Proposal: Fire DJ Smith

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Should the Sens fire DJ Smith?


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Let's give the Seattle Kraken some credit here, they scored 19 goals in their last 4 games & only 8 goals against. They also beat three teams before the Sens that are all much better teams than the Sens.
Agree
At this point in the season we are what we are
The 24th team of the league
 
Let's give the Seattle Kraken some credit here, they scored 19 goals in their last 4 games & only 8 goals against. They also beat three teams before the Sens that are all much better teams than the Sens.
That's true that Seattle is a good team. I wasn't surprised to see them play so well. We didn't have our best game either - far from it. Going from memory, I think the top Western Conference teams have been problematic for us this year.
 
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We still look like trash in our own zone every game

Bring in a coach who can teach team defence
Thomas Chabot is a smooth skating, offensive defenseman who excels in open space. So the middle and part of the offensive zone
Zub is a defensive defenseman with only average puck moving skills
Sanderson is young
Hamonic is a middling Dman
Zietsev is a middling Dman
Brannstrom is middling Dman
Holden is a middling Dman

Having a group of Dmen who can handle the puck, play in tight spaces, effectively pass the puck out of danger is what is needed...Good luck though!! they do not grow on trees.

The Sens have 1, maybe 2 depending on your view of Chabot..

By next year, Sanderson will be a year older and better. A possible addition of a quality puck handling Dman this offseason could add a second person (possibly 3rd) and the D zone becomes less chaotic.

I watched a game at the old Montréal Forum. Petr Svoboda in the mid 1980's. To borrow an old hockey term; He could stick handle in a phone booth!!! It was unreal watching him in his own end. A cup in 86, a final run in 89. A Canadians team that was elite from 84-90.
 
Thomas Chabot is a smooth skating, offensive defenseman who excels in open space. So the middle and part of the offensive zone
Zub is a defensive defenseman with only average puck moving skills
Sanderson is young
Hamonic is a middling Dman
Zietsev is a middling Dman
Brannstrom is middling Dman
Holden is a middling Dman

Having a group of Dmen who can handle the puck, play in tight spaces, effectively pass the puck out of danger is what is needed...Good luck though!! they do not grow on trees.

The Sens have 1, maybe 2 depending on your view of Chabot..

By next year, Sanderson will be a year older and better. A possible addition of a quality puck handling Dman this offseason could add a second person (possibly 3rd) and the D zone becomes less chaotic.

I watched a game at the old Montréal Forum. Petr Svoboda in the mid 1980's. To borrow an old hockey term; He could stick handle in a phone booth!!! It was unreal watching him in his own end. A cup in 86, a final run in 89. A Canadians team that was elite from 84-90.

We obviously need a dman but to me its more on how our forwards support the defense down low and on the wall. We look so disorganized in our own zone as a group consistently

we NEED a defensive-minded coach. I want DJ fired but even if we can bring in someone else to replace Cap who has a proven track record I would be happy. Just get someone on the staff that can teach and practice d zone coverage because under this coaching staff its a mess - 1 top 4 d isn't going to fix it
 
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Let's give the Seattle Kraken some credit here, they scored 19 goals in their last 4 games & only 8 goals against. They also beat three teams before the Sens that are all much better teams than the Sens.
sure but we won't make ground if we don't consistently beat decent teams
 

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I always chuckled at this article Ian wrote about DJ. It’s supposed to be complimentary of his time and accomplishments with the sens, but it’s actually more detrimental to his image Analyzing D.J. Smith's tenure as he moves into second place on all-time coaching list

In addition to passing MacLean on the all-time games coached list this weekend, Smith also climbed the ladder in a more dubious category. Following Sunday’s game, Smith moved into fifth place on the list of coaches with the most games — who have never qualified for the playoffs in NHL history.
 
Let's give the Seattle Kraken some credit here, they scored 19 goals in their last 4 games & only 8 goals against. They also beat three teams before the Sens that are all much better teams than the Sens.

You know why they are having so much success scoring? They aren't afraid to play talented players in their bottom 6.

DJ is a dinosaur and isn't interested in playing young talented players in the bottom 6.

Meanwhile Seattle is more than willing to play offense-first guys like Sprong, Tolvanen and Donato in bottom 6 roles.

Those 3 have more points than Gambrell, Kelly, Kastelic, Watson, Brassard, Lucchini and Chartier combined, and it isn't even close.
 
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0-5 on the PP.

Only aspect of coaching DJ is good for in terms of on ice results is special teams, but you can't score on every PP and his inability to implement game plans for 5 on 5 production are gon sink us
 
We've got to be the worst 5v5 team in the league. This group has talent, sure the depth is hit from losing Norris and Formenton but this group is 100% good enough to play it even 5v5 and win games with special teams. Kudos to the guy/gal running the special teams units, they have been excellent.

Time to move on from DJ Smith.
 
We've got to be the worst 5v5 team in the league. This group has talent, sure the depth is hit from losing Norris and Formenton but this group is 100% good enough to play it even 5v5 and win games with special teams. Kudos to the guy/gal running the special teams units, they have been excellent.

Time to move on from DJ Smith.

Sens need to go hard.
 
We've got to be the worst 5v5 team in the league. This group has talent, sure the depth is hit from losing Norris and Formenton but this group is 100% good enough to play it even 5v5 and win games with special teams. Kudos to the guy/gal running the special teams units, they have been excellent.

Time to move on from DJ Smith.
+/- doesn't always tell us much. In this case I think it does. 5 on 5 .. regardless what the scoring chances tell us.. we end up on the short end of the stick far too often. Team defense is the Achilles heel. You can't really teach players to score goals on their chances. You can teach them to defend. If your team can't defend it isn't going anywhere. I don't think this year is an outlier. I think we've seen this every year. You need to teach it.. you need to hammer it home and you need to have some form of accountability regardless of the strength of your roster. And holding the lesser lites in your lineup accountable vs your top players is not as effective as a teaching tool. Sitting a player for a shift after continued lost assignments isn't going to crush your game but it could and it should be an investment and a lesson that player and to others. If you don't you end up where we are .. little improvement after 3 years and 40 games. Pinto understands defensive play , we have seen it, he doesn't have the same NHL reps.. Every other player here it should be 2nd nature. Giroux has been pretty good and he doesn't cheat on effort.

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+/- doesn't always tell us much. In this case I think it does. 5 on 5 .. regardless what the scoring chances tell us.. we end up on the short end of the stick far too often. Team defense is the Achilles heel. You can't really teach players to score goals on their chances. You can teach them to defend. If your team can't defend it isn't going anywhere. I don't think this year is an outlier. I think we've seen this every year. You need to teach it.. you need to hammer it home and you need to have some form of accountability regardless of the strength of your roster. And holding the lesser lites in your lineup accountable vs your top players is not as effective as a teaching tool. Sitting a player for a shift after continued lost assignments isn't going to crush your game but it could and it should be an investment and a lesson that player and to others. If you don't you end up where we are .. little improvement after 3 years and 40 games. Pinto understands defensive play , we have seen it, he doesn't have the same NHL reps.. Every other player here it should be 2nd nature. Giroux has been pretty good and he doesn't cheat on effort.

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The 2nd line is something
 
More simple +/- numbers
After 40 games Sens have allowed 26 more goals than they have scored at even strength. 74 vs 100

Tkachuk Stutzle Giroux -23
DeBrincat Pinto Batherson -56
Brass Kasty Watson -17
Kelly Gambrell Lucchini -7

(note I have only added (+-) across usual lines .. the actual more numerous line mate +/- results are not listed)
D
Chabot -8
Zub 0
Sanderson -3
Hamonic -11
Brann -4
Holden -6
 
There is a pretty good line sitting in the stands

Motte - Norris - Joseph

When the top two lines are misfiring, there really isn't much else right now, is there? And the fact that their PP and PK has been amazing, speaks to coaching. Talent is thin right now
 
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