Why can't this guy ever stay in the same place for more than 2-3 years? Maybe he should go back here he belongs.......behind a bench.
Although some may disagree, I've never thought highly of his abilities. He may have hockey knowlage but he never seems to make proper trades or be able to motivate players and staff properly.
Keenan's saving grace was 1994 where he was the right man at the right time.
Unfortunatly 99% of the other times he's not and that's where his problems come in.
He's just too alienating of a personality who makes too many bizarre decisions.
I think Keenan deserves a ton of credit for 1994, but I also think Messier deserve as much for channeling Keenan's chaos into constructive building of guys like Leetch and Richter.
Although some may disagree, I've never thought highly of his abilities. He may have hockey knowlage but he never seems to make proper trades or be able to motivate players and staff properly.
he has taken three or four teams to the finals and won once. That's not a horrible coaching record, and if you ask Messier, I think he'd say that Keenan had that team focused from the first day of practice that season when Keenan broke a stick over the goal crossbar. I would say that all the pieces were in place in 1994, and that included Keenan. Without him, I think you would be looking at an earlier playoff exit (of course, this is pure speculation and it may depend on who became coach).
I bet Keenan will end up with the Blues. That is my gut feeling, it wont shock me one bit, anyone agree???
There is no way JD brings in a guy like Keenan. The man has proven in the past that he's a headhunter, that as soon as he worms his way into an organization, he sets his eye on gaining control of the entire thing. It would be suicide to bring Keenan in, especially after all the off season pickups, because Keenan always comes in and finds who "his guys" are going to be, and to hell with everyone else.
There is no way JD brings in a guy like Keenan. The man has proven in the past that he's a headhunter, that as soon as he worms his way into an organization, he sets his eye on gaining control of the entire thing. It would be suicide to bring Keenan in, especially after all the off season pickups, because Keenan always comes in and finds who "his guys" are going to be, and to hell with everyone else.
While I agree with you, I still wouldnt be too suprised if he did end up in St Louis. But again I agree with your assesment.
he has taken three or four teams to the finals and won once. That's not a horrible coaching record, and if you ask Messier, I think he'd say that Keenan had that team focused from the first day of practice that season when Keenan broke a stick over the goal crossbar. I would say that all the pieces were in place in 1994, and that included Keenan. Without him, I think you would be looking at an earlier playoff exit (of course, this is pure speculation and it may depend on who became coach).
yeah and he tore the team apart in the playoffs. if it wasn't for messier's heroics keenan would have ruined our best chance at a cup.
yeah and he tore the team apart in the playoffs. if it wasn't for messier's heroics keenan would have ruined our best chance at a cup.
This is bulll. Keenan was here for one year and we got a cup, Mess played here how many years? Watch the end of game 7 when they win it, Messier almost comes out and says Keenan gave a great pregame speach and thier win that night was due thanks to Iron Mike. Do I think Keenan is an *******? Yeah he sure seems like one, but the guy is a good hockey coach..........just bad GM.
he has taken three or four teams to the finals and won once. That's not a horrible coaching record, and if you ask Messier, I think he'd say that Keenan had that team focused from the first day of practice that season when Keenan broke a stick over the goal crossbar. I would say that all the pieces were in place in 1994, and that included Keenan. Without him, I think you would be looking at an earlier playoff exit (of course, this is pure speculation and it may depend on who became coach).
I 100% agree with everything Fletch said. Keenan also played a big part of us getting Larmer that season and he played great in blue.
he has taken three or four teams to the finals and won once. That's not a horrible coaching record, and if you ask Messier, I think he'd say that Keenan had that team focused from the first day of practice that season when Keenan broke a stick over the goal crossbar. I would say that all the pieces were in place in 1994, and that included Keenan. Without him, I think you would be looking at an earlier playoff exit (of course, this is pure speculation and it may depend on who became coach).
He broke the stick after the bad loss againts aneheim..
Keenan doesn't last long and has little patience, so I never understood why took the job in Florida. He's better off going to a ready-made contender that just needs that extra push from the coach to get over the hump. He's too stubborn in terms of personell decisions to be handed the GM reigns, though. Still in love with the big, gritty heart-and-soul type veteran players. Every team could use a few, but if Keenan had his way he'd dress twenty guys each night who are 6-2, 210 lbs. You need talent and skill to go along with that physical strength in order to win.
I think Keenan would have become a legendary officer in WWII.
The stakes are a bit diffrent in the NHL though. In 94' I think Keenans headgames made Noonan and Mattaue play so damn well in the every OT we got in. Thoose 2 where amazing everytime we got into sudden death. However in order for Mike to be successful he must find 20 players with his attitude, and thats not easy.
[QUOTE=Ola;6424833]I think Keenan would have become a legendary officer in WWII.QUOTE]
Keenan may very well have been a legendary WW2 officer. Ther only problem is, he would have long since been fragged by his own troops by the time Korea got under way. He's the perfect guy for a ready to win team. Ottawa, for example. All the horses, no jockey. He can unite players together under common hatred of himself. It just doesn't last long before they tune him out altogether.
he has taken three or four teams to the finals and won once. That's not a horrible coaching record, and if you ask Messier, I think he'd say that Keenan had that team focused from the first day of practice that season when Keenan broke a stick over the goal crossbar. I would say that all the pieces were in place in 1994, and that included Keenan. Without him, I think you would be looking at an earlier playoff exit (of course, this is pure speculation and it may depend on who became coach).
One can never say for sure when it comes to this kind of speculation. But while Keenan got tremendous effort out of everyone, we defenitly had some stamina problems. For example, even if NJD had a great upcomming team, we defenitly where better then them and had their numbers that year. In almost everygame that series we dominated the first 40-50 minutes, and it still went to 7. Keenan used his core players extremely hard basically all year and for the entire PO's. If Graves and Mess would have had more stamina left late in thoose games its possible that we win 4-0 instead of 4-3..
I defenitly belives that Keenan would have been critizied hard for that if we lost against NJD, cause that where a series we should have won. At the same time we had some bad luck not putting thoose close games we lost away in the 1st two periods. And it where Keenan who had us comming out of the gate like madmens the entire year, which certainly won us allot for the rest of the game.
I still have allot of respect for Iron Mike though, I don't think players always hated him, he pretty much threated 12-14 players in that lockerroom like gods, while thoose who didn't cut it didn't even get a hello. The biggest problem with Keenan IMO was that he could only handle one type of peronality. Guys like Bowman always preach the importance of beeing able to read and adopt to diffrent kinds of personality, Iron Mike just didn't get thoose gens...
However I do think that 1994 was our year, no matter what. Isles where nothing for us, Caps a bump in the road. NJD had a great roster, but basically no PO/Stanley Cup experience as a group. Against them we initiated everything and pulled every important string. From Lowe to Tikkanen, everyone knew what to do. We also had a much better PP then them, and Richter where better then Brodeur at that time - no doubt. Its just a series we should win. Then Vancouver, its also a team that we where just better then. Results never lie, but that wheren't the 2nd strongest team that year, they where defenitly behind NJD and one could argue that there where atleast a handful of other teams who where stronger. Keenan got the results and I will be forever thanful, but the true heros IMO where Graves, Mess, Leetch-Beukeboom, Zubov-Lowe along with the grinders. Especially Graves, Mess, the pairings of Leetch-Beukeboom, Zubov-Lowe along with Richter played World Class hockey. They where just the best back then.
