The talk of the week in the NHL was the New York Islanders’ decision to change their head coach at the beginning of the week.
Lane Lambert managed to work in the club for five and a half years. First four years as assistant coach and then one and a half years as head coach before the club boss, the experienced 81-year-old Lou Lamoriello decided to replace Lambert with the former top goalkeeper With Patrick Roy.
Roy started his coaching career with the Colorado Avalanche in the 2013–2014 season and immediately won the coach of the year title. After a couple of years, however, he left Denver in stormy moods.
In recent years, he has coached his own club in the Quebec junior league, winning both the Quebec championship and the Memorial Cup, which brings together the champions of the three junior leagues and the team from the host city.
‘s expert Ismo Lehkonen not surprised by the decision made.
– In the Eastern Conference, the run is absolutely insane. You can’t fall behind in that, and the Islanders had a winning percentage of less than 50 in the previous ten games. Their game didn’t show the much-needed change of rhythm and that’s probably what the club management wanted, Lehkonen estimated.
In addition to coaching expertise, Roy, a former top goalkeeper, certainly brings emotional fire, passion, color and stories to the island. Roy is an extremely passionate hockey personality, for whom excesses are not unusual.
The Islanders will surely get an electric shock from their new coach. There are also question marks in the air, but Lehkonen believes in the solution made.
– He keeps the guys on their toes there, no mercy. It is also certain that he will keep his opponents on their toes. Anything can come from it. I would already throw the Colorado years in the trash, because I think he has updated himself as a coach.
– When you look at the first games, there was a clear improvement in defensive play. In the second game, even in the attacking direction, the game already looked much better. The Islanders are two points behind the last playoff spot, says Lehkonen.
Who surprised?
The defenders’ puck control statistics were surprising. Hockey analyst and statistician Mike Kelly dropped an interesting statistic this week regarding the defenders’ puck control in the offensive zone.
According to Sportlogiq, a statistics website run by Kelly, seven defensemen had kept the puck in the offensive zone in the 30-40 minute bracket. of Vancouver by Quinn Hughes the reading, on the other hand, skyrocketed beyond comprehension in no less than 54 minutes.
So these numbers are before Tuesday morning’s matches.
The statistic tells an extremely interesting story about the importance of top-level defenders in the offensive play of the offensive zone.
– Someone Hughes is a guy who has absolutely no place to play in the attacking area. The same applies Cale Makaria and Adam Fox. These three are in a league of their own. More than ever, we are going to ensure that these top individuals play a huge role, Lehkonen states.
The trio mentioned by Lehkonen, together with a few other quality players, are taking the defenseman’s playing to a new level in the hockey of the new era. Setting the standard and playful direction for future generations as well.
– This is where the sport is going. Especially when playing offensively in the offensive zone in a more out-of-place direction. You can’t succeed in direct attacks these days if you don’t have a defender there to support you. If there is a center on the bottom, you have to be in the center to launch direct attacks. At the attacking end, drive to the front or back posts to create space in the background. This is what this hockey is and where it is going.
– I really hope that Finland would be able to produce defenders like this. So that you don’t play in the attack zone like in a Stiga ladle, that you just don’t get your own counterattack.
Who flopped?
Not long ago, everything seemed to be fine in New York and the team was ready to really push for the championship in the spring. However, the ski has started to slip and Rangers have won only three of the ten previous matches.
At the same time, big question marks have started to arise regarding the scope of the assembly.
Not in the first chain Mika Zibanejadin and by Chris Kreider a third wheel has not been found next to it. The duo has scored a total of three hits in ten matches.
Second chain Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck have been carrying the team for the last few weeks practically alone together with star defender Adam Fox. The triple chain is missing a Czech player who has been on the sidelines for a long time Filip Chytilwhose return schedule seems to be unknown to anyone.
Suddenly, the Rangers lineup doesn’t seem so wide. Also looking for his game Kaapo Kako is part of the problem.
– No intact chains have been found there, if the second chain is left on the invoices (Alexis Lafrienere-Trocheck-Panarin). There are hardly any complete triplets. It has been raining lately through this and it shows in the winning wall. The head coach Peter Laviolette now has to twist and turn, who would play with whom, says Lehkonen.
Even last season, Rangers had a so-called “Kid Line” as a third, where Chytil, Kakko and Lafreniere played. Now I don’t want to find even an intact trio.
– You are looking at something Blake Wheeler there, it’s so lazy. It was nice to watch that junk chain last spring. We certainly won’t get anywhere from that, that Rangers have to make some player trades. The defense and goalkeeping department are in excellent batting, but the upper floor lacks balance and harmony.
Goal of the week
For the goal of the week, or should we say presentations, we choose Arizona by Clayton Keller the first hit in the weekend’s game against the Nashville Predators.
The goal says a lot about the speed with which decisions must be made in the new NHL. Sean Durzin the turning pass from the corner is a dazzling performance, but it operates even faster and finer Dylan Guenther.
After all, Keller has an easy job. A fantastic start.
What next?
Who still remembers how the Ottawa Senators were promoted to a playoff contender during the season? There was a youthful look and a long-term outlook.
Now the reality is that the Senators are the second weakest team in the Eastern Conference after the Columbus Blue Jackets and the fifth weakest team in the entire NHL. There are sixteen points to the playoffs. In practice, the season is over in January.
In the case of Ottawa, the question is no longer “what’s next” for this season, but in the bigger picture. What should be done to stop chronic underachievement?
– That is such a mystery team and such shady activities that I can’t understand. I don’t think the players there understand how all this is possible either. The eye turns to the youth department. I can’t say that no one has With Claude Giroux there would have been a heart there. Should the youth department start thinking about these business tasks and changes now, Lehkonen growls.