NHL 2023-2024 Out of Town: Regular Season Part 1

[Bridges31]

I think the Oilers decided to fire Woodcroft after the San Jose game, but waited until the end of their road trip to drop the axe. Very 'gallant' gesture on behalf of Edmonton.

What is that their 5th coach in 5 years? I’m sure changing coaches will work this time around.

I just don’t get that organization. Goaltending and defensive depth has been plaguing them for years now and somehow they just believe throwing a new coach in will fix all of their problems. That organization pisses me off and I’m not even an Oilers fan. Mcdavid needs to go to a team that will actually win.

 

[Aussie Bruin]

Surprised it took them this long. No excuse to be as bad as they've been with that kind of talent. Probably a good move by Edmonton to try to salvage the season before things get out of hand. They still have plenty of time to turn things around.

I'm not sure. 5v5 the Oilers rank 2nd in the league in CF%, 6th in SF%, 3rd in SCF%, 1st in xGF%, and 1st in HDCF%. But their shooting percentage and SV% are both ranked 31st. So the things that the coach has some sort of control and influence over are all going extremely well, but the two things he can't impact are awful. If there was ever a team that screams of a group that's generally playing well but getting absolutely destroyed by bad goaltending, lack of finish and plain bad luck, it's this year's Edmonton.

If the players have lost faith in Woodcroft, and their management have a good succession plan in mind, then maybe removing him will turn out to be the right call. But this is a guy who took his team comfortably to the playoffs twice, and in both cases only lost out to the eventual champs, in the latter series in 6 games, and then has had a rough start to the year in which the main indicators of causation don't point towards a coaching issue. So firing him so quickly feels harsh and high-risk. Can only see how it pans out.

 

[BigGoalBrad]

What is that their 5th coach in 5 years? I’m sure changing coaches will work this time around.

I just don’t get that organization. Goaltending and defensive depth has been plaguing them for years now and somehow they just believe throwing a new coach in will fix all of their problems. That organization pisses me off and I’m not even an Oilers fan. Mcdavid needs to go to a team that will actually win.

Its the same cast they put around him last year that actually was pretty good. They just all regressed this season especially McDavid.

He's the most boring superstar imaginable that is allergic to winning. If they hire a coach that rips into him they might turn it around.

 

[GordonHowe]

Bobby McMann was brought up to take Reaves's place in the Leaf's lineup last night. He put up 2 assists and was a +2. He now has 2 more points than Reaves on the season. We may not see Reaves in their lineup next time we play.

I suspect we will.

 

[GordonHowe]

What is that their 5th coach in 5 years? I’m sure changing coaches will work this time around.

I just don’t get that organization. Goaltending and defensive depth has been plaguing them for years now and somehow they just believe throwing a new coach in will fix all of their problems. That organization pisses me off and I’m not even an Oilers fan. Mcdavid needs to go to a team that will actually win.

The opposite was true, latter day Sinden/OC.

Harry wouldn't pay for decent offensive talent outside the organization. Always -- always -- at least two players away.

So, Sinden did what Sinden did best. He fired coach after coach to deflect responsibility for his parsimonious ways.

Teams that fire coaches on an annual basis are, by definition, dysfunctional.

Teams that run through GMs in like fashion are also dysfunctional.

Look at TO, CAL, EDM, PHIL. BUFF used to be among that group, but may have learned their lesson.

 

[Bridges31]

Its the same cast they put around him last year that actually was pretty good. They just all regressed this season especially McDavid.

He's the most boring superstar imaginable that is allergic to winning. If they hire a coach that rips into him they might turn it around.

I would say they did good last season except a lot of their games were high scoring. All offense no defense. It’s not a recipe for success imo.

 

[BigGoalBrad]

I would say they did good last season except a lot of their games were high scoring. All offense no defense. It’s not a recipe for success imo.

Yeah but its not like McDavid or Draisaitl are goalies of course offense will be their strength. 82 game seasons in a diluted league you can win by scoring a lot in the regular season.

They have regressed to San Jose bad that is hard to do. Should probably hold onto that pick for dear life as its a good start to add to whatever return they get for the stars. Somehow those 2 are getting a pass for this which is crazy but it is what it is.

 

[missingchicklet]

I'm not sure. 5v5 the Oilers rank 2nd in the league in CF%, 6th in SF%, 3rd in SCF%, 1st in xGF%, and 1st in HDCF%. But their shooting percentage and SV% are both ranked 31st. So the things that the coach has some sort of control and influence over are all going extremely well, but the two things he can't impact are awful. If there was ever a team that screams of a group that's generally playing well but getting absolutely destroyed by bad goaltending, lack of finish and plain bad luck, it's this year's Edmonton.

If the players have lost faith in Woodcroft, and their management have a good succession plan in mind, then maybe removing him will turn out to be the right call. But this is a guy who took his team comfortably to the playoffs twice, and in both cases only lost out to the eventual champs, in the latter series in 6 games, and then has had a rough start to the year in which the main indicators of causation don't point towards a coaching issue. So firing him so quickly feels harsh and high-risk. Can only see how it pans out.

I get what you are saying, but bottom line they are 2nd worst in the Pacific in goals-for and only 4th worst in goals-against. Second worst team in the entire NHL in pts. Second worst team in the NHL in DIFF. No chance the coach of that kind of team that entered the season with high expectations was going to last very long. Hard to know for sure what the main issue is, but as you already know it's a lot easier to fire the coach than get rid of the players. My feeling is that management is pissed at everyone and is trying to jump start things with a firing of the coach. Will indeed be interesting to see how it all pans out. Edmonton has a very nice track record of going through coaches like a fat kid goes through a box of Twinkies.

 

[quietbruinfan]

I get what you are saying, but bottom line they are 2nd worst in the Pacific in goals-for and only 4th worst in goals-against. Second worst team in the entire NHL in pts. Second worst team in the NHL in DIFF. No chance the coach of that kind of team that entered the season with high expectations was going to last very long. Hard to know for sure what the main issue is, but as you already know it's a lot easier to fire the coach than get rid of the players. My feeling is that management is pissed at everyone and is trying to jump start things with a firing of the coach. Will indeed be interesting to see how it all pans out. Edmonton has a very nice track record of going through coaches like a fat kid goes through a box of Twinkies.

From highlights and periods of one early game, one could see Woodcroft had no discernible defensive structure. Whether the players just did not execute it, or there wasn't one is debatable. I always put it more on the players but some coaches don't have much of a system. The defensemen in particular seemed to regress as a group, which again suggests they were confused , and Woodcroft was a big problem.
I have a friend who is a smart die-hard Ranger fan who loves Knoblauch. Moreover it is unusual to hire a minor league coach during the season. That fact suggests he has something and he was McDavid's junior coach. If they can get a goalie, I think they will turn things around.

 

[quietbruinfan]

I just watched the highlights of Van easily winning in MTL. The speed of their forwards compared to ours stood out. Unlike us, they had no trouble forechecking and backchecking the Habs. Vancouver's forwards are fairly quick, but Sweeney definitely needs to improve our team speed.

 

[Aussie Bruin]

I get what you are saying, but bottom line they are 2nd worst in the Pacific in goals-for and only 4th worst in goals-against. Second worst team in the entire NHL in pts. Second worst team in the NHL in DIFF. No chance the coach of that kind of team that entered the season with high expectations was going to last very long. Hard to know for sure what the main issue is, but as you already know it's a lot easier to fire the coach than get rid of the players. My feeling is that management is pissed at everyone and is trying to jump start things with a firing of the coach. Will indeed be interesting to see how it all pans out. Edmonton has a very nice track record of going through coaches like a fat kid goes through a box of Twinkies.

Yeah I get that at the end of the day it's a results-driven business. But when the underlying numbers are so good (people like to bag the Oilers' defense but even in that regard their advanced stats this year are very very solid) and the coach has such a solid recent record it seems very hasty to turf him out. North American sports are ruthless in that regard. It varies from franchise to franchise of course but on average the willingness to turf coaches is crazy high. In Australia we tend to be more patient.

Chances are Edmonton will now go on a run and it will have next to nothing to do with the coaching change. Maybe they will get lucky and Knoblauch will turn out to be excellent and take them on a deep playoff run. Otherwise it feels like they will have burned through one more guy on the sole basis of one bad month where there's very little evidence that he personally did anything wrong.

 

[KillerMillerTime]

Yeah I get that at the end of the day it's a results-driven business. But when the underlying numbers are so good (people like to bag the Oilers' defense but even in that regard their advanced stats this year are very very solid) and the coach has such a solid recent record it seems very hasty to turf him out. North American sports are ruthless in that regard. It varies from franchise to franchise of course but on average the willingness to turf coaches is crazy high. In Australia we tend to be more patient.

Chances are Edmonton will now go on a run and it will have next to nothing to do with the coaching change. Maybe they will get lucky and Knoblauch will turn out to be excellent and take them on a deep playoff run. Otherwise it feels like they will have burned through one more guy on the sole basis of one bad month where there's very little evidence that he personally did anything wrong.

Time will tell if GM Connor McDavid's first big move works out.

 

[KnightofBoston]

Wow, he's my age. Awful.

Nobody is promised tomorrow.

It always freaks me out when seemingly healthy people die young.

If you eat or smoke yourself to death that’s one thing, but former pro athletes or people that are active and eat as healthy as possible just dropping dead on morning walks etc….

I know, but Vancouver isn’t a tough team nor would there be retribution on the Leafs minds.

God I hope so, their strength is speed and skill against us so anything that takes away from that is good for the goose

 

[missingchicklet]

Yeah I get that at the end of the day it's a results-driven business. But when the underlying numbers are so good (people like to bag the Oilers' defense but even in that regard their advanced stats this year are very very solid) and the coach has such a solid recent record it seems very hasty to turf him out. North American sports are ruthless in that regard. It varies from franchise to franchise of course but on average the willingness to turf coaches is crazy high. In Australia we tend to be more patient.

Chances are Edmonton will now go on a run and it will have next to nothing to do with the coaching change. Maybe they will get lucky and Knoblauch will turn out to be excellent and take them on a deep playoff run. Otherwise it feels like they will have burned through one more guy on the sole basis of one bad month where there's very little evidence that he personally did anything wrong.

Interesting to hear McDavid's comments about the situation. He said he was totally surprised by the firing and didn't see it coming. Said he love playing under both Woodcroft and Manson. Most interesting to me he said that Woodcroft never lost the room. You're right about North American sports being ruthless when it comes to firing coaches. Edmonton seems to be about as bad about that as anyone. Knoblauch will be their 10th coach since the 2009-2010 season. That's effin mental.

 

[BostonBob]

Former Bruin put on waivers.

 

[BostonBob]

So Studnicka's next stop will either be with the Oilers or Sharks.

 

[Gonzothe7thDman]

Damn Jack was one of the ones @The don godfather had booked as a #2 C.

Maybe in the AHL?

 

[The don godfather]

Damn Jack was one of the ones @The don godfather had booked as a #2 C.

Maybe in the AHL?

Still have hopes for him still young to turn it around. Excellent claim by Oilers.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Interesting to hear McDavid's comments about the situation. He said he was totally surprised by the firing and didn't see it coming. Said he love playing under both Woodcroft and Manson. Most interesting to me he said that Woodcroft never lost the room. You're right about North American sports being ruthless when it comes to firing coaches. Edmonton seems to be about as bad about that as anyone. Knoblauch will be their 10th coach since the 2009-2010 season. That's effin mental.

Not compared to English Premier League soccer.

Owners fire coaches before they reach the locker after a bad game.

 

[Therick67]

Matt Petgrave has been arrested for manslaughter..

 

[Bruinfanatic]

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjzqPHI-sOCAxUhIjQIHV1FBMMQFnoECAwQAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fnews%2Fuk-england-nottinghamshire-67419951&usg=AOvVaw1k08pbjfFfwZfqBYEppvY3&opi=89978449

Matt Petgrave has been arrested for manslaughter..

[

 

[Sheppy]

Still have hopes for him still young to turn it around. Excellent claim by Oilers.

Studnicka sucks.

 

[NeelyDan]

Petgrave case gonna need its own thread

 

[missingchicklet]

Not compared to English Premier League soccer.

Owners fire coaches before they reach the locker after a bad game.

That's the truth. I read something where the average EPL manager's tenure is now at 2 years, where just a decade ago it was 4 years. Coach and player movement in the EPL is pretty nuts.

 

[Gee Wally]

Petgrave case gonna need its own thread

yeah.

thread up.

News Article: - Matt Petgrave arrested suspicion of manslaughter. Adam Johnson

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-67419951

forums.hfboards.com