Is Paul Maurice a good NHL coach?

[tarheelhockey]

Whenever I watch Carolina, even the subpar players look great, granted they don't have much luck putting the puck in but I frequently see even the bottom 6 players on the Canes control play.

On the Jets often even the top players look bad at everything other than scoring goals. I have to think if Peters was coaching in Winnipeg the Jets look great every night and score at the same or higher rate

Perhaps Maurice and Peters can get together and co-coach a team to a perfect season.

 

[david999]

He is a good coach, that unfortunately is criticized by local fans because he doesn’t play Laine with Shieflie. The team is winning despite their overrated defenceman and subpar bottom 6.

 

[ijuka]

He is a good coach, that unfortunately is criticized by local fans because he doesn’t play Laine with Shieflie. The team is winning despite their overrated defenceman and subpar bottom 6.

That must all be thanks to Maurice.

5v5 corsi the worst in NHL at 45.01%

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

Perhaps Maurice and Peters can get together and co-coach a team to a perfect season.

The Jets score goals but otherwise look terrible.

The Hurricanes can't score but otherwise look great.

We know what must be done.

 

[Evincar]

He was a good coach in Carolina not so much anywhere else.

 

[Babooch]

Veteran players make unforgiveably lazy plays, make brutal mistakes and take the majority of Jet's undisciplined penalties yet are rewarded with more ice time. Seems he won't look past his vets for some reason, possibly for self preservation. And that's how a coach stagnates a team with unreached potential.

 

[Inflict]

To coach over a thousand games in the NHL you have to be a good coach. Maurice may not be the best or even top 15 in the league, but no question he is a good competent coach. Goaltending on the teams he has coached has always held him back in his career . When you work with elite talents such as Weeks, Toskala, Raycroft, and Pavelec your success is going to be limited.

I think the better question is, is he is a good fit for the Jets? When he was first hired, he turned around the Jets and they almost made the playoffs. The next season, the Jets reached the playoffs for the first time. Those seasons had the Jets near the top in shot metrics and possession stats but with horrible goaltending and special teams. His third season with the Jets he had a much younger lineup with prospects starting to graduate and possession stats were still in the Top 10. However, Pavelec and Hutchinson provided abysmal goaltending and it wasn't good enough to reach the playoffs. Fourth season comes around and the Jets lucked out with Laine and all of a sudden the team looks like it could contend for the playoffs. Possession stats start to fall big time and the Jets are in the bottom 10 in the league and still well below average league SV%.

That brings us to this season. Possession stats continue to decline (currently dead last) but goaltending is hugely improved and has the Jets with a 7-3-3 record. Is Maurice responsible for the huge decline in possession stats or is it the fact that the Jets have around 12 active players under 25 on their roster? Or is it the fact that the Jets have transitioned from a fast and hard checking team to a fast and high-powered offense? How much credit does Maurice get for the development of Scheifele, Ehlers, Laine, Trouba and Morrissey? Do we ignore comments by players like Wheeler who say Maurice is the best coach he's ever had?

I think this season is going to be the real test for Maurice. The Jets need to make an impact in the playoffs or it's probably best for them to move on to another coach more suited to a young team with a high powered offense.

 

[Guffman]

Many Winnipeg Jets fans seem to be divided on this question. I wanted to get an opinion from non-Jets fans. Maurice was hired in January 2014, and recently was given an extension by True North. Some say he is doing a fantastic job this year, as the Jets are off to a 7-3-3 start. Others point out to the fact the Jets have been out-shot nearly every game, and the Jets are winning due to Hellebuyck playing lights out.

Under Maurice, the Jets records have been:

18-12-5
43-26-13
35-39-8
40-35-7

Thoughts?

Maurice should only be judged when he gets bad goaltending, like what he had for most of his career.

Other head coaches with great goaltending, on the other hand, earned their wins via coaching.

lol

 

[HisIceness]

Maurice strikes me as the kind of coach that does better with veteran teams like the 2002 'Canes than with younger teams. A lot of us on the 'Canes board grew tired of him when the team went the youth route in 2010-11. He had no idea where to play the 20-22 y/os so he mostly stuck them on the 4th line.

 

[Negan4Coach]

Maurice strikes me as the kind of coach that does better with veteran teams like the 2002 'Canes than with younger teams. A lot of us on the 'Canes board grew tired of him when the team went the youth route in 2010-11. He had no idea where to play the 20-22 y/os so he mostly stuck them on the 4th line.

I BET you are right...

 

[MrThomas]

Maurice should put Laine first line with Scheifele and Ehlers! That worked so good. Bryan Little and Laine are not doing good together. Second line could be Connor, Little and Wheeler

 

[TheDoldrums]

Maurice should put Laine first line with Scheifele and Ehlers! That worked so good.

Worked so good for who? They seem to be winning a lot more games this year.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

4 playoff appearances in 19 years. That record speaks for itself. But he is not bad either, nor is he particularly good. Just Not a coach that can make a difference.

 

[IPS]

Maurice should put Laine first line with Scheifele and Ehlers! That worked so good. Bryan Little and Laine are not doing good together. Second line could be Connor, Little and Wheeler

I think the authentic Jets fans are ecstatic about the way the current top line is performing.

 

[Bleedred]

Perhaps the product of bad rosters, which is the complete opposite of guys like Todd McLellan, Randy Carlyle, Bruce Boudreau and Alain Vigneault. Hasn't had very good rosters for the most part, and has had probably the worst resume of goaltenders possibly ever.

I don't think the Jets should have brought back him back this year though, but the fact that he's getting good goaltending, which is a rarity for him, is probably really doing him a solid right now.

 

[Gurilla]

I think the authentic Jets fans are ecstatic about the way the current top line is performing.

.

Whole top 6 minus Little have been amazing. Perreault coming back sooner going to get that third line going too. Great times in the peg.

 

[rehf]

I think he may have been an alright coach at some point, but I think it's more he isn't adapting to how the game is played today.

 

[Guffman]

Maurice was asked what his thoughts were about some of the comments made in this thread.

 

[MrThomas]

Worked so good for who? They seem to be winning a lot more games this year.

Yeah because the goaltending and defence is much better and young players like Laine, Ehlers, Connor and Trouba are even better than last year.

I mean then Winnipeg could have 2 very dangerous line. Or then put Lowry with Laine and Ehlers. Little is not doing any good now.

 

[MardyBum]

Average at best i'd say.

 

[tntkid]

If the Jets wants to be a playoff contender we need a new coach asap.

 

[Jets4Life]

Veteran players make unforgiveably lazy plays, make brutal mistakes and take the majority of Jet's undisciplined penalties yet are rewarded with more ice time. Seems he won't look past his vets for some reason, possibly for self preservation. And that's how a coach stagnates a team with unreached potential.

It's especially evident with Dustin Byfuglien.

 

[Jets4Life]

I think the better question is, is he is a good fit for the Jets? When he was first hired, he turned around the Jets and they almost made the playoffs. The next season, the Jets reached the playoffs for the first time. Those seasons had the Jets near the top in shot metrics and possession stats but with horrible goaltending and special teams.

In 2014-15, the Jets had above average league goaltending (Pavelec 0.920, Hutchinson 0.914).