End of Season Interviews

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Given how much abuse McDavid does take, I'm pretty skeptical about this.

He (and the team) takes plenty of abuse on the scoreboard.

 

[oobga]

Given how much abuse McDavid does take, I'm pretty skeptical about this.

I think many were asking where Lucic (and Maroon and Kassian) were when Kesler slashing, crosschecking, chopping the hands of and slewfooting McDavid last playoffs.

TO be fair though, I think some of these roots from McLellan who thought the solution to Carlyle working the refs non-stop along with his players doing the same was to just sit there and smile and hope we get rewarded for good behavior (complete opposite result happened of course).

Who knows, maybe the aggressive side of Lucic's game would come roaring back under a coach that isn't afraid of initiating confrontation.

 

[fuswald]

I blame TMacT for that as much as anyone...

Who is TMacT? Todd MacTavish?

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I think many were asking where Lucic (and Maroon and Kassian) were when Kesler slashing, crosschecking, chopping the hands of and slewfooting McDavid last playoffs.

TO be fair though, I think some of these roots from McLellan who thought the solution to Carlyle working the refs non-stop along with his players doing the same was to just sit there and smile and hope we get rewarded for good behavior (complete opposite result happened of course).

Who knows, maybe the aggressive side of Lucic's game would come roaring back under a coach that isn't afraid of initiating confrontation.

I don't think the coach told Lucic to rein it in. Anyone knows that Lucic is only effective if he's engaging physically and there wasn't enough of that in the latter half of the season. Other players also know not to get involved with Lucic. He had... what, 2 fights this season?

 

[Little Fury]

I think many were asking where Lucic (and Maroon and Kassian) were when Kesler slashing, crosschecking, chopping the hands of and slewfooting McDavid last playoffs.

TO be fair though, I think some of these roots from McLellan who thought the solution to Carlyle working the refs non-stop along with his players doing the same was to just sit there and smile and hope we get rewarded for good behavior (complete opposite result happened of course).

Who knows, maybe the aggressive side of Lucic's game would come roaring back under a coach that isn't afraid of initiating confrontation.

I bet Marc Savard is also asking where Lucic was too.

How many times do we need to see guys get hurt or even worked over while guys like Lucic are on the ice before the magic tiger rock theory gets discredited?

 

[PatrikOverAuston]

Who is TMacT? Todd MacTavish?

TMac = MacT = TMacT

Although I now regret calling him that, as time has shown Craig to be the much better coach.

 

[oobga]

I bet Marc Savard is also asking where Lucic was too.

How many times do we need to see guys get hurt or even worked over while guys like Lucic are on the ice before the magic tiger rock theory gets discredited?

Think it's more complicated than that. Cooke was a special kind of psychopath. He knew he could always run and hide, and just had the natural instinct to want to cripple people. Not many players are like that, but they definitely do exist, and for sure, they are impossible to stop because they have no regard for consequences in the moment. Guys like Torres, Simon, Claude Lemiuex, Marchment, Marchand. Just crazy people that have that don't give a 2nd thought before they try to cripple you for life. Most players do play with atleast a slight degree of honor though, and feel they have to answer for any dirty stuff they pull. And when you play the Oilers, the guy you would answer to is probably Lucic if you try stuff on McDavid.

I think there is still the game within the game, guys threatening each other, setting precedents of what will happen if they do X to player Y, planting seeds in players minds to make them 2nd guess their actions. For whatever reason though last playoffs we just all turned into wallflowers in the 2nd round.

 

[CupofOil]

Well the rumour was that either McLellan or Chiarelli would be gone April 9th... so we'll soon see if that's just all hot air.

What rumor?

Don't get your hopes up, neither are going anywhere. I do think we might see some new assistants including a Cup of Coffey.

 

[Soul8]

TMac = MacT = TMacT

Although I now regret calling him that, as time has shown Craig to be the much better coach.

Isn't that wild. I was calling for MacT to be removed as coach, but I can't imagine him getting less out of this roster than Tmacs group has.

 

[ToeMcDrag83]

10am avail for TMac today

 

[Little Fury]

Think it's more complicated than that. Cooke was a special kind of psychopath. He knew he could always run and hide, and just had the natural instinct to want to cripple people. Not many players are like that, but they definitely do exist, and for sure, they are impossible to stop because they have no regard for consequences in the moment. Guys like Torres, Simon, Claude Lemiuex, Marchment, Marchand. Just crazy people that have that don't give a 2nd thought before they try to cripple you for life. Most players do play with atleast a slight degree of honor though, and feel they have to answer for any dirty stuff they pull. And when you play the Oilers, the guy you would answer to is probably Lucic if you try stuff on McDavid.

So the only guys goons deter are the guys who aren't likely to pull dirty **** in the first place? So what's the point?

I'd laugh this stuff off if Lucic was bringing anything else to the table but 8 points in 46 games is basically fourth line production without any of the supposed intangibles that go along with it.

Don't get me wrong: I hope he has a bounce back next year only because that might make it easier to move his awful contract.

 

[oobga]

So the only guys goons deter are the guys who aren't likely to pull dirty **** in the first place? So what's the point?

I'd laugh this stuff off if Lucic was bringing anything else to the table but 8 points in 46 games is basically fourth line production without any of the supposed intangibles that go along with it.

Don't get me wrong: I hope he has a bounce back next year only because that might make it easier to move his awful contract.

There is more that happens out there than just the worst dirty shots. We watched our young guys get ragdolled in scrums and punched around by every ilk of player during rebuild #2. Everyone played us like they had brass nuts between their legs. Even guys like Edler played like they were the toughest players to ever play the game against us, throwing out sneaky elbows on Hall and Eberle without a care in the world. I think a lot of that has stopped. But it's still on the super stars to keep their head up when guys like Torres are out on the ice, no one is saving you from a flying elbow from those guys if you are caught with your head down. Some guys just have the evil gene hehe.

 

[bone]

I don't think the coach told Lucic to rein it in. Anyone knows that Lucic is only effective if he's engaging physically and there wasn't enough of that in the latter half of the season. Other players also know not to get involved with Lucic. He had... what, 2 fights this season?

Yeah, no one wants to engage him other than Smith from behind multiple layers of padding and using a blocker as a weapon and see what happened there. A teammate basically had his face broken for that.

 

[oobga]

Yeah, no one wants to engage him other than Smith from behind multiple layers of padding and using a blocker as a weapon and see what happened there. A teammate basically had his face broken for that.

Can't Lucic engage on his own a bit? I know it's a delicate balance. If people start getting the idea he is out there with a short fuse, his toughest can turn into a liability, like Kassian lets it be sometimes. But, just how completely unengaged he has been for extended periods for us, it's just weird. The first 2 months of 2018 for example.

It seems McLellan never thought to try to get Lucic back on track by getting him to go out there and try to get engaged physically. That 2 months was all about gifted ice time and focusing on nothing but trying to get on the score sheet. That just seems like the completely wrong approach, and in the end it didn't work at all. He pretty much went a full 3 months doing next to nothing out on the ice until that Calgary game. His fluke 40ft shot goal changed nothing for him. He played just as poorly after it for weeks still.

 

[onetweasy]

10am avail for TMac today

I would assume this means he is back for next season.

I am finding it hard to be negative on anything hockey related right now given the Broncos tragedy putting stuff like coaching and bitching about the PP into perspective.

I just hope they make a smart decision and support that decision. This franchise cannot afford another season like the one that just passed.

 

[FlameChampion]

I would assume this means he is back for next season.

I am finding it hard to be negative on anything hockey related right now given the Broncos tragedy putting stuff like coaching and *****ing about the PP into perspective.

I just hope they make a smart decision and support that decision. This franchise cannot afford another season like the one that just passed.

Yeah the more i read about things the more I am starting to think they arent going to make a change. Meh. Hopefully he has different assistant coaches but that probably isnt happening either. I am afraid of what Chiarelli is going to do this offseason as well. Cant wait for his press conference.

 

[ToeMcDrag83]

I would assume this means he is back for next season.

I am finding it hard to be negative on anything hockey related right now given the Broncos tragedy putting stuff like coaching and *****ing about the PP into perspective.

I just hope they make a smart decision and support that decision. This franchise cannot afford another season like the one that just passed.

I think you're right.

I'm more concerned with Chiarelli staying than McLellan.
As short as the leash should be for Todd next season, Chiarelli's should have run out long ago.

 

[bone]

Can't Lucic engage on his own a bit? I know it's a delicate balance. If people start getting the idea he is out there with a short fuse, his toughest can turn into a liability, like Kassian lets it be sometimes. But, just how completely unengaged he has been for extended periods for us, it's just weird. The first 2 months of 2018 for example.

It seems McLellan never thought to try to get Lucic back on track by getting him to go out there and try to get engaged physically. That 2 months was all about gifted ice time and focusing on nothing but trying to get on the score sheet. That just seems like the completely wrong approach, and in the end it didn't work at all. He pretty much went a full 3 months doing next to nothing out on the ice until that Calgary game. His fluke 40ft shot goal changed nothing for him. He played just as poorly after it for weeks still.

I agree it's totally on him to engage. I was just pointing no one else will do it because of the results, making all the more important for him to engage himself.

May not hurt to play him with a bit of a screwball like Kassian (when Kassian actually Kassians) as teams respond when he gets a little crazy and that in turn bring Lucic into the battle.

 

[Del Preston]

Coaches and GMs are always given a media availability after the season. Doesn't mean anything in regards to who's being kept and who's getting fired.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

At least TMac has the stones to face the media.

 

[bone]

Yeah the more i read about things the more I am starting to think they arent going to make a change. Meh. Hopefully he has different assistant coaches but that probably isnt happening either. I am afraid of what Chiarelli is going to do this offseason as well. Cant wait for his press conference.

It's probably what we are looking at. I can live with it, but the leash better be extremely short if the team comes out with a slow start.

This could also be just the team taking its time to see what is actually available first before jumping the gun. So give Todd his chance to address the media on how he felt the year went as well as Chia. Doesn't prevent future change. MacT did a media availability before they hired Chiarelli so this doesn't really mean anything. Perhaps if Chia's media avail is as depressing as MacTs was that year, that may in itself push the team to do something.

 

[FlameChampion]

Coaches and GMs are always given a media availability after the season. Doesn't mean anything in regards to who's being kept and who's getting fired.

Yeah I just read on Lowetides blog that Bob McKenzie indicated that his gut feeling is that Chiarelli is safe. He mentioned he thought TM was safe as well but less confident. So if Bob McKenzie is saying that, I doubt its going to happen.

 

[bone]

At least TMac has the stones to face the media.

If this is about Chiarelli not doing press yesterday, I think it's pretty common to just let the players handle locker room day then the GM comes out a day or two later but before the playoffs actually start.

How many GMs did you see talk yesterday?

 

[CupofOil]

Coaches and GMs are always given a media availability after the season. Doesn't mean anything in regards to who's being kept and who's getting fired.

I think AV getting fired right away raised some hopes around here.

I never thought that Todd was in danger of being removed this season no matter how poorly they finished. It is just one season removed from a wildly successful season so it shouldn't be surprising if they give him another season (at least to start) to turn it around.

 

[Stoneman89]

I think some interviews have been delayed because of Humboldt, for obvious reasons.