Christmas Knob and Coffey Appreciation Thread

[brentashton]

You must be the HFOil leader in having your likes taken away. I have no idea where you post to get your knuckles slapped, cause everything I read on our board you don't say anything inflammatory.

I think I have someone on this board that has a “friend”.

I appreciate your respectful perspective.

I can live with it.

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

Lots of talent on this roster that learned and grown from a series of coaches yet still can wobble through big performance swings. Knoblauch came into a fragile situation and calmed the waters while the team's performance results also started to normalize against good x-stats. His demeanour has been important as has his strategic thinking and risk tolerance mindset. Generally very good with in game tactical changes and big brass ones in big moments to risk change to jolt this team like Pickard starting in do or die Canuck playoff series and Broberg in a tight Dallas series. Ice water veins for a rookie NHL coach dropped into scalding waters of a deep team expecting to compete for a Cup.

I loved the Coffey hiring from moment it was announced. A known player's whisperer with insight into tactical play of the critically important defense position but also the pure confidence, calm and certainty of a super elite who played and delivered an elite, non-conventional game. Imagine having Paul Coffey instilling belief into you and pulling the best elements out of your game. Unlocking Kulak for 3+ minutes toi to fill the 2RD responsibilities and toi is the coaches best work this season imo. Smart problems solving to mitigate a big gap.

Lots of teachers for this core group of players going back frankly to Todd Mclellan. They've learned, grown their games, and matured through big games and adversity to arrive in peak winning window season(s) with very good coaches to steer hopefully the final plateau with this deep, talented and experienced team.

 

[TheGingaNinja]

I'll have to admit I was in the 'shocked Coffey has worked out so well' camp. He was one of my favorite players growing up, but it really seemed like a OBC hire done because they couldn't find anyone else to take the job Joke's on me, turns out he's the D-man Whisperer. And thank god he was. It's a strong staff overall, and it's nice to finally have some stability at that level of the organization.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Only thing I wish is that there was more accountability to the top players.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I think I have someone on this board that has a “friend”.

I appreciate your respectful perspective.

I can live with it.

I totally missed whatever it was albeit I've been busy with Christmas stuff. I wonder how a cool cucumber got into a pickle?

heh

 

[Drivesaitl]

I'll have to admit I was in the 'shocked Coffey has worked out so well' camp. He was one of my favorite players growing up, but it really seemed like a OBC hire done because they couldn't find anyone else to take the job Joke's on me, turns out he's the D-man Whisperer. And thank god he was. It's a strong staff overall, and it's nice to finally have some stability at that level of the organization.

This is my original take as well but I had a personal civic bias and dislike that Coffey from his own reports never visited Edmonton for any reason other than reasons of being an NHL player here on roadtrips. Struck me at the time, and I had that chip on shoulder for awhile that Coffey abandoned Edmonton and the Oilers. For a long time I'd adopted kind of the screw you reaction to it.

But it was especially strange to me that Coffey didn't visit all the player reunion type things and the hof type things and was only here for the Heritage Classic. But then I read somewhere that he just wasn't tight with the Oilers Nucleus. He hadnt been in regular contact and had moved on with his life.

I never expected him to be back here really and not certain how that all transpired. But his passion is clearly there for the club and players now. There was some fallout though at some point previous between Coffey and the other core glory years Oilers but I can't remember the details on that. In some way Coffey is the least of the OBC's. He just wasn't in that party circuit. Indeed it seems since Coffey has been here now entirely that some of the other circuit has left. Its interesting.

 

[ThePhoenixx]

Makes no sense at all.

In every society, there is always someone who has an agenda.

Kris K when asked about Skinners TOI, "Who is he elevating?"

Edit: Fixed quote

 

[brentashton]

As my momma always would say, “If you don’t beleive, you don’t receive!”

Merry Christmas to all of HFOil. Best Stanley Cup Wishes for 2025.

Beleive.

 

[brentashton]

I totally missed whatever it was albeit I've been busy with Christmas stuff. I wonder how a cool cucumber got into a pickle?

heh

I relish to know as well.

I will leave now.

 

[Mcnotloilersfan]

I was at an OHL game right after the Knob hiring, talking to a couple scouts and a long time OHL play-by-play guy. They all said this was a really smart hire by Edmonton. They said he's a great teacher and communicator and players love playing for him.

Kinda like Ralph Krueger... but good.

 

[Mr Positive]

I'll have to admit I was in the 'shocked Coffey has worked out so well' camp. He was one of my favorite players growing up, but it really seemed like a OBC hire done because they couldn't find anyone else to take the job Joke's on me, turns out he's the D-man Whisperer. And thank god he was. It's a strong staff overall, and it's nice to finally have some stability at that level of the organization.

I'm going with a hot take here, but imo the OBC was always a good thing.

It's bad if you imagine that there were other great candidates to hire but they picked their friends instead. That's what OBC implies. In reality, the time that there were a lot of former players here was a time when we weren't the first choice destination. The OBC people were good hockey minds who picked Edmonton because they were so devoted to the team and the city. It's a smaller pool of people to pick from, so it's destined not to be as great as what the top teams can get, but it was still overall a net positive. It really could have been worse, and the OBC at least brought some positivity around the franchise.

Plus in that time we had bad non-OBC people too like Chiarelli and Tambellini. That alone should end the whole idea hiring OBC was why we were bad. Also look at guys like Ranford and Roloson, who had success as goalie coaches. The bad taste of the team riding with MacT and Lowe for so long should be gone.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I relish to know as well.

I will leave now.

WE must both possess the same gene.

 

[grego]

I do like them both as coaches.

We have improved the team d from woodcroft. The team is more adaptable that tippet. Tippet was a good coach with a good system, but if a team beat the tippet or woodcroft system there was little in the way of response.

Whatever is different to our team system now it allows for changes in game or during a system to let the team understand how they need to adapt the game to what is doing on during the ice

Or it is just the McLellan influence that all the last few had which meant you had a good system that gave you a good chance to make the playoffs but if a team solves the team system just keep on going and hope your system prevails