News Article: Babcock Keeps Pushing Red Wings in Perhaps His Best Coaching Job Ever

[TKB]

The reaction to this will be fun:

DETROIT – Mike Babcock pushes. He always pushes. He was pushing at practice March 14 in Edmonton, when the Detroit Red Wings were coming off a 5-2 loss in Calgary. Rookie defenseman Brendan Smith had struggled against the Flames, so the coach pulled him aside and told him ....



http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nhl--b...aps-his-best-coaching-job-ever-184636304.html

Click to read more...

 

[Flowah]

Well, he's still doing a couple things that make me scratch my head.

1. Cleary's IT and lineup
2. Brunner on the point.

But mostly he's fixed the major issues like

1. Both Cleary and Abby with Datsyuk giving him no one to play with.
2. Lashoff..... wtf...
3. The d pairings are about as solid as they're going to get with an injured DD. During the year there was a ton of shuffling and very... to put it mildly, suboptimal combos. That's been changed.
4. Finally a solid, consistent third line. No more line juggling with that one. Leave it forever.
5. Seeing the value of Miller over guys like Sammy/Bert. Paid off last night eh?

So good for him for adjusting. And there's no doubt he has both Boudreau's and Quenville's numbers. Question is, does he have the team to finish it against the Hawks?

 

[TKB]

It is actually a very interesting article, with player comments and discussion (though not detailed) of conflict with management.

I laughed at the title, because it is sure to re-ignite debate, but it really is a good article.

 

[PullHard]

He’s telling you, ‘How soft are you?’ Stuff like that.

- Jakub Kindl.

 

[Heaton]

Let me preface this by saying I do not want Cleary re-signed.

But the dude is doing his job. I agree with people who believe Nyquist deserves more IT, but Cleary has been here before, he knows what to do and he's doing it. He's not nearly as effective as he once was - but the coach trusts him and for the majority of the time he's trustworthy.

As for Brunner on the point, he's all situational, if you watch closely you'll see it's more of a rotation than anything else. He'll start at the point but move down, it's all about options. If there is any concern at all, you'll see two defensemen there.

He's also breaking from the stigma that he only plays vets. It's kinda hard to say that after this season.

 

[Sameheda]

Absolutely agree. Cleary may not be a great forward but he's doing his job and has 6 points in 10 games; that's more than Franzen and Flip, among many others.

 

[GoAwayDanCleary]

Let me preface this by saying I do not want Cleary re-signed.

But the dude is doing his job. I agree with people who believe Nyquist deserves more IT, but Cleary has been here before, he knows what to do and he's doing it. He's not nearly as effective as he once was - but the coach trusts him and for the majority of the time he's trustworthy.

As for Brunner on the point, he's all situational, if you watch closely you'll see it's more of a rotation than anything else. He'll start at the point but move down, it's all about options. If there is any concern at all, you'll see two defensemen there.

He's also breaking from the stigma that he only plays vets. It's kinda hard to say that after this season.

I think the kids' performance has forced Babcock into breaking the stigma. Hopefully it reaches Holland.

 

[Heaton]

I think the kids' performance has forced Babcock into breaking the stigma. Hopefully it reaches Holland.

While I agree, people have thought that before and it didn't happen.

 

[JPE123]

I think Babcock has done a good job with this team. He lost his on ice coach in Lidstrom, a guy who probably had a calming effect on the young guys.

I can't imagine coaching at this level is easy. All of the players, take Smith for example are stars when they get here. Smith excelled his whole career and then gets to Detroit and the NHL and he's just another player playing against other guys who have excelled everywhere they played. A guy like Smith probably hasn't had his chops busted for a long time because he was always the star. That's why he got to the NHL but now he's got to go up a whole other level.

 

[JBauerly97]

Absolutely agree. Cleary may not be a great forward but he's doing his job and has 6 points in 10 games; that's more than Franzen and Flip, among many others.

Cleary kind of won me over last night with the way he played and was up in people's faces. He may have been before, I just didn't notice it.

 

[VladTheImpaler]

Cleary is playing his role very well right now - no complaints there. The Lashoff blunder and the lack of IT given to Tatar and Nyquist early on were still mistakes by Babcock, but he has done a phenomenal job with this team over the last 3-4 weeks.

 

[Yemack]

TKB should have posted it under 'when was the last time babcock outcoached anyone'. would have been more interesting.

 

[probertrules24]

I found it interesting with the Mursak comment. Not sure if that was from Babcock or the writer. Would explain a lot and why he's never cracked the lineup full time.

Great article to hear players thoughts and comments.

 

[Fugu]

Finally an article that addresses the things some of us have been claiming for years.

It’s not because he’s warm and fuzzy. It has been an open secret around the Wings that Babcock has clashed with players for years now, from the top to the bottom of the roster. He has clashed with management this season, too, about how certain players are used and the composition of the roster, often issuing public reminders of how much less he has at his disposal. But is that a negative? Or is that a positive? Or does your perception depend on the results?

Does Babcock handle the players differently these days? Depends on whom you ask.
Babcock will tell you he gives the veterans their space, and that’s true. He holds fewer meetings with them. Players will tell you that he harder on the veterans, and that’s true, too. He has higher expectations of them because of their experience level.
“There’s definitely a lot of the vets where he’ll still come down on them,” Smith said. “He won’t coddle them or hold their hand.”
Babcock will tell you he is positive with everyone. Players will tell you he is more positive with the youngsters than he used to be. Others will tell you he has been more positive with the youngsters out of necessity, because at some point he had to embrace the situation and get the most out of what he had if the Wings had any chance to win.

 

[GoAwayDanCleary]

I loved the way he backed up Smith. I know Smitty is on his good side but it I thought be handled it perfectly.

 

[WingedWheel1987]

I knew there was no reason to doubt Babcock. I feel terrible that I ever doubted him.

Ken Holland on the other hand.........

 

[Winger98]

Finally an article that addresses the things some of us have been claiming for years.

Yeah, I noticed the wording, too. We know he apparently really wanted Burns (who's now just as often a forward for the Sharks...heh, funny how that worked out), he hasn't been gungho getting kids into the lineup in the past, and he's loved him his vets. Holland has gotten a lot of crap for the makeup of the team, but maybe we're seeing how much input Babcock really has been giving, and how it has influenced who Holland signs considering the vet heavy lineups he's been bringing to camp.

It might also mean Holland has stood up to it and said they're done. Maybe the hopes for a bit of roster turnover and Tatar being worked in next year has some possibility.

 

[Fugu]

I knew there was no reason to doubt Babcock. I feel terrible that I ever doubted him.

Ken Holland on the other hand.........

I think you're overlooking that Babcock has been changing and adjusting too, so yes, there were reasons to doubt him at that time. For me, the comment about how he treats younger players, roster composition, etc? Yup.

 

[Fugu]

Yeah, I noticed the wording, too. We know he apparently really wanted Burns (who's now just as often a forward for the Sharks...heh, funny how that worked out), he hasn't been gungho getting kids into the lineup in the past, and he's loved him his vets. Holland has gotten a lot of crap for the makeup of the team, but maybe we're seeing how much input Babcock really has been giving, and how it has influenced who Holland signs considering the vet heavy lineups he's been bringing to camp.

It might also mean Holland has stood up to it and said they're done. Maybe the hopes for a bit of roster turnover and Tatar being worked in next year has some possibility.

The composition of the roster is code (to me) for style of play.

Plus when/how youngsters get worked in. Let's not overlook that Babs seems to have taken a different approach with the youngsters, accepting that the GM can't just magically make the perfect type of Babs player appear from nowhere.

 

[Heaton]

The composition of the roster is code (to me) for style of play.

Plus when/how youngsters get worked in. Let's not overlook that Babs seems to have taken a different approach with the youngsters, accepting that the GM can't just magically make the perfect type of Babs player appear from nowhere.

While true, it has to be tough for a coach to want to coach a certain way but your boss won't allow it since you don't have the players you need/want. I think it is a combination of Holland bringing and keeping a few players Babcock likes and Babcock accepting this is how it has to be for a while and adjust.

 

[mindfly]

Very interesting read, thanks for sharing.

 

[WingedWheel1987]

I think you're overlooking that Babcock has been changing and adjusting too, so yes, there were reasons to doubt him at that time. For me, the comment about how he treats younger players, roster composition, etc? Yup.

I hate his infatuation with veterans and the short leash rookies have, but like you said, Babcock changed. Holland hasn't changed or updated his philosophy. Lets hope Babcock rubs off on Holland and he also tweaks his team building philosophy.

 

[Fugu]

While true, it has to be tough for a coach to want to coach a certain way but your boss won't allow it since you don't have the players you need/want. I think it is a combination of Holland bringing and keeping a few players Babcock likes and Babcock accepting this is how it has to be for a while and adjust.

It's always been that way. Maybe ultimately it's good that they push each other, but Holland is never going to move away from high skill/possession preferences and Babs is a grinder/dump in kinda guy, put the puck on the net.

Both styles have limitations. When you just do Babs' preference, the team becomes stale and predictable. The recent scoring has not come from the set plays, and Homeresque opportunities, but from a lot of skating, speed, and just moving the puck relentlessly. You can't do that with his grinders, but without some of those guys, you get pushed around a lot. In spite of the youth and its mistakes, the Wings are building a very mobile group with reasonably high skill levels.

 

[Flowah]

I think you're overlooking that Babcock has been changing and adjusting too, so yes, there were reasons to doubt him at that time. For me, the comment about how he treats younger players, roster composition, etc? Yup.

Don't even really need the article to see it.

That his first instinct in a playoff series against the Ducks was "Lashoff" was mindboggling. But he adjusted. Quickly. Good for him.

And look how much better the team is for it.

 

[Fugu]

I hate his infatuation with veterans and the short leash rookies have, but like you said, Babcock changed. Holland hasn't changed or updated his philosophy. Lets hope Babcock rubs off on Holland and he also tweaks his team building philosophy.

They have started drafting bigger guys, as a preference vs ignoring size in the past IF the skill was very high.