Ducks’ Cronin Not Worried About Job Security

An incredulous look came across Ducks head coach Greg Cronin’s face after he was asked if he had ever considered that his job was in jeopardy following a 1-4-1 stretch during the Ducks’ recent six-game road trip and a 5-2 loss to the Florida Panthers at home.

How could this be a question being asked after the Ducks had just pounded their way to consecutive victories in which they scored five goals in both games? After collecting himself, Cronin answered firmly, “No.”

Perhaps the timing of the question is a bit odd, but the Ducks have progressed minimally. They are on pace to eclipse their point totals from the previous two seasons, but those should be bare minimum goals. As Cronin and Ducks players alike have said, things are still a work in progress. But, in the process of becoming more defensively sound, the offense has suffered.

The Ducks are currently dead-last in the league in goals scored (123) and goals-per-game (2.47). They sit middle of the pack in goals against, but most of that has been due to stellar goaltending from John Gibson and Lukáš Dostál, who are both top-5 in GSAx per 60. Dostál is third in GSAx (17.0) while Gibson is sixth (14.0).

Progression isn’t always linear, but promising development from Leo Carlsson in his rookie season has not translated to the stat sheet in his sophomore season. While points aren’t everything, it calls into question whether Carlsson—and other youngsters on the team—have been put in positions to succeed.

The return of Trevor Zegras appears to have alleviated some of those concerns for Carlsson, but the flashes of offensive upside from players like Pavel Mintyukov and Olen Zellweger have been far and few in between. Zellweger, who was a fixture in the lineup from October to November, has only played in half of the last 15 games.

“He's a good teammate,” Cronin said of Zellweger. “He works hard. He's doing what he has to do to get back in. He's ready to go. And when he gets his opportunity, he'll do well.

“(Mintyukov) is a work in progress. He still sees himself as an offensive guy, which he should do because he's got an offensive history. But again, it goes back to the value system. I think the more that he values playing defense—he knows exactly what he needs to do. (Assistant coach) Brent Thompson does a great job with him, has a really good relationship with him. (He) tries to educate him on when to get up the ice offensively and when not to. I see him making progress. He's starting to get better defensively. I’ve got to be honest with you, I don't really focus on his offense because that's going to come naturally. I try to focus on his defensive awareness and his commitment to be on the good side of puck battles.”

The messaging system, Cronin says, has come less from him this season and more from the veteran leaders in the room. Think of players like team captain Radko Gudas along with alternate captains Ryan Strome and Alex Killorn.

Related: Ducks Coach, Leaders Believe Key to Turnaround Will Come With Further Commitment to Play Style

“I think it's been great, and I'll tell you why,” Cronin said. “Because I'm less involved in it because (of) the veteran group that we have. We organize meetings with the veterans and it's not just the captains. We have eight or nine guys that are 30-years-old and above that have won Stanley Cups, have been deep into the playoffs.

“So some of these repetitions that I speak about are reflections of development that we're trying to do in the NHL. They've already been through it. So they can speak to it personally and intimately. So, what we'll do is we'll sit down with them as a group and say, ‘Listen, this is where we're at as a group.’ I share with them, ‘Here's some things that we're not really doing a good job of in terms of the team and the connectivity.’ There's certain plays that have to be made to create the connectivity, which allows you to play faster.”

“I think he's definitely kind of laid off a bit this year with kind of getting on guys individually,” Strome said. “I think last year, he was definitely kind of going at guys a little bit more and a little more confrontational. But, I think it's a two way street. Not only has he kind of backed off, I think guys kind of understand what's expected a little bit more now. I think we're learning, I think he's learning and I think the combination of all of that makes it a little bit more like a long-term look, not just a day-to-day outlook on things.

“ I think he's giving guys multiple periods or multiple games to kind of get their game in order versus kind of getting on them very quickly. And I think that allows guys to get a little bit more comfortable and to try to find some success. We’ve done a good job this year (in that regard). Everyone's come with a great attitude every single day—the coaches, the players—and we've really put our nose down and tried to work and tried to learn. (The coaching staff) has done a lot of teaching and so I think it's been a really good group effort so far. We’ve got to continue that and continue to grow and learn.”

Strome was frank about how difficult it is to win in the NHL and even how difficult it is to be a .500 team, a mark which the Ducks have struggled to reach over the past several seasons.

“It’s even harder to take that next step, so that's kind of our next challenge here. We’re trying to push ourselves and it's been a lot of fun. The vibe around the rink when you're winning is a lot more fun, that's for sure.”

“I think (Cronin) did take a little different approach that he did from last year,” Gudas said. “It was his first year as a head coach in the NHL as well, so I think he took some learning curves in the offseason. A little different approach, 100%. He’s got a good group of people around him as well that are helping out in every possible way. The power play (and penalty kill) have not been on his mind because the guys are there helping him out and taking it as their duties.”

Cronin’s intentions are good-hearted, for the most part. His decision to drop Cutter Gauthier to the fourth line in order to create better habits served as a wake-up call for the rookie, but has served him well as the season has progressed. Cronin tried the same thing with Mason McTavish and while the results were mixed, he has proven to be a much more productive player after Cronin referred to him as a ‘third line guy’ during a recent morning skate media scrum.

For all the warts and criticism that Trevor Zegras receives, he took everything in stride when challenged by Cronin last season to become a more complete player. Improvement was needed from him defensively and that was further reinforced by Zegras getting minimal ice time at the World Championships this past summer due to his subpar efforts.

“I think the one thing that I'm really proud of that he's done and he's taken and put into his value system is his ability to compete (and) to get on pucks,” Cronin said. “He steps into people, he's going to the netfront. He's trying to battle at the netfront. He's not a big guy, so he's not going to move people off the third circle area. But he's trying to get into those positions to attract attention, which might open up the ice for his teammates.

“We’ve talked about this. Some of these kids, they just have never been told to do it. They've never been told to do things that they really don't want to do. And to his credit, he's really stepped into that footprint and he's tried.”

“It's interesting, for sure,” Zegras said on his relationship with Cronin. “When I first met him, we were on two different ends of the spectrum. He’s brought me a long way in terms of playing a more complete game. I know these guys (in the locker room), they like to joke about me backchecking and stuff, but I feel like I've always worked hard. I think he's shown me a lot in terms of the little details of the game and if there's a lot of pushback, I think, at the end, it all works out. I thank him for all the stuff that he's done to help me with my game.”