Not sure what to say at this point. Sacco has yet to have a great (or even good) roster of players to coach. And even going into the season, this was arguably the worst roster he's gotten yet. And now with injuries mounting by the seconds...
I dunno. I keep going back and forth on this, but I just don't see at this point how one can fire the coach and leave management completely unscathed. I'm lukewarm on Sacco, but I've definitely soured on management this year.
Not sure what to say at this point. Sacco has yet to have a great (or even good) roster of players to coach. And even going into the season, this was arguably the worst roster he's gotten yet.
Not sure what to say at this point. Sacco has yet to have a great (or even good) roster of players to coach. And even going into the season, this was arguably the worst roster he's gotten yet. And now with injuries mounting by the seconds...
I dunno. I keep going back and forth on this, but I just don't see at this point how one can fire the coach and leave management completely unscathed. I'm lukewarm on Sacco, but I've definitely soured on management this year.
I agree. I feel the same way, but I just feel like nothing is going to change with the management anytime soon. So I want to say 'get rid of Sacco', but I also know that we will just end up with another sub-par coach...
in the absence of any leadership on the bench what I feel this team is sorely lacking (no offence Hejduk or Giggy) is a strong veteran leader/personality on the ice ..... I think Foote did a nice job of providing that to our young core a few years ago (would have been nice to see EJ reap the benefits of that) .... I'd love to see a veteran forward, someone with a Roenick like personality on this team to support/mentor our forwards
Not sure what to say at this point. Sacco has yet to have a great (or even good) roster of players to coach. And even going into the season, this was arguably the worst roster he's gotten yet. And now with injuries mounting by the seconds...
I dunno. I keep going back and forth on this, but I just don't see at this point how one can fire the coach and leave management completely unscathed. I'm lukewarm on Sacco, but I've definitely soured on management this year.
No. IMO this team should be better team this year, but Sacco is failing.
One thing getting nails-on-chalkboard exasperating are Sacco's postgame pressers. He's managing not only to say the same things over and over again, but they're making less sense each time he repeats them. Case in point, his "thoughts" on the power play:
Quote:
“Certainly, it has to be better, there’s no question,” Avs coach Joe Sacco said of the power play. “We’ll look at the people we have it and if we have to make the necessary adjustments we’ll do that, and we’ll tweak things here and there. Those are the guys that you count on. It’s just a little bit of a work in progress right now. We’ll get it fixed.”
Much as Granato is universally hated around here, even he took drastic measures to fix the power play. I realize Sacco has less to work with (which is sad) but I think Sacco's "adjustments" are to just keep throwing the same people out there and hope something changes.
Much as Granato is universally hated around here, even he took drastic measures to fix the power play. I realize Sacco has less to work with (which is sad) but I think Sacco's "adjustments" are to just keep throwing the same people out there and hope something changes.
His adjustments need to start with getting Duchy off the point and on the half boards on the right side where he can walk it in and snipe some goals.
I just want them to go with someone permanent who has a proven track record of some sort of success. Not try to catch lightning in a bottle like the Avs tend to do. Granato was totally green. Sacco didn't have a good record in Erie, and neither did Quinn. Now maybe that wasn't their fault, but that's not how you find the guy that will mold your team into a winner. It's time for someone with credentials for a change.
I just hope Pegula gets tired of losing in Buffalo, and goes against what he's said in the past to let go of Ruff. Buffalo is 1-6-1 in their last eight games. Pressure has to be pretty high right now to do something after last season. Then the Avs can break away from this pattern of internal coaches for once I hope.
There's got to be some kind of connection for Ruff and the Avalanche? Somebody's nephew, or ex lover's former roomate of Eric Lacroix or something? I know we can find some sort of connection.
I agree with you. All I'm saying is, you do what the Habs did last year with Cunneyworth. He came in, replaced Jacques Martin (so they could get rid of him) and stayed the coach the rest of the season. You're essentially only doing it so that the players play for someone ELSE not because you think the interim guy is the real deal.
As for the Lindy Ruff connection, Peter McNab played for the Buffalo Sabres in 1975-76 a mere 4 years before Ruff would make his debut with that team!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Avs_19
That would be too late because then they'll just say Quinn didn't have enough time and he deserves a full season or two. Sacco needs to go ASAP and then they can watch Quinn fail miserably for the rest of the season. Maybe then they'll bring in someone new.
Not if you stick the tag 'interim' on him. This isn't the Granato situation. I'm STILL expecting Patrick Roy to become the head coach of this team before it's all said and done.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Av-merican
Not sure what to say at this point. Sacco has yet to have a great (or even good) roster of players to coach. And even going into the season, this was arguably the worst roster he's gotten yet. And now with injuries mounting by the seconds...
I dunno. I keep going back and forth on this, but I just don't see at this point how one can fire the coach and leave management completely unscathed. I'm lukewarm on Sacco, but I've definitely soured on management this year.
I guess it depends on your perspective. If you look at OUR roster and you compare it to oh, I dunno, let's say the New Jersey Devils and you go through their team, one by one, player by player. You'll quickly notice that yeah, they have a few high end guys but nothing really insanely exceptional except...uh..oh yeah....THEY HAVE A ****ING REAL GOOD COACH!!!
It's NOT a coincidence that 2 years ago, they were in the same boat we were, with a top 5 pick, and since that time, have hired someone who knows what the **** they are doing and are now performing exceeding all expectations.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lonewolfe2015
His adjustments need to start with getting Duchy off the point and on the half boards on the right side where he can walk it in and snipe some goals.
It hasn't worked yet and 10 games from now, it probably STILL won't work. (oh and it didn't work last year, EITHER) Sucko will probably need another 10-15 games to figure it out....again.
I agree with you. All I'm saying is, you do what the Habs did last year with Cunneyworth. He came in, replaced Jacques Martin (so they could get rid of him) and stayed the coach the rest of the season. You're essentially only doing it so that the players play for someone ELSE not because you think the interim guy is the real deal.
As for the Lindy Ruff connection, Peter McNab played for the Buffalo Sabres in 1975-76 a mere 4 years before Ruff would make his debut with that team!!
Yea I get you, but I personally would rather them just suck it up all year with Sacco if they're down in the standings. I wouldn't want an interim sparking them, and bringing them up in the standings to 9th or 10th place.
If this team is gonna suck this year with it's roster, coaching, and injury plague, they need to get a highly skilled prospect in return. I'm sick of this finishing on the bubble bull****.
Watching the players on the powerplay and the approach to the powerplay tells me the coaching staff doesn't know what they're doing.
1) Why is Duchene on the point? He doesn't have a cannon of a shot, he has some trouble keeping the puck in the zone, and he's much better on the half boards or down low with the puck. Johnson or Barrie or even Shane O'Brian are better options. Hey Sacco... wake the **** up!
2) The team likes to run an umbrella, which is fine, however they constantly have left handed shooters on the left half boards and right handed shooters on the right half boards. Why not put a righty on the left side and a lefty on the right side so they can get their shot off quicker? Even a youth hockey coach knows this for Christ's sake. Hey Sacco... wake the **** up!
3) The entry into the O-zone is brutal. Sometimes they dump the puck in but they don't do a hard around. Dumping the puck only allows the opponent's goalie or D-man to get the puck and clear the D-zone. If they did a hard around they would avoid the goalie playing the puck and the off side winger could get to the puck first in many cases. Hey Sacco... wake the **** up!
4) The entry into the O-zone is brutal - part 2. Other times they try the "drop pass in the neutral zone to a trailer" tactic. This is a shiny new tactic recently in the NHL however most other teams that utilize this tactic successfully drop it to a trailer that is skating full speed and they catch the defenders flat footed and are able to enter the O-Zone because of their speed. Not the Avs though. They like to drop the puck to a player skating half speed at best and they are in no better position to enter the O-zone than the guys that just dropped the puck. They also telegraph the play and frequently the opponent reads it and intercepts the drop pass before the slow skating Avs player gets to it. It's almost as if Sacco saw film of other teams utilizing this approach, he doesn't really understand the strategy involved and how to implement it, and he's teaching the team to do something without knowing how or why it should work. Hey Sacco... wake the **** up!
5) If by some stroke of luck the Avs do get control of the puck in the O-zone they like to pass the puck around looking for the perfect play and they won't shoot the damn puck. It's almost as if they're being told to pass the puck around the perimeter until a scoring chance opens up. Here's an idea: screen the freaking goalie and shoot the puck.... on net! Hey Sacco... wake the **** up!
6) I've seen multiple times guys like McLeod, Bordeleau, Kobasew or Olver on the powerplay; specially with less than 1:00 minute to go on the powerplay. if you're going to try and pass the puck around and wear the opponent's #1 PK unit out in order to get to their #2 or #3 PK unit how about taking advantage of it with some players that might be able to score? Why the hell are grinders on the powerplay; ever? Hey Sacco... wake the **** up!
Sacco needs to go. He was a 3rd/4th line grinder as a player and the Avs powerplay reflects that mentality. He doesn't know what the **** he's doing. Hey Sacco... wake the **** up!
Yea I get you, but I personally would rather them just suck it up all year with Sacco if they're down in the standings. I wouldn't want an interim sparking them, and bringing them up in the standings to 9th or 10th place.
If this team is gonna suck this year with it's roster, coaching, and injury plague, they need to get a highly skilled prospect in return. I'm sick of this finishing on the bubble bull****.
Watching the players on the powerplay and the approach to the powerplay tells me the coaching staff doesn't know what they're doing.
1) Why is Duchene on the point? He doesn't have a cannon of a shot, he has some trouble keeping the puck in the zone, and he's much better on the half boards or down low with the puck. Johnson or Barrie or even Shane O'Brian are better options. Hey Sacco... wake the **** up!
2) The team likes to run an umbrella, which is fine, however they constantly have left handed shooters on the left half boards and right handed shooters on the right half boards. Why not put a righty on the left side and a lefty on the right side so they can get their shot off quicker? Even a youth hockey coach knows this for Christ's sake. Hey Sacco... wake the **** up!
3) The entry into the O-zone is brutal. Sometimes they dump the puck in but they don't do a hard around. Dumping the puck only allows the opponent's goalie or D-man to get the puck and clear the D-zone. If they did a hard around they would avoid the goalie playing the puck and the off side winger could get to the puck first in many cases. Hey Sacco... wake the **** up!
4) The entry into the O-zone is brutal - part 2. Other times they try the "drop pass in the neutral zone to a trailer" tactic. This is a shiny new tactic recently in the NHL however most other teams that utilize this tactic successfully drop it to a trailer that is skating full speed and they catch the defenders flat footed and are able to enter the O-Zone because of their speed. Not the Avs though. They like to drop the puck to a player skating half speed at best and they are in no better position to enter the O-zone than the guys that just dropped the puck. They also telegraph the play and frequently the opponent reads it and intercepts the drop pass before the slow skating Avs player gets to it. It's almost as if Sacco saw film of other teams utilizing this approach, he doesn't really understand the strategy involved and how to implement it, and he's teaching the team to do something without knowing how or why it should work. Hey Sacco... wake the **** up!
5) If by some stroke of luck the Avs do get control of the puck in the O-zone they like to pass the puck around looking for the perfect play and they won't shoot the damn puck. It's almost as if they're being told to pass the puck around the perimeter until a scoring chance opens up. Here's an idea: screen the freaking goalie and shoot the puck.... on net! Hey Sacco... wake the **** up!
6) I've seen multiple times guys like McLeod, Bordeleau, Kobasew or Olver on the powerplay; specially with less than 1:00 minute to go on the powerplay. if you're going to try and pass the puck around and wear the opponent's #1 PK unit out in order to get to their #2 or #3 PK unit how about taking advantage of it with some players that might be able to score? Why the hell are grinders on the powerplay; ever? Hey Sacco... wake the **** up!
Sacco needs to go. He was a 3rd/4th line grinder as a player and the Avs powerplay reflects that mentality. He doesn't know what the **** he's doing. Hey Sacco... wake the **** up!
Great post...I agree with ALL OF IT and I'm not even sure how anyone can disagree with any points made in this post.
in the absence of any leadership on the bench what I feel this team is sorely lacking (no offence Hejduk or Giggy) is a strong veteran leader/personality on the ice ..... I think Foote did a nice job of providing that to our young core a few years ago (would have been nice to see EJ reap the benefits of that) .... I'd love to see a veteran forward, someone with a Roenick like personality on this team to support/mentor our forwards
We been lacking this for some time now. Look what a guy like Adam Oates did for Jarrett Stoll in Edmonton. I think a veteran guy with EJ would be perfect and im not talking about Hejda.
We been lacking this for some time now. Look what a guy like Adam Oates did for Jarrett Stoll in Edmonton. I think a veteran guy with EJ would be perfect and im not talking about Hejda.
I think that was what they were trying to accomplish with the signing of Zanon--by all accounts he's a great guy to have in the locker room. In most any other situation I'd love to have him here...but not when the roster was already littered with depth defenseman to begin with.
1) Why is Duchene on the point? He doesn't have a cannon of a shot, he has some trouble keeping the puck in the zone, and he's much better on the half boards or down low with the puck. Johnson or Barrie or even Shane O'Brian are better options. Hey Sacco... wake the **** up!
Barrie and Johnson were both playing on the point last night during powerplays.
Barrie and Johnson were both playing on the point last night during powerplays.
They were "some" of the time but I also saw Duchene there on at least one powerplay last night and he had trouble keeping the puck in the zone. He also didn't shoot the puck.
What about the 30+ powerplay chances prior to last night?
How often has Barrie even suited up let alone quarterbacked the powerplay? Not much!
How often has Johnson been put on the 2nd or even 3rd powerplay unit and not on the 1st unit while Barrie was in the press box? A lot!
Sacco's mismanagement of games and the player's skill sets is baffling. How can he have a coaching job at the NHL level still?
Barrie and Johnson were both playing on the point last night during powerplays.
Well, ya. You still have 1 defenseman out there for the PP, and usually stick a forward on the point for that extra offense. So Barrie and Johnson were our 2 actual defensemen on the PP.
Snapped this picture of Sacco last night and tweeted it. Calvin Pickard follows me and favourited the tweet. Pretty funny considering the kid was sitting on the Avs bench as it happend.
