Lavi

[Row I Goon]

Both Laviolette and Gallant do/did things I don't agree with but it's hard to seriously suggest they're "out of their depth" in the NHL.

He could bench Zibanejad, Trouba, Kreider, Miller, half of the rest of the team, whatever, and we as fans would feel better, but I wouldn't actually expect it to change anything. I think the examples where benching your top guys actually works are absolutely dwarfed by the examples where nothing positive happens or things get even worse.

Frankly I don’t wish to get into a flame war with you or anyone on the finer points of dealing with sub-optimal performance. Nor do I find any value on us dredging out examples of the +/- on benching top players.

However, I wish to ask you seriously the following - do you disagree with following - nothing Lavi has done so far has worked to turn the slump around?

If you don’t, and he is out of ideas, then with the fullest respect, I stand by my former comment.

It’s still early here and I’m only one coffee into the day and had a mild cardiac event less than a week ago. If my words don’t convey the purity of my intent that’s on me.

 

[Cuckoo4Kakko]

It isn’t entirely coaching. The vets are weak willed. We all know this.

That being said, he is making lines and pairings that we know don’t work. That HE KNOWS they don’t work. That he is told that the analytics show they don’t work. He doesn’t care. He’s got the ghost of Mika playing 19 minutes. I don’t blame Mika for that. That’s the coach. Mika missing the empty net when he shouldn’t be on the ice is icing on the cake. Lavi is lost. Hire someone young and analytics based.

 

[nyr2k2]

Frankly I don’t wish to get into a flame war with you or anyone on the finer points of dealing with sub-optimal performance. Nor do I find any value on us dredging out examples of the +/- on benching top players.

However, I wish to ask you seriously the following - do you disagree with following - nothing Lavi has done so far has worked to turn the slump around?

If you don’t, and he is out of ideas, then with the fullest respect, I stand by my former comment.

It’s still early here and I’m only one coffee into the day and had a mild cardiac event less than a week ago. If my words don’t convey the purity of my intent that’s on me.

I don't know why you're talking about a flame war, LOL. I didn't flame you in any way.

Laviolette has been a successful NHL coach for like 25 years. He helped keep the team on track last season including navigating that terrible stretch in January, winning the President's Trophy and only losing to the eventual champions. He was one of the top vote-getters for the Jack Adams. I don't think you need me to recap all this but I am anyway.

So, what if he IS out of ideas this year? Maybe it is time to move on from him, I don't know. But unless "out of your depth" means something different to you than it does to me, I think it's pretty clear that Laviolette is one of the top coaches in the game and his inability to figure out this group of sad sacks doesn't change that. I'm not sure Scotty Bowman could come in and suddenly coax something different from them.

 

[ReddestRum]

It’s got very little to do with coaching.

How many coaches are we going to go through before something is done with the core? It's record time that we're turning on Lavi like it's the coaches out there playing AHL hockey.

 

[Row I Goon]

I don't know why you're talking about a flame war, LOL. I didn't flame you in any way.

Laviolette has been a successful NHL coach for like 25 years. He helped keep the team on track last season including navigating that terrible stretch in January, winning the President's Trophy and only losing to the eventual champions. He was one of the top vote-getters for the Jack Adams. I don't think you need me to recap all this but I am anyway.

So, what if he IS out of ideas this year? Maybe it is time to move on from him, I don't know. But unless "out of your depth" means something different to you than it does to me, I think it's pretty clear that Laviolette is one of the top coaches in the game and his inability to figure out this group of sad sacks doesn't change that. I'm not sure Scotty Bowman could come in and suddenly coax something different from them.

“out of depth” in my book is a coach who thinks blending the lines/pairs is his only option and so far that’s all I’ve seen him do and reduce the TOI (for some). Frankly, his “25 years experience” means exactly shit right now. We’re on a 5-game losing streak with a team that made the ECF last season and we don’t look like snapping it soon. Lavi looks as lost on the bench as Mika and co. If he’s out of ideas, he’s out of his depth, record notwithstanding.

 

[Row I Goon]

How many coaches are we going to go through before something is done with the core? It's record time that we're turning on Lavi like it's the coaches out there playing AHL hockey.

It’s not JUST the coaches. But unless there’s a secret “no bench/scratch” agreement then rolling the same lines and pairs is on the coach.

Call up some kids. I’d rather see more of the zip from Berard and Mancini than the bullshit from Mika and Trouba and Lindgren.

 

[ReddestRum]

It’s not JUST the coaches. But unless there’s a secret “no bench/scratch” agreement then rolling the same lines and pairs is on the coach.

Call up some kids. I’d rather see more of the zip from Berard and Mancini than the bullshit from Mika and Trouba and Lindgren.

Agree with you here. The coaches might not be playing, but there seems to be some coddling going on with this, "Let's keep running it back exactly the same" mentality. Should've wholesaled two years ago for a proper rebuild around the kids.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

How many coaches are we going to go through before something is done with the core? It's record time that we're turning on Lavi like it's the coaches out there playing AHL hockey.

I absolutely hate this line of thinking. The coach isn't the one out there playing bad so we can't blame the coach. So why have coaches at all? Its his job to make the team play better. If he can't, then he shouldn't have the job.

 

[NickyFotiu]

No alternative stats is going to cure this. First you have to figure out what the problem actually is. There is a lack of effort and a lack of confidence. The Trouba stuff may be playing a role as well. I suspect there are multiple problems going on at the same time. The only real options a coach has is sitting some guys and lowering minutes. What Lav has to do is figure a way to build the teams confidence back. The only way I know to do that is not looking at the next 60 minutes but having guys look at their very next shift. Simplify the game. Start in our own end. The guys that are not giving a full effort need to sit or have much lower minutes but there are only so many moves that can be made. Its not a matter of losing 5 straight. Its the matter of how they have been outshot. Lav and his assistant coaches know this game. Lets see if they can find a way to get in to these guys head. This team is not a Cup team but its also not this bad. I'd start limiting shift lengths. Tell the guys you are only going to be out there for 30 seconds so you might as well skate for those 30 seconds.

 

[NickyFotiu]

I absolutely hate this line of thinking. The coach isn't the one out there playing bad so we can't blame the coach. So why have coaches at all? Its his job to make the team play better. If he can't, then he shouldn't have the job.

You can blame the coach if you choose. I personally do not know what Laci is saying in the locker room at this time but just switching coaches rarely cures real team problems. Look at the Jets (football). They fired their coach when the team was 2-2 I think. They have won 1 game since then.

 

[ReddestRum]

I absolutely hate this line of thinking. The coach isn't the one out there playing bad so we can't blame the coach. So why have coaches at all? Its his job to make the team play better. If he can't, then he shouldn't have the job.

4 coaches in ten years with the same team problems in that amount of time doesn't seem like a heavy coach-issue problem to me.

 

[SeanAveryTheGreatOne]

It wasn't Gallant. It isn't Laviolette.

Anyone saying it wasn't Gallant did not watch our playoff series against the Debs. We literally had no system. We got blown out in game 7 by all metrics, and he got up there and said "it could have gone either way."

As for Lavi, the season is 1/4th of the way over, and somehow, we occupy a playoff spot. You have to have the balls to scratch Mika and call up some literal-who to play at this point.