The Hitch Thread

[guymez]

It seems to me that TMac had the centre (by and large) playing higher in the D zone than Hitch is doing at the moment.
Am I recalling that correctly?

 

[MaxR11]

one of the analyst said he talked with the players they said there really hasn't been much change system wise... sounds like it's mostly more buy in and elevated focus and level with small attention to detail improvements.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

It does take practice and repetition to make it run smoothly though.

Oh yeah no question, but as far as implementation it’s pretty much immediate. You get the Chinese fire drills till it’s second nature as your teams core system but any player can execute it on demand.

 

[Quinteoilers]

I realize that Hitchcock has effectively turned the season around, but do the assistant coaches deserve any credit? The PP and Pk looks better than under TMac.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

It seems to me that TMac had the centre (by and large) playing higher in the D zone than Hitch is doing at the moment.
Am I recalling that correctly?

Yes for sure. I never liked that - players spread too far apart. Not enough support.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

one of the analyst said he talked with the players they said there really hasn't been much change system wise... sounds like it's mostly more buy in and elevated focus and level with small attention to detail improvements.

That’s the thing, it’s not a huge systems change to a player. Hitch is not reinventing the wheel here. Just subtle changes that players take in with 5 minutes at a pregame whiteboard session.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

I realize that Hitchcock has effectively turned the season around, but do the assistant coaches deserve any credit? The PP and Pk looks better than under TMac.

The assistant coaches have been a great support IMO to both coaches.

 

[McDNicks17]

Last night Hitch pretty much rolled 4 lines so he isn't committed to matching lines by any means.

I also think that Hitch has made some subtle changes in terms of the system and the effect is quite meaningful.
Even the players talk openly about learning the new adjustments that Hitch has been implementing.
If you watch the videos above they detail some of what has changed under Hitch in terms of systems play.
I invite you to have a look.

Also...a few players have really started to flourish under Hitch. The 3 that come to mind off the top of my head are Kassian, Khaira and Benning.
Hitch talked openly about getting Khaia to play more of a North/South game which has made him more effective the last couple of games. Jesse seems to be more of a work in progress so I didnt mention him but I am hopeful that Hitch is able to help turn Jesses game around as well.

I wouldn't really say he was just rolling lines.

McDavid played most of the night against Eriksson Ek/Fehr/Greenway. I don't think that's something Boudreau was trying to do.

Also the Oilers 4th line basically only played against the Wild's 4th line and feasted on them.

 

[oobga]

one of the analyst said he talked with the players they said there really hasn't been much change system wise... sounds like it's mostly more buy in and elevated focus and level with small attention to detail improvements.

Think the players have a little respect and don't want to throw a former coach under the bus. That is never a good look, especially with a new coach trying to learn what type of person/player you are (want the new guy seeing you as someone that will quickly take a dump on a former coach?). McDavid has been trying very hard to downplay any difference between Hitch and McLellan. Classy kid, really.

But then you have Hitch acting totally confused about why our D are so passive once the puck goes over the blue line. Started early with a rant about how the C's and forwards need to get deeper in oue own end to provide D with more passing options. That 2nd one is a large contrast to McLellan who seemed OK with forwards camping out in the neutral zone and offensive blue line waiting for D to make stretch passes, many that were good for nothing but tipping into the offensive zone.

 

[guymez]

Yes for sure. I never liked that - players spread too far apart. Not enough support.

I hear you.
Speaking of support...the other interesting effect of having more players down low (even along the end boards) is that when you out man the other team in the D zone you have a better chance of coming up with the puck AND you also have excellent puck support as you breakout up ice.
No one is cheating which forces a longer lower percentage pass (loss of possession and icing) on the zone exit.
IIRC we saw that a lot more this season before Hitch arrived.

 

[guymez]

I wouldn't really say he was just rolling lines.

McDavid played most of the night against Eriksson Ek/Fehr/Greenway. I don't think that's something Boudreau was trying to do.

Also the Oilers 4th line basically only played against the Wild's 4th line and feasted on them.

I havent seen the shift charts but by eye he wasnt as committed to matching up McDavid as he was in previous games.
Even McDavids time was down substantially...around 21 minutes. Granted getting the lead early helped that as well.

Its entirely possible that Hitch was sharing minutes with the Brodziak line and the McDavid line against the Wilds top line.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

I hear you.
Speaking of support...the other interesting effect of having more players down low (even along the end boards) is that when you out man the other team in the D zone you have a better chance of coming up with the puck AND you also have excellent puck support as you breakout up ice.
No one is cheating which forces a longer lower percentage pass (loss of possession and icing) on the zone exit.
IIRC we saw that a lot more this season before Hitch arrived.

Yes I agree. We had some shoddy tending we fall behind early and then the players start to cheat for offence and fly the zone plus when we got hemmed in teams broke down our man v man or we just effed up our coverage.

 

[guymez]

Yes I agree. We had some shoddy tending we fall behind early and then the players start to cheat for offence and fly the zone plus when we got hemmed in teams broke down our man v man or we just effed up our coverage.

Yeah...we saw that quite a bit. Good point.
So the players were abandoning the system in order to try and get back in the game. Kind of like a QB whose team has given up a couple of early TD's thinking its best to try and get it all back right away.
I cant imagine TMac was supportive of that approach.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Yeah...we saw that quite a bit. Good point.
So the players were abandoning the system in order to try and get back in the game.
I cant imagine TMac was supportive of that approach.

Impatience kills systems. It’s why Hitch is so demanding when teams he coaches don’t have the puck. As he said, there’s no negotiation when we don’t have the puck. And players have to really buy in.

 

[guymez]

Impatience kills systems. It’s why Hitch is so demanding when teams he coaches don’t have the puck. As he said, there’s no negotiation when we don’t have the puck. And players have to really buy in.

Makes me wonder if TMac wasnt enough of a hard ass with this group. Perhaps that was part of the issue.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Makes me wonder if TMac wasnt enough of a hard ass with this group. Perhaps that was part of the issue.

You know I don’t think he was. I got the distinct impression from him that he was a “players coach”. Very compassionate.

 

[McDNicks17]

I havent seen the shift charts but by eye he wasnt as committed to matching up McDavid as he was in previous games.
Even McDavids time was down substantially...around 21 minutes. Granted getting the lead early helped that as well.

Its entirely possible that Hitch was sharing minutes with the Brodziak line and the McDavid line against the Wilds top line.

Looks like McDavid and RNH split time against Staal and Brodziak matched up against Parise.

 

[guymez]

You know I don’t think he was. I got the distinct impression from him that he was a “players coach”. Very compassionate.

That makes sense to me actually.

So essentially he just lost the room. His systems were possibly too complex for this group and his approach wasnt connecting with them. Not even a different assistant coaching staff could help bridge that gap.

Sounds very much like he might be a better fit for a more experienced Vet team.

 

[guymez]

Looks like McDavid and RNH split time against Staal and Brodziak matched up against Parise.

Interesting. So in essence he kept McDavid away from Parise.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

That makes sense to me actually.

So essentially he just lost the room. His systems were possibly too complex for this group and his approach wasnt connecting with them. Not even a different assistant coaching staff could help bridge that gap.

Sounds very much like he might be a better fit for a more experienced Vet team.

Remember how the team reacted at the end of the Vegas loss? As you said that loss felt different. Lucic on tbe bench that game and in Florida. It sure looked like it was Dead Coach Walking.

If you recall in the World Cup the Tram NA players thought they made the playoffs but they lost the tiebreaker. You’d think the players would know from the coach what they need to do in a game to advance.

I think TMac treated the players like veterans but young players often need a firmer hand and clear communication. Veteran teams tend to look after themselves in a lot of respects.

Not sure TMac was the right coach for this young team.

 

[oobga]

Todd likes the stretch passes. That's a real thing among coaches that haven't evolved with the game. Bylsma did the same to the Pens and Sabres. He loves that play where the D throws the puck to a forward standing around the offensive blue line. Almost every team now understands that possession is #1, Hitch keeps saying it over and over, he realized it a while back too. Todd still likes the dump and chase and plays to just get pucks in the offensive end even if you are giving up possession and had ample opportunity to keep it.

Todd needs to take a step back and do some major learning if he wants to be useful again in the NHL. I'm sure he could do fine if he gets to coach another stacked veteran laden team. Fine, as in making the playoffs and being owned once he gets in. Bummer for the GM that hires him if he ends up wasting the prime years of 4-5 all-stars with Todd like what happened in SJ.

Really, Todd should probably be an assistant for a while again.

 

[guymez]

Remember how the team reacted at the end of the Vegas loss? As you said that loss felt different. Lucic on tbe bench that game and in Florida. It sure looked like it was Dead Coach Walking.

If you recall in the World Cup the Tram NA players thought they made the playoffs but they lost the tiebreaker. You’d think the players would know from the coach what they need to do in a game to advance.

I think TMac treated the players like veterans but young players often need a firmer hand and clear communication. Veteran teams tend to look after themselves in a lot of respects.

Not sure TMac was the right coach for this young team.

Sounds entirely plausible to me.
To extend this a little further it seems to me that the GM should have a sense of what a potential Head coach is bringing and what the team needs so that he can ensure that he is hiring a coach that will fit the players he has assembled.
Its looking like 2016/17 was very much an outlier and that TMac simply wasnt the right fit for this very inexperienced team.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Sounds entirely plausible to me.
To extend this a little further it seems to me that the GM should have a sense of what a potential Head coach is bringing and what the team needs so that he can ensure that he is hiring a coach that will fit the players he has assembled.
Its looking like 2016/17 was very much an outlier and that TMac simply wasnt the right fit for this very inexperienced team.

I was pretty excited over the hiring of TMac. I liked what he did in SJ. The game and pace of the game changed drastically in his tenure here. Not sure he picked up on how to maximize our talent - and minimize flaws - with how the game changed and what our Gm gave him for talent.

 

[guymez]

I was pretty excited over the hiring of TMac. I liked what he did in SJ. The game and pace of the game changed drastically in his tenure here. Not sure he picked up on how to maximize our talent - and minimize flaws - with how the game changed and what our Gm gave him for talent.

For sure.
Its tough when your GM is downgrading the talent and experience level at the same time. Just look at the wings for example.

Another interesting aspect of Hitch's influence is that he sure seems like he will maximize the mid grade talent on the team which might mean that the GM (whoever that is) will be able to sell high instead of low when making a trade.
The only thing is that for those who want to see Chiarelli gone the Hitch hiring (assuming he is successful) might just mess that up.

 

[BlackDogg]

It seems to me that TMac had the centre (by and large) playing higher in the D zone than Hitch is doing at the moment.
Am I recalling that correctly?

Noticing this actually allows 97 to get even more speed before he gets to center and they can't react. Take for instance that Calgary goal in game 1 last year.