Travis Green loves the kid and that is the only opinion that matters here really. Green doesn't really throw praise around that much.
Guess you don't live in Utica. Green NEVER throws a kid under the bus. He rarely has a negative thing to say about one of his players in public and then it's phrased so the player is still able to hold his head up.
He hands out praise whenever it's due. He simply never overdoes it and won't hand it out if it's not earned. His players know what to expect from him and they know they will hear it behind closed doors when they **** up. Not for mistakes. They are for learning.
Screw up after having been given multiple chances to correct the same thing and he will be there to dish out serious reprimands, at first some bench time and if it recurs longer bench stints, and can culminate in the form of a night in the press box. Yet in all instances the next day he will be right there to instruct them once again on how he wants it done in video, on the white board, and on the ice. He is in their corner. He's a player's coach, yet a tough task master at the same time. It takes a lot for him to give up on you. Ask Shinkaruk, Jensen, Cassels, Subban, Grenier, Friesen, Pedan, Baertschi, and many others. Every one of these guys had horrible ups and downs, but he stuck with them through the good and bad and they all became much better for it and are still getting better and everyone of them today plays with a high level of confidence instilled in them by their coach.
Baertschi arrived in Utica a shell of his former self that Green had previously coached. The Flames organization had virtually emasculated him. He gave him freedom to play his game, but held him to a strict level of defense. He was great and he's coming along well for the Canucks. Thank Green, not WD.
Sorry for the diatribe, but I get sensitive when I read comments about Green from guys who don't really know him. I was hesitant about him for the first 3 months here, but it was just Green being Green.
He gave them what he wanted and then he just stood there and watched. He gave them time to get it. Then all of a sudden after several games of inert coaching, the cardboard cutout I called it, he was up and down the bench talking in ears and motioning with his hands and gesturing to certain areas as explained what they were or weren't doing, still teaching. Then the serious bench lectures started. Then the missed shifts for the slow learners. Finally, if he had to, the press box for the hard heads.
They all got it and every guy he has coached has it down. That included the multiple PTOs last season and it doesn't take long to learn he means it. They play a very disciplined defensive structure. Their offensive game is move the puck up the ice quickly, carry it if possible, dump if it's the only out, dig, dig, dig, fore check, fore check, fore check, shoot, shoot, shoot, and follow your shot, go to open space whenever you don't have the puck, and when it turns over back check, back check, back check and take away all the passing lanes you can. In your face, difficult to play against hockey.
His teams can be beaten just like any other team, but you won't usually do it if you don't outwork them and that's not easy to do. More skilled players willing to pay the price can outplay his less talented guys who never give you an inch. When the battle is between his guy of equal value, his guy wins more often than not.
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