One of the more infuriating memes on hockey boards specifically and in hockey media generally is that Guy Boucher is an overly defensive coach. The proof of this postulate touted on hockey forums is invariably that one game against the Flyers, and nothing else really.
First, I challenge anyone to point to an NHL coach who isn't obsessed with defence. Ken Hitchcock, Mike Babcock, Claude Julien, it's all 'responsible' this and 'play the right way' that, be on the right side of the puck, don't cheat... Coaching in the NHL limits itself to defensive systems. That's it.
Second, I refuse to knuckle under to the Flyers' way of thinking. In fact, if it made Chris Pronger and Mike Holmgren mad, I'm probably in favour of 'it'. I certainly don't parrot their inane squawking.
It's an example of lazy thinking, of being being co-opted by the old guard, of being susceptible to media brainwashing, on the same scale as those who succumbed to the Bruins' Don Cherry, Colin Campbell and Mike Milbury propagating the meme that the 2011 Vancouver Canucks were the "most-hated team in hockey".
This was never a title, it was never a thing before, until it popped up out of nowhere, in time for the Stanley Cup final, but somehow it blew up as a legitimate concept. People pointed to Alex Burrows, and somehow we failed to notice Brad Marchand, Zdeno Chara, Milan Lucic, Shawn Thornton, Andrew Ference, Gregory Campbell, Jeremy Jacobs and Claude Julien? Give me a break.
Coaches need to know their jobs are secure for several years as Babcock does here in Toronto. He can then nurture and encourage offensive creativity and later teach defensive responsibility. Unfortunately not all coaches enjoy that level of job security. Therrien had that security but he was an uneducated money grubbing French Canadian who at his core was just a bully and bereft of creative ideas. He is the wrong kind of coach to give security to. Boucher is educated and is a very good communicator and he is showing it as the Sens coach. If you can explain to players what they do right and what is wrong they will understand your goals for the team. Boucher, Babcock,Cooper, Yeo and Weight are the modern coaches who get their players to perform while coaches like Hitchcock, Therrien, Julien and Carlyle win by intimidation and harassment. Players won't put up with that for too long.
ReplyDeleteYou're back! Yay! I agree with you!
ReplyDeleteNow, can you do a season recap for the Habs?