Quote:
Originally Posted by Psytic
Im not sure what people want exactly. Do we want to a coach to play out the string and load up on picks or do we want a Lemaire, Trotz, Tippet type to come in and coach some lockdown hockey so we win games? What is our actual expectation for a coach for this team. People are mad when we lose but thats expected its a rebuild, can you guys not handle it?
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I can only speak for myself:
I'm not mad at all when we lose. These are the very early stages dof a rebuild and losses are to be expected. There'll be ugly games like the two vs Dallas this season and I'm not mad when this happens from time to time. Growing pains, no big deal.
What I personally want and expect this season is pretty simple. The players, who are expected to be important parts of the Flames in a few years when the team should be competitive again, should be given every opportunity to learn and grow as players. Shelter their minutes a bit, increase their ice-time when they do well and build their confidence. Those are the players that should be leaders in a few years, after all. Pair them with guys that are good role models for them and who will be a part of the Flames long-term as well. Play the "good" veterans heavy to increase their trade value.
That doesn't mean that I want them to treat their youngsters like rockstars, the same way the special boys up there have been doing. Young players should be held accountable nonetheless and most importantly should get frequent and specific feedback on what they did wrong and what they could do better. I'm too lazy to look it up right now, but somebody mentioned Roy in Colorado and how he gives the young players immediate feedback on the bench and sends them out again next shift.
Hartley has done a few things which are in line with that, but also many things which aren't. I have to admit that I have huge, weird love-hate relationship with Bob Hartley. I like the mentality to play with grit and energy. I like that he wants to send the message that despite a rebuild, losing is still not acceptable and that players have to give 100 per cent out there. There's really nothing wrong with that.
The things that irk me about Hartley are
- his constant line shuffling. There's not much consistency and I bet there are forwards on the team who have had stretches of getting new linemates in three or four games in a row. Also, putting a guy like Jackman into the lineup and even playing him in the top six has absolutely no value for the future of the club. I don't understand the reasoning behind shuffling the forward lines like that all the time ... especially since he doesn't change his defensive pairings.
- his handling of "skilled" players. Cervenka, Backlund, Baertschi ... all skilled players who have found themselves in Hartley's doghouse at stretches. Cervenka and Backlund for about 5 minutes on the 4th, Sven scratched when it made not a lot of sense ... I sense that Bob, with all his "bring your lunchbox and go to work" hard worker mentality has not a lot of love for skilled players. Kristian Huselius would have had a hard time under Hartley ... hard to imagine Juice in that kind of environment. I remember Hartley talking about how Sven should be like Gallagher ... but Sven Baertschi simply is not Brendan Gallagher and will never be. Just let the kids play to their strengths.
- his decision to hold some players accountable without doing the same to others. Benching/scratching guys like Baertschi and Backlund would make a lot more sense to me if he would do the same with other players. But again, Sven is the only young guy to be held accountable while Monahan and Colborne have stayed in the lineup, and vets like Glencross and Jones seem to get unlimited get out of jail free cards all the time.
- his comments ahead of today's Jets game have really pissed me off. Stay professional, Bob.
Just a few things off the top of my head ... surely a lot of those things have been rehashed numerous times already though.
