Christmas Knob and Coffey Appreciation Thread

Cloned

Begging for Bega
Aug 25, 2003
81,754
71,921
Can we just take a moment this holiday season to appreciate the fine work these two gentlemen have done?

Every coach has weaknesses and Knob has his too, but he has far fewer than previous Oilers coaches and his strengths are important for this team. Probably the best Oilers coach since Muckler.

Coffey has the team playing solid defensive hockey despite a big hole in the lineup on RD. Was ridiculed when hired but now loved by most Oilers fans.
 

brentashton

Registered User
Jan 21, 2018
16,052
23,255
Can we just take a moment this holiday season to appreciate the fine work these two gentlemen have done?

Every coach has weaknesses and Knob has his too, but he has far fewer than previous Oilers coaches and his strengths are important for this team. Probably the best Oilers coach since Muckler.

Coffey has the team playing solid defensive hockey despite a big hole in the lineup on RD. Was ridiculed when hired but now loved by most Oilers fans.
Well said.

I Like
 

VeteranPresence

Registered User
Aug 13, 2024
716
1,157
I guess I'm going to be the Grinch in this thread lol. Sure Knob is better than the previous guy and I understand him taking a more patient approach with things like gaffes and poor efforts when he first arrived since his number one goal was to restore confidence in this group, but I've been very unhappy with his decisions this year more games than not.

He's doing his best country club manager impression most nights where Bouch, Nurse, and RNH are allowed to run around and do whatever they f***ing feel like while Jeff Skinner pays for the price for it. Same with the sitch in goal- where Knoblauch previously showed a talent for when and how to use his timeouts and goalie changes, he's letting Stu shit himself in net on a regular basis and it's cost us wins.

I want to like the guy but until he nuts up and begins to treat his players equally I just can't. It's his job to knock the bad habits out of the roster and institute good ones, but he won't ever succeed at that if demotions, benchings, and scratches are not in his vocabulary for everyone. Much better players than Bouchard have been sent to the PB over much less than the crap he's pulled multiple times this season.

Oh, and don't get me started on his unwillingness to criticize the officials during and after games, we've seen it's just a fine now and yet he's quiet as a church mouse despite straight-up crooked officiating on several occasions that is going to lead to someone getting seriously hurt.

End rant, Merry Christmas to all, even Knoblauch I guess. 🎄
 
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5 Mins 4 Ftg

Life is better with no expectations.
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Apr 3, 2016
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Anyone who can get Nurse playing up to his contract deserves a statue in front of Rogers. It might be the difference between winning and not winning a cup.

Coffey’s creative use of the defence pairings has been nothing short of amazing once he saw what he had to work with after the first 10 games or so.

After a rough start KK rebounded nicely and has the team playing a very connected disciplined game.

All we need now is a goalie coach who can match these two and Gullies offensive coaching prowess.
 

Stoneman89

Registered User
Feb 8, 2008
28,652
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I guess I'm going to be the Grinch in this thread lol. Sure Knob is better than the previous guy and I understand him taking a more patient approach with things like gaffes and poor efforts when he first arrived since his number one goal was to restore confidence in this group, but I've been very unhappy with his decisions this year more games than not.

He's doing his best country club manager impression most nights where Bouch, Nurse, and RNH are allowed to run around and do whatever they f***ing feel like while Jeff Skinner pays for the price for it. Same with the sitch in goal- where Knoblauch previously showed a talent for when and how to use his timeouts and goalie changes, he's letting Stu shit himself in net on a regular basis and it's cost us wins.

I want to like the guy but until he nuts up and begins to treat his players equally I just can't. It's his job to knock the bad habits out of the roster and institute good ones, but he won't ever succeed at that if demotions, benchings, and scratches are not in his vocabulary. Much better players than Bouchard have been sent to the PB over much less than the crap he's pulled multiple times this season.

Oh, and don't get me started on his unwillingness to criticize the officials during and after games, we've seen it's just a fine now and yet he's quiet as a church mouse despite straight-up crooked officiating on several occasions that is going to lead to someone getting seriously hurt.

End rant, Merry Christmas to all, even Knoblauch I guess. 🎄
I like to see accountability as well, and in a perfect world, everyone is the same and treated the same. But that's not the reality of it. Players making big bucks or having high esteem on the team, or a great prior track record as well as some longevity in the organization tend to get longer leashes, whether that seems fair or not. Damned good thing that stuff applies to guys like Zach Hyman.
 

brentashton

Registered User
Jan 21, 2018
16,052
23,255
I like to see accountability as well, and in a perfect world, everyone is the same and treated the same. But that's not the reality of it. Players making big bucks or having high esteem on the team, or a great prior track record as well as some longevity in the organization tend to get longer leashes, whether that seems fair or not. Damned good thing that stuff applies to guys like Zach Hyman.
This is so true.

I like John Tortorella and his overall philosophy and approach but on a veteran laden team such as this I don’t think it would work. This team would be worse off methinks.

I think the balance that they have achieved with KK at the helm is just what this group needs to be successful.

He doesn’t make all the right decisions every night but he makes far more correct than he misses on.
 

SupremeTeam16

5-14-6-1
May 31, 2013
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I was skeptical of this staff at the time but they’ve been nothing short of great. With the exception of a minor blip at the beginning of the year, it seems they’ve finally been able to pound it into this teams head that winning begins with strong structure and defending as a team. Both Knob and Coffey are excellent communicators and have always maintained a calm and collected demeanour which the team reflects. They never seem to get too high or too low and the result is more consistent performances but also an ability to keep battling and being able to fight back in games and series where they fall behind when in the past they’ve just folded.
 

Jumptheshark

Rebooting myself
Oct 12, 2003
101,478
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Somewhere on Uranus
Coffey being a solid NHL coach is flat out shocking to me considering he did not want the job and had to be browbeaten into it, haha.

I thought Knob would be good, but Coffey being very good as well has to be a surprise. A welcome one!

THANK GOD/BUDHA/Allah/or whatever deity you believe in, I thought it was only me that was shocked not only Coffey turned into a good coach but stayed. I did not think he wanted the job and thought Katman told him "Paul, you know all that money I have paid you to sit in your office and play solitaire? Yeah. You know that last line of your contract where is says 'your job description can change depending on the demands of the organization'? Well.."
 
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Cloned

Begging for Bega
Aug 25, 2003
81,754
71,921
Anyone who can get Nurse playing up to his contract deserves a statue in front of Rogers. It might be the difference between winning and not winning a cup.

Coffey’s creative use of the defence pairings has been nothing short of amazing once he saw what he had to work with after the first 10 games or so.

After a rough start KK rebounded nicely and has the team playing a very connected disciplined game.

All we need now is a goalie coach who can match these two and Gullies offensive coaching prowess.
None of our previous coaches in the last 20 years would’ve found a way to make the defense playable like Coffey did this year.
 

brentashton

Registered User
Jan 21, 2018
16,052
23,255
Anyone who can get Nurse playing up to his contract deserves a statue in front of Rogers. It might be the difference between winning and not winning a cup.

Coffey’s creative use of the defence pairings has been nothing short of amazing once he saw what he had to work with after the first 10 games or so.

After a rough start KK rebounded nicely and has the team playing a very connected disciplined game.

All we need now is a goalie coach who can match these two and Gullies offensive coaching prowess.
Likey
 
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Soundwave

Registered User
Mar 1, 2007
75,040
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Coffey being a solid NHL coach is flat out shocking to me considering he did not want the job and had to be browbeaten into it, haha.

I thought Knob would be good, but Coffey being very good as well has to be a surprise. A welcome one!

It's actually interesting that the team has never made a Cup Final without an OBC member playing a major role.

2006 obviously was Lowe and Mac T running the show, Coffey comes in and performs miracles with the D in 2024.

Maybe the problem actually was we needed MOAR OBC, not less, Tambellini never should have been hired, it should have been Charlie Huddy or Messier or someone, lol.
 

timekeep

Registered User
Apr 28, 2010
5,073
876
I guess I'm going to be the Grinch in this thread lol. Sure Knob is better than the previous guy and I understand him taking a more patient approach with things like gaffes and poor efforts when he first arrived since his number one goal was to restore confidence in this group, but I've been very unhappy with his decisions this year more games than not.

He's doing his best country club manager impression most nights where Bouch, Nurse, and RNH are allowed to run around and do whatever they f***ing feel like while Jeff Skinner pays for the price for it. Same with the sitch in goal- where Knoblauch previously showed a talent for when and how to use his timeouts and goalie changes, he's letting Stu shit himself in net on a regular basis and it's cost us wins.

I want to like the guy but until he nuts up and begins to treat his players equally I just can't. It's his job to knock the bad habits out of the roster and institute good ones, but he won't ever succeed at that if demotions, benchings, and scratches are not in his vocabulary for everyone. Much better players than Bouchard have been sent to the PB over much less than the crap he's pulled multiple times this season.

Oh, and don't get me started on his unwillingness to criticize the officials during and after games, we've seen it's just a fine now and yet he's quiet as a church mouse despite straight-up crooked officiating on several occasions that is going to lead to someone getting seriously hurt.

End rant, Merry Christmas to all, even Knoblauch I guess. 🎄
I agree with some of what you are saying especially the accountability, but it happening around with McDavid and Drai around. It wasn't going to be hard to be better than Woody, unless we were to go after Eakins, maybe Wreck It Ralph.

The team is playing good enough to win right now, even some games they are outplaying the other team significantly. So that is better than the start of the year.

I like to see accountability as well, and in a perfect world, everyone is the same and treated the same. But that's not the reality of it. Players making big bucks or having high esteem on the team, or a great prior track record as well as some longevity in the organization tend to get longer leashes, whether that seems fair or not. Damned good thing that stuff applies to guys like Zach Hyman.
If they would bench Bouch it would show he has some sort of control. Or move Nuge down where he belongs and give Skinner a chance to bond with one of the top two. That would be impressive.

But they are winning for now.
 

unicornBLOOD

Registered User
Mar 18, 2022
625
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I agree with some of what you are saying especially the accountability, but it happening around with McDavid and Drai around. It wasn't going to be hard to be better than Woody, unless we were to go after Eakins, maybe Wreck It Ralph.

The team is playing good enough to win right now, even some games they are outplaying the other team significantly. So that is better than the start of the year.


If they would bench Bouch it would show he has some sort of control. Or move Nuge down where he belongs and give Skinner a chance to bond with one of the top two. That would be impressive.

But they are winning for now.
I agree with the Bouch part for sure, as for RNH, 97 gets what he wants, and he obviously wants 93 on his wing, if he didn't he wouldn't be there. RNH, although off to a rough start, production wise, does so many little things for this team, that line, and the PP and PK, that don't always show up in the stats. You ever hear any of his teammates talk crap about him? there's a reason for that and for why he has been a staple on 97's wing.
 
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timekeep

Registered User
Apr 28, 2010
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I agree with the Bouch part for sure, as for RNH, 97 gets what he wants, and he obviously wants 93 on his wing, if he didn't he wouldn't be there. RNH, although off to a rough start, production wise, does so many little things for this team, that line, and the PP and PK, that don't always show up in the stats. You ever hear any of his teammates talk crap about him? there's a reason for that and for why he has been a staple on 97's wing.
Nope, never heard a teammate talk crap about Nuge. But who have they talked crap about?
 

rboomercat90

Registered User
Mar 24, 2013
15,942
11,165
Edmonton
Coffey being a solid NHL coach is flat out shocking to me considering he did not want the job and had to be browbeaten into it, haha.

I thought Knob would be good, but Coffey being very good as well has to be a surprise. A welcome one!
Yeah, I wasn’t sold on a guy getting his first NHL coaching job in his 60’s but there’s always an exception to the rule and he has been it.
 

OfCorsiDid

Ah shit, here we go again.
Mar 20, 2017
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Toronto, ON
the amount the team talks about their systems and staying within it to succeed says a lot about the coaching staff.

the team is 100% on board and playing well as a result.
 
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