[PGT] Jan 23: WSH 3 CGY 1

[Jiri Hrdina]

Got it. Wasn’t intentional just was using the transcript

[mile]

https://twitter.com/user/status/2014951777716604944

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Roko

Huska is not good

That's all you had to say.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by combustiblefuel

Yes and nine minutes this game. 15 to 11 to 9. That counts as slowly going down in minutes yes?

Yeah. Are we also blaming Stromgren's 6 minutes of ice time on equipment issues and not Huska?

Dude is hesitant to play kids on a rebuilding team. If you're on board with the rebuild, which most of us are, it's illogical to defend capping their ice time to this extent.

It needs to change.

Edit: And don't go on and conflate that with calling him a bad coach and making unfounded critiques on his ability to get results out of this team.

This isn't that. This is about giving adequate ice time and opportunity to rookies and young players so that they can actually work through what they need to and not feel stifled from playing their game by the threat of being benched.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

Yeah. Are we also blaming Stromgren's 6 minutes of ice time on equipment issues and not Huska?

Dude is hesitant to play kids on a rebuilding team. If you're on board with the rebuild, which most of us are, it's illogical to defend capping their ice time to this extent.

Needs to change.

Stromgren looked bad and was way behind the play.

Huska was playing Gridin with Kadri. He's not hiding him. He's letting Gridin's play dictate what happens.

And there's no rule saying a rebuild involves throwing young players in the deep end with no instruction, no consequence and no shelter.

[looooob]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

It reminds me when Fleury came in the league. They played him with Peplinski and Hunter and criticized him for not passing the puck more LOL.

well to be fair they were our captains LOL. those were the days I guess. top team in the league, probably the best pro prospect overcooking to a depth chart of HOfers at C and RW. sigh

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by looooob

well to be fair they were our captains LOL. those were the days I guess. top team in the league, probably the best pro prospect overcooking to a depth chart of HOfers at C and RW. sigh

Yeah, I mean who were they tossing from higher lines? They had forwards like Newy, Gilmour, Mullen, Loob, Patterson, Otto, Hrdina, Roberts.

I'm not sure it was Tim Hunter and Fleury. Mark Hunter was around as well (and he had 22 goals in 66 games that year).

[looooob]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Yeah, I mean who were they tossing from higher lines? They had forwards like Newy, Gilmour, Mullen, Loob, Patterson, Otto, Hrdina, Roberts.

I'm not sure it was Tim Hunter and Fleury. Mark Hunter was around as well (and he had 22 goals in 66 games that year).

and 32-44 goals the 3 years prior (Mark Hunter)

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by Bingo

You're not following the rules.

If a guy over 23 plays poorly he's a bum.
If a guy under 23 plays poorly the coach is a bum.

If a guy over 25 plays poorly we give him his regular reps anyways, maybe on a different line at worst.

If a guy under 25 plays poorly it's benching, popcorn, then probably the ahl if we can send you there.

And we expect you to improve under this system and change our minds with the deployment of a goon.

[Rhett44]

It's fine to keep Huska for the rest of the year, he is awful and it helps the tank.

But for the love of God, keep Gridin and Parekh away from him. This isn't the coach you want developing our skilled prospects. No need to crush their confidence any more.

[wpgflamesfan]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

Yeah. Are we also blaming Stromgren's 6 minutes of ice time on equipment issues and not Huska?

Dude is hesitant to play kids on a rebuilding team. If you're on board with the rebuild, which most of us are, it's illogical to defend capping their ice time to this extent.

It needs to change.

Edit: And don't go on and conflate that with calling him a bad coach and making unfounded critiques on his ability to get results out of this team.

This isn't that. This is about giving adequate ice time and opportunity to rookies and young players so that they can actually work through what they need to and not feel stifled from playing their game by the threat of being benched.

Well said. To add fuel to the fire why is Zac Whitecloud (29) seeing a 6-minute increase over his career average time on ice per game and basically playing the same amount as Rasmus did before he was traded? At least some of those minutes should be used to develop the younger core instead of over-extending a veteran. We’re going to suck either way.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by wpgflamesfan

Well said. To add fuel to the fire why is Zac Whitecloud (29) seeing a 6-minute increase over his career average time on ice per game and basically playing the same amount as Rasmus did before he was traded? At least some of those minutes should be used to develop the younger core instead of over-extending a veteran. We’re going to suck either way.

Kuznetsov is already playing around 20 minutes a night (Huska doesn’t play younger players!!!! lol) and Brzu is just keeping his head above water at his current 13-15 minutes per night.

Not really sure where you want the other minutes to go. Help develop Hanley? lol.

[taxbuster]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

It's fine to keep Huska for the rest of the year, he is awful and it helps the tank.

But for the love of God, keep Gridin and Parekh away from him. This isn't the coach you want developing our skilled prospects. No need to crush their confidence any more.

First question: what makes you think their confidence is "crushed"? Haven't seen or heard anything that suggests that is true.


Second question: so...they play badly and you think it's fine to ... what...just let them continue to play badly, be really, really nice to them, pat them on the back and that will encourage them to play better? Players want playing time...and if they want that, they need to play the "right way" (whether you like that way or not). When they don't they don't get ice. When they do...they do.


Last time I looked these guys are the future of the team (supposedly)...so if one wants them to play in a particular manner, it doesn't matter if the vets don't do that...they aren't the future. And the vets have earned their ice in the past by playing the right way.


Coronato (I think it was) got booted back to the Wranglers after he first came up because he couldn't do what he needed to. He worked like snot and...guess what? He got back up to the big club. Why should Parekh and Gridin (or anyone else) get a free pass?


It's pretty obvious you hate Huska as much as you want Conny to dump all the vets...and you comment on it just about as much...but instead of complaining, how about explaining precisely how you think they should be handled when they screw up?


(Besides Kuzy and Brz are getting plenty of ice time....)

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

It sounds like he wants to play him more though, does it not? I guess you can interpret what he said from either side.

So what?

Pat is a tremendous radio host and has opinions like anyone else, just because he "thinks" something about something, it means no more or less than anyone else just because he has a microphone when he says it.

As for those saying Huska doesnt develop players the right way....this team is sporting 6 guys that he did that very thing with enough they are now NHL regulars.

Gridin is 19 years old...development will come in different ways for different guys....he will be fine.

Huskas main job that he is paid for is to win hockey games, not pamper kids that aren't quite ready for prime time. He will play the guys he believes give him the best chance to succeed at his job.

[mile]

Originally Posted by wpgflamesfan

Well said. To add fuel to the fire why is Zac Whitecloud (29) seeing a 6-minute increase over his career average time on ice per game and basically playing the same amount as Rasmus did before he was traded? At least some of those minutes should be used to develop the younger core instead of over-extending a veteran. We’re going to suck either way.

Whitecloud handling top 4 minutes hopefully means we get a trade return that reflects that

[wpgflamesfan]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Kuznetsov is already playing around 20 minutes a night (Huska doesn’t play younger players!!!! lol) and Brzu is just keeping his head above water at his current 13-15 minutes per night.

Not really sure where you want the other minutes to go. Help develop Hanley? lol.

Admittedly I haven’t run the math in a few weeks but if you weight things by time on ice we’re just outside the top third in the league in terms of average age and have basically stayed the same age year over year so yeah there’s concern over huskas use of young players.

And kuznetsov and brzu should be getting more minutes now that Rasmus is gone. But I guess it’s better to develop 29 year old Zach Whitecloud lol

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

If a guy over 25 plays poorly we give him his regular reps anyways, maybe on a different line at worst.

If a guy under 25 plays poorly it's benching, popcorn, then probably the ahl if we can send you there.

And we expect you to improve under this system and change our minds with the deployment of a goon.

One I was tongue in cheek.

But no ... Kuznetsov has been able to learn on the job without issue.
Honzek ... learned on the job.

Bruz has played 17 of the last 20 games.

They get rope.

But they're young and if they're making a repeated mistake they may see limited ice.

You don't want young players to learn the 200 foot NHL game?

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by transplant99

So what?

Pat is a tremendous radio host and has opinions like anyone else, just because he "thinks" something about something, it means no more or less than anyone else just because he has a microphone when he says it.

As for those saying Huska doesnt develop players the right way....this team is sporting 6 guys that he did that very thing with enough they are now NHL regulars.

Gridin is 19 years old...development will come in different ways for different guys....he will be fine.

Huskas main job that he is paid for is to win hockey games, not pamper kids that aren't quite ready for prime time. He will play the guys he believes give him the best chance to succeed at his job.

Actually, it's to both try to win games now, but also train and develop guys so they can win games in the future. If those players aren't doing the basics asked of them then they aren't adhering to the training program of what takes to become a regular NHLer, which is what Huska wants long-term.

Maintaining a standard of play isn't a bad thing. You have to make sure players do what is asked of them, and if they seem like they can't respond to a note or two in their ear sitting on the bench, then they need some more time to sit and think about it. The reason you don't do that as often with veterans is likely because they already know when they're not playing well or ####ing up, and so benching them doesn't really change much, it just makes them angry. Sitting a young player when they're just coming into the league isn't an insult, it's to be expected, and that should be communicated clearly to them that they aren't going to be getting top minutes right away until they learn the game.

When a young player gets top minutes even if they're missing defensive assignments or not skating or not playing with effort and battling for pucks, then you're sending them the wrong message. You are effectively rewarding and reinforcing sloppy, crappy hockey, and those players develop bad habits long term.

I can't believe I have to explain this, but good performance gets rewarded...not bad performance.

[FBI]

I don’t think it’s huska refusing to play younger players, it’s huska favors defensive players by far. That is why Kuznetsov and Bru, Honzek are getting good opportunities and guys like Parekh and Gridin aren’t as much.

[Calgary4LIfe]

I always look at the Oilers circa Hall, Eberle, etc., as the poster child for how NOT to do things.


The Calgary Flames' rebuild under the Hartley years and into the Gulutzan era was more successful than the Oilers' was, even though they were "building something special up there". Notice how nobody in the media uses that expression any longer?


Say what you will about Hartley, but he held players accountable. Say what you will about Gulutzan, but he held the players accountable too. I think the rebuild was screwed due to switching to 'win now' mode too soon, but I do think that generally - with a few exceptions - the Flames brought up their prospects the right way.


I will never forget one night under Hartley where the Flames went down 3-0 or 4-0, and fought back to win the game. That same night, the Oilers went down 3-0, and lost by more. I remember RNH being interviewed, and he said: "We can't go down by 3 goals. Nobody can comeback in this league when down by 3 goals." LoL


The Oilers at that time cycled through coaches, and were always terrible defensively and not committed to both ends of the rink (and they still aren't!). That's the culture that they were developed in. Thank goodness that the Flames have leaders like Backlund and Coleman here, and a coaching staff that will hold players accountable.


I am a firm believer that it is 100% fine to purposefully tank and be able to rise out of it as a top team, but you just can't allow poor play. You tank by making your team bad on paper, but you make sure your coach holds everyone accountable still.


I want to see Gridin being held accountable if he is having a bad game. The Oilers didn't screw it up because they put Hall on the top line. I think that's putting a player in a situation to succeed - Gridin was playing with Kadri, not with Kirkland, right? The difference between the Oilers and Flames is that Huska will hold a young player accountable for poor play (just like Hartley did, and most coaches that came afterwards), while the Oilers just kept giving them all the ice they wanted.


Being benched/scratched/demoted is part of development. Put a prospect in a position to succeed. If the prospect is not succeeding, show a bit of patience. If the prospect isn't succeeding, then bench, scratch or demote, depending on how long it has been. Then rinse and repeat. Provide feedback. Keep putting that prospect in positions to succeed at the NHL or AHL level. Work and communicate with the prospect and support the prospect. That's how development should occur, and I think that's what Calgary's philosophy has been for some time now with everyone except maybe Ward.


Huska has a very good track record when it comes to player development now. Just listen to Andersson or Backlund who both have praised him in the past. Or look how many prospects have cut their teeth under Huska now and are establishing themselves as NHL players - Wolf, Klapka, Zary, Pospisil, Kuznetsov, Honzek (he was looking great until he was injured), one could argue Cooley now, Brzustewicz is really trending in that direction I would say (though I expect him to be a casualty and be sent down when Parekh returns).


Huska may or may not be the coach for tomorrow, but for today, I don't find any reasons to complain. He holds players accountable and has a track record for development. Plus, this team isn't getting killed on the scoreboard every night, and that's what I honestly had expected to start happening like bottom feeders generally do. I don't see a bad performance after a bad performance night in and night out. I see lulls to be sure, and that's impossible to stop simply because losing sucks. It just seems to me that Huska has his fingers on the pulse of this team, and that includes the development of young players.