GDT: Training Camp: Oh, Hockey’s Back

[Fitzy]

We saved all the worst takes for the day before preseason starts

 

[Paulie Walnutz]

Having been to 24 NHL arenas and every barn on this list except Tampa, I rank Vegas, Minnesota and Nashville as the top places outside of MSG.

Piggybacking on what you and @Amazing Kreiderman were discussing, here’s my list in order of my favorite arenas I’ve been to. I’m including everything in my rankings: city, things to do, how nice the arena looks, atmosphere, historical aspects.

1) Vegas, great atmosphere, beautiful arena and it’s Vegas
2) Montreal(not the old Forum), great city, Mecca of hockey, great atmosphere.
3) Boston, arena is ok but it’s loud and Boston is a great bar town
4) NYR
5) San Jose, beautiful area and loud building
6) Detroit(Joe Louis Arena), yeah it was old and dumpy but it was loud and had history
7) Toronto(not Maple Leaf Gardens), NYR of Canada
8) Philadelphia, loud building and cheesesteaks
9) Dallas, arena is nice, has a Pizza Hut and 711 inside, lots to see and do in Texas
10) LA(Staples Center), arena seemed huge, fans are casual fans, it’s LA so the weather makes it a fun trip
11) DC, ok arena, fans are mostly loud, lots to see and do in the swamp.
12) Pittsburgh(old Igloo), arena was old. Pittsburgh is a sports town and there’s a lot of nice places to eat and drink and hang out
13) Anaheim, arena is ok, fans aren’t loud, it’s Southern California so you can relax on the beach
14) NYI Coliseum was a dump but was loud and pain in the ass to get to. Barclay’s sucked for hockey.
15) NJ, nice arena in a dump city
16) Ottawa, arena is 20-30 mins away from Ottawa in the middle of nowhere and driving after the game is brutal
17) Buffalo, passionate fans but Buffalo is a depressing city and not much to see or do in the city

 

[RGY]

We saved all the worst takes for the day before preseason starts

I did like your take on Hunt earlier. Or at least I think that was you. I like Hunt and think he can be an effective player for us on the 4th line.

I see the split being 60/40 between him and Reaves.

 

[RGY]

Love the mentality of the team right now.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

No way. Last year it was on display as clear as day. Whether Quinn lost the room or his messages weren’t getting thru to his players there was an apparent disconnect. There was even a difference in the Quinn rangers from last season to the year before, when he was still the coach.
The overall effort last year, or lack of urgency/poor preparation/bad coaching whatever you want to call it, was plain as day.
Some things were out of Quinn’s hands, mainly how the team was built, but he made his share of Gaffes and coaching blunders as well. Anyone that says that Quinn was all bad, or that there was no success under his time he is wrong. But it was clear by the end of last season his time here had run its course.
I’m also not surprised he doesn’t have a coaching job this year. He will likely get another shot by some team in the future, but it’s not like there were a lot of offers for him.
Numbers don’t always tell the truth. Example, kreider was statistically in the range for his normal season numbers wise, but he was dog shit for 80% of the year. Night and day to the impact he had on games just 1 year prior, even though the numbers were similar.
I can’t remember the last time I saw the rangers constantly come out with poor effortless starts as they did last year. Shesty masked a lot of them numbers wise, and others could have been uglier.
The overall effort just wasn’t there.. I commented on it in every GDT. You have to go back a long ways to see that kind of poor overall effort night in and night out, even against our biggest rivals.

We had a lot of shit going on that had nothing to do with the coach. You do realize Quinn been selected for team USA assistant coach right?

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

Having a coach that players respect matters. Having a coach who was also a borderline star player in the NHL is even better.

Quinn seems like a fantastic guy and a great communicator on a personal level who really cares. Which is why he’s perfect for college. As an NHLer I think his ceiling is assistant coach.

Panarin’s comments are pretty indicative of that.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

Having a coach that players respect matters. Having a coach who was also a borderline star player in the NHL is even better.

Quinn seems like a fantastic guy and a great communicator on a personal level who really cares. Which is why he’s perfect for college. As an NHLer I think his ceiling is assistant coach.

Panarin’s comments are pretty indicative of that.

Quinn got us to this point and positively impacted a lot of young players here, i dont think its fair to compare him to Gallant going forward as the team Quinn started with and the one Gallant starts with are on different stratuspheres. I think Quinn did a nice job of bringing the kids along, Kakko for one is a more complete player, Lindgren, Buchnevich, Chytil and Strome all benefitted from him. Sure there were issues, every coach has them but I think he did a good job getting us to this point, they would have made playoffs last year if we didnt have the most Rongo year ever.

 

[egelband]

The regular fans are priced out of MSG. Only corporate dudes staring at their phones can consistently afford to go to games.

Yeah. Now. But years ago, I remember I could get a good seat for $16 I think. That was in the loge or mezzanine or whatever it was called. That was a bit of money for me in HS but not too crazy. Perfect pricing really. The equivalent price now is probably around $35 ish. Affordable but not cheap for a HS kid. (Just my guesstimate).

 

[egelband]

Quinn got us to this point and positively impacted a lot of young players here, i dont think its fair to compare him to Quinn going forward as the team Quinn started with and the one Gallant starts with are on different stratuspheres. I think Quinn did a nice job of bringing the kids along, Kakko for one is a more complete player, Lindgren, Buchnevich, Chytil and Strome all benefitted from him. Sure there were issues, every coach has them but I think he did a good job getting us to this point, they would have made playoffs last year if we didnt have the most Rongo year ever.

I think you’ll have to be infracted @KreiderBomb. You know better than to say something complementary about The Scorned One.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

In terms of overall fan experience?

1. Bridgestone Arena (NSH)
2. T-Mobile Arena (VEG)
3. Amalie Arena (TBL)
4. Saddledome (CGY)
5. Rogers Arena (VAN)
6. American Airlines Center (DAL)
7. Wells Fargo Center (PHI)
8. Prudential Center (NJD)
9. Gila River Arena (ARI)
10. Madison Square Garden (NYR)
11. Keybank Arena (BUF)

I'd like to know how mtl would rank in there, its a pretty special atmosphere

 

[Shesterkybomb]

I think you’ll have to be infracted @KreiderBomb. You know better than to say something complementary about The Scorned One.

I never got the hate, his team was never close to having an nhl defense, lacked toughness had buyouts killing the cap space, was basically a 2 line team, not sure how people thought he could win. I always thought he should have been given this year to see how he could do with a better team but i also said if Gallant was available i would do the switch so I'm not complaining

 

[egelband]

Having a coach that players respect matters. Having a coach who was also a borderline star player in the NHL is even better.

Quinn seems like a fantastic guy and a great communicator on a personal level who really cares. Which is why he’s perfect for college. As an NHLer I think his ceiling is assistant coach.

Panarin’s comments are pretty indicative of that.

I think Quinn could absolutely be a great NHL head coach. But I agree with your point that the pedigree is important. In his case, and the case of anyone without some sort of NHL track record, the best route is probably to be an assistant for a number of years. Like 10, if we’re being honest.
It’s not fair, I suppose. But that’s life in the professional world. It applies in most industries. Right or wrong.
I think that Gorton and Co., at the time they hired Quinn, were riding high, getting a ton of praise for the letter and the direction of the team. They probably felt like everything they touch turns to gold. The Quinn hire was, maybe, *a touch* of hubris.

 

[RGY]

Some here will just continue to find every possible excuse for Dumb Quinn. Whether its youth, personnel, injuries, analytics, coaches don’t matter, sun not shining bright enough, it will be found to deflect ownership of the blame, or at least a large portion of the blame.

So glad he is gone, but should have known the Quinn Apologists would still be taking to the podium.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

Piggybacking on what you and @Amazing Kreiderman were discussing, here’s my list in order of my favorite arenas I’ve been to. I’m including everything in my rankings: city, things to do, how nice the arena looks, atmosphere, historical aspects.

1) Vegas, great atmosphere, beautiful arena and it’s Vegas
2) Montreal(not the old Forum), great city, Mecca of hockey, great atmosphere.
3) Boston, arena is ok but it’s loud and Boston is a great bar town
4) NYR
5) San Jose, beautiful area and loud building
6) Detroit(Joe Louis Arena), yeah it was old and dumpy but it was loud and had history
7) Toronto(not Maple Leaf Gardens), NYR of Canada
8) Philadelphia, loud building and cheesesteaks
9) Dallas, arena is nice, has a Pizza Hut and 711 inside, lots to see and do in Texas
10) LA(Staples Center), arena seemed huge, fans are casual fans, it’s LA so the weather makes it a fun trip
11) DC, ok arena, fans are mostly loud, lots to see and do in the swamp.
12) Pittsburgh(old Igloo), arena was old. Pittsburgh is a sports town and there’s a lot of nice places to eat and drink and hang out
13) Anaheim, arena is ok, fans aren’t loud, it’s Southern California so you can relax on the beach
14) NYI Coliseum was a dump but was loud and pain in the ass to get to. Barclay’s sucked for hockey.
15) NJ, nice arena in a dump city
16) Ottawa, arena is 20-30 mins away from Ottawa in the middle of nowhere and driving after the game is brutal
17) Buffalo, passionate fans but Buffalo is a depressing city and not much to see or do in the city

The location of the Ottawa arena is just ridiculous. If they could get down town they would fill the rink nightly. I went to two games there, by the time we got back to the city it was hard to go anywhere without catching a lineup.

 

[egelband]

I never got the hate, his team was never close to having an nhl defense, lacked toughness had buyouts killing the cap space, was basically a 2 line team, not sure how people thought he could win. I always thought he should have been given this year to see how he could do with a better team but i also said if Gallant was available i would do the switch so I'm not complaining

Totally agree. Though I think, it seems at least, he lost the room, so to speak. Which was bound to happen, I think, as soon as the train started to go off the track. There’s basically zero room for error, no benefit of the doubt, for a neophyte nhl coach.

(I’m not telling anyone ‘I told you so’. This is just my opinion based mainly on watching The Quinn Project over the past three seasons)

 

[jay from jersey]

So the numbers were normal but they were bad because you say they were bad. This is what we call unrealistic expectations.

Not cause I say. I’m not the emperor. Because it was apparent they were largely unmotivated and lethargic in a great deal of their starts. Far more then the previous year with the same coach.
What I say doesn’t change the fact that last season a great deal of their starts were piss poor, even if the numbers say they were on their usual target

 

[RGY]

Totally agree. Though I think, it seems at least, he lost the room, so to speak. Which was bound to happen, I think, as soon as the train started to go off the track. There’s basically zero room for error, no benefit of the doubt, for a neophyte nhl coach.

Your Hart Trophy Candidate Star Player just made a very decisive and pointed comment about the importance of having a winning coach.

I don’t know, maybe there is indeed evidence Quinn lost the room, or at least their attention and confidence.

 

[chosen]

Lmao, this dudes "marveling" over this....

Oh. I didn't know someone had evidence of this.

Please share the link to this info of Quinn losing the locker room.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

Ofcourse the haters always point to Quinn's system as their main concern, most have no idea what system he was using and are flabbergasted to find out 90% of the NHL uses the same style lol, including Gallant who said the other day they'd be playing the same way. I always wanted Gallant but Quinn wasnt the reason we never made playoffs last year and those that bash his "system" are embarrassing themselves.

 

[chosen]

Please don’t be so robotic by being a slave to the numbers. Please take into account some context and actual on ice play. That would help.

Numbers are context.

Feelings aren't.

 

[jay from jersey]

We had a lot of shit going on that had nothing to do with the coach. You do realize Quinn been selected for team USA assistant coach right?

This is not a pot shot at Quinn. I’m saying last season there was a disconnect between the players and coach. I’m saying that last season we had a lot of terrible starts to games that were never addressed. Worse then the prior year, when he was still the coach here.
Just from watching the games, I don’t even know how that can be argued.
I really would have been more in his corner if we lost more, but what we were watching was our kids and are stars giving a shit, busting their ass and giving a consistent effort every night they stepped on the ice. But in that department Quinn was going backwards from a year prior

 

[egelband]

Your Hart Trophy Candidate Star Player just made a very decisive and pointed comment about the importance of having a winning coach.

I don’t know, maybe there is indeed evidence Quinn lost the room, or at least their attention and confidence.

Everything’s points to that. I don’t think it’s fair. But it’s reality.

 

[RGY]

Numbers are context.

Feelings aren't.

So the Rangers didn’t have a ton of slow, pathetic 1st period starts? They didn’t have a bunch of half-ass efforts, not showing up for the full 60?

C’mon, don’t be so dense.

Hey everyone, analytics show things were NORMAL last year. We should all be so grateful by those NORMAL numbers. The Numbers are the Context, everything is FINE….

By this logic, Yankees are on target to finish with about 92 wins. Another winning season. Everything has been totally ok for them because they are on “target”

 

[rangers1314]

Gallant seems to really be a guy who lives by the cliche coach speak of “all I ask is that you work hard and compete every night”. Not saying that’s a bad thing, I think it’s good.

I’m very interested to see how he handles his first Kreider vanishing act.

 

[jay from jersey]

Numbers are context.

Feelings aren't.

So to you, kreider was his usual impactful self on the ice all season. Because the numbers dictate that, even though it’s 100% not the case.
And that’s not my feelings. The fact was, he was bad in more games then good. But he had an excellent 12-15 game stretch which inflated his numbers into his normal realm of statistics