Mlive posted that Alex Tanguay is filling the assistant coaching void left by Bylsma’s departure. The acquisition of a former Avalanche winger is in hopes to address an even greater void, one that appears on the scoresheet.
I posted about the state of the Wings being at about half of the team it needs to be.. There are two major components to building the team. Acquiring new talent and developing existing talent. Last year a huge premium was placed on playing defensively. It paid off in reducing goals against. However, the power play is still at the bottom of the league (2nd to last) and goals was also second to last at 2.23 per game. Bringing in someone who knew how to score and focuses on offense is a fantastic complement to the defensive work that’s been done.
I have to give Yzerman immense credit. We knew he was working hard, and this is part of that work. Each year he works to help the team improve, and this is an exciting step forward. Instead of sifting through the recycle bin, Tanguay is relatively new to coaching (2 seasons in the AHL). He’s served as an analyst for NHL tonight. I think he and Blashill may have the same barber as well.
Mlive quoted Tanguay as saying the following:
“Kris Draper called me and said, ‘You’re the first one to cross that bridge,’ " Tanguay said. “It was such a unique rivalry. I missed most of the fighting from the ’90s. I was drafted in ’98. We played a few times in the playoffs. It was always such a special place to play, the Joe, and the organization was so good. I understood how much pride those guys had in the Red Wings organization and I’m glad to be a part of the organization now.”
If you missed this rivalry due to age, buy the Wings boxed set. “Fight night at the Joe” is included with the 96, 97 and 2002 championships. (2008 was a separate purchase when I made it). There are still guys from that rivalry that aren’t completely comfortable with each other. Kris Draper is one of them. Claude Lemieux introduced himself to Draper’s son a few years back, and Kris was a bit frozen. The two shared a long flight and still you could hear the icicles falling. The damage to Draper’s face was insane (McCarty had to carry wire cutters in case Draper got sick. His jaws were wired shut and would need to be opened up should the speedy centerman begin to vomit). It was real vitriol and I don’t think we’ll see anything like it again.
Brendan Shanahan made a flying tackle on Patrick Roy on the famous fight night. A while later Shanny recounted Roy telling him that his shoulder was still messed up from that hit. “Good” Shanny recalled thinking. The nastiness didn’t wear off for a while. A few years back, Osgood and Roy did an interview together and it was fantastic. Talking about the fight and how Osgood surprised Roy with a punch. Chris asked, “what the hell were you thinking?” “I was thinking I wanted to kick your *ss” Roy laughed. Those two seem to be getting along well. Yzerman and Sakic have made some trades so it seems some of the boys have outgrown the feud. Not all of them (which is awkward, since Lemieux represents Seider).
Part of me really misses those days. The teams were stacked with talent, there were massive borderline body builders on those squads. The whole rink would shake when they went at it. Part of me is glad it’s done. It was bloody and terrifying. (It made children cry). The memories are a bit like my favorite movie, “Casablanca”. Yes, it’s a fun time to revisit, but no amount of sentimental joy is worth living through the war again. (Queue “As Time goes By”. )
Tanguay isn’t just a tweak, he’s a leap forward. Letting a recent NHL player look at the guys and tell the coach who is being misused. Letting that voice say, “you really need to put (blank) on the point and let someone else go net front”. Actual experience and on ice recognition of who could provide more offense in which scenario is a breath of fresh air. The relief many felt in seeing some veterans let go (or bought out) was that we wouldn’t keep putting players in scenarios where they weren’t bringing success.
I wonder if this will impact who makes the team out of camp. If Veleno breaks out and starts scoring, let him stay up. If Berggren turns out to be a solid power play presence, give him a shot. Tanguay is going to communicate on a player’s level. Not Rod Brind’amour but in that same vein. He will ride guys for passing up on the shot, or for poor decision making. He will make this team focus on scoring goals, and that has to be exciting if you’re a fan.
So, how do you feel? Do you like the fit? My only concern is, Tanguay has way more style than most of the coaching staff. He’s going to out-suit the bench bosses badly. Maybe, just maybe, he can get some style behind the bench as well as on the ice. You never know.
I will be featuring the writings of Kevin Allen for a summer reading program this year. It’s tough to break up the summer months, and the one on one formats that Kevin has perfected is not only a pleasure to read but gives insight that isn’t easy to come by. I’ll be starting with Chris Chelios “Made in America”.
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