The Deal With Geoff Ward

[timbit]

Originally Posted by Infinit47

Playing quickly isn't about having blazing fast speed, it's about making quick decisions and moving the puck quickly. Catching a team off guard is about tactics, not skating speed. As Jagr said, it's not about going to the wrong place quickly, it's about going to the right place.

A good coach helps his players get to the right place. We do not have a good coach.

Does he push them there in a shopping cart?

[442scotty]

Watching the leafs play the Oilers. In the first ten minutes not once did a leafs defenceman set up behind his net and they were always moving.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by 442scotty

Watching the leafs play the Oilers. In the first ten minutes not once did a leafs defenceman set up behind his net and they were always moving.

They did a couple but moved it fast. It’s a very brief set up. And they go D to D often enough. But, again, fast, and the second D doesn’t hand on to it, unless he decides to skate. They dump and chase a fair bit, which people here hate. It’s about commitment to do whatever the play is well IMO. The Oilers are bad forecheckers, and the exits are really easy. They either don’t forecheck and wait way back, or they overcommit and are out of position to stop an exit. Bad positioning.

The Oilers try to move it up ice quickly but more often than not they give it away.

[Infinit47]

Originally Posted by timbit

Does he push them there in a shopping cart?

It was a metaphor about the coach putting his players in a position to succeed vs a position to fail.

[Backstop]

It could actually prove highly entertaining to watch Ward run out on to the ice at every set play and adjust player positioning like some grade school arts teacher. 'Put you over here, and you move back a little and I'll just put you right here like that, now Ill just run back over to the bench and .. play.

All slightly sped up and set to yakety sax for the entertainment value.

[GioforPM]

Wt

[Infinit47]

Originally Posted by Backstop

It could actually prove highly entertaining to watch Ward run out on to the ice at every set play and adjust player positioning like some grade school arts teacher. 'Put you over here, and you move back a little and I'll just put you right here like that, now Ill just run back over to the bench and .. play.

All slightly sped up and set to yakety sax for the entertainment value.

Chubbs helping Happy - "just tap in it, just tap it in"

[bluejays]

I think if the Flames decide to keep Ward around until season's end to ride out as much salary possible, it'll be a good thing for two reasons:

1) They'll get a higher draft position (though in a weak year)
2) It'll stick it to the players to be more professional as the entire year will consist of misery.

I guess they have next year to look forward to, though I personally hope there are major lineup changes, especially up front.

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by 442scotty

Watching the leafs play the Oilers. In the first ten minutes not once did a leafs defenceman set up behind his net and they were always moving.

It should be hockey 101 by now, not sure who started the flow game but Bowman's Canadians and the Russians perfected it going back to the 70's. This Flames style allows even the crappiest of teams to look like defensive juggernauts.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Well, I explained why, so either you didn’t read it or you didn’t understand what I wrote.

Or your take is just different from reality.

[BigErnSalute_16]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I think Toronto and Winnipeg are ahead of the group. I like Winnipeg's forward group a lot more with the strength up the middle and nice skill overall.

I think you then have a big ball of mediocre in the middle with Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal, and Vancouver.

Right now I'd be tempted to put Edmonton slightly ahead on the strength of McDavid. Though it's hard to ignore their terrible goaltending.

1. Toronto
2. Winnipeg
3-6: Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal, Vancouver
7: Ottawa

That's how I see it. Nothing puts Calgary ahead of that middle grouping.

I disagree. Although it is hard to make this argument with how they've been playing but On Paper if the Flames are healthy and playing well we have the probably third best offensive roster in the Division overall in terms of lines 1-4.

IMO we clearly have the best defence in the division and I'd say we are tied with Winnipeg for the best goaltending.

So I think its fair to say that, in a vacuum, when everything is equal and we just look at the raw abilities of every team in the division. Calgary is pretty clearly competing for the best on paper team in the division.

Too bad we are embarrassing ourselves every other game.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

It should be hockey 101 by now, not sure who started the flow game but Bowman's Canadians and the Russians perfected it going back to the 70's. This Flames style allows even the crappiest of teams to look like defensive juggernauts.

Wait - the Russians? The guys who would purposely bring the puck back into their own zone to set up, start forward, not see what they liked and do it again?

[Ashasx]

As you can see, the real deal with Geoff Ward is that he's the Flames' head coach. He's in his late fifties, is married, and currently resides in Calgary.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Wait - the Russians? The guys who would purposely bring the puck back into their own zone to set up, start forward, not see what they liked and do it again?

Yeah, the Russians perfected the five man attack strategy. If anything, they were counter to the transition game and probably what Ward is trying to rely upon. The problem is that when the five man attack was en vogue was when defenses were scattered and weak and gap control was easily exploited. Now that defenses have caught up the five man attack strategy is a dinosaur. The way you beat these new defensive strategies is to use speed and transition and NOT give them opportunity to setup. This ain't rocket science, but to Ward and company it appears to be. Continue to press the puck forward and get to the open spaces before the defense has an opportunity to get back and clog them up.

[Enoch Root]

wait, are we comparing the current Flames to the Russian national team now?

[Toonage]

Da?

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by New Era

Yeah, the Russians perfected the five man attack strategy. If anything, they were counter to the transition game and probably what Ward is trying to rely upon. The problem is that when the five man attack was en vogue was when defenses were scattered and weak and gap control was easily exploited. Now that defenses have caught up the five man attack strategy is a dinosaur. The way you beat these new defensive strategies is to use speed and transition and NOT give them opportunity to setup. This ain't rocket science, but to Ward and company it appears to be. Continue to press the puck forward and get to the open spaces before the defense has an opportunity to get back and clog them up.

I agree with you about what the Russians did. And I agree the Flames are much too slow in moving up ice, whether by design or just because they don't execute quickly.

But the poster was saying the Flames should play more like the Russians and the 70s Habs. And saying the Russian D move the puck up ice quickly without allowing a setup.

Frankly, the 70s Habs (which were my team at the time) were a mix. One strategy was to give the puck to Lafleur who would speed up the wing and score on a slapper. Or hand it to Cornoyer and see if he could stickhandle through guys. The other lines were a real mix - you had some premier grinders and muckers in there. Jarvis, Lambert, etc.

I think pretty much any strategy works if you commit to it and tinker to meet team's makeup. Whatever it is, it needs to be executed quickly. Vegas isn't a super fast team, but they move quickly after they gain possession - it's ingrained to turn and go. Toronto as well. It's a large unit (dunno about 5 man) but they tend to take what's given.

[Classic_Sniper]

Originally Posted by 442scotty

Watching the leafs play the Oilers. In the first ten minutes not once did a leafs defenceman set up behind his net and they were always moving.

Yes, the reason for that was how aggressive the Oilers were playing. They activated a hard forecheck and once the Leafs made one good outlet pass, they were gone. I actually think the Flames play really fast and looks really effective when teams are over aggressive on them. But sadly, teams have figured out the Flames, they know they don’t need to chase down the puck. Instead, just drop back, keep good gaps in the neutral zone and the Flames will eventually shoot themselves in the foot with turnovers. Flames seem to have no answer to this.

We’re like King Hippo in Punch Out. We have a very obvious, glaring weakness and teams are all exploiting it now. It’s like watching a slow painful death every game.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper

Yes, the reason for that was how aggressive the Oilers were playing. They activated a hard forecheck and once the Leafs made one good outlet pass, they were gone. I actually think the Flames play really fast and looks really effective when teams are over aggressive on them. But sadly, teams have figured out the Flames, they know they don’t need to chase down the puck. Instead, just drop back, keep good gaps in the neutral zone and the Flames will eventually shoot themselves in the foot with turnovers. Flames seem to have no answer to this.

We’re like King Hippo in Punch Out. We have a very obvious, glaring weakness and teams are all exploiting it now. It’s like watching a slow painful death every game.

I was going to say this when that comment came up in the thread. The Oilers are over committing on the forecheck and there were one or two guys behind the red line, so the Leafs had super easy exits. They did them fast, true. But there was a lot of open space to do it in.

[shadowlord]

Ward's reign is over. May this thread rest in peace.