[Article] No disagreement on Desjardins

[JamesB]

Ed Willes in the Province posted the following article today. Hard to disagree. See http://www.theprovince.com/sports/hockey/canucks-hockey/Willes+Coaching+style+Willie+Desjardins/10900395/story.html

Ed Willes: Willie Desjardins' coaching style a major reason for Canucks’ transformation.

Alex Burrows says it would be easy if he could point to one thing and say, definitively, here’s the reason the Canucks have turned things around this season.

In Burrows’ own case, it’s a question of health. In the team’s case, it’s improved seasons from virtually everyone in the lineup who struggled year. Then there’s the emergence of Bo Horvat as an impact player; Zack Kassian and Ronalds Kenins as reliable contributors; and, lest we forget, the eternal Eddie Lack.

“There are a lot of factors,” says Burrows. “It’s tough to pinpoint one thing. I’d have to do a PhD study to find the root of the problem.”

Yes, sometimes we want simple answers to complex problems and that’s not the way the world works. But when you ask why the Canucks are nine wins and 12 points better than they were at this point last season, why they’re solidly entrenched in a playoff spot after last season’s Dumpster fire, it comes back to the same place.

Last year John Tortorella was the head coach. This year it’s Willy Desjardins.

Maybe, as the noble Burrows avers, there are other factors behind the turnaround. But with just 13 games left on their schedule and a sense of normalcy returned to the team, Desjardins is the biggest reason.

“Obviously, it’s two different worlds,” says Jannik Hansen. “John was my way or the highway. The player-coach relationship was different. Willie is a lot more down-to-earth. I don’t think I’ve heard him chew out a player yet.”

Or, as Kevin Bieksa puts it: “He’s gotten the most out of most of the guys on the team.”

There have, in fact, been a number of first-class coaching jobs in the NHL this season, and if you were going to compile a short list for the Adams Trophy it would include Peter Laviolette in Nashville, Jack Capuano on Long Island, old friend Alain Vigneault in New York, Bob Hartley in Calgary and Barry Trotz in Washington.

This means that unless the Canucks do something crazy over the final three weeks of the schedule, Desjardins will be hard pressed just to make it as a finalist.

But that doesn’t diminish his work with the Canucks one iota. Since the start of the season, the Canucks have played with a renewed sense of commitment and enthusiasm that’s been reflected in the standings. They haven’t been out of a playoff spot since the third week in the season and that was for one day. Their longest losing streak in regulation is three games.

They’ve also done this through the collective. True, everyone from the Sedins to Burrows to Alex Edler to Hansen have enjoyed bounce-back seasons, but look up and down the Canucks’ lineup and there isn’t one individual who’s having a career year.

So how has Desjardins done it? How has he taken a group that was broken and dispirited at the end of last season and remade them into a playoff team?

Couple of things. The mere fact the Canucks were broken and dispirited was a starting point. As Bieksa says, there’s a considerable amount of pride in the dressing room and there were more than a few guilty consciences from last season.

“We wanted to prove everybody wrong,” the veteran defenceman says.

But, unlike Torts, Desjardins has implemented a system that plays to the team’s strengths. Last season, the Canucks looked slow and unimaginative. The emphasis was on defence and blocking shots. Their best players were also used to the point of exhaustion and the fourth line was an afterthought.

This season the Canucks are a true four-line, six-D team. Every regular averages at least 11:49 of ice time and in the last two games, when their full lineup has been restored, playing time has been further compressed.

The result? The Canucks have nine forwards in double digits in goals, two more at nine and another at eight, meaning they could have 12 forwards with at least 10 goals by the end of the season. You don’t think of the Canucks as an offensive juggernaut, but they’ve already scored more goals this season (197) than they did all of last season (196).

“It’s the four lines,” Hansen says. “(Desjardins) wants us to be a deep team. John’s thing was we have to win this game, then we’ll worry about the next game. He played some guys too much and didn’t trust the fourth line as much.”

“Maybe last year guys felt they didn’t need to show up because they were going to play for seven minutes,” says Henrik Sedin. “You can’t win that way.”

When they’re at their best, the Canucks also play with a speed and creativity that were completely missing last season. Bieksa says there’s more freedom this season. Desjardins also coaches with a lighter hand than his predecessor.

“He’s able to relate to guys in different ways,” Bieksa says. “He has a feel for the team.”

Which isn’t to say it’s Club Med around the Canucks. Desjardins doesn’t practise a lot but, when he does, he means business. The Canucks’ sessions are fast and demanding. Last season under Torts, not so much and the players believe that’s honed the team’s edge.

“The first day of camp was one of the hardest practices I’ve ever had,” Hansen says. “We’re not out there a lot but we practise hard for 45, 50 minutes We didn’t practise a lot last year.”

So add it all up and Burrows is right. There are a lot of factors behind the Canucks’ turnaround this season — everything from the guilty consciences to the new faces to the bounce-back veterans to a more stable, productive goaltending position.

But somewhere in all that looms the considerable figure of Desjardins. To borrow a term he’s fond of, he’s been real good.

[Mathew Barzal]

I'm kind of torn. Playoffs or Virtanen. Torts definitely was the deciding anchor but I can't help but think we needed him...

[JamesB]

One thing Willes did not mention was Desjardins greatest skill: player development. I think he deserves a lot of credit for the progress made by Horvat, Kassian, Sbisa, Weber, Matthias, and Kenins this year. He even got some value out of McMillan And look for him to have a positive effect on Baertschi and Clendening next year. The only young guy whose progress has been disappointing is Linden Vey, and he is not far away, Maybe next year he blossoms.

By reputation WD is as much a teacher as a coach, whereas Torts was more like a drill sergeant (except that he rarely bothered to show up at drills).

WD also has a good connection with Utica, which has been helpful. Amazingly, last year Torts reportedly never even spoke to Travis Green.

[johnnyrocks]

Well last year, we didn't really have a "4th line" and Torts was not suited towards this team. Gillis was under pressure and fired AV for Torts in a desperate attempt to keep his job.

At the same time though, all this great stuff wouldn't have happened if Torts wasn't signed for the head coach.

[JamesB]

I'm kind of torn. Playoffs or Virtanen. Torts definitely was the deciding anchor but I can't help but think we needed him...

Have to agree. Torts was bad enough that

a) Gillis got fired

Torts got fired

c) Linden was brought in to the organization (long overdue)

d) Aquillini finally figured out the team would do better if he stopped meddling in hockey decisions.

AND

e) we got a high draft pick (Virtanen).

Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better.

[Dekey Pete]

But somewhere in all that looms the considerable figure of Desjardins. To borrow a term he’s fond of, he’s been real good.

hahaha I lol'd

[Angry Goose]

top to bottom the Canucks have the best organization they've had in awhile

[Where's Wellwood]

Dorsett and Matthias are having career years in points and goals. So are Horvat and Kenins technically.

[EdgarM]

Not to discredit WD's accomplishments with this team, I think the biggest reason for last year was that the players STOPPED playing for Tort's. Plain and simple. From his escapades with trying to get into Calgary's dressing room to berating player's on the bench, I believe they had enough of him halfway through the season and went through the motions for the remainder of the games. If you look at their record before and now after that debacle its easy to see that they basically quit playing for half of last season. You can also tell from the comments above from the players that thats exactly what they did. I think a secondary reason was that the team also became a little "stale" and the infuse of younger, hungrier players this year has helped with that.

[dwainbro]

WD is a genius. I love the internal competition he creates with the players. Players come and have something to prove to the coaching staff and themselves.

[EdgarM]

 

WD is a genius. I love the internal competition he creates with the players. Players come and have something to prove to the coaching staff and themselves.

 

Well I wouldn't say that about ALL the players. The veterans have pretty much gone untouched this year and some players such as Vey should have ridden the pine long before he eventually sat. The verdict is still out how sitting Kass has done for his career.I think the players are just glad to be playing for a players coach again similar to AV.

[ilduce39]

I'm kind of torn. Playoffs or Virtanen. Torts definitely was the deciding anchor but I can't help but think we needed him...

I had a similar thought. No way Willie is as appreciated if he took the reigns from AV. (Top 10 pick also nice.)

Would Willie have been as effective is a whole other matter. Not to give Torts credit for doing a bad job, but I think last season was a huge eye opener for the organization from top to bottom.

[Ronalds.Kenins41]

Not to discredit WD's accomplishments with this team, I think the biggest reason for last year was that the players STOPPED playing for Tort's. Plain and simple. From his escapades with trying to get into Calgary's dressing room to berating player's on the bench, I believe they had enough of him halfway through the season and went through the motions for the remainder of the games. If you look at their record before and now after that debacle its easy to see that they basically quit playing for half of last season. You can also tell from the comments above from the players that thats exactly what they did. I think a secondary reason was that the team also became a little "stale" and the infuse of younger, hungrier players this year has helped with that.

Or.... he overplayed the sedins too much and by January he was paying the price. It eventually led to Henrik's first major injury(with the exception of his game 5 injury in 2011) in his entire career and he hasn't been the same in the faceoff circle since.

Had we not had Santorelli last year would have been a complete disaster.

[EdgarM]

 

Or.... he overplayed the sedins too much and by January he was paying the price. It eventually led to Henrik's first major injury(with the exception of his game 5 injury in 2011) in his entire career and he hasn't been the same in the faceoff circle since.

Had we not had Santorelli last year would have been a complete disaster.

 

Which does not explain the play of Edler,Hansen and pretty much every other player on the team who had a poor season. You are right about Hank though and Daniel has not been the same since his hit from Keith either.

[Willpower]

Not to discredit WD's accomplishments with this team, I think the biggest reason for last year was that the players STOPPED playing for Tort's.

But there in lies the accomplishment of Desjardins. He has inspired this team to start playing again, as well as continue to play hard for the entire season. It's pretty easy to lose a group of people, it's not that tough to pump up a group for a short time, but to keep a group inspired for a length of time is a real trick. That's what has impressed me the most with the team this year. They're inspired to do go out and try to win all season.

WD is a genius. I love the internal competition he creates with the players. Players come and have something to prove to the coaching staff and themselves.

I think the internal competition that's having the most effect is he's getting each and every player to prove to themselves and each other that they can play "real good".

That's what keeps motivation high. The coaching staff being impressed is the desired outcome, but the motivation that matters comes from proving oneself to themselves as well as their peers, proving they are worthy of the group effort.

[blackpluto96]

The second half of last year was sooooooo painful as a fan. Looking back now, half a season of excruciating pain was worth what we have received as a result:

TL new prez

JB new GM

WD new coach

JV #6 pick

And this season is more than just a consolation prize for the pain and suffering of last year, it's been a great pleasant surprise and a breathe of fresh air not only for the fans, but also for the players. Hansen and Edler were completely chewed out by JT. That style is no longer suitable to today's NHL.

[Brick Tamland]

One thing Willes did not mention was Desjardins greatest skill: player development. I think he deserves a lot of credit for the progress made by Horvat, Kassian, Sbisa, Weber, Matthias, and Kenins this year. He even got some value out of McMillan And look for him to have a positive effect on Baertschi and Clendening next year. The only young guy whose progress has been disappointing is Linden Vey, and he is not far away, Maybe next year he blossoms.

By reputation WD is as much a teacher as a coach, whereas Torts was more like a drill sergeant (except that he rarely bothered to show up at drills).

WD also has a good connection with Utica, which has been helpful. Amazingly, last year Torts reportedly never even spoke to Travis Green.

Vey is interesting because that seems like a courtesy pickup for WD. Im not sure on Vey given this franchises problem with undersized players not named Ronning.

[canuktravella]

vey in my eyes isnt worth a second rounder more a third

[Hairy Kneel]

They gambled on Vey and lost a bit,he's a project for sure..but the front office has made some very positive moves to bolster the Sedins and the core...added coaching helps too.

[JamesB]

Vey is interesting because that seems like a courtesy pickup for WD. Im not sure on Vey given this franchises problem with undersized players not named Ronning.

vey in my eyes isnt worth a second rounder more a third

They gambled on Vey and lost a bit,he's a project for sure..but the front office has made some very positive moves to bolster the Sedins and the core...added coaching helps too.

One thing to keep in mind is that only about 30% of second round picks become "legitimate NHL players" in the sense of playing more than 100 NHL games. And for the 4th round on it is more like 10%. The Canucks gave up 2nd round picks for Vey and Baertschi and a guy picked in the 5th round (Forsling) for Clendening. If one of those 3 guys becomes a solid player the Canucks are ahead of the game and if two become good NHL players, that would be a huge success.

Right now, based on their AHL performance and what we have seen in the NHL, I am optimistic about Baertschi and Clendening and I think Vey still has a shot (although he will have to build up his strength over the summer so he does not get pushed around so easily).