January 8, 2025 • 10 mins
Seattle Kraken Head Coach Dan Bylsma joins Dave Softy Mahler and Dick Fain to talk about the team having a road trip at a much needed time, waiving Daniel Sprong, the reset for Shane Wright working, working on their power play, and Kaapo Kakko’s role.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's time for Sathi and Dick's weekly visit with se
Creton head coach Dan Bilesma, brought to you by Dick's
Drive In, serving great burgers, fries and shakes to hockey
fans since nineteen fifty four. Step into one of the
nine Dicks Drive Ins locations today now with our head
coach Dan Bilsma. Beer's Sadian Dames.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
I's the line back out on mcdaan left side, dallot
to last, all to say right, that's the problem.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
End.
Speaker 4 (00:31):
He takes up his eighth on the season.
Speaker 5 (00:34):
All right, boys and girls, we're back on a Wednesday afternoon.
Big thanks to our friends at Dick's Drive Ins for
sponsoring this shindig every single week.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
Win or lose, up or down, left or right, right
or wrong.
Speaker 5 (00:45):
Dan Bilesma delivers every single Wednesday at three forty five,
the head coach of the Kraken with us.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
Now on the air, Coach, how are you?
Speaker 3 (00:52):
I am good on the road in Columbus, little snow here. Yeah,
there you go, per per perfect hockey weather.
Speaker 4 (00:58):
I love it.
Speaker 5 (00:58):
Well, let's let's talk talk about that because we were
kind of yacking off the air a little bit. That
sometimes when a team is struggling, and this I think
goes for really any sports. Sometimes good to get away right,
get to the hotel, kind of bond a little bit.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
Whatever.
Speaker 5 (01:12):
You've been around this game a long time, do you
feel like that this might be the perfect time for
a little five game road trip?
Speaker 3 (01:18):
Absolutely? I think you know, we're talking about the midpoint
in the season, last game, and you know we we
know right where we're at in the standing. It's we
can be better. Were looking for a few more wins,
but no better chance than on the road, going on
the road, twelve days with the guys and five games
on a road trip. We got Columbus, Buffalo, Detroit, Pittsburgh,
(01:40):
and Winnipeg and great to straight opportunities to turn this
thing around.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
And it's not like you haven't done it before. I mean,
you just have to go back a month. I mean,
you had that Carolina, New York, New Jersey, New York
trip and we're fantastic. So what were the vibes during
that trip, and how do you think you replicate them
this trip?
Speaker 3 (01:59):
I think he actually quite quite similar to this trip.
At that point in the season, we had come off
a few losses and the consistencies in our game, and
we all knew it, we all recognized it, and the
road was a chance in Carolina against a good team
to play some of our best hockey. And it's no
(02:19):
different now. We came back from the break and got
an overtime win and a Utah win, a shootout loss,
and the last two games against New Jersey I think
was a game we think we could have fared better in.
We got they got some great goaltending, and we had
some chances to score three or four times that were
(02:40):
Red Belts days by Marstrom, but the result wasn't what
we were looking for. And I think as a as
a group and as a team, we're still striving for
our best each and every night in sixty minutes, and
sometimes there's no better way to get that focus and
go on the road.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
Well, Dick, Dick mentioned that road trip going back.
Speaker 5 (02:59):
When you start it off obviously on the third of
December of Carolina, you go three and one, and you
made some moves, I mean, you sat some guys down
for a little bit. And now this road trip kind
of coincides with Daniel Sproung getting waived, you know, second
time he's been let go after you picked him up
again from the Canucks. And I don't want to put
that in the same category as maybe a Burakowski, but
that that move that you guys made. Talk about that
(03:21):
and and and and why that move was made.
Speaker 6 (03:23):
Coach, Well, we you know, part of part of the
story of last little bit Ben some injuries and and
some injuries and sicknesses last minute.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
And we've seen some roster moves bringing the two defensemen
up in case our guys couldn't get in the lineup
in Yanni Gord not playing the last couple of games.
So we've had a lot of different roster moves and
those you know much like to sit out before. Like
sometimes the roster moves have a have a give a
(03:57):
jump start to the to the group, give a give
an unnote to the group, and I would think this
was no different.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
Well, seems like the roster move with Shane Wright where
you sat him down a bit, I mean just as
a as a twenty year old at that time, and
then you've brought him back. He got a goal in
the last game. Talk about his progress since being back
in the rotation.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
It's never I think, I guess it's sometimes a cliche
you need to have a reset. You need to see
one from the bleachers and see the game from a
little bit different perspective to sit out. But with Shane,
I think, you know, we talk about him having come
into training camp and like as a new person, and
(04:39):
how he played and how he skated and how he
was on the ice, was he was clearly had taken
a step and throughout the the course of the first
twenty games or so, the grind of the season, the
day in and day out, got lost on him a
little bit, and I think the reset, so to speak,
(05:00):
was a chance to get back to that training camp mindset,
get back to just playing hockey, and and when he
stepped back in the lineup, especially the first five or
six games after that sit down, it was clearly clearly
he took the message and clearly he got back to
playing the way he did the way he came into
training camp. And you know, there's the grind of the
(05:22):
season keeps going, and he's been in and out, you know,
in and out of that grind with the season, with
the break, with the holiday break, we've had some sickness
and injuries, and still in that grind. But the last
couple of games. I think you've seen him play some
of his best hockey and he's scored some goals a
power play goal included in that in the New Jersey game.
Speaker 4 (05:42):
Yep, no doubt.
Speaker 5 (05:43):
Dan Bosma with us coach of the crack and Crack
and starting a five game road trip tomorrow a Columbus
three thirty pre game four o'clock face off right here
on ninety three to three kJ ir FM. And I'm
glad that you mentioned the power play because you've mentioned
the top that there's just some stuff that you'd like
to see the team do better at. And I mean, look,
I'm no, I'm no g just over here, but I
would think that consistency with your power play and on
(06:04):
the defensive side would be right there at the top.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
I mean, am I am I unfair with that?
Speaker 3 (06:08):
No, the power play, power play is is a critical
piece in winning hockey games. Power play, penalty kill, and
it's a game to game thing. Your powers. Life can
be great one night win your hockey game, and the
next night can go home for six and it's no good.
And so the consistency night in the night out from
(06:30):
the power play, the consistency and providing really just mojo
for the group and when the power play provides that
mojo and power play has shot generated. When power play
gets scoring chances, it just whether it scores the goal
or not, it adds. It adds. It adds to how
we want to play five on five and that consistency,
(06:52):
you know, is something we're striving for in our five
on five game and in the power play.
Speaker 5 (06:57):
Dan, I'm just curious just to follow up on that
of the power plays that you because you know, just
in an effort to get people to understand kind of
what you guys are doing over there, like for example,
you know, basketball wise, you get your defensive guys, you're
shooting guys. As far as coaches, baseball, infield coaches, hitting coaches,
as you know, if your football, same thing. When it
comes to your power play, Who's who's running that? It
(07:18):
was reported it was Bob and then and then Jessica
maybe took over. So who's who's the main coach on
your bench responsible for the power play right now?
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Jessica is the i would say, the main coach with
the power play. Bob and Bob and jess share those responsibilities.
They are implementing and working with the players together they're
doing it together, and you know it is it is
a lot like a smile specialty coach. But you know,
our practices, our meetings are are intent. Our messaging is
(07:50):
coming from Jess and Bob, and you know, I think,
I think again, the power play is it's it's always
a focal point and it's always can it always can
be better. You can be at twenty five percent and
it's all about the next game. It doesn't the power
player at the percentage is what we look at, but
it's it's always about the next game. It's always about
(08:11):
the next opportunity. Because again it's so critical too importance
of it's a huge part of winning hockey games. And
so it's not you know, it's easy to look at
the percentage of say good, bad or and different. But
the power player gets the opportunity last game, one opportunity
in the in the game we're down to one and
they come out in the third period, get us that goal,
(08:32):
get us a chance to win that hockey game.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Coach eight games in now with with Coppo and he's
given you four assists in the last four games.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
Talk about what he's brought you guys.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
Continued continued improvement in his game. I think, you know,
the made the made the trade and the new year,
getting a he's not young anymore, but a second overall
pick that's still developing in his career and looking for
a big role in a bigger spot. And you know,
(09:02):
I I give him a pass on the first game
in Chicago, got in at one point thirty at night
and stepped down the ice the next day without a
practice and played. And but since then, pretty much every
game we've seen and it's it's growing with Maddy Veneer's
and Jayden Schwartz and his line, but a guy who
(09:24):
can be a big bodied winger, skates well, can make plays,
hold on of the pucket as a presence at the net.
It's it's some of the continuity in the in the
line has been they thank they've been our best line,
you know for probably the last five or six games.
And you've seen it in the two passes that he
made for breakaways in the one game, and you see
(09:45):
it last game on the power play, and he's a
NetFront presence and where he's particularly good and makes the
play of Shane right in in for the goal. But
it's it's happening it's it's great to see because he's
a a big body guy something you know. I think
as a team we longed for a big body guy
(10:06):
who can have a presence on the inside and be
good at the net and be a physical you know,
physical presence, physical not just being hitting, but physical presence,
hard to get up, puck and it's uh, it's it's
great to see.
Speaker 4 (10:18):
Yeah, I love it.
Speaker 5 (10:19):
Hey, no place like the road, right, go out there,
kick their butt tomorrow and we'll.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
Talk on Wednesday. Coach Besta lu Can. I appreciate this man.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
All right, thanks guys, you got it.
Speaker 5 (10:27):
Dan Bilsma with us every single Wednesday, three forty five
courtesy of Dick's Drive Ins. What do you say we
got a break? And check him with petros Man? Holy cow?
How about the news coming out of southern California And
we'll talk to petros about it next on ninety three
to three kJ RFM.
It's time for Sathi and Dick's weekly visit with se
Creton head coach Dan Bilesma, brought to you by Dick's
Drive In, serving great burgers, fries and shakes to hockey
fans since nineteen fifty four. Step into one of the
nine Dicks Drive Ins locations today now with our head
coach Dan Bilsma. Beer's Sadian Dames.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
I's the line back out on mcdaan left side, dallot
to last, all to say right, that's the problem.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
End.
Speaker 4 (00:31):
He takes up his eighth on the season.
Speaker 5 (00:34):
All right, boys and girls, we're back on a Wednesday afternoon.
Big thanks to our friends at Dick's Drive Ins for
sponsoring this shindig every single week.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
Win or lose, up or down, left or right, right
or wrong.
Speaker 5 (00:45):
Dan Bilesma delivers every single Wednesday at three forty five,
the head coach of the Kraken with us.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
Now on the air, Coach, how are you?
Speaker 3 (00:52):
I am good on the road in Columbus, little snow here. Yeah,
there you go, per per perfect hockey weather.
Speaker 4 (00:58):
I love it.
Speaker 5 (00:58):
Well, let's let's talk talk about that because we were
kind of yacking off the air a little bit. That
sometimes when a team is struggling, and this I think
goes for really any sports. Sometimes good to get away right,
get to the hotel, kind of bond a little bit.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
Whatever.
Speaker 5 (01:12):
You've been around this game a long time, do you
feel like that this might be the perfect time for
a little five game road trip?
Speaker 3 (01:18):
Absolutely? I think you know, we're talking about the midpoint
in the season, last game, and you know we we
know right where we're at in the standing. It's we
can be better. Were looking for a few more wins,
but no better chance than on the road, going on
the road, twelve days with the guys and five games
on a road trip. We got Columbus, Buffalo, Detroit, Pittsburgh,
(01:40):
and Winnipeg and great to straight opportunities to turn this
thing around.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
And it's not like you haven't done it before. I mean,
you just have to go back a month. I mean,
you had that Carolina, New York, New Jersey, New York
trip and we're fantastic. So what were the vibes during
that trip, and how do you think you replicate them
this trip?
Speaker 3 (01:59):
I think he actually quite quite similar to this trip.
At that point in the season, we had come off
a few losses and the consistencies in our game, and
we all knew it, we all recognized it, and the
road was a chance in Carolina against a good team
to play some of our best hockey. And it's no
(02:19):
different now. We came back from the break and got
an overtime win and a Utah win, a shootout loss,
and the last two games against New Jersey I think
was a game we think we could have fared better in.
We got they got some great goaltending, and we had
some chances to score three or four times that were
(02:40):
Red Belts days by Marstrom, but the result wasn't what
we were looking for. And I think as a as
a group and as a team, we're still striving for
our best each and every night in sixty minutes, and
sometimes there's no better way to get that focus and
go on the road.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
Well, Dick, Dick mentioned that road trip going back.
Speaker 5 (02:59):
When you start it off obviously on the third of
December of Carolina, you go three and one, and you
made some moves, I mean, you sat some guys down
for a little bit. And now this road trip kind
of coincides with Daniel Sproung getting waived, you know, second
time he's been let go after you picked him up
again from the Canucks. And I don't want to put
that in the same category as maybe a Burakowski, but
that that move that you guys made. Talk about that
(03:21):
and and and and why that move was made.
Speaker 6 (03:23):
Coach, Well, we you know, part of part of the
story of last little bit Ben some injuries and and
some injuries and sicknesses last minute.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
And we've seen some roster moves bringing the two defensemen
up in case our guys couldn't get in the lineup
in Yanni Gord not playing the last couple of games.
So we've had a lot of different roster moves and
those you know much like to sit out before. Like
sometimes the roster moves have a have a give a
(03:57):
jump start to the to the group, give a give
an unnote to the group, and I would think this
was no different.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
Well, seems like the roster move with Shane Wright where
you sat him down a bit, I mean just as
a as a twenty year old at that time, and
then you've brought him back. He got a goal in
the last game. Talk about his progress since being back
in the rotation.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
It's never I think, I guess it's sometimes a cliche
you need to have a reset. You need to see
one from the bleachers and see the game from a
little bit different perspective to sit out. But with Shane,
I think, you know, we talk about him having come
into training camp and like as a new person, and
(04:39):
how he played and how he skated and how he
was on the ice, was he was clearly had taken
a step and throughout the the course of the first
twenty games or so, the grind of the season, the
day in and day out, got lost on him a
little bit, and I think the reset, so to speak,
(05:00):
was a chance to get back to that training camp mindset,
get back to just playing hockey, and and when he
stepped back in the lineup, especially the first five or
six games after that sit down, it was clearly clearly
he took the message and clearly he got back to
playing the way he did the way he came into
training camp. And you know, there's the grind of the
(05:22):
season keeps going, and he's been in and out, you know,
in and out of that grind with the season, with
the break, with the holiday break, we've had some sickness
and injuries, and still in that grind. But the last
couple of games. I think you've seen him play some
of his best hockey and he's scored some goals a
power play goal included in that in the New Jersey game.
Speaker 4 (05:42):
Yep, no doubt.
Speaker 5 (05:43):
Dan Bosma with us coach of the crack and Crack
and starting a five game road trip tomorrow a Columbus
three thirty pre game four o'clock face off right here
on ninety three to three kJ ir FM. And I'm
glad that you mentioned the power play because you've mentioned
the top that there's just some stuff that you'd like
to see the team do better at. And I mean, look,
I'm no, I'm no g just over here, but I
would think that consistency with your power play and on
(06:04):
the defensive side would be right there at the top.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
I mean, am I am I unfair with that?
Speaker 3 (06:08):
No, the power play, power play is is a critical
piece in winning hockey games. Power play, penalty kill, and
it's a game to game thing. Your powers. Life can
be great one night win your hockey game, and the
next night can go home for six and it's no good.
And so the consistency night in the night out from
(06:30):
the power play, the consistency and providing really just mojo
for the group and when the power play provides that
mojo and power play has shot generated. When power play
gets scoring chances, it just whether it scores the goal
or not, it adds. It adds. It adds to how
we want to play five on five and that consistency,
(06:52):
you know, is something we're striving for in our five
on five game and in the power play.
Speaker 5 (06:57):
Dan, I'm just curious just to follow up on that
of the power plays that you because you know, just
in an effort to get people to understand kind of
what you guys are doing over there, like for example,
you know, basketball wise, you get your defensive guys, you're
shooting guys. As far as coaches, baseball, infield coaches, hitting coaches,
as you know, if your football, same thing. When it
comes to your power play, Who's who's running that? It
(07:18):
was reported it was Bob and then and then Jessica
maybe took over. So who's who's the main coach on
your bench responsible for the power play right now?
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Jessica is the i would say, the main coach with
the power play. Bob and Bob and jess share those responsibilities.
They are implementing and working with the players together they're
doing it together, and you know it is it is
a lot like a smile specialty coach. But you know,
our practices, our meetings are are intent. Our messaging is
(07:50):
coming from Jess and Bob, and you know, I think,
I think again, the power play is it's it's always
a focal point and it's always can it always can
be better. You can be at twenty five percent and
it's all about the next game. It doesn't the power
player at the percentage is what we look at, but
it's it's always about the next game. It's always about
(08:11):
the next opportunity. Because again it's so critical too importance
of it's a huge part of winning hockey games. And
so it's not you know, it's easy to look at
the percentage of say good, bad or and different. But
the power player gets the opportunity last game, one opportunity
in the in the game we're down to one and
they come out in the third period, get us that goal,
(08:32):
get us a chance to win that hockey game.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Coach eight games in now with with Coppo and he's
given you four assists in the last four games.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
Talk about what he's brought you guys.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
Continued continued improvement in his game. I think, you know,
the made the made the trade and the new year,
getting a he's not young anymore, but a second overall
pick that's still developing in his career and looking for
a big role in a bigger spot. And you know,
(09:02):
I I give him a pass on the first game
in Chicago, got in at one point thirty at night
and stepped down the ice the next day without a
practice and played. And but since then, pretty much every
game we've seen and it's it's growing with Maddy Veneer's
and Jayden Schwartz and his line, but a guy who
(09:24):
can be a big bodied winger, skates well, can make plays,
hold on of the pucket as a presence at the net.
It's it's some of the continuity in the in the
line has been they thank they've been our best line,
you know for probably the last five or six games.
And you've seen it in the two passes that he
made for breakaways in the one game, and you see
(09:45):
it last game on the power play, and he's a
NetFront presence and where he's particularly good and makes the
play of Shane right in in for the goal. But
it's it's happening it's it's great to see because he's
a a big body guy something you know. I think
as a team we longed for a big body guy
(10:06):
who can have a presence on the inside and be
good at the net and be a physical you know,
physical presence, physical not just being hitting, but physical presence,
hard to get up, puck and it's uh, it's it's
great to see.
Speaker 4 (10:18):
Yeah, I love it.
Speaker 5 (10:19):
Hey, no place like the road, right, go out there,
kick their butt tomorrow and we'll.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
Talk on Wednesday. Coach Besta lu Can. I appreciate this man.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
All right, thanks guys, you got it.
Speaker 5 (10:27):
Dan Bilsma with us every single Wednesday, three forty five
courtesy of Dick's Drive Ins. What do you say we
got a break? And check him with petros Man? Holy cow?
How about the news coming out of southern California And
we'll talk to petros about it next on ninety three
to three kJ RFM.
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