Mr Kevin Bieksa - Mr John Tortarella

[Shinkaruk_9]

The media blow's this Torts thing out of proportion. Torts is a top coach in this league, bit every time a little sound bite happens, it's repeated over and over so that they would have something to talk about. And yes, Bieksa will thrive under Torts. He's a team player and plays his heart out each and every night.

[oldnews]

The Sedins will struggle with Tortorella's system the most. They're the worst defensively and never block shots, but will be asked to stop free-wheeling offensively the way AV let them and play defence first and foremost which goes against some 10 years of their training and development.

If they can do it (and they will, they're the definition of professionals) then everyone on the team can.

[viking mama]

I think Bieksa's a team guy and I really don't see him as the type to try to stir up crap, especially not just because he has a personal dislike of someone.

Plus, despite his reputation for not playing nice with the press, everything I've heard other players say about Torts has been pretty positive. (I wasn't among the Torts supporters before he was hired, but hearing what players, rather than reporters, say about him has changed my mind.) Apparently he lets them know exactly what he expects and then has consequences for players who don't live up to expectations. That way everyone knows where they stand and what's expected of them. I think all of our guys actually need that and will not only respect it, but will respond really well to it. And that includes Bieksa.

[Bananas]

I disagree.

The defensive play of the Sedins has not only improved, but it's not all that terribly relevent either. Tortorella doesn't simply convert ppg players into a cookie cutters. His 'stars' still receive higher ozone starts, etc, as any coaches' would. The Sedins overall puck possession game has also improved with the imrovement of their defensive play - for example, Henrik did get 63 % offensive zone starts last season, 14th in the NHL among regulars, but it's not as though the Sedins surrendered a great deal of territory when they weren't in possession of the puck - Henrik was actually 4th in the NHL in offensive zone finishes as well, at over 60% - perhaps part of the reason that AV was more prone to use him situationally, in defensive zone starts than he had been in the past, particularly with Kesler and Malhotra out of the lineup. The Sedins have actually already been improving their two way play under AV.

Also, people often refer to things like "Tortorella's system", which they apparently conceive to be "block shots and play defense first" - but it oversimplifies the game to the point where it doesn't have much meaning. There are systems of forechecking, systems for gaining entry into the offensive zone, systems of neutral zone defenses, systems for penalty killing, systems of zone coverage, etc. Who can honestly say they've watched enough New York Rangers hockey to elaborate in much of a meaningful way on the actual systems they played? From here it looked like something we might be tempted to reduce to 'collapse. block shots, and defend', but the reality is obviously more complicated, and the reality was also that players were used situationally, in many ways fairly similar to Vigneault's "system". Richards and Nash got high percentages of offensive zone starts much like the Sedins, they saw lots of pp time and scarcely touched the ice shorthanded. Players like Brian Boyle got very low ozone/high defensive zone starts, killed penalties and didn't see much pp ice time, similar to the roles played by Malhotra and Lapierre. Two way players were used as two way players - as were guys like Kesler, Hansen, etc in Vancouver. The reality is that coaches' utilize their players to their strengths, and this is as true of Tortorella as it is with any other coach. It may be true that guys like Rick Nash and Brad Richards blocked more shots playing for Tortorella than they had before, but that also doesn't necessarily indicate a team that is 'better' defensively. What it can also mean is that the opposition is in possession of the puck a little too often, in your zone, and taking a lot of shots - perhaps the best defense isn't necessarily played at the point of collapsing in one's own zone or in front of one's own net, but beforehand, denying entry into your zone in the first place.

Anyhow, I'm not that sold on this oversimplified notion that the Sedins are going to "struggle" under "Tortorella's system" - nor do I think that "freewheeling" describes the top line, or that the transition is as radical as you conceive it to be. I think you are also underestimating the emphasis that Alain Vigneault put/insisted upon defensively responsible hockey. Ironically, that AV was too defensive-minded was a complaint I heard innumerable times on these boards, culminating in the fairly notorious stereotype of "Defending the 0-0 tie".

[ilduce39]

Why does everyone think these two will have problems? God, you guys realize Tony G hasn't even touched on this yet?

[ilduce39]

Henrik did get 63 % offensive zone starts last season, 14th in the NHL among regulars, but it's not as though the Sedins surrendered a great deal of territory when they weren't in possession of the puck - Henrik was actually 4th in the NHL in offensive zone finishes as well, at over 60% - perhaps part of the reason that AV was more prone to use him situationally, in defensive zone starts than he had been in the past, particularly with Kesler and Malhotra out of the lineup. The Sedins have actually already been improving their two way play under AV.

[Brad Marschnoz]

This is actually the kind of combo I've been waiting for. Bieksa is a team player and will adjust if it's for the benefit of the team. I think Torts will bring out Bieksa's true potential that was hidden last year.

[TotesMagotes]

I could honestly see Bieksa and Torts butting heads.