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[Official] Canucks coach talk. Keep all talk here.


MJDDawg

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Geez, things are getting interesting. This article in the Province online talks about the AV and Torts swap and how that would make a great HBO 24/7 leading to a Winter Classic between the two teams.

Same article talks about the poor light Gillis is being framed in during the coaching search and that "What two years ago would have been considered thorough is now being viewed as foot-dragging".

I thought this part kind of sums up all the candidates being discussed here and made me chuckle for some reason:

"But the one thing Gillis is never going to accomplish with his coaching hire is winning over public opinion. John Stevens will be framed as too underwhelming. John Tortorella, too overwhelming. Dave Tippett, too defensive. Glen Gulutzan, too WTF? It goes down steeply from there among the dozen candidates."

http://www.theprovin...1604/story.html

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"But the one thing Gillis is never going to accomplish with his coaching hire is winning over public opinion. John Stevens will be framed as too underwhelming. John Tortorella, too overwhelming. Dave Tippett, too defensive. Glen Gulutzan, too WTF? It goes down steeply from there among the dozen candidates."

http://www.theprovin...1604/story.html

That's why we'll probably hire Ruff. He's right in the middle of underwhelming and overwhelming.

He doesn't coach too defensive or too offensive. And no one can exactly complain about his experience.

He's the "safe" choice IMO.

But anyone who would be mad about us hiring Tippett doesn't know a whole lot about his coaching experience. He coaches defensively in Phoenix because that's what works. But he knows how to make a powerplay work. Which is exactly the combination this team needs. It needs to be much better defensively and have a strong powerplay.

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That's why we'll probably hire Ruff. He's right in the middle of underwhelming and overwhelming.

He doesn't coach too defensive or too offensive. And no one can exactly complain about his experience.

He's the "safe" choice IMO.

But anyone who would be mad about us hiring Tippett doesn't know a whole lot about his coaching experience. He coaches defensively in Phoenix because that's what works. But he knows how to make a powerplay work. Which is exactly the combination this team needs. It needs to be much better defensively and have a strong powerplay.

I think Ruff would be the worst choice. He doesn't zone match his players, something AV patented and the rest of the league copycatted. If you don't zone match in today's NHL and put players in territorial positions to take advantage of their talents, you'll get destroyed.

Tippet is the best choice, but I think Stevens is a solid second. Stevens can run a PK which I'd argue is more important in the postseason than a good PP. Don't believe me, just remember how deflating a shorthanded goal can be when it looks like the team on the PP is about to get back in the game. Boston did it 3 times, and in each game it was a back breaker.

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Gillis has to make an impact. I'm betting Torts now the more I think about it. He is the antithesis of AV in personality.

I sure would like to know how Botch thinks the interview went extremely well.

The local media are freakin out, which is great.

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Could you explain zone matching a bit more? Never hear of that term before. AV started that?

In an overly simplified explanation: You start your best offensive players (like say, the Sedins) in the offensive zone 60+% of the time to capitalize on their offensive abilities. You start the your best defensive players in the defensive zone ~70% of the time with their task being to flip the ice. What this does is start your players in a territorial position on the ice where they are most likely to succeed. If you don't do it, you end up with things like the Sedin line starting 50% of their shifts in the defensive zone, something that is likely to happen with Ruff at the helm since he doesn't line match

AV was one of the first to come up with the idea, and it coincided with the Sedins winning back-to-back Art Ross Trophies before the rest of the league caught on and started doing the exact same thing.

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In an overly simplified explanation: You start your best offensive players (like say, the Sedins) in the offensive zone 60+% of the time to capitalize on their offensive abilities. You start the your best defensive players in the defensive zone ~70% of the time with their task being to flip the ice. What this does is start your players in a territorial position on the ice where they are most likely to succeed. If you don't do it, you end up with things like the Sedin line starting 50% of their shifts in the defensive zone, something that is likely to happen with Ruff at the helm since he doesn't line match

AV was one of the first to come up with the idea, and it coincided with the Sedins winning back-to-back Art Ross Trophies before the rest of the league caught on and started doing the exact same thing.

Ok, got it. That's why winning FO% and losing Malholtra hurt so much. Makes sense.

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I think Ruff would be the worst choice. He doesn't zone match his players, something AV patented and the rest of the league copycatted. If you don't zone match in today's NHL and put players in territorial positions to take advantage of their talents, you'll get destroyed.

Line matching has been around forever. AV didn't invent it, he was just really good at his first 4 years here.

And Ruff didn't have the personnel to line match. He had a bunch of young small players that couldn't play well defensively. How was he supposed to line match?

With Hodgson and Ennis as a number 1 and number 2 center it doesn't matter how well a coach line matches, these guys aren't shutting down anyone.

Just look at their lineup:

Thomas Vanek - Cody Hodgson - Jason Pominville

Marcus Foligno - Tyler Ennis - Drew Stafford

Nathan Gerbe - Steve Ott - Patrick Kaleta

Ville Leino - Cody McCormick - Corey Tropp

Tyler Myers - Robyn Regehr

Christian Ehrhoff - Alexander Sulzer

Andrej Sekera - Jordan Leopold

That's just an average lineup at best. Ruff has shown what he can do with good lineups. This wasn't one of them.

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Geez, things are getting interesting. This article in the Province online talks about the AV and Torts swap and how that would make a great HBO 24/7 leading to a Winter Classic between the two teams.

Same article talks about the poor light Gillis is being framed in during the coaching search and that "What two years ago would have been considered thorough is now being viewed as foot-dragging".

I thought this part kind of sums up all the candidates being discussed here and made me chuckle for some reason:

"But the one thing Gillis is never going to accomplish with his coaching hire is winning over public opinion. John Stevens will be framed as too underwhelming. John Tortorella, too overwhelming. Dave Tippett, too defensive. Glen Gulutzan, too WTF? It goes down steeply from there among the dozen candidates."

http://www.theprovin...1604/story.html

The bolded part plus how about the fact that if the 2 teams met in the Cup finals it would be the 20th Anniversary of the previous Ranger Canucks Cup final and they'd be doing it against their former coaches , big motivator for the coaches to win.... drama
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The bolded part plus how about the fact that if the 2 teams met in the Cup finals it would be the 20th Anniversary of the previous Ranger Canucks Cup final and they'd be doing it against their former coaches , big motivator for the coaches to win.... drama

Epic. But don't we already get the Canucks/Sens winter classic next season?

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I am genuinely laughing at those that are making a case for Torts. I don't mean that in a mean way, it's just that he's clearly a basket case with a hairline trigger. If we signed him, it would be for entertainment purposes, and to shut up our annoying media.

That's right. The media would then be in the dark and would have to wake up to the fact that they are absolutely vindictive against their own team. Then again, most figures in the Vancouver media come from somewhere else and cheat for other teams. The composition of locals in the local media is reminiscent of a desert rose lacking water.

Tortorella also has a Cup under his belt. That cannot be overlooked.

If the Canucks were to become as entertaining as Tortorella, they'd win a Cup.

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News about coaching vacancy on HNIC Hot Stove.

Friedman says Tortorella is coming back for a second interview.

Healey says 2 candidates are being interviewed next week and annoucement should be coming soon.

Stevens wasn't mentioned, but no doubt he's the other candidate.

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News about coaching vacancy on HNIC Hot Stove.

Friedman says Tortorella is coming back for a second interview.

Healey says 2 candidates are being interviewed next week and annoucement should be coming soon.

It's down to Tortorella and Stevens from the sounds of it.

I don't think Torts is the guy, but I will say the Canucks Army write-up on him did a decent amount to reduce some of my fears.

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I don't think Torts is the guy, but I will say the Canucks Army write-up on him did a decent amount to reduce some of my fears.

Then why bring him bring back for second interview? If they hire Stevens, mine as well just forfeit the season. I don't get why so many think he's the perfect fit. He's not. Big deal if he's learned and may have changed since his tenture in Philadelphia. Just because he's done well on special teams in LA and he's a communicator doesn't him a good fit here or elsewhere. As I stated, if this guy is so good and sought after, why hasn't his named been linked/mentioned to other teams?

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I am genuinely laughing at those that are making a case for Torts. I don't mean that in a mean way, it's just that he's clearly a basket case with a hairline trigger. If we signed him, it would be for entertainment purposes, and to shut up our annoying media.

Torts has a won both the Calder Cup and Stanley Cup as head coach. His antics do not negate the fact that he is a solid coach and a solid hockey person.

Hiring Torts would definitely be a bold move for Gillis.

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I am genuinely laughing at those that are making a case for Torts. I don't mean that in a mean way, it's just that he's clearly a basket case with a hairline trigger. If we signed him, it would be for entertainment purposes, and to shut up our annoying media.

How so?

He's a good coach, just with a different style in comparison to AV.

I think he would be a good fit for the Nucks, they lacked in-game motivation under AV.

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