On today's
Daily Drop at Versus.com, I take a look at last night's disappointing 3-0 shutout loss to Vancouver and the broader question over whether John Stevens deserves to continue coaching this team. Going back to last Christmas, I believe the Flyers are only a couple games above .500. That's unacceptable.
I hate to advocate for the firing of anyone, especially when it's an honorable person like Stevens. However, I no longer have any faith that he's capable of getting this team to a higher level on any kind of consistent basis. Stevens' entire tenure as coach has been marked by the team being extremely streaky on the ice.
Yes, the players are the ones who are primarily responsible but if an NHL coach deserves a free ride simply because he works hard and is a good person, well, then Craig Ramsay should still be the Flyers coach. The truth of the matter is that the Flyers have not gotten better by a measurable degree -- despite key additions to the club -- since 2007-08. And even that year, there was nowhere to go but up after the worst season in franchise history and the club had the advantage of enjoying massive cap space in the offseason leading up to that campaign. One thing the Flyers have never been afraid to do is spend to try to ice the best possible collection of talent.
In that season when the club made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, the team needed a surge in the final week to preserve a playoff spot that was nearly blown due to a prolonged post-All Star Game tailspin.
And if you look critically at the 2008 playoff run itself, what you find is that that the club imploded in Game 1 of the Washington series, and then later nearly blew a commanding series lead. Imagine if the Game 7 finish were reversed -- Stevens would not still be here now. The Flyers finished one game over .500 for the entire postseason (win in seven, win in five, lose in five). The Montreal series win was as much a product of outstanding play by Martin Biron, an incredible series by R.J. Umberger, horrendous goaltending by a rookie Carey Price and Guy Carbonneau stubbornly refusing to make any real adjustments because his club "was the better team" in each game.
Anyhow, after the game, the club had a players-only meeting before the locker room was opened up for media access. That much was predictable even in the third period of the game. But the time for talking is over. It's time to see some leadership take root in the way the team plays on the ice. There's only so much Stevens or any other coach can do.
*****
Tonight at 7 PM, I will be at the Chester County Book Company in West Chester to sign copies of Pelle Lindbergh: Behind the White Mask. The main attraction tonight, however, is an appearance by WIP's Glen Macnow and Hall of Fame football writer Ray Didinger (whom my father knew in college) to promote their new book.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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