Tmac vs Hitch (what is Hitch doing different than Tmac)

guymez

The Seldom Seen Kid
Mar 3, 2004
32,644
12,154
Amazing that when TM played Drai and McDavid together, he got BBQ'd by some people on here for not spreading them out, but now that Hitch plus them together, they say, "Well, what else can he do?"

Same with mixing the lines, not matching lines properly,playing goalies when they thought the other guy should be in, etc, etc....

lol.

I think that there were a lot of people in denial on here that thought the roster was a secondary problem and that TMac was the main problem.
They were wrong. The roster was far and away the main problem...coaching was well down the list if it was a problem at all.
 

Bryanbryoil

Pray For Ukraine
Sep 13, 2004
85,950
34,069
I think that there were a lot of people in denial on here that thought the roster was a secondary problem and that TMac was the main problem.
They were wrong. The roster was far and away the main problem...coaching was well down the list if it was a problem at all.

I was one of them, mind you I don't think that Hitch has provided the team with the coaching that they need either.

When Hitch said that the coaches can't want it more than the players, that may have been because he wants to be here beyond this season and that is not an option minus an epic turnaround.
 

guymez

The Seldom Seen Kid
Mar 3, 2004
32,644
12,154
I was one of them, mind you I don't think that Hitch has provided the team with the coaching that they need either.

When Hitch said that the coaches can't want it more than the players, that may have been because he wants to be here beyond this season and that is not an option minus an epic turnaround.

I think Hitch said that out of frustration. I say that because he backtracked big time the next day.
It reminded me of the Heart transplant comment that Orville Tessier said when the glory days Oilers pummeled the BlackHawks.
Its never good when the coach questions the heart of his players and thats what Hitch did.

Ths issue I have with Hitch is that this team is beaten down and very fragile. I think thats when you build them up and Hitch is continuing to beat them down. He needs to re-calibrate his approach IMO.
For what its worth I think there is more of a chance of Hitch stepping down this season than there is of him coming back next season.
 

oobga

Tier 2 Fan
Aug 1, 2003
22,936
17,813
Amazing that when TM played Drai and McDavid together, he got BBQ'd by some people on here for not spreading them out, but now that Hitch plus them together, they say, "Well, what else can he do?"

Same with mixing the lines, not matching lines properly,playing goalies when they thought the other guy should be in, etc, etc....

lol.

I definitely owe McLellan an apology. Hitch actually seems to be getting less out of his roster than he did. McDavid is a <50% goals for 5v5 player under him, which is nuts.

Saw some hilarious numbers comparing Hitch and McLellan this year for depth scoring.

McLellan got 17 goals in 20 games that McDavid, Drai or Nuge didn't get a point on. Hitch has 13 of such goals in 38 games!!
 
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Niten Ichi Ryu

Registered User
Jul 1, 2018
1,699
2,059
He can resign at any time.

I was really hoping he would've resigned if they went 0-3 on the road trip, which they did.
The team looks absolutely miserable playing for a coach they have no respect for anymore.

If Ken didn't interfere with the development on Puljujarvi, he'd be in Bakersfield right now, on the top line, playing 15-20 minutes a night, experiencing a 15 game streak, winning culture. Instead he gets called up, only to become his whipping boy whenever the wind blows the wrong way, giving him less than 10 minutes a night with zero confidence in his game, on a team that has completely sunk to the bottom of the standings. Prompting his agent to request a trade

Post all-star break is McDavid's world. The previous 2 seasons, he takes over the Art Ross race in Feb/March and just completely owns the league. But he has 1 point in his last 3 games, has fallen far behind Kucherov, and looks unmotivated playing in this outdated Hitchcock system.

Drake Caggiula became an expendable piece in Hitchcock's eyes, probably just because of his lack of size, as that's Ken's niche. In a league where size is now becoming a liability, with speed and skill becoming more prominent, which Drake had. He's now playing with Patrick Kane on a team that's re-surging their way back into the playoffs.

Koskinen hasn't gotten a win ever since Ken called him out "We need a save". They sign him to a 3 year extension, and Hitch plays him once in 5 games after the all star break, which set back his game a bit, as we're witnessing right now

If not for McDavid, and Koskinen's ground-breaking performance at home during that 9-2-2 stretch, I'm scared to think just how far into 31st place we would be since he took over

And of course, the public lashing of his entire team, "the coach can't want it more than the players", which was an obvious 'don't blame me, the team just sucks' statement. Which is beyond cowardly. Everyone knows the flaws of this roster, everyone. But as the head coach of this team, a franchise under severe scrutiny and pressure, he should be protecting his players. Bullets are getting fired at this franchise from all angles, and he's just moving out of the way. Or better yet, he's taking out his rifle and joining in on the roast
 

Tyrolean

Registered User
Feb 1, 2004
9,625
724
You can't change this mess of a team overnight. Season was lost when Klef went down. It's going to take at least 2-3 years to get back up if all goes according to plan of the new GM.
 

McVirginOil

Registered User
Jun 30, 2014
3,078
1,751
I hate TMac but at least the Oilers were analytically okay and actually scored goals with him in charge. Hitchcock is very old-fashioned and touts analytics for the fans, McLellan disliked analytics even when he accidentally endorsed it (shot volume, etc.)
 
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Stoneman89

Registered User
Feb 8, 2008
27,204
21,401
TM came from a high octane fast paced, offensive system, and he had the team to do it. Sure, they crapped the bed in the playoffs, as they’ve continued to do in every year he’s been gone except for one, but they were always highly competitive and fun to watch. I’m sure he expected with a team that had McDavid, Hall, Drai, Eberle and Nuge on it, that it could be moulded into a similar situation down the road, only with a goalie to get them over the top. Chia had different aspirations and went with a slow heavy group just as the league was headed to the Chicago model. TM predictably was not a fit for this outfit after the changes were made, and the lack of talent and losing eventually just wore him down. Sad to see.
 

oobga

Tier 2 Fan
Aug 1, 2003
22,936
17,813
I hate TMac but at least the Oilers were analytically okay and actually scored goals with him in charge. Hitchcock is very old-fashioned and touts analytics for the fans, McLellan disliked analytics even when he accidentally endorsed it (shot volume, etc.)

I honestly have a hard time even watching Hitch's pressers anymore. That was never the case with McLellan. I disliked a lot of what McLellan would say, but he was at least honest about how he saw things. Hitch, I feel like I'm being lied too way too often now. There was the early gratification for me as a hopeful fan that my trash team could still be decent this year. He was saying what we all wanted to hear, painting pretty pictures, tossing the old guy under the bus selling how great stuff will be in just a week or 2. Didn't work out. Now he's just all over the place, and his words are so out of line with his actions all the time. Just not enjoyable to watch anymore.

Maybe if the team was winning it would be more fun. Babcock kind of does the same thing, maybe in a different way though. He messes with media, rarely shows his hand, misdirects all the time. But, who cares as long as his team is winning, the fans can laugh at the media not getting the scoops they wish for. When your team is losing though, and the guy blowing smoke is clearly frustrated up on the stage, not pleasant.
 

Stoneman89

Registered User
Feb 8, 2008
27,204
21,401
Where are the people now that wanted “Hitch for mayor!”, and thought he was so much better because he said “all the things they wanted to hear”, and made them feel so much better?:D
 
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space321

Registered User
May 11, 2011
6,075
1,899
Where are the people now that wanted “Hitch for mayor!”, and thought he was so much better because he said “all the things they wanted to hear”, and made them feel so much better?:D

Lol that shit was hilarious. Hitchcock's like "I know how to fix this team, I'm gonna get the players to play FOR each other" and a bunch of other cliches. I don't know how people listened to that without rolling their eyes.

Hitchcock wasn't, and still isn't, the right coach for this team. If we were treading water going .500 I worry Hitchcock would've been extended, but good thing we've completely shit the bed lol (which I think Hitchcock is a big reason for, his coaching style just doesn't work when the players aren't good enough).
 
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Del Preston

Registered User
Mar 8, 2013
63,171
78,954
“We know we have to go on an a run. Of all the teams around there I feel like our team is playing the best. We’re not winning, but we’re playing the best. Eventually, it’s going to have to translate into wins. You can’t keep living off of, ‘We’re playing well.’ You have to take the next step, but five of the last six games are the best we’ve played in a long time.”
nsnkNFY.gif
 

Aerchon

Registered User
Jul 20, 2011
10,491
3,668
I think that there were a lot of people in denial on here that thought the roster was a secondary problem and that TMac was the main problem.
They were wrong. The roster was far and away the main problem...coaching was well down the list if it was a problem at all.

This is just wrong. Wrong as wrong gets.

Last year 5v5 scoring was fine. The roster, outside of significant injuries, was fine.

The PP sucked. The penalty kill sucked. Talbot sucked and the coach kept playing him and playing him. The MCBLENDER is stupid. He played Lucic in every situation no matter how much he struggled. He refused to play Jessie in a top 6 tole. The systems seem flawed with how the nhl has changed as well.

The coaching was very very obviously a huge issue last year. McLellan was doing everything exactly the same as the successfull previous year to the point of ridiculousness.

This year. Even after an offseason of reflection McLellan came back and just attempted to keep ramming that square peg in to that round hole.

While this year is different in many ways McLellans coaching needed to go.

However a continuing big problem is that Hitchcock coached almost exactly like McLellan. Almost all the issues from last year are still issues this year.

I see little difference in coaching between Hitch and McLellan and that's a problem. Both have mindsets that do not work well with this roster in the current nhl environment.
 

guymez

The Seldom Seen Kid
Mar 3, 2004
32,644
12,154
This is just wrong. Wrong as wrong gets.

Last year 5v5 scoring was fine. The roster, outside of significant injuries, was fine.

The PP sucked. The penalty kill sucked. Talbot sucked and the coach kept playing him and playing him. The MCBLENDER is stupid. He played Lucic in every situation no matter how much he struggled. He refused to play Jessie in a top 6 tole. The systems seem flawed with how the nhl has changed as well.

The coaching was very very obviously a huge issue last year. McLellan was doing everything exactly the same as the successfull previous year to the point of ridiculousness.

This year. Even after an offseason of reflection McLellan came back and just attempted to keep ramming that square peg in to that round hole.

While this year is different in many ways McLellans coaching needed to go.

However a continuing big problem is that Hitchcock coached almost exactly like McLellan. Almost all the issues from last year are still issues this year.

I see little difference in coaching between Hitch and McLellan and that's a problem. Both have mindsets that do not work well with this roster in the current nhl environment.

Your memory is failing you. Its fine to be all brazen and boldly declare that someone is wrong but you need to do a little more due diligence first.

The PP and PK was inconsistent. Go back and take a look at the difference between the road and home special teams. This was a team with no identity...or at least a team that couldnt maintain an identity long enough to be successful. It was inconsistent.
That to me speaks roster.

Just look at this season...same roster...same results.
Yup...must be coaching.
 

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