New England Hockey Talk

[faster,Tobias!]

Have you ever noticed it is usually the 4th liners or the grinders that go on to make the best coaches? There are exceptions, of course (odd, but Bob Gainey is the only one I can think of right now, and he wasn't necessarily a finesse guy.) My theory is they spend so much more time on the bench watching the game.
As for Gretzky; he will probably do the right thing and resign.

[MGB Boy]

Quote: Originally Posted by bethandlouis (original)

C-A-P-S Caps Caps Caps!

You forgot the "R" in that!

Quote: Originally Posted by faster,Tobias! (original)

Have you ever noticed it is usually the 4th liners or the grinders that go on to make the best coaches? There are exceptions, of course (odd, but Bob Gainey is the only one I can think of right now, and he wasn't necessarily a finesse guy.) My theory is they spend so much more time on the bench watching the game.

Absolutely. The big skill guys, they often spend their whole career getting by on skill. Not that they don't work hard, but a guy with hardly a speck of god-given natural talent who has had to fight and claw for every minute they get, those are the guys who really know the guts of the game. They know it because, as you say, they spend a lot of time watching it, but they also know it because they've come to realize that they don't have that magical extra gear to instantly put space between themselves and the defender (or going the other direction, to close the gap on a forward), they don't have that magic shot that could hit the same postage-stamp sized spot glove-side high nine times in a row, they don't have those amazing moves to undress two defenders on the way to the net. Lacking these skills, they have to get very very very solid on the fundamentals, things like positioning and situational awareness. That's their only shot at staying in the NHL. I don't think the super-skill guys always have great fundamentals, because they are so damn good that they can get away without it. But guys like Ted Donato, for example, (who is now a couple years into an excellent coaching career at Harvard), guys like that end up being excellent coaches because they've got the fundamentals drilled into their heads. They spent a career figuring how to do more with less, so they know how to get the most out of a team. That's just my two cents, anyhow...

-Ricardo

[bethandlouis]

You said everything I wanted to say this morning (save that jib on my caps!). Look at Michael Jordan. Great player when he became part owner (or whatever he was when he was with the Bullets (they'll always be the Bullets to me)) he decided that he was going to go onto the court and play with them. Give them hope and motivation. Hope and Motivation isn't what they needed they needed good players. Having a great hockey player in your bench does not a good team make. You need the talent on the ice.

As far as the 4th liners. I think that they are really shining this year. Buffaslugs 4th line is great. (and getting more press than the others). But still the best offense is a good defence (Olie had 45 saves last night!!) And unless you have good defenders you can't have a good hockey team. I have seen too many games where the defenders are stationary while the offense sets up a classic umbrella pattern. Moving your stick around while you are stationary may have worked in the past but they have to start moving.

[snid]

Quote: Originally Posted by MGB Boy (original)

You forgot the "R" in that!

carps? Wouldn't the plural be carp, though?

[MGB Boy]

Woo-hoo! My boy Martin St Louis (University of Vermont class of '97) had himself a natural hat trick in a 6:17 span of the second period tonight. Not a bad way to jump start your season...



-Ricardo

[MGB Boy]

Quote: Originally Posted by snid (original)

carps? Wouldn't the plural be carp, though?

Enough of your carping!

-Ricardo

[MGB Boy]

Natural hat trick!



-Ricardo

[bethandlouis]

Let me first state this. I am a Caps fan first and a fan of hockey second. I root for whomever when the caps aren't playing. Tonight I watched the Bruins/Habs game and there was some bad calls. I broke out the 4 letter words and was screaming at the TV. Apparently there was some bad calling all around but the timing of the holding call with less than a minute to go was less than fortunate (given that a holding call should have been called on the other end of the ice before that). A score by the Habs with 1.2 seconds left on the clock. The refs called the game early due to flotsam (that word doesn't get used enough) on the ice and then when Lewis wanted to have "words" with the refs they stood as far away from him until he exited. He reminded me of the nazi's at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark. I thought flames were going to shoot out of his eyes.

Penalty calling is very subjective and I know it's very hard for the refs to see everything (and I know there are a lot of penalties that should get called that don't) but I think that's the problem with the officiating. It's very subjective.

That's all just had to get it off my chest.

[bethandlouis]

Quote: Originally Posted by MGB Boy (original)

Woo-hoo! My boy Martin St Louis (University of Vermont class of '97) had himself a natural hat trick in a 6:17 span of the second period tonight. Not a bad way to jump start your season...



-Ricardo

Too bad the Bolts are in the basement!

[bethandlouis]

Fishing around and stumbled upon this link. Has the McSorely hit on Brashear and Dale Hunter "finishing his check". But the funniest one is the minor league baseball. Good fun.

[MGB Boy]

Quote: Originally Posted by bethandlouis (original)

Let me first state this. I am a Caps fan first and a fan of hockey second. I root for whomever when the caps aren't playing. Tonight I watched the Bruins/Habs game and there was some bad calls. I broke out the 4 letter words and was screaming at the TV. Apparently there was some bad calling all around but the timing of the holding call with less than a minute to go was less than fortunate (given that a holding call should have been called on the other end of the ice before that). A score by the Habs with 1.2 seconds left on the clock. The refs called the game early due to flotsam (that word doesn't get used enough) on the ice and then when Lewis wanted to have "words" with the refs they stood as far away from him until he exited. He reminded me of the nazi's at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark. I thought flames were going to shoot out of his eyes.

Penalty calling is very subjective and I know it's very hard for the refs to see everything (and I know there are a lot of penalties that should get called that don't) but I think that's the problem with the officiating. It's very subjective.

That's all just had to get it off my chest.

Actually, being a Bruins fan, I was still stewing on that game, wasn't going to comment yet. But yeah, the "that isn't holding but this is" crap in the waning minutes from Don VanMassenhoven was a joke. No excuse for that sort of behavior from the folks in the stands, but one can understand the frustration. And once that game was over, VanMassenhoven and Walsh weren't willing to come within a country mile of Coach Lewis. P.J. Axelsson picked up 12 minutes in penalties yelling at the refs after the goal with 1.2 seconds left. Can't say I blame him (especially after they missed the slash on his hands 5 minutes earlier). Oh well, it's all part of life's rich pageant...

-Ricardo

PS Are you sure it wasn't Lewis' moustache that reminded you of the Nazis?

[MGB Boy]

Quote: Originally Posted by bethandlouis (original)

Too bad the Bolts are in the basement!

But they are a point ahead of the Carps! And since they have two of my fellow UVM alumni on the team (St Louis and Perrin), I'm morally obligated to root for them...

-Ricardo

[MGB Boy]

Quote: Originally Posted by bethandlouis (original)

Fishing around and stumbled upon this link. Has the McSorely hit on Brashear and Dale Hunter "finishing his check". But the funniest one is the minor league baseball. Good fun.

No linky in message!

-Ricardo

PS Tour du chapeau! (that means hat trick, eh?)

[bethandlouis]

What can I say it was sort of late! http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1716141 Here it is.

Gotta love the refs I guess. Maybe you have to be blatenley obvious on the penalties. I thought Kessler was going to fight after the free hand holding that wasn't called. He was going to clearly beat the defenseman and it was a cheap shot. Wish I saw the ejection after a minor for unsportsmanlike on the Habs (then I wouldn' t feel the refs were one sided). Oh well. Guess you can't be mad all the time.

Tomorrow night is Hockey Night in Canada. My Caps are going to face their nemesis tonight (Roberto Luongo is 7-0 against the caps (although that was for the Panthers)). And I have to work . I don't think I'd get to see it anyway without the benefit of center ice or the fancy canadian channels.

[MGB Boy]

Catch any of that Wisconsin-BC game on CSTV tonight? Rematch of last year's NCAA championship. Nice game, good scoring chances, good goaltending, good hits. Reminded me of what I love about college hockey, the skill level (while excellent, especially when #2 plays #5) obviously isn't the same as the NHL, but the passion and intensity is unrivaled. Every game is played like a playoff game, people diving for pucks, blocking shots, giving every ounce of effort they've got, fans all painted up and chanting at the tops of their lungs, all that jazz. Good stuff. Plus I didn't mind seeing BC go into Wisconsin's house and shutting them out 3-0. 14,000 very quiet cheeseheads when the last goal went in...

-Ricardo