Barry Trotz choking again

[ArGarBarGar]

"Let's hit em. That'll work"

Coach! It's not working!

"Well...let's hit em. That'll work. Tom Wilson, you're on the top line. Go get em tiger!"

Coach! They're abusing us with their speed and skill! We need something different!

"Well...let's him em. That'll work".

There aren't a ton of quality coaches available at the moment so I doubt he gets canned but damn is he doing them no favors.

"I'll try hitting! That's a good trick!"

 

[ColePens]

For the record I thought the goalie move was a great call. It's supposed to be about who earned the spot and not "vet players" in today's NHL. Grubs deserved it. He earned it. It unfortunately didn't work out. That's a move I want the coach to make on a consistent basis because it will pan out more often than not. You cannot just stick to vets in this league. Just because it didn't work out perfectly doesn't mean it was wrong. That is a move I want my coach making. But the sitting Vrana thing is so dumb. That's a bad move.

And why can't we give Columbus credit? They have come back on so many teams at the end of the year. They are resilient. When do we stop criticizing and start commending? CBJ deserves props.

 

[trick9]

Before the Playoffs started i had no doubt he was going to get hired by another team the second his contract ran out in Washington.

His decision to bench a Vezina -winner in favor of hot backup has backfired badly and that propably cost them these series. That's going to be a hard one to sell on your future boss.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

"Let's hit em. That'll work"

Coach! It's not working!

"Well...let's hit em. That'll work. Tom Wilson, you're on the top line. Go get em tiger!"

Coach! They're abusing us with their speed and skill! We need something different!

"Well...let's him em. That'll work".

There aren't a ton of quality coaches available at the moment so I doubt he gets canned but damn is he doing them no favors.

Ironically I just posted this in the Ovechkin thread.

The game has changed and has passed him by.

Bingo. Many issues with Trotz, but a few are fatal flaws and they all kind of role together. He still views his roster in terms of having a top 6 and a bottom 6. Rather than ice the best players he ices players to play a certain role. Vrana is one of the most dangerous guys on the ice but is benched in favor of a more defensively responsible player in Chiasson because in Trotz's mind, bottom 6 guys need to be defensive. That's their job. He's done this every year; he's benched talented young players like Dmitry Orlov, Nate Schmidt, and Jakob Vrana for guys like Tim Gleason, Mike Weber, and Alex Chiasson.

He's also happy to let other teams dictate style of play. Rather than using the abundance of talent at his disposal to play a fast, attacking brand of hockey he's happy to ice a plodding, useless bottom 6 and get drawn into the suckfest brand of hockey that Tortarella wants. He has no identity. In 2015 he wanted the Caps to play "heavy" like the Kings. When that didn't work he wanted them to get "fast" like the Penguins. He coaches scared; he's coaching for coin-flip hockey where he hopes to minimize mistakes and get the bounces and his team follows suit.

I have a tremendous amount of respect for Trotz and what he did to bring back stability and professionalism to the organization after the Oates debacle, but it's time for him to go.

 

[57special]

I thought it was the Caps that were the chokers?

 

[viper0220]

Barry Trotz is choke-proof. He has no neck.

LOL.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Barry Trotz is choke-proof. He has no neck.

Boudreau 2.0 so to speak

 

[Jamin]

Its a funny thread when there is an Ovechkin is a choker thread as well. Caps have had this rep for years before Trotz took over the team.

Having said that Trotz kinda had the same rep with Nashville. Maybe its coach and the players/leadership not one or the other.

I was surprised when a team known for choking hired a coach known for choking. Id like to see Ovi get a cup so hopefully next coach can fix whatever is stopping this team from the 2nd round

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

I was one of his biggest supporters but I have to admit that his coaching career is probably over. Washington will get a new coach this summer and Trotz will retire from coaching.

He's a good and kind man, and I'm proud to say he was the best coach in Caps history. I'm also proud that I got the chance to meet him and talk to him for a bit

Wish him the best.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

I was one of his biggest supporters but I have to admit that his coaching career is probably over. Washington will get a new coach this summer and Trotz will retire from coaching.

He's a good and kind man, and I'm proud to say he was the best coach in Caps history. I'm also proud that I got the chance to meet him and talk to him for a bit

Wish him the best.

Wouldn't be surprised if Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins coach Clark Donatelli gets picked up for a HC job next year. He is being looked at, and was recently mentioned in this article about the Rangers HC position, and if you wanted to go to a system like the Pens employ he has run it since Sully moved up:

Other coaches in the minor leagues would fit the bill, too, such as Toronto Marlies coach Sheldon Keefe and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins coach Clark Donatelli.

Keefe, 37, is in his third year with the Marlies, has 147 wins and has the team at the top of the AHL standings with one week left in the season. Donatelli, a former Rangers draft pick (fifth round, 1984) is a two-time U.S. Olympian who served as captain of the 1992 squad. He’s got 115 wins in two-plus seasons as coach of WBS.

With Mike Babcock in place as the Maple Leafs’ coach and Mike Sullivan as the Penguins’ coach, neither Keefe nor Donatelli seems likely to be in line to move up in their current organizations anytime soon.

Vigneault’s defense of his record likely was a message

 

[NoNecksCurse]

Barry Trotz is choke-proof. He has no neck.

agreed.

 

[3074326]

Washington has been dominating both games. With a competent starter, they're up 2-0. Series is far from over.

But that competant starter hasn't been able to get it done either, which is partly why Grubauar is/was in. Washington has a history of playing well in the postseason and losing anyways. The same old excuses come up year after year.

 

[Mikeshane]

Holtby served up that juicy rebound that led to the overtime goal and has been nothing special this year so it's questionable if he'd be any better.

 

[Gnashville]

Trotz is overhyped as a coach. He wants all of his players to be cookie cutter 2-way players and does not adjust to their strengths and weaknesses. Young players are called out for failure and vets get little criticism.

 

[Paxton Fettel]

They brought in a choker onto a choking team. What did you expect?

 

[These Are The Days]

They brought in a choker onto a choking team. What did you expect?

Someone needs to give your head a shake you monster. The whole idea bringing in Trotz was how can he and the Caps choke if Trotz has no neck?

 

[BigEezyE22]

He should trade for Toews...would be one of his greatest 100 decisions ever.

 

[CuriousGeorge]

Him and the playoffs seem to be allergic to each other. This year he starts Grubauer and that ends up being a complete disaster - the Caps blow both games at home and are looking at yet another early exit. I've paid attention to him in the post season in the past and he just appears to be out of his element when the intensity gets amped up. I think it was last year where he had some issues with matching lines at home and he was called out by Caps fans.

Not sure what happens if they bow out in round 1 but Barry Trotz's legacy is heavily at play here.

If the team cannot perform, what can the coach do?

 

[Phoicon]

If the team cannot perform, what can the coach do?

I was about to write a post defending this coach but at the same time - that is exactly the moment management wants the coach to do something.

Some coaches can inspire. Others have the insight to find the right tactical change that salvages the playoff series. Some can find the right line-up.

 

[Phoicon]

Barry Trotz is a ver7 good coach. Unfortunately, it takes more than that to turn Washington around.

You have to dare, have to challenge players. Have to make them think and approach the game differently than they expect.

Washington is a team that knows what it does well and knows its weaknesses. They just don´t know what could be their next level.

 

[Pancakes]

He reminds me so much of the Bylsma Pens years. Incapable of adjusting if things aren't working, stubborn to a fault about his favorites (ie 4th line grinders), hates youth, etc.

 

[SniperHF]

I'm so glad the first reply nailed this topic

 

[Flair Hay]

It was a good call hiring him to keep the Caps to play proper defense after Hunter went back to junior. But after the second Pens loss they needed to go out and get a more uptempo coach. Can't win a Cup trying to slow the other team down. Not without the best roster anyway...

 

[Sorry]

"I'll try hitting! That's a good trick!"

Best comment I’ve read all playoffs.

 

[These Are The Days]

"I'll try hitting! That's a good trick!"

He'll be perfect for the Red Wings!