MMC
Global Moderator
I don’t mean to alarm anyone but this team is now 19th in the league and 3 points out of a playoff spot
I don’t mean to alarm anyone but this team is now 19th in the league and 3 points out of a playoff spot
I think this has something to do with the meetings they had over the summer with league officials. It hasn’t helped as much as should have with the power plays in favor but the refs seem a lot less jaundiced against the Ducks now.Hazy brought up a good point after the game: the team has done a much better job at staying out of the box. Last year we lead the league averaging 4.02 times shorthanded per game (next closest was Florida at 3.55). This year we are 10th best at just 2.76.
I don’t mean to alarm anyone but this team is now 19th in the league and 3 points out of a playoff spot
With how our power plays look this season, maybe the refs are doing us a favor…I think this has something to do with the meetings they had over the summer with league officials. It hasn’t helped as much as should have with the power plays in favor but the refs seem a lot less jaundiced against the Ducks now.
It's why I find the hysteria less than 20 games into the season incredibly annoying, doesn't take much for the team to be in a completely different positionit's amazing what a little three game streak can do for the perception of our season haha
It's why I find the hysteria less than 20 games into the season incredibly annoying, doesn't take much for the team to be in a completely different position
It's why I find the hysteria less than 20 games into the season incredibly annoying, doesn't take much for the team to be in a completely different position
I wonder if what coaching staff was trying to do was a more intensive man on man...and that the players just couldn't do exactly what coaches were hoping they could do. It can be difficult staying on a single person when there's so much movement and there's a ton of discipline involved, and it makes you have to purely react in some ways, compared to being able to be more predictive with zone coverage. Maybe lightening the strat on that and allowing for a bit more flexibility just works better for the capability of our team.I do think though, that there is a difference between losing and not playing well. The Ducks were doing both. On almost every level, the Ducks were failing. My position from the start was patience until the comments from the players started to confirm what my eyes were telling me. At that point, now there's a real issue.
Personally, this three game stretch hasn't changed my perception of Cronin. The Ducks have shifted stylistically a bit but why wasn't the the plan from the start? Who initiated the change and where did the ideas come from? Is this an example of Cronin adapting to team needs or is it the players rejecting Cronin and doing there own thing?
The clearest thing in my mind is that the coaching staff was wrong from the start with their decisions. I'm glad they are adjusting but why were they so wrong? It's hard to trust them.
Carlyle had us playing man to man when he got fired, and BM switched to zone when he took over and it was a noticeable improvement. Eakins I am pretty sure had us playing man on mas as well. I think Cronin started out man on man but we look to be playing zone now. You need good players for man on man defense to function.I wonder if what coaching staff was trying to do was a more intensive man on man...and that the players just couldn't do exactly what coaches were hoping they could do. It can be difficult staying on a single person when there's so much movement and there's a ton of discipline involved, and it makes you have to purely react in some ways, compared to being able to be more predictive with zone coverage. Maybe lightening the strat on that and allowing for a bit more flexibility just works better for the capability of our team.
If we talk about intensity of defensive coverage, zone D is the lightest, right? Maybe if we had enough skill + speed + size man on man would be dominant, but that's definitely not what our team has.
I can see the coaches wanting to try to make their systems work and giving it a go for a while...but can appreciate their willingness to change up once they were convinced it wasn't working the way they wanted to. Giving a full first year in that system, and using it early this year was a good length of time trying to make it work, without moving away too quickly. Change in personnel from last to this year is an argument to continue trying for a while.
Systems Analyst: Breaking down the best defensive strategies for playoffs
Which defensive zone systems win Stanley Cups, and which have had less playoff success? Justin Bourne, with help from Andrew Brewer, looks at recent trends, what it means for this year's playoffs, and which teams may be most vulnerable.www.sportsnet.ca
Hopefully they aren’t having to skate in the Dzone quite as much now either. Early on it almost looked like they were just tired and didn’t have the legs to pressure. Our forecheck of late has looked really good.Carlyle had us playing man to man when he got fired, and BM switched to zone when he took over and it was a noticeable improvement. Eakins I am pretty sure had us playing man on mas as well. I think Cronin started out man on man but we look to be playing zone now. You need good players for man on man defense to function.
Carlsson at 14 is wild when you look at quite a few players above him.TSN's top 50 players under age 24 is riddled with Ducks, but none ranked higher than #14.
Jumpin' Jack Flash: Hughes tops TSN's Top 50 Under-24 players | TSN
Twenty-three year-old Jack Hughes is No. 1 and 19-year-old sophomore Connor Bedard is No. 2 in our 2024-25 ranking of the Top 50 Under-24 players.www.tsn.ca
Fantilli at 22, we win! Michkov at 7, oh no we lose.Carlsson at 14 is wild when you look at quite a few players above him.
I think this is kind of a wonky list. They are too high on many players that have never played in the league, in my opinion. I also think Boldy is too low, and Zegras is a snub. Will Smith is at #16 with 17 games and 4 points while Zegras is off the list with 18 games and 6 points.TSN's top 50 players under age 24 is riddled with Ducks, but none ranked higher than #14.
Jumpin' Jack Flash: Hughes tops TSN's Top 50 Under-24 players | TSN
Twenty-three year-old Jack Hughes is No. 1 and 19-year-old sophomore Connor Bedard is No. 2 in our 2024-25 ranking of the Top 50 Under-24 players.www.tsn.ca
Colangelo-McTavish-Harkins would actually kind of rock