Observations XXVI full ** v. XXVII started

[Byrddog]

If it is Hynes Pile should be committed to a padded cell. Granted Hynes never had a decent team in Jersey there is nothing to indicate he could do anything with this team. It is even unclear what system the guy prefers. In Jersey it was flavor of the day, perhaps because the GM was consistently changing the roster. But Hynes never finished above 5th in the Metro. I would not say its impossible but it would be even more short sighted than replacing Trotz with Lavi a move I never understood either since there system and philosophy was so different.

I think the selection of the asst will be more important to this team. I would like to see one of two guys for the head job wither Hitchcock under a short term this season and next to set the team straight with Housley as the asst apparent or Housley straight up.

 

[Armourboy]

one thing this delay in naming a coach or even an interim coach is that poile is making a pitch to someone right now about a full time coaching job. i'm actually shocked, poile normally has all his i's dotted before he pulls the string on something. let's me know how disgusted he must have been.

I gotta wonder how much the comments from a guy like Smith played into it. Smith said they were to focused on trying to run the system. He said the difference between the 3rd and 1st periods was that in the 3rd they all said the heck with it and just went and played hockey.

 

[Pred303]

many don't seem to get Lavy's attachment to McCarthy. It's simple really. Lavy is not, and has never been an "x's and o's" type of coach. He's always been a "big picture" type of concept guy. The type of guys that says "I want to be an offensive oriented team". He has always relied on his assistants to plan and execute the tactical side of what the team does. McCarthy ran the practices. McCarthy plotted the strategy. McCarthy ran the sideline strategy huddles. Losing assistants hurts Lavy far more than other coaches because of this. Another thing I talked about years ago, is that everytime Lavy has coached a team their scoring always went up. But in return the goals allowed against did as well. And as I mentioned back then the increasing goals allowed is always what had gotten him fired. And it's done it again.

 

[Scoresberg]

The big boys need to step up tonight and deliver a good start to the Hynes era.

Joey, Filip, Arvy, Duchene, Turris, I'm looking at you.

 

[predfan24]

I'm most excited to see two things:

1. Can he fix special teams?

2. Was the under production of our top forwards due to Lavy's system or was it due to the individual player's effort level?

 

[Montross]

The big boys need to step up tonight and deliver a good start to the Hynes era.

Joey, Filip, Arvy, Duchene, Turris, I'm looking at you.

The whole 'fire the coach because you can't fire all the players' has merit here. I was onboard with removing Lavy, but this roster for the most part has underachieved as well. Now let's see if they respond.

 

[LCPreds]

I'm most excited to see two things:

1. Can he fix special teams?

2. Was the under production of our top forwards due to Lavy's system or was it due to the individual player's effort level?

#1: They can't get worse.

#2: System


**Apparently I have completely forgotten how to properly link Twitter so enjoy the Kyle Turris add in**

 

[FFWRX]

many don't seem to get Lavy's attachment to McCarthy. It's simple really. Lavy is not, and has never been an "x's and o's" type of coach. He's always been a "big picture" type of concept guy. The type of guys that says "I want to be an offensive oriented team". He has always relied on his assistants to plan and execute the tactical side of what the team does. McCarthy ran the practices. McCarthy plotted the strategy. McCarthy ran the sideline strategy huddles. Losing assistants hurts Lavy far more than other coaches because of this. Another thing I talked about years ago, is that everytime Lavy has coached a team their scoring always went up. But in return the goals allowed against did as well. And as I mentioned back then the increasing goals allowed is always what had gotten him fired. And it's done it again.

I have heard this a lot. I just don't get how that works. Basically McCarthy was the head coach, and planned everything around Lavy's ideas?

 

[LCPreds]

There is a lot of hope to be found in the underlying advanced metrics. Hopefully a little tweak here or there can take some of the 'unlucky' aspect out of the Preds results?

Daily Team Charts | Charting Hockey

This is based on 5v5 where we're charting well overall. If Hynes can fix the PK and make some minor 5v5 tweaks we could be in business.

 

[David Singleton]

I have heard this a lot. I just don't get how that works. Basically McCarthy was the head coach, and planned everything around Lavy's ideas?

Think Dabo Swinney stylistically.

 

[OldFan]

Just read that Hynes and his wife have 3 daughters.
We have 3 daughters.
The man must have nerves of steel.

 

[101st_fan]

As of today, the Preds have a 0-0-0 record with a clean slate on special teams under Hynes. We'll see how things go once he gets a chance to implement his concepts.

 

[Predsanddead24]

As of today, the Preds have a 0-0-0 record with a clean slate on special teams under Hynes. We'll see how things go once he gets a chance to implement his concepts.

The other important thing is that we've managed to tread water enough that we're still ok. We're out of the division title race but if we play like a playoff caliber team we should make the playoffs without issue.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

The other important thing is that we've managed to tread water enough that we're still ok. We're out of the division title race but if we play like a playoff caliber team we should make the playoffs without issue.

I wonder if there's any significance to the move coming exactly at the half-way point? Like, was Lavy given half a season to have us in a playoff spot?

Anyway, 41 games down and 45 pts accumulated. I do not think we get in with 92 points this year. The last wild card in the East was 98 pts last year. Colorado got in with 90, but needed 95 the year before. I think 96 is a better target. So that means 51 points needed in 41 games. 24-14-3... it shouldn't be an impossible feat if they start playing better and can get some improvements in key underperforming areas (special teams & goaltending esp.)

 

[TitansVolsPreds615]

I wonder if there's any significance to the move coming exactly at the half-way point? Like, was Lavy given half a season to have us in a playoff spot?

Anyway, 41 games down and 45 pts accumulated. I do not think we get in with 92 points this year. The last wild card in the East was 98 pts last year. Colorado got in with 90, but needed 95 the year before. I think 96 is a better target. So that means 51 points needed in 41 games. 24-14-3... it shouldn't be an impossible feat if they start playing better and can get some improvements in key underperforming areas (special teams & goaltending esp.)

The guys on XM NHL station said the Preds were not in a bad spot at all and basically just needed to play a few notches better than what they did so far to make the playoffs. They do not think some of the teams currently occupying WC spots will continue their same trajectory either.

 

[nine_inch_fang]

The guys on XM NHL station said the Preds were not in a bad spot at all and basically just needed to play a few notches better than what they did so far to make the playoffs. They do not think some of the teams currently occupying WC spots will continue their same trajectory either.

We as fans that watch them every game know this team wasn't going to live up to potential with Laviolette. It'd be nice if any of those people actually knew anything in depth about the team.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

The guys on XM NHL station said the Preds were not in a bad spot at all and basically just needed to play a few notches better than what they did so far to make the playoffs. They do not think some of the teams currently occupying WC spots will continue their same trajectory either.

I think STL, COL, DAL are for real. I do not think we will catch any of those 3 in our division. Or if we do, it means we went white hot and something happened to them - but they will all still make the playoffs too.

In the Pacific, Vegas is the only team I think is a known commodity.

Somewhere in the mix are Arizona, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Winnipeg, and us. I'm reasonably confident we can jump Minnesota. 6 teams fighting for 4 spots is not terrible odds. We should be better than all of those teams. (But then, we should have been in the first 41 games too.)

The catch is there isn't much margin. 24-14-3 doesn't leave you a lot of room if we stumble during the initial transition period under the new coach.

I'm also not exactly in favor of going too hard trying to buy a boost via deadline trades. I'm not sure how well they work out elsewhere, but they haven't been great for us. Some of those other teams might be more aggressive than we are in terms of trading. If Edmonton got some scoring depth or Winnipeg boosted their D, they might become better teams than they look like today. At the same time, we might have to face an early decision point on impending UFA guys like Granlund and Smith. 2 of the PAC spots are going to 2 of those teams anyway... if 2 of them get hot, we are still really only battling the other ones and Winnipeg for the Wildcard slot, there's a little extra leeway in that sense.

So while things are "doable", there are certainly enough variables that it will by no means be easy or automatic. I think it's still a "bad spot" overall... you never want to be the one chasing. It's still going to take a lot of things going our way... starting with the coaching change working out and individual player performances improving.

But I'm actually hopeful. Not quite optimistic. I had given up hope entirely under Laviolette, however, so this is at the very least a temporary reprieve. It's more fun to have some actual hope.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

The big boys need to step up tonight and deliver a good start to the Hynes era.

Joey, Filip, Arvy, Duchene, Turris, I'm looking at you.

Can we look at Pekka too, svp.

One thing we might want to consider in the months/year to come is trading to address the goalie situation. With the expansion draft looming, we always thought we were locked in: protect Saros, don't worry about Rinne because he's too old and will be a free agent. But the way things have gone this year (still time to turn it around), maybe that thinking can be revisited a year from now. Several teams will be looking at their goalie duos with expansion coming. If Saros doesn't lock things down soon, maybe we can leverage the expansion draft into fixing our goalie situation. Pittsburgh, Vancouver, some of the Russian prospects coming up, there are teams out there who will likely be letting a goalie go one way or the other. It's not the absolute worst time ever to have to try to fix a goalie problem, anyway... if it comes to that.

 

[nine_inch_fang]

The Rangers coach has the balls to do what the Preds should be doing with their goalies.

 

[Soundgarden]

The Rangers coach has the balls to do what the Preds should be doing with their goalies.

Lundqvist has the flu, no?

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

The Rangers coach has the balls to do what the Preds should be doing with their goalies.

Although Ingram probably doesn't have quite the same leverage that Shesterkin does... if Ingram decides to pout and move to Switzerland, well, we gave up a 7th round pick to pluck him off the scrap heap and never really had him pencilled in for us. If the Rangers tick Shesterkin off and he goes back to Russia... they lost their long-anticipated future star goalie.

 

[nine_inch_fang]

I understand that there is a vast difference in the situations but I stand by what I said. Give the kid a look and put Saros on notice.

 

[PredsV82]

I understand that there is a vast difference in the situations but I stand by what I said. Give the kid a look and put Saros on notice.

Absolutely. Cant be much worse than what we are getting now.

 

[Armourboy]

If we can just get the PK back on track it will help things immensely.

 

[PredsV82]

Ok so maybe Lavy wasnt the problem...