Confirmed with Link: Ryan McGill hired as assistant coach

[Lou is God]

holy crap this makes me feel old. liked him as a player when he was a flyer for a short period of time

He wasn't too bad, I remember he had to retire at an early age after getting hitting the eye with the puck.

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

Believe it or not when I was a kid in the 80’s we had Mike McGill, Eddie Guerrero and some other dudes that did skate demos come and skate the half pipe me and my friends built in his back yard.

It was a proper ramp too, 9 foot high with a foot of vert, 16 feet wide with a 12 foot flat though the middle, it was insane, full on half pipe.

This was back in the late ‘80s and we had a local skate shop that promoted all the Bones Brigade stuff come skate our ramp. It was insane! Really good dudes, can’t believe they’re closing in on 60 now. If you haven’t seen Tony Hawks documentary you have to watch it.

The Bones Brigade were gleaming your cube.

Not a euphemism.

How Vegas Stopped the Bleeding

Two adjustments paying dividends for VGK

jhanhky.substack.com

Started as a good read…thanks.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Name sounds familiar...wonder if it's the same guy I've wanted the devils to hire for a long time.

 

[PizzaAndPucks]

Could be a big move for this team. Hamilton , Severson , Marino , Sigenthaler , Graves and Smith as our defense as now will be at his disposal. He has players to work with back there so let's see if we can see some better structure defending this season.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

Issue has been and is still forward play. I think that’s not changing until Ruff is gone.

Forward consistency has been their issue. Defensive coverage down low has been their issue. Let's hope both take a big jump with the new additions.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

The Bones Brigade were gleaming your cube.

Not a euphemism.


Started as a good read…thanks.

Yea, after I posted it I went back to read it not realizing he charges that much for his articles.

 

[DevilDog]

I’ll just hope this means the end of overloading the puck carrier, leaving the back door wide open. Just give me some structure so the Dzone doesn’t look like a peewee soccer game.

 

[Ripshot 43]

I’ll just hope this means the end of overloading the puck carrier, leaving the back door wide open. Just give me some structure so the Dzone doesn’t look like a peewee soccer game.

Reading your msg I just had a flashback and started twitching thinking of how easy we made things for the opposing teams forwards with those tap in back door goals.

 

[JimEIV]

Reading your msg I just had a flashback and started twitching thinking of how easy we made things for the opposing teams forwards with those tap in back door goals.

Yeah it was really bad last year...not just the tap ins, it was how easy it was for the opposing team to move the puck east/west in our zone...it was like the middle of the ice wasn't defended.

Passes frequently zipped left and right through our zone like the other team was on a PP while one forward ran around looking for someone to cover like the last chair in a game of musical chairs and the other two forwards were looking to breakout.

 

[Nubmer6]

Yeah it was really bad last year...not just the tap ins, it was how easy it was for the opposing team to move the puck east/west in our zone...it was like the middle of the ice wasn't defended.

Passes frequently zipped left and right through our zone like the other team was on a PP while one forward ran around looking for someone to cover like the last chair in a game of musical chairs and the other two forwards were looking to breakout.

I feel like it was actually worse the year before.

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

Yea, after I posted it I went back to read it not realizing he charges that much for his articles.

All good. I really did mean it was a good read. They had me at “1–1-3”.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

All good. I really did mean it was a good read. They had me at “1–1-3”.

Unfortunately the neutral zone setup probably falls on the HC. Hopfully each coach isn't working in silos. Given the explosiveness/aggressiveness of the NHL in transition, the 1 2 2 doesn't work all that well.

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

Unfortunately the neutral zone setup probably falls on the HC. Hopfully each coach isn't working in silos. Given the explosiveness/aggressiveness of the NHL in transition, the 1 2 2 doesn't work all that well.

So then what can McGill do with the D around the HC‘s setup? Change the coverage style?

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

So then what can McGill do with the D around the HC‘s setup? Change the coverage style?

I would think he has control of the base setup without the puck in the defensive zone and base setup once they get the puck along with the PK.

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

I would think he has control of the base setup without the puck in the defensive zone and base setup once they get the puck along with the PK.

I see. Cool. Thanks! Always a fan of your insights.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

Forward consistency has been their issue. Defensive coverage down low has been their issue. Let's hope both take a big jump with the new additions.

That still falls on the assistant coach.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

That still falls on the assistant coach.

Who do you think sets the systems in place the assistants are to execute?

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

Who do you think sets the systems in place the assistants are to execute?

Not the head coach, you better believe when Brunette and McGills were interviewed they were asked what systems they would employ given the personnel. Ruff will not be micromanaging all the base structures.

 

[Guttersniped]

How Vegas Stopped the Bleeding

Two adjustments paying dividends for VGK

jhanhky.substack.com

Ironically…

Twinsies!

Please lord, make this happen.

We seemed to have been modifying this *censored* on the big club (or I paid less attention at the end) but I saw it in it’s pure form live when I went to a Utica playoff game and it’s… yeah. Please stop doing this Mr Ruff.

 

[Devils731]

I think Han’s chart is a good snapshot on how the system makes defending the slot and weak side properly challenging and how the breakout can get difficult.

IMO, a better defensive system may benefit the defense and offense.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

We seemed to have been modifying this *censored* on the big club (or I paid less attention at the end) but I saw it in it’s pure form live when I went to a Utica playoff game and it’s… yeah. Please stop doing this Mr Ruff.

This is great stuff, I am probably gonna cave and buy the playbook just to kmprove my knowledge of scouting and give me a base for coaching moving forward.

In terms of NJ, I fully expect NJ to be a blend of Vegas in their own end/neutral zone and Florida in transition.

 

[JK3]

Oh they better change that 2 D chasing behind the net crap, we could never pull it off. So many missed assignments in front and back door tap-ins. I’ll never understand not having a defensemen at the net front, just madness.

Swarm is appropriate I guess, like a group of 10 year olds packed together chasing a soccer ball with no regard to where they should be on the field.

 

[Ripshot 43]

It always drove me nuts to see a forward, let alone an undersized forward protecting the front of the net.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

Not the head coach, you better believe when Brunette and McGills were interviewed they were asked what systems they would employ given the personnel. Ruff will not be micromanaging all the base structures.

If you think the head coach doesn't set forth the overall systems the team will be using and merely sits back and listens to assistants direct all the tactics then you've never coached.

 

[jkrdevil]

If you think the head coach doesn't set forth the overall systems the team will be using and merely sits back and listens to assistants direct all the tactics then you've never coached.

Ordinarily yes. I’m not sure how much actual power Ruff will have this year. His chief associate coach is a guy who was a Jack Adams finalist last year and has a contract that lasts two years longer than his. He may be the definition of a figurehead coach with the edict of systems to run coming from above.