At What Point Do We Start Giving Gallant Some Credit?

[LindG1000]

I'll go with the hot take and say that since the Florida game (really, since Gallant grew his mustache), they've been markedly better on the fancy-stats than the all-in stuff would show. We had something like 60% of the xGF against Boston - that's a really, really good sign. We are a bad first period team. There is no doubt about that, and it has to be fixed, but we are VERY good with a lead, and very, very good at closing games out. That's new - and it's really positive. That's Gallant, IMO. He's feeling his way through a new job with new personnel.

We've also - believe it or not - played a disproportionately strong schedule. We have faced the top teams in the league already - and done okay. The Flames killed us. The Caps beat on us in the first game - not sure I care much about that. But we beat the Panthers,. we beat the Bruins, we split with the Leafs in two pretty hard fought games (Shesterkin stole the win), we skated with the Oilers well enough to bring it to OT...call me glass half full but all that sounds like we're on the right path here. 

Let's also note that our schedule through Christmas is very, very weak. We get Colorado twice and Vegas - those are the measuring sticks, but we also get the Isles again, the Sharks, the Flyers, 2 against the Blackhawks, the Predators, the Sabres, the Coyotes, the Canadiens, and the Red Wings. This is the time to feast. 

I'll buy the mustache power here.

[4EverRangerFrank]

To answer the thread Q...starting now, some credit. I agree that Gallant doesn't deserve ALL of the credit, and that Shesty should be given credit for 80-90% of this team's success to date, but you have to tap your stick for our coach. I was seeing him as a little too laid back but reading Kakko's quote and seeing the improvement in Kreider's game (over a sustained period of time) leads me to believe that the "change" in our squad does in fact come from the new regime behind the bench. Heck, it might just be the new voice and the way he says things that have gotten this team this far. The players are pros, but they still need someone to rally around as their leader. Whatever his style is, it's working. And as a previous coach would be fond of saying, "Don't criticize a win." Some of the wins have been lucky or ugly, but they don't appear that way when reading the standings.

[Ozzy]

14 minutes ago, 4EverRangerFrank said:

To answer the thread Q...starting now, some credit. I agree that Gallant doesn't deserve ALL of the credit, and that Shesty should be given credit for 80-90% of this team's success to date, but you have to tap your stick for our coach. I was seeing him as a little too laid back but reading Kakko's quote and seeing the improvement in Kreider's game (over a sustained period of time) leads me to believe that the "change" in our squad does in fact come from the new regime behind the bench. Heck, it might just be the new voice and the way he says things that have gotten this team this far. The players are pros, but they still need someone to rally around as their leader. Whatever his style is, it's working. And as a previous coach would be fond of saying, "Don't criticize a win." Some of the wins have been lucky or ugly, but they don't appear that way when reading the standings.

I'm gonna go along with you on this one, Big Guy.  I think it's more of the way Gallant handles the players.  He seems to be a coach you really "like to play for" to me.  The players appear to buy into the team concept, and when you see guys like Fox and Yukon coming to the aid of a teammate, you gotta think somethings VERY different in that locker room.

I really like where this team is headed, and yeah I agree Shesterkin is to be credited with a lot of our early season success.  However I've seen glimpses and flashes that are now more frequent in games, and for a more prolonged time.

I really want them to buy into the "get the puck to the net" and "Shoot more" philosophy that it appears Gallant wants...and for good reason...The shit works!

Get the puck deep, punish the defense while retrieving, turn them over and drive to the blue paint.  We're getting there!

[Karan]

On 11/27/2021 at 7:42 AM, G1000 said:

I'll go with the hot take and say that since the Florida game (really, since Gallant grew his mustache), they've been markedly better on the fancy-stats than the all-in stuff would show. We had something like 60% of the xGF against Boston - that's a really, really good sign. We are a bad first period team. There is no doubt about that, and it has to be fixed, but we are VERY good with a lead, and very, very good at closing games out. That's new - and it's really positive. That's Gallant, IMO. He's feeling his way through a new job with new personnel.

We've also - believe it or not - played a disproportionately strong schedule. We have faced the top teams in the league already - and done okay. The Flames killed us. The Caps beat on us in the first game - not sure I care much about that. But we beat the Panthers,. we beat the Bruins, we split with the Leafs in two pretty hard fought games (Shesterkin stole the win), we skated with the Oilers well enough to bring it to OT...call me glass half full but all that sounds like we're on the right path here. 

Let's also note that our schedule through Christmas is very, very weak. We get Colorado twice and Vegas - those are the measuring sticks, but we also get the Isles again, the Sharks, the Flyers, 2 against the Blackhawks, the Predators, the Sabres, the Coyotes, the Canadiens, and the Red Wings. This is the time to feast. 

I'll buy the mustache power here.

Well get ready for a losing streak cause I'm worried the moustache is going to be gone by Wednesday  

[Albatrosss]

we should all grow a mustache and post ours here

[siddious]

11 minutes ago, Karan said:

Well get ready for a losing streak cause I'm worried the moustache is going to be gone by Wednesday  

[Long live the King]

Smoke and mirrors turning into a good foundation?

 

 

[Valriera]

so they've been statistically good for **checks notes on math and the space-time continuum** two weeks?

[Long live the King]

5 minutes ago, Valriera said:

so they've been statistically good for **checks notes on math and the space-time continuum** two weeks?

looks like it.  if they can be "bad" for their numbers over 13 games, then they can be "good" for their numbers over 7...would've been 9 if the Sens and Isles didn't have to postpone.

[Go Blue]

7 hours ago, Long live the King said:

Smoke and mirrors turning into a good foundation?

 

Lots of great growth since Shesterkin put the team on his back early

can’t be overemphasized how having the new tough guys have helped either

[Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuc]

He atleast deserves credit for his man management. If Kakko had 0 points in 9 games under Quinn he would be playing 7 minutes a night on the 4th line with McKegg, but Gallant continued to believe in him and give him confidence and now he looks really good. 8 points in his last 7. Could say the same about Gauthier (and the whole 3rd line to be fair).

He's also got our two "overpaid" guys in Kreider and Trouba to really step up and earn their paycheck. Especially Kreider, but Trouba has impressed me a lot this season. Yeah he got undressed by McJesus and had a bad shift in OT once, but overall he's been a lot better than last year. 4 goals, 9 points and +5 in 21 games. Playing a lot of PK and tough minutes with a shaky partner.

[shestYORKin]

credit dips with the naked upper lip

can only hope it’s back for the playoffs. 

[Chuck_IV]

I give him all the credit because…

A) He added a much more simplified system, with PUCK SUPPORT(something we were severely lacking in with Quinn). But we still have a ways to go to get it right  

B) He has continued to go with Sheshterkin(Georgiev has made the choice easy though)

C) He’s not afraid at making bold line choices that Quinn would never do. And the line changes seem to be working. 

D) He is instilling a confidence in this team, something I haven’t seen since the early days of Vineault. 
 

E) He has finally gotten Krieder to play to his potential and show up every night.

F) While we have blown some leads, we have also won some games we shouldn’t have Whether is Be Sheshterkin or finding a way to get that late go ahead goal, it’s still wins that we weren’t getting in years past. 
 

IMO, with Quinn, we would be right there with Philly in points right now. 

Edited December 2, 2021 by Chuck_IV

[Ozzy]

21 minutes ago, Chuck_IV said:

I give him all the credit because…

A) He added a much more simplified system, with PUCK SUPPORT(something we were severely lacking in with Quinn). But we still have a ways to go to get it right  

B) He has continued to go with Sheshterkin(Georgiev has made the choice easy though)

C) He’s not afraid at making bold line choices that Quinn would never do. And the line changes seem to be working. 

D) He is instilling a confidence in this team, something I haven’t seen since the early days of Vineault. 
 

E) He has finally gotten Krieder to play to his potential and show up every night.

F) While we have blown some leads, we have also won some games we shouldn’t have Whether is Be Sheshterkin or finding a way to get that late go ahead goal, it’s still wins that we weren’t getting in years past. 
 

IMO, with Quinn, we would be right there with Philly in points right now. 

I've listened to a lot of the guys post and pre-game pressers and there are 2 phrases that keep coming up:

- ..."being prepared"

- "...Having fun out there"

Gallant seems to provide a sense of continuity and belief in his line choices and game decisions. 

[Sharpshooter]

[Keirik]

Look, some of us have been saying on paper this team even before this year is a very good team.

They are a high end sports car. Let’s say Ferrari. Panarin, Ziby, Fox, Shesty, Trouba, a 1OA, and a 2OA, Kreider, Strome, etc show that. A large problem before was that we had a guy using that Ferrari to take his road test. Now we have an experienced driver that remembers the smell of fine leather seats and says “let’s see how fast this can go.” It’s amazing. 

[Dunny]

I just like the way he yells at refs.

[Cr00zng]

7 hours ago, Keirik said:

Look, some of us have been saying on paper this team even before this year is a very good team.

They are a high end sports car. Let’s say Ferrari. Panarin, Ziby, Fox, Shesty, Trouba, a 1OA, and a 2OA, Kreider, Strome, etc show that. A large problem before was that we had a guy using that Ferrari to take his road test. Now we have an experienced driver that remembers the smell of fine leather seats and says “let’s see how fast this can go.” It’s amazing. 

You could also stated, that Quinn used the "high end sports car" for grocery shopping. Gallant on the other hand going for a long road trip, that may just end up at MSG....

[jsm7302]

Gallant made a bunch of guys into a hockey team. He is Gordon Bombay.

[Albatrosss]

Rough looking but very soft spoken

[Karan]

One of the other big differences I see in Turk vs. Quinn in pre/post game press conferences is that Turk goes a lot based on 'feeling' and what he actually sees out there. Quinn was just too caught up in the X's and O's. If a guy's playing well/poorly, regardless of his numbers, Turk tells it exactly like it is. So I imagine he applies a lot of that instinctive approach in his coaching with the players too, which is sometimes all you need with certain guys rather than trying to drill the numbers into them. 

[CBrowningPI]

Josh said what I was thinking. There's a fine line between coaching and OVER coaching a team. GG has learned that over the time he had being a head coach in the NHL. The team looks much more comfortable playing for GG and it's showing up in different ways with the players that were under Quinn. And this is the early days under Gallant and I expect them to get better.

[Jdog99]

Definitely looking like Gallant was the right man for the job.

Question will be if he can sustain his effectiveness or reinvent himself as needed, to last longer than in his previous stints.

[siddious]

53 minutes ago, Jdog99 said:

Definitely looking like Gallant was the right man for the job.

Question will be if he can sustain his effectiveness or reinvent himself as needed, to last longer than in his previous stints.

And if the refs don’t take him out first

[Sharpshooter]

Encore presentation for coach of the year? PERHAPS!!