Excellent SI Articles on PK

[Lafleurs Guy]

don't be too worried...

if anything, it's a great sign that, even when the coach is out to lunch, Subban is such a team player that he'll diminish his game in order to fit-in and be a "team" guy.

Part of me feels like he's doing this to show he can be captain... Part of me wonders if he's just forgotten how to play.

as soon as MB wakes the hell up and gets us the kind of leader in the HC position that will make the most of our talent, we'll see Subban emerge again at the dominant level he is capable of, and his team-first attitude will only help ensure that we get the best of both worlds.

With the contract that Moslon forced, Subban will thankfully be around long after MT (and MB if he can't figure it out) are back in the broadcast booth.

He's playing closer to the 5 million dollar player we turned down than the 9 million dollar player we signed...

 

[SirClintonPortis]

Subban had two major flaws that needed to be polished up. Shot selection and knowing when to get rid of the puck during breakouts and in transitioning through the neutral zone. When the forecheckers and closing in on you and another man is open and can continue the rush, pass the ****ing puck. Don't hog it.

Shot selection should have emphasized getting the shots through. These things are not tied to following a system or not, but rather giving your team the best chance to score a goal and not give up goals because you can't change or you just turned over the puck.

He's fixed up those things, but it seems Therrien threw the baby out of the bathwater with regards to some things.

 

[Puck Hog]

I'd say he still has issues on the PP. Much to predictibale and slow decision making. Its brutal watching him do the same thing over and over when its not working.

 

[optimus2861]

Subban from the beginning has struck me as very Lafleur-like. He plays largely on instinct, and the more you try to coach the instinct out of him, the worse he performs.

And I think Therrien & Daigneault have done their damndest to try & coach those instincts right out of him. You can see it when he starts to carry the puck up the ice, when he lines someone up for a hit. His instinct is saying, "Do X!" (carry the puck, thundering hip check) and the coaching is saying, "Do Y!" (pass the puck or dump it in, simply stand up your man) and so he's fighting his natural tendencies. It shows up as confusion, hesitation, and poorer overall play.

How I long for a coaching staff that can recognize this about Subban and work with it, rather than one that actively tries to suppress & change it. We won't get the elite Subban back until we have such a staff.

 

[sheed36]

Subban from the beginning has struck me as very Lafleur-like. He plays largely on instinct, and the more you try to coach the instinct out of him, the worse he performs.

And I think Therrien & Daigneault have done their damndest to try & coach those instincts right out of him. You can see it when he starts to carry the puck up the ice, when he lines someone up for a hit. His instinct is saying, "Do X!" (carry the puck, thundering hip check) and the coaching is saying, "Do Y!" (pass the puck or dump it in, simply stand up your man) and so he's fighting his natural tendencies. It shows up as confusion, hesitation, and poorer overall play.

How I long for a coaching staff that can recognize this about Subban and work with it, rather than one that actively tries to suppress & change it. We won't get the elite Subban back until we have such a staff.

Hartley in Calgary seems to allow Giordano and Brodie do their thing offensively and both have been putting up awesome numbers from the backend this year and both are very involved in the Calgary offense.

Even watching Doughty go end to end and score on Rinne the other night I couldn't help but think I wish PK would do that more since we all know he as the ability to do so. For some reason though it doesn't seem like he uses this ability much anymore. Not sure if this is because of coaching or from Subban himself.

 

[Bacchus1]

Therrien is getting the team to win, I've just never liked his style of play, so in many ways I agree with the article. But, one cannot argue with the fact that he got us to tge conference final with a team weaker that many times of its opponents.

 

[habsfanatics*]

Therrien is getting the team to win, I've just never liked his style of play, so in many ways I agree with the article. But, one cannot argue with the fact that he got us to tge conference final with a team weaker that many times of its opponents.

I don't agree here, I think we have the deepest team in the east.

 

[Cole Caulifield]

I don't agree here, I think we have the deepest team in the east.

Now we do.

But last year at the start of the season with Parros, Murray, Briere on the 4th line, Gorges, Gionta, Diaz, Bouillon, a roration of super green rookies Beaulieu/Tinordi, a rusty Emelin ?

That was.. not good at all.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Therrien is getting the team to win, I've just never liked his style of play, so in many ways I agree with the article. But, one cannot argue with the fact that he got us to tge conference final with a team weaker that many times of its opponents.

Carey Price is getting this team to win. We're winning in spite of Therrien.

 

[CanadianLover]

Carey Price is getting this team to win. We're winning in spite of Therrien.

I agree. And as long this team rely that much on their goalie they will never win the cup.
Therrien is not a good enough coach. I would be extremely surprised if we ever win with him. Bergevin made a big mistake on that 4 years extension. He should have went with two years.
About Subban, what Eller just admitted speaks volumes. He said the style Therrien asked the team to play includes taking as little risk as possible. This doesn't fit Subban's play because his game is about instinct and taking risks. Therrien is killing of his talent. If only MT could go away I would celebrate.

 

[MathMan]

Therrien's deal is three years. There's a one-year team option, but he'll be well past his best-before date by then.