Management Coach DJ Smith - Part 2

[Sens Vader]

We all think that.

good.

 

[Sens Vader]

Yes it was unique to Ottawa. Did you not read anything I wrote?

In 20/21, Ottawa was the only team in the division that didn't play any hockey in 11 months, and thus were at an extreme disadvantage by not having a training camp.

In 21/22, Ottawa and the Islanders were the only teams that were forced to play games (and not allowed to practice) while suffering a significant COVID outbreak. The Islanders were just as bad as we were, and they went from being in the ECF two years in a row to missing the playoffs.

Well yes, we missed the playoffs.

covid outbreak did suck though, that was pretty unique. I do not deny there are factors outside of the coach that would affect the on-ice performance.

I would also say DJ is a new head coach with no proven track record and has shown consistent signs of poor lineup decisions & minute allocation. As stated above it's a subjective opinion on how much blame he holds - but he holds blame. 3 seasons in a row, or really all 4 based on the records - and not bad starts, like league worst starts

Regardless, the implication is he has a short leash this season and that's 100% justifiable

 

[swiftwin]

Well yes, we missed the playoffs.

covid outbreak did suck though, that was pretty unique. I do not deny there are factors outside of the coach that would affect the on-ice performance.

I would also say DJ is a new head coach with no proven track record and has shown consistent signs of poor lineup decisions & minute allocation. As stated above it's a subjective opinion on how much blame he holds - but he holds blame.

Regardless, the implication is he has a short leash this season and that's 100% justifiable

I think it's totally fair that he should be on a short leash for next season.

All I'm saying is that the whole "bad starts" narrative is a crock of crap. Last season was the first time we had a bad start where DJ was not actively prevented from doing his job by COVID protocols in a way that other coaches didn't have to deal with.

To re-iterate:

19/20: Was not a bad start, it was the best stretch of hockey we played all season. One game short of .500 with Tkachuk(19yr)-Pageau-Brown as our first line is actually impressive.

20/21: DJ was not allowed to have a training camp, which was a huge disadvantage compared to every other team in the division, who played hockey in the playoff/playin bubble a few months prior.

21/22: DJ was not allowed to hold practices through most of November while the team was forced to play during a COVID outbreak, often with dozens of players out of the lineup. The Islanders were the only other team that had to deal with this. After this, the league started postponing games when teams got outbreaks.

22/23: This is the first time we had a bad start where DJ was not prevented from doing his job. We had injuries to our #1C, #1D, #2D and one of our starting goalies, but coaches have to deal with injuries. Tough luck.

 

[Sens Vader]

I think it's totally fair that he should be on a short leash for next season.

All I'm saying is that the whole "bad starts" narrative is a crock of crap. Last season was the first time we had a bad start where DJ was not actively prevented from doing his job by COVID protocols in a way that other coaches didn't have to deal with.

To re-iterate:

19/20: Was not a bad start, it was the best stretch of hockey we played all season. One game short of .500 with Tkachuk(19yr)-Pageau-Brown as our first line is actually impressive.

20/21: DJ was not allowed to have a training camp, which was a huge disadvantage compared to every other team in the division, who played hockey in the playoff/playin bubble a few months prior.

21/22: DJ was not allowed to hold practices through most of November while the team was forced to play during a COVID outbreak, often with dozens of players out of the lineup. The Islanders were the only other team that had to deal with this. After this, the league started postponing games when teams got outbreaks.

22/23: This is the first time we had a bad start where DJ was not prevented from doing him job. We had injuries to our #1C, #1D, #2D and one of our starting goalies, but coaches have to deal with injuries. Tough luck.

Why should he be on a short leash then if DJ’s bad starts are a crock of crap?

You can equally create a list of bad line up decisions and minute allocations he made in all 3 season starts, as you have done with the items outside of his control you can do so for the items in his control. These weren’t rough starts, they were basically league worst starts and there’s more to them

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Bro nothing is DJ’s fault, I swear

 

[swiftwin]

Why should he be on a short leash then if DJ’s bad starts are a crock of crap?

You can equally create a list of bad line up decisions and minute allocations he made in all 3 season starts, as you have done with the items outside of his control you can do so for the items in his control. These weren’t rough starts, they were basically league worst starts and there’s more to them

Personally, my main issue with DJ had more to do accountability and the potential need for a fresh voice / different perspective in a room of young players.

I have no issue with minute allocation or lineup decisions. That's just your subjective opinion. I also have no issue with systems. I think that's completely overblown by people who don't know shit about hockey.

Bro nothing is DJ’s fault, I swear

Are you trying to blame DJ for the COVID outbreak?

 

[Sens Vader]

Personally, my main issue with DJ had more to do accountability and the potential need for a fresh voice / different perspective in a room of young players.

I have no issue with minute allocation or lineup decisions. That's just your subjective opinion. I also have no issue with systems. I think that's completely overblown by people who don't know shit about hockey.


Are you trying to blame DJ for the COVID outbreak?

Then we agree to disagree on his lineup decisions and minute allocation. I don’t think you know more about hockey than those who see flaws in his system - so that’s just your subjective opinion but completely fair to have

I do agree with his accountability issues.

And no I do not blame him for a Covid outbreak

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Are you trying to blame DJ for the COVID outbreak?

No, but he’s never gone beyond or ever got more out of his team like every good coach does every once in a while. There’s always an excuse for his poor starts. Other teams have injuries and unfortunate scheduling too.

I’m sure we’ll hear about how the ownership change is causing distractions or somethng after he inevitably has another slow start.

 

[Rals]

Omg

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

I think it's totally fair that he should be on a short leash for next season.

All I'm saying is that the whole "bad starts" narrative is a crock of crap. Last season was the first time we had a bad start where DJ was not actively prevented from doing his job by COVID protocols in a way that other coaches didn't have to deal with.

To re-iterate:

19/20: Was not a bad start, it was the best stretch of hockey we played all season. One game short of .500 with Tkachuk(19yr)-Pageau-Brown as our first line is actually impressive.

20/21: DJ was not allowed to have a training camp, which was a huge disadvantage compared to every other team in the division, who played hockey in the playoff/playin bubble a few months prior.

21/22: DJ was not allowed to hold practices through most of November while the team was forced to play during a COVID outbreak, often with dozens of players out of the lineup. The Islanders were the only other team that had to deal with this. After this, the league started postponing games when teams got outbreaks.

22/23: This is the first time we had a bad start where DJ was not prevented from doing his job. We had injuries to our #1C, #1D, #2D and one of our starting goalies, but coaches have to deal with injuries. Tough luck.

Well to be fair, its not a crock of crap, youve noted the bad starts yourself. Its the why that you guys appear to be debating.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

No, but he’s never gone beyond or ever got more out of his team like every good coach does every once in a while. There’s always an excuse for his poor starts. Other teams have injuries and unfortunate scheduling too.

I’m sure we’ll hear about how the ownership change is causing distractions or somethng after he inevitably has another slow start.

I think DJ knows he had a hand in the poor starts, I doubt he is as obsessed as Swiftwin with proving HFSens wrong.

I mean DJ said himself he gave too much rope to players like Batherson this year. He has taken responsibility for things he control, like any good leader does. This is the big difference between DJ and Dorion.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

I think DJ knows he had a hand in the poor starts, I doubt he is as obsessed as Swiftwin with proving HFSens wrong.

I mean DJ said himself he gave too much rope to players like Batherson this year. He has taken responsibility for things he control, like any good leader does. This is the big difference between DJ and Dorion.

100%

DJ knows he needs to step it up and get better results, no matter the circumstances.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

The other insane thing is how pretty much nothing has changed with the staff overall.

 

[Senscore]

The other insane thing is how pretty much nothing has changed with the staff overall.

It absolutely will, but it's really frustrating knowing we're months away from a real reckoning on this front.


Long time coming.

 

[swiftwin]

I think DJ knows he had a hand in the poor starts, I doubt he is as obsessed as Swiftwin with proving HFSens wrong.

I mean DJ said himself he gave too much rope to players like Batherson this year. He has taken responsibility for things he control, like any good leader does. This is the big difference between DJ and Dorion.

Who are you even arguing with?

I, like DJ, acknowledged that he had a hand with the poor start this season, and had issues with accountability.

 

[Ice-Tray]

No, but he’s never gone beyond or ever got more out of his team like every good coach does every once in a while. There’s always an excuse for his poor starts. Other teams have injuries and unfortunate scheduling too.

I’m sure we’ll hear about how the ownership change is causing distractions or somethng after he inevitably has another slow start.

Well I mean the team was one of the best teams in the NHL from December to pretty much the trade deadline last year. They climbed all the way back into the wildcard race If you recall.

Does that count as “going beyond” or “getting more” from the team?

Just curious because this team has actually had some pretty solid stretch as well each season. Kind of the hallmark of a young inconsistent team.

I wonder if we’ll start to love the slow starts and hot endings when we make the playoffs the way Florida did, or the Blues, or any of he other teams that get hot at the right time each year.

We need to win games early for sure, but more than that we need to win late when the pressure is on. We didn’t have it this year or we would have been in the playoffs regardless of a losing streak in November.

 

[Tuna99]

Well I mean the team was one of the best teams in the NHL from December to pretty much the trade deadline last year. They climbed all the way back into the wildcard race If you recall.

Does that count as “going beyond” or “getting more” from the team?

Just curious because this team has actually had some pretty solid stretch as well each season. Kind of the hallmark of a young inconsistent team.

I wonder if we’ll start to love the slow starts and hot endings when we make the playoffs the way Florida did, or the Blues, or any of he other teams that get hot at the right time each year.

We need to win games early for sure, but more than that we need to win late when the pressure is on. We didn’t have it this year or we would have been in the playoffs regardless of a losing streak in November.

This is my beef with DJ, when the team needed to win they collapsed. Early season and late season they completely doo-dooed the bed. Coaches whose teams collapse when they need to show up the most is something I hate.

Team will work hard, but will they work smart enough? Do they have the emotional maturity to play 82 games and show up for every one of them? And especially the ones that count the most.

 

[FunkySeeFunkyDoo]

Really discouraging that I’m going to have to watch these guys making mistakes like they’re back in Junior for another 2 or 3 months.

 

[AchtzehnBaby]

 

[OmniSens]

They're keeping him here... How much more support can you display?

 

[AchtzehnBaby]

 

[Golden_Jet]

Agree with Simmer, I would of liked a change at Cappy.

 

[Psycroptic86]

JFC the Sens are going to miss the playoffs with this staff again…

 

[aragorn]

JFC the Sens are going to miss the playoffs with this staff again…

It's more likely that the players again will decide that & they will need a #1 goalie IMO to be a playoff contender.

 

[SpezDispenser]

Agree with Simmer, I would of liked a change at Cappy.

Isn't his contract up - and didn't Ottawa not allow him to interview for a head coach job? I can't recall, but I think that was the case, in which case, I'd be surprised if he came back.

JFC the Sens are going to miss the playoffs with this staff again…

I think his leash is pretty much 15 games, I'm not even kidding. I think if we aren't 10-5 or at the very least 9-6, he's out. What use is 8-7 really.