Toggle sidebar

GDT: #82 ⋅ ANA @ WPG ⋅ 4:00 PM PDT

HanSolo said:
We may legitimately have the best goalie coaching staff in the league while simultaneously having the worst every other kind of coach.
Click to expand...

I'm glad we got a full time hockey coach in Budaj b/c our goalies suffered when Sudsie was battling cancer. Sudsie gets to still give input from up on high in an admin role while Budaj can be involved with our goalies on a daily basis.

2022-23
Head coach: Eakins
PP coach: Brown
PK coach: Stothers
Goalie Coach: Sudsie

Eakins' record was 23-47-12 (58 pts). That doesn't look impressive at all, but Verbeek did him no favors with the roster given to Eakins. This team had no physicality, punch, fight, nor blueline.

Brown just sucked without Geoff Ward (the other PP coach from the 2021-22 season). Stothers did miracles with the shit blueline Verbeek gave him. Then Stother lost one of his PK d-men at the TDL and it fell apart.

Sudsie might have been battling cancer before it was diagnosed after the season was over in May 2023. Our goalies were trending just below .900 Sv %.

2023-24
Head coach: Cronin
PP coach: Brown
PK coach: Thompson
Goalie Coach: none.... Asst Goalie Coach: David Rook

Cronin was gifted more offensive weapons and vastly more talent and physicality on the blueline. Carlsson and Killorn were added to the forward side. On the defensive side, we got RD Gudas, RD Lyubushkin, LD/RD LaCombe, LD Mintyukov, a healthy Vaak, and LD/RD Zell. Also, they got LD Hagg, who couldn't cut the NHL club, RD Lindstrom in-season, and LD Lagesson in-season. Although, Cronin did lose FO specialists in Rico and Carrick at the TDL as well as Lyubushkin. The advanced metrics sucked, produced less offense than Eakins' group, better GA (defense), but only generated one extra point! The goal scoring was helped by 12 shorties!!!

Brown was inconsistent, but also got more offensive weapons. He still sucked.

Thompson started off hot, but decayed at an alarming rate. I didn't want him back after seeing that decay throughout the whole season.

Can't really say much about Rook. Our goalie productions were similar to 2022-23.

2024-25
Head coach: Cronin
PP coach: Clune
PK coach: Thompson
Goalie Coach: Budaj (Dir of Goaltending = Sudsie)

Cronin got some new talent in LW Cutter and LD Dumo. Eventually, swapped LD Fowler for RD Trouba. Then LD LaCombe became a #1 d-man. All the metrics sucked. The goalies (+44.5 Goals Saved Above expectation improvement) and reduced penalties (27 fewer PK goals against and 82 fewer TSH) were the biggest factor in reducing GA's and a 21 point improvement.

Clune was pathetic all season.

Thompson was decaying again until someone told him that he can use more talented players on the PK like Carlsson and Terry. Whoever told him that should get credit. Still, the PK sucked. Too bad Stothers had cancer and promoted to an advisory role to not tax him physically, which what happened with goalie coach Sudsie, who is now the director of Goal tending.

I think the Sudsie in an admin role with Budaj on the ice daily with the netminders has been a boon for almost all of the netminders who debuted for us. I can't believe how well Husso did for us. It's as if they made movie script called "How Husso Got His Groove Back". It ends with Husso with his new Ducks helmet stealing a point for the team, but losing in OT despite a 0.955 Sv%.

1744861755541.png
 
The Midnight Burrito said:
It was only a few shifts but Washe looks like how I hoped Gaucher would look. Be great to have two guys like that. No more Leason, and though I still love him, no more Lundy. He doesn't do enough.
Click to expand...

I agree with this. He looked big and fast. He didn't look intimidated or was getting pushed around. I like how much he fought consistently to stand in front of the goalie. He also won a few faceoffs pretty cleanly. When Gaucher heals, I would love to see them compete for ice time and maybe form a physical and defensive 4th line together.
 
  • Like
Reactions: The Midnight Burrito
To me, the season is summed up pretty simply: bad systems, bad coaching decisions, bad special teams, incredible goaltending, talented young players growing, & vets are good people but take too many games off.

I am optimistic about the future of the team and believe there is the makeup of long-term success. There should be a good coach out there that sees that opportunity as well. My hope is that Verbeek is smart enough to not only change the coaching, but actually hire someone who is an improvement.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hockey Duckie, Goose of Reason and DuckRogers10
I think Vatrano was one of the guys who said he enjoyed playing with Cronin - didn't we hear that somewhere. It's clear that Cronin likes him. his extension is just one additional little piece of evidence that could give us a window into Verbeek and the likeliness of moving on from Cronin. as outsiders, all we can do is try to decipher these little bits and feel the direction the wind is sort of blowing in.
 
Last night sucked because the 3 guys who were caught on that goal , had made the best strides this season, imo.

Mac slamming his stick was basically how we all felt. It sucked and after a couple of days will move on , But hate how that was the final sequence of the season.
 
  • Like
Reactions: duckaroosky and ohcomeonref
The Midnight Burrito said:
It was only a few shifts but Washe looks like how I hoped Gaucher would look. Be great to have two guys like that. No more Leason, and though I still love him, no more Lundy. He doesn't do enough.
Click to expand...
I think Lundy will be great on a team that is full of physical players or go back to the SHL and be great there.

Just don't think he can succeed on the 4th line of a team that is already lacking physicality.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)

Latest posts

Ad

Ad

Top Bottom