Yeah the season was going to be rough, we all knew that, I think that’s why for now Verbeek gets a pass. I see where he’s trying to go with the rebuild. With Cronin though there’s just no semblance of any light at the end of the tunnel with him other than the hot streak to start the season. That hot streak is the only thing keeping me on board with giving him next season. Other than that though, it’s been boring hockey mixed with an inability to make adjustments that actually benefit the team.There's no way Cronin is let go after one season that was already slated to be a "developmental year" when all of the young guns were constantly injured and in and out of the lineup. I think (hope) we'll see some shuffling of the assistants, and come back at things next year with a hopefully healthy roster, plus some more additions from the offseason.
They have both opened themselves to very valid criticisms but this season was never do or die for either of them.
There's no way Cronin is let go after one season that was already slated to be a "developmental year" when all of the young guns were constantly injured and in and out of the lineup. I think (hope) we'll see some shuffling of the assistants, and come back at things next year with a hopefully healthy roster, plus some more additions from the offseason.
They have both opened themselves to very valid criticisms but this season was never do or die for either of them.
Not sure if Silfverberg would be one of them, but I would take whatever he says to heart if I were Verbeek.Depends what our players say in our exit interviews. The last 2 seasons have been so difficult, that I would bet some of our vet players might feel that for her first time in their careers, they might have to tell some hard truths about their coaches and fellow players as well as accountability for themselves.
If not completing a pass were grounds for benching on this team then only Terry and Vatrano would ever play (because they don't pass).Because he made a bad pass when he was tired at the end of the shift and then still backchecked and recovered possession of the puck?
I actually didn't really read what he actually said in detail until you mentioned that, but i guess he is being sarcastic. the only thing that stuck out to me was that really nice backcheck Zegs had at the end. I don't trust that Greg knows how to coach an effective offensive scheme and i don't think he can vibe with high-octane types. There's inherently going to be give and take with these guys and i don't think Cronin is a compromiser, Boudreau was a guy who totally got how to handle those types and that's why every single one he ever got to work with really thrived with him.this dumbass on twitter would have a point if Zegras made that bad pass then just gave up on the play and went to the bench. but no, he stuck with it, back checked and recovered the puck. if this is the sort of thing that gets a player benched then we're screwed. who even is this guy?
Because baring something unforeseen he’s going to be here next season and none of us can do squat about it. So it comes down to making the choice to either being miserable or not.Why?
It's both. I don't think an ownership which has never wanted to do a full scale rebuild is happy with what they're seeing.The forecheck is non-existent. There's zero pressure in any zone, and they can't break out because there's no support. Instead, they reverse the puck and lose possession. Offensively, they cycle the puck out high and lose possession at the blue line. There's no attacking the net or screening the opposing goaltender. Defensively, they're completely lost; there's no urgency or understanding of how to break up the cycle.
Either Greg "I don't know why they're not shooting the puck" Cronin isn't a very good NHL head coach or this team has 3 capable NHL players.
This is my issue. Other than compelling Zegras to play more responsible defense, I don't really see a game to game difference on the young guys working on the things (including just basic fundamentals) that ought to make them better hockey players. I don't see the powerplay taking baby steps to play better systems, I see the same broken dogshit.I think this is the exact reason Cronin could be gone. What positive development has occurred? Is the team or systems noticeably better- I think not.
Has any of our players developed well this year due to coaching, I would say no.
This was supposed to be a development year, and if anything our club feels like it’s regressing. In a development year you hope to be playing your best hockey in march/april, not September/october. It pains me to say it because I was all-in on the Cronin hire. I loved everything he was saying last summer.
That’s expected though. That’s why you rarely start them at a full NHL season. When you then break and/or trade the veterans and give them more minutes, they get worse.The most significant issue facing the organization is that the young players have arguably gotten worse as the season has progressed. Injuries have played a part but only a part. Losing is one thing but get worse while you're losing is really discouraging.
I don't disagree but their performance had been trending down long before the TDL. Carlsson and McTavish have both had a horrible 2nd half of the season. LaCombe fell off a cliff and even Mintyukov has tailed off. Even most of the Gulls players have had poor 2nd halves with one or two exceptions. Ideally, you would expect players to improve over the course of a season. I understand hitting the wall and maybe that makes sense for some of them but this seems like something worse.That’s expected though. That’s why you rarely start them at a full NHL season. When you then break and/or trade the veterans and give them more minutes, they get worse.
To me, that’s the rookie wall. That’s when it’s supposed to happen, and that’s when it occurred. It’s worse because instead of then sending them to the AHL, we upped their responsibilities, and instead of 1-2 rookies, we have 4-5. Nowhere to hide, not enough sitting in the press box.I don't disagree but their performance had been trending down long before the TDL. Carlsson and McTavish have both had a horrible 2nd half of the season. LaCombe fell off a cliff and even Mintyukov has tailed off. Even most of the Gulls players have had poor 2nd halves with one or two exceptions. Ideally, you would expect players to improve over the course of a season. I understand hitting the wall and maybe that makes sense for some of them but this seems like something worse.
It's impossible IMO to disentangle injuries from development (or backwards-development) and he's also hamstrung by a roster that's pretty threadbare of veteran leadership, and for the third deadline in a row was stripped of its character and thereby handed every reason to be despondent, and to play accordingly. PV can say "play for contracts" or whatever but that's not a magic wand in an environment like that. And maybe he doesn't care, he didn't draft most of these guys so f*** em. The load management thing was also an embarrassing failure.This is my issue. Other than compelling Zegras to play more responsible defense, I don't really see a game to game difference on the young guys working on the things (including just basic fundamentals) that ought to make them better hockey players. I don't see the powerplay taking baby steps to play better systems, I see the same broken dogshit.
Does some of that fall on the players to take accountability for themselves? Of course. But at the end of the day, a guy hired to be HC for a team in a season specifically designated as a 'development season', that's Cronin's main directive, to coach in development of positive play, habits, strategies, systems, and physical preparedness. I just don't see that that has been happening. It seemed to be happening in the first quarter of the year but has just been declining since then.
I don't believe that this Ducks roster is a group of uncoachable men. I just think Cronin and his staff don't have a clue on how to develop them. And some of the decisions he makes on a game to game basis are baffling to the development season goal, like having the vet powerplay unit eat up most of the team's powerplay time. Like is the idea that they're supposed to be learning good habits from a powerplay unit that is objectively awful outside of Vatrano?
People talk about giving Cronin another chance because he got the unfortunate adversity of many key injuries, but on one hand I think his job (as a player development coach) remains the same even with core guys out and I didn't see the development work translating on the ice with or without injuries. On the other hand, this is a league where, on average, player's primes hit really early and if there's a chance to hire someone more suitable for the job of preparing these kids to be effective NHL performers, the sooner it happens the better. And for me, personally, I don't see that Cronin is the right man for the job.
Me too! A long time duck who loves his team, and is on his way out. Great example of a player who I believe will 100% tell it how it is. And our gm will listen.Not sure if Silfverberg would be one of them, but I would take whatever he says to heart if I were Verbeek.
John