The best coach in Hockey today-period

[yave1964]

Dave Tippett, hands down is the best coach in the game.

 

Move over Babs, move over Queneville. No way Claude. Tippett is the best of the best.

 

  He had a solid NHL career as a cerebral fourth liner with a little bit of an offensive flair if the situation called for it. When his ten year career ended he went to Houston to coach, and naturally moved into the nhl coaching ranks.

 

  He was hired as an assistant by Andy Murray with the Kings in 1999, where he learned x's and o's under an underrated and cerebral coach. The club made the playoffs in 1999-2000 and swept by the Wings.

  The following year, the Kings moved into the playoffs again and again in the first round faced the heavily favored Wings. Tippett was given the task of coming up with a offensive game plan against the Wings. He through everyone in front of the net, Osgood was swarmed, five men constantly in the zone, pressuring, everything right in front of the net, a shellshocked Wings club was upset in six games. Murray gave credit to Tippett for the game plan and he became the 'hot assistant.

  In 2002 he became the coach of the Dallas Stars, a talented team that was aging, He blended youth and the remaining veterans, keeping the club relevant and on the fringe as a contender. His record with the Stars:

 

Regular season Post season G W L T OTL Pts Finish Result

DAL 2002–03 82 46 17 15 4 111 1st in Pacific Lost in conference semifinals

DAL 2003–04 82 41 26 13 2 97 2nd in Pacific Lost in round 1

DAL 2005–06 82 53 23 — 6 112 1st in Pacific Lost in round 1 DAL 2006–07 82 50 25 — 7 107 3rd in Pacific Lost in round 1

DAL 2007–08 82 45 30 — 7 97 3rd in Pacific Lost in conference finals

DAL 2008–09 82 36 35 — 11 83 3rd in Pacific Missed playoffs

  Lack of playoff success ended his time there, he pushed the Wings (Again!) in the 2007-08 playoffs in a spirited six game series. The following season his club missed the playoffs and he was shown the door, hired by his old friend Don Maloney who recognized his genius. Tippett stepped in seamlessly for the Coyotes when Wayne Gretzky was gently shown the door, and has led the club to contention having the franchise first 50 win season, their first 100 point season, and their first playoff success. His record in the desert:

 

Season GP W L OTL Pts GF GA Finish Playoffs

2008–09 82 36 39 7 79 208 252 4th, Pacific Did not qualify

2009–10 82 50 25 7 107 225 202 2nd, Pacific Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 3–4 (Red Wings)

2010–11 82 43 26 13 99 231 226 3rd, Pacific Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 0–4 (Red Wings)

2011–12 82 42 27 13 97 216 204 1st, Pacific Lost in Conference Finals, 1–4 (Kings)

2012–13 48 21 18 9 51 125 131 4th, PacificDid not qualify

 

 

  He always either beats my Wings or plays them tougher than any club around. I don't know what his magic and aura is over us but it is real. I am telling this man got more out of Bryzgalov than anyone thought possible, now journeyman Mike Smith plays like an all star, with no evidence from anywhere in his career that he deserved to be an all regular. Vermette, Korpikoski, Moss, Chipchura, and Vrbata all epitomize him as a coach. They are players like Bryz and Smith who were found wanting elsewhere, sometimes a lot of elsewheres who came to the dessert and Tippett took andvantage of what they can do and taught them to play to their strengths and to hide their weaknesses.

  Every year they are picked dead last or close to it, and every year with a bankrupted franchise with no budget and limited talent he has managed to make them relevant. This year EVERY expert picked them out of the running. Not saying they will be there in the end but my god are they tough to play against, everyone knows where and what is expected of them, and they are held accountable on the ice at all times. With a team that I would say is in the bottom four or five in talent they are in the discussion because of the best coach in the game.

Edited October 20, 2013 by yave1964

[OccamsRazor]

Dave Tippett, hands down is the best coach in the game.

 

 

Completely agree he was my choice as first canidate to replace Lavy till they resigned him this past offseason.

 

That is why i also suggested the other day that i liked either one of Jim Playfair or Newell Brown both from his staff to replace Berube...

 

...i figure the Flyers just need a structured type system to bring them around and hope they had learned something from Tippett and could implement it here.....wishful thinking. If the players buy in.

Edited October 20, 2013 by OccamsRazor