Berube // North <-> South // Coaching Systems // Elitism

[Ianturnedbull]

I watched TOR over the last couple games, and I must admit that I am watching with some discomfort. So weird seeing opportunistic scoring, pucks flicked out into the neutral zone, heavy forechecking, down low plays, etc.

How do you feel about the change so far? It certainly looks like cookies are going to be hard to come by.

Wild start, but I like the defensive structure.

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[notbias]

I watched TOR over the last couple games, and I must admit that I am watching with some discomfort. So weird seeing opportunistic scoring, pucks flicked out into the neutral zone, heavy forechecking, down low plays, etc.

How do you feel about the change so far? It certainly looks like cookies are going to be hard to come by.

Wild start, but I like the defensive structure.

Hard to judge, they generated a ton in the first game against a bad team but couldn't score, didn't generate much against New Jersey, a better team, and won with 4 goals...

Defensively they look good, but goaltending has bailed them out a few times too.

Some players have looked bad (might just be adjusting), and some players have looked good but may look worse as time goes on and the games become more structured.

It is very hard to get a feel of how well this team will do in a new structure yet.

 

[kevsh]

Same as above, but just want to point out there is a WHOLE lot of East/West still going on. So either some players haven't adjusted yet or they haven't tried to adjust, yet.

The key will be if Berube gets a full buy-in from the stars. Are they willing to forego 40/50/60+ goal/100 point seasons and personal (regular season) awards to convert to a playoffs-focused "defense first" system? And if not, who blinks first?

 

[Jojalu]

Same as above, but just want to point out there is a WHOLE lot of East/West still going on. So either some players haven't adjusted yet or they haven't tried to adjust, yet.

The key will be if Berube gets a full buy-in from the stars. Are they willing to forego 40/50/60+ goal/100 point seasons and personal (regular season) awards to convert to a playoffs-focused "defense first" system? And if not, who blinks first?

Like Col, Pitt, TB and a slew of teams, you nto be able to play both styles.

So it will be a lot more North/South but Berube is not going to get rifmd of all the East/West.

He should and probably will on the PP, but he won't try and nueter Nylander's creative side

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Marner is the epitome of East West.
He's the cap casualty.

 

[colchar]

I watched TOR over the last couple games, and I must admit that I am watching with some discomfort. So weird seeing opportunistic scoring, pucks flicked out into the neutral zone, heavy forechecking, down low plays, etc.

How do you feel about the change so far? It certainly looks like cookies are going to be hard to come by.

Wild start, but I like the defensive structure.

Why the hell would this style cause you discomfort?

 

[Ianturnedbull]

Why the hell would this style cause you discomfort?

There's comfort with familiarity. There is discomfort with strangeness and uncertainty.

 

[Dreakmur]

There's comfort with familiarity. There is discomfort with strangeness and uncertainty.

Uncertainty is better than certain failure.

 

[57 Years No Cup]

Marner is the epitome of East West.
He's the cap casualty.

THIS^.

 

[Antropovsky]

Uncertainty is better than certain failure.

Not gonna win with the free wheeling perimeter, no discipline hockey that Keefe had this team on.

I like that Berube appears to have shown this team that he's the boss. Noone respected Keefe.

 

[Roo]

I’m digging it. Our skill guys will figure it out.

 

[ULF_55]

I think some play has looked better and some play has looked worse.

PP looks like they have never had a practice.
PK looks like most other teams and has been effective.

Ask me after game 89.

 

[WTFMAN99]

The bottom 6 in 2 games has looked better than it ever has under Keefe.

I don't like the top 6, I don't know if it is as simple as swapping Marner and 88 but I don't like them at 5v5.

PP1 is also bad, it looks so damned stale. OEL and Rielly swap is probably the first change to try.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Ask me after game 89.

7 games into the next season ?

 

[Macallan18]

The bottom 6 in 2 games has looked better than it ever has under Keefe.

I don't like the top 6, I don't know if it is as simple as swapping Marner and 88 but I don't like them at 5v5.

PP1 is also bad, it looks so damned stale. OEL and Rielly swap is probably the first change to try.

I have this crazy idea, lets hire a coach to run the pp, and if he can't do it, FIRE HIM INTO THE f***ING SUN!!!!!

Uncertainty is better than certain failure.

is that a pornstar in your avatar???
I know it might have alcohol, but seriously.......

 

[Dreakmur]

is that a pornstar in your avatar???
I know it might have alcohol, but seriously.......

That was a gift from a friend of mine in college.

 

[WTFMAN99]

I have this crazy idea, lets hire a coach to run the pp, and if he can't do it, FIRE HIM INTO THE f***ING SUN!!!!!


is that a pornstar in your avatar???
I know it might have alcohol, but seriously.......

Yea...I don't know if it was arrogance on Savard's part thinking he could come in and get more out of the group in place but you probably need to swap personnel out. The PP2 unit has looked better IMO.

It's very stale as well because the group hasn't really changed so if it hasn't changed and they aren't doing anything new, all the old scouting reports are accurate.

 

[acrobaticgoalie]

I watched TOR over the last couple games, and I must admit that I am watching with some discomfort. So weird seeing opportunistic scoring, pucks flicked out into the neutral zone, heavy forechecking, down low plays, etc.

How do you feel about the change so far? It certainly looks like cookies are going to be hard to come by.

Wild start, but I like the defensive structure.

It's not worth having feelings one way or another after just 2 games. After game 15 or so maybe

 

[HockeyVirus]

I watched the Devils post game curious to see what Keefe said. His issue with the Devils game was not good enough puck moving from the D and an inability to get through the neutral zone.

I thought to myself, damn does that sound familiar. Nice to have a system that actually causes problems for fast skilled teams. Berube's system grinds the game down to a crawl then tells his guys to beat the shit out of the other team in the battles. Real playoff hockey.

 

[Gallagbi]

Yea...I don't know if it was arrogance on Savard's part thinking he could come in and get more out of the group in place but you probably need to swap personnel out. The PP2 unit has looked better IMO.

It's very stale as well because the group hasn't really changed so if it hasn't changed and they aren't doing anything new, all the old scouting reports are accurate.

You should be able to get more out of the current PP1. Its not a lack of talent.

 

[HellasLEAF]

I watched TOR over the last couple games, and I must admit that I am watching with some discomfort. So weird seeing opportunistic scoring, pucks flicked out into the neutral zone, heavy forechecking, down low plays, etc.

How do you feel about the change so far? It certainly looks like cookies are going to be hard to come by.

Wild start, but I like the defensive structure.

I think that I liked what I seen in both games. Regardless of the score. Quietly optimistic.

 

[WTFMAN99]

You should be able to get more out of the current PP1. Its not a lack of talent.

Yeah in theory but we're not so why does that top PP unit *need* to stay in tact? Break it up.

 

[conFABulator]

I am happy with the changes so far. When we got up by two goals against the Devils, I felt like we would win the game. In the past I felt like it would eventually be 2-2 a s maybe we go on to win 5-4 or something.

This team was built to have more depth and balance than we have seen in the past, we used to start every year up against the cap with a 20-man roster, this year we are up against it again but we have 28 players (IR and LTIR guys that will be back and are not on Robidas island).

This depth means that the top players may get less ice time, less opportunity and less points. If we are winning those things shouldn't matter. I still like...

Knies Matthews Domi
Robertson Tavares Marner
Pacioretty Holmberg Nylander
Lorentz Kampf McMann

I feel like Domi brings out a much different dimension in that top line. I would also like to see Marner and Nylander each driving their own line. Reward the lines that are bringing the energy and sticking to the plan. Internal competition for ice time is a good thing.

Same with the PP, run two units and let each unit know they will get about a minute of time and either one could get the first minute. As the game and season goes on reward the hot one.

Matthews
Domi
Knies
Nylander
OEL

Matthews
Marner
Tavares
Robertson
Timmins or Reilly

Yes, Matthews is on both.

 

[Gallagbi]

Yeah in theory but we're not so why does that top PP unit *need* to stay in tact? Break it up.

I never said they need to, there are pro's and con's to splitting up your talent. But if our PP coach can't get this group to be effective that's a big issue and doesn't reflect well on him.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Matthews
Domi
Knies
Nylander
OEL

swap Robertson for Knies.

I want 1 slapshot. and the rest of the guys I want as fast as possible and as much finish as possible.