Trotz with "strong words" for Laviolette

[Auston'sWilly]

Trotz with some strong words for Peter Laviolette, who put his top PP unit on for a late 5 on 3 in Tuesday’s 8-3 NSH win over #Isles: “Everybody has their own way of doing it. I wouldn’t have done it that way. Tells me a lot about him.”


per Arthur Staple

What say you? Ok or not ok ? I vote Not ok.

[Eskimo Brother]

Nashville's powerplay has been crappy ~15% on the season. I would do the same and run my top unit out to give them some reps against another team.

Also, this is the NHL, I feel like if he had put out a unit with Bonino, Turris, Grimaldi, Hamhuis, and Irwin, it would have been a bigger hoopla, and not done anyone any good.

[ericdaoust]

I'm definitely in the "who cares" camp. Give it another 12 hours and Trotz will forget this even happened.

Also, I completely disagree with this being strong words.

[Auston'sWilly]

I would be ok with that explanation if it was 5 on 4.
But sending out the top guns 5 on 3 in that stage of the game... That's trying to run up the score. Not cool.

[butch]

isles ran up the score on the red wings back when babsocks was still there (capuano was coach) . I recall Babsocks looking over at Cappy and giving sarcastic applause .

[MZac]

Who cares. 8-3 or 9-3. It's professional sports. Trotz should be looking internally and focus on the things he can control.

[ericdaoust]

Trotz had a thin-skinned moment, that's all.

[chuckcouples]

I can see both sides of this "argument" but I agree with what the Predators did. Their PP has been terrible all year so when you have a chance to give it some confidence you take it. Being mad at a team for running up the score means that you are getting hammered to start with so that is completely your teams fault.

In the grand scheme of things, this does not matter at all.

[2014olympicgold]

I'm always in the group that leans towards "If you don't like it, make them stop". I do get cheesed when in beer league a guy goes "hero" and tries to score with 15s left in a very obvious win situation. But 8-3, 5on3, if you don't like it, make them shutup.

If I was Lav, I dunno if I'd do it. I get what Lav did though. Very low risk in injuring a player, team def needs some work on PP, so yeah. But if I was NYI, I'd be using that as fuel in the next games.

[DocMcPuffin]

If your PP is weak and the guys need a boost of confidence, I see no issue here. You don't sit back in Pro sports and cater to the opposition. Work on your 5 on 3s in practice and make sure this isn't an issue next time.

[audiopile]

The hockey gods take care of this kind of stuff.

[forumname]

I would be ok with that explanation if it was 5 on 4.
But sending out the top guns 5 on 3 in that stage of the game... That's trying to run up the score. Not cool.

This ain't Peewee. There's no value in protecting the egos and feelings of your opponents when it comes to professional sports. There IS value in giving your players in-game practice, AND crushing the confidence of opponents you will play again.

[Auston'sWilly]

All I know is Trotz had a problem with it. He's a respectable, low emotion kind of fellow.
If he has a problem with it, I think there's a pretty good reason. Rubbing someone else's nose in it under the guise of "practice" seems ill advised to me.

[Auston'sWilly]

This ain't Peewee. There's no value in protecting the egos and feelings of your opponents when it comes to professional sports. There IS value in giving your players in-game practice, AND crushing the confidence of opponents you will play again.

Well, you "ain't" no Stanley cup winner. There IS merit to Trotz's opinion on this.

[forumname]

All I know is Trotz had a problem with it. He's a respectable, low emotion kind of fellow.
If he has a problem with it, I think there's a pretty good reason. Rubbing someone else's nose in it under the guise of "practice" seems ill advised to me.

I have to say, I didn't expect someone who loves to call people snowflakes to have such a sensitive take on this one. These are grown men. Professionals. It's not about rubbing anyone's nose in anything, it's about doing whatever it takes to be at the top. If that means humiliating your opponent by beating them 20-0, then so be it. Why should they sit back and not play the best they can? Does an olympic runner slow down if nobodies right behind them? Hell no.