Coach Discussion: Paul Maurice: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

[Jack722]

Something I don't understand is why we seem to routinely have slow starts, and are incredible near the end of the season. Are players shaking off the rust, or are they shaking off their coaching?

How can a line like E-L-L still be 'working on' a million little things after having played together for 50+ games last season, and having had all of the off season to train?

It looks a little bit like we're actually at our worst whenever the coaching is most heavily involved.

 

[Halberdier]

Way to get Morrissey on the 1st PP unit for a whole 1.5 games Mo. Really disappointed with his knee jerk reaction to switch back to Buff, makes no sense.

Mo is notorious of his knee jerk reactions with lineups he pretends he is trying, but giving only couple of periods.

Disgusting.

 

[Board Bard]

Maurice needs to reassess who his play drivers are and ultimately who his meal ticket is with regards to sustained employment. He seemingly still bends over backwards for his big three players in Wheeler, Buff and Scheifele and only one of them warrants such treatment.

Scheifele while not at his best so far this year is still producing points and managing to be the only player on his line keeping his head above water from a shot metric perspective. He managed to do it last year as well despite spending most of his time attached by the hip to our two worst shot metric wingers. He can clean up his play in his own end but otherwise is doing ok and still worthy of being held I high regard.

There is no player who is undervalued more in this org by fans and coaching alike then Ehlers. I may get heat for this but he is our best winger and it's not all that close. He is the only one that combines elite 5 on 5 scoring with elite possession metrics. While he has gotten off to a slow start in the scoring department he is still positively impacting the teams shot metrics. He should be values far more by this teams coaching staff and is a real key piece going forward. Instead of continuing to see his minutes reduced he should be seeing them go up. He also should be used on the PK to terrorize other teams.

Conner has the scoring but is still awful at driving possession. He was at the bottom of the team last year and is once again there this year. He is an important cog but still has work to do to be more then a complimentary guy and be able to drive his line.

Laine has gotten off to an awful start but the last few years he was scoring well enoigh at ES while keeping his head above water from a possession stand point. I have not been happy with his play but I would rather be giving the young player with upside the first line winger role and letting him work throigh the growing pains then the aging player who isn't bringing anything to the role.

Wheeler neither has the scoring or the play driving any longer. His scoring rates have been lagging behind the other kids on this team now for the last 2 plus years. He is also now a possession black hole at 5 on 5. He is being grossly overvalued by Maurice and is playing minutes in 5 on 5 situations that his play hasn't warranted for a couple of years now. Keep him on the 1st unit pp and reduce his ES minutes. I don't care if he's the captain he has been surpassed by you get players.

Buff is still a good player but he has been clearly surpassed by both Morrissey and Trouba. Both outscore him at ES and bring more to the table now. Yet he still is playing more minutes and in more key offensive situations despite Morrissey showing he has the acunum to contribute on the number one PP. Once again the less impacful vet is getting more preferential treatment.

Ask yourself this, who is more important to the team today and moving forward? The answer is clearly the under 25 crowd who are in most cases already better then the vets that Maurice rides hard.

If I was Maurice I would smarten up and start catering to them as their happiness will keep him employed more so then a couple of fading vets.

Bold: If you were Maurice you wouldn't have thought of any of that stuff in the first place.

 

[BigZ65]

My biggest beef with Maurice is how he’s running Schiefele and Wheeler into the dirt with huge minutes and at the same time giving nothing to guys like Roslovic who need to play to develop. If you’re a team thinking about a cup run this is gross mismanagement of the roster. If Roslovic is going to play the minutes he has been, send him to the Moose and plug in a slug to that role.

 

[Hunter368]

That is deceiving. Jets looks like a complete mess right now.

Correct.....between quality of opponents, home stand, goalie stealing at least two wins & just finding a way to win ugly some nights....we’re very fortunate to be at 5th and not the middle of the pack. Complacency is the root cause of underachieving. Jets better wake up soon before we slide to the middle of the pack team like we’re playing like.

 

[Analyst365]

Mo is notorious of his knee jerk reactions with lineups he pretends he is trying, but giving only couple of periods.

Disgusting.

Knee jerk like threads like these in October?

Some Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals results from October last season:

@ TB loss 3-4
PIT loss 2-3
@ PHI loss 2-8
TOR loss 0-2
FLA loss 1-4
@ VAN loss 2-6

 

[Flair Hay]

Perreault needs to be back in the top-6. He's a luxury on the 4th line when everyone is going but when the top lines are not playing well and the 4th line only playing 6minutes a night, then its time to move Perreault up in the lineup to get those other guys going.

I'm gonna try and be more constructive here than in my last few posts haha...

Which one of Laine or Ehlers are you bumping to the 4th line to make it happen?

 

[JetsFan815]

I'm gonna try and be more constructive here than in my last few posts haha...

Which one of Laine or Ehlers are you bumping to the 4th line to make it happen?

I am platooning Laine, Ehlers and Wheeler on the Lowry line until one of them starts consistently playing like a top-6 player and bumping Tanev down to the 4th line.

 

[Saintb]

How you are playing at the end of the year is what matters. I would be giving our young guys more time now though, to make their mistakes and get prepared.

 

[sipowicz]

I am platooning Laine, Ehlers and Wheeler on the Lowry line until one of them starts consistently playing like a top-6 player and bumping Tanev down to the 4th line.

What exactly has Copp done to stay on the third line, can't clear a puck on the PK, can't pass, can't stickhandle.....but yeah let's take the hardest worker off the third line just because.

 

[Duke749]

I am platooning Laine, Ehlers and Wheeler on the Lowry line until one of them starts consistently playing like a top-6 player and bumping Tanev down to the 4th line.

Why Ehlers?

 

[ecolad]

Pretty disappointing start by the team and players.

Handful of players have played well game in & game out. 3rd line and top pairing

Most players look inconsistent at best. Mark S, Wheeler, Buff

Couple look completely disinterested, specifically Laine.

PMO is a players coach.....might need to start thinking about some tough love and not just on the 4th line or bottom pairing.

Coaches job to prepare team & get the most out of them, coaches are not free of blame.

10 games only.....but the team looks overall, vaguely lazy, uninspired, lacking focus & direction.....with a tad bit of self entitlement.

An apt description to be sure. But it`s not too hard to go further and suggest that this might perfectly describe the two key veterans in the dressing room - Wheeler and Buff.

 

[Mud Turtle]

Something I don't understand is why we seem to routinely have slow starts, and are incredible near the end of the season. Are players shaking off the rust, or are they shaking off their coaching?

How can a line like E-L-L still be 'working on' a million little things after having played together for 50+ games last season, and having had all of the off season to train?

It looks a little bit like we're actually at our worst whenever the coaching is most heavily involved.

Yes. This!! I’ve been saying it for the past few years. Over coaching is a real problem. Players actually thinking too much and not letting their abilities shine. We are best when we are relentless.
Of course you need systems but there’s a delicate balance there.

 

[Duke749]

Yes. This!! I’ve been saying it for the past few years. Over coaching is a real problem. Players actually thinking too much and not letting their abilities shine. We are best when we are relentless.
Of course you need systems but there’s a delicate balance there.

You can’t say coaching has been a problems for years coming off of a 112 point season in which we made it to the conference finals just because of bad starts. It’s very short sighted.

 

[redneckjabronie]

My biggest beef with Maurice is how he’s running Schiefele and Wheeler into the dirt with huge minutes and at the same time giving nothing to guys like Roslovic who need to play to develop. If you’re a team thinking about a cup run this is gross mismanagement of the roster. If Roslovic is going to play the minutes he has been, send him to the Moose and plug in a slug to that role.

Yup, I've mentioned this a few times. He has enough talent now but cannot seem to run a 4 line system. Top end guys are getting pounded into the ground and by playoff time, will either be exhausted or injured and rendered ineffective for the playoffs. And the remaining guys will not have played enough to further develop.

Guys like Dano and Petan have been destroyed and deemed busts by half this forum and Roslovic is now suffering the same fate with paltry ice time. Wonder if the knives are going to come after him or is the message finally going to resonate that its not the players, it's the coach and how he utilizes some of the younger talent.

 

[Ducky10]

What exactly has Copp done to stay on the third line, can't clear a puck on the PK, can't pass, can't stickhandle.....but yeah let's take the hardest worker off the third line just because.

It's not "just because", it's because he really isn't as good a hockey player as the other two and Perreault.

 

[Ducky10]

I believe Maurice has to do better balancing toi and getting his 4th line more shifts. Having said that, the Jets are playing from behind more than last season, rolling 4 lines is a lot easier when you're playing in front. They need to do that more.

 

[Flair Hay]

I am platooning Laine, Ehlers and Wheeler on the Lowry line until one of them starts consistently playing like a top-6 player and bumping Tanev down to the 4th line.

That actually is a pretty good solution to the problem I presented. It is also a risk considering the chemistry Lowry Copp and Tanev have. That line is dominating most teams. It would suck to lose that, but what you proposed very well may work.

 

[Halberdier]

Knee jerk like threads like these in October?

Some Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals results from October last season:

@ TB loss 3-4
PIT loss 2-3
@ PHI loss 2-8
TOR loss 0-2
FLA loss 1-4
@ VAN loss 2-6

Nope, I referred his disgusting habit to "give a fair opportunity" for some players, just to always ditch it 2 periods later.

That kind of stuff is disgusting habit for a human being and is really hurting some players.

He is giving free pass to veterans and sh**ting on young players, which has to be really demoralizing and further affects to the lack of discipline we have seen most of the games on this young season.

I'm not complaining about results for the Jets, they are adequate, even if not mathing the roster potential. I strongly disagree with some of his disgusting habits.

 

[Flair Hay]

I believe Maurice has to do better balancing toi and getting his 4th line more shifts. Having said that, the Jets are playing from behind more than last season, rolling 4 lines is a lot easier when you're playing in front. They need to do that more.

Agreed

 

[JetsFan815]

Why Ehlers?

He had a good game last game but overall his play this season leaves something to be desired.

That actually is a pretty good solution to the problem I presented. It is also a risk considering the chemistry Lowry Copp and Tanev have. That line is dominating most teams. It would suck to lose that, but what you proposed very well may work.

Now is the time to try out different things

 

[Duke749]

He had a good game last game but overall his play this season leaves something to be desired.



Now is the time to try out different things

I really don’t see that. I think his play has been pretty good but perhaps needs more consistency. JMO though.

 

[Analyst365]

Nope, I referred his disgusting habit to "give a fair opportunity" for some players, just to always ditch it 2 periods later.

That kind of stuff is disgusting habit for a human being and is really hurting some players.

He is giving free pass to veterans and sh**ting on young players, which has to be really demoralizing and further affects to the lack of discipline we have seen most of the games on this young season.

I'm not complaining about results for the Jets, they are adequate, even if not mathing the roster potential. I strongly disagree with some of his disgusting habits.

"Disgusting habit" though? You make it sound like he's Harvey Weinstein-ing the plants at the rink.

 

[Ducky10]

Nope, I referred his disgusting habit to "give a fair opportunity" for some players, just to always ditch it 2 periods later.

That kind of stuff is disgusting habit for a human being and is really hurting some players.

He is giving free pass to veterans and sh**ting on young players, which has to be really demoralizing and further affects to the lack of discipline we have seen most of the games on this young season.

I'm not complaining about results for the Jets, they are adequate, even if not mathing the roster potential. I strongly disagree with some of his disgusting habits.

A disgusting habit for a human being?

Seriously? C'mon.

 

[Halberdier]

A disgusting habit for a human being?

Seriously? C'mon.

Yes. That's also called scapegoating. Throwing somebody under the bus. And using that as a excuse for his own actions.

If you give an opportunity, you give an opportunity. If you don't give an opportunity, do not pretend to give an opportunity and be a complete a-hole instead.

Maurice is doing his best to get a bridge deal, atm. There is a lot of season left to him to show that he is not an a-hole, but so far not good.