The Deal With Geoff Ward

[rooster]

Geoff Ward = Rich Preston 2.0

[Pipty]

These back to back games against the same team will expose one of our problems this year with being outcoached, almost like a mini playoff series. Tre finally solves our goaltending problems but we continue to go down the path of ####ty coaching. Our last decent one was probably Hartley for one year he was able to get the team to overpeform. Sutter was probably our only good coach since 2000.

[TheSquatch]

Originally Posted by Royle9

He’s not coaching any real system, at least that’s what the product on the ice would say. He’s not making adjustments during the game, he’s not shortening the bench when behind. He’s not even putting the best forwards on the ice when we need a goal and down with 3 mins left.

He’s not fit to be a head coach plain and simple.
He hasn’t lost the room because he never had it to begin with.

Get a real coach before we rank any further.
Also a fan of changing the core of this team, but with a draft in doubt I don’t see them blowing anything up.

This. I see no system, and what systemic stuff I do see, I see over and over with very little adaption.

Put it another way, teams know how to beat the Flames - clog up the neutral zone and you'll just kill the Flames breakout every time, and nothing will be done to combat it.

Look at the power play. How many times did the drop to Gaudreau, who then skates up to the line where 4 guys are standing still (you need someone skating with the carrier and someone skating behind the carrier so he has some options) work? It didn't work. Not once actually. They did it 9 times though, because that's what they've been told to do. No in game adjustment, no "Okay let's add THIS into the mix." It's ridiculous. That's a glaring example, and firmly on the special teams coach, but the rest of the play looks the same.

Watch that Montreal Toronto game last night, both teams exit the zone so fast and so trouble-free compared to the Flames. Flames hack and whack and try to make a D to D pass under pressure. Toronto and Montreal take the puck with speed and carry it north, and lanes open up. Flames looked last night like they were under pressure the whole time in their own end, like they just couldn't get and keep clean possession. How tiring is that for the players? Something's systemically wrong with what they are trying to do.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Ward is not coaching dump and chase.

Ok I see. So everybody sees this but you right? Even Ward said in an interview they need to get pucks in deep and be the first on them. If you don't think the Flames are playing dump and chase you either know jack squat about hockey or you are just trying to be argumentative. It is so ridiculously obvious it is like you arguing this is HF and not CP despite the absolute obvious difference in every way.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Here's why I think Geoff Ward is terrible coach and needs to go.

Preparation - This is a consistent problem for this team since he's taken over. The team consistently plays like crap in the first period. They rarely appear ready to play. They rarely look like they have an idea what the opposition is going to throw at them or how to exploit the weaknesses of the system they are going to face. This is the responsibility of the coaching staff, to prepare the team and inform them of what tendencies the opposition will rely upon and best strategies to defeat those systems. The consistent poor performances in the first period and the inability to attack out of the gate is clearly on the coaching staff, and the lack of preparation of the team.

Motivation - Much of motivation is internal and driven from within each player. Coaches are there to help players self-motivate. Whether that is through goal setting, positive affirmation, or visualization exercises, coaches play a big role in helping players keep motivated, especially when they are struggling. When motivation fails so does confidence. A poorly motivated player or team is unlikely to reach and maintain any level of confidence and then success. The lack of consistent play to open games is a sign of lack of confidence and motivation. While the players do shoulder much of the burden when it comes to motivation, preparation and coaching sessions greatly impact this area and are easy to identify as systemic weaknesses when all players suffer the same challenges.

Team/social identity - Coaches are responsible for team and social identity of the collective and building the team up so they will play for each other. Strong teams leverage the strengths of all performers and then shelter each other's weaknesses. Coaches should build systems that fit the talent on the team, not try and implement systems beyond the performance level of the talent available. This is not happening. This team does not seem like a "team" but more a collective of individuals, which is a coaching problem. These guys need to learn to play for each other if they ever want to taste some success. Tkachuk is right that these guys need to rally around each other and fight for each other like you would for a family member. The team is lacking that identity because the players are not being deployed to their strengths to build and maintain that team identity. The coaches are so entrenched in what they know and believe they are not even bothering to look at what resources they have to work with and building a systemic approach that will lead each player to success.

Systems - As stated above coaches define and implement the systems. These should be done to leverage the talent available and match the strengths and abilities of the players. This is where Ward and company fall on their faces. This team has players that excel off the rush and can transition the puck quickly when given opportunity. But the systems in place restrict the creativity and fast break mentality so many of the players excel at. Since taking over this team has adopted a move the puck backwards mentality. They no longer press the puck forward trying to get the puck to the net, they instead move the puck backwards to the defensemen and start the rush from deep in their own zone. All this does is allow the opposition to get into their defensive coverage and make the job harder for the Flames as they try to press forward.

A disturbing development is the puck seems to have to be moved back and forth between the defensemen multiple times before a rush can be initiated. The defensemen retreat to their own end and usually behind the goal line to try and setup. This allows the opposition to get in and forecheck the Flames into submission because they only rely on a single breakout strategy. The breakout is off the boards and does nothing to build speed. It is a grinding mucker's system that is not suited to the skill level on the team.

If the Flames get into the offensive zone they spend the time ringing the boards and not generating much. Again, much of the puck movement is above the circles in an area where turnovers happen with regularity and in dangerous situations. The high danger area is not used with any regularity and players rarely try and penetrate it with the puck. The movement is around the perimeter, back to the point, and then hopefully a gap opens up where the players follow the puck into the high danger areas. Instead of pressing the puck to those areas using the forwards, the defensemen drive the play. Just a bad strategy and horrible use of talent available.

Special teams - Coaches are responsible for special teams and making appropriate adjustments. If something isn't working, or the opposition has clued in on what you are doing, go to Plan B. The problem is this team doesn't have a Plan B. They have one trick, and when that trick is figured out they are pretty much done.

Adjustment - Coaches are wholly responsible for in game adjustments. That is why they are there. If they are not going to "coach" and make the appropriate adjustments that leads to success, why the hell are they there?

Lineup assignments - This is all on the coaches and primarily Geoff Ward. He needs to find the secret sauce and make it work. But he has no clue. He comes up with his game plan, assigns players, and then just rolls the lines.

Decision making - This is Ward's greatest weakness. His decision making of when to play certain lines is insanely bad. A goal is scored, time to throw out your worst and slowest line. Have last change and the opposition put out their best line, respond with your slowest group of five players. Have an opportunity to leverage a man advantage, send out one of your least skilled players. There are players that should be getting eight minutes a night, yet they seem to get more than their fair share of ice time. That is on Ward and no one else. His deployment of talent is atrocious.

If a coach is bad at one of these things you can accept that. But when a coach is not good at all of these things he is the wrong fit for this level. Geoff Ward is a really nice guy and probably a coach the players love to play for. But his approach and systems are not at the NHL level. This team would be so much better if they had a coach who would coach to the talent available instead of making them play a game not suited t their skills. If the Flames want to see an immediate improvement, replace Ward with a coach with a history of winning in the NHL.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Ok I see. So everybody sees this but you right? Even Ward said in an interview they need to get pucks in deep and be the first on them. If you don't think the Flames are playing dump and chase you either know jack squat about hockey or you are just trying to be argumentative. It is so ridiculously obvious it is like you arguing this is HF and not CP despite the absolute obvious difference in every way.

It’s a false narrative. If Ward is catching dump and chase they aren’t doing it. They are turning the puck over at the blue line because they don’t dump and chase. And when they do dump it’s because they skate into defenders at the line without help and are left with no option but to chip and chase (different).

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

It’s a false narrative. If Ward is catching dump and chase they aren’t doing it. They are turning the puck over at the blue line because they don’t dump and chase. And when they do dump it’s because they skate into defenders at the line without help and are left with no option but to chip and chase (different).

We haven’t had a lot of turnovers at the opposition blueline to be honest.

If we get caught it’s usually because the dump was bad and we went to make a change and the other team has numbers.

It’s very rare for this team to try to gain the zone with possession, or defend our own blueline. We’ve been one of the worst teams at this going back to the start of last season, when the team starting playing a much safer style after getting burned for odd man rushes by Colorado.



Don’t enter the opposition zone with possession, and do a bad job preventing the opposition of entering our zone with possession...Calgary Flames hockey under Geoff Ward.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

We haven’t had a lot of turnovers at the opposition blueline to be honest.

If we get caught it’s usually because the dump was bad and we went to make a change and the other team has numbers.

It’s very rare for this team to try to gain the zone with possession, or defend our own blueline. We’ve been one of the worst teams at this going back to the start of last season, when the team starting playing a much safer style after getting burned for odd man rushes by Colorado.



Don’t enter the opposition zone with possession, and do a bad job preventing the opposition of entering our zone with possession...Calgary Flames hockey under Geoff Ward.

I consider losing the puck because you skate into coverage and have to chip (and the you lose the puck battle) the same as a turnover.

The reason the Backlund line has had success is because Mangiapane and Lucic win their chips. Johnny and Chucky have been losing theirs. Bennett tries to carry through the opposition.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I consider losing the puck because you skate into coverage and have to chip (and the you lose the puck battle) the same as a turnover.

The reason the Backlund line has had success is because Mangiapane and Lucic win their chips. Johnny and Chucky have been losing theirs. Bennett tries to carry through the opposition.

So in other words this roster isn't a good match for dump and chase. That points to coaching.

[ComixZone]

There’s no grounds to defend the coaching at this stage. It’s been bad during Ward’s entire tenure as head coach.

This in no way excuses the players from being part of the problem - the roster isn’t perfect, but Ward is the single biggest deficiency this team has.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

So in other words this roster isn't a good match for dump and chase. That points to coaching.

It’s not a good roster for skating in with possession. It’s a good roster for chip and chase if they do it right. There’s no reason why Tkachuk, Johnny, Monahan and Lindholm can’t do it successfully - they’ve all proven they can.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

It’s not a good roster for skating in with possession. It’s a good roster for chip and chase if they do it right. There’s no reason why Tkachuk, Johnny, Monahan and Lindholm can’t do it successfully - they’ve all proven they can.

Because chip and chase requires puck support for that to work, and the Flames are not positioned or skating with speed to provide puck support. This is the worst brand of hockey I have seen in the 40 years I’ve been watching Flames hockey. You would have to go back to Atlanta to find worse.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

It’s not a good roster for skating in with possession. It’s a good roster for chip and chase if they do it right. There’s no reason why Tkachuk, Johnny, Monahan and Lindholm can’t do it successfully - they’ve all proven they can.

Chip and chase is not a recipe for success when your top forwards are either small (Johnny Gaudreau, Dube, Mangiapane) or slow (Monahan, Tkachuk). This style of hockey is conservative, outdated and doesn't fit with the build of this roster.

[442scotty]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

So in other words this roster isn't a good match for dump and chase. That points to coaching.

This roster doesn’t seem to be a good match for anything.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Chip and chase is not a recipe for success when your top forwards are either small (Johnny Gaudreau, Dube, Mangiapane) or slow (Monahan, Tkachuk). This style of hockey is conservative, outdated and doesn't fit with the build of this roster.

Tampa bay plays dump and chase. It didn’t seem outdated last year.

[Igottago]

My feeling is the team will get exactly what they've invested in from the coaching. The team is talented enough to get wins that keep them competitive enough in the standings but they won't be pushed to elevate to another level. There will be several players meetings, statements that the compete level is off and needs to be fixed. Then they'll win a few on the back of Markstrom. Geoff Ward is okay. He's not terrible but not great. That's what the results will be. If this team was supposed to be pushing towards contender status the coaching hire should have been fitting of that. If a weak Canucks team can out hustle them for the majority of two games now, the playoffs aren't gonna be any easier.

[Kovaz]

I don't think "dump and chase" is a strategy that any coach intentionally uses. It's plan B when you can't generate a controlled zone entry. What I have noticed is we do a terrible job of generating speed in transition, which is a different problem. Our system seems to be, from my viewing, very conservative in how we break out. All five forwards stay in the defensive zone until we have 100% control of the puck, and then we try to generate speed from a standstill. Very few players can pick up the puck standing still and turn that into possession in the offensive zone; hence a lot of dump and chase.

[SuperMatt18]

Great article on how the Flames coaching staff and system in contributing to their failure

https://jmalloryhockey.substack.com/...used-cgy-needs

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

We haven’t had a lot of turnovers at the opposition blueline to be honest.

If we get caught it’s usually because the dump was bad and we went to make a change and the other team has numbers.

It’s very rare for this team to try to gain the zone with possession, or defend our own blueline. We’ve been one of the worst teams at this going back to the start of last season, when the team starting playing a much safer style after getting burned for odd man rushes by Colorado.



Don’t enter the opposition zone with possession, and do a bad job preventing the opposition of entering our zone with possession...Calgary Flames hockey under Geoff Ward.

This is pretty unbelievable. This is a team that, in order to find success, needs to own north and south hockey and creating opportunities off the rush.

The fact that this is the worst team at obtaining the zone and preventing their opponent says terrible things about Ward.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Great article on how the Flames coaching staff and system in contributing to their failure

https://jmalloryhockey.substack.com/...used-cgy-needs

Nothing in that article contradicts what I watched last night.

bUt wHy cAnT tHEy jUSt mAKe a 5-fOoT-pAsS