“I don’t think my practices are easy”

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“I’m typically not a lines guy, but a pace guy”, Mallette told RocketFAN. “I’ve got a lot of drills. I think coaches are getting a little thin (soft schedule) on it as well, but it has been a great opportunity for us to teach.”

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In arguably the gentlest schedule ever (Kelowna, Kamloops, and Seattle have all played a league-low 17 games), the team has had copious amounts of instruction time, with six days between games in some instances and already three Friday evenings where everyone is playing but them.

That is unheard of as we approach late November.

“The best teaching with our group is through gameplay,” Mallette admitted. “The first 20 minutes of my practices is two or three drills where there isn’t much thinking. It is all about execution and movement. It is 20 minutes, no water, and they know exactly where to go and where the pucks need to go.”

Is the extra practice time the result of why the special teams is so terrific?

While a small sample size, the penalty-killing unit has been stellar, running at an efficiency rate of 84.2% while the power play has been a lethal weapon, not a pop gun, with the fifth-best numbers in the league with 20 goals in 78 chances. At over 25%, if it continues at that rate, the team will win more games than they will lose.

Mallette has used the downtime in the schedule to mimic how hard he expects his team to work in a game situation.

“I am trying to give our players a little perspective on a minute skate, with me, compared to the minute shifts that some of them like to take”.  That is a bit of a message sent”, Mallette added.

Mallette wants his players to take 40-second shifts, or 45-second shifts max, which shouldn’t include gliding around the ice and conserving energy. It should be full tilt boogie by expending maximum energy, whether you have the puck or are busy trying to get it back.

“With some of our players, we are asking them to play more physically than others, which takes a toll if you are out there too long”.

RocketFAN had to ask the question, who are Mallette’s best practice players? Who are the ones that show up prepared, focused, and ready to go?

“I would say AC (Andrew Cristall) and Gabby (Gabriel Szturc) are pretty safe bets. Talyn Boyko is pretty dialed in and Jackson (DeSouza) works on his craft”.

Harry Neale was a grizzled coach in his hay day, guiding the Vancouver Canucks for six seasons from 1978-1985.

When asked about practice, this is what he told reporters.

“I know my players don’t like them, but that is O.K, because I don’t like their games.”