Langway
In den Wolken
- Jul 7, 2006
- 32,466
- 9,184
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...c8ede6-c0f5-11e3-b195-dd0c1174052c_story.html
Good job, good effort management "team." Easily a much bigger joke than the on-ice product.Dave Prior, who had worked with the Capitals either as a goaltending coach, scout or advisor since 1997 and helped draft Varlamov, Neuvirth, Holtby and Grubauer, was fired in August 2013 when he refused to endorse and implement changes to the style of play Oates wanted.
“Adam did not agree with how I coach, both in my methods and the content of what I coached,” Prior said from his home in Ontario. “My inflexibility was perceived as ignorance or stubbornness, but I perceive it as a much deeper knowledge of the position. . . . I have no regrets, I would do the same thing again because I stand up for what I believe in. I would gladly defend a goaltender and what I believe is the toughest way to play goal and lose my job over it than to pour gas on them or give them what I believe is bad advice.”...
While Oates declined to comment specifically on the difference of opinion with Prior, he made his case for the modifications.
“I’ve studied the position. I’ve met with a lot of people and studied the position. I’m a head coach of a team: My job is to know every position. I never played D but I know D, so I know goaltending,” Oates said. “We’re just trying to tap in more to their reflexes. . . . Every opportunity I give [Holtby] to make another save with his reflexes is a bonus. Now, it’s a process. There’s many nights that he reverts back because that’s his habits, but there’s things I think he needs to do to be better.”