Devils @ Maple Leafs - Mar. 26th, 7:30pm - TSN4, Fan 590

[herman]

https://x.com/RinkRatReport/status/1773000728581132515

 

[cabber24]

https://twitter.com/markhmasters/status/1772817266465280132

I don't know what he's talking about. What are the lines? What are the D pairings? Who is our starting goalie? I don't have much faith in Keefe at all.

The way his team has played much of the season, I doubt you will have to worry about that next September. It is not all Keefe's fault. He's not a terrible coach. They never got him the D talent they identified as a need. He probably needs a goalie to stand on his head to do anything in the playoffs. I'm at a loss to figure who that might be. This roster cannot seem to be molded consistently into a sum greater than its parts - too often it looks like something less than the sum of its parts. I hope for the best but my expectations are not high. Too many games like last night.

I would argue he has failed to develop and utilize what depth he has. Loading up two lines is not good coaching. Can't kill a penalty, the PP is wildly inconsistent. Timothy is miles away from where he should be at this point in his career... Robertson... Knies. Time for a new coach.

I hope he stays because that will only happen with a deep playoff run but I doubt it.

 

[herman]

https://x.com/rinkratreport/status/1772788113733001410
I like that he is adding this wrinkle to his shot, something that Matthews does regularly.

 

[cw]

https://twitter.com/markhmasters/status/1772817266465280132

I don't know what he's talking about. What are the lines? What are the D pairings? Who is our starting goalie? I don't have much faith in Keefe at all.

The way his team has played much of the season, I doubt you will have to worry about that next September. It is not all Keefe's fault. He's not a terrible coach. They never got him the D talent they identified as a need. He probably needs a goalie to stand on his head to do anything in the playoffs. I'm at a loss to figure who that might be. This roster cannot seem to be molded consistently into a sum greater than its parts - too often it looks like something less than the sum of its parts. I hope for the best but my expectations are not high. Too many games like last night.

I would argue he has failed to develop and utilize what depth he has. Loading up two lines is not good coaching. Can't kill a penalty, the PP is wildly inconsistent. Timothy is miles away from where he should be at this point in his career... Robertson... Knies. Time for a new coach.

I hope he stays because that will only happen with a deep playoff run but I doubt it.

I have mixed feelings on that.
He hasn't always loaded up 2 lines though he stayed with 2 lines longer than I would have.
McMann & Benoit are examples of depth that have developed and been utilized.
I do not think Robertson's development is all on Keefe.
Knies got a pretty long rope.
Liljegren did well when Rielly was suspended.
He had them playing good D last year.

He hasn't had a solid top 4.
He has not had stellar goaltending.

I hope they do well but I doubt they'll go deep in the playoffs and that will cause immense pressure for a coaching change.

 

[bustaheims]

I would argue he has failed to develop and utilize what depth he has. Loading up two lines is not good coaching. Can't kill a penalty, the PP is wildly inconsistent. Timothy is miles away from where he should be at this point in his career... Robertson... Knies. Time for a new coach.

If you're expecting your head coach to develop young players and compete for a Cup, at least one - and often both - are going to come up short. With the expectations from the NHL roster, developing the younger players is not one of Keefe's priorities, nor should it be.

Special teams strategy and such is also mostly handled by the assistant coaches.

Keefe's focus is on their 5-on-5 play, lineup management, and other larger team issues. His performance this season (and the playoffs throughout his tenure) hasn't been great, but most of the issues you raise aren't as much on him as they are on the rest of the staff and the organization as a whole.

 

[OldTimeHockey]

I'm not sure how the development of young players falls on the head coach. Utilization, sure...But development is not the job of the head coach.

 

[bustaheims]

I'm not sure how the development of young players falls on the head coach. Utilization, sure...But development is not the job of the head coach.

On a rebuilding team, they'd be more heavily involved, but on a team that thinks they're a Cup contender? Definitely not a core focus.

 

[Frank E]

I'm not sure how the development of young players falls on the head coach. Utilization, sure...But development is not the job of the head coach.

On a rebuilding team, they'd be more heavily involved, but on a team that thinks they're a Cup contender? Definitely not a core focus.

Maybe not a core focus, but with the top heavy cap hits, you need guys on ELC's and reclamation projects to contribute as best as possible.  So I might suggest that it has to be at "a" focus with the way this team is built.

 

[cabber24]

I guess what you're saying the coach really doesn't do anything at all. Sign me up for that job.

 

[OldTimeHockey]

I guess what you're saying the coach really doesn't do anything at all. Sign me up for that job.

Nope. Not what I'm saying at all.

An NHL coach's job is to strategize, make line up decisions, and devise/implement plans to be successful.

Every NHL program has people responsible for the development of their draft picks and young players. These people come up with development plans for each player. It is then the job of the players to follow these plans to try and develop to the point that they are a valuable part of the NHL roster.

An NHL coach may be responsible for evaluating the growth of said players. But they certainly aren't the fall guy if said players do not meet the expectations set for them.

If players are never meeting those expectations, then an internal look at the development/scouting team would be warranted.