PASabreFan Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 From John Vogl's provocative column today advocating the hiring of Wayne Gretzky as head coach of the Sabres. Unfortunately the idea will probably die right there, as Murray probably has his man, and that man will surely be another "Buffalo guy" who gives "Buffalo" the kind of hockey "Buffalo" likes. Boring and low-scoring, apparently. The idea for Gretzky sprung from a column last week by Igor Larionov. The freewheeling Russian center, who is a Hockey Hall of Famer after winning Olympic gold and a Stanley Cup, blasted the coaching mentality in today’s hockey world. “It’s easier to destroy than to create,” Larionov wrote for the Players’ Tribune. “As a coach, it’s easier to tell your players to suffocate the opposing team and not turn the puck over. There are still players whose imagination and creativity capture the Soviet spirit - Johnny Gaudreau in Calgary, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews in Chicago just to name a few. However, they are becoming exceptions to the rule. Many young players who are intelligent and can see the game four moves ahead are not valued. They’re told ‘simple, simple, simple.’ “That mentality is kind of boring. Nobody wants to get fired. Nobody wants to get sent down to the minors. If you look at the coaches in juniors and minor-league hockey, many of them were not skill players. It’s a lot of former enforcers and grinders who take these coaching jobs. Naturally, they tell their players to be just like them. “Their players are 17, 18 years old – younger than I was when I joined the Red Army team. … If coaches are going to push kids at that age, why are they pushing them to play a simple game? Why aren’t coaches pushing them to create a masterpiece? “We lose a lot of Pavel Datsyuks to the closed-minded nature of the AHL and NHL.” http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/inside-the-nhl/seriously-gretzky-best-fit-to-coach-sabres-20150228 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 I think the Larionov interview was discussed in another thread. The NHL never has figured out what the other major sports have, offense sells. They are so far behind the 8 ball in changing the game to make it more entertaining. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taro T Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 From John Vogl's provocative column today advocating the hiring of Wayne Gretzky as head coach of the Sabres. Unfortunately the idea will probably die right there, as Murray probably has his man, and that man will surely be another "Buffalo guy" who gives "Buffalo" the kind of hockey "Buffalo" likes. Boring and low-scoring, apparently. http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/inside-the-nhl/seriously-gretzky-best-fit-to-coach-sabres-20150228 There's a reason the greats rarely make good coaches but the grinders make good coaches in all sports. Those grinders have to work at the game and get coached into the nuances that come naturally to the elite. Gretzky will be almost as successful at teaching somebody how to know where everybody is on the ice at any given time as one of us would be at teaching someone to breathe. It is extremely difficult to explain that which one doesn't have to think about. Gretzky had his shot at coaching, there is absolutely no reason to expect him to be anymore successful in a 2nd go around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoss Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 There's a reason the greats rarely make good coaches but the grinders make good coaches in all sports. Those grinders have to work at the game and get coached into the nuances that come naturally to the elite. Gretzky will be almost as successful at teaching somebody how to know where everybody is on the ice at any given time as one of us would be at teaching someone to breathe. It is extremely difficult to explain that which one doesn't have to think about. Gretzky had his shot at coaching, there is absolutely no reason to expect him to be anymore successful in a 2nd go around. This exactly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LastPommerFan Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 Have Gretzky and the NHL resolved their differences? My understanding was that the great one was keeping a great distance after the his contract was left unpaid by the NHL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoss Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 He has latched himself to the Vegas franchise so I doubt he has much interest coming to chilly Buffalo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 I don't know about hiring Gretzky, but I would think Phil Housley would make an interesting choice for our team. I can't say I've noted any of the organizations he's coaching for these days, but I'd be surprised if he's become the kind of coach that stifles raw talent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoss Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 I don't know about hiring Gretzky, but I would think Phil Housley would make an interesting choice for our team. I can't say I've noted any of the organizations he's coaching for these days, but I'd be surprised if he's become the kind of coach that stifles raw talent. This would send the board into a frenzy due to the whole hiring a Buffalo guy deal. I want somebody completely outside of the organization's past. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 This would send the board into a frenzy due to the whole hiring a Buffalo guy deal. I want somebody completely outside of the organization's past. I mentioned Housley only because he fits the mold of a guy who played a highly skilled style of game. I don't care where they come from, I want a coach who is going to win with an entertaining style. Of course, I'll accept a coach that just wins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob_sauve28 Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 I think the Larionov interview was discussed in another thread. The NHL never has figured out what the other major sports have, offense sells. They are so far behind the 8 ball in changing the game to make it more entertaining.Futball? That's the biggest of them all, right? Not much offense there. Football is now like basketball, and I hate it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doohickie Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 I think the Larionov interview was discussed in another thread. The NHL never has figured out what the other major sports have, offense sells. They are so far behind the 8 ball in changing the game to make it more entertaining. Offense sells, but defense wins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrueBlueGED Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 Offense sells, but defense wins. Defense gives you a consistent chance to win, but at the end of the day, it's the offense that does it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PASabreFan Posted March 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 Defense gives you a consistent chance to win, but at the end of the day, it's the offense that does it. Because you have to score a goal to win a game? FWIW, Cup winners' offensive and defensive rankings in the regular season, since the lockout (offensive first): LA 26 1 Chic 2 1 LA 29 2 Boston 5 2 Chicago 3 6 Pitt 6 17 Detroit 3 1 Anaheim 8 7 Carolina 3 19 LA is obviously the new poster boy for the idea that defense wins championships. Pittsburgh and Carolina show the other way of doing it. In general, though, it's seems like common sense to say you'd better be very good at both ends of the ice to win a Cup. (I probably should look at the playoffs too.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PASabreFan Posted March 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 Following up on the team stats above, right off the hop, LA led the playoffs last year in scoring and dipped a bit defensively. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrueBlueGED Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 Following up on the team stats above, right off the hop, LA led the playoffs last year in scoring and dipped a bit defensively. The Gaborik acquisition. And the Cup before that Carter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwksndmonster Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 Nice stats, PA. Good stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
French Collection Posted March 2, 2015 Report Share Posted March 2, 2015 Hawerchuk is another alumni finding coaching success. Has had some good teams in Barrie of the OHL. I don't think Murray will look at Alumni too hard when he is ready to pull the chute on Teddy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nfreeman Posted March 2, 2015 Report Share Posted March 2, 2015 You're aware of the Sabres' rankings in offense during the post-lockout years under Lindy before the team was self-sabotaged, yes? And yet you still posted that his teams were dull and low-scoring? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X. Benedict Posted March 2, 2015 Report Share Posted March 2, 2015 You're aware of the Sabres' rankings in offense during the post-lockout years under Lindy before the team was self-sabotaged, yes? And yet you still posted that his teams were dull and low-scoring? I think 2009-10 Buffalo scored 235 goals and gave up 250. Hardly a stifling defensive system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randall Flagg Posted March 2, 2015 Report Share Posted March 2, 2015 I think 2009-10 Buffalo scored 235 goals and gave up 250. Hardly a stifling defensive system. Can't be true, that was Miller's Vezina year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PASabreFan Posted March 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2015 You're aware of the Sabres' rankings in offense during the post-lockout years under Lindy before the team was self-sabotaged, yes? And yet you still posted that his teams were dull and low-scoring? You want to cherry-pick two years out of 16? By the way, Darcy got no credit for assembling those teams — it was dumb luck. Why was Lindy suddenly an offensive genius? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X. Benedict Posted March 2, 2015 Report Share Posted March 2, 2015 Can't be true, that was Miller's Vezina year My mistake....gave up 207 that year. Not sure what year I was thinking of. You want to cherry-pick two years out of 16? By the way, Darcy got no credit for assembling those teams — it was dumb luck. Why was Lindy suddenly an offensive genius? He was hardly a defense first coach, though. Most goals against the sabres during Lindy years were counterattack, when the sabres got caught deep in the offensive zone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randall Flagg Posted March 2, 2015 Report Share Posted March 2, 2015 My mistake....gave up 207 that year. Not sure what year I was thinking of. He was hardly a defense first coach, though. Most goals against the sabres during Lindy years were counterattack, when the sabres got caught deep in the offensive zone. :) It's all good! I would agree that we were hardly ever a defensively oriented team outside of that one year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattPie Posted March 2, 2015 Report Share Posted March 2, 2015 He has latched himself to the Vegas franchise so I doubt he has much interest coming to chilly Buffalo. I bet there's a gambling joke in there somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nfreeman Posted March 2, 2015 Report Share Posted March 2, 2015 You want to cherry-pick two years out of 16? By the way, Darcy got no credit for assembling those teams — it was dumb luck. Why was Lindy suddenly an offensive genius? Obtuse. The point, as everyone here knows, was that when Lindy had good offensive talent, his teams were high-scoring -- both here and in Dallas (which is #4 in the NHL in scoring despite losing their top scorer to injury a couple of weeks ago). When he had no offensive talent but had a great goalie, he built a winner around a different system. And when he didn't have either, his teams were crappy -- like every other coach in the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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