"Rotten Core"

[Positive]

Just saying... does it really matter? Noel has shown consistently he only benches rookies or guys making less than him and never the players that need to sit the pine (or hand out popcorn in the press box ) for a while.

Any coward can bench a 4th liner for making a mistake.

Because I'd like confirmation rather than assumptions.

 

[YWGinYYZ]

Anyone have the game PVR'ed and can break down Gooch's play in the first period? I'm curious as to the things he did (or didn't do) to get him benched for the next two.

Full replay isn't live yet on gamecenter, so I can't find any particular plays. Some not so good coverage on the first goal after a line change (circled away from the d-zone when trying a poke check at center ice, pulling himself out of the play):

[nhl]2013020651-54-h[/nhl]

Other than that: no hits, no shots - nothing registered other than a -1 during his play. Not sure: there was obviously something regarding his play that the coaches didn't appreciate. 35s for the last 2 periods - he might as well have taken his skates off and joined the popcorn-eaters in the pressbox.

 

[CaptainChef]

The roster may or may not be incapable of performing better. I don't buy they argument that there is a systemic amount of 'quit' in the players.

One thing that may change with a coaching change is perhaps we'll find one who is able to better play to the strengths of the roster we have, and may also have a clean slate without 'favorites', and where everyone has to prove they should be on the ice or on a certain line.

I may very well be wrong, but my contention is that part of our failure this year is due to coaching choices, and playing a system our current roster is not suited to do so very successfully. (and pavs of course)

Yes - my thoughts precisely. The "system" we are playing is not a good system (ie dump & chase, dump & chase), we haven't found a way to get out of our own zone, etc. etc. I don't whatever system we have is suited to our players.

And coach constantly playing to his favorites is eating some of these guys up -- it made Burmi leave & others are very much shutting down (wouldn't say its a purposeful shut down but guys are getting so frustrated that they just aren't trying as hard).

Bring in a new coach, a new attitude, better systems, less favorites, and I think we'll see some real change. Perhaps we won't make the playoffs immedaitely, but sounds like we have some good middle & bottom end prospects that will really change things in a year or two

 

[Channelcat]

Byfuglien at forward again? interesting...

Its the only position he can play (sort of), so why not.

As for the coaching change, I think the olympic break would be a great time to do it. We've got a couple weeks to do a complete re-set.

And as for Seto, I have been critical like the rest of you, but what is a guy supposed to do with Thorburn and Jokinen? Nobody could possibly put up points with those guys.

 

[KCjetsfan]

o'dell is on a line with them at practice today

 

[CaptainChef]

Just found this.
Since there are 3 Buff threads I will put it here.

Whats this - buff being tried out for forward & O'dell being tried out with Seto & Joker!!! Wonder if somneone finally got into that stubborn coach's head & talked some sense into him.

 

[Just Ducky]

Well desperate times calls for desperate measures- I like the move up for O'Dell to that line. Buff to forward??? If memory serves me correct we went down this road last year and it really didn't pay off. Then again Buff isn't tipping the scales at 300 anymore so maybe. Worth a shot at this point.

 

[KCjetsfan]

Well desperate times calls for desperate measures- I like the move up for O'Dell to that line. Buff to forward??? If memory serves me correct we went down this road last year and it really didn't pay off. Then again Buff isn't tipping the scales at 300 anymore so maybe. Worth a shot at this point.

that leaves our D pairings pretty weak. But I'm not one that buys into the whole Buff is a net negative at D.

 

[Analyst365]

How do you coach players to make tape to tape passes?

To players on their own team?

 

[broinwhyteridge]

How do you coach players to make tape to tape passes?

To players on their own team?

Give Malkin a Jets jersey.

 

[surixon]

o'dell is on a line with them at practice today

Why it took Noel this long to try it beats the heck out of me. It was the logical move games ago.

 

[Mathmew Purrrr Oh]

Care to explain why?

because it's misallocating resources in the worst way

elite O Dman vs mediocre middle sixer

 

[Mathmew Purrrr Oh]

Why it took Noel this long to try it beats the heck out of me. It was the logical move games ago.

if he plays them together I give it an over/under of 3 shifts

 

[Arthur Fonzarelli]

Why it took Noel this long to try it beats the heck out of me. It was the logical move games ago.

Wow! O'Dell with Joker & Seto at todays practice!!

Buff playing forward at practice!!

Before anyone gets too excited Kane, Ladd & Wheeler had the day off & were not practicing.

O'Dell & Buff were simply filling space on drills.

 

[Arthur Fonzarelli]

Care to explain why?

Buff doesn't play forward as his past conditioning levels aren't suited to the short, fast paced, end to end skating required of forwards. Experiments in past years have left him wheezing on the bench.

Hence the laughter.

That being said, Buff is in much better shape this year, the best since he joined the Jets. His body may finally be up to the task.

Most likely however he is filling in at forward as Wheeler, Kane & Ladd had the day off & did not practice with the team today at MTS Centre. If he's still playing forward at the next full team practice, I'd be surprised.

 

[Inflict]

Our core forwards are just fine but still a work in progress. I would hate to see us move one of our forwards as it would just be a big step backwards in my opinion. Don't forget that we are one of the youngest teams in the NHL. Ladd and Little are in their prime and while they are on a cold streak, they haven't cost us many (if any) games defensively. I believe that Kane and Wheeler still have more to show while Scheifele is beginning to emerge as an offensive threat and part of our top 6.

Our biggest problem right now is that our defense is underachieving (outside of Byfuglien and Trouba) and our starting goaltender has been atrocious since the middle of November. I think it's necessary that we mix up our defensive core a bit by trading either Byfuglien or Bogosian for a Young defender reaching their prime or for two veteran top 4 defenders.

A coaching change is a "hail mary" in my opinion as there aren't many elite coaches out there at the moment. We could get lucky by hiring a rookie coach from the minors, but don't expect a new coach to suddenly turn this team around into a contender. We are still missing a top 6 scoring winger, a good two way centre to kill penalties and is good on faceoffs (Wright and Slater only fill out 1 or two of these qualities) and a quality starting goaltender. Once we acquire these pieces and have a consistent top 4 defensive core, we should start to become a playoff contender.

 

[truck]

A new coach might help. Might.

Worth a shot.

There is nothing lost in trying a new coach.

 

[Hobby Bull]

So, the Jets were 5:1 against making the playoffs at the start of the year.

Now, they're not making the playoffs.

If you thought they were a playoff team, did you put your money down on them at the start of the year? Why not?

It's just food for thought. I don't know why so many fans are so worked up when the team performs as expected.

 

[Hobby Bull]

Just saying... does it really matter? Noel has shown consistently he only benches rookies or guys making less than him and never the players that need to sit the pine (or hand out popcorn in the press box ) for a while.

Any coward can bench a 4th liner for making a mistake.

Hmmm...I usually enjoy reading your opinions, even if I disagree with them.

I'm not on board with you calling Noel a coward. I think it's inappropriate and disrespectful.

 

[buggs]

So, the Jets were 5:1 against making the playoffs at the start of the year.

Now, they're not making the playoffs.

If you thought they were a playoff team, did you put your money down on them at the start of the year? Why not?

It's just food for thought. I don't know why so many fans are so worked up when the team performs as expected.

Quite possibly because fans aren't objective. Fan = short form of fanatic?

I suspect it's mostly because a lot of the less hardcore fans (less so only in terms of their objective knowledge of hockey, not in terms of their fanaticism) didn't really believe that the Western Conference is that much tougher to play in than the East. Turns out it is and I suspect were we in the East, based on our record this might actually be a playoff team (or would be with some minor tweaks).

Plus most tend to be hopeful and optimistic from the start. That might contrast with realistic, but I don't think many really are even at the best of times. Hopes dashed and all that rot.

 

[winnipegger]

At least we're not the oilers

 

[arby18]

#whatdidchevydotoday

Nothing, which is unfortunately his specialty.

 

[ps241]

#whatdidchevydotoday

Nothing, which is unfortunately his specialty.

Don't expect much before the trade deadline this season.

 

[arby18]

Don't expect much before the trade deadline this season.

I don't. I don't expect much with this team or management group as currently constructed.

However, I will admit that I'm surprised that there was very little attempt to "limit the damage" today though from higher than the coach. The sharks were circling in both major news publications for pretty much the first time ever and yet they only trotted out the coach to say the same thing he always done. Who's in charge of PR over there?

 

[Bob E]

Don't expect much before the trade deadline this season.

I agree. If he is planning to move a core piece, he might be setting up a 'bidding war' situation.