This is my first blog for my Islander friends. I have a list of three surprise "coach of the year" candidates.
The first surprise of the season is the Montreal Canadians. The Habs look like a well-coached hockey team. Claude Julien has done an incredible job bringing the Canadians to the big boys' club. The key to their success this season is that they have managed to win without Price. This is a fantastic feat that they could not achieve last year.
The Habs should have been a lottery team, yet Julien has them believing in themselves and skating and working hard. The forwards keep their feet moving. They are not standing still. They may not be the most talented, but Claude has brought hard work back to Montreal. I consider the Habs one of the surprises of the season.
The next obvious choice is in Western Canada. A good old fashioned man's man, Bill Peters has the Flames running smoothly on all cylinders. The Flames were expected to battle for the playoff. As it stands, they are leading the Pacific division. I, for one, did not foresee the Flames' offence exploding this year. Gaudreau, Longholm, and Monahan have made the Flames one of the most explosive teams in the league. Peters has a system. He is teaching the Flames to adapt and do whatever it takes to win.
My third choice is Mr. Barry Trotz. He has built a system that works perfectly for the Islanders: take care of the defence first, and the offence will take care of itself. Their in-your-face attitude gives them a ton of grit. With Barzal, Lee, and Nelson on offence, you have the recipe for a winner. This team is a full dessert with a tart taste to it. Your sweet players, as I said before, are Nelson, Barzal, and Lee. Add smooth skating players Bailey, Beauvillier, and Eberle. Then there are the ingredients with bite: Martin, Leo Komarov, and Filppula. All of these ingredients are nothing without a chef to pull it all together. Trotz seems to know just the right amount of heat to put on these players to bring it all together.
No comments:
Post a Comment