Monday, November 24, 2008

Craig MacTavish - Consummate Professional

http://oilers.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=392798

What do you do when one of your players is under performing? A consummate professional like Craig MacTavish throws them under the bus. Check this absolute gem from MacTavish on Dustin Penner. You put Penner on the 3rd line with Ethan Moreau and Fernando Pisani and expect him to make major offensive contributions. And then when he gets frustrated, or doesn't perform as well as last year, you rip him publicly.

Thanks Craig. Way to be there guy.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

Yet Penner played well after eating stale popcorn in the press box for a couple of night...

Anonymous said...

I'm listening to the podcast now. A couple of highlights for me:

"You can't just continue to throw gratuitous ice time at a guy who's that inconsistent"

"...it's the inconsistency and the competitiveness..."

Can you name more than 5 Oilers that this doesn't apply to? Our first line for the last 10 years. Our goalies. Our team.

Joshua Lam said...

'We thought his contract was just the beginning, he thought it was the finish line'.


Brutal. After a speech like that, I know I'd be chomping at the bit to get on the ice and score some goals...

And

'We can't throw gratuitous ice time around'

Um, then why do I see Zack Stortini on the ice at all???

Pokey Reddick said...

thanks for the comments guys! pokey loves you.

kassam said...

Penner has all the tools to be a monSTAR out there.

"He's not fit"

His job is to be in shape and play hockey. He has one job to be able to play hard and practice hard for 82 games.

MacT was right in calling him out, he got his money too quick and stopped doing the things he needed to do to be successful.

Kevin Lowe made a statement signing this guy and a lot of GMs hate him for it. They don't like how he re-adjusted the pay scale and they are NOT gonna do him any favours by taking Dustin off our hands, he's here for that whole contract and he needs to be better. MacT "needs him to be better" cuz he's stuck with him.

MacT gives guys that are effective icetime. Ethan Moreau and Fernando Pisani get plenty of icetime because they are good hockey players. We're not talking about points here, he just needs to play better. Moreau and Pisani get put out against the other team's best guys. Getting minutes with these guys is not an insult and he is being given an opportunity to help the team playing with these guys by shutting down the other team and contributing a goal here and there.

Penner has shown what he is capable of doing these last two games. He can be a seriously disruptive force even when he is not filling the back of the net. MacT's frustration stems from the fact that he hasn't shown that he can bring it for all 82 games, or even 60 games for that matter.

Penner CAN be better, he gets 15 minutes a game and that's more than enough opportunities.

P.S.

"gratuitious ice time" == power play time

Zach never sees that kind of ice time...Zach is on the ice cuz Hemsky can't play 30 minutes a game.

Anonymous said...

Tools? Seriously? This guy scores 30 goals one year and he's got tools? The answer to this problem is not "give him a break", "throw him under the bus", or "put him on another line" it is get a time machine, go back in time, and give him an incentive-based contract. Smyth had (and likely has) much more stature as a player when we did it to him. I think it worked. Have a look at his points, salary and incentives (great resources site, ps):

http://www.nhlpa.com/WebStats/PlayerBiography.asp?ID=5280

http://www.hockeyzoneplus.com/salaries/3650

kassam said...

Tools:
1) He can shoot and score.
2) He's a f*%$in truck. Put him in front of the net on the PP.
3) He can hit...really hard.
4) He can win faceoffs when given the chance.
5) He can play the left wing.

The Oilers needed 1, 2, 3 and 5 when they signed him.

He didn't qualify for performance bonuses and most players don't, that's why you don't see them.


http://www.nhl.com/nhlhq/cba/index.html

"Performance bonuses will only be permissible for the following types of players: (1) players on entry-level contracts; (2) players signing one-year contracts after returning from long-term injuries (players with 400 or more games who spent 100 or more days on injured reserve in the last year of their most recent contract); and senior veteran players who sign a one-year contract after the age of 35."

I do think MacTavish made a mistake talking about his salary and how long he is here for but I think Penner is at fault here too.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the info Kassam. Without incentives, how can we make these players play? Hmm...a coach they respect? As for you arguments, I think you're falling into the classic Oiler trap. 20 goal scorers are "good". Nope. You need a couple of players above that OR several 20 goal scorers. The real trap is "intangibles". We get, keep, and cheer players based not on measurable (actual) performance, but on heart, grit, and other ridiculous things. Don't get me wrong, you need ONE guy with these things (like MacT when he played), and if you give me the choice of a 40 goal guy with heart and one without, I choose the guy with heart, but we keep choosing (and supporting that choice) guys with intangibles and little else. He's a truck. So. He's "strong" on PP. Where are the goals? He can shoot, hit and play his position. Isn't that his job? Shouldn't all players be able to do that? Doesn't he get $4mil and change for that? His goals are not even what I should be picking on. Assists? +/-? Embarrassing.

In any case, I'm with MacT, I need to see more from Penner. I guess we just disagree on his potential. I guess we'll see. If he's been traded to Nashville in two years, we'll count you right.