Ian Esplen Nails The Coaching Problem (Must Read)

[Deets]

Im starting to think AV needs to go, but im scared by who we might get to replace him.

Still, this "article" was just retarded. Why is this guy whining about our 4th line not getting enough time? Don't you think that the first 2 lines are what we need to focus on to get us back on track?

[DIBdaQUIB]

Even Henrik said he was fine with the hit.

Vigneault didn't "throw Henrik under the bus". He made a reasonable comment about a hard, clean hit. The message: suck it up and play through it. But then AV knew that anyway. That's what a good captain does, Henrik missed a shift, then played well the rest of the game.

Patting players on the back after they make mistakes is great if they're peewees. Adults don't need to be coddled. And there're plenty of times when Bowness gives instruction to players on the bench -- (without the love taps and flowery encouragement).

[LegionOfDoom]

So your pretty much saying you wish he threw a chair on the ice and told his team to go rip browns head off? Game was tied and we were out playing LA, pretty sure he wanted the boys to keep doin what they were doing and grind the win out, smart cool coaching imo

[canucklehead4ever]

Who is Ian Esplen and what kind of credentials does he have that would encourage anyone to listen to what he has to say?

[Hotdawg]

Pathetically funny, how so many of you genius know it all gossip hounds are too cowardly to even reveal your age, gender, or interests and location on your personal profiles.

[Barry_Wilkins]

Do you watch other top coaches? Bylsma; Babcock; Trotz; Torts? They all talk to their players. They engage with their players. They motivate their players.

A coach doesn't have to be friends with the players, but he should have a relationship with them, understand what motivates them and be able to use that when necessary. AV prides himself at being distant and unapproachable. He brags about not ever going in the dressing room...WTF!!

on top of this, add to how he plays favorites overlooking poor performance by his faves while benching or trading those he doesn't like and it's hard to believe there is a high degree of mutual respect.

One things for sure, I would not want to be a rookie with Vancouver. WHile other teams are having better success than the Nucks with loads of young guys in the lineup, AV sticks to the old "pay your dues" while the supposed stars dick around all season under-performing., then come playoffs, all the players that have not had a chance to learn how to contribute during the season get thronw to the wolves for a few shifts and then benched when they don't impress.

He was hated by Linden, Naslund two of the classiest and heart and soul guys of the Nucks. He had it in for Coho and O'Brien and others...

I would be happy to see him go and a fresh approach taken to runnig this team.

[greenbean30]

I've never liked him, when Nazzy and Linden both had problems with him I wanted him gone. I won't be sad in the slightest the day AV gets his walking papers. I'll be excited to see what a new coach can do with this team.

Never liked how AV deals with rookies, everyone says well the rookies aren't ready. If they are in the line up, put them in positions to succeed and grow as players. Not sitting on the bench playing 4 mins a night on the 4th line. Look at Philly, and how they've dealt with their rookies and see how they have been helping the team out in the playoffs. We'll never see that in Van with AV as the coach.

[Barry_Wilkins]

I've never liked him, when Nazzy and Linden both had problems with him I wanted him gone. I won't be sad in the slightest the day AV gets his walking papers. I'll be excited to see what a new coach can do with this team.

Never liked how AV deals with rookies, everyone says well the rookies aren't ready. If they are in the line up, put them in positions to succeed and grow as players. Not sitting on the bench playing 4 mins a night on the 4th line. Look at Philly, and how they've dealt with their rookies and see how they have been helping the team out in the playoffs. We'll never see that in Van with AV as the coach.

[King_Canuckian]

Scotty Bowman and Fred Shero were two of the most successful coaches in NHL history. They didn't "relate" to their players during a game, either. Freddy the Fog, and Bowman, kept their players guessing, but it didn't detract from the success of their teams. Players are grown ups, and they don't need to be "encouraged". They're already highly motivated, otherwise they wouldn't be winning Presidents Cups, back to back, in the toughest hockey league on the planet. Players self-motivate, and they motivate others on their line, Dpair, and bench. Besides, I already mentioned that Bowness relays messages on the bench -- not "it's OK, big guy, you'll get 'em next time", like the OP seems to think is important, but technical detail which the other team may be exploiting, or where the Canucks may be able to exploit.

As for your other argument, you have no idea what goes on inside the dressing room, so your conjecture that AV is not liked in the dressing room is unfounded. Do some players not like him? I would hope so, it's not a popularity contest. Hitchcock isn't loved either. He's tough on players. But AV's been the coach here for 6 years, and it's remarkable how little controversy there's been with him and his players in that time. O'Brien? Gimme a break. Guy wasn't serious. Roxy and eight extra pounds of drink and food during an Olympic break during our stretch run. Yeah, AV called him out and SOB sobbed about it. He's had a real impact on nashville and (now) Colorado since. I guess Trotz didn't give him the love, either.

[Ṣpiderman]

"A coach that shows no passion = a team that shows no passion"

[Barry_Wilkins]

Mike Babcock

That is all folks

[greenbean30]

Vigneault played his 4th line as many minutes per game as any other coach this year. Are you talking strictly playoffs? Because in the playoffs you go with limited minutes on the 4th line. Those players are used more in the regular season since you're conserving energy for your stars over a grueling six months. In the do-or-die playoff format, you play your best. Especially when the Canucks are down 2-0 in the series, you're not gonna put Wiese and Kassian and Malhotra (short of key Dzone faceoffs) out there when we can't buy a goal.

Which rookies would you have played? We called up Tanev, and he's developing well under AV, same as Hansen before him, Burrows before him, and the list goes on.

edit: oh, and as for Saint Trevor. His best before date had expired. The only ones who didn't see that are a hyper-competitve Linden (can't blame him for that), and the fans whose accumulated love for his play blinded them to that unpleasant fact.

[goalie13]

He's my cousin, true story

[Barry_Wilkins]

Of course players are motivated, but there comes a point when everything you've done isn't working, and you are not making proper adjustments to play the team - we saw this against Boston, we saw this twice against Chicago, and we're seeing it now against LA. D. Sutter has got the right players going, found a way to limit the Canucks offense (perimter shots, clear rebounds). Vigneault is happy with the status quo, and this is why the Canucks are down 3-0 in the series.

[hockeywoot]

People often try to find a single to person to put the blame on.

I think it would be a knee jerk reaction to fire AV. (Without an adequate/upgrade of a replacement)

The team hasn't been as terrible as the 3-0 deficit would indicate.

but in a best of series, its the only score that really matters.

LA has played their game better than we have ours.

We've made crucial errors, LA have been opportunistic and capitalized

on our errors.

AV is not a perfect coach. His biggest flaw is his inability to adjust on the fly.

However, is still a damn good coach. I think it would be a mistake to let him go

just for the sake of it.

As the coach of the team, AV will have a share of blame, in our losses. But

the majority inevitably should fall on the players.

[CanucksSayEh]

Most of this makes sense................ I like a composed demeanour, but c'mon man how long until you realize O snap this aint working.

[Haidacanuck]

I've seen some stupido moves lately out of AV, for one he took lappy off that first line when hank and him had something going put Kassian in lappy spot and get this cart back on track. But I don't think you should call for his head cause the team got outmuscled and out hustled. The Pp is failing I think that should be addressed first. And get Edler back on his game. Edler looks a little hurt I hope that's not the case. Go Canucks go I hope d Sedin can spark the team a little.

[kesler'sselke]

AV is just a scapegoat for cancucks failure this year and that is simply it.

You can't blam Av for all the stupid penalty we took at important moment of the game, what is AV suppose to do if Kesler doesn't play with heart and passion? We had what 3 delay of game penalty in three games, is AV suppose to save all those puck going over the glass? The team played poorly so blame it on the whole team, don't piont finger at a specific player or coach. The fact is we cannot generate any offense. Why are people blaming the trade of cody on AV. I thought we were over with this already. Just because we are down 3-0 in a series now all of sudden all of these matters now. The fact is AV's job is not to develope young player, that is the job for minor system. So blaming AV for destroying good prospect is just non sense.

AV is a great coach lets face it.

IF we get kick out of the first round it is not his fault that we got kicked out, its the whole team's fault.

If AV is fired this off season, i can simply he is the scapegoat, because there is nothing much we can do beside that.

[Cause=Time]

is that a pseudonym for Tony Gallagher?

[Jester@wraiths.ca]

I've said for a very long time that this team has won a lot of games simply because of the roster being extremely strong, coasting to wins when it wasn't a tight game. But when the team faced real adversity, when teams gave it their all against us, we faltered. In the playoffs, same thing. Those times ARE what defines an honestly good coach. Any coach that is even close to average can coach a roster like we've had (with our world class goalies) to regular season success, but when the games get tough and tight, you see how good a coach is. How he counters what the other team does, what he does, how he sees whats being done to his team and gives them a gameplan that beats that.

Look at AV. When another team's coach solves what we're doing, AV stands there and chews... and stares. Where is the coach when they need him to give them the solution? he stands there. When they make mistakes, he doesn't coach them, he stands there. When there is a time out and normally you see the head coach explaining to his troops what they need to do, where is AV? He's standing there while the assistant does it. meanwhile the opposing head coach is drawing the gameplan for the other team.

And to give no support at all to your Captain, your star, who honestly played his heart out and looked like he was channeling Trevor Linden, is despicable. I had little respect for AV before, but even less now.