GDT: Around the League - Stanley Cup Edition - Round #3 [Final 4]
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LaPlante94
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- Apr 12, 2011
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Thought I'd post this for that cry baby guy complaining about the Isles and how the NHL is trying to make the game become boring like the dead puck era. He always brought up the game is trying to take away the speed and rushing chances yet the Islanders seem to have no problem getting chances off the rush using their speed/skill.
Duanesutter12
Member of Lou's Orchestra
I agree with you and there are very specific reasons why he's so underrated. First, he is forced to play within Trotz system which will always be defense first. His rookie year under Doug Weight he put up 85 points in a system that was perfectly suited for utilising his speed. He hasn't come close since Trotz became coach. Second, He plays on LI and it's easy to be tucked away when you are not playing for a high profile team. We are the Jon Snow of NHL franchises! I always call Barzal "Conor McDavid light" and when I do I'm met with incredulous looks. I'm not saying he's as good as McDavid but if he played in a system where his speed was the cornerstone foundation of driving play then he would put up huge numbers. I really hope he makes team Canada (along with Pelech) and think it would crazy if they don't take him.
socko
Registered User
Just my 2 cents as an Islanders fan, Lou's biggest contribution to the Islanders was bringing structure and respectability to the team. Snow for starters would never get a guy like Trotz to come coach us.
I do think many people though underrate how good(not great) the roster that got handed to Lou. If you look at today's roster these are all Snow acquisitions
Barzal
Eberle
Beavillier
Bailey
Nelson
Cizikas
Clutterbuck
Pulock
Pelech
Mayfield
Leddy
Dobson
Sorokin
(it should be also noted Lee and Wahlstrom are injured)
Which basically leaves Pageau, Palmieri, Zajac, Komarov, Martin, Greene and Varlamov as Lou's contribution to the team
Ignoring Barzal I would classify all the guys Snow got as good middle 6 players and 2-4 defensemen(besides Dobson who is still only 21). As an Islanders fan as much as I would love to blame Tavares for all our troubles till he left, simple fact is the Islanders where just a poorly mismanaged team(including bottom 1/3 of the league coaching) during the Snow/Wang ERA and any success they had was more a case of the team playing above the structure the management gave them. I will say as bad(or below average) as Capuano was a coach in terms of Xs and Os I will give him some credit for at least teaching the guys to play hard, Weight was just a dumpster fire who had the guys running around like chickens with their heads cut off.
If it's worth anything I do think Lou's drafting the past 2 years has sort of been uninspiring(save Bolduc who was picked in the 2nd round of 2019)
I do think many people though underrate how good(not great) the roster that got handed to Lou. If you look at today's roster these are all Snow acquisitions
Barzal
Eberle
Beavillier
Bailey
Nelson
Cizikas
Clutterbuck
Pulock
Pelech
Mayfield
Leddy
Dobson
Sorokin
(it should be also noted Lee and Wahlstrom are injured)
Which basically leaves Pageau, Palmieri, Zajac, Komarov, Martin, Greene and Varlamov as Lou's contribution to the team
Ignoring Barzal I would classify all the guys Snow got as good middle 6 players and 2-4 defensemen(besides Dobson who is still only 21). As an Islanders fan as much as I would love to blame Tavares for all our troubles till he left, simple fact is the Islanders where just a poorly mismanaged team(including bottom 1/3 of the league coaching) during the Snow/Wang ERA and any success they had was more a case of the team playing above the structure the management gave them. I will say as bad(or below average) as Capuano was a coach in terms of Xs and Os I will give him some credit for at least teaching the guys to play hard, Weight was just a dumpster fire who had the guys running around like chickens with their heads cut off.
If it's worth anything I do think Lou's drafting the past 2 years has sort of been uninspiring(save Bolduc who was picked in the 2nd round of 2019)
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Ya so am I, but I'm over it already. Changes need to happen but I'm no longer upset by it. I don't play for the team, no reason to let it affect me for so long.
What a dog of a game by the Lightning. Felt like I was watching a team full of Mitch Marners out there... turnover x 50. Seriously, that was some poor puck management. The Isles play a straight up honest game. Tampa handed this one to them imo, but credit to the Isles for takng what was there.
Game 2 should be interesting; imagine Tampa comes out with some better puck management on Tuesday.
Game 2 should be interesting; imagine Tampa comes out with some better puck management on Tuesday.
Mess
Global Moderator
The irony of that is Matty Barzal won the Calder with 85 points but the NYI with Tavares on board missed the playoffs.
Then Lou Lam and Barry Trotz arrived the year after and also JT departed.
Now the players personal stats in the regular season has gone down, but they have 6 playoff series wins and counting instead.
I bet Matty Barzal scoring 4 playoff goals in the last 5 games leading the NYI's to closing out Boston and now leading TB likely means more than that Calder trophy does, because now their winning as team. .
Mess
Global Moderator
If Trotz was an obvious move than why didn't Dubas make it for our Leafs and not let Lou Lam leave and make it?
rumman
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- Sep 10, 2008
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Good question, if Dubas is so much smarter than Lou why didn’t he hire Trotz? The answer is:
A- he was banking on his bbf Keefe being the second coming of Toe Blake.
B- Trotz most likely wouldn’t have touched that offer with a barge pole.
Um because Trotz got hired 17 months before Babcock got fired here...
Do you really think MLSE would have approved firing Babcock just 3 years into an 8 year, $50M contract?
I know it's easy to try and blame Dubas for everything we're mad about right now but let's at least try to keep it to things he actually has control over..
Pretty sure it's not Dubas' decision to keep Lou around.
But you're not wrong about why Dubas didn't make it. It was an obvious move given Trotz success and I remember being disappointed Toronto didn't try to hire him at the time.
ACC1224
Super Elite, Passing ALL Tests since 2002
- Aug 19, 2002
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It was pretty obvious at the time Babcock wasn't exactly working out. I'm not putting any blame on Dubas but to me, firing Babcock and hiring Trotz would've been a great idea.
Mess
Global Moderator
I agree, I don't hold that against Dubas, as we all knew he wanted to move on from Babcock to Keefe, and was never considering anyone else as his choice for coaches.
That was probably the worst kept secret in hockey.
However in the context of "coaches" if hiring Barry Trotz was a no brainer in terms of wanting playoff success then hiring Keefe in direct comparison and comparing their teams results it was a poor decision, particularly now based on hindsight. If Leafs ownership were to make a GM change, they more than likely going to use Keefe results against Dubas, when doing his job evaluation based on the Leafs results. and not Trotz results on another team.
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weems
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- Jul 3, 2008
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Mess
Global Moderator
At the time that was actually happening I was thinking, that was one of the most impressive masterful ways I have ever seen a team close out a game that was leading, while the other team was the desperate one behind and trying to pull their goalie.
We also often hear "it was a mistake to sit back and defend a lead late, but that ain't it.
Trapper
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- Nov 21, 2013
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This core isn’t designed to persevere.At the time that was actually happened I was thinking that was one of the most impressive ways I have ever seen a team close out a game that was leading, while the other team was the desperate one behind and trying to pull their goalie.
We also often hear "it was a mistake to sit back and defend a lead late, but that ain't it.
If you want to get through 4 rounds, you need to be able to play effectively a multitude of ways.
That doesn’t mean you aren’t skilled, can’t score off the rush, don’t have a good PP, it just means you can endure and adapt.
Not here. Dubas has built pretty much a one trick pony. And the playoff opponents know the trick. Clog the neutral zone, hold the line and watch Marner try to dangle it in a game 7 and get picked. Or anyone else for that matter.
How much of the difference do you think they make up with back to back conference finals vs missing the playoffs against Columbus then a first round exit to Montréal?
Bottom line is important, but winning trumps all, especially in Toronto.
If a new or better coach gives the organization a much better chance to succeed, I don’t know why Babcock’s remaining salary is their concern given that MLSE prints money.
ToneDog
56 years and counting. #FireTheShanaClan!
Not capable of and not willing to. Hyman is one player than can but sadly he probably won't be a Leaf next year.
ToneDog
56 years and counting. #FireTheShanaClan!
In hindsight sure fire Babs and hire Trotz but at the time, no way, especially since Trotz was available when he was fired by Nashville and Shanny passed. Gallant is out there now and Dubas is standing pat with his coach. Tells you all you need to know about Shanny and co.
Trapper
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- Nov 21, 2013
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Might as well be wearing a yellow practice jersey in our series.
Mess
Global Moderator
The Leafs biggest problem is that this current Leafs team's players lack structure and discipline, and need to be pushed and not coddled. IMO
ToneDog
56 years and counting. #FireTheShanaClan!
Dubas' mandate last summer was to make this team more difficult to play against. #Failed.
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