Windsor Spitfires 2023-24 Season Thread (Part One)

[OHLTG]

I don’t necessarily disagree with him on bringing in a vet. Just…bouncing ideas off each other? Like what? “Hey Constanzo! You ever think about holding your glove straight above your head?”

Let me clarify what I meant... if you bring in a veteran who's been around the league (or this level) for a while and has seen success/failure, it might help Costanzo. They bounce ideas off each other, give advice, and see if they can get the team out of this funk. I don't necessarily want to use the term "mentor", but the experience at this level, which I don't think Michelone can provide right now.

 

[rve24]

Let me clarify what I meant... if you bring in a veteran who's been around the league (or this level) for a while and has seen success/failure, it might help Costanzo. They bounce ideas off each other, give advice, and see if they can get the team out of this funk. I don't necessarily want to use the term "mentor", but the experience at this level, which I don't think Michelone can provide right now.

Add a vet back up at the cost of an asset (popbly come cheap if one is avail) ) but I think a competent G coach could also provide advice and an ear ( I am not judging the G coach as I have no idea but Costanzo was heavily oraised last year....is it the same G coach)
Might be better off that they'd isn't go young with the BUG as most wanted if it's as bad as it sounds right now.

 

[OHL4Life]

Let me clarify what I meant... if you bring in a veteran who's been around the league (or this level) for a while and has seen success/failure, it might help Costanzo. They bounce ideas off each other, give advice, and see if they can get the team out of this funk. I don't necessarily want to use the term "mentor", but the experience at this level, which I don't think Michelone can provide right now.

thats a goalie coaches job

 

[DetSpitsFan]

smith was the financial sound choice, you get what you pay for and this is it

If you always get what you pay for, hopefully they’ll be giving out a lot of tickets for free this year

 

[FireBall959]

So last year you all screamed that having an older goalie (yes an overager) was a waste and now you think we should have a 19-20 yr BUG who has more experience than our current BUG but isn't good enough to be a starter in the league? Last year you were advocating for Joey to lead us into the playoffs towards a championship but now he needs help to lead us to being an aaverage team. Time for tough decisions, if you think he isn't good enough you move on. Pick up a 19 yr starter. I think if he was good enough last year he will be good enough this year. Start by moving players interested in only playing offense. No goalie in the league will stop 2 on 0,and kit scored on a 3 on 0 at the rate we give them up.

 

[DetSpitsFan]

Yes you can make a case Smith should be fired. The question is who do you hire? If the team is going to be bad you may just have to hire another coach in the off-season. I think the players, head coach and gm all have to take responsibility. If they canned Smith that's fine. That's not going to salvage the year either. There is a talent issue that isn't going to be fixed immediately.

Dents available. Hated him as a GM, liked his coaching. Thought the firebirds played above their skill level with him IMO.

 

[DetSpitsFan]

I didn’t expect a division winning season, but these guys are struggling to even compete against middle of the pack teams.

I don’t put all the blame on Smith, but it’s a lot easier switching the coach than it is to find an OHL team in October.

Sure a veteran goalie would help, but at what cost? Harrison and Wright ended up being a disappointing way to drain the cupboards, I don’t really know if there’s any piece that’s worth bringing in that’s not going to cost us more than I’d want to pay in a rebuild.

 

[ohloutsider]

I didn’t expect a division winning season, but these guys are struggling to even compete against middle of the pack teams.

I don’t put all the blame on Smith, but it’s a lot easier switching the coach than it is to find an OHL team in October.

Sure a veteran goalie would help, but at what cost? Harrison and Wright ended up being a disappointing way to drain the cupboards, I don’t really know if there’s any piece that’s worth bringing in that’s not going to cost us more than I’d want to pay in a rebuild.

Ya let's not pull the panic button yet on goalies. No goalie can stop this many uncontested shots to the net. This is the worst D system I have ever seen. Kids look lost. Sure the skill level is not top of the league but who is drawing up the X's and O's? This has been the issue for the last few years, no D system. Time to look heavy at the assistant that handles the D!

 

[OHL4Life]

Dents available. Hated him as a GM, liked his coaching. Thought the firebirds played above their skill level with him IMO.

dont do it

Ya let's not pull the panic button yet on goalies. No goalie can stop this many uncontested shots to the net. This is the worst D system I have ever seen. Kids look lost. Sure the skill level is not top of the league but who is drawing up the X's and O's? This has been the issue for the last few years, no D system. Time to look heavy at the assistant that handles the D!

chicken or egg, d has sever lack of skill and abilities as well, so is it coaching or personel?

 

[FireBall959]

Problem is team d not just defensemen. Teams skate thru the neutral zone unimpeded, thats not on the defensemen. Tem defense is a secondary thought on the ice, our systems are trying to in games 7-6 still and we don't have the fire power. Start trying to win some games 2-1.

 

[ohloutsider]

dont do it


chicken or egg, d has sever lack of skill and abilities as well, so is it coaching or personel?

Answer this year is yes. But previous years they had some solid D that "overcame" the systems. Need to create a system that works for this group's skillset. Includes the forward group support as well. Centers have to be more active in our end and wingers MUST pickup their man.

 

[OHL4Life]

Answer this year is yes. But previous years they had some solid D that "overcame" the systems. Need to create a system that works for this group's skillset. Includes the forward group support as well. Centers have to be more active in our end and wingers MUST pickup their man.

on a good team dinonico is a 2nd D, cristoforo is a 4, and the rest are 7/8th dman. its showing now.

 

[ohloutsider]

on a good team dinonico is a 2nd D, cristoforo and the rest are 7/8th dman. its showing now.

I would say Cristoforo would be a 5-6 D on most teams, mostly due to age and experience but he is on an upward projectery.

 

[OHL4Life]

I would say Cristoforo would be a 5-6 D on most teams, mostly due to age and experience but he is on an upward projectery.

totally fair, i need to edit my post i ment to say cristoforo was a 4. i was going to give him a bit of benefit but i think he's very much a one way d at this point.

 

[windsorduster19]

Windsor goalies simply can't make a save, you can't get scored on first shot of the game constantly, never do you see either of them make a game saver. Call up frogget already. Defence can't even make a simple pass out for the zone, and even if they do it bounces off guys sticks. Zero structure. Hard to let guys gel together and build chemistry when this dumbass coach changes the lines 5 minutes into every game. 1 goal down he gets the bench to two lines. Dinincio has to be the worst NHL draft pick I've every seen, jodion need to be sent down to junior C let alone junior B. You have Zero vets step up when you are down a couple goals to get the guys going. You have a 16 year old Nesbitt fight sat and lay a massive hit late in the game sun. At least someone has a pulse. Keep Greentree, Nesbitt, spellacy of you can get him going. Send the rest elsewhere. Not that anyone would want them at this point. This coach HAS TO GO, he has totally lost the room, you don't make someone a coach just because he's a nice guy. He couldn't organize a bunch of hookers at a whore house.

 

[ohloutsider]

Windsor goalies simply can't make a save, you can't get scored on first shot of the game constantly, never do you see either of them make a game saver. Call up frogget already. Defence can't even make a simple pass out for the zone, and even if they do it bounces off guys sticks. Zero structure. Hard to let guys gel together and build chemistry when this dumbass coach changes the lines 5 minutes into every game. 1 goal down he gets the bench to two lines. Dinincio has to be the worst NHL draft pick I've every seen, jodion need to be sent down to junior C let alone junior B. You have Zero vets step up when you are down a couple goals to get the guys going. You have a 16 year old Nesbitt fight sat and lay a massive hit late in the game sun. At least someone has a pulse. Keep Greentree, Nesbitt, spellacy of you can get him going. Send the rest elsewhere. Not that anyone would want them at this point. This coach HAS TO GO, he has totally lost the room, you don't make someone a coach just because he's a nice guy. He couldn't organize a bunch of hookers at a whore house.

Welcome to the board .

Goalies are a fragile creature. You would be shell shocked with these uncontested shots.

Just read the article in the Star.
JS says it has nothing to do with X's and O's and all about compete level! Really! The coaches have no responsibility?! I'm disappointed in that response from him. Ya the compete level is an issue for sure but let's not totally blame the kids. Never thought JS would go this route this early. Has to be worried already.

 

[Section5Petes]

I think it's pretty safe to say the Spitfires could use a goalie. The Petes could offer Liam Sztuska or Zach Bowen.

 

[OHL4Life]

I think it's pretty safe to say the Spitfires could use a goalie. The Petes could offer Liam Sztuska or Zach Bowen.

they have a goalie in the system already.

why on earth would they give up limited draft pick inventory in a year where they may not even make the playoffs?

 

[LeProspector]

I think it's pretty safe to say the Spitfires could use a goalie. The Petes could offer Liam Sztuska or Zach Bowen.

Don’t think it’s all on goaltending… team
simply sucks.

 

[Section5Petes]

they have a goalie in the system already.

why on earth would they give up limited draft pick inventory in a year where they may not even make the playoffs?

never said they would but could help settle things down a bit. Wouldn't be crazy prices either. but yes Froggett is the goalie for the future

 

[OHL4Life]

never said they would but could help settle things down a bit. Wouldn't be crazy prices either. but yes Froggett is the goalie for the future

im trying to understand why they would at all? i get you love posting trades on team boards but look at it from the spits perspective, they have very little draft pick inventory as is, why would they give up a pick for a guy that may just be a backup?

only thing that may make sense is player for player but theres no fit there.

 

[RayzorIsDull]

That's the 2nd coach fired.

 

[spits]

DIsappointing comments by the coach. Directing blame to the players, stating it's the compete level and not so much the X's and O's. Reminds me of the comments made by the Rangers coach last season. Maybe the compete wasn't good enough in these road games, but in the home games , the guys are working hard. The Guelph loss was close until that brutal giveaway led to an open net. They were outshooting the SOO 19-3 (losing 2-1 at that point). They played hard against Kingston but gave away so many breakaways and 2 on 1's. The common theme in all these home losses? The opponent gets 3 breakaways a game minimum and about 5-10 odd man rushes.

It's not just the d-men, the forwards do nothing in the neutral zone or in their own end. They stand on the half wall about 10 feet away from the blueline and don't move. The entire structure needs to change, and it will only change until a coaching change is made.

Owen Sound just dismissed their coach. Owen Sound is 4-2-1 on the season...

 

[hockeylegend11]

DIsappointing comments by the coach. Directing blame to the players, stating it's the compete level and not so much the X's and O's. Reminds me of the comments made by the Rangers coach last season. Maybe the compete wasn't good enough in these road games, but in the home games , the guys are working hard. The Guelph loss was close until that brutal giveaway led to an open net. They were outshooting the SOO 19-3 (losing 2-1 at that point). They played hard against Kingston but gave away so many breakaways and 2 on 1's. The common theme in all these home losses? The opponent gets 3 breakaways a game minimum and about 5-10 odd man rushes.

It's not just the d-men, the forwards do nothing in the neutral zone or in their own end. They stand on the half wall about 10 feet away from the blueline and don't move. The entire structure needs to change, and it will only change until a coaching change is made.

Owen Sound just dismissed their coach. Owen Sound is 4-2-1 on the season...

Difference between Owen Sound and Windsor head coaches is that Owen Sounds head coach was there 2 full years plus the 7 games this season as head coach compared to just 8 games total by Smith in Windsor.
Now if he were the head coach the last 2 years I would be open to discussing ,my point 2 different situations, re Owen Sound must be something going on there,because 4-2-1 isn't a terrible start regardless of team.

 

[ohloutsider]

Let's be real here. Bowler is not firing JS. He just hired him. He is not going to admit 7 games in he made a mistake. Now there is a coach that should be looked at but even then I don't think any moves will be made.

Now if the owners get involved it might be a different story.