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www.the-rink.com • 55 Years Old • Male
Sav-oir Faire
Posted 8:12 AM ET | Comments 1
(All, I am no longer HB28, but my real name. Nice to meet you)
I just got done responding on Al Cimaglia's blog with regard to Denis Savard's system.
Make no mistake, Savard-Bashers. He has a system. He has a vision. And it's working.
As a Hawk fan, it's very easy to be cynical about any member of the front office or staff who comes from within the ranks. For years, that's how it was done at 1800 West Madison: reward loyalty over performance, don't argue with Bob Pulford. When the Hawks did look outside the organization, it was with disastrous consequences: Mike Smith, Alpo Suhonen, etc.
I will visit Dale Tallon later. For now, let me say this about Savard. His outspoken criticism of players is fair and accurate. And he is just as quick to praise.
As far as his line-juggling, what would any coach do with the injuries and young players Savard has to deal with? Plus, some of his juggling has provided results.
Back to his system. Savard is trying to implement a system that is a combination of puck control with a very aggressive, physical forecheck. Why? This is precisely the system it takes to beat the elite teams in the West. If you can skate with Detroit and outhit them, you can beat them (The Hawks and St. Louis have proven this). If you can hit with Anaheim and outskate them, you can beat them.
This also why Savard has at different times played Dustin Byfuglien, Tuomo Ruutu and even Adam Burish on his top line with Lang and Havlat. He wants a physical, yet mobile, disruptive presence to create mayhem and turnovers.
And it's why I think Byfuglien can be a game-changer as a forward in Savard's system, as opposed to an offensively-gifted, but sloppy d-man in any system.
In French, 'savoir faire' means literally: to know, to do.
Denis Savard has earned the nickname because he knows what he's doing.
JJ
www.hockeysfuture,com/teams_chicagoblackhawks
I just got done responding on Al Cimaglia's blog with regard to Denis Savard's system.
Make no mistake, Savard-Bashers. He has a system. He has a vision. And it's working.
As a Hawk fan, it's very easy to be cynical about any member of the front office or staff who comes from within the ranks. For years, that's how it was done at 1800 West Madison: reward loyalty over performance, don't argue with Bob Pulford. When the Hawks did look outside the organization, it was with disastrous consequences: Mike Smith, Alpo Suhonen, etc.
I will visit Dale Tallon later. For now, let me say this about Savard. His outspoken criticism of players is fair and accurate. And he is just as quick to praise.
As far as his line-juggling, what would any coach do with the injuries and young players Savard has to deal with? Plus, some of his juggling has provided results.
Back to his system. Savard is trying to implement a system that is a combination of puck control with a very aggressive, physical forecheck. Why? This is precisely the system it takes to beat the elite teams in the West. If you can skate with Detroit and outhit them, you can beat them (The Hawks and St. Louis have proven this). If you can hit with Anaheim and outskate them, you can beat them.
This also why Savard has at different times played Dustin Byfuglien, Tuomo Ruutu and even Adam Burish on his top line with Lang and Havlat. He wants a physical, yet mobile, disruptive presence to create mayhem and turnovers.
And it's why I think Byfuglien can be a game-changer as a forward in Savard's system, as opposed to an offensively-gifted, but sloppy d-man in any system.
In French, 'savoir faire' means literally: to know, to do.
Denis Savard has earned the nickname because he knows what he's doing.
JJ
www.hockeysfuture,com/teams_chicagoblackhawks
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26 The Blackhawks and the Tyranny of Hope
29 The Karma Of Blackhawk Fans
30 The Bowman Connection
31 Reality Bites
29 The Karma Of Blackhawk Fans
30 The Bowman Connection
31 Reality Bites
02 The Bottom Of The Well
04 Random Musings on the Hospital Ship Blackhawk
05 The Fields of Bannockburn
07 Bleeding The Ground Red/1st half grades
09 Les Habitents et les Blackhawks
10 "
11 Hawks trade aging Swedish d-man for future superstar
12 Red Plummeting, Notes on a Freefall
14 Barker Drinks A Red Bull; Streak Over
16 A Road Map To The Cup
19 Playoff Fever . . . Don't Catch It! (Yet)
22 Sav-oir Faire
23 Water will find it's level
24 The Benchmark du Jour: Columbus
27 Who cut the cheese?
04 Random Musings on the Hospital Ship Blackhawk
05 The Fields of Bannockburn
07 Bleeding The Ground Red/1st half grades
09 Les Habitents et les Blackhawks
10 "
11 Hawks trade aging Swedish d-man for future superstar
12 Red Plummeting, Notes on a Freefall
14 Barker Drinks A Red Bull; Streak Over
16 A Road Map To The Cup
19 Playoff Fever . . . Don't Catch It! (Yet)
22 Sav-oir Faire
23 Water will find it's level
24 The Benchmark du Jour: Columbus
27 Who cut the cheese?
I don't want to sound like an ass, but exactly what has Savvy done to prove that his system is working? The Hawks are looking upwards, but that is likely the cause of the maturation and infusion of talent that has been accumulated at the expense of the hawks dignity over the past five ugly seasons. As much as I like Savard, I'm not totally convinced that he is a good coach, and while it is true that the Hawks have had very serious injuries during his time as coach, I don't see marked improvement in this team outside of just having better players.