The Paul Maurice Pitchfork Thread (MOD Warning Post #1)

[Great8Cam]

Eric has been better, but there should be an alternative to this man crush.
Marc is just old, exhausted and broken down. Fitzy should have a chance to show us what he has.

Both Staals are constantly bent at the waist reaching with their stick like a squirt player.

 

[drktmplr12]

we have as many regulation wins as VGK, CAR, and NYR

5 more than COL

maybe we've reached a tipping point here

 

[Boothinator]

we have as many regulation wins as VGK, CAR, and NYR

5 more than COL

maybe we've reached a tipping point here

View attachment 637914

We have been better the last few games. Special teams look much better and goaltending holds tight. Even though we lost against Toronto, they played well. Can't do anything if the refs hand the Leafs ridiculous PPs

 

[austropanther]

The team finally gave PoMo reasons to give decent coherent interviews. Makes the guy almost likeable. Question just is: was there first the egg (our players actually having the skill and just refinding it and being confident) or the hen (super smart PoMo who put the team through sh*t and finally getting rewarded)

 

[Desert Panther]

The team finally gave PoMo reasons to give decent coherent interviews. Makes the guy almost likeable. Question just is: was there first the egg (our players actually having the skill and just refinding it and being confident) or the hen (super smart PoMo who put the team through sh*t and finally getting rewarded)

A bit of column A, a bit of column B. The work level being put in has drastically increased over this last stretch. As the saying goes, "Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn't work hard."

 

[TheImpatientPanther]

8th in GF/G
13th in PP

We're currently 9th in 5 on 5 goal differential with +12 (106 GF vs 94 GA)

1st in 5 on 5 rebound goals with 25, although we have played a couple more games than other teams, we're still likely top 5-ish with that in mind.

If we can get the PK operating around 80-81% (which would be top 10-15), currently at 75%, it'd go a long way to get us closer to a .70 pts% the final 34 games.

68pts left and were gonna need 47-48 of those minimum?
Seems extremely daunting but with 20 of those final 34 games at home, a returning Duclair and a possibly refocused Knight will only boost the depth and ability to go on a heater like we currently are.

Wonder if Zito will be on lookout for another shot blocking D who can PK?

Confident in Bobrovsky coming back and continuing his strong play the last 12 games or so.

Props to Maurice for putting Lundell and Reinhart with Barkov.
I like the 4th line combo of Lomberg and Smith.
Lyon banking 4 pts is a great story, always love to see the random goalie heater. *Sateri special*

Mahura, Luostarinen, Lundell and Denisenko continue to develop which is good to see.

 

[KW]

8th in GF/G
13th in PP

We're currently 9th in 5 on 5 goal differential with +12 (106 GF vs 94 GA)

1st in 5 on 5 rebound goals with 25, although we have played a couple more games than other teams, we're still likely top 5-ish with that in mind.

If we can get the PK operating around 80-81% (which would be top 10-15), currently at 75%, it'd go a long way to get us closer to a .70 pts% the final 34 games.

68pts left and were gonna need 47-48 of those minimum?
Seems extremely daunting but with 20 of those final 34 games at home, a returning Duclair and a possibly refocused Knight will only boost the depth and ability to go on a heater like we currently are.

Wonder if Zito will be on lookout for another shot blocking D who can PK?

Confident in Bobrovsky coming back and continuing his strong play the last 12 games or so.

Props to Maurice for putting Lundell and Reinhart with Barkov.
I like the 4th line combo of Lomberg and Smith.
Lyon banking 4 pts is a great story, always love to see the random goalie heater. *Sateri special*

Mahura, Luostarinen, Lundell and Denisenko continue to develop which is good to see.

All good points.

Maybe Lyon is the real deal as a backup. Also I’m really starting to think Deni will break out. The third and fourth lines are creating chances so whichever he’s on he will soon pot a couple. He’s playing the right way, hope they keep him. We need some young legs.

 

[ScottyMascotty]

68pts left and were gonna need 47-48 of those minimum?

Probably less.

 

[austropanther]

A bit of column A, a bit of column B. The work level being put in has drastically increased over this last stretch. As the saying goes, "Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn't work hard."

Of course very true. I think it is always funny that fans easily find a culprit when things are going wrong - myself included. OTOH several things need to click to be successful, not one reason/player/coach can be singled out. I am glad they currently throw it all out there and PoMo makes better calls. Beforehand, the team had phases when they were asolutely unwatchable and PoMo made bonehead decisions and comments regularly.

 

[IceManCat]

To play devils advocate here, I wouldn't put much stock into what players say about their coach or team in public. They are trained to only say good things. Privately it may be an entirely different story...

 

[Desert Panther]

Of course very true. I think it is always funny that fans easily find a culprit when things are going wrong - myself included. OTOH several things need to click to be successful, not one reason/player/coach can be singled out. I am glad they currently throw it all out there and PoMo makes better calls. Beforehand, the team had phases when they were asolutely unwatchable and PoMo made bonehead decisions and comments regularly.

If I could point to one thing, you can very plainly see they're winning way more of the board battles. Makes a coach's life a lot easier when you can count on digging 50/50 pucks out more often and manufacture chances from it.

 

[BabyBennettov]

If I could point to one thing, you can very plainly see they're winning way more of the board battles. Makes a coach's life a lot easier when you can count on digging 50/50 pucks out more often and manufacture chances from it.

That’s what they worked on the whole training-camp…

 

[Desert Panther]

That’s what they worked on the whole training-camp…

And it took this long for them to figure out what level of effort it actually requires on a consistent basis.

 

[KW]

Maybe Mo saw that Boudreau was gonna get the ax and went holy shit I gotta start coaching for real.

 

[austropanther]

If I could point to one thing, you can very plainly see they're winning way more of the board battles. Makes a coach's life a lot easier when you can count on digging 50/50 pucks out more often and manufacture chances from it.

That is exactly the thing I was talking about. Were we bad at puck retrieval on the boards last year? Were the POs an indicator for that? Of course we were the best team on the rush and on the counterattack, yet guys like Barky, Reinhart, Lundell, Huby, March excelled at the board play.

So essentially I don't think we adapted that much. The most noticable thing is that our transition game is worse than last year. All we basically do right now is getting the wingers on the halfboards in the D zone and have the Dmen fire it along the boards. Players like MStaal try to jump up on the offense - we clearly see that Weegs was a guy that helped that and was actually good at it.

In the end, it feels to me like the team was in kind of an exploration mode what PoMo actually wants from them. A bit of an identity crisis where nobody was sure what to do when and how. I really hope the current run is an indicator of getting over this issue. Both - coaching and players - are to be made responsible in this case.

 

[Desert Panther]

That is exactly the thing I was talking about. Were we bad at puck retrieval on the boards last year? Were the POs an indicator for that? Of course we were the best team on the rush and on the counterattack, yet guys like Barky, Reinhart, Lundell, Huby, March excelled at the board play.

So essentially I don't think we adapted that much. The most noticable thing is that our transition game is worse than last year. All we basically do right now is getting the wingers on the halfboards in the D zone and have the Dmen fire it along the boards. Players like MStaal try to jump up on the offense - we clearly see that Weegs was a guy that helped that and was actually good at it.

In the end, it feels to me like the team was in kind of an exploration mode what PoMo actually wants from them. A bit of an identity crisis where nobody was sure what to do when and how. I really hope the current run is an indicator of getting over this issue. Both - coaching and players - are to be made responsible in this case.

I disagree with your assessment on the first paragraph a bit. I'd say we were good at puck protection along the boards. Excelled at board play when we had possession at keeping the puck. Not nearly as good at taking the puck from the other team.

 

[austropanther]

I disagree with your assessment on the first paragraph a bit. I'd say we were good at puck protection along the boards. Excelled at board play when we had possession at keeping the puck. Not nearly as good at taking the puck from the other team.

I thought we had more success in the O zone on the forecheck digging out pucks last year than this year - it is a lot better now.

On the defensive side on things in our D zone I partly agree with you. It seems we are generally having trouble getting the puck pinned to the wall, quite a lot of free flow skating by the other team. The board battle success rate was not particularly better even compared to today

 

[Panthers Propaganda]

Fire Mo hire Boudreau

 

[Felidae]

Fire Mo hire Boudreau

That would actually have me a bit excited.

Boudreau's record speaks for itself. He's coached a variety of different teams, from offensive juggernauts (Washington) to teams that lack starpower but are hardworking and defensively solid (Minnesota) and then a middle ground of the two in Anaheim.

So virtually successful with every team he's coached excluding the Canucks, which he actually got them in a hard fought but unsuccessful fight to the playoffs in their first year despite them being dogshit before he joined.

The only knocks on him is his lack of playoff success relative to his regular season resume, but I think it's partly circumstantial, and honestly, at least we'd likely make the playoffs.

And based on anecdotes from former players and his general attitude, he's not a hard ass coach which some on here might prefer, especially for our group of guys.

 

[austropanther]

In the post game interview, he said Knight was not ready to go.

So what does this mean? If your starting goalie gets lit up or injured, you just keep him in? If Knight is not ready he should not even be on the bench. A gamble that is not necessary, plus it deprives the team of a possible momentum changer. Roster management sucks, as well as usage of MStaal, again.

 

[vendetta]

In the post game interview, he said Knight was not ready to go.

So what does this mean? If your starting goalie gets lit up or injured, you just keep him in? If Knight is not ready he should not even be on the bench. A gamble that is not necessary, plus it deprives the team of a possible momentum changer. Roster management sucks, as well as usage of MStaal, again.

It’s absolute incompetence . That’s literally all there is to it.

 

[Panthers Propaganda]

That would actually have me a bit excited.

Boudreau's record speaks for itself. He's coached a variety of different teams, from offensive juggernauts (Washington) to teams that lack starpower but are hardworking and defensively solid (Minnesota) and then a middle ground of the two in Anaheim.

So virtually successful with every team he's coached excluding the Canucks, which he actually got them in a hard fought but unsuccessful fight to the playoffs in their first year despite them being dogshit before he joined.

The only knocks on him is his lack of playoff success relative to his regular season resume, but I think it's partly circumstantial, and honestly, at least we'd likely make the playoffs.

And based on anecdotes from former players and his general attitude, he's not a hard ass coach which some on here might prefer, especially for our group of guys.

As people on the main boards rightly point out, 2nd highest winning % behind Bowman.

To me it’s no contest Mo is the most losing coach, can him pick up BBQ Bruce.

 

[I am not exposed]

I still think we should have stuck with Brunette for another season. If it had gone pear shaped this season with him, then we could have gone for someone like Bruce.

But stuck with Maurice and his hefty contract makes it a lot more difficult to change coach.

 

[iam76]

I still think we should have stuck with Brunette for another season. If it had gone pear shaped this season with him, then we could have gone for someone like Bruce.

But stuck with Maurice and his hefty contract makes it a lot more difficult to change coach.

i wanted a change... i didnt want this coach... but what your saying makes a ton of sense. Maybe in that alternate reality bally sports is profitable too....

 

[KW]

I still think we should have stuck with Brunette for another season. If it had gone pear shaped this season with him, then we could have gone for someone like Bruce.

But stuck with Maurice and his hefty contract makes it a lot more difficult to change coach.

In retrospect, looks like Zito didn’t have a solid plan. He was thinking of keeping Hubie and Weegar another year, thinking no deal could be on the table. So he probably thought that the team was strong enough to contend again, because he probably thought they could have made the finals with the right coach.

So he made a coaching change. Not thinking he was going to end up getting rid of Weegs and Hubs and take one potentially “off” year. With defense decimated. So keeping Bruno would have been the ideal move, in retrospect. As it turned out, you don’t have the team to go for it, see what Bruno is really made of for a year. And see the following year who drops out and can be targeted as coach.

Screwed up plan. Imperfect for sure. And now has to maybe tell Mo buh-bye and face the same turmoil again. Not smart.