GDT: #42 ⋅ ANA @ PHI ⋅ 4:00 PM PST

[ohcomeonref]

Is mesmerizing watching a mind like his answer these questions. He acts almost offended when Derek Lee asks how he can get more offense out of some of the players. "They've done it before, I can't draw up new plays!" There are people on this forum defending this moron with a straight face.

 

[HanSolo]

We can't generate new formulas for creating offense?

Oh word? Cause the systems we're running are tried and true as we've spent the entirety of the season dead last in goal scoring? (oh excuse me, Nashville has two fewer goals than us now)

Yeah no shit it starts with winning puck battles, what are you doing in practice to get these boys to improve at that?

Edit: total non answer on why he didn't try new lines after they didn't work last game.

God I hope Carolina steamrolls this team tomorrow. Something's gotta give.

 

[Ducks DVM]

I don't know that I'd go that far. I don't think we've had a perfect team game once this year.

We also haven’t had a game without Terry until the last 3.

 

[HanSolo]

We also haven’t had a game without Terry until the last 3.

I mean I had a feeling you'd say that but it's not really my point. My second post is what I'm getting at. I can buy that this team is more likely to lose without him. I can even buy that the team's confidence as a unit can take a hit because they're losing without him. I don't believe that his absence should have caused this much regression across the board.

 

[Ducks DVM]

I mean even taking that as true, the team suffered a lot more problems than just not scoring. Terry can do a lot and I'll even concede that not having him affects confidence. It's on the remaining leadership and the coaches to get the team as a unit to overcome that. We're still in a development year so it's still fine if we lose. We lost these past two games failing at virtually every facet of the sport. I don't think Terry's impact goes that far, and if it does, this team is well and truly f***ed until more guys are good enough to step up.

Again, it’s not just Terry scoring. It is Terry forcing the other team to account for him in their game planning. No Terry, and they literally have the advantage on every line matchup line 1-4. Our players, and especially our coaches, aren’t good enough to make up for that deficit unless the goaltenders stand on their heads, and the last two games, they haven’t.

 

[Ducks DVM]

I mean I had a feeling you'd say that but it's not really my point. My second post is what I'm getting at. I can buy that this team is more likely to lose without him. I can even buy that the team's confidence as a unit can take a hit because they're losing without him. I don't believe that his absence should have caused this much regression across the board.

I think the difference is that I have never bought that we were all that good. Even in the wins, in most of them the team spent 30-60% of the games looking lethargic, overmatched, and clueless.

Also, players can only play over the positions they should be on for so long. We have a roster of 2 3rd lines, a 4th line, an AHL line, and Terry. The defense has a lot of 4-6 veterans, and a cluster of kids who have (completely expected and normal) uneven play.

Zegras and Terry are absolutely necessary for the team to succeed. McTavish and Gauthier (and Carlsson) cannot carry a top line at this point in their careers.

 

[duckaroosky]

Oh Gregory

 

[HanSolo]

Again, it’s not just Terry scoring. It is Terry forcing the other team to account for him in their game planning. No Terry, and they literally have the advantage on every line matchup line 1-4. Our players, and especially our coaches, aren’t good enough to make up for that deficit unless the goaltenders stand on their heads, and the last two games, they haven’t.

We're still talking about two different things now. Win or lose, whatever, the team isn't so bad that they should be playing this poorly again even without Terry. You're right, Terry being out makes match ups easier and it makes us easier to beat. McDavid being out makes Edmonton an easier team to beat and match up against but when it happens they don't lose looking this inept. Yeah that's a better team and a better player but to me, glorifying Terry to this extent ignores the other problems this team has, namely the coaching. Not that I get any kind of impression from you that you defend Cronin, but I feel like blaming these results on Terry being out to this extent is an oversimplification.

Even if we're to assume that Terry being out had a significant impact on all these aspects, that still goes to a problem with the culture in this organization, a problem with the ability of these coaches to make adjustments to account for his absence and motivate the team to at least f***ing keep fighting even if they lose. These past two games were blowouts where the team played with no heart, no pride, and we're never really in either game. Like my arguments about Leo's development, some of that is on the players as individuals and as a unit but we have a coach who seems to think the only solutions here are "we gottah play as hahd as we did in the games withowt Terry". I think there's bigger problems than just Terry being out. That's my point.

 

[Son of Gib]

So glad I flew in for that trash.

 

[The Midnight Burrito]

Is mesmerizing watching a mind like his answer these questions. He acts almost offended when Derek Lee asks how he can get more offense out of some of the players. "They've done it before, I can't draw up new plays!" There are people on this forum defending this moron with a straight face.

I liked his early answers fine, liked that he shielded Cutter. Didn’t like his answers to Derek at all. Can’t draw up new plays, didn’t change the lineup because that’s the lineup.

 

[KelVarnsen]

Homeboy has no answers. The way he must have bamboolzed PV and others in a hiring interview is beyond me. He just acts so clueless all the time. Very frustrating.

 

[dracom]

We can't generate new formulas for creating offense?

Oh word? Cause the systems we're running are tried and true as we've spent the entirety of the season dead last in goal scoring? (oh excuse me, Nashville has two fewer goals than us now)

Yeah no shit it starts with winning puck battles, what are you doing in practice to get these boys to improve at that?

Edit: total non answer on why he didn't try new lines after they didn't work last game.

God I hope Carolina steamrolls this team tomorrow. Something's gotta give.

he's just admitting he doesn't know how to coach in the nhl. bro, your whole job is to come up with new plans to win. we're one of the worst teams in generating offense so obviously whatever the f*** you're doing isn't working so it's your job to do something else. can't blame it all on the players not winning puck battles (which to be fair they aren't) but like it's your job to do the thing you're suggesting you can't do. so f***ing over this dude and i can't believe there is still anyone who isn't in the "fire cronin" camp.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

We're still talking about two different things now. Win or lose, whatever, the team isn't so bad that they should be playing this poorly again even without Terry. You're right, Terry being out makes match ups easier and it makes us easier to beat. McDavid being out makes Edmonton an easier team to beat and match up against but when it happens they don't lose looking this inept. Yeah that's a better team and a better player but to me, glorifying Terry to this extent ignores the other problems this team has, namely the coaching. Not that I get any kind of impression from you that you defend Cronin, but I feel like blaming these results on Terry being out to this extent is an oversimplification.

Even if we're to assume that Terry being out had a significant impact on all these aspects, that still goes to a problem with the culture in this organization, a problem with the ability of these coaches to make adjustments to account for his absence and motivate the team to at least f***ing keep fighting even if they lose. These past two games were blowouts where the team played with no heart, no pride, and we're never really in either game. Like my arguments about Leo's development, some of that is on the players as individuals and as a unit but we have a coach who seems to think the only solutions here are "we gottah play as hahd as we did in the games withowt Terry". I think there's bigger problems than just Terry being out. That's my point.

Terry being out exposes those bigger problems.

Terry gives us a top line that shelters our other three lines that are two 3rd lines and an AHL line. Without a top line, then no line is sheltered and we are abused. Recall last year the lack of production for Vatrano and Strome without Mac? Due to the lack of offensive coaching development, our youths cannot carry lines right now under a Cronin regime... including Mac this year!

Our blueline has been helped greatly by our netminders standing on their heads. When they don't stand on their heads, then it gets ugly. We have been blown out by 3 or more goals in losses nine times this season. Which means we've been blown out seven times previously before these last two games.

We're propped up as a team by our netminders and timely scoring. We don't possess enough top-end talent, which is on GM Verbeek. Most of our youths are struggling, that's on GM Verbeek and the development coaching group. We don't have a coach that knows how to win when something isn't working, which is on coach "I don't know" Cronin. At least Eakins proved in 2022-23 that he knew how to earn points without a defense, a pp, or pk, while developing youths and vets offensively. Z became our leading scorer in his second full season in the league and Fowler hit a consecutive season in career high in scoring! That isn't me endorsing to want Eakins back, but to prove that there are coaches that can do better than Cronin.

 

[McDonald19]

I was. And it was nothing like this. Never was the Honda Center filled up with people screaming/chanting about Schultz. Ducks fans didn't spew hate all over the internet and stalk Scultz when he was still in college.

He got booed modestly for maybe 10 games . . . and then it was done.

And the Ducks didn’t even bodycheck Schultz. For some reason the Flyers wanted to hit and fight Cutter.

McTavish actually seems to care at least

He was willing to go into the battle. He, Fabbri, and Vatrano. Disappointed in Trouba.

 

[dracom]

And the Ducks didn’t even bodycheck Schultz. For some reason the Flyers wanted to hit and fight Cutter.


He was willing to go into the battle. He, Fabbri, and Vatrano. Disappointed in Trouba.

could you imagine if Cutter got injured? they probably still be cheering

 

[Doothpick]

McTavish has that sore loser mentality that Perry had, and it's one of the reasons he was such a pain in the ass to play against. I hope we see more of that from him in the future.

What a stinker of a game. Hard not to be bummed about these efforts.

 

[Ducks DVM]

We're still talking about two different things now. Win or lose, whatever, the team isn't so bad that they should be playing this poorly again even without Terry. You're right, Terry being out makes match ups easier and it makes us easier to beat. McDavid being out makes Edmonton an easier team to beat and match up against but when it happens they don't lose looking this inept. Yeah that's a better team and a better player but to me, glorifying Terry to this extent ignores the other problems this team has, namely the coaching. Not that I get any kind of impression from you that you defend Cronin, but I feel like blaming these results on Terry being out to this extent is an oversimplification.

Even if we're to assume that Terry being out had a significant impact on all these aspects, that still goes to a problem with the culture in this organization, a problem with the ability of these coaches to make adjustments to account for his absence and motivate the team to at least f***ing keep fighting even if they lose. These past two games were blowouts where the team played with no heart, no pride, and we're never really in either game. Like my arguments about Leo's development, some of that is on the players as individuals and as a unit but we have a coach who seems to think the only solutions here are "we gottah play as hahd as we did in the games withowt Terry". I think there's bigger problems than just Terry being out. That's my point.

Oh, I am driving the boat on the fire Cronin parade.

I think Verbeek has put it together poorly and Cronin is trying to make the players he has play the way he wants rather than instilling a system that forces them to be defend only responsible while actually playing to their strengths. His system is boring to the point of wondering why the Ducks think it’ll put butts in seats even if it starts winning.

They’re not all that good, and they’re mentally fragile, and the coach has no idea what to do when he’s being outcoached. My point with Terry is that he at least forces the other coach to coach and the other players to have to play at the top of their games. I just don’t see either being a necessity when he’s out. Unless the goalies to full Hasek.

 

[Terry Yake]

well, i guess we already know where this team stands. didn't even need to finish the road trip to find out

 

[Firequacker]

Loathe as I am to ever agree with Felix Sicard, it is kind of interesting Strome specifically mentions Zellweger here. How often do players bring up a healthy scratch unprompted?

Also interesting IMO: on the Ducks Stream pregame against Calgary, they interviewed Strome and asked him about what Leason was going to bring to his line. The first thing out of his mouth was "Yeah he's no Troy Terry, I think he'd be the first to tell you that," and he went on to talk up Leason and summarize him as an underrated checking forward. But then he said he and Vatrano weren't really planning on playing differently. That struck me as a kind of odd thing to say right after acknowledging they were replacing Hard Carry Terry with a checking forward (and sure enough, how'd that go).

Two games later, and Cronin's answers about the offense boil down to "they just have to play like they did before." Meanwhile, now Strome is saying that he thinks they need to be mindful of who they're missing and try to play differently, seemingly speaking for himself.

This all kind of makes it sound like the actual coaching has been "we don't need to make any adjustments just because we're missing some of our most dynamic players."