Dominoes
The first domino has fallen. By now, if you care in the least, you should already know that head coach Stevens has been replaced. Right now I'm picturing Kings fans dancing in the streets a la Randy Marsh after the Obama election. Then the harsh reality sets in that changing leadership doesn't effect positive results immediately. Ladies and Gentlemen, please make sure the safety bar is securely fastened, and keep your hands and arms inside the ride at all times. That is right, the ride has just begun.
The Kings are going to continue to struggle. Not knowing Mr. Desjardins personally, I can't evaluate his coaching philosophy, or his approach to the game, but based on his history, he just might have what it takes to bring this club back to contention. It will not happen over night.
Desjardins has a big job ahead of him. Luckily, I believe that the team leadership is solid, and that should help. Even so, this team has to unlearn some bad habits/approaches to the game and replace them with good ones, which takes time. For a while, the Kings may be a half step slow as they think their way through their new approach to the game. Players will slip, forget, and be out of position from time to time as they adjust. As a fan, it might not be too easy to watch.
The good news, is that these are professional players. They have all had numerous coaches with numerous approaches to the game. From what I have already seen, this team has a solid grounding in the fundamentals of hockey, so I don't envision it taking too long before we start to see a few things clicking. My Christmas list, in order of priority, would be as follows: Fewer unattended players around the net, or in the slot on defense; more consistent break outs, better entry into the zone on the power play, and an improved fore check.
I wish Mr. Desjardins all the luck in the world. He has a difficult job ahead of him, and one that is rife with pressure. If things don't improve, players may get marooned in Ottawa, or worse yet Phoenix. We also aren't sure how many strikes Lucky and Blakey are going to get. It may be possible that Blakey takes the heat for Luc, but so far they have managed to fire a two time Stanley Cup winning coach (not really a bad move as it was time for a change), and replace him with a coach that got swept out of the playoffs in his first season, and had a possible contender sweeping up the basement through a horrific start. If Desjardins trips over the blue line, then the onus must go further up the chain of command.
The Kings are going to continue to struggle. Not knowing Mr. Desjardins personally, I can't evaluate his coaching philosophy, or his approach to the game, but based on his history, he just might have what it takes to bring this club back to contention. It will not happen over night.
Desjardins has a big job ahead of him. Luckily, I believe that the team leadership is solid, and that should help. Even so, this team has to unlearn some bad habits/approaches to the game and replace them with good ones, which takes time. For a while, the Kings may be a half step slow as they think their way through their new approach to the game. Players will slip, forget, and be out of position from time to time as they adjust. As a fan, it might not be too easy to watch.
The good news, is that these are professional players. They have all had numerous coaches with numerous approaches to the game. From what I have already seen, this team has a solid grounding in the fundamentals of hockey, so I don't envision it taking too long before we start to see a few things clicking. My Christmas list, in order of priority, would be as follows: Fewer unattended players around the net, or in the slot on defense; more consistent break outs, better entry into the zone on the power play, and an improved fore check.
I wish Mr. Desjardins all the luck in the world. He has a difficult job ahead of him, and one that is rife with pressure. If things don't improve, players may get marooned in Ottawa, or worse yet Phoenix. We also aren't sure how many strikes Lucky and Blakey are going to get. It may be possible that Blakey takes the heat for Luc, but so far they have managed to fire a two time Stanley Cup winning coach (not really a bad move as it was time for a change), and replace him with a coach that got swept out of the playoffs in his first season, and had a possible contender sweeping up the basement through a horrific start. If Desjardins trips over the blue line, then the onus must go further up the chain of command.
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