if we're better next season it will have almost nothing to do with our new coach? You just said a huge part of the teams' success last season was a result of Babcock. So coaching matters a lot, but only if that coach is Babs. Otherwise, coaching matters very little and any new successes will be the result of internal growth? You're seriously losing me.

If blashill can improve our shootout, this season will be a success

If we had even 8 of the ten points we lost in the shootout, we'd have played Tampa with home ice advantage. And Babcock could have matched up Glendening against Johnson more often than he did. And Johnson likely would have scored less. And we might have won.

So yes. Shootout points very well could be the difference between a playoff loss and a playoff win.

Edited by kipwinger

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Ha.

Its amazing think how important Glendenning was to our team last year.

I never, ever, imagined he'd be as good of a defensive forward as he is. And apparently neither did some other folks. Because Winging It in Motown posted a blog at the beginning of the season debating whether Glendening or Andersson deserved fourth line center duties. Lol.

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I never, ever, imagined he'd be as good of a defensive forward as he is. And apparently neither did some other folks. Because Winging It in Motown posted a blog at the beginning of the season debating whether Glendening or Andersson deserved fourth line center duties. Lol.

For how amazing he was on defense, he scored fifteen goals, That's not a low number for a fourth liner, ha.

He got so Much better so fast.

I will laugh so effin hard if he turned into our first line c once pav retires.

If he wasn't playing most of the year with miller and Andersson, he may have had a decent stat line...

Especially considering how often he was out against other teams first line.

Edited by jimmyemeryhunter

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