BedBeats™2.0 Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Just read the article, and read thru the threads thoughtful responses. I reckon it is a mix of factors, that everyone in this thread have touched on. Being a prairie boy, im somewhat biased about NHL pedigree. WD has been nothing short of a revelation for the existing core. The fans really did not know what to expect. WD is cut from the exact same cloth as Babcock. Suprised the dummy media has not picked up on the similarities in how both approach the game. Ill throw this out there...there seems to be, IMO, differences (though im still trying to get a true handle on it) between CAN and USA coaches and their approach of the game. Its relative though. Anyways WD has been nothing short of a revalation for the club. I reckon he is an extension of what AV implemented in his time here. Id even say its more personable and tuned towards the phsyche of a player to the team. I am pleased. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dura_mater Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 I'm kind of torn. Playoffs or Virtanen. Torts definitely was the deciding anchor but I can't help but think we needed him... We definitely did. People hate the whole "tank mentality" and I'm not advocating it but how many of those people would redo last year under Torts and have us make the playoffs but be out in round 1 - losing out on Virtanen. I realise it's not the perfect example as we didn't actually tank and most people advocating "tank" aren't actually advocating a tank but something more along the lines of not upgrading your team to be out in the first round when you could stand pat get a higher pick (hope that makes sense). If your team is going nowhere and the playoff experience isn't needed (the core had plenty of it over the previous seasons and we didn't have many young guys needing the experience) then missing the playoffs isn't always a bad thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alfstonker Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 We definitely did. People hate the whole "tank mentality" and I'm not advocating it but how many of those people would redo last year under Torts and have us make the playoffs but be out in round 1 - losing out on Virtanen. I realise it's not the perfect example as we didn't actually tank and most people advocating "tank" aren't actually advocating a tank but something more along the lines of not upgrading your team to be out in the first round when you could stand pat get a higher pick (hope that makes sense). If your team is going nowhere and the playoff experience isn't needed (the core had plenty of it over the previous seasons and we didn't have many young guys needing the experience) then missing the playoffs isn't always a bad thing. However, we have not seen JV in the team yet so that is still an unknown. Also credit Benning to have picked a good one even if we had picked lower. I don't think we needed Tortorella at all, I think we needed to get rid of Gillis. If we had and had hired Benning I think the Canucks could have welcomed a new dawn with AV and Benning (with or without TL, although I would have been happy with TL too) I like what Willie has done and was one of the few on here at the time rooting for signing him (I posted a few articles on his achievements when CDC was hot for just about everyone but Willie) That said I have no doubt a Benning/AV tandem would have been ultimately as successful, if not more. The irony for me in all this is just how much Gillis went off the rails, so although he refused to fire himself he chose just as an effective way for the Canucks to get rid of him, by hiring Tortorella. Kismet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curmudgeon Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 A coach can't win games for you, but he certainly can lose them. Willie treats his players like men and trusts them. Torts treated them like children and his vision didn't extend past tonight's game. Torts thought he was the most important person in the room and acted like the sage on the stage. Willie is the guide on the side, letting the players play and encouraging them along. So, yeah, Willie has been the catalyst for a greatly improved season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gizmo2337 Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 But somewhere in all that looms the considerable figure of Desjardins. To borrow a term he’s fond of, he’s been real good. This Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Down by the River Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 You know when you're house is a mess, and the only way to clean it is to first make it more of a mess so that you know what to organize? Well, Torts was the guy to make the 'house' more messy before it could be cleaned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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