Guy Boucher hired as Ottawa's head coach + Crawford signed as assistant

wprager wrote:

Oglethorpe wrote:

Flo The Action wrote:I'm still divided about what we have here. The D is a work in progress and always an injury away from a disaster. Nothing good to look at on the third pairing. The top 6 is getting there but a really big question marks on the left side. the 3rd line is ok but it's likely going to drop off since there is no possible way zach smoth comes close to reproducing his success and we are going to need a replacement for Chiasson that can score in the right
Hoffman is likely getting dealt and I really doubt we will get something back that can help us in the same respect.
So no I'm not sure we have a better team to be honest.

First off no team has a great third pairing.  Secondly, Zachary Smith certainly has a chance to come close to 20 again, he might not do it but there is a chance.  Lastly, how the hell do you know Hoffman is likely to be dealt, Dorion has no track record for you to base this on.  

I actually assumed the comment about the third pairing was facetious.  The reason your top-pairing guys are supposed to be playing 25+ minutes is so that you don't have to rely on your third-pairing for more than 6-10 minutes, against the other team's worst line.  Any team whose biggest issue is to improve their third pairing is probably a Cup contender.

spader wrote:

wprager wrote:

Oglethorpe wrote:

Flo The Action wrote:I'm still divided about what we have here. The D is a work in progress and always an injury away from a disaster. Nothing good to look at on the third pairing. The top 6 is getting there but a really big question marks on the left side. the 3rd line is ok but it's likely going to drop off since there is no possible way zach smoth comes close to reproducing his success and we are going to need a replacement for Chiasson that can score in the right
Hoffman is likely getting dealt and I really doubt we will get something back that can help us in the same respect.
So no I'm not sure we have a better team to be honest.

First off no team has a great third pairing.  Secondly, Zachary Smith certainly has a chance to come close to 20 again, he might not do it but there is a chance.  Lastly, how the hell do you know Hoffman is likely to be dealt, Dorion has no track record for you to base this on.  

I actually assumed the comment about the third pairing was facetious.  The reason your top-pairing guys are supposed to be playing 25+ minutes is so that you don't have to rely on your third-pairing for more than 6-10 minutes, against the other team's worst line.  Any team whose biggest issue is to improve their third pairing is probably a Cup contender.

Can you find a team that plays it's third pairing under 10 minutes?

SpezDispensed wrote:Perhaps Dorion always wanted to use analytics?  I wouldn't be surprised at all.  Murray was a good builder, but he didn't appear to use analytics the way some of the successful GMs were and perhaps he was stuck in a bit of a rut.

I think we all knew we needed fresh blood in the GM position.

wprager wrote:

spader wrote:

wprager wrote:

Oglethorpe wrote:

Flo The Action wrote:I'm still divided about what we have here. The D is a work in progress and always an injury away from a disaster. Nothing good to look at on the third pairing. The top 6 is getting there but a really big question marks on the left side. the 3rd line is ok but it's likely going to drop off since there is no possible way zach smoth comes close to reproducing his success and we are going to need a replacement for Chiasson that can score in the right
Hoffman is likely getting dealt and I really doubt we will get something back that can help us in the same respect.
So no I'm not sure we have a better team to be honest.

First off no team has a great third pairing.  Secondly, Zachary Smith certainly has a chance to come close to 20 again, he might not do it but there is a chance.  Lastly, how the hell do you know Hoffman is likely to be dealt, Dorion has no track record for you to base this on.  

I actually assumed the comment about the third pairing was facetious.  The reason your top-pairing guys are supposed to be playing 25+ minutes is so that you don't have to rely on your third-pairing for more than 6-10 minutes, against the other team's worst line.  Any team whose biggest issue is to improve their third pairing is probably a Cup contender.

Can you find a team that plays it's third pairing under 10 minutes?

Chicago Blackhawks, 2014-2015, all the way to the Stanley Cup.

DirtyDave wrote:

wprager wrote:

spader wrote:

wprager wrote:

Oglethorpe wrote:

Flo The Action wrote:I'm still divided about what we have here. The D is a work in progress and always an injury away from a disaster. Nothing good to look at on the third pairing. The top 6 is getting there but a really big question marks on the left side. the 3rd line is ok but it's likely going to drop off since there is no possible way zach smoth comes close to reproducing his success and we are going to need a replacement for Chiasson that can score in the right
Hoffman is likely getting dealt and I really doubt we will get something back that can help us in the same respect.
So no I'm not sure we have a better team to be honest.

First off no team has a great third pairing.  Secondly, Zachary Smith certainly has a chance to come close to 20 again, he might not do it but there is a chance.  Lastly, how the hell do you know Hoffman is likely to be dealt, Dorion has no track record for you to base this on.  

I actually assumed the comment about the third pairing was facetious.  The reason your top-pairing guys are supposed to be playing 25+ minutes is so that you don't have to rely on your third-pairing for more than 6-10 minutes, against the other team's worst line.  Any team whose biggest issue is to improve their third pairing is probably a Cup contender.

Can you find a team that plays it's third pairing under 10 minutes?

Chicago Blackhawks, 2014-2015, all the way to the Stanley Cup.

Which player? 307 defencemen played in the nhl in 2014-15. Only only 7 players averaged less than 10 min of ice time.

wprager wrote:

spader wrote:

wprager wrote:

Oglethorpe wrote:

Flo The Action wrote:I'm still divided about what we have here. The D is a work in progress and always an injury away from a disaster. Nothing good to look at on the third pairing. The top 6 is getting there but a really big question marks on the left side. the 3rd line is ok but it's likely going to drop off since there is no possible way zach smoth comes close to reproducing his success and we are going to need a replacement for Chiasson that can score in the right
Hoffman is likely getting dealt and I really doubt we will get something back that can help us in the same respect.
So no I'm not sure we have a better team to be honest.

First off no team has a great third pairing.  Secondly, Zachary Smith certainly has a chance to come close to 20 again, he might not do it but there is a chance.  Lastly, how the hell do you know Hoffman is likely to be dealt, Dorion has no track record for you to base this on.  

I actually assumed the comment about the third pairing was facetious.  The reason your top-pairing guys are supposed to be playing 25+ minutes is so that you don't have to rely on your third-pairing for more than 6-10 minutes, against the other team's worst line.  Any team whose biggest issue is to improve their third pairing is probably a Cup contender.

Can you find a team that plays it's third pairing under 10 minutes?

Chicago Blackhawks, 2014-2015, all the way to the Stanley Cup.

DirtyDave wrote:

wprager wrote:

spader wrote:

wprager wrote:

Oglethorpe wrote:

Flo The Action wrote:I'm still divided about what we have here. The D is a work in progress and always an injury away from a disaster. Nothing good to look at on the third pairing. The top 6 is getting there but a really big question marks on the left side. the 3rd line is ok but it's likely going to drop off since there is no possible way zach smoth comes close to reproducing his success and we are going to need a replacement for Chiasson that can score in the right
Hoffman is likely getting dealt and I really doubt we will get something back that can help us in the same respect.
So no I'm not sure we have a better team to be honest.

First off no team has a great third pairing.  Secondly, Zachary Smith certainly has a chance to come close to 20 again, he might not do it but there is a chance.  Lastly, how the hell do you know Hoffman is likely to be dealt, Dorion has no track record for you to base this on.  

I actually assumed the comment about the third pairing was facetious.  The reason your top-pairing guys are supposed to be playing 25+ minutes is so that you don't have to rely on your third-pairing for more than 6-10 minutes, against the other team's worst line.  Any team whose biggest issue is to improve their third pairing is probably a Cup contender.

Can you find a team that plays it's third pairing under 10 minutes?

Chicago Blackhawks, 2014-2015, all the way to the Stanley Cup.

Which player? 307 defencemen played in the nhl in 2014-15. Only only 7 players averaged less than 10 min of ice time.

Hoags wrote:

As for analytics, Dorion already hired someone part time last year to crunch some numbers

wprager wrote:

DirtyDave wrote:

wprager wrote:

spader wrote:

wprager wrote:

Oglethorpe wrote:

Flo The Action wrote:I'm still divided about what we have here. The D is a work in progress and always an injury away from a disaster. Nothing good to look at on the third pairing. The top 6 is getting there but a really big question marks on the left side. the 3rd line is ok but it's likely going to drop off since there is no possible way zach smoth comes close to reproducing his success and we are going to need a replacement for Chiasson that can score in the right
Hoffman is likely getting dealt and I really doubt we will get something back that can help us in the same respect.
So no I'm not sure we have a better team to be honest.

First off no team has a great third pairing.  Secondly, Zachary Smith certainly has a chance to come close to 20 again, he might not do it but there is a chance.  Lastly, how the hell do you know Hoffman is likely to be dealt, Dorion has no track record for you to base this on.  

I actually assumed the comment about the third pairing was facetious.  The reason your top-pairing guys are supposed to be playing 25+ minutes is so that you don't have to rely on your third-pairing for more than 6-10 minutes, against the other team's worst line.  Any team whose biggest issue is to improve their third pairing is probably a Cup contender.

Can you find a team that plays it's third pairing under 10 minutes?

Chicago Blackhawks, 2014-2015, all the way to the Stanley Cup.

Which player? 307 defencemen played in the nhl in 2014-15. Only only 7 players averaged less than 10 min of ice time.

2014-15 playoffs, Chicago had 4 D-men who averaged less than 10 minutes per game.  Timonen played 18 games averaging 8:39 per game.

Plus don't take every thing I say so literally.  Point was your third pairing guys are not expected to play a lot or against tough competition.  You don't usually win or lose on the strength of your third pairing.  If you are losing because your third pairing sucks then you change them for  two new guys who don't.  There are enough of those players around and they typically don't cost a lot.

Flo The Action wrote:The more interview I hear with guy the more I'm starting to think I pegged him wrong. Then again these are just words and they have to translate into actions.
He sure is saying all the right things.

I'm not a big fan of analytics but I think a certain measure of use is good in evaluating the team.
Could this be a new turn for Dorion with Boucher?

Hoags wrote:Benoit Groulx going to coach the Syracuse Crunch

Hoags wrote:Benoit Groulx going to coach the Syracuse Crunch

Michallica wrote:I saw the press conference and gotta say Guy Boucher is great to listen to.  Good public speaker, I can see why his interview must have been so impressive.  

On the flip side, I like Dorion but man he needs some coaching on public speaking.  He's gotta stop reading from a paper, it's amateur.  And he screws up his lines while reading too.