I’ve been a fan of Craig MacTavish for a long time. I defended him last season, and I defended him at the start of this season. He’s a smart guy, and has done a good job getting unheralded players to perform beyond what one would reasonably expect to be their level of ability. People look back at the early days of Lowe/MacTavish and say “mediocrity”, but maybe they don’t remember the budget this team was run on pre-lockout; there was a certain joy to watching players like Smyth, Smith, Marchant, Grier, Niinimaa, etc. put their nose to the grindstone and grit out a playoff spot while team with a higher payroll and greater individual talent swung and missed. Then there was the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals run, and great things seemed to be in the making.
The two seasons following the Cup Run weren’t great. The team was brutally unbalanced entering 2006-07, and Kevin Lowe seemed determined to undo every good decision he made the previous year. The defensive corps was dismantled, and entered the year with a top three of Daniel Tjarnqvist, Jason Smith, and Steve Staios. It was so bad at one point that Danny Syvret, Bryan Young, and Sebastien Bisaillon were all on the active roster. I gave MacTavish a pass that year, as the team had been so obviously mismanaged that expecting a playoff spot was folly.
2007-08 was a great building year; the team rode Mathieu Garon’s stellar play (especially in the shootout) and dressed a truckload of rookies, most of who impressed. They missed the playoffs by a hair, but seemed to be clearly a team on the rise, and MacTavish probably deserved some credit for it.
Enter 2008-09. Kevin Lowe, despite an apparent aversion to having more than one veteran centre on the team, had an excellent summer before being promoted. The Oilers had a young group of forwards, but that was balanced somewhat by an excellent top-four on the back end, and a legitimate tandem in Garon and Roloson. It wasn’t a perfect roster, but it was a vast improvement over what Craig MacTavish had been given in previous seasons.
Unfortunately, Craig MacTavish has been coaching like a man unhinged for much of the season. For example:
1. Ladislav Smid: Left Wing
So, when developing a 22-year old defenceman with 132 NHL games who is finally starting to emerge after looking like he was in over his head for the past two seasons, what’s the best place to use said defenceman? On left wing, of course! Or in the press box — because those are the two places where promising defencemen blossom.
2. Fernando Pisani: Centre
Looking down the roster, I see five natural centres (Horcoff, Gagner, Cogliano, Pouliot and Brodziak). Only one of them is a veteran, and my preferred choice for third-line centre (a good one choice: Marty Reasoner) was dealt away by the GM. Still, I have a) a speedster with some size issues b) a former first-round pick who’s shown well defensively in parts of two previous seasons and c) a face-off ace and regular penalty-killer to chose from. My solution? Convert Fernando Pisani, a stalwart defensive presence to centre, moving two centres to the wing and dropping Brodziak to the fourth line. Of course, Pisani can’t win a face-off, and struggles against tough opposition, so I respond by leaving the line together, and playing them against lesser players, until Pisani’s injured.
3. Dustin Penner: Fat and Lazy
I have a player who was my second-best power-play point producer (behind only Ales Hemsky) and best power-play goal scorer last season returning again. Logically, it makes sense to bump him to the second unit, because I have another player coming in (Cole) who is a) historically a poor power-play option and b) playing out of his normal position to replace him. Makes good sense, right? And since this guy has only once played tough minutes (last season, with Horcoff and Hemsky), it makes sense to toss him on his off-wing with Pisani as his centre and run him against tough opposition.
In any case, he responds by posting great scoring numbers for his icetime (2.00 PTS/60, behind only to Ales Hemsky) and one of the best +/- numbers on the club. That needs to stop, so I call him out not once but twice in the media as being lazy/inconsistent/etc. Then I healthy scratch him for a couple of games, to be sure he got the message.
4. Staios and Strudwick: It’s like having Stevens and Langway on the same pairing
Since I’ve decided that both the team and Ladislav Smid are best served by him playing LW on the fourth line, or serving as the number seven defenceman, my default third pairing is Staios and Strudwick. I make it easy for them — lots of minutes against softer opposition and lots of offensive zone draws (despite the fact that I have four offensive defencemen who could make use of those draws to, you know, score), yet they’re still getting out-shot by an awful amount. I decide that the best course of action is to praise the pairing in the media.
5. Kyle Brodziak: who needs linemates to succeed anyway?
After my centre juggling earlier, I needed to find somewhere to use Kyle Brodziak. Brodziak was great last year, catching fire along with Stortini and some guy who wasn’t quite good enough to be brought back in the summer. I decide to use him with a rotation of Moreau, Stortini, MacIntyre and Jason Strudwick. As an added bonus, I think he can probably handle starting in his own end for every single shift (Brodziak has 205 defensive zone faceoffs and only 91 offensive zone faceoffs, for a difference of 114. The next closest Oiler is Horcoff, who has 66 more defensive than offensive zone draws).
Sadly, Brodziak can’t seem to handle even this dream scenario, in a contract year no less. I decide that the solution is to call him out in the media and healthy scratch him as well.
The Final Straw
There are other things that stand out: the love for Liam Reddox, the complete lack of tolerance for any error by Mathieu Garon, using three defencemen on the same power-play unit, running other players out of position, icing a miserable penalty kill and a mediocre power-play, but I only have so much time. Besides, it’s all secondary to the cardinal sin that MacTavish committed today.
Days after a 10-2 loss (with no bag skate) and in the same season as a 9-2 loss (with no bag skate), Craig MacTavish decided today following a listless 2-1 loss to Nashville to bag skate the Edmonton Oilers.
He didn’t decide to bag skate the whole team, though. Instead, he ran practice, and then picked out his favourite whipping boys — Dustin Penner, Kyle Brodziak, and Marc Pouliot — and bag skated the three of them by themselves.
I’m a numbers guy, so I have a certain level of skepticism when somebody floats the chemistry/momentum/gut-check card by me. But the idea of picking out three players who have already been harped on all season, and skating them alone when they were far from the only culprits in this lukewarm season, or even in that last loss, is so repugnant to me that I can’t even fathom what made him do it.
You win as a team, you lose as a team, and if need be you bag skate as a team. Craig MacTavish should know better.
It’s time for a new coach.
@ David S:
Why shouldn't we expect similar results to last year's conclusion?
If the decisons MacT made down the stretch were the reasons why we did so well at the end of last year, shouldn't we be doing the same or better?
Lowe went and made a great 5 for 5 trade. He traded:
Pitkanen for Visnovsky
Greene for Souray
Stoll for Horcoff
Glencross for Cole
Reasoner for Moreau
Why wouldn't he be overly enthusiastic?
Unless maybe it wasn't his great coaching schemes that contribruted to the good run at the end of the year and it had more to do with players overachieving (cough, cough………cup run '06)
Greatgazoo wrote:
All numbers from 2007-08.
Goals/60 minutes of powerplay time:
Penner: 2.44 Cole: 2.30
Points/60 minutes of powerplay time:
Penner: 4.07 Cole: 3.13
Hurricanes PP%: 18.81
Oilers PP%: 16.57
In other words, Penner scored more goals, and more points, on a worse powerplay. Any questions?
Greatgazoo wrote:
What, you mean when the coach played him as a top-six defenseman?
Who would have thought that a defenseman's play would improve when he's used as a top-six defenseman? Baffling!
Jonathan Willis wrote:
Even Dan Tencer and Fred Stauffer said this Robin, And those three were also not aloud to talk to the media and you don't think this was a bag skate
Jack "slacking off at work" Bauer wrote:
These are the same people that take Dan Tencer as gospel truth.
Some people seem to think that a coaching change should only be made if it is going to guarantee the playoffs, but why does it have to be that way?
In my mind MacTavish is making the mistakes he has made because of pride and nothing more. When he makes a decision and it doesn't work he tries to make it work rather than admit it was wrong. A coach cannot make stubborn decisions with no more basis than pride and a snidely arrogant attitude towards anyone who questions him.
If he is losing the ears of the players than he has to go. Period. If the team tanks afterward and finishes last, at least the players will know that the organization will do whats best for the team.
People are saying things like "who do we hire to get us to the playoffs," but I say we need to get rid of the coach who has begun making decisions out of spite, and has apparently become a bit of a poison to some, if not many, of the players. At this point who cares who they get, as long as they have even the slightest thread of common sense.
Best blog article written this season.
I lost faith last year when Coach said he hoped Cogliano could one day turn into a player like Todd Marchant.
Marty Reasoner = Joe Sakic without the foot speed;
Andrew Cogliano = Todd Marchant, but not as tall.
Really?
If that's the case, lets all cross our fingers and hope that JDD learns how to channel his inner Mikhail Shtalenkov. Or maybe we can groom Smid into Ales Pisa redux.
Chris wrote:
Take out the word MacT and add Lowe – still makes sense.
except for the hat-trick – of course
Ender the Dragon wrote:
humantorch wrote:
Remember Allan Watt gives Dan T crib notes every afternoon
oilersseasonticketholdersince99 wrote:
D Katz – said nothing since pressor – code of silence
bought team for branding and cash flow reasons
bonus – he is an oilers fan and loves the boys
on the bus
B Katz – liason to McKesson Drugs – loan
LaForge – riding the past years of the boom – sold out
Watt – controlling – favorite book 1984
Nicholls – payment to be Katz spokesperson – mercenary
Lowe – spends – overpays and handcuffs cap – hides
Tambellini – prop – Scott Howson replacement
MacT – misuses players – poor callups (Lowe?)
groundhog day with media and verbose
players are bored with same old same old
Team – 0.500 non playoff result
Arena Music – reason the oilers are never prepared
Fans – divided over this keystone cops movie
Result – futility
Correction – Lowe will find it difficult to fire his friend – very cozy boys on the bus…. maybe move him into another role and consider Tortorella – when he speaks on television, I listen to him – he is stong and commands respect – something this team needs today and tommorrow.
Oiler fans are used to golf in April – so why is everyone upset.
I used to ride the "Fire MacT" bandwagon and while I've not come back 180 degrees I am back to at least 90 deg. This is not "his" team, it is Kevin Lowe's. He is the one and only person that is responsible for this .500 hockey team…ie. mediocrity, year after year. I've almost come to the realization that maybe MacT is perhaps a good coach after taking this pile of chicken shit and trying to make chicken salad out of it. When you have one and only one player in your entire system that is "untouchable" that falls on the shoulders of the GM or whatever he calls himself these days. He's had enough time… it's more obvious than ever… he can't do the job!!
Mac T, well to steal the words of Kevin Lowe "He's a Moron" and the sad thing is that Kevin Lowe backs him.
@ Deep Oil:
Tortorella, huh? Just for fun, let's ask some Tampa Bay fans what they had to say to their dearly departed coach. Here's a sampling of some real comments:
Sounds like a step in the right direction to me . . .
@ Ender the Dragon:
Without knowing the availability of all the NHL assistant/head coaches, or whose available in the AHL it would be hard to make that decision.
But I do know this joke of a coach has produced pathetic results for 7 of his 8 years here. Weve only made the playoffs 3 times under his tenure here. What part of this lack of success do you find endearing? So what about Mactavish makes you think he SHOULD be coach of this team?
Chris wrote:
This above all else is why MacT should be fired! Does anyone else remember Oiler's Hockey? It was a hard forcheck, quick transition game, that even with the crap teams of the 90's still gave the opposition fits. Edmonton used to be a hard team to play against now they are a bunch of patsies.
MacT has systematically dismanteled Oiler's Hockey, we don't forcheck anymore, we have no transition game and we don't activate the defense except on the powerplay. He has modelled this team after the Minnesota Mild, and its very BORING hockey to watch!
I'd rather we would lose games 8-6 than the snoozefest 2-1 losses we are seeing now.
He has made Oiler's hockey boring hockey and for this above all else he should be fired!
lego wrote:
You win the internet.
Above all of MacTs other failings, this would be his cardinal sin.
Ultimately it boils down to the fact that the Oilers, in spite of an above average roster, continue to play wildly inconsistent hockey, and once again find themselves in a playoff dog fight with teams of noticably less talent IE Minesota, Nashville, etc.
Consequently MacT MUST go.
Ender:
I'm going to get into who I like as new coaching candidates at some point here. Tortorella isn't high on the list (although some of those fan comments seem a little out to lunch) based on my limited impression of him.
I like Ted Nolan, no matter how many GM's he destroys, but I've got other guys in mind too.
kingsblade wrote:
His stubborness goes back to even the Mike York era. Persistantly using him on the point for the powerplay. York couldn't hold the line to save his life…….but MacT kept putting him there. Because it worked….once.
York breaks his wrist. 2 days later MacTavish had him on the point for the powerplay again. TWO DAYS! Dallas was pretty sure there was no boomer coming from the point. York was rendered useless in that game.
How STUBBORN is that? Better yet. How embarrassing is that?
Jonathan Willis wrote:
Well I am certainly not a Nolan backer at all.
But I certainly wouldn't mind seeing our own GM destroyed…..
People! people! I am a lot of miles away from Edmonton in the scalding wastes of Oz but somehow seem to be the only one who gets it. Come closer and let me explain. The most basic psychology says publicly berating people doesn't make them work harder, faster, stronger or longer. This kind of browbeating lowers the bar and makes it easier for them to fail. Not once in any mediaspiel have we heard MacTool say "this player has our full support in finding his game again" or "we will work as a team to put this right". Okay, so Penner didn't settle in as fast as we would like. Nowhere near as fast but that can of woop ass was opened and tipped over him pretty quick like. Nilsson can be a touch ethereal. Or just float. And some others like to wander off for a nap midway through their shift, if they show up at all. Wouldn't it be great if there was someone on the team, like some kind of player-developer-direction-giving-figure, let's call him a 'coach' who could help address these shortcomings as a team rather than name and shame in a not very veiled attempt to offload his own responsibility?
Answer me this … if a bully kicks you in the junk and takes your lunch money does it make you love him? How about when he gives you a wedgie in front of the whole playground? And MacThug wonders why he can't motivate anyone to play with any kind of consistency. But that's okay, if you have a bunch of unmotivated, tuned-out players you can always make them play better by, hmmmm, let's see… randomly firing up the line blender and unsettling them a little more……
Why is it that crappy players suddenly get better (admittedly to varying degrees)outside MacTwit's humilition radius (Lupul, anyone?) and good players crap out as soon as they fall under his sway (whatever happened to that Schremp kid anyway? He's gonna make some coach look real smart one day…)
In conclusion, jump on the Jeanshorts and BaggedMilk bandwagon with me and let's FIRE MAC T!
Great post, well thought out, hopefully someday management will feel the same way
@ lego:
This above all else is why MacT should be fired! Does anyone else remember Oiler’s Hockey? It was a hard forcheck, quick transition game, that even with the crap teams of the 90’s still gave the opposition fits. Edmonton used to be a hard team to play against now they are a bunch of patsies.
MacT has systematically dismanteled Oiler’s Hockey, we don’t forcheck anymore, we have no transition game and we don’t activate the defense except on the powerplay. He has modelled this team after the Minnesota Mild, and its very BORING hockey to watch!
I’d rather we would lose games 8-6 than the snoozefest 2-1 losses we are seeing now.
He has made Oiler’s hockey boring hockey and for this above all else he should be fired.
there should be a penalty for playing the trap because this is what the oilers play. some ppl butter it up calling it "aggressive forcheck". this kind of hockey is soo boring, thats why you can hear more snoring in the crowd than actual cheering. i have yet to dislike a coach up until these last couple years. FIRE MACT! nuff said