Time For A New Coach? (and other musings on what has gone wrong)
Has the team tuned out Chairman Mo? Should someone else be behind the bench for the remainder of the season?
Personally I say yes, and as much as the team needed a defensive system installed last year right now the lack of any kind of offensive system is going to keep this team from making it back to the promised land of the postseason. I think it's time for a change.
Here's my candidates:
Willie Desjardins - My personal preference on this one. This fact can not be understated. He has NEVER missed the playoffs since taking over for Medicine Hat, winning 2 championships in the process. His teams play an uptempo offensive style.
Tom Rowe - In his term as the head coach of our AHL team the Lock Monsters/River Rats missed the playoffs only once. While they didn't make it out of the first round aside from the lockout year the teams that he was given to work with weren't really all that great.
Kevin Dineen - Former Hurricanes captain and Whaler great. In his three seasons behind the Portland Pirates bench they made the playoffs every season and have made it to the conference finals twice. Has won the AHL coach of the year award.
Scott Arniel - Head coach of the Manitoba Moose. Regarded as one of the fastest risers in the coaching fraternity. 2008-09 recipient of the AHL coach of the year. He has never once missed the playoffs as coach of the Moose, including a Calder Cup Finals appearance last year.
Don Hay - Coach of the Vancouver Giants. Has never missed the playoffs as a coach in the WHL and has only once failed to get a team out of the first round of the WHL playoffs in his 9 years of coaching in the WHL. Has some experience at the NHL level with the Calgary Flames and Phoenix Coyotes, bringing the later to the playoffs in 1996-97. Three time Memorial Cup champion and winner of the WHL one additional time.
Ulf Samuelsson - Familiar face to many Whalers fans and a long time assistant coach. That said, he has no head coaching experience but it wouldn't be the first time an assistant has made the move from assistant to head coach with another team. Was considered one of the better candidates for the Phoenix coaching job.
Ron Francis - Another familiar face and Hurricanes/Whalers legend. Again it would be his first time as head coach at the NHL or AHL level, but he has been the Associate Head Coach on the team since Paul took over behind the bench last year. Not sure of what kind of system he would implement.
Peter Laviolette - Another blast from the past. We all know what he brings in terms of offense, but we also all know what his teams tend to bring in the way of defensive deficiencies.
Still too early. I have a hard time seeing this group tuning Maurice out after what was accomplished last season, just 5 months ago.
Why we look so bad, who knows. I still have faith this group can come around. It's only been 8 games, we'll see what we look like within the next 2 weeks, atleast. If we cannot change our tune (as in approach, work ethic, sloppy play) by then (which will put us at 14 games) I will be worried as to why this group through the first month of the season cannot put the 'basics' together. I say 2 weeks because by that time we should have all the basics down and in gear - approach, philosophy, consistent work ethic, no more rust, etc. If we don't, i'm going to be a bit thrown off as to why a veteran group of past winners cannot begin to show strides leading to perfecting their game.
I let myself get flat out frustrated last season, and for good reason. This go around, i'm sticking to my guns in terms of giving this group (Players & Coaches) 25-30 games. If it's not showing at that current time, then I will take a firm stance on where I see things.
Too early. I don't think this team has tuned out Mo or anyone on the coaching staff. But if Mo is fired, which I don't see happening, Francis will likely be the guy. And frankly the way our PP is, not sure he would even turn things around.
Too early. I don't think this team has tuned out Mo or anyone on the coaching staff. But if Mo is fired, which I don't see happening, Francis will likely be the guy. And frankly the way our PP is, not sure he would even turn things around.
Agree. I think if we change coach, new will be fimilar face - Francis or Rowe. I'm not sure they're ready.
I had a dream to see Dave Tippett. He's Whalers boy, i like his style.
If we are asking this question again.....for the second(really third) year in a row, then maybe it is on this group of players or JR for assembling this group, especially the "skill" players in the top 9. based on work ethic early, i would say that this group has a serious issue self motivating. The effort thru 2 periods almost every night is terrible, as it was during Lavi's last 2 seasons. this is not a Mo issue.
in a semi related note, my buddies an i played a drinking game last night......take a shot everytime the Canes have the puck in the slot or in front of the net....Noone was close to drunk at the end of overtime.
I have been on the "NO MO MO" bus since he came back here.
Since the team is reverting to type, I see no reason whatsoever to hop off the bus. You can call it "smarmy smugness" or "negativity" or whatever the hell you want--but Paul Maurice is not the answer for this team, and fully blaming the players for not removing their craniums from their sphincters when that's part of a coach's job is (IMO) moronic.
I'm just sayin', and I don't care if I get points for it.
If we are asking this question again.....for the second(really third) year in a row, then maybe it is on this group of players or JR for assembling this group, especially the "skill" players in the top 9. based on work ethic early, i would say that this group has a serious issue self motivating. The effort thru 2 periods almost every night is terrible, as it was during Lavi's last 2 seasons. this is not a Mo issue.
in a semi related note, my buddies an i played a drinking game last night......take a shot everytime the Canes have the puck in the slot or in front of the net....Noone was close to drunk at the end of overtime.
That I have no disagreement with. I was part of the camp that was hoping for JR to take the Toronto job so that Ronnie could take over as GM. But (for better or worse) JR isn't going anywhere, unless it's on his own terms, as long as Karmanos is owner of the team.
and fully blaming the players for not removing their craniums from their sphincters when that's part of a coach's job is (IMO) moronic.
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This is professional sports, not peewee or junior. If you need your head coach to motivate your guys every night, during every intermission, then you have the wrong group of paid professionals. And it certainly reflects poorly on the leadership in that lockerroom. But even if I admit that part of the coaches job is to motivate.....the overall motivation is still 85 percent player 15 percent coach. If the player cant get up to play for 82 games then he should find another job or at least another home.
Giving the players a pass on their own play/work ethic while passing blame to coach is (IMO) moronic.
My feeling when Laviolette was here was that when his players didn't give a comprehensive effort, he was left helpless. His strategy relied on outworking and outskating the other team; winning by busting your butt for 60 minutes. When we didn't outwork the other team, we lost.
I was mixed to say the least on bringing back Mo, but what I liked was that his approach was more about smarts and system; even on a night when the team is sluggish, they can still find a way to win.
Right now, though, I'm certainly not seeing those smarts. There's very little creativity, and the coaching staff has got to find a way to inject some. I've still got confidence in them. There are too many good coaches who have a hand in this to not be able to come up with something.
Giving the players a pass on their own play/work ethic while passing blame to coach is (IMO) moronic.
Show me where I gave the players a pass. You can't--and you know why? BECAUSE I NEVER GAVE THEM ONE, THAT'S WHY.
You cannot be serious in heavily implying that you don't think that part of a head coach's job is to give the players a good swift kick in the goolies when they deserve it. I mean, really.
Show me where I gave the players a pass. You can't--and you know why? BECAUSE I NEVER GAVE THEM ONE, THAT'S WHY.
You cannot be serious in heavily implying that you don't think that part of a head coach's job is to give the players a good swift kick in the goolies when they deserve it. I mean, really.
CS Violation Removed
When the players appear to need a kick almost every night for 3 years running i am more than willing to put it mostly, if not all, on the player group. We arent talking about a coach giving a kick once and a while, we are talking about a nightly basis with 2 different coaches, thus not a coaching issue, IMO
When the players appear to need a kick almost every night for 3 years running i am more than willing to put it mostly, if not all, on the player group. We arent talking about a coach giving a kick once and a while, we are talking about a nightly basis with 2 different coaches, thus not a coaching issue, IMO
IMO they appear to need a kick almost every night because they haven't gotten one. The Cup Year, it was easy to get everyone on the same page (and keep them there) because the team was winning. That's how Laviolette's system worked--everyone was behind it when it was successful, but when the wheels came off that was it...and the coach didn't do anything from what I saw to get them back on track except continuing to plug away with what wasn't working as he has always done--kinda like Paul Maurice is doing now.
If you think that's "giving the players a pass", then that's your own personal issue and not mine.
When the players appear to need a kick almost every night for 3 years running i am more than willing to put it mostly, if not all, on the player group. We arent talking about a coach giving a kick once and a while, we are talking about a nightly basis with 2 different coaches, thus not a coaching issue, IMO
Count me in on that theory. It's funny, I was just talking about this with someone the other night. It's been 3 and now into 4 consecutive seasons, a few player changes and a coaching change and we're still witnessing a lot of the same negative downfalls and traits with this team. When does the time come where it rests completely on the players shoulders to shape up and get the job done? Is it at all possible that this core simply cannot get it done? On to many nights for to many seasons they've been disfunctional and as the famous saying goes for this team, 'The only thing consistent is our inconsistency'. The same lingering downfalls simply seem to follow and haunt this team year after year after year. I also put the leadership into question.
With that said, this isn't me throwing up the white flag on this team as i'm firmly sticking to the 25-30 game mark to draw my line and paint my picture. However, these are questions I think about & continue to ask myself. Call it food for thought.
IMO they appear to need a kick almost every night because they haven't gotten one. The Cup Year, it was easy to get everyone on the same page (and keep them there) because the team was winning. That's how Laviolette's system worked--everyone was behind it when it was successful, but when the wheels came off that was it...and the coach didn't do anything from what I saw to get them back on track except continuing to plug away with what wasn't working as he has always done--kinda like Paul Maurice is doing now.
If you think that's "giving the players a pass", then that's your own personal issue and not mine.
Interesting how other people's opinions are "personal issues" but your opinions are always correct and factually grounded. Its always a pleasure to read your posts AQ. We are all enlightened by your presence. And your totally right im sure neither coach ever gave the team a kick in the pants for the last 3 seasons, seems very plausible.
