Game 44: vs Arizona

[Brandon]

6 hours ago, Goalie said:

100 percent coaching 

Looking at Florida's record... this seems to be correct. 

[Noeller]

I mean, it's the only thing that's really changed, right? So it has to be. I have a relative who played some high level hockey, whose opinion I trust more than anyone about hockey, and he said after last year "this team has all the pieces...they just need someone to bring it together".......and sure enough....... I honestly thought Bowness was too old to connect with the players, but he's found a way, whether that be through Arniel or whatever. He's getting it done. Scheiffele said something earlier this season (I'm paraphrasing) that Bowness "doesn't get mad...he just gets really disappointed in you. You feel like you're letting down your grandfather, which you never want to do" 

So whatever he's doing, he's got them going. Hellebuyck is a Vezina candidate, Morrissey is a Norris candidate, Bowness a Jack Adams candidate..... and they're getting the most possible out of the forwards. it's really quite something. 

[FrostyWinnipeg]

2 hours ago, Noeller said:

I mean, it's the only thing that's really changed, right?

4th line all new with AJF/GAGNER/SAMU, pickups Stenlud/Kuhlman. 

Thought the Gus bus would have better faceoff % then 46. Course I also thought Gus would pocket a goal. Yikes!

[TrueBlue4ever]

I’d say it’s totally the coach, and it isn’t. Maurice did not forget how to coach after 2018, any more than Babcock did when he went to Toronto, or Bednar did this year with the Avs. But the players tuned him out, and you can’t fire the players, so fire the coach (or coach quits when he sees that they don’t care to listen anymore). It’s obvious the attitude change is bigger than any radical change in systems (maybe aside from a systems change in aggressive penalty killing). But Bowness has them buying in on back-checking so he can activate the defence more. Same system Maurice had in 2018 when the forwards knew they had to cover for Byfuglien and Trouba and Myers. But then the Scheifele’s and Connor’s and Laine’s couldn’t be bothered to play a 200 foot game and would rather pad their stats. And players only choose to buy in for so long with every coach they have. So the reality is that the players don’t have another coach firing to provide them insulation anymore. If Scheifele drags his ass back to his zone this year, can’t blame the coach anymore because he’s gone. 

As you can see, I am loathe to blame coaching in many areas. If a coach is truly useless, they will be run out of a league quickly enough and not re-surface (Darryl Rogers for you old time Bomber fans, or Mike Kelly for the younger generation are good examples). But a coach’s shelf life is really based on how much his players want to play hard, and for how long, rather than a lack of ability to coach X’s and O’s. Bowness is the right coach for right now, but maybe the team is doing better because the “give a ****” meter is higher since the players don’t have a scapegoat anymore and know the blame for bad play will now fall squarely on them. 

[Goalie]

From last year to now? Coaching 100 percent. Maurice wasn't around very long last year, his quitting happened early ish. He lost the room last year early. The previous years he was a fine coach who like to overplay 55 26 and the sorts, the minutes are a bit more balanced, we have a 4th line contributing which didn't happen under Maurice.  We also have a top 5 pk which is coaching 100 percent and arniel deserves credit there. Dave Lowry never had the room at all. Minute Maurice quit, last year was a write off. 

Edited January 17, 2023 by Goalie

[bb1]

Definitely coaching , Maurice let Schiefele and Wheeler float back checking. I remember watching an OT game in 2018 and both Schiefele and Wheeler let their guy go after being on too long and gassed. Nothing happened and  you could see it was affecting the team. Now they all back check or they don't play. Bowness has made the player's accountable something Maurice had trouble with.