Since when is speed suddenly the answer to winning the Stanley Cup? Holmstrom, Franzen, Samuelsson, and Lilja are not fast players.
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Originally Posted by Joe Cole
Yeah, like Gainey was a loud leader when he was captain.
I'm not saying it doesn't work on some teams. It was a balance back in the 70s. They had Scotty Bowman who is one of the toughest coaches of all time, then you have Gainey who had a different approach. Now we have Saku, God bless him, he's that quiet leader, but he's countered with Carbo who seems like he doesn't even talk to the players or make anyone other than 4th liners and 2nd year defencemen responsible for their actions.
So if you put a guy like Shanahan on the team, he will make everyone accountable. He'll speak up, play hard on the ice and hopefully balls will magically start growing on our players.
That actually makes the lines look a whole lot better IMO. Shanny might be the missing link to GEL the team. If that be the case I'd do it.
AND For the Record, Chuck Norris doggy paddled all the way to the titanic, jumped over the ship, took Shanny Senior, and Doggie Paddled back, but on the way he kicked off a huge ice berg to give him extra speed, and thats how the titanic sank, and Shanny Senior was saved. He wasn't eaten by sharks, the sharks were eaten by Chuck Norris.
Since when is speed suddenly the answer to winning the Stanley Cup? Holmstrom, Franzen, Samuelsson, and Lilja are not fast players.
I'm not saying it doesn't work on some teams. It was a balance back in the 70s. They had Scotty Bowman who is one of the toughest coaches of all time, then you have Gainey who had a different approach. Now we have Saku, God bless him, he's that quiet leader, but he's countered with Carbo who seems like he doesn't even talk to the players or make anyone other than 4th liners and 2nd year defencemen responsible for their actions.
So if you put a guy like Shanahan on the team, he will make everyone accountable. He'll speak up, play hard on the ice and hopefully balls will magically start growing on our players.
I'm not sure that Shanny is that vocal. Plus, players that have become spare parts seldom lead. Pinch hitters in baseball seldom get names as team leaders.
Since when is speed suddenly the answer to winning the Stanley Cup? Holmstrom, Franzen, Samuelsson, and Lilja are not fast players.
I'm not saying it doesn't work on some teams. It was a balance back in the 70s. They had Scotty Bowman who is one of the toughest coaches of all time, then you have Gainey who had a different approach. Now we have Saku, God bless him, he's that quiet leader, but he's countered with Carbo who seems like he doesn't even talk to the players or make anyone other than 4th liners and 2nd year defencemen responsible for their actions.
So if you put a guy like Shanahan on the team, he will make everyone accountable. He'll speak up, play hard on the ice and hopefully balls will magically start growing on our players.
That wouldn't work, as Shanahan would "countered" by Carbo's ineptitude. No? Isn't that the way it works?
and secondly.... why would you send a first line winger (or 2nd line if you prefer) and a blue chip prospect on D who you drafted and want tot groom as your future cornerstone for a guy you can lose at the end of the year.
I would want him to resign before trading for him and i also mention a defensemen type Bouwmeester,does'nt mean it as to be him.
We need a top 4 d-men and not just average Joe, so it will cost a bit.
Now we have Saku, God bless him, he's that quiet leader, but he's countered with Carbo who seems like he doesn't even talk to the players or make anyone other than 4th liners and 2nd year defencemen responsible for their actions.
Ok. I getcha.
That said, even if Carbo doesn't seem to talk to the players all that much, he sure is not the soft touch (as you mentionned, neither was Bowman). So if that is the case, we are at the same place, tough coach, quiet leader.
I am not against Shannahan, even if he shunned us for NYR, and dominated us as a Whaler. Is he the answer? Are we sure we know the question?
I also liked this quote, and I think Carbo nailed it dead on:
Quote:
C'est peut-être parce que les joueurs ont plus d'expérience. Ils ne sentent plus le danger d'être envoyés dans les estrades ou dans les mineures. On le ferait si les règlements étaient différents
Translation:
Quote:
Maybe it's because the players have more experience. They don't sense the danger of being sent to the press box or to the minors. We'd do it if the rules were different
This is exactly the problem I've been saying. The players are too comfortable in their little niche and it's showing. We need to call up some rookies from Hamilton; get'er done Carbo!
I'm not sure that Shanny is that vocal. Plus, players that have become spare parts seldom lead. Pinch hitters in baseball seldom get names as team leaders.
I think he would have the balls to take Kovalev aside and remind him he's one of the leaders of this team and to keep his play simple as he's trying to do too much out there.
But I think he would be mostly an on-ice leader. He's not afraid to hit, dig for the puck and even drop them sometimes. That kind of example would perhaps get our players to move their feet.
I'm reminded of last year...the team was swimming in mediocrity when Bob Gainey made two changes, he recalled Ryan O'Byrne & Sergei Kostitsyn.
It seemed like the team took off from that point on, it was almost like a wakeup call to remind some of the players that there were options from within the organization.
Maybe a similar situation needs to happen again...maybe parting ways with a Bégin or Dandenault, two guys who by all accounts are well liked in the dressing room. Maybe seeing one of them lose their jobs might make others feel more accountable for their underachievement up to this point. It sucks that one of those guys has to be made an example of, but both of them are on their last legs with this organization...and guys like D'Agostini, Chipchura or Stewart could help provide a spark right, Lord knows this team needs it right now
The trick is being careful not to dig a hole to fill another.
I understand, Montreal has a lots of prospects among dmen.If we want to trade for a solid dmen that is under 30 and that will stick with the team for a while we got to give something good in return.
By trading higgins and prospect for a solid top 4 -men and signing Shanahan does'nt creates holes in my opinion. O'Byrne should be good for at least a 3rd round
This is exactly the problem I've been saying. The players are too comfortable in their little niche and it's showing. We need to call up some rookies from Hamilton; get'er done Carbo!
And if it's exactly that, we've got a bigger problem than we thought. So players need to be less comfortable to start playing better? They don't have enough leadership to know that they should be accountable and start playing better? Are they really just taking their paycheck and waiting for the season to end? It can't be. If it is, well don't sign anybody and start from scratch 'cause that's not the team we want and need in Montreal. Since it's not that, well find what's the cause of the problem and fix it.
Another thing.....how's that freakin atmosphere in the dressing room now? All that BS about being the best room, the greatest of friends, you know that BS we keep hearing year after year......how are they bounding now? Would a tight room be able to get themselves out of that misery, address it mano to mano and start playing with a little dignity? They haven't been doing it since the start of the season minus 1 or 2 games. I don't care about the record. Can people realize how easy it is to be in a slide and 2 weeks could transform a winning record to a losing one?
I think he would have the balls to take Kovalev aside and remind him he's one of the leaders of this team and to keep his play simple as he's trying to do too much out there.
But I think he would be mostly an on-ice leader. He's not afraid to hit, dig for the puck and even drop them sometimes. That kind of example would perhaps get our players to move their feet.
I think that's Ron McLean stuff where he waxes on about these things. Don't get me wrong, Shanahan could help if room could be made, but Kovalev, like Gainey said, has to get himself going.
Athletes lose confidence faster than I do car keys. Kovalev couldn't figure what the hell to do last night, hang back, trail Koivu and Tanguay, carry the puck, when to get it deep, he's lost right now, and it isn't because he's lazy. You think he doesn't love being toast of the town ? He's a mess right now, but he needs to find his own answers. He may talk to a guy like Koivu, he may work with Plekanec to find what worked last year, he may look at film with the staff, I don't know, but you don't bring someone in to motivate a veteran.
We need to put him on a line where he will be the goto guy and where he does not need to adjust to the other guy. Lang-Kovy and a yongster is the right combo IMO. Let him gain confidence slowly, let him dominate whithout relying on him and then he will be back to where he was last year. Remember that last year he was not counting on pleks and Kostsitsyn at the biguinning of the year ...
