MacIntyre's three thoughts: It's over for the Canucks, probably over for Desjardins

[aGENT]

41 minutes ago, SilentSam said:

.. I have found nothing in the CBA that says a Coach can not have meetings with his players, or only a certain length of time, or time of day.

this is what I found for traveling days:

Players shall be entitled to have a minimum of nine (9) hours "off" overnight between the time that they arrive at the team's hotel on a road trip and the time that they are next obligated to report for practice or another work-related activity or meeting. The above rule shall not apply where extraordinary circumstances make it unfeasible (e.g., unforeseeable travel delays, practice rink availability issues, etc.). 

... so how does Mike Babcock do it then? How do other Coaches do it?

 

you guys make it sound like the only time this Coach is allowed to talk or have meetings with his players is on the ice at practice??

Quit protecting this Coach on his own impossibilities.

The inevitable is being delayed, and a wheel that should be making progress is flat.

Time to bring someone wiser and more beneficial to the bench for the rest of this season, to prepare for the next.

 

Nobody is 'protecting'  WD. If you flat out refuse to accept the reality that practice time is EXTREMELY limited in the NHL through no fault of coaches, particularly Western teams whom travel more, I can't help you. 

 

Consequently, given that one of the biggest things Virtanen needed was practice time, and that the AHL provides that in far more abundance... clearly you'll put that all together and conclude...potato 

[Green Building]

3 hours ago, riffraff said:

 

Where was his "article" after we blew out the bolts?

Well it doesn't have as much cache after a win. Trolls know how and when to rile up the plebs.

[Crabcakes]

Aside from the obvious observation, this team is missing their top defensive pairing and has been for some time.  And it shows.

 

What is the difference between this team and the 2014-15 team that finished with 101 points?

 

The veterans are older.  Daniel had 76 points 2 years ago.  This year after 30 games he has 20.  That prorates to 54 points for the year.

                                       Henrik had 73 points 2 years ago.  This year, 19 which prorates to 52.

Their hired gun is scoring at half the rate.  Vrbata went 31-32-62.  

                                                                   Loui is 6-6-12 after 30, which prorates to 17-16-33

Goal production from the back end.  2 years ago, 34.  This year, 7 so far which prorates to 19

 

Fewer veterans.  14 v 11

 

2014-15:  Daniel, Henrik, Vrbata, Higgins, Bonino, Hansen (the entire top 6), Richardson, Burrows, Dorsett, Edler, Tanev, Hamhuis, Bieksa (the entire top 4), Miller

2016-17:  Daniel, Henrik, Eriksson, Sutter, Hansen (5 top 6), Burrows, Dorsett/Skille (counted as 1), Edler, Tanev, Gudbranson (3 of the top 4), Miller

 

This is what happens in transition years.  The younger players get asked to step up and they don't quite have enough yet to produce the way a playoff team would.  The answer?  There is no answer.  Linden said that there are no shortcuts and he's right. Draft and develop.  We have to wait for the young guys to develop.  There are fewer veterans and the ones who are left sure aren't going to be producing more in the future.

[Longtime Fan]

WD did not draw up a game plan for the 3rd period that had all the players looking like statues.  It was awful.  I am going to predict they get 6 out of 8 points in the next 4 games.

The team is short on talent.  Looks like Nolan Patrick should be in their future.

 

[TimberWolf]

3 hours ago, LaBamba said:

If your car is a piece of crap and you change the tires. The car is a piece of crap with new tires. 

 

Same with this team. 

 

 

Yup, but the tires still are bald, the block is cracked, the upholstery smells like rotted cabbage, and the exhaust spews black smoke when it runs at all.

 

Need a new car.

[Rush17]

39 minutes ago, J.R. said:

Nobody is 'protecting'  WD. If you flat out refuse to accept the reality that practice time is EXTREMELY limited in the NHL through no fault of coaches, particularly Western teams whom travel more, I can't help you.

I still believe they should reduce the game total toof 72 games per season.  keep the same length of season but allow for more rest and team practices.

 

this would be extremely good during years of international tournaments like the Olympics or world cups!

[westcoast]

The Canucks had the villains in place with Torts and Gillis,should have let them purge the whole works and then brought in Linden to guide the franchise stacked with young picks.

[tas]

1 minute ago, Rush17 said:

I still believe they should reduce the game total toof 72 games per season.  keep the same length of season but allow for more rest and team practices.

yeah I'm sure the owners would be cool with 150 games less of revenue.

 

no biggie. 

[Rush17]

2 hours ago, Pete M said:

This road trip was a good indicator of what this team is about. They had a chance to be one game over .500, but instead they are 4 games below .500.

I would give them until January 8th before making a move. In this span, the majority of the games are at home with some games away in Alberta.

 

As a die hard fan, I'm hoping this home stand will bring better results, but realistically, I believe we've already witnessed the team that we have and it will not get better.

The team is relatively healthy (minus Tanev and Edler), but even they were not having great success when they were playing.

 

I believe the result of this road trip shows that this team needs to get faster through the neutral zone, and stronger up front. The "D" needs to play more physical to take advantage of their size. Systems aside, the team needs to execute better...systems don't work if you can't make the first pass or if the players are too slow to forecheck and too slow to backcheck. What this team lacks is speed...if your best players are slow and they can't execute, then the coaching is at a disadvantage (systems wise) to implement effective systems.

 

If the coach is telling the Sedins to shoot more on the powerplay, and the Sedins are not following his instruction, then they need to be benched until they buy into the team's systems. If the coach chooses not to do this, then the coach needs to grow some balls and bench the Sedins.

Standards need to be set and by doing nothing, the coach is setting standards. Favourtism because of respect, when the respected players are not executing or playing like the coach wants the rest of the players to play, simply does not work. If this is WD's outlook, then he should be fired.

 

They tried bringing in a "ball buster" (Torts), which did not work; they let go arguably the best coach in the league (AV) because he could not make it work anymore. They brought in a rookie career coach who has experienced success at every level that he has coached and this is not working. Why is it not working?

 

The only common denominator is the Sedins; they have become coach killers because they are now uncoachable.

 

Yeah, go ahead and fire the coach because we all know the result will be the same...if management wants to rebuild, then rebuild without the twins. They've tried rebuilding with the twins but the team is going in the wrong direction. The young players are not learning in a positive environment if developing them is a goal.

I agree with some of your sentiment. the sedins are treated like royalty by Willie. respecting your vet/leaders is one thing but refusing to hold them accountable be honest with them is actually a form of disrespect.   I think Travis Green is capable of relating that msg without stepping on their toes.  he is great at getting emotion and passion out of people.  that is key for accountability and for playoff success!

[SilentSam]

39 minutes ago, J.R. said:

Nobody is 'protecting'  WD. If you flat out refuse to accept the reality that practice time is EXTREMELY limited in the NHL through no fault of coaches, particularly Western teams whom travel more, I can't help you. 

 

Consequently, given that one of the biggest things Virtanen needed was practice time, and that the AHL provides that in far more abundance... clearly you'll put that all together and conclude...potato 

Not talking Practice... you are.

Im talking meeting and research time.

Virtannen was practicing here but not getting good game time ..

If TG can afford Virtannen meeting and research time.. Why couldn't Willie?? He's a pro right? 

Or are we limited with an, how did you put it,.. "Adequate" Coach?

..and your happy with that?

I think the fact that TG can make better time for a prospect than what WD can, says a lot.

Your missing something bigger than that silly smug face you like to use JR.

Maybe that's why you like and support the normal mediocrity.

 

[Rush17]

3 minutes ago, tas said:

yeah I'm sure the owners would be cool with 150 games less of revenue.

 

no biggie. 

they might sell more tickets if their team actually does well when it has a more complete roster.  plus it would in theory extend the career of their superstars.   in 10 seasons that would equal 100 less games of wear and tear.  

 

you might argue the trade off isn't there but I think it would certainly help balance out practice times and improve the quality of life for the players. they battle through injuries all year long. have 1.5 less games per month wouldn't be that big of a hit. 1 home game per month tops?  for a healthy well coached team that actually has the energy to give it their all night in and night out. it would cut back on teams not showing up and coasting through games. 

[Green Building]

19 minutes ago, Longtime Fan said:

WD did not draw up a game plan for the 3rd period that had all the players looking like statues.  It was awful.  I am going to predict they get 6 out of 8 points in the next 4 games.

The team is short on talent.  Looks like Nolan Patrick should be in their future.

 

I'm petrified of drafting a guy with an injury history like his. Look at our team over the years, we should try to start healthy. There will be other good options if we land #1 overall and he's somehow still the consensus #1 pick.

[tas]

4 minutes ago, Rush17 said:

they might sell more tickets if their team actually does well when it has a more complete roster.  plus it would in theory extend the career of their superstars.   in 10 seasons that would equal 100 less games of wear and tear.  

 

you might argue the trade off isn't there but I think it would certainly help balance out practice times and improve the quality of life for the players. they battle through injuries all year long. have 1.5 less games per month wouldn't be that big of a hit. 1 home game per month tops?  for a healthy well coached team that actually has the energy to give it their all night in and night out. it would cut back on teams not showing up and coasting through games. 

we're talking $25,000,000 in ticket sales alone. god knows how much more in tv revenue, ad revenue, merch sales, concessions sales, parking, etc, etc. 

 

the well-being of the players and the quality of product is at most a secondary concern. 

[Green Building]

8 minutes ago, SilentSam said:

Not talking Practice... you are.

Im talking meeting and research time.

What's the difference? They're all club mandated activities.

[SilentSam]

25 minutes ago, Longtime Fan said:

WD did not draw up a game plan for the 3rd period that had all the players looking like statues.  It was awful.  I am going to predict they get 6 out of 8 points in the next 4 games.

The team is short on talent.  Looks like Nolan Patrick should be in their future.

 

 

5 minutes ago, Green Building said:

I'm petrified of drafting a guy with an injury history like his. Look at our team over the years, we should try to start healthy. There will be other good options if we land #1 overall and he's somehow still the consensus #1 pick.

.. NICO HISCHEIR.

Will be #1 by March.

 

[Green Building]

Just now, SilentSam said:

.. NICO HISCHEIR.

Will be #1 by March.

He's making a case, that's for sure.

[LaBamba]

1 hour ago, J.R. said:

Nobody is 'protecting'  WD. If you flat out refuse to accept the reality that practice time is EXTREMELY limited in the NHL through no fault of coaches, particularly Western teams whom travel more, I can't help you. 

 

Consequently, given that one of the biggest things Virtanen needed was practice time, and that the AHL provides that in far more abundance... clearly you'll put that all together and conclude...potato 

 

Another direct copy of a Linden interview. 

[SilentSam]

1 minute ago, Green Building said:

What's the difference? They're all club mandated activities.

.. a tangled web of discussion GB.

Im just wondering why TG can give Virtannen the time of day to go over Virt's game and help break it down with solutions for Jake.

Jake is apparently very happy with TG helping him this way.

Obviously was not the same here for Jake with WD.

JR keeps comin up with big city ideas and excuses for WD.

Guess when your an NHL Coach, that stuff is beneath you  

 

[J-Dizzle]

2 minutes ago, LaBamba said:

 

Another direct copy of a Linden interview. 

 

In my mind that's a compliment :D 

[SilentSam]

2 minutes ago, LaBamba said:

 

Another direct copy of a Linden interview. 

So right.