"Couch Coaches Corner"--Oilers Jan.-2013

BadMedicine*

Guest
Warning!!Posts on this thread may be longer than they appear in the rear view mirror!!


It is always nice to imagine that as a fan you could be the one making the calls from the bench,most kids grow up wanting to score the winning Stanley Cup goal in overtime,not me,I grew up wanting to be the grey/ bald-headed general calling the shots,I wanted to be the "BOSS".I wanted to be the man sending the right men out to do battle,the "Man Behind the Bench".I had dreams of orchestrating fantastic battles ,heroic epic deeds--initiated by my very tactics and words.

I guess we all have very different dreams but I have never heard anyone else claiming they dreamed of being an on-ice general.I hope I am ok,ha ha ha.

We all like to comment post game on the things we saw that excited us the most about the game we just witnessed,and there are thousands of places to post those comments amongst brethren who are like minded.However,if you happen to be fan of coaching and its many finer points it is hard to find a place to hang your hat and share your excitement.There is a definate gap between posting about the plays you see the men on the ice executing and the decisions the coaches are making on the bench,the two perspectives just do not easily mix on open forums.So here is my first thread that concentrates on a "Couch Coaches"perspective as a priority,that focuses on the behind the bench decisions and extra-dimensional observations that have more to do with dynamic motivation and dynamic planning and tactics as executed by the Coaching staff than with the actual on-ice action.

If you are not interested in coaching and team managment dynamics and their in depth discussion then possibly this is not the thread for you,please be aware that this is what you will find here on this thread.

Heres my evaluation of the Edmonton Oilers current coaching situation as it relates to the total constellation of dynamic interactions we see within the organisation at every level from the Farmteam to the Frontoffice.

It is always nice to imagine that as a fan you could be the one making the calls from the bench,most kids grow up wanting to score the winning Stanley Cup goal in overtime,not me,I grew up wanting to be the grey/ bald-headed general calling the shots,I wanted to be the "BOSS".I wanted to be the man sending the right men out to do battle,the "Man Behind the Bench".I had dreams of orchestrating fantastic battles ,heroic epic deeds--initiated by my very tactics and words.

I guess we all have very different dreams but I have never heard anyone else claiming they dreamed of being an on-ice general.I hope I am ok,ha ha ha.

We all like to comment post game on the things we saw that excited us the most about the game we just witnessed,and there are thousands of places to post those comments amongst brethren who are like minded.However,if you happen to be fan of coaching and its many finer points it is hard to find a place to hang your hat and share your excitement.There is a definate gap between posting about the plays you see the men on the ice executing and the decisions the coaches are making on the bench,the two perspectives just do not easily mix on open forums.So here is my first thread that concentrates on a "Couch Coaches"perspective as a priority,that focuses on the behind the bench decisions and extra-dimensional observations that have more to do with dynamic motivation and dynamic planning and tactics as executed by the Coaching staff than with the actual on-ice action.

If you are not interested in coaching and team managment dynamics then possibly this is not the thread for you,please be aware that this is what you will find here on this thread.

Heres my evaluation of the Edmonton Oilers current coaching situation as it relates to the total constellation of dynamic interactions we see within the organisation at every level from the Farmteam to the Frontoffice.

As i have been experiencing proplems with losing posts here on HF before they can be made completely,I posted the introduction first to ensure the Post would stick.


I believe we are in the midst of a leaguewide evolution of NHL hockey,an evolution that is turning back to offense and high scoring exciting fan-friendly NHL Hockey.

This means that the NHL officials will be supporting this positive evolution as much as they can within league and rulebook mandates.Hockey badly needed this evolution to happen ASAP.Many teams are beginning to experiment with and implement new or offensively adjusted or enhanced systems of play.because NHL teams keep their system sensitive data Top Secret,we rarely hear and clear insights into this area in the media relations we watch with team coaches and managment,we are left to guess eternally.Offensive Hockey means fewer tough guys and fewer unskilled or under-equipped athletes on the ice every night.This means that many defensive minded systems do not work any longer,all the holding,interference,trapping,and dirty dangerous plays are being evolved out of Hockey,the game is being revitalised and it is forcing massive tactical adjustments by many NHL teams.

Now that the table is set we can look at the Oilers coaching past,present and immediate future.I believe that the Oilers revolutionised hockey in the 80s by kicking the offense up ten notches and finding ways to keep their defensive cohesion in support of that high octane offense.I believe that this evolution in Oilers and NHL hockey was 99% catalysed by Wayne Gretzkys mind and creativity and was 100% supported by the coaching staff or Glen Sather.I dont believe there was an existing "book"or template for these changes ,I believe Wayne was implementing them on-the-fly during games with the coaching staffs 100% support.I believe this entire 80s Oilers evolution was made possible by a tactical coaching decision to allow one players 3 dimensional on-ice vison to carry weight in the coaching /decision making department,this was a major devaition from traditional team dynamics and is easily identifiable.So I think the 80s Oilers were run entirely by Waynes INTUITION and Glen and his teams coaching abilitys working symbioticly.This is how I believe the majic was born.I believe Mark Messier learned to think Gretzkeneese and became a Hall of Famer by doing this.I believe that this greatness was catalysed through the utilisation of a controlled 3 transition system of play--a pure offensive possesion/transition system with explosive and relentless goal scoreing potential.Wayne and the players who learned Gretzkeneese fastes evolved together into a 3 dimensional thinking nucleus that led the rest of the team to many championships.

After Wayne left and Mark Messier took over we stuck with the same system,we tried to tighten it up defensively but it didnt work so we let mark lead like we let Wayne and mark did his job well because a lot of the 3 dimensional thinking nucleus was still intact so we won another Championship with Messier at the helm and our creative controlled 3 transition high powered offense clicking well.Then we lost Mark Messier and things changed forever or until recently.

Post Messier became a mess,our team lost the integrity of the 3 dimensional thinking nucleus and we reverted to a defensive mentality entirely,we tried to use a strong defense as a baseline and to implement explosive offense off of that base,and it failed miserably,we had failed to analyse and identify this relationship between the coaches and the 3-dimensional nucleus as being a very tangible dynamic.We tried to duplicate this system that was run on-the-fly based on dynamic on-ice reaction and flow by using the traditional methods.The less sucess we had injecting offense into this defensive base the tighter the defense became.And we evolved into a mediocre talented team that managed to keep a few superstars on the roster at any given time through excellent managment.We developed systems that catalysed off of these few elite players and we gravitated towards one-dimensional elite players we could base everything off of.We developed a fastbreak system catalysed off of several elite speedsters supported by a very tight defense,this almost won craig Mactavish a Stanley Cup.This was all about Mac-T and his ability to inject offense into the defensive base we had developed,and this was possible because Mac-T actually played with a few of the players who made up the 3 dimensional thinking nucleus of the Dynasty Team and he learned Gretzkeneese--he didnt know what it was or that it was happening but it happened nonetheless--and he translated that into a playoff team that used a controlled 3 transition system based off of a traditional defensive platform to inject opportunistic and creative offense exactly as LA did last year,and they had as little awareness of how they were doing it as most Dynast system support players had.

Then we hit the Tri-fecta of #1 Overall NHL draft picks and now we are facing a newage reality and an evolving NHL.And we have been forced by the exceptionally fast evolution of these picks and their cumulative ability to step into and perform at an elite level in the NHL to reasses our systems of play in a scrambling effort to match this incredible growth spurt of elite talent and skillsets.This is where we are today,at a crossroads system-wise.We are counting on Ralph Krueger to bring us a system that will allow us to maximise the assets we have on our roster immediatly,we are asking for a new more suitable system perspective ,and we are getting it.

1980s System---100% 3 dimensionally catalysed controlled 3 transition offense supported by a teamwide defensive awareness as strong in the forwards as the d-men.A non-traditional role execution was implemented systemwide and the d-men were as offensively aware as the forwards as well.

1990s/2000s System---a shift from the 80s system to a "hybrid"system 75% one dimensional thinking and 25% 3 dimensional thinking which was based off of a traditional defensive system and used traditional role execution based off of one or two elite players usually with speed to try to inject explosive fastbreak offense intermittently.

Current system-- a hybrid system from the 90-00s that has been adjusted to utilise the fastbreak
system to a greater degree and depth but in essentially the same manner,the main difference being how we are dumping the puck into the offensive zone and trying to use our superior speed and zone entry momentum to fly past the d-men and regain the puck.This is an interesting twist on using your dominant speed to execute consistantly sucessfull o-zone entrys.Really there has been no major system evlution here in many many years.


We need a system today that will allow us to maximise our talent depth through 4 lines and as completely as we can.We need an offensive system that allows our elite players to produce consistantly high numbers of goal every game.This means shots,which means o-zone possesions,which means o-zone entry,which means sucessful zone transitions.We need a possesion/transition system that allows us to get 40+shots per game and score 4+ goals per game,and we need it now.We need a system that allows our 2 and 3 dimensional thinking players the opportunity to showcase their skillsets and learn to perform multi-role functions within the system,we need ONE NEW page for everyone to be reading from.

Right now Ralph has been trying to use the fastbreak system based off of a sound defense,and it hasnt been working for us,we have been using our speed regressively when we enter the o-zone we are dumping the puck in and trying to use our momentum and slight speed advantage to REGAIN possesion of a puck we already had possesion of in the o-zone.This is a clear tactical decision on how to best use out teamwide speed.This is one interpretation of how to best use this teamwide speed.What we are now doing is learning to make our first transition out of our own zone consistantly and then we are still going to the fastbreak system and wasteing our hard work and possesions by dumping the puck in in a poorly concieved use of our speed.Everytime we fail to convert a sucessfull defensive zone transition and a possesion in the o-znoe into at least one shot and possibly two with the recovered rebound we are letting our system down and failing to capitalise on our teams hard work.We need shots and lots of them,so every possesion must be converted into a minimum of one shot on net to be competative ,and two to become winners and champions.We need to increase our high percentage shot numbers every game so we can allow our roster to use all of their weapons consistantly every game for 60 mins,We need high powered possesion conversion to shot numbers for three complete periods to feed our teams talent depth and skillsets.

I believe we need to abandon the teamwide consistant use of the fastbreak system and keep it as a specialty weapon on the 3rd line where we can put 4 one dimensional players who are elite at executing it.I think we need to embrace the Dynasty Oilers controlled 3 transition system,catalysed out of a possesion/transition system based on offense first.We need to use the same adusted hybrid we used last year during our winning streak.During that period because of our loss of Whitney and our new rookies we played a simple basic controlled 3 transition system and we rocked,we had tremendous sucess,it was after we regained our fastbreak specialist in Whitney and returned to that system that we began to implode and spiral.This is because the controlled 3 transition style allowed our rookies and our vets to fully utilise their complete skillsets and control game momentum.There is a theoretical system called the NewAge Hockey System that is based off of the Dynasty Oilers PP,and Wayne Gretzkys on-ice generalship of that powerplay,this NHS fulfill all of the needs our current roster happens to have.It is tailormade for the Oilers roster because it was actually designed specificly for them.But it is not oficially proven or validated.It is a system based on pure offense catalysed through a possesion/transition style which controls momentum and dynamic flow for 60 minutes creating 40+ plus shots and 4+ goals per game,the NHS greenlights offense from every area of the ice from within the system,all men on the ice are considered viable shot options at all times and all non-shooters are on the same page supportwise and are in a position to recover rebounds and produce second shots on every o-zone possesion. I think the Oilers need a new system of play that uses 3 dimensional tactics and maximises our deep offensive talent and skillsets for a full 60 mins.

A snapshot of the difference between what the NewAge Hockey System would dictate linewise and what we are currently doing is best illustrated this way through NHS dynamic analysis.

Our 2nd line is comprised of a one dimensional elite old veteran player and a two dimensional rookie and a three dimensional young veteran.There is a reason for this,the coaches want to use the speed of Hemsky to support the fastbreak system on this line.Hemsky is a proven vet who can use his speed effectivel to retain extreme possesion and enter the o-zone to create plays.Hemsky doesnt travel inside shooting lanes on his way into the o-zone so we rarely see unforced first shots which give us fast rebounds,and this was ok because usually Hemmer was alone and way ahead of everyone else regardless.This means we need to have our support players coming in big strong and hard to establish a net front presence and a middle lane presence to recieve Hemmers passes for one shot.one because the defenses are also set by this point and rebound recovery is mucho more difficult.In a nutshell Hemsky can only be elite if he catalyses the entire line and they are chosen to fit his personal skillset,they need to be big and strong and experienced or the line wont click and will be vulnerable.This is because our coaches fail to consider the "dimensional aspects"of the players from a system perspective as the NHS does by proxy. So what we are doing is forcing Gagner and Yakupov to fulfill system requirements that are as far from their natural skillsets as you can get ,roles that negate their advantages and expose all of their weaknesses,especially their size.Take away the one dimensional catalyst and replace it with a 2 or 3 dimensional player and you will see a totally different dynamic function systemwise.

The NewAge Hockey System would build lines out of dimensional compatability and this would mean Yakupov-Gagner-Mps,because MPS is a two dimensional thinker and he will fit with Gagner who is a 3 dimensional thinker and Yakupov who is also a 2 dimensional thinker--these three players can use their natural skillsets to play a controlled 3 transition game based off of MPSs speed and o-zone entry ability combined with his ability to force the defenses to address his size which is important when spreading them out. Mps has a natural defensive awareness that is a perfect fit for a line with 2 dominant shooters,we need both Sam and Nail to be shooting and recovering sympathetic rebounds for 60 mins coming out of controlled o-zone entrys utilising MPS as an upspeed threat consistantly,this line can produce two shots per possesion consistantly.By the same token the NHS would put Hemmer with Smyth and Horcoff because they are all remnants of systems which were born of the 90s hybrid application a fastbreak system catalysed by one elite speedster--Hemsky--this decision would force Hemmers top 6 skillset down to the 3rd line where it is most system supportive as it would force MPSs skillset up to a top 6 based on exactly the same NHS dynamic analysis .This NewAge Hockey System perspective is dependant on a controlled 3 transition style supported by dynamic analysis and evaluation.Right now we are sticking with a fastbreak system which doesnt spread our skillsets our in a balanced manner based on dynamic analysis and assesment,it instead catalyses out tactics decisions out of statistical analysis.I hope we can find a system that best suits our players because I dont believe our coaches are prepared for the lockerroom dynamics we are seeing with this explosive evolution of elite players happening concurrently throughout the entire room.

As a "Couch Coach"these are the changes I think we need to make ASAP and the reason why I feel this way,what do all the other "Couch Coaches "out there think??What are some of your ideas on what we should be doing from the bench right now??What system we should try to use??Maybe you think the system we are using now is perfect,whatever you think when you are sitting in your wheelhouse there on the couch is what we are looking for here on this thread.
 
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doulos

Registered User
Oct 4, 2007
7,725
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Oh my, perish the thought of someone having to read something longer than 4 lines long on the internet!!

I enjoyed your post, but not sure it is supported by much more than speculation. I certainly see that all the fancy moves and play in the world means nothing if it generates nothing more than phantom opportunities and no shots on goal.

The Flames last night outworked the Oilers, but also kept things pretty simple and got pucks to the net. This team needs to stop being so fancy and get back to the style of hockey where pucks end up on the goalie.
 

Oilslick941611

slapshot into the empty net...utterly irrelevant
Jul 4, 2006
13,715
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Ottawa
Oh my, perish the thought of someone having to read something longer than 4 lines long on the internet!!

I enjoyed your post, but not sure it is supported by much more than speculation. I certainly see that all the fancy moves and play in the world means nothing if it generates nothing more than phantom opportunities and no shots on goal.

The Flames last night outworked the Oilers, but also kept things pretty simple and got pucks to the net. This team needs to stop being so fancy and get back to the style of hockey where pucks end up on the goalie.

a lot of people are on mobile devices, my self included, its a pain to read these on them, also, its a forum, not a blog. I agree he should start a blog and post these, they are insightful, Just not appropriate for a forum
 

Tad Mikowsky

Only Droods
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Jun 30, 2008
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My god, another essay with no substance.

Why go on about coaching when ITS FOUR GAMES INTO THE FREAKING SEASON.
 

BadMedicine*

Guest
Sorry for the length ,and i know it is difficult to focus on long post in cyberspace where everything is minimalistic,I also know that there are issues when using phones and other tech besides a laptop or a desktop.I just dont know if you can condense these dynamic explanations any more than I have without losing to much core value data.

I have never posted on a blog and really I just want to clearly highlight how i see our team from a coaching perspective,because i really never read many threads specificly dealing with the dynamics and dimensional aspects of this topic I figured that few would want to read the thread to begin with,although I hope people do read and enjoy it. If anyone want to give me a short course on how to post here on a blog please feel free to tell me how to do it,I dont care where I post as long as it doesnt cause any difficulty.

I was hoping I posted enough supportive structure initially to allow a lot of different perspectives to kinda get the drift,i know it is long but it only has to be long once and broad based once to get through to the highest number of points of view as possible,,I was trying to create a "same page"perspective and its so hard to do in few words because its trying to appeal to so many at once in the hopes of sticking with a few of them.If the topic was a more popular one that talked about specific plays or on-ice actins in the last few games few words would be needed to get everyone on the same page.

After people post their own "Couch Coach"perspectives the posts and replys should be much shorter.Sorry but I dont rely on a statistical approach at all I rely on a dynamic intuative approach.Most people are more comfortable dealing with things that are statisticly catalysed and supported so its easy to talk in that context with them,but once you begin dealing with dynamic actions based in intuition then its to easy to lose people if you are short and condensed with your data.
 

Gret99zky

Worst Thread Ever
May 5, 2007
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Gamma Quadrant
wow. that is a lot to read. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle published less words.

some of the points are valid but get lost in the unlimited hugeness.
 

Replacement*

Checked out
Apr 15, 2005
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Hiking
Oh my, perish the thought of someone having to read something longer than 4 lines long on the internet!!

I enjoyed your post, but not sure it is supported by much more than speculation. I certainly see that all the fancy moves and play in the world means nothing if it generates nothing more than phantom opportunities and no shots on goal.

The Flames last night outworked the Oilers, but also kept things pretty simple and got pucks to the net. This team needs to stop being so fancy and get back to the style of hockey where pucks end up on the goalie.

No, I'm as wordy as anybody and I would never legitimately expect anybody to read that long a disorganized post on a messageboard. The OP didn't even review and edit the post as its obvious he's word for word repeating in sentences and paragraphs. jebus, that just tells me not to bother continued reading.

The OP is guilty of stream of conscious typing, disorganized random thought, and not even bothering to make something into a coherent compositions. Its basically just pages of disconnected thought as it occurs to him/her. With the one glue being its apparently about hockey, the Oilers, or something. After a certain amount of rambling you just give up reading it.

The OP could make a much better effort. It shouldn't take more effort parsing something than it does creating the passage. Tne onus is on the writer to write clearly and succinctly. Its not on the reader.
 
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BadMedicine*

Guest
My god, another essay with no substance.

Why go on about coaching when ITS FOUR GAMES INTO THE FREAKING SEASON.

Coaching is as important as anything else for the 60 minutes the team competes.it has to be analysed and evaluated on an ongoing basis as accurately as possible if you are interested in it.The thread is about "couch coaching"as the title says,this is why its about coaching.

For people interested in coaching dynamics and tactics there may be some substance here,if you are a stats based mindset you will find as little substance here as I would looking at statistical data piles.On the upside you dont have to click on the thread again if you arent interested in "couch coaching".Do you think our coaching has been adequate and consistant over these four games which by the way translate into 8 games in this condensed season?Do you think that 8 games into a regular NHL season is to early to be evaluating your coaching and system execution and performance??
 

BadMedicine*

Guest
No, I'm as wordy as anybody and I would never legitimately expect anybody to read that long a disorganized post on a messageboard.

The OP is guilty of stream of conscious typing, disorganized random thought, and not even bothering to make something into a coherent compositions. Its basically just pages of disconnected thought as it occurs to him/her. With the one glue being its apparently about hockey, the Oilers, or something. After a certain amount of rambling you just give up reading it.

The OP could make a much better effort. It shouldn't take more effort parsing something than it does creating the passage. Tne onus is on the writer to write clearly and succinctly. Its not on the reader.

I am not trying to win a Pulitzer here ok,ha ha ha??

I am trying to discuss dynamic perspectives which do not follow traditional thought processes,and at the same time I am trying to be as broadbased as possible in my approach.

I dont expect everyone to be comfortable with the format i am using but that is intentional on my part as I am not really posting for the majority mindset as I said earlier in the thread,this thread is for "couch coaches" or people who are most interested in the dynamic functions of coaches and their staff,of course this is very different than what players on the ice and most fans see and think when considering the game itself.I dont want to hear about statistics and numbers,i want to hear from coaching perspectives that touch on the dynamic managment of a hockey team,not a statistical evaluation.This means I want to see how other utilise their own intuition and decision making when they analyse coaching tactics and systems,I dont want cookie cutter stats based perfection.

Sorry if there is to much unconventional data presentation here for your comfort,on the upside you dont need to click onto the thread again.I oftentimes click onto thread I am not as interested in as i thought I would be but rarely waste time posting complaints ,i simply click away from the thread,why on earth would I bother to go to all that trouble when i know that others might not feel as i myself do about the thread??

What do you think of the system of play the Oilers are using?What is your interpretation and evaluation of it?
 

doulos

Registered User
Oct 4, 2007
7,725
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Gone are the days where people had to actually read something any more. Oh well.
 

Replacement*

Checked out
Apr 15, 2005
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I am not trying to win a Pulitzer here ok,ha ha ha??

I am trying to discuss dynamic perspectives which do not follow traditional thought processes,and at the same time I am trying to be as broadbased as possible in my approach.

I dont expect everyone to be comfortable with the format i am using but that is intentional on my part as I am not really posting for the majority mindset as I said earlier in the thread,this thread is for "couch coaches" or people who are most interested in the dynamic functions of coaches and their staff,of course this is very different than what players on the ice and most fans see and think when considering the game itself.I dont want to hear about statistics and numbers,i want to hear from coaching perspectives that touch on the dynamic managment of a hockey team,not a statistical evaluation.This means I want to see how other utilise their own intuition and decision making when they analyse coaching tactics and systems,I dont want cookie cutter stats based perfection.

Sorry if there is to much unconventional data presentation here for your comfort,on the upside you dont need to click onto the thread again.I oftentimes click onto thread I am not as interested in as i thought I would be but rarely waste time posting complaints ,i simply click away from the thread,why on earth would I bother to go to all that trouble when i know that others might not feel as i myself do about the thread??

What do you think of the system of play the Oilers are using?What is your interpretation and evaluation of it?

People on messageboards occasionally give apparent newcomers feedback on what does, or does not get conveyed well in communication. For instance comments on block format, not breaking up type, etc. But when you flat out repeat the same several paragraphs twice in a post when you haven't bothered to edit or delete is beyond the pale. Thats how you started the OP. Several paragraphs that are virtual identical repetition.

You seriously expect anybody to make more effort reading it than you did writing it. At the point you decide to compose coherently I'll respond to the content. This was only feedback. Your choice if you don't want anybody to parse your posts I guess.

carry on in that case
 

Replacement*

Checked out
Apr 15, 2005
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Hiking
Gone are the days where people had to actually read something any more. Oh well.

I can read War and Peace, Ben Hur, etc. if its written with any notion of editing, composition being involved. If its obvious it wasn't so much as even reviewed or edited once its harder to follow and at some point the question comes up is why should anybody.

People here can read fine. Most of them have detected difficulties with how this poster writes volumes while not saying much.

This entire portion of the OP is repeated verbatim and therefore is reduced to the reader questioning the entire length of the post:

It is always nice to imagine that as a fan you could be the one making the calls from the bench,most kids grow up wanting to score the winning Stanley Cup goal in overtime,not me,I grew up wanting to be the grey/ bald-headed general calling the shots,I wanted to be the "BOSS".I wanted to be the man sending the right men out to do battle,the "Man Behind the Bench".I had dreams of orchestrating fantastic battles ,heroic epic deeds--initiated by my very tactics and words.

I guess we all have very different dreams but I have never heard anyone else claiming they dreamed of being an on-ice general.I hope I am ok,ha ha ha.

We all like to comment post game on the things we saw that excited us the most about the game we just witnessed,and there are thousands of places to post those comments amongst brethren who are like minded.However,if you happen to be fan of coaching and its many finer points it is hard to find a place to hang your hat and share your excitement.There is a definate gap between posting about the plays you see the men on the ice executing and the decisions the coaches are making on the bench,the two perspectives just do not easily mix on open forums.So here is my first thread that concentrates on a "Couch Coaches"perspective as a priority,that focuses on the behind the bench decisions and extra-dimensional observations that have more to do with dynamic motivation and dynamic planning and tactics as executed by the Coaching staff than with the actual on-ice action.

If you are not interested in coaching and team managment dynamics then possibly this is not the thread for you,please be aware that this is what you will find here on this thread.

Heres my evaluation of the Edmonton Oilers current coaching situation as it relates to the total constellation of dynamic interactions we see within the organisation at every level from the Farmteam to the Frontoffice.

It is always nice to imagine that as a fan you could be the one making the calls from the bench,most kids grow up wanting to score the winning Stanley Cup goal in overtime,not me,I grew up wanting to be the grey/ bald-headed general calling the shots,I wanted to be the "BOSS".I wanted to be the man sending the right men out to do battle,the "Man Behind the Bench".I had dreams of orchestrating fantastic battles ,heroic epic deeds--initiated by my very tactics and words.

I guess we all have very different dreams but I have never heard anyone else claiming they dreamed of being an on-ice general.I hope I am ok,ha ha ha.

We all like to comment post game on the things we saw that excited us the most about the game we just witnessed,and there are thousands of places to post those comments amongst brethren who are like minded.However,if you happen to be fan of coaching and its many finer points it is hard to find a place to hang your hat and share your excitement.There is a definate gap between posting about the plays you see the men on the ice executing and the decisions the coaches are making on the bench,the two perspectives just do not easily mix on open forums.So here is my first thread that concentrates on a "Couch Coaches"perspective as a priority,that focuses on the behind the bench decisions and extra-dimensional observations that have more to do with dynamic motivation and dynamic planning and tactics as executed by the Coaching staff than with the actual on-ice action.

If you are not interested in coaching and team managment dynamics then possibly this is not the thread for you,please be aware that this is what you will find here on this thread.

Heres my evaluation of the Edmonton Oilers current coaching situation as it relates to the total constellation of dynamic interactions we see within the organisation at every level from the Farmteam to the Frontoffice.

As i have been experiencing proplems with losing posts here on HF before they can be made completely,I posted the introduction first to ensure the Post would stick.
 

BadMedicine*

Guest
MMMm,I was pretty sure the title of the thread was "Couch Coaching"and not thread critique and assesment.

Of course it is important to consider how posts are recieved and it is important to respect that people are sometimes on phones ect,but does anyone have any coaching comments to post,or are we going to simply keep pointing out weaknesses in my posts?

For the record coaches are required to communicate their ideas to a wide variety of communication styles in every NHL room,there are an identical number of communication styles in cyberspace.It probably doesnt occur to the people who have posted here that they all fit into a similar stereotype or communication style??Over 300 people have clicked on this thread so far and just a very few have deemed it worthy or necessary to comment on the technicalitys of the thread or posts??

I understand how you feel but its exactly as it would be in a locker room ,some will be grumbling in the back and think things are taking to long and are to boring or difficult to stick with,its all part of the program and all I can say is deal with it,or leave the roo,I mean click off the thread if you dont like what you read,no one is holding you here and your comments just represent your own specific communication style and perspective,wether you post your comments or not they still represent just a portion of the room.Ten comments of the same perspective out of over 300 is minimalistic.For that matter 20 or 30 arent out of line percentage wise,there are just more grumblers in cyberspace ,so thanks for your input and for identifying your communication style and perspective,it is noted,I respect the diversity we share.But this input is not a gamebreaker by far it is just representative of the vocal minority who are proactive and one dimensional in their perspectives,this does not represent the majority in any group dynamic.
 

Bank Shot

Registered User
Jan 18, 2006
11,328
6,840
I challenge the idea that the Oilers are currently a dump and chase team. They hardly ever dump and chase, especially the top six. Many of our problems stem from the fact that our forwards almost always try to beat defenders one on one and cough up the puck a lot as a result.

We could certainly use more shooting. The top six is trying to win too pretty. Every goal doesn't have to be a three pass tic-tac-toe picasso. The Oilers would be better off if they tried some "ugly" plays every once in awhile. Calgary was collapsing to the net very often last night. The solution to that is passing back to the Dmen, taking a point shot, and crashing the net. If you get a shooting gallery from the point going, the Flames have to open up to cover the points and that opens up the slot. The Oilers refused to play that game and continued to force passes into bad areas.

As to the post length;

I don't think anyone has a problem with post length if it's easy to read. I'm not really sure what the poster in this thread is trying to convey, and I don't think I'm alone. Seems like he is pushing for an all offence, all the time approach. He also uses a lot of terms that he doesn't define such as NewAgeHockey System, and 3 transition system. I'm not sure how you can talk about the NewAgeHockey System without giving some concrete examples of how it differs from existing systems. The OP just speaks in vague generalities.
 

Perfect_Drug

Registered User
Mar 24, 2006
15,383
11,591
Montreal
It is always nice to imagine that as a fan you could be the one making the calls from the bench,most kids grow up wanting to score the winning Stanley Cup goal in overtime,not me,I grew up wanting to be the grey/ bald-headed general calling the shots,I wanted to be the "BOSS".I wanted to be the man sending the right men out to do battle,the "Man Behind the Bench".I had dreams of orchestrating fantastic battles ,heroic epic deeds--initiated by my very tactics and words.

I guess we all have very different dreams but I have never heard anyone else claiming they dreamed of being an on-ice general.I hope I am ok,ha ha ha.

We all like to comment post game on the things we saw that excited us the most about the game we just witnessed,and there are thousands of places to post those comments amongst brethren who are like minded.However,if you happen to be fan of coaching and its many finer points it is hard to find a place to hang your hat and share your excitement.There is a definate gap between posting about the plays you see the men on the ice executing and the decisions the coaches are making on the bench,the two perspectives just do not easily mix on open forums.So here is my first thread that concentrates on a "Couch Coaches"perspective as a priority,that focuses on the behind the bench decisions and extra-dimensional observations that have more to do with dynamic motivation and dynamic planning and tactics as executed by the Coaching staff than with the actual on-ice action.

If you are not interested in coaching and team managment dynamics then possibly this is not the thread for you,please be aware that this is what you will find here on this thread.

Heres my evaluation of the Edmonton Oilers current coaching situation as it relates to the total constellation of dynamic interactions we see within the organisation at every level from the Farmteam to the Frontoffice.

It is always nice to imagine that as a fan you could be the one making the calls from the bench,most kids grow up wanting to score the winning Stanley Cup goal in overtime,not me,I grew up wanting to be the grey/ bald-headed general calling the shots,I wanted to be the "BOSS".I wanted to be the man sending the right men out to do battle,the "Man Behind the Bench".I had dreams of orchestrating fantastic battles ,heroic epic deeds--initiated by my very tactics and words.

I guess we all have very different dreams but I have never heard anyone else claiming they dreamed of being an on-ice general.I hope I am ok,ha ha ha.

We all like to comment post game on the things we saw that excited us the most about the game we just witnessed,and there are thousands of places to post those comments amongst brethren who are like minded.However,if you happen to be fan of coaching and its many finer points it is hard to find a place to hang your hat and share your excitement.There is a definate gap between posting about the plays you see the men on the ice executing and the decisions the coaches are making on the bench,the two perspectives just do not easily mix on open forums.So here is my first thread that concentrates on a "Couch Coaches"perspective as a priority,that focuses on the behind the bench decisions and extra-dimensional observations that have more to do with dynamic motivation and dynamic planning and tactics as executed by the Coaching staff than with the actual on-ice action.

If you are not interested in coaching and team managment dynamics then possibly this is not the thread for you,please be aware that this is what you will find here on this thread.

Heres my evaluation of the Edmonton Oilers current coaching situation as it relates to the total constellation of dynamic interactions we see within the organisation at every level from the Farmteam to the Frontoffice.

As i have been experiencing proplems with losing posts here on HF before they can be made completely,I posted the introduction first to ensure the Post would stick.


I believe we are in the midst of a leaguewide evolution of NHL hockey,an evolution that is turning back to offense and high scoring exciting fan-friendly NHL Hockey.

This means that the NHL officials will be supporting this positive evolution as much as they can within league and rulebook mandates.Hockey badly needed this evolution to happen ASAP.Many teams are beginning to experiment with and implement new or offensively adjusted or enhanced systems of play.because NHL teams keep their system sensitive data Top Secret,we rarely hear and clear insights into this area in the media relations we watch with team coaches and managment,we are left to guess eternally.Offensive Hockey means fewer tough guys and fewer unskilled or under-equipped athletes on the ice every night.This means that many defensive minded systems do not work any longer,all the holding,interference,trapping,and dirty dangerous plays are being evolved out of Hockey,the game is being revitalised and it is forcing massive tactical adjustments by many NHL teams.

Now that the table is set we can look at the Oilers coaching past,present and immediate future.I believe that the Oilers revolutionised hockey in the 80s by kicking the offense up ten notches and finding ways to keep their defensive cohesion in support of that high octane offense.I believe that this evolution in Oilers and NHL hockey was 99% catalysed by Wayne Gretzkys mind and creativity and was 100% supported by the coaching staff or Glen Sather.I dont believe there was an existing "book"or template for these changes ,I believe Wayne was implementing them on-the-fly during games with the coaching staffs 100% support.I believe this entire 80s Oilers evolution was made possible by a tactical coaching decision to allow one players 3 dimensional on-ice vison to carry weight in the coaching /decision making department,this was a major devaition from traditional team dynamics and is easily identifiable.So I think the 80s Oilers were run entirely by Waynes INTUITION and Glen and his teams coaching abilitys working symbioticly.This is how I believe the majic was born.I believe Mark Messier learned to think Gretzkeneese and became a Hall of Famer by doing this.I believe that this greatness was catalysed through the utilisation of a controlled 3 transition system of play--a pure offensive possesion/transition system with explosive and relentless goal scoreing potential.Wayne and the players who learned Gretzkeneese fastes evolved together into a 3 dimensional thinking nucleus that led the rest of the team to many championships.

After Wayne left and Mark Messier took over we stuck with the same system,we tried to tighten it up defensively but it didnt work so we let mark lead like we let Wayne and mark did his job well because a lot of the 3 dimensional thinking nucleus was still intact so we won another Championship with Messier at the helm and our creative controlled 3 transition high powered offense clicking well.Then we lost Mark Messier and things changed forever or until recently.

Post Messier became a mess,our team lost the integrity of the 3 dimensional thinking nucleus and we reverted to a defensive mentality entirely,we tried to use a strong defense as a baseline and to implement explosive offense off of that base,and it failed miserably,we had failed to analyse and identify this relationship between the coaches and the 3-dimensional nucleus as being a very tangible dynamic.We tried to duplicate this system that was run on-the-fly based on dynamic on-ice reaction and flow by using the traditional methods.The less sucess we had injecting offense into this defensive base the tighter the defense became.And we evolved into a mediocre talented team that managed to keep a few superstars on the roster at any given time through excellent managment.We developed systems that catalysed off of these few elite players and we gravitated towards one-dimensional elite players we could base everything off of.We developed a fastbreak system catalysed off of several elite speedsters supported by a very tight defense,this almost won craig Mactavish a Stanley Cup.This was all about Mac-T and his ability to inject offense into the defensive base we had developed,and this was possible because Mac-T actually played with a few of the players who made up the 3 dimensional thinking nucleus of the Dynasty Team and he learned Gretzkeneese--he didnt know what it was or that it was happening but it happened nonetheless--and he translated that into a playoff team that used a controlled 3 transition system based off of a traditional defensive platform to inject opportunistic and creative offense exactly as LA did last year,and they had as little awareness of how they were doing it as most Dynast system support players had.

Then we hit the Tri-fecta of #1 Overall NHL draft picks and now we are facing a newage reality and an evolving NHL.And we have been forced by the exceptionally fast evolution of these picks and their cumulative ability to step into and perform at an elite level in the NHL to reasses our systems of play in a scrambling effort to match this incredible growth spurt of elite talent and skillsets.This is where we are today,at a crossroads system-wise.We are counting on Ralph Krueger to bring us a system that will allow us to maximise the assets we have on our roster immediatly,we are asking for a new more suitable system perspective ,and we are getting it.

1980s System---100% 3 dimensionally catalysed controlled 3 transition offense supported by a teamwide defensive awareness as strong in the forwards as the d-men.A non-traditional role execution was implemented systemwide and the d-men were as offensively aware as the forwards as well.

1990s/2000s System---a shift from the 80s system to a "hybrid"system 75% one dimensional thinking and 25% 3 dimensional thinking which was based off of a traditional defensive system and used traditional role execution based off of one or two elite players usually with speed to try to inject explosive fastbreak offense intermittently.

Current system-- a hybrid system from the 90-00s that has been adjusted to utilise the fastbreak
system to a greater degree and depth but in essentially the same manner,the main difference being how we are dumping the puck into the offensive zone and trying to use our superior speed and zone entry momentum to fly past the d-men and regain the puck.This is an interesting twist on using your dominant speed to execute consistantly sucessfull o-zone entrys.Really there has been no major system evlution here in many many years.


We need a system today that will allow us to maximise our talent depth through 4 lines and as completely as we can.We need an offensive system that allows our elite players to produce consistantly high numbers of goal every game.This means shots,which means o-zone possesions,which means o-zone entry,which means sucessful zone transitions.We need a possesion/transition system that allows us to get 40+shots per game and score 4+ goals per game,and we need it now.We need a system that allows our 2 and 3 dimensional thinking players the opportunity to showcase their skillsets and learn to perform multi-role functions within the system,we need ONE NEW page for everyone to be reading from.

Right now Ralph has been trying to use the fastbreak system based off of a sound defense,and it hasnt been working for us,we have been using our speed regressively when we enter the o-zone we are dumping the puck in and trying to use our momentum and slight speed advantage to REGAIN possesion of a puck we already had possesion of in the o-zone.This is a clear tactical decision on how to best use out teamwide speed.This is one interpretation of how to best use this teamwide speed.What we are now doing is learning to make our first transition out of our own zone consistantly and then we are still going to the fastbreak system and wasteing our hard work and possesions by dumping the puck in in a poorly concieved use of our speed.Everytime we fail to convert a sucessfull defensive zone transition and a possesion in the o-znoe into at least one shot and possibly two with the recovered rebound we are letting our system down and failing to capitalise on our teams hard work.We need shots and lots of them,so every possesion must be converted into a minimum of one shot on net to be competative ,and two to become winners and champions.We need to increase our high percentage shot numbers every game so we can allow our roster to use all of their weapons consistantly every game for 60 mins,We need high powered possesion conversion to shot numbers for three complete periods to feed our teams talent depth and skillsets.

I believe we need to abandon the teamwide consistant use of the fastbreak system and keep it as a specialty weapon on the 3rd line where we can put 4 one dimensional players who are elite at executing it.I think we need to embrace the Dynasty Oilers controlled 3 transition system,catalysed out of a possesion/transition system based on offense first.We need to use the same adusted hybrid we used last year during our winning streak.During that period because of our loss of Whitney and our new rookies we played a simple basic controlled 3 transition system and we rocked,we had tremendous sucess,it was after we regained our fastbreak specialist in Whitney and returned to that system that we began to implode and spiral.This is because the controlled 3 transition style allowed our rookies and our vets to fully utilise their complete skillsets and control game momentum.There is a theoretical system called the NewAge Hockey System that is based off of the Dynasty Oilers PP,and Wayne Gretzkys on-ice generalship of that powerplay,this NHS fulfill all of the needs our current roster happens to have.It is tailormade for the Oilers roster because it was actually designed specificly for them.But it is not oficially proven or validated.It is a system based on pure offense catalysed through a possesion/transition style which controls momentum and dynamic flow for 60 minutes creating 40+ plus shots and 4+ goals per game,the NHS greenlights offense from every area of the ice from within the system,all men on the ice are considered viable shot options at all times and all non-shooters are on the same page supportwise and are in a position to recover rebounds and produce second shots on every o-zone possesion. I think the Oilers need a new system of play that uses 3 dimensional tactics and maximises our deep offensive talent and skillsets for a full 60 mins.

A snapshot of the difference between what the NewAge Hockey System would dictate linewise and what we are currently doing is best illustrated this way through NHS dynamic analysis.

Our 2nd line is comprised of a one dimensional elite old veteran player and a two dimensional rookie and a three dimensional young veteran.There is a reason for this,the coaches want to use the speed of Hemsky to support the fastbreak system on this line.Hemsky is a proven vet who can use his speed effectivel to retain extreme possesion and enter the o-zone to create plays.Hemsky doesnt travel inside shooting lanes on his way into the o-zone so we rarely see unforced first shots which give us fast rebounds,and this was ok because usually Hemmer was alone and way ahead of everyone else regardless.This means we need to have our support players coming in big strong and hard to establish a net front presence and a middle lane presence to recieve Hemmers passes for one shot.one because the defenses are also set by this point and rebound recovery is mucho more difficult.In a nutshell Hemsky can only be elite if he catalyses the entire line and they are chosen to fit his personal skillset,they need to be big and strong and experienced or the line wont click and will be vulnerable.This is because our coaches fail to consider the "dimensional aspects"of the players from a system perspective as the NHS does by proxy. So what we are doing is forcing Gagner and Yakupov to fulfill system requirements that are as far from their natural skillsets as you can get ,roles that negate their advantages and expose all of their weaknesses,especially their size.Take away the one dimensional catalyst and replace it with a 2 or 3 dimensional player and you will see a totally different dynamic function systemwise.

The NewAge Hockey System would build lines out of dimensional compatability and this would mean Yakupov-Gagner-Mps,because MPS is a two dimensional thinker and he will fit with Gagner who is a 3 dimensional thinker and Yakupov who is also a 2 dimensional thinker--these three players can use their natural skillsets to play a controlled 3 transition game based off of MPSs speed and o-zone entry ability combined with his ability to force the defenses to address his size which is important when spreading them out. Mps has a natural defensive awareness that is a perfect fit for a line with 2 dominant shooters,we need both Sam and Nail to be shooting and recovering sympathetic rebounds for 60 mins coming out of controlled o-zone entrys utilising MPS as an upspeed threat consistantly,this line can produce two shots per possesion consistantly.By the same token the NHS would put Hemmer with Smyth and Horcoff because they are all remnants of systems which were born of the 90s hybrid application a fastbreak system catalysed by one elite speedster--Hemsky--this decision would force Hemmers top 6 skillset down to the 3rd line where it is most system supportive as it would force MPSs skillset up to a top 6 based on exactly the same NHS dynamic analysis .This NewAge Hockey System perspective is dependant on a controlled 3 transition style supported by dynamic analysis and evaluation.Right now we are sticking with a fastbreak system which doesnt spread our skillsets our in a balanced manner based on dynamic analysis and assesment,it instead catalyses out tactics decisions out of statistical analysis.I hope we can find a system that best suits our players because I dont believe our coaches are prepared for the lockerroom dynamics we are seeing with this explosive evolution of elite players happening concurrently throughout the entire room.

As a "Couch Coach"these are the changes I think we need to make ASAP and the reason why I feel this way,what do all the other "Couch Coaches "out there think??What are some of your ideas on what we should be doing from the bench right now??What system we should try to use??Maybe you think the system we are using now is perfect,whatever you think when you are sitting in your wheelhouse there on the couch is what we are looking for here on this thread.

I'm totally not reading that wall of text.


But I do enjoy quoting it!

:D
 

BadMedicine*

Guest
People on messageboards occasionally give apparent newcomers feedback on what does, or does not get conveyed well in communication. For instance comments on block format, not breaking up type, etc. But when you flat out repeat the same several paragraphs twice in a post when you haven't bothered to edit or delete is beyond the pale. Thats how you started the OP. Several paragraphs that are virtual identical repetition.

You seriously expect anybody to make more effort reading it than you did writing it. At the point you decide to compose coherently I'll respond to the content. This was only feedback. Your choice if you don't want anybody to parse your posts I guess.

carry on in that case

The purpose of repeating the core value points is to appeal to different learning styles and perspectives,some people will identify the points early and find them repetative from point number one forward,some will need to read the same one several times to develop a spherical perspective and get on the main page.This is an intentional format.I do not seriously expect everyone to read this,I expect those interested to read it and those not interested to move along without wasting thread space complaining about how a thread is already structured or posted,the ownness is upon the visitor to move along if they dont appreciate the ambience.

Here i am trying to reman true to the thread focus and i am repeatedly enountering a small percentage of vocal communicators who dont see the irony in the fact that they take their own time and effort and in the process waste yet even more peoples time and effort to post their personal complaints as helpful or integrity based as they may be, complaints which are much more distracting to the reader than the original post was.That is called tunnel vision and is exactly what i was trying to avoid with my broadbased post.

I know some see things asunorganised and disjointed,and that is how you are supposed to see things,you just arent supposed to assume you carry the majority point of view or perspective,I sure dont do that with my thread,I openly try to appeal to as many people as possible and go to great lengths to post that unselfish way.

This is exactly the same dynamic interaction you see in every group,so lets step past that already.Does anyone think we need to re-evaluate our 2nd and 3rd lines and try to squeeze some offense out of them by doing a dynamic intuative analysis of them as individuals and resetting the lines based on how the players naturaltendancies work best together as a whole as opposed to trying to match one single aspect of their games together in a one dimensional manner?
 

n00b1AnPr1nc355

Registered User
Sep 23, 2008
1,663
0
I am not trying to win a Pulitzer here ok,ha ha ha??

I am trying to discuss dynamic perspectives which do not follow traditional thought processes,and at the same time I am trying to be as broadbased as possible in my approach.

I dont expect everyone to be comfortable with the format i am using but that is intentional on my part as I am not really posting for the majority mindset as I said earlier in the thread,this thread is for "couch coaches" or people who are most interested in the dynamic functions of coaches and their staff,of course this is very different than what players on the ice and most fans see and think when considering the game itself.I dont want to hear about statistics and numbers,i want to hear from coaching perspectives that touch on the dynamic managment of a hockey team,not a statistical evaluation.This means I want to see how other utilise their own intuition and decision making when they analyse coaching tactics and systems,I dont want cookie cutter stats based perfection.

Sorry if there is to much unconventional data presentation here for your comfort,on the upside you dont need to click onto the thread again.I oftentimes click onto thread I am not as interested in as i thought I would be but rarely waste time posting complaints ,i simply click away from the thread,why on earth would I bother to go to all that trouble when i know that others might not feel as i myself do about the thread??

What do you think of the system of play the Oilers are using?What is your interpretation and evaluation of it?


Not one of your posts in this thread is under 5 lines. You certainly could condense whatever it is that you are trying to say. I bet that there hasn't been a single person who has read that initial post from start to finish. On the internet, who has time for that ****?

Succinct and to the point, will help your cause. Your post is so convoluted that this entire thread is about its length, not its substance. If you want to discuss, start a discussion - not an essay competition.

Also, put a space after your commas and punctuation!!!!!!!!
 

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