John Davidson

[Ola]

Sod off, Torts is the best. Wish he was still here.*

*This is mostly based on that I really, really like the guy.

Haha, the thing is, so do I. I think he is a world class coach in many areas.

But this is no different than it was with Messier for example. Leadership is about two things (i) get the team to do what you want, and (ii) want the team to do the right things.

Just like Messier, Tortorella is world class at (i), and they were top notch at (ii). But the game changes, and like Messier on his tail end of his career, Torts really failed to adjust. Torts has a game plan that is designed to cut down on mistakes by his Ds. They are to move the puck ASAP safely up ice. They are not allowed to move it laterally along the blueline. It’s about getting the puck deep and take it to the net from below the hashmarks.

Meanwhile the game and all better teams have gone 180’ in the other direction.

Tortorella is hardly unique with failing to adopt. There are so many great coaches that just got stuck in a philosophy that worked in the past. Lemiere is one for example. Hartley and Crawford are two others. To beat the trap while still enabling skilled player some resemblance of room to play offense you had to be extremely strict when heading up ice with the puck during the trapping era. Now that has changed.

 

[NYR]

FWIW I like John and I'm glad he's in the position he's in but that doesn't mean he's beyond critique. Thinking back to the days when he was the color TV man he was almost always insightful but there were also times I remember turning off the sound because sometimes it just seemed to me he was just shilling for the league and that's really Bettman's job. There's a bit of that even today....all JD sees are the positives. He's a bit of an evangelist. Micheletti does it too by the way and that's fine from either but there are things about NHL hockey that are ****ed up.....that need to be addressed and those things aren't always. My favorite Rangers color guy ever actually is Sal Messina. He was never nasty in any way but he always said what he had to say.

I think for the most part, he calls it like he sees it.
Shilling might be part of the job but he always has a detailed explanation to go along with his opinions.
You remember that one time when he was calling a NYI vs NYR game and thought that the audio was cut for commercial break where he called NYI Kvasha a big p***y on live TV? Lol

I have no worries when it comes to JD.
If he feels changes are to be made I expect they'll be very fairly judged..

 

[ohbaby]

OH BABY!

Time to put on your big boy pants.

 

[eco's bones]

I think for the most part, he calls it like he sees it.
Shilling might be part of the job but he always has a detailed explanation to go along with his opinions.
You remember that one time when he was calling a NYI vs NYR game and thought that the audio was cut for commercial break where he called NYI Kvasha a big ***** on live TV? Lol

I have no worries when it comes to JD.
If he feels changes are to be made I expect they'll be very fairly judged..

Part of JD's job as I see it is getting and keeping everyone on the same page and he's got an excellent track record for that. So I see him as a very good hire for the position he's in. OTOH I don't really miss him as the Rangers TV color man like a lot of other people do. At the same time I don't particularly like Micheletti. I guess in my own way I'm pretty hard to please on that front. Personally I think there's a bit of the bloodthirsty caveman in me--I was brought up in more violent times and where on the one hand I understand very well that the reduction of fighting is a good thing--because I don't really want to see someone killed or have their long term health compromised--on the other hand I'm very much for my team defending itself and that's not just on the ice but in the court of public opinion which sometimes shows up for me when someone like Micheletti (and Davidson use to do it too) defends bad referee calls with the 'oh well' shit or 'it's a tough job' bullcrap or when some player on another team does one of ours dirty I want payback and not a bunch of excuses. It's a f***ing balancing act for me that others seem to be better at than I am.

 

[NYR]

Part of JD's job as I see it is getting and keeping everyone on the same page and he's got an excellent track record for that. So I see him as a very good hire for the position he's in. OTOH I don't really miss him as the Rangers TV color man like a lot of other people do. At the same time I don't particularly like Micheletti. I guess in my own way I'm pretty hard to please on that front. Personally I think there's a bit of the bloodthirsty caveman in me--I was brought up in more violent times and where on the one hand I understand very well that the reduction of fighting is a good thing--because I don't really want to see someone killed or have their long term health compromised--on the other hand I'm very much for my team defending itself and that's not just on the ice but in the court of public opinion which sometimes shows up for me when someone like Micheletti (and Davidson use to do it too) defends bad referee calls with the 'oh well' **** or 'it's a tough job' bullcrap or when some player on another team does one of ours dirty I want payback and not a bunch of excuses. It's a ****ing balancing act for me that others seem to be better at than I am.

We're cut from exactly the same cloth my man.
Red light is my all time favorite as well.
I mean.. Who was better than him?

I feel as if the players need to police themselves and lose the instigator rule.. It's actually safer.

As far as the refs go?
I'm more old school and feel you should make your own breaks but much like everything else, the league is changing and everyone is still trying to learn as they go which also irks me as this is not a developmental league.

Defending is paramount to me, both in system, structure and sticking up for each other as teammates.

That should NEVER be compromised IMO.

Ps.. Never stated this and don't let it go to your head, Guy lol but you're top 3 in posters on this site IMO..

Happy New Year to you Sir!

 

[Edge]

We're cut from exactly the same cloth my man.
Red light is my all time favorite as well.
I mean.. Who was better than him?

I feel as if the players need to police themselves and lose the instigator rule.. It's actually safer.

As far as the refs go?
I'm more old school and feel you should make your own breaks but much like everything else, the league is changing and everyone is still trying to learn as they go which also irks me as this is not a developmental league.

The old school part of me absolutely hates it but I guess that's the new BS way.

Defending is paramount to me, both in system, structure and sticking up for each other as teammates.

That should NEVER be compromised IMO.

Ps.. Never stated this and don't let it go to your head, Guy lol but you're top 3 in posters on this site IMO..

Happy New Year to you Sir!

We need to see the top 3. Because I'm calling bullshit on @eco's bones being in that group. =)

 

[NYR]

We need to see the top 3. Because I'm calling bull**** on @eco's bones being in that group. =)

Nope.. Sorry Guy..He's top 3! Lol

 

[RGY]

PLEASE STEP IN AND FIRE RUFF. FIRE RUFF.

 

[Whoot Whoot]

Team needs to play better D. I don’t know if it’s a JD thing or below his pay grade but it’s abysmal

 

[eco's bones]

We need to see the top 3. Because I'm calling bull**** on @eco's bones being in that group. =)

FWIW I renounce all results from popularity contests. I'm happiest lurking in the shadows.