Speculation: Is Mike Johnston the Johnston we have been hoping for?

[Jaded-Fan]

I have gotten a kick out of how all summer we have obsessed over FA’s, mostly ones who ended up elsewhere. When in reality those had almost no bearing on how this team will do in the coming season, especially when it counts. How many threads have we had on FA questions this summer? Three? Four? More? News flash, Adams on this team might be annoying but will not make a scrap of difference as to what this team does in the coming year. Missing out on Hayes? Get real.

The questions we should have been asking, at least more often than we have which is not at all, are not ‘who’ questions but 'what'. ie, system questions which more than anything will define this team and what we see on the ice this coming year.

How do you think that Johnston will adjust to finally hitting the HC big time in the NHL? How will his system do? Who on this team fits his system, who might struggle? How will he be with the things Disco had the most trouble with, in game adjustments and lineup matching? What pitfalls to watch for. What regular season record do you expect? Post season?

And on and on.

Those kind of questions will determine what happens on the ice this coming year, the players the Pens missed on, or the whipping boys who the Pens failed to jettison, not so much.

So here is a thread to talk about the ‘what’ we expect/hope/fear to see in the upcoming season more than the various ‘who’s’.

Click to read more...

 

[Til the End of Time]

it seems like he encourages a style of hockey that isnt conducive to post-season success. thats a bit troubling. no one seems to be able to comment on his d-zone strategy. big question mark.

the fact that two other candidates were offered the job but declined says a lot about the current state of this team. also indicates that johnston is the head coach by default, not necessarily because he's a great fit for the team.

i like his extensive coaching history, that's a definite plus. i also like that he's a cheater and wants to win.

overall i wish the pens would have landed willie desjardins. he would have been great imo. johnston could be ok though. well see.

 

[Griffin6612]

We had two turn us down? Who were the two, i only seem to remember one.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Another question. Have we addressed the toughness question? Or more accurately, the balance between 'toughness' and stupidity. I liked hearing Downie for instance talking the talk about having Crosby and other's back. But whether we will see players being tough and smart about it in the coming year would not only be welcome, but has been largely absent for half a decade now.

 

[Til the End of Time]

We had two turn us down? Who were the two, i only seem to remember one.

my understanding is that bill peters was their #1 target, but he wasn't ever close to being hired.

the pens thought they had a done deal with willie but that fell through. rutherford had some quotes saying how he now had to start over with the coaching search and find new candidates when willie ended up in vancouver.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

We had two turn us down? Who were the two, i only seem to remember one.

When I said players we missed on, I meant how we speculated endlessly on every player out there who could still almost skate, has beens, might bes and never was players, and ended up with 'death' in the end with that last better part of a million dollars left burning a hole in our pocket.

Not a specific two, three or ten who explicitly turned us down.

Edit: never mind, I thought that was addressed to me.

 

[ProgOg]

my understanding is that bill peters was their #1 target, but he wasn't ever close to being hired.

the pens thought they had a done deal with willie but that fell through. rutherford had some quotes saying how he now had to start over with the coaching search and find new candidates when willie ended up in vancouver.

The latest story about that goes different. Here is a link to an article about it: Penguins GM insists new coach Johnston was no afterthought

Rutherford:
“I got halfway through the Willie Desjardins interview and realized that he had the Vancouver (job),†Rutherford said. “The next day, I called Mike and set up the meeting. He was never an afterthought. I was just told (Johnston) was locked into Vancouver.â€

Not sure if that is really true, or if they are just trying to make it look better.

Gary Agnew will also focus on the d-men, but the system will be interesting. Someone described the Winterhawks in-zone defensive strategy to be more about zone than man coverage.

 

[Stad]

We should bring Bylsma back IMO.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

We should bring Bylsma back IMO.

As the understudy for the guy that is inside Iceburgh, maybe.

 

[Shady Machine]

I don't really see the need to debate about whether Johnston was the Penguins 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 100th choice. He is the Penguins coach and was on the radar of the Canucks as well. It's clear he is NHL caliber.

 

[PensBandwagonerNo272*]

Too soon to judge Johnston. Too many significant roster changes to judge how things will fit roster-wise.

 

[Corvidae]

Too soon to judge Johnston. Too many significant roster changes to judge how things will fit roster-wise.

His head always looks like it was photoshopped onto his body. Boom, judged.

 

[ColePens]

Toughness always makes me laugh. I think the team will be tougher just in general mindset. I truly believe DB and ownership ****ed up majorly after the Isles incident and Matt Cooke. I would just like to hope a coach on the bench says "**** that.. you go take care of it" as soon as someone hits Crosby/Geno. That's the mentality we need. And we have a guy who understands that - Tocchet.

 

[penguins2946*]

His system seems to fit very well with the core of this team, and the players that didn't for the system well were moved out for players that do fit the system well. He also has been saying the right things about accountability. Everything he has said publicly so far has been very encouraging, and his success in the WHL also a good sign. We'll have to wait and see, but I'm expecting the Pens now to be a lot more successful.

 

[Wes C Addle]

I have gotten a kick out of how all summer we have obsessed over FA’s, mostly ones who ended up elsewhere. When in reality those had almost no bearing on how this team will do in the coming season, especially when it counts. How many threads have we had on FA questions this summer? Three? Four? More? News flash, Adams on this team might be annoying but will not make a scrap of difference as to what this team does in the coming year. Missing out on Hayes? Get real.

The questions we should have been asking, at least more often than we have which is not at all, are not ‘who’ questions but 'what'. ie, system questions which more than anything will define this team and what we see on the ice this coming year.

How do you think that Johnston will adjust to finally hitting the HC big time in the NHL? How will his system do? Who on this team fits his system, who might struggle? How will he be with the things Disco had the most trouble with, in game adjustments and lineup matching? What pitfalls to watch for. What regular season record do you expect? Post season?

And on and on.

Those kind of questions will determine what happens on the ice this coming year, the players the Pens missed on, or the whipping boys who the Pens failed to jettison, not so much.

So here is a thread to talk about the ‘what’ we expect/hope/fear to see in the upcoming season more than the various ‘who’s’.

When he was originally hired, there was a lot of good discussion around what sort of philosophy he'll bring to the Pens. He had written a pretty large manifesto on a lot of his views that was linked before. It's way too long to post in here but I'll provide the link if anyone wants a refresher or missed it the first time around.

http://www.winterhawks.com/page/coach-s-corner

A small sample

SIX KEYS TO OFFENSIVE SUCCESS

1. Be a First Pass Team

• Defense needs to look for the smart play
• Allow passes to the front of the net or through the middle
• Discourage the “dump out†or “no look rim†style of play
• Safe plays stifle creativity
• An area pass is still a direct pass…utilize bank passes off the boards and laying pucks into open spaces for teammates to skate into
• The players away from the puck have a responsibility to get their stick open and available for direct passes…(much like a receiver in football)
• Use of deception “look away†to have more time to make a play
• Practice transition off the back check and their rush chances

2. Shoot the Puck and Drive the Net

• Sounds simple but volume of shots are key
• Check the shot totals of the top scorers in the NHL…and also shots that miss the net or are blocked per game…the puck must get through
• Defensive coverage often breaks down after a shot
• Net drives off the puck create a play at the net but also openings in the slot. First two players away from the puck must drive the net with no hesitation…(unless the puck carrier has the wide lane deep)
• The first drive should be through the mid lane
• Funnel shots and players to the net

3. Activate Your Defense into the Attack

• Encourage them to join and stay in the rush from the breakout… supporting the mid or wide lane up the ice.
• Often the net D will have an opportunity to move up ice before the low forward in defensive zone coverage.
• Make the attack an odd number by their blueline
• Responsibility is in the hands of the puckcarrier…don’t blame the defence for creating options
• Go after chips or dump in’s when they have the speed

4. Stretch Out the Offensive Zone

• Get the puck to the back of the net on the cycle and work plays from there… stressing their coverage
• On shots off the rush move the puck low/high right away and catch them over backchecking
• On low scrambles move the puck back to the point quickly and catch the team collapsing
• Players and coaches underestimate the danger of point shots

5. Cycle With a Purpose

• Challenge their ability to contain by driving the seams and going to the net with the puck
• Set picks and screens to open up ice for the puckcarier
• Work the overload…once the puck is passed back to the corner that player needs to get into an overload position ready to shoot
• Defence support the backside…strongside slide…or mid ice seam… practice plays involving the defence on the cycle

6. Work Set Plays

• Have set faceoff plays for each zone which will create an offensive advantage. Your centers should take responsibility for every set up… remember you can win by losing
• Control breakouts vs. low trap…work options off a set pattern
• PP stretch breakout… which has the ability to score on the rush
• Regroups geared to beat the trap and hit their blue line with speed

 

[Fordy]

I think Tocchet is just as important as Johnston

 

[Shady Machine]

Thanks for posting that again. All of that sounds awesome, fits the team's personnel, and fits a playoff style. I'm not sure why people think otherwise.

The only concern as it pertains to his theoretical system is defensive zone coverage. There doesn't seem to be any info out there on how he plans to run the dzone.

Other than that, it all comes down to implementation and execution.

 

[Fedex26]

I'm cautiously optimistic. In theory it sounds like it should be a great fit with our core group, but we may need 2 - 3 seasons to really see. I think this years roster is really built around a lot of hopes and prayers. We could have just as much if not more turnover next offseason. It may be Johnston's 3rd year before he would even have a majority roster experiencing his system for the 2nd year and who knows if he'll last that long.

 

[Your Boy Troy]

Previously mentioned, it is too early to make an assumption on how certain players will perform in Mike Johnston's system. It will be interesting to see how this season will turn out with all the changes.

To me, I want to see this team bond together. Players giving their fullest effort every shift that they get onto the ice. I did not get that vibe from the team last season. A tougher mentality is largely needed as well. Players need to be standing for each other, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin need to be protected. Championship caliber teams have this mentality. An enforcer could help players on the team play bigger. The star players can focus on the game knowing that someone is there to protect them.

Leadership is what this team needs in order to get an identity.

 

[wej20]

Team toughness sure, an enforcer does jack all apart from waste a roster spot.

 

[Gold Diamond]

All I want is playoff success. I'll gladly trade off some regular season wins to see this team come together in March and April, and head into the post-season in the right direction.

50 win season? Don't mean jack if we flame out when it counts. That's why Shero and Bylsma are unemployed.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

All I want is playoff success. I'll gladly trade off some regular season wins to see this team come together in March and April, and head into the post-season in the right direction.

50 win season? Don't mean jack if we flame out when it counts. That's why Shero and Bylsma are unemployed.

This team has enough high end talent that, absent most of the stars missing pretty much the entire season (certainly possible), they could sleep walk through the season and still likely go north of 100 points.

The playoffs depend on a few main things:

1. Will Johnston's system have enough of a defensive side to succeed in the playoffs? The playoffs are an entirely different game than the regular season. It is analogous to if in baseball you suddenly were allowed to tackle players running the basepaths. Maybe you think about adding home run hitters in that case. Or some other way to acknowledge the change. In hockey, once the playoffs start you get away with murder as far as interference goes. The Pens response under Bylsma has been pretty much to whine about it. Can they get smart and UNDERSTAND that it is actually a different game and play to that game? Practice playoff hockey all year even if it costs them some wins? It is a big questions.

2. Lineups, game plans that are not cookie cutter, timeouts in game adjustments and matching lines. Along with that, will youth be served? Can this coaching staff get any of that right for once?

3. Team toughness. Can they hit that sweet spot of being tough to play against, of letting the stars play and the secondary players stick up for them, but not be stupid and goaded into losing hockey? The Pens under Bylsma swung wildly from one extreme to the other and ended up with the worst of both worlds. Making it a chore to skate from one end of the ice to the other without getting hit? Good. Kneeing a guy in the head with a cheap shot or getting goaded into retaliatory penalties, or worse putting a pair of panties on and doing nothing? Worse.

Look, I was hoping for Trotz. I LOVED how the Pens played against the Rags to get that 3-1 lead in the playoffs. It was a modified trap, and proved that stars like Crosby and Malkin could light it up in a trap with odd man rushes. I have SERIOUS doubts about what looks like the Harlem Globetrotters run and gun offense being a good thing for the playoffs. But we are stuck with it now, so hopefully Johnston can make it work in the playoffs. Specifically, the questions I posed above are the things that I will be looking for.

 

[Shady Machine]

Why are you under the assumption that Johnston's system is the Harlem Globetrotters? That's incorrect IMO. Defenseman joining the rush does not mean we are playing run and gun hockey. If anything, we should give up less odd man rushes and chances because we will always have puck support. Guys will have outlets to pass to and we will be coming up as a unit, not stretching the zone, turning it over, and then having to rush back.

Once in the zone, the puck will be moving low to high a lot to stretch the zone with guys crashing the net. Ideally, we will be better suited for playoff hockey because chances will be generated with constant traffic in front.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Toughness always makes me laugh. I think the team will be tougher just in general mindset. I truly believe DB and ownership ****ed up majorly after the Isles incident and Matt Cooke. I would just like to hope a coach on the bench says "**** that.. you go take care of it" as soon as someone hits Crosby/Geno. That's the mentality we need. And we have a guy who understands that - Tocchet.

We no longer have the roster to do that, though. Since the Islanders debacle, all the guys who could actually "answer the bell" have been moved out or not re-signed. I think we have a grand total of one good fighter in our entire organization at the moment (the guy with three L's for a last name).

I'm not in favor of adding useless goons who do nothing but fight (ie. Scott, Orr, etc.), but I really wish Rutherford had added some muscle that could also play in the bottom six. It's also one of the reasons I hope Bortuzzo gets regular minutes. He's not a heavyweight fighter, but he will go and he's got enough size and willingness to at least "answer the bell" in the scenario you describe above.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Why are you under the assumption that Johnston's system is the Harlem Globetrotters? That's incorrect IMO. Defenseman joining the rush does not mean we are playing run and gun hockey. If anything, we should give up less odd man rushes and chances because we will always have puck support. Guys will have outlets to pass to and we will be coming up as a unit, not stretching the zone, turning it over, and then having to rush back.

Once in the zone, the puck will be moving low to high a lot to stretch the zone with guys crashing the net. Ideally, we will be better suited for playoff hockey because chances will be generated with constant traffic in front.

'After spending the past six years with the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League preaching an uptempo attack, Johnston welcomes the opportunity to work with one of the most explosive offenses in the NHL.'

http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/11132465/pittsburgh-penguins-hire-mike-johnston-coach

I freely admit that I am not anything close to an X's and O's guy like a number here are who have played and coached. But everything that I have read about Johnston talked about his high octane offense. Like I quoted above. I am going by that.