GDT: Avalanche @ Coyotes - Homecoming

[_Del_]

Let's assume Feck has a marvelous plan for a bookcase. Top notch. Generous, I know, based on how ignorant you think he is. But in this hypothetical universe, no one could ever design a better bookcase. He once made a few good bookcases many years ago, but the bookcases continue to trend downward for quality.
Over the past five years Feck has instructed various groups of workers to measure, measure, cut, assemble, sand, stain, and polish bookcases. None of these workers have been able to "execute" reliably over this time frame. Despite Feck's marvelous plan, and the fact he is on the floor communicating with the workers, and the fact that various workers employed have built decent bookcases before with other manufacturers and some were/are highly rated apprentices -- despite these things, Feck cannot seem to produce a piece of furniture capable of holding a book. Several of the most highly rated workers have left citing their usage at the furniture plant. There is no accountability for the oldtimers on the floor, but new guys have to "pay their dues".
Assuming the plan for bookcases is actually nominal, ideal, and flawless, how many more years do we give Feck to make a functional bookcase? All criticism of Feck is deflected to other corners. So far we've blamed the workers for not executing, and the hiring manager for getting bad workers. Critcs of sloppy disfunctional bookcases are name called and told they've never built bookcases or managed carpenters, and wouldn't know a beautiful, functional bookcase if they saw one.
Just when does Feck -- the plant supervisor, manager, and architect of the plans-- take on any blame? Ever? Based on the diminishing returns, would you extend him and give him more power?

 

[cobra427]

Define execution without using any buzzwords. Go.

At the NHL level, their is not much difference between the plan from coach to coach, as Babcock/Tip/Q/Trotz agree on 90% of the plan/philosophy. Execution is implementing the plan and having the players follow through or execute. The coaching part is putting the players in a position to succeed within the plan. Part of that is keeping the room together and motivated and it's not like the team has way under achieved for years like the Oilers. It shouldn't be a big surprise to anyone that we are not a good team. That was predicted by plenty of guys on this board as well as the rest of the NHL. Gogo has had poor execution so far in many areas. That isn't Tip's fault, Gogo just needs to be better as do others.

 

[_Del_]

If 90% of the plan is basically provided by any generic coach, can we blame the failures regarding "the coaching part is putting the players in a position to succeed within the plan. Part of that is keeping the room together and motivated" on the coach, or are the nonexecuting players and skill players anchored on the fourth line all to blame for their being positioned to fail and general lack of motivation? Would you say this has been a hard working club these past five years?

 

[BUX7PHX]

Define execution without using any buzzwords. Go.

Successful operation on the conditions of a prepared plan of action.

You generally 'execute' a set plan

the set plan part being the huge problem right now, as it's not working, of questionable design and utility, and possibly completely outmoded.

Not necessarily. Just because a plan is 'set' - it does not mean that it is executed well or poorly. Battles within a war are a perfect example. We set a plan, but a lot of the time, you hear stories about how a misguided bomb wound up destroying a target that was not a focus. That does not mean the plan is bad, the execution was.

Zero dark thirty? There was a plan in mind that changed as the second helicopter was deemed inoperable.

No different from when Tippett changes lines mid-game, etc. Or when one of our D-men passes the puck a little too hard around the boards and creates a turnover. Or when a forward gets out of position. The set plan may have been working decently, but one person decided to execute poorly within that plan. All it takes is one mistake to have the poor execution bite you.

 

[rt]

I'm happy to simply judge Tippett based on results. So go ahead and fire him. He deserves it.

 

[BUX7PHX]

Let's assume Feck has a marvelous plan for a bookcase. Top notch. Generous, I know, based on how ignorant you think he is. But in this hypothetical universe, no one could ever design a better bookcase. He once made a few good bookcases many years ago, but the bookcases continue to trend downward for quality.
Over the past five years Feck has instructed various groups of workers to measure, measure, cut, assemble, sand, stain, and polish bookcases. None of these workers have been able to "execute" reliably over this time frame. Despite Feck's marvelous plan, and the fact he is on the floor communicating with the workers, and the fact that various workers employed have built decent bookcases before with other manufacturers and some were/are highly rated apprentices -- despite these things, Feck cannot seem to produce a piece of furniture capable of holding a book. Several of the most highly rated workers have left citing their usage at the furniture plant. There is no accountability for the oldtimers on the floor, but new guys have to "pay their dues".
Assuming the plan for bookcases is actually nominal, ideal, and flawless, how many more years do we give Feck to make a functional bookcase? All criticism of Feck is deflected to other corners. So far we've blamed the workers for not executing, and the hiring manager for getting bad workers. Critcs of sloppy disfunctional bookcases are name called and told they've never built bookcases or managed carpenters, and wouldn't know a beautiful, functional bookcase if they saw one.
Just when does Feck -- the plant supervisor, manager, and architect of the plans-- take on any blame? Ever? Based on the diminishing returns, would you extend him and give him more power?

If the plan is flawless, then yes, it is on the workers to execute.

The problem is that one time, the floor workers who need to cut the design do a deplorable job. Then the next time, the person who measures misses by an inch (probably OEL, off the post). Fact is that the one area that breaks down can destroy a flawless plan, even if others execute to their roles perfectly. I think that is one of the disheartening things is that each game, it is someone or some action that is different. A soft goal. A bad pinch. Sloppy passing in the defensive end. Learning how to execute is our weakness right now, but a young team will have that. And when you can't rely on our ability to execute, the ones who are more likely to do so are the veterans, even with declining speed, exuberance, or whatever.

People have talked about how Tampa Bay was able to incorporate youth better than what has currently happened in AZ. Well, that's also under different circumstances. Who is Arizona's elite player? OEL. That is it. We simply do not have the individuals who will drive play and take attention.

Who is TB's elite player? Stamkos. St. Louis. Hedman. We only have one of those types of players. We will get there eventually, but right now, there is not a generational superstar that we have to assist with that aspect. Teams will game plan for St. Louis and Stamkos. Do teams game plan for Domi? Not yet, but playing a team game helps to lay that foundation for many years. Once those players start evolving into trusted players at the NHL level, then teams will have to pick and choose who to take out of the game plan.

 

[kihekah19*]

I'm happy to simply judge Tippett based on results. So go ahead and fire him. He deserves it.

I never wanted him in the first place, y'all would have loved my pick of Mike Keenan!!!

Thing is you, I and everyone else here knows he's not going anywhere. Belaboring the point is tiresome, at best.

I'd also guess that even the most die hard DT supporter would think it was a poor decision to extend him so far in advance of his expiration.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

I never wanted him in the first place, y'all would have loved my pick of Mike Keenan!!!

YE GODS.

Thing is you, I and everyone else here knows he's not going anywhere. Belaboring the point is tiresome, at best.

That's true, at least intellectually-speaking. Viscerally, it's hard not to scream to the rafters to change something - ANYTHING - that might make us look less like monkeys seducing footballs and more like an honest-to-god NHL team.

 

[XX]

No different from when Tippett changes lines mid-game, etc. Or when one of our D-men passes the puck a little too hard around the boards and creates a turnover. Or when a forward gets out of position. The set plan may have been working decently, but one person decided to execute poorly within that plan. All it takes is one mistake to have the poor execution bite you.

Do you remember that first against the Penguins when the Coyotes put on a clinic? Or those dominant nights when opposing teams got extremely frustrated skating into the trap over and over again? In other words, executing.

Where is that team? It has not been seen around these parts for at least four years. And to borrow from your analogy - you can be the greatest strategist in the history of war but if no one believes in you and you can't convey the message, you're actually not an effective leader.

Why do people have trouble admitting that Tippett has some faults and there might potentially be an issue?

How many more seasons of crappy hockey would it take for you to admit something is off? Be honest.

 

[kihekah19*]

potentially

This would be the key word. The lynch mob mentality goes beyond the meaning of that word.

 

[BUX7PHX]

Do you remember that first against the Penguins when the Coyotes put on a clinic? Or those dominant nights when opposing teams got extremely frustrated skating into the trap over and over again? In other words, executing.

Where is that team? It has not been seen around these parts for at least four years. And to borrow from your analogy - you can be the greatest strategist in the history of war but if no one believes in you and you can't convey the message, you're actually not an effective leader.

Why do people have trouble admitting that Tippett has some faults and there might potentially be an issue?

How many more seasons of crappy hockey would it take for you to admit something is off? Be honest.

By all accounts, everyone is satisfied with playing for Tippett and the players on the team believe in him. Maybe that has wavered, but I haven't seen anything suggesting otherwise, much like your thought that Smith isn't particularly well-liked by his teammates.

I do remember those days when execution was on par, etc. Yada yada yada. This was a result of players being in the right position and managing risks much more appropriately than in the past. I am seeing errors that were not seen 4-7 years ago that primarily involve an individual's execution. We have some forwards who try to strip the puck in neutral zone and wind up whiffing. Mistake by the forward - instead of taking the safest path to create a turnover, they take a riskier path. That is why you see ice time divided up in the way it is. We may have less of a risk of being shutout with players X, Y, and Z on the ice. But those same players also have a higher risk of allowing goals. Coaching is essentially managing those risks.

I don't disagree that Tippett doesn't have his faults. I don't think I have suggested that Tippett should be held on a much, much higher ground than others, and is therefore not subject to criticism. I don't think that we respond well to Playfair's defense, and as a result, Tippett can get some blame because he has not managed to fix the issues that we are seeing with Playfair's defense. That's my only real criticism.

I have said this in another post, but I think we are close to the "player's only meeting." Hopefully, this will have an effect, and if we see improvements (specifically on defense) then we can relax a little. If there are no improvements, then another year, maybe year and a half without results may be the tipping point for me.