One of a coaches main jobs is to recruit the best talent available to him and I think on that score SA does a very good job and works tirelessly at it. A second job, and no less important, is to evaluate that talent and mesh the various aspects into a team that can play well together. The beauty of hockey is that it is a team sport-with everyone having to fit together and contribute. No one, expect the goalie, gets to stay on the ice an entire game. The third thing a coach should do(and this is just my opinion as usual) is create a system to take advantage of the talents he has brought into the program. If you recruit fast small forwards, then create offense tactics to utilize that to best advantage. If you recruit big power forwards, create the scheme that works best for them. Find the defensive pairings that work best together whether it be defensive defense pairings, or offensive defensemen joining the play. But the key is you adapt YOUR SYSTEM that you use to the talents you have on your bench. You cannot and do not change 20 year old hockey players and expect them to fit YOUR system that you feel they should play. These boys have been playing this game for a long time, they are not some 15 year old high schoolers. They have played hundreds or thousands of games and for the most part, what they have at that age, is what you got. And you often have to remember, most of these forwards and defensemen are playing positions that you yourself either never played, or are certainly not as talented playing as they are.
I think it is a bit absurd to keep trying to play a system that the players you have brought in, not only do not buy into, but for the most part cannot buy into since it is a style of game they just cannot play. With rare exceptions, as has been pointed out, we bring in some stellar boys who seem to have so much potential. But each year they just do not progress and often regress. If this happens one year or two years, then i would give it some time. But after 9 years, no one can possibly explain to me how all these years of recruits can be at fault. it has to be the system they are being forced to play. The fundamentals of which are an abomination-I cannot believe someone in this group cannot consistently win face offs, or clear the defensive zone, or work together on a power play with constant movement and motion instead of throwing the puck backwards to the point.
For years, the leading shot takers on our teams have been defensemen. Is the system being played encouraging this? Why do we not have forwards taking more of the shots. Why do we have one of the worst special teams every year? Why are our line changes on the fly so often timed so badly. How often have we been given an odd man rush(or it seems like one) only to dump the puck in and take a line change?
I know this is a long rant but my simple thought is instead of trying to have all these players alter their style of play(which is why they were recruited in the first place), why is the system not constantly changed to fit the talents of the players. I am so tired of hearing that we need to play our game, we need to buy into the system and we keep losing the one on one battles. Hockey is a team battling out there, and although there are instances of one on one battles, it is not a one on one sport. I have followed this team for more years than I want to count and have seen so many teams that we play every year and the successful ones adapt their style to what they have. We used to do that. Say what you will about past coaches but they took what they had and tried to utilize it the best they could. It seems now that we take the players and force them to play a robotic predetermined style. And god help a player who doesn't do it. They are either sat down, or given less ice time, or demoted to a fourth line, or worse-they leave.
I will not ever give up my support for the boys who play for RPI. But I can no longer sit back and watch this without saying what has been obvious to me for many years now. Glad i can get this off my chest-we have a great group of kids and we have had great groups every year. We also have a great group of posters here who feel as i do but are just not given to this kind of explosive outburst.
OK-now that i got that out-go RED and sweep Brown and Yale so I can begin to sleep nights better.
I don't think anyone expects him to immediately join the NHL when he's done at RPI, correct? (Truthfully I don't know what Buffalo looks like, Matt Hackett was over there I know, etc.)
contract extension over the summer. Anyone know if there's truth to that rumor? AD jobs don't happen quickly so it appears as Knowlton was out there interviewing he took care of his people on his way out the door if this is true. How can ANY school give such an outrageous extension to a coach with a losing record and had a 100% no confidence vote FROM EVERY PLAYER IN THE LOCKER ROOM in an end of year meeting with Knowlton?!!!