I really wonder how many people now want Rocky Thompson fired!
The mere discussion before was ludricrious and showed a lack of insight,a very unnecessary distraction that fortunately got zero traction outside this board.
Team Negative looks bad in this case, doubt they have the fortitude to admit they were wrong.
I would sooner wear rose coloured glasses that I have been accused of rather then blinders worn by my provocateurs.
I'll bite, I'm sure you were expecting nothing less.
I was one who called for it and still stand by it based on how he handled things all season.
If he had handled the bench, game management etc all season the way he did this tournament I doubt there would have been as many frustrated fans throughout the season.
We saw two different styles of coaching and two different styles of play between the regular season and the tournament.
All season we saw a team with the offensive potential to compete against anyone while still being defensively responsible sit back and let their opponent dictate the pace of the game, especially if they had a lead.
In the tournament, except for the round robin game against Erie we saw a completely different style of play that was managed completely differently from the bench.
They dictated the pace of the game.
They played a strong offensive game.
They continued to play responsible defensively.
They didn't give their opponents many opportunities to dictate the outcome of the games.
The game plan evolved throughout the game when needed.
Very rarely did we see any of that throughout the season.
I said it throughout the season and I'll say it again, if twenty players played that way throughout the season the issue was one of two things.
Either they were not responding to the coaching which is an issue because the coach had no control over the team
Or
They were responding exactly as instructed which is an issue because it would appear the coaches struggled with how to manage in game situations and adapting to how the game developed.
What changed in the forty four days off?
Yes the team did everything they could to prepare the players but my guess is they the coaching staff/management had to see that what they had done all season wasn't working the way they expected it to.
I'm sure, along with the players the coaches received a lot of support and suggestions for improvement as well during that time as well.
Rocky may be great with systems and developing a plan which is great for an associate/assistant coach but going back to last season he showed he was unable to or not willing to adapt and evolve his in game management regardless of how well things were or were not going.
Every game it was the same, come out for the first ten minutes and see if your opponent was going to try to dictate the pace of the game.
Spend the rest of the first period trying to get a lead.
Start the second period trying to defend any push from the opponent, one man in their zone, four sitting back at their own blue line waiting to try to defend against a rush that went unchallenged until they got into their zone.
Repeat unless they were down in which case try to hang in there until the last five minutes to make a push to tie it/win it.
No offensive creativity from an offensively gifted group until this tournament.
I said it all season, if they played to their strengths like they did last night and most of this tournament, they could beat anyone but all season they tried to defend against their opponents strengths at the expense of their own.
That was coaching all season and for whatever reason we saw a completely different style this tournament.
Very happy to see them win, they earned it in the tourney but it also emphasizes what could have been this season and how disappointing it was with how the season/playoffs turned out.
Can Rocky be a good coach?
He showed in this tourney he can if he finally elevated and adapted his game management abilities but with the tourney over I don't know that I would want to see such a rigid, stay the course coach behind the bench who doesn't appear to relish having to deviate from his game plan if things aren't going as expected, especially during a couple of years of rebuilding.
Every year in junior you have a lot of turnover with a lot of unexpected factors coming into play. He may excel at a higher level where there can be more stability from year to year as far as roster make up is concerned but I don't think he has the flexibility for the constant change that short junior careers bring.
Didn't think it was gonna happen after the frusterating season but whatever Rocky and the coaching staff did during the long break certainly worked. The boys left it all out there and beat three real good teams. You go 4-0 in the Mem Cup, you're a deserving champion regardless of not winning your league's title. Great job Spits!
