Time for Coaching Change (Not the ToddFather)

[Busted Chops]

Preface: The Kings are much more fun to watch this season and they really are doing better than the last several seasons and likely also better than we expected.

That said, here we are knowing this team should be doing better than they are. They very consistently outshoot their opponents and they are getting good chances. And they also are near the bottom of the league in special teams. The Kings struggle mightily to score goals - consistently.

If the Kings could score just a little bit more frequently and consistently, they could be a top team in the league. There is no issue getting shots off. There are plenty of high-danger chances for. They just cannot seem to get the puck past the goalie. If they were able to do so, the other teams would back off a little bit to defend more and therefore they would score a little bit less. The result would be more wins for the Kings.

I have to wonder if they actually spend much time in practice (or even individually) working on shooting and getting the puck past the goalies. The system seems fine, but the finish is horrible.

This brings us to Sturm and Yawney. Yawney is an old TMac crony who didn't really have much success in EDM when he was there. Sturm may have been good when he was in Germany, but it looks like a case of the Peter Principal here in the NHL. He just cannot coach an effective power play or penalty kill at this level.

We HAVE the talent on this team. There is no reason the King's top scorers should have numbers that are inferior compared to the 2nd tier players on other teams in the league, yet here we are, again.

We can all complain about Kopi and Drew having their best days behind them, but the scoring woes cannot be placed solely on them, because their best days actually are behind them.

Guys like Arvi, Kaliyev, Turcotte, Kupari, AI and Kempe all should be scoring more than they are, especially with how well they seem to be playing when scoring is taken out of the equation. In other words, they are playing good, but they just are not scoring as much as they should based on the rest of their play. They are playing good enough to score more, but the scoring isn't there. WHY???? Do they suck at shooting?

My opinion is that the coaches, Yawney and Sturm, are not focusing on it. TMac gets a pass with me for now because he is responsible for the overall systems, line combos, and the bigger picture stuff. The Asst. coaches are supposed to focus on the finer details with each player and that looks to be where things get a little ragged. PP-1 is cluster. PK is very timid and collapses way too quickly, and has issues with what should be easy clears. 5 on 5, our "scorers" miss open nets, shoot straight into the crest, or look for the pass when the obvious shot is there.

I think it is time for an assistant coaching shake up.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Helvetica]

You're telling me that the Kings coaching staff isn't practicing enough scoring?

 

[jammer06]

Who used to do those breakdowns on point generated shots vs other? Curious how the kings are stacking up these days.

 

[DryKing]

Guys like Arvi, Kaliyev, Turcotte, Kupari, AI and Kempe all should be scoring more than they are, especially with how well they seem to be playing when scoring is taken out of the equation. In other words, they are playing good, but they just are not scoring as much as they should based on the rest of their play. They are playing good enough to score more, but the scoring isn't there. WHY???? Do they suck at shooting?

Kempe is currently at an elite shooting percentage this season (14.9%) so I would remove him from the equation. Kaliyev, Turcotte and Kupari and still learning their NHL game so it's not surprising they aren't lighting the lamp that regularly right now. Arvidsson has been poor at scoring goals the last two seasons (in terms of shooting percentage), where he excels is getting in proper position to generate shots on goal and potential rebound opportunities as a result.

I don't think it comes down to a lack of coaching, but rather both a symptom of having a young team and a focus on building the fundamentals that will provide value each game. We should see scoring naturally increase as many of our rookies gain footing in the NHL. That said, I really don't know enough to evaluate Yawney and Strum but at the end it all falls on TMac. In regards to TMac I have never been a fan but must admit he is doing well this season and we've seen a lot of progress over the last two.

 

[JEEPKING]

Fire Van Boxmeer!!

 

[kingnut]

Kempe is currently at an elite shooting percentage this season (14.9%) so I would remove him from the equation. Kaliyev, Turcotte and Kupari and still learning their NHL game so it's not surprising they aren't lighting the lamp that regularly right now. Arvidsson has been poor at scoring goals the last two seasons (in terms of shooting percentage), where he excels is getting in proper position to generate shots on goal and potential rebound opportunities as a result.

I don't think it comes down to a lack of coaching, but rather both a symptom of having a young team and a focus on building the fundamentals that will provide value each game. We should see scoring naturally increase as many of our rookies gain footing in the NHL. That said, I really don't know enough to evaluate Yawney and Strum but at the end it all falls on TMac. In regards to TMac I have never been a fan but must admit he is doing well this season and we've seen a lot of progress over the last two.

Agreed. That said, how long does an evaluation process take/"gain footing? Seems as though there arent enough min to evaluate all the current prospects. Additionally with the cupboard being full so to speak, when do you start making a splash in trade or FA? This team looks to be close to, especially after seeing how Byfield looked last night.

 

[Clif]

Special teams are dreadful so I’m not opposed to a new assistant or two at all, but that’s an offseason move. If they go that direction I hope they’d bring up a younger coach who’s showing promise in the development leagues or college level.

 

[John a90]

Fire Van Boxmeer!!

Only us old timers would know what or who you're referring to
Having gone by other names before, I remember your statement very well.

 

[VCRW]

The problem with the power play is not with the coaches nor with the system. Responsibility for the suckage rests on the players.

The older PP guys have been through innumerable offensive coaches and produced similar unsatisfying results.

If it's a system problem, then why does the #2 PP unit often look so much better than #1 ?

Let's stop blaming the guys who aren't even on the ice for putting the other team's penalty killers to sleep.

 

[Pevsfreedom]

The problem with the power play is not with the coaches nor with the system. Responsibility for the suckage rests on the players.

The older PP guys have been through innumerable offensive coaches and produced similar unsatisfying results.

If it's a system problem, then why does the #2 PP unit often look so much better than #1 ?

Let's stop blaming the guys who aren't even on the ice for putting the other team's penalty killers to sleep.

Honestly Im relieved to know the core should be retiring here soonish and new blood will have a chance to thrive.

 

[DryKing]

Agreed. That said, how long does an evaluation process take/"gain footing? Seems as though there arent enough min to evaluate all the current prospects. Additionally with the cupboard being full so to speak, when do you start making a splash in trade or FA? This team looks to be close to, especially after seeing how Byfield looked last night.

Agreed and it feels like we are overdue to start leveraging our assets through trades to build the team which we will move forward with. With such a mix of vets (bringing in additional last off season improved the team but also made the puzzle that much more complicated) and rookies it really is a question on how do we get the rookies enough playing time to properly evaluate. Maybe that is partially why players like JAD and Vilardi have been stuck in the AHL as the Kings already have a good idea of where they stand in the organizations future.

The problem with the power play is not with the coaches nor with the system. Responsibility for the suckage rests on the players.

The older PP guys have been through innumerable offensive coaches and produced similar unsatisfying results.

If it's a system problem, then why does the #2 PP unit often look so much better than #1 ?

Let's stop blaming the guys who aren't even on the ice for putting the other team's penalty killers to sleep.

I do, however, blame the coaches for continually giving minutes to PP1 at the expense of PP2 regardless of PP2 outperforming the top unit. Now they've tried to integrate parts of PP2 into PP1 but why mess with something that is working and instead just promoting the better unit to the top role? Seems to be to theme this season in and out of special teams where we stick with players based on their names or past deeds instead of their current effectiveness, even when being outperformed by others.

 

[Rogie-Vachon]

Ya know - all I notice is that the KINGS pass the puck a ton better - and they make amazing plays - and the opposing goalies makes incredible saves.

The game basically turns on an amazing stop by their goalies. The Avs game was no different. Even when the puck got past Kuemper...it stopped short of the goal line.

 

[kingnut]

Agreed and it feels like we are overdue to start leveraging our assets through trades to build the team which we will move forward with. With such a mix of vets (bringing in additional last off season improved the team but also made the puzzle that much more complicated) and rookies it really is a question on how do we get the rookies enough playing time to properly evaluate. Maybe that is partially why players like JAD and Vilardi have been stuck in the AHL as the Kings already have a good idea of where they stand in the organizations future.



I do, however, blame the coaches for continually giving minutes to PP1 at the expense of PP2 regardless of PP2 outperforming the top unit. Now they've tried to integrate parts of PP2 into PP1 but why mess with something that is working and instead just promoting the better unit to the top role? Seems to be to theme this season in and out of special teams where we stick with players based on their names or past deeds instead of their current effectiveness, even when being outperformed by others.

Agreed

 

[rajuabju]

Fire Van Boxmeer!!

Classic.

 

[waynet]

The PP is somewhat a microcosm of offensive play in general. After entering the zone on the PP (rare occurrence w/o Kempe), the #1 unit is stationary, too often settling for distance shots, aka blast from the blue. The run & gun mentality (cheered on by Fox) in 5x5 play piles up SOG, though many are from distance and don't often produce quality scoring chances. Meanwhile, the good teams (last several games) patiently wait to take advantage of a mistake or PP. They don't do much blasting from the blue. Instead they look for that extra pass to catch a goalie out of position or in motion, improving the scoring chance. While the Kings are piling up SOG, good teams are piling up quality scoring chances. Hoping that QB will bring some badly needed creativity to the offensive zone.

 

[Kurisu]

 

[Dr. Tran]

I was gong to say fire Kompon.

Firing the assistant coaches right now isn't a good idea just because we''re in the thick of a playoff race. Even if we suddenly had a massive free fall it would seem like a desperate move by the coach or GM trying to save their jobs. They'd need to wait until the off season to make any changes. I know both the PP & PK are doing badly. But I don't think Sturm or any coach is telling the guys on the PP to waste time trying & failing to get in the zone or to not move the puck quickly & just take shots from the blue line or outside the circles. I like the idea of giving more PP time to the younger guys who might be more creative than Kopi, Brown, & Doughty. I'm not sure why the PK is so bad other than we have a lot of very young guys who don't have the experience or knowledge like Stoll, Greene, or Mitchell used to.

 

[showmethemony]

Preface: The Kings are much more fun to watch this season and they really are doing better than the last several seasons and likely also better than we expected.

That said, here we are knowing this team should be doing better than they are. They very consistently outshoot their opponents and they are getting good chances. And they also are near the bottom of the league in special teams. The Kings struggle mightily to score goals - consistently.

If the Kings could score just a little bit more frequently and consistently, they could be a top team in the league. There is no issue getting shots off. There are plenty of high-danger chances for. They just cannot seem to get the puck past the goalie. If they were able to do so, the other teams would back off a little bit to defend more and therefore they would score a little bit less. The result would be more wins for the Kings.

I have to wonder if they actually spend much time in practice (or even individually) working on shooting and getting the puck past the goalies. The system seems fine, but the finish is horrible.

This brings us to Sturm and Yawney. Yawney is an old TMac crony who didn't really have much success in EDM when he was there. Sturm may have been good when he was in Germany, but it looks like a case of the Peter Principal here in the NHL. He just cannot coach an effective power play or penalty kill at this level.

We HAVE the talent on this team. There is no reason the King's top scorers should have numbers that are inferior compared to the 2nd tier players on other teams in the league, yet here we are, again.

We can all complain about Kopi and Drew having their best days behind them, but the scoring woes cannot be placed solely on them, because their best days actually are behind them.

Guys like Arvi, Kaliyev, Turcotte, Kupari, AI and Kempe all should be scoring more than they are, especially with how well they seem to be playing when scoring is taken out of the equation. In other words, they are playing good, but they just are not scoring as much as they should based on the rest of their play. They are playing good enough to score more, but the scoring isn't there. WHY???? Do they suck at shooting?

My opinion is that the coaches, Yawney and Sturm, are not focusing on it. TMac gets a pass with me for now because he is responsible for the overall systems, line combos, and the bigger picture stuff. The Asst. coaches are supposed to focus on the finer details with each player and that looks to be where things get a little ragged. PP-1 is cluster. PK is very timid and collapses way too quickly, and has issues with what should be easy clears. 5 on 5, our "scorers" miss open nets, shoot straight into the crest, or look for the pass when the obvious shot is there.

I think it is time for an assistant coaching shake up.

Thanks for reading.

wow. thanks for the analysis.

 

[Sevenhole]

Agreed and it feels like we are overdue to start leveraging our assets through trades to build the team which we will move forward with. With such a mix of vets (bringing in additional last off season improved the team but also made the puzzle that much more complicated) and rookies it really is a question on how do we get the rookies enough playing time to properly evaluate. Maybe that is partially why players like JAD and Vilardi have been stuck in the AHL as the Kings already have a good idea of where they stand in the organizations future.



I do, however, blame the coaches for continually giving minutes to PP1 at the expense of PP2 regardless of PP2 outperforming the top unit. Now they've tried to integrate parts of PP2 into PP1 but why mess with something that is working and instead just promoting the better unit to the top role? Seems to be to theme this season in and out of special teams where we stick with players based on their names or past deeds instead of their current effectiveness, even when being outperformed by others.

Completely agree that years of service is not one of the criteria for playing on the top pp line. There are talented players on this team that have had chemistry playing together albeit in the lower league it is time for them to bring a spontaneity to the special teams. The time of players standing motionless thinking they are just going to pass the puck to each other around the outside occasionally throwing a puck at the net does not work in this league anymore. Additionally the extra time on the ice is not helping the aging group that quite frankly looks exhausted every night by the third period. Team is on the precipice of getting to the next level on special teams if they were allowed to show it.

 

[aragorn]

Preface: The Kings are much more fun to watch this season ...That said, here we are knowing this team should be doing better than they are.

Interesting. Reading this board from before this season started till now, I think the majority would say they are doing better than they were expected to. Most posts were that this team would be cannon fodder once again. That has turned out not to be true.