Management Bruce Cassidy III

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TcTap

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Jan 27, 2017
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Im starting to really dislike his favoritism. He never says anything bad about Krejci or Debrusk while they are invisble on ice. But should Coyle, Bjork or Cehlarik and couple others do one mistake, he goes on and calls them out in media blaming whole game on them. Like its awful to do that to players who you see skating, trying, the effort is there and they look better on ice than whole second line looked in years, but still get demoted and shit on in media. Like why does he do that? It must feel very dejecting to players and I doubt it motivates or anything. If they objectively played bad then fine, but with such obvious favoritism, it can only create rifts.
 
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Carlon Brando

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May 22, 2014
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I hadn't fully realized until tonight just how responsible Cassidy actually is for the team's heartless play.

I mean, I knew the players themselves were soft. And I knew that Sweeney/Neely have done absolutely nothing to address that obvious flaw. But I figured that's pretty much where the blame should lie and that Cassidy was doing what he could with what he had to work with. After all, he did seem to be pushing a lot of the right buttons here. For a while at least. Now I'm seeing it differently though.

After seeing the events of tonight's game unfold the way they did, followed by Cassidy's shameful post-game interview, it's become clear that he actually wants the team to play as soft as it does and that he actively discourages any displays of heart, push back, pay back, or snarl.

What kind of coach takes an already soft group of players and demands that they tone it down even further? Who would ever consider taking the fight out of the dog to be an effective strategy in a violent sport?

Just as one example: does anyone wonder what ever happened to those bone-crunching mega hits that McAvoy used to lay fairly regularly? Well here's your answer: Cassidy has most likely instructed him to refrain from doing that, for fear he might "take himself out of position" in the process. OK, but every hockey fan knows that those hits can be absolutely game-changing, momentum-swinging, fire-lighting events whose effects far outweigh any temporary lack of "structure" they might entail. You make a natural talent like McAvoy stop being who he is as a player and you end up with this season's version of him - passive, hesitant, over thinking, lacking confidence, and ultimately his play suffers.

Again, it hadn't fully occurred to me until tonight that the softness issue was mainly due to coaching. But this quote here kind of connected the dots for me and made it all make sense:



A team that just saw it's goalie get knocked out by a dirty play does not need to hear that. What it needs is to hear something more like this:



What a joke.
 

CharasLazyWrister

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Sep 8, 2008
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I think what is on Bruce is that he can’t get his team to crank up the volume physically. He clearly has the power to shift a game plan to be m0re physical (see game 2 against the Leafs last playoffs).

4 out of 5 nights, it seems like the other team is setting the tone. That has to change and that is on the coach, no matter what players are on the roster or who is on what line.
 

Number8

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Either he’s got the wrong approach in the last month or two, or they’re tuning him out. Either way it’s not a good look for him.
Agree. The torrid start at beginning of season was not sustainable. However, they are riding the success of that crazy first 25 games or so. Cannot be denied that place in standings is not indicative of current state of team. They need something to right the ship. Not sure what it is, but something has to change. Here's points and projections by different slices of games:

WLOTLPOINTS82 PROJ
1st 25 Games173539128
2nd 25 Games11772995
1st 10 Games71216131
2nd 10 Games62214115
3rd 10 Games70317139
4th 10 Games343974
5th 10 Games4331190
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
Pretty much matches the eye test. Torrid start, terrible spell nearly half way through season, since that a slow climb out of that slump with bad inconsistency. No matter how you slice it, playing the way they have in the last 20 to 25 games would ordinarily not get them into playoffs. Because of crazy hot start it will, but it's not a harbinger of good things unless something changes. Plenty of time, but this needs a remedy of some sort IMO.
 
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Baddkarma

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Feb 27, 2002
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This is a good team with serious flaws in its current roster composition. They are built around one line, that lines PP success, and Tuukka. That formula will beat 70-80% of the NHL with regularity, but when they hit other top teams they struggle.

I just really dont want to waste the last couple of great years that Bergeron has left and I admit I am concerned. Sweeney needs to take a big swing at the bottom half of this roster and Cassidy needs to figure out how to put the best team and team concept on the ice.

I think he is safe for now, this time next year with similar struggles, he could be in real trouble.
 
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rocketdan9

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Feb 5, 2009
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Finally has guts to leave Coyle with Debrusk

just leave the lines the way it is going forward

Debrusk Coyle Bjork has been dangerous

If the lines go back the way it was after the bi week *facepalm*
 
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ODAAT

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Oct 17, 2006
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Im starting to really dislike his favoritism. He never says anything bad about Krejci or Debrusk while they are invisble on ice. But should Coyle, Bjork or Cehlarik and couple others do one mistake, he goes on and calls them out in media blaming whole game on them. Like its awful to do that to players who you see skating, trying, the effort is there and they look better on ice than whole second line looked in years, but still get demoted and **** on in media. Like why does he do that? It must feel very dejecting to players and I doubt it motivates or anything. If they objectively played bad then fine, but with such obvious favoritism, it can only create rifts.

it`s frustrating to watch some of his personnel decisions and what appears to be a different level of punishment for bad play but if I`m looking at it objectively, there isn`t one NHL coach who doesn`t have his fav`s and doesn`t do the same, not one
 

Dr Hook

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it`s frustrating to watch some of his personnel decisions and what appears to be a different level of punishment for bad play but if I`m looking at it objectively, there isn`t one NHL coach who doesn`t have his fav`s and doesn`t do the same, not one

There probably isn't a coach of any sport at any level that isn't that way. I was an assistant soccer coach for a few years, and we did it, and I certainly played on teams where it happened, sometimes to me :laugh: It isn't necessarily "right" but it's human.
 

ODAAT

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Oct 17, 2006
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There probably isn't a coach of any sport at any level that isn't that way. I was an assistant soccer coach for a few years, and we did it, and I certainly played on teams where it happened, sometimes to me :laugh: It isn't necessarily "right" but it's human.

me too, coached hockey myself, AA/AAA highest level but anyone who has played, had a child who played that level could attest that things can get intense. I did my very best to spread out the ice time but I would be lying if there wasn`t a few players I leaned on more heavily at times and that comes at the expense of other kids not seeing the ice more. Took a ton of heat from many parents for it myself. Now, I did my very best to disperse the ice time but there was a simple fact, some players are better suited for different situations in game than others.

I can scream from the rooftops about some of the stuff Butch does but all I need to do is look at his record as HC for the B`s and I`ll lose the argument 8 days a week:laugh:
 
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Fenian24

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Jun 14, 2010
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Biggest problem with this team is not a second line RW, not having enough grit, not inconsistent goaltending, it's Cassidy. He sucked as Washington's head coach and is doing the same nonsense now. He likes soft, passionless hockey and then blames the players for playing that way while never taking any blame himself. I know he probably isn't going to get fired in the next year or two but when he does I will be extremely happy he is gone. This is a better team than what they have shown and while I don't expect a lot of push back from them there has to be some. The fact that Lauzon was called up and played (and played well) is a sign Sweeney is starting to understand small, soft and heartless is not going to win.

I look forward to Trent Frederic being on the same line as Blidh, I don't look forward to Cassidy playing them 3:00 a night.
 

Dennis Bonvie

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Dec 29, 2007
29,206
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Connecticut
Biggest problem with this team is not a second line RW, not having enough grit, not inconsistent goaltending, it's Cassidy. He sucked as Washington's head coach and is doing the same nonsense now. He likes soft, passionless hockey and then blames the players for playing that way while never taking any blame himself. I know he probably isn't going to get fired in the next year or two but when he does I will be extremely happy he is gone. This is a better team than what they have shown and while I don't expect a lot of push back from them there has to be some. The fact that Lauzon was called up and played (and played well) is a sign Sweeney is starting to understand small, soft and heartless is not going to win.

I look forward to Trent Frederic being on the same line as Blidh, I don't look forward to Cassidy playing them 3:00 a night.

Are you serious?
 
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LSCII

Cup driven
Mar 1, 2002
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Either he’s got the wrong approach in the last month or two, or they’re tuning him out. Either way it’s not a good look for him.

So wait, let me get this straight. It's okay for you to read into things and speculate on the team, but if someone else does it, they're automatically wrong? Sounds about right. :naughty:

Third scenario for you. The team slumped because it was being falsely propped up by one dominant line, and when that line cooled off a bit, the team got exposed for what it really is. A one line team. You throw in a slump from Halak, and you get what has happened over the last month or so. The margin for error on this team is razor thin. If they get great goal play from both guys, and some secondary scoring, they're hard to beat. Problem is, nobody plays a full season without some kind of dip at some point. This is why wasted roster spots and slotting bottom 6 guys up to top 6 roles matters.
 

Over the volcano

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Mar 10, 2006
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So wait, let me get this straight. It's okay for you to read into things and speculate on the team, but if someone else does it, they're automatically wrong? Sounds about right. :naughty:

Third scenario for you. The team slumped because it was being falsely propped up by one dominant line, and when that line cooled off a bit, the team got exposed for what it really is. A one line team. You throw in a slump from Halak, and you get what has happened over the last month or so. The margin for error on this team is razor thin. If they get great goal play from both guys, and some secondary scoring, they're hard to beat. Problem is, nobody plays a full season without some kind of dip at some point. This is why wasted roster spots and slotting bottom 6 guys up to top 6 roles matters.
100% could just be bad luck for 2 + months.
 

LSCII

Cup driven
Mar 1, 2002
50,473
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Central MA
100% could just be bad luck for 2 + months.

Nope, n0t bad luck. Holes on the roster due to not spending money correctly. A top line like the perfection line can cover up a lot of blemishes. But they're bound to cool down at some point and the holes show. It's all about roster construction and cap management.
 
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