Management brought in Paddock this year as an assistant to watch from on high and recommend adjustments to the bench. Is Laviolette just ignoring him, or is he not seeing anything from his view? I haven't heard anything about this at all since the season started.

Again I'll add, how can this Coach demand that the team make a commitment to team defense, when he won't do so himself? His entire mantra is that we forecheck the other team like mad, pinch in aggressively with the D to keep the puck in the O zone. That's how they play defense. There is no secondary checking element. No layers to their forecheck. No neutral zone presence. And just a very basic D zone coverage scheme.
- MJL

Thats my whole arguement on Lavi. Why would they extend him knowing that he doesnt stress defense or even make adjustments?

Lavi isn't going to change what he believes in. The organization seems to believe in something different. So do you fire Lavi or continue to play his style?

Pretty sure it was an attempt at humor based on all the heat Laviolette's taking in here the last few days (and then some).

If there was a quote posted that sales of crab fries at the arena had taken a hit, I'm sure he would have said that was Lavy's fault, too.
- tangent_man

Fak I missed that, feel stupid.

Not sure what your getting at. This organization seems to be confused to me. They want the coach to adjust and play more solid in his own end. Yet, they know thats not the style of coach Lavi is. Why extend him? Lavi pretty much stated that he doesnt change his style. So theres two options at this point. Fire the coach or expect him to run his system.
- stveshdy

They are confused. Have been for years. They chase other teams constantly.

The thing is, Holmgren tried to get guys to fit Laviolette's system. He threw $200mm in contracts at the two best defensemen on the market. They've been scouting the HELL out of the NHL-every night I see beat writers mentioning that there's Flyers scouts at the game, so he's not sitting on his hands.

But right now, it's a seller's market. Teams that have guys he wants are able to demand major overpayment, or they are in the playoff mix themselves and are hesitant to part with the kind of guys the Flyers want.

But ultimately, Holmgren has failed to get the coach the players needed to make his system run.

Thats my whole arguement on Lavi. Why would they extend him knowing that he doesnt stress defense or even make adjustments?

Lavi isn't going to change what he believes in. The organization seems to believe in something different. So do you fire Lavi or continue to play his style?
- stveshdy

I think you're 100% correct. Either embrace Laviolette and his style. And build the team in that mold. Or remove him and bring in someone new. He isn't going to change.

Lindy Ruff...............thoughts......
- ob18

No. My choice is to fire Laviolette, hire Murray as the interim guy, and then look at guys like Dallas Eakins or Jon Cooper in the summer. Unless of course Murray manages to work wonders.

Fak I missed that, feel stupid.
- Marc D

Always consider the source with a PLind post. Unfortunately, he doesn't use Skip's 'sarcasm' gifs.

No. My choice is to fire Laviolette, hire Murray as the interim guy, and then look at guys like Dallas Eakins or Jon Cooper in the summer. Unless of course Murray manages to work wonders.
- Jsaquella

I know, just mentioned him since he's was able to work with pretty much anything he was given.

Dallas Eakins would be a very interesting choice.

They are confused. Have been for years. They chase other teams constantly.

The thing is, Holmgren tried to get guys to fit Laviolette's system. He threw $200mm in contracts at the two best defensemen on the market. They've been scouting the HELL out of the NHL-every night I see beat writers mentioning that there's Flyers scouts at the game, so he's not sitting on his hands.

But right now, it's a seller's market. Teams that have guys he wants are able to demand major overpayment, or they are in the playoff mix themselves and are hesitant to part with the kind of guys the Flyers want.

But ultimately, Holmgren has failed to get the coach the players needed to make his system run.
- Jsaquella

Fair statement. While I feel that a lot of blame falls on the coach the GM didn't produce all the right players either.

I think you're 100% correct. Either embrace Laviolette and his style. And build the team in that mold. Or remove him and bring in someone new. He isn't going to change.
- MJL

We are in agreement. It's pretty simple. Organization needs to decide which path to take.

Fair statement. While I feel that a lot of blame falls on the coach the GM didn't produce all the right players either.
- stveshdy

But here is the difference. The Coaches willingness to adjust and change is completely under his control. The GM bringing in all the right players isn't completely under his control.

I'm not overestimating them, either.

They should be a playoff team. They don't rate as a division winner or Cup favorite. But there's no way that a team with the talent the Flyers have should be a lottery team.
- Jsaquella

Still hoping they squeak in as a 7th or 8th seed.

But you have to look at their players.

As a team many are having terrible seasons.
Briere, Coburn, Talbot, Kimmo are having bad years. G has below his standard.
That is their core group of leaders and vets.

Now give big minutes to B Schenn, Couts, L Schenn (who is still quite young for a D man even with several yrs of NHL experience), add Hartnell missing and Meszy missing for a large chunk, and then Bryz having to play 95% of the minutes?

Its a recipe for disaster.

I am not exonerating Lavi. I agree with nearly everything posted by you guys about his failures. I just see some real poor player performances + youth + injury as big factors too.

I know, just mentioned him since he's was able to work with pretty much anything he was given.

Dallas Eakins would be a very interesting choice.
- ob18

The trouble is, Ruff would be a long term hire from the very first moment. I want the process to start in breaking the bad habits, holding guys accountable and instilling discipline and an understanding that two way play is vital.

Then I want the summer to be a process of finding the right guy, not hiring him because Laviolette wasn't getting it done and he was the best guy available at the moment.

But here is the difference. The Coaches willingness to adjust and change is completely under his control. The GM bringing in all the right players isn't completely under his control.
- MJL

I would agree with that.

I just think you can still build around the coaches style without having to get every "BIG" name player on the market. Every single player is important to achieve the main goal, winning the cup.

The trouble is, Ruff would be a long term hire from the very first moment. I want the process to start in breaking the bad habits, holding guys accountable and instilling discipline and an understanding that two way play is vital.

Then I want the summer to be a process of finding the right guy, not hiring him because Laviolette wasn't getting it done and he was the best guy available at the moment.
- Jsaquella

I'm aware just at this point throwing names against a wall.

I would agree with that.

I just think you can still build around the coaches style without having to get every "BIG" name player on the market. Every single player is important to achieve the main goal, winning the cup.
- stveshdy

In terms of the defense, if you're not bringing in Suter or Weber, then you're just bringing in more of what they already have. The only argument is regarding bringing back Carle.

Still hoping they squeak in as a 7th or 8th seed.

But you have to look at their players.

As a team many are having terrible seasons.
Briere, Coburn, Talbot, Kimmo are having bad years. G has below his standard.
That is their core group of leaders and vets.

Now give big minutes to B Schenn, Couts, L Schenn (who is still quite young for a D man even with several yrs of NHL experience), add Hartnell missing and Meszy missing for a large chunk, and then Bryz having to play 95% of the minutes?

Its a recipe for disaster.

I am not exonerating Lavi. I agree with nearly everything posted by you guys about his failures. I just see some real poor player performances + youth + injury as big factors too.
- Marc D

Ottawa's defense is Sergei Gonchar, an old Chris Phillips and a slew of guys who were career minor leaguers six months ago. They're missing their best playmaker and offensive player, their top goal scorer and the goalie who has played at an extraordinary level this season.

My argument is, the poor player performances are due in part to the way the coach has used them and in part to the lack of accountability the coach holds them to.

The trouble is, Ruff would be a long term hire from the very first moment. I want the process to start in breaking the bad habits, holding guys accountable and instilling discipline and an understanding that two way play is vital.

Then I want the summer to be a process of finding the right guy, not hiring him because Laviolette wasn't getting it done and he was the best guy available at the moment.
- Jsaquella

It has to start with no longer trading away draft picks, especially for bandaids.
Unless they have viable younger guys available on the AHL team, the coach is stuck playing guys who should be benched.

Every 2nd and 3rd round pick might produce a player hungry and capable of filling in.

thank god the hawk lost if they beat our streak and stole kane from us i'd be pissed beyond belief

In terms of the defense, if you're not bringing in Suter or Weber, then you're just bringing in more of what they already have. The only argument is regarding bringing back Carle.
- MJL

It's not easy winning a cup. A lot of things have to go right for the team that does.

Lavi isn't going to change so the Flyers need to decide which direction they want to go in.

I would not have signed Carle for that contract. Even with Carle here today, I don't see this team being that much better. That's not a knock on Carle but this team has some holes and the fact they dont adjust is killing them.

thank god the hawk lost if they beat our streak and stole kane from us i'd be pissed beyond belief
- 2Real

They didn't steal Kane, they won the lottery & picked before the Flyers.

Ottawa's defense is Sergei Gonchar, an old Chris Phillips and a slew of guys who were career minor leaguers six months ago. They're missing their best playmaker and offensive player, their top goal scorer and the goalie who has played at an extraordinary level this season.

My argument is, the poor player performances are due in part to the way the coach has used them and in part to the lack of accountability the coach holds them to.
- Jsaquella

So you would like to go back to the style of play that Hitchcock, Murray, etc would play?

Fair statement. While I feel that a lot of blame falls on the coach the GM didn't produce all the right players either.
- stveshdy

He didn't, and when that happens, the coach has to adjust.

Look at Ottawa. Erik Karlsson played nearly 30 minutes a night. Their system was predicated on that. Their coach has made the adjustments needed to minimize the impact of his loss, and done so in far less time than Laviolette had to make changes.

Laviolette has known since September that he was going to have a group of defensemen that were bigger, slower and not as good at moving the puck as he had last years.

They didn't steal Kane, they won the lottery & picked before the Flyers.
- ob18

how convenient they get him when they were terrible and then win the cup and we get jvbust

So you would like to go back to the style of play that Hitchcock, Murray, etc would play?
- stveshdy

I would love it. Same with the way that the Devils play under Deboer.