Jerzey Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Personally, I've been wanting to ditch the defensive system for a while now. With the team we have now it doesn't really make sense. Sure there are guys who are good playing both ways, but I feel like the team they have put together is being wasted on a style that doesn't make sense for them. I don't know much about the available coaches on the market right now. I never really paid too much attention to what other coaches were doing. They say Hitchcock is a defensive minded coach and would fit perfectly with the Devils. Pass please. Why sign guys like Kovy and Tedenby and then constrict them to a defensive neutral zone game? Why sign them at all? I've even seen people quote Parise as saying he'd rather play a forecheck. Don't get me wrong. Every player should be able to play a defensive game. I just think this particular team has too much offensive potential that's being wasted on a style that doesn't really fit. And I know, Lemaire came in with his defensive style and turned the team around. But they were also one of the lowest scoring teams in the league. This team needs to open up their offense and if it's a forechecking game that sparks more offensive chances then I say we find a coach that forechecks. I just don't know of any. They say Deboer plays that style. Get a coach that fits this team. These players. Don't sign a bunch of offensive powerhouses and then try to change their style. It doesn't make sense. In a way, I think the decision for which coach to hire is just as important as signing Parise long term. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZeroGravityFat Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 defensive hockey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic Rattlehead18 Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 I think that's what maclean tried and failed with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devs4LIFE Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 I wouldn't mind seeing Scott Gordon come over and coach a nice forecheck style of hockey similar to Sutter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devils102 Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 I know Vancouver was the highest scoring team this year... But they said on CBC that Van/Boston were the best two defensive teams this season. And whoever scored first in the finals won. Just saying... defense still wins championships. Or at least you can still win by playing defensive hockey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caron14 Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 offensive win games.... Defensive win championship! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devils Pride 26 Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 A solid transitional game. Now they might not have the horses for it, but I think the lack of transition has killed them the last few years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devilsfan118 Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Something with an aggressive forecheck / solid cycle. It's gotta be tricky, where you have two superstar LW's that play essentially opposite styles (Off the rush vs Cycle), but hopefully the new coach can kinda manage that and work that out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepperkorn Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 (edited) Personally I think that the Devils team -- and thus fans, shouldn't be thinking of any particular hockey style. I think they need to start seeing the game as a whole. Not even goes so far as to say solid two-way play. I think ANYTHING ANYONE says to this team will be heard simply as defensive hockey. Neither the organization nor any of the coaches have been pushing a defensive style. it's the players themselves. Back in the day it needed to be said and reminders needed to go out. Those days are LONG gone. No one can emulate past messages sent by former captains. It's all new now. Not "New NHL" no --just a new team - who were raised differently. It just needs to be understood: the only thing anyone needs to worry about is playing hockey. Everyone needs to be accountable for THEMSELVES only now. Now, helping guys out and all that -- If you play hockey and expect the young kids to do the same that's all that's needed on ice. It'll come. No one guy should concern himself right now with kids not playing a strong enough two way game. You can't anticipate where the team style is going either.... too tempting to say OK NOW we get to say 'start playing better in your own end.' You're looking for a chance to deliver a message you've pre-considered and that just doesn't work. You've closed your mind at that point and are useless to help in any way. (Yes I'm thinking of Elias who sees and CAN help but needs to find his own words & a more effective way to communicate - I feel like Elias doesn't really know what he's seeing - he is seeing it - but not computing the data correctly) Players cant keep looking for the opportunity to say 'play patient responsible hockey' - think about what you are really seeing and come up with your own words. They need to really see the truth of their teams game, you know? They need to really pay attention to each other ON ICE. Trust Understanding and.... vets need to compromise - or look for opportunities to NOT speak .... I think things get clearer then. I understand everyone hear is a) not reading this at all and b) thinking sure yeah but we're just writing about something interesting here - we all know the deal. THAT is the very point. No one knows the deal anymore. Just play hockey. They need a coach who knows and respects hockey. Then he needs to know how to manipulate the game to his own advantage --- WITH NO TRICKS IN MIND per se. It needs to be as blank as possible and the team needs to be as free from analyzing as possible. Intuition comes when you have the basics so down that you feel the game in your bones, You cannot make that happen. OK well... you need someone who really see what's going on. Lemaires saw what was going on but I think he cannot NOT overthink. See -- in the whole leading by example scheme it's really hard to say 'do as I say not as you're second guessing I'm doing!!' That's the whole thing I guess... So... that won't make much sense to people probably Edited June 17, 2011 by Pepperkorn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepperkorn Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 (edited) You have a point. Hey -- thanks for reading that! I guess my fear and what I feel like we've seen is the dog not knowing when the hell to get up DO something..."Uhhh... but you said 'Sit'" (We in fact have a dog like that now. Corey the rescue can only hunt on his own -- the minute you give a command he stops dead and gets confused. I do not think the Devils are like that. I dont think so, anyhow....) Dogs are stupid and hockey is a fast game. If my bird dog is going to hunt up and point a bird he does it nearly all on instinct and nose. All these guys have good "noses" They need a solid trainer who knows when to say sit and when to just let it happen. That was a great analogy for me M3B! Edited June 17, 2011 by Pepperkorn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevsMan84 Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 The style that makes us win. Honestly, I dont care what it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepperkorn Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Ahhh... are you doing this on purpose? You know I'm a professional musician right? I see you are not understanding what I'm saying .... Those musicians are THAT good. The playing of the instrument is in their bones. .... are you a musician? So you know? You learn the piece - you play it - that's what you do.., the conductor then colors it for you. It's the conductors overall vision and he leads this group of individuals to make a whole - this amazing whole who's sum adds up to so much more than it's parts. He's not teaching the guys to play. He's got to know they just CAN. A talented musician looks at a piece of music and doesn't need to be told HOW to play - he just gets A conductor will use words to start with -- explain his vision and trust his people will understand. So when it's time to play, there are no words -- it's all facial expression physical direction (you all speak conducting counts - you knwo who your working with so you know what his hands are saying. A grunt from a conductor -- you intuit what he's saying -- you have a lot of help because it's inherently IN THE MUSIC. YOU HAVE TO USE INTUITION because the music is going the whole time -- you look at your conductor and his eyes and if he's wide-eyed you look to see if first chair dropped his bow or something.... the percussionist keeled over and you have to INTUIT how you're going to cover. it never stops so there is no talk. it's all feel ---- MUST be... THAT is EXACTLY what I'm talking about here. Are you a classic musician? Have you worked with a conductor -- so you'll know what I mean then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 kovalchuk does not fit into an 'aggressive' style. it's a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepperkorn Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Marty is a perfect example too -- his technique is so beyond down he can work completely on intuition. His technique kicks in and covers his ass without his even thinking about it. He reads plays as they come -- he;s not thinking Hmm...defensive so I could go left or right or butterfly or... no -- he feels it in the moment and it flows out of him. If he thinks... he's dead in the water. All our guys are thinking. This is our problem. i feel it's thinking too hard about defensive hockey causing that. All the thinking needs to be done on practice. I dont understadn practice because I'm not there.... I dont play I have no desire because I cannot tolerate suckage and i WILL suck. And the message is not clear -- you need the right conductor who knows how to get the music out of the guys. Saying OK this is a dark peice just sint' enough... you may end up wioth a ridiculous wall of sound that is nothing but a muddled loud mess.... listen to all the different versions of Bolero --- the ehhem climax its' always different withe every conductor. It's personal taste with music sadly. With hockey it's you win or you lose there is a desired end result beyond a nice climax for the majority of the audience. OK -- I'm bathering on too and I knwo I'll lose ... if I haven't already lost everyone kovalchuk does not fit into an 'aggressive' style. it's a problem. I wish I could be calm like you... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepperkorn Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 (edited) You knwo maybe THAT is what I'm saying. Our team at some point stopped listening to the music that is hockey. they don't hear it. They are playing deaf - Beethoven maybe can do that... Marty, Zach, Elias can play deaf -- but....well -- Langenbrunner best example -- good enough to get the notes out but there is no tone, rhythm, no harmony. No harmonious playing as one. Edited June 17, 2011 by Pepperkorn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepperkorn Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 I'm re-reading this and I think I'm more and more coming to the conclusion that we're arguing different points. But hey, it made the work-day morning interesting and thought provoking! I agree. There is something my line of thought is leaving out of the equation too. Lou would say "well that's all well and good but you're not taking blahdee blahdee blah into account." And I'd think... duhhh I'm so not a hockey person Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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