Boudreau vs Yeo

[Engebretson]

For whatever reason, I have trouble believing Yeo would have "allowed" some of the scores we've seen over the last month. Like the MTL game: I feel like we would've gotten to 4 and he would have told them to rein it in.

I have no quotes or links to back this up, of course

This was almost my exact same thought. Right after Nino's goal last night to put us up 4-0, we would have been playing on our heels the rest of the game to protect the lead and would've been really passive in the offensive zone with everyone too worried about trying to get back on defense right away. How many times the last few years have we gotten a 2 or 3 goal lead and begged the team to keep pouring it on only to have them turtle and eventually give up the momentum and let the other team back in the game? Totally different mentality this year and you can tell it's having a positive effect on the players.

 

[DANOZ28]

i just wonder if BB would have ottawa playing as well as we are if he went there. we won the best coach available sweepstakes! i cant believe the difference in this team. night & day from yeo.

 

[Wabit]

i just wonder if BB would have ottawa playing as well as we are if he went there. we won the best coach available sweepstakes! i cant believe the difference in this team. night & day from yeo.

Wonder if the Zibby for Brassard trade happens if BB was in Ottawa? Scott Stevens coaching EK. That would be a dangerous team.

 

[57special]

Owner's and GM's matter. Ours are good. OTT's are not.

 

[tomgilbertfan]

“I think it’s something to do with Boudreau,” pondered Friedman, after pausing a moment. “Yeo was a more conservative guy. Boudreau isn’t. But they had a lot of issues last year. I don’t think that was a very good room. I think there were a lot of guys who were unhappy. I think they battled with the coaching staff. I think Boudreau is a bit more positive guy. I think also Scott Stevens goes in there. Scott Stevens is the kind of guy who’s like, ‘Don’t B.S. me.’ And I think players kind of appreciate that. They handle that.
...

“Last year I heard the players and Yeo battled and I think a lot of it was as much the players’ fault as it was Yeo’s fault, but that’s just gone away this season. I think that’s really eased everybody’s mind.”

Friedman quotes from Sportsnet

 

[Wabit]

Owner's and GM's matter. Ours are good. OTT's are not.

So now we're not criticizing the owner (not a real hockey guy) and GM (giving away draft picks on bad rentals, signing Pommer/Vanek contracts, other bad deadline moves)? I really need to know. So I can figure out which bandwagon to be on this year.

I do like the owner, he's hands off, willing to spend money to make a winner, and listens to people that know more than him about hockey. I shudder to think of what the team would be like with a Jerry Jones type of owner.

GMCF is an average GM. This year things are coming up roses for him and he smells good. But over his tenure there has been a lot of fertilizer.

 

[TaLoN]

So now we're not criticizing the owner (not a real hockey guy) and GM (giving away draft picks on bad rentals, signing Pommer/Vanek contracts, other bad deadline moves)? I really need to know. So I can figure out which bandwagon to be on this year.

I do like the owner, he's hands off, willing to spend money to make a winner, and listens to people that know more than him about hockey. I shudder to think of what the team would be like with a Jerry Jones type of owner.

GMCF is an average GM. This year things are coming up roses for him and he smells good. But over his tenure there has been a lot of fertilizer.

Fletcher has made some mistakes and made some really good moves too... but overall he's trending upwards. I think he's an above avg GM.

 

[nickschultzfan]

So now we're not criticizing the owner (not a real hockey guy) and GM (giving away draft picks on bad rentals, signing Pommer/Vanek contracts, other bad deadline moves)? I really need to know. So I can figure out which bandwagon to be on this year.

I do like the owner, he's hands off, willing to spend money to make a winner, and listens to people that know more than him about hockey. I shudder to think of what the team would be like with a Jerry Jones type of owner.

GMCF is an average GM. This year things are coming up roses for him and he smells good. But over his tenure there has been a lot of fertilizer.

Average GM is way worse than you think.

A computer that only auto-picked a draft based on the ISS rankings and just re-signed its players at the average comp would probably be a playoff team.

Instead most GMs start thinking way too short sighted, and start trading away picks, prospects, and overpaying for UFAs.

 

[57special]

You think owners don't matter? Try living as a Leaf fan through the Ballard years.

The OTT guy is a clown, and the OTT franchise has been poorly run since it's inception. It never should have received a franchise.

 

[Bookman]

I don't like the owner for his politics, but as far as the suspension of disbelief enterprise that is pro sports, he is a good owner. Wants to win at all costs.

 

[Fremitus Borealis]

I don't like the owner for his politics, but as far as the suspension of disbelief enterprise that is pro sports, he is a good owner. Wants to win at all costs.

Seconded, on all counts. There are so many horrible, meddling owners of sports teams out there, he is, at the very least, innocuous. And at best, he is doing what he can to have a winning team here.

 

[Tony253]

Fletcher has made some mistakes and made some really good moves too... but overall he's trending upwards. I think he's an above avg GM.

Its probably easier to be a decent GM when you bottom out and get high draft picks (Chicago, Pittsburgh) to build team around. That being said Edmonton should be winning cups like Gretzkys era if that was absolute...CF has made aggressive moves, some have panned out well (Suter, Parise) some mixed (Burns/Coyle) and some fails (Pommer). His less splashy moves (Dubnyk, Stewart) have been wildly successful...Beyond trades/FA, CF has done decent stocking the talent pool with many of his initial batch of prospects now playing major roles now. If the Junior tourney was any indication, he did quite well with recent drafts as well. Fletch now hires Boudreau & its clear that they are playing much more cohesively and have bought in to new voices (including Stevens running D & PK). All-in-all, CF has done quite well and a current look at the standings (after last year) should be all the proof needed.

 

[Wabit]

Didn't Stewart come over as part of the Moulson deal?

Pommer trade deal wasn't horrible by itself. 9p in 10g in the strike year (got injured for the Playoffs), then a 30/30 year. The resigning of him has turned out badly. If JVR is traded this year, he could get a similar return as what the Pommer trade was.

It is too bad they picked a bust in Zack Phillips. Rakell went 2 picks later, add him to Coyle and The Wild win the Burns trade (imo). Nino/Haula(Grao)/Rakell would be a really good 3rd line.

 

[tomgilbertfan]

Didn't Stewart come over as part of the Moulson deal?

Pommer trade deal wasn't horrible by itself. 9p in 10g in the strike year (got injured for the Playoffs), then a 30/30 year. The resigning of him has turned out badly. If JVR is traded this year, he could get a similar return as what the Pommer trade was.

It is too bad they picked a bust in Zack Phillips. Rakell went 2 picks later, add him to Coyle and The Wild win the Burns trade (imo). Nino/Haula(Grao)/Rakell would be a really good 3rd line.

Moulson deal included McCormick. Stewart was traded the year after for a 2nd.

 

[Wabit]

Moulson deal included McCormick. Stewart was traded the year after for a 2nd.

So many Sabres trades they all kind of blur together after awhile.

 

[Bookman]

Last night's game would have been a loss under Yeo. (We saw it happen over the years: Nashville, NYR, Chicago) Full marks to the Wild for finding a way to win after farting away a 4-0 lead.

 

[57special]

Zucker would've been on the bench, for starters.

 

[Wabit]

Zucker would've been on the bench, for starters.

The 4th line with strictly dzone starts and PK time...

 

[Hall of Faber]

Last night's game would have been a loss under Yeo. (We saw it happen over the years: Nashville, NYR, Chicago) Full marks to the Wild for finding a way to win after farting away a 4-0 lead.

Oh cmon. How about Colorado in November? This season we have blown like five 2-0 leads. Holding leads seems like our biggest issue right now.

 

[HollaHaula]

The players still have the Yeo mentality of taking their foot off the gas and turtling with a lead. Boudreau is in the process of beating it outta them.

 

[Wabit]

Oh cmon. How about Colorado in November? This season we have blown like five 2-0 leads. Holding leads seems like our biggest issue right now.

That seems to be more on the players than the coach so far this year. It might just be that they are still learning how to play with leads. It was a rarity for most of these players under Yoe to see a 2, 3, or more goal lead early in a game. Once the game starts a coach can only do so much: yell and dole out ice time.

 

[Bookman]

Oh cmon. How about Colorado in November? This season we have blown like five 2-0 leads. Holding leads seems like our biggest issue right now.

Countering a HUGE momentum shift, on the road, vs. the team that knocked you out of the playoffs the year before?

Yeah c'mon. Normal Wild hockey to you?

 

[TaLoN]

Hey...remember when everyone was worried about a January swoon?

5-0-1 since the start of January

 

[Wabit]

Hey...remember when everyone was worried about a January swoon?

5-0-1 since the start of January

I remember being ready to turn the tv off if the Wild gave up the first goal last year. Also ready to turn it off if they were ever down by 2.

 

[tomgilbertfan]

I was thinking about this today, I don't think Staal signs with us if Yeo is the coach. There seems to be a lot of mutual respect between Staal/Boudreau, and by their quotes in the papers about each other and the signing the conversation Staal had with Boudreau was a big reason for his signing here, and I don't think Yeo would have that ability.