BluesSK wrote:This is pretty common knowledge but any player has to earn the trust of Hitch before they are put in positions of responsibility.

Hitch hasn't seen these young guys play enough to earn the time some people feel they should receive. The more experience they get the more responsibility they earn (or not as it may be in some cases).

He's got over 700 wins, he knows how to coach. Whether or not he should be coaching the Blues anymore isn't because he's not a great coach.

Well said

David Backes has FIVE playoff goals in his entire career...what has he done to prove anything other than he can beat up his own teammates?

MissouriMook wrote:

bradleygt89 wrote:...for DP...

You shut your whore mouth!

Sid and Malkin were both plus players until DP became their line-mate....true story.

CaptSMRT wrote:David Backes has FIVE playoff goals in his entire career...what has he done to prove anything other than he can beat up his own teammates?

NOTHING! If Army has any sense left he'll get rid of Backes and TJ "No show" Oshie!

I don't think you need to make drastic changes. Send a message. Get rid of Capt Canine and this team will be better instantly.

MissouriMook wrote:

bradleygt89 wrote:...for DP...

You shut your whore mouth!

I wonder if Stillman is looking at this picture.

CaptSMRT wrote:Trade Backes for Perron straight up.

Backes can punch Crosby and Perron could pass to himself. Fair trade.

CaptSMRT wrote:David Backes has FIVE playoff goals in his entire career...what has he done to prove anything other than he can beat up his own teammates?

I am not convinced it is entirely his fault. I am not knowledgeable enough about hockey to act like I can pin point exactly what he is doing wrong, but I think Hitchcock has at least some blame in this. My reasoning below:

1) Pretty much NO ONE (outside Tarasenko and Shattenkirk) live up to regular season production in the playoffs. How can an entire team go SO dry? I question their heart and leadership and call for coach AND core player changes, but culture starts with management. Even if the coach is the best coach in the league, he might not be the right fit personality and/or playbook wise for a given team.

2) Look at Stastny in 2014 playoffs versus Wild, and then in 2015 playoffs versus Wild. The guy went from 10 points in 7 games, to 1 point in 6 games in one season. He really didn't do anything wrong that someone can point to, either. He just didn't produce and the difference in points has to make you wonder. The Avalanche dropped from 112 points to 90 points after the loss of Stastny, in just one season. Obviously there are other factors, but the guy obviously should have a positive impact on the team, and he really didn't here. Perhaps whatever is causing the drop off in points is limiting Backes' production as well.

warpig2003 wrote:

CaptSMRT wrote:David Backes has FIVE playoff goals in his entire career...what has he done to prove anything other than he can beat up his own teammates?

I am not convinced it is entirely his fault. I am not knowledgeable enough about hockey to act like I can pin point exactly what he is doing wrong, but I think Hitchcock has at least some blame in this. My reasoning below:

1) Pretty much NO ONE (outside Tarasenko and Shattenkirk) live up to regular season production in the playoffs. How can an entire team go SO dry? I question their heart and leadership and call for coach AND core player changes, but culture starts with management. Even if the coach is the best coach in the league, he might not be the right fit personality and/or playbook wise for a given team.

2) Look at Stastny in 2014 playoffs versus Wild, and then in 2015 playoffs versus Wild. The guy went from 10 points in 7 games, to 1 point in 6 games in one season. He really didn't do anything wrong that someone can point to, either. He just didn't produce and the difference in points has to make you wonder. The Avalanche dropped from 112 points to 90 points after the loss of Stastny, in just one season. Obviously there are other factors, but the guy obviously should have a positive impact on the team, and he really didn't here. Perhaps whatever is causing the drop off in points is limiting Backes' production as well.

yep, that's why I think it is more on Hitch/DA/coaching than it is on just the players. We have this mis-mash of skill players and mucker grinders, and have gone from underdogs to 'contenders'.

I think you said something earlier, about culture, and to me that goes with identity. This team just doesn't have an identity that isn't 'forced'. We always here about buying into Hitch's system, but perhaps his system is right for the players counted on to produce. If we had a team of Sobis and Otts, yes, Hitch seems like the right guy. But for a team with more skill, it appears, from my layman's perspective, that it just doesn't work right.

Turk Sanderson wrote:

MissouriMook wrote:

bradleygt89 wrote:...for DP...

You shut your whore mouth!

Sid and Malkin were both plus players until DP became their line-mate....true story.

Proving once again that Perron hasn't changed his puck hogging style.

barnburner wrote:

Turk Sanderson wrote:

MissouriMook wrote:
You shut your whore mouth!

Sid and Malkin were both plus players until DP became their line-mate....true story.

Proving once again that Perron hasn't changed his puck hogging style.

How does +/- prove anything other than they were on the ice for more/less goals for than goals against? What an odd connection to make.

In the playoffs, Perron had less giveaways than Malkin (7) and the same as Crosby (2).

He was second on the team in takeaways (2) to Malkin (3).

warpig2003 wrote:

CaptSMRT wrote:David Backes has FIVE playoff goals in his entire career...what has he done to prove anything other than he can beat up his own teammates?

I am not convinced it is entirely his fault. I am not knowledgeable enough about hockey to act like I can pin point exactly what he is doing wrong, but I think Hitchcock has at least some blame in this. My reasoning below:

1) Pretty much NO ONE (outside Tarasenko and Shattenkirk) live up to regular season production in the playoffs. How can an entire team go SO dry? I question their heart and leadership and call for coach AND core player changes, but culture starts with management. Even if the coach is the best coach in the league, he might not be the right fit personality and/or playbook wise for a given team.

2) Look at Stastny in 2014 playoffs versus Wild, and then in 2015 playoffs versus Wild. The guy went from 10 points in 7 games, to 1 point in 6 games in one season. He really didn't do anything wrong that someone can point to, either. He just didn't produce and the difference in points has to make you wonder. The Avalanche dropped from 112 points to 90 points after the loss of Stastny, in just one season. Obviously there are other factors, but the guy obviously should have a positive impact on the team, and he really didn't here. Perhaps whatever is causing the drop off in points is limiting Backes' production as well.

Nailed it.

Watch the games, and look at how far back David and Paul are when back-checking series after series. Don't get me wrong, I like centers who play the whole ice well, but man it's tough skate the full length of the ice and be a consistent scoring threat. They also play high a lot in the offensive zone, again to stay in a defensive posture, but it limits their scoring chances.

Of course on the flip side, you have Jori's line playing a very aggressive offensive game, and getting scored on right and left.

IMO, our defensive corp is our biggest problem. Bort gave us a glimpse of what solid stand-up, physical play from the blueline can add, unfortunately he was injured and we just didn't have enough to go around. I'm done with skating 5 transition defenders.

Hockey Pete wrote:

warpig2003 wrote:

CaptSMRT wrote:David Backes has FIVE playoff goals in his entire career...what has he done to prove anything other than he can beat up his own teammates?

I am not convinced it is entirely his fault. I am not knowledgeable enough about hockey to act like I can pin point exactly what he is doing wrong, but I think Hitchcock has at least some blame in this. My reasoning below:

1) Pretty much NO ONE (outside Tarasenko and Shattenkirk) live up to regular season production in the playoffs. How can an entire team go SO dry? I question their heart and leadership and call for coach AND core player changes, but culture starts with management. Even if the coach is the best coach in the league, he might not be the right fit personality and/or playbook wise for a given team.

2) Look at Stastny in 2014 playoffs versus Wild, and then in 2015 playoffs versus Wild. The guy went from 10 points in 7 games, to 1 point in 6 games in one season. He really didn't do anything wrong that someone can point to, either. He just didn't produce and the difference in points has to make you wonder. The Avalanche dropped from 112 points to 90 points after the loss of Stastny, in just one season. Obviously there are other factors, but the guy obviously should have a positive impact on the team, and he really didn't here. Perhaps whatever is causing the drop off in points is limiting Backes' production as well.

Nailed it.

Watch the games, and look at how far back David and Paul are when back-checking series after series. Don't get me wrong, I like centers who play the whole ice well, but man it's tough skate the full length of the ice and be a consistent scoring threat. They also play high a lot in the offensive zone, again to stay in a defensive posture, but it limits their scoring chances.

Of course on the flip side, you have Jori's line playing a very aggressive offensive game, and getting scored on right and left.

IMO, our defensive corp is our biggest problem. Bort gave us a glimpse of what solid stand-up, physical play from the blueline can add, unfortunately he was injured and we just didn't have enough to go around. I'm done with skating 5 transition defenders.

Like I said the other day, if Hitch stays I want to see him knock 75 feet off of this 200 foot game of his. Knock 'em off the puck at the blue-line and turn the puck around there....enough with this red-carpet treatment.

CaptSMRT wrote:Next season will be different.

Yes, next year when Charlie Brown runs up to kick the ball, Lucy won't pull it out of the way!!111!1!!1!!1!!1

I can't wait!

Turk Sanderson wrote:Youth is always a gamble, and Hitch is not a gambler. He'd rather play someone older, who he knows ain't going to score (Steve Ott), but plays strong on the puck and is defensibly responsible...than to take a gamble on youth,and possibly have a defensive breakdown. It's who he is, and we wont see an offensive driven team here as long as he's driving the train. I don't think that he hates youth, per se, he's afraid of the defensive breakdowns that come with young players.

See rolling an ineffective Amac out there against LA over Tarasenko.

JesusNEVERexisted wrote:I can't believe they are dumb enough to bring Hitch back. His best PLAYOFF coaching days are behind him. 1-7 in the last last 8 playoff series and 12-24 in his last 36 playoff games.

Asking Hitch to come back is like asking to board the Titanic!

Can you provide some more background info on those playoff series? Things like the team he coached, their record that season and the season before. Who they played and how that team did in the playoffs.

Thanks.