These days I like to get him all wound up, and see which of us pulls the trigger. I call it MJL roulette.
- youarewrong

Thanks... you're a big help.

i love that it's the pre-season and we're already talking about hot lava getting the boot.

ok, i'll bite. don't you think it's possible that a professional athlete "just doesn't care"? isn't it possible, just possible, that a players doesn't play the way he is being told to play?
- hammarby31

You talking about Dustin Penner?

...but...if we have to get a RH dman, how do we know he'll be able to make all of those necessary stretch passes...and wouldn't such a trade exacerbate our cap problems...i mean... uh...

We should probably look to Mike Keenan next...
- jak521

no can do. he bailed on coaching the canadian open squad at the maccabi games to coach in the khl.

TM (not tangentman) will be head coach by TurkeyDay
- jak521

That's too bad, getting Tangent away from the Jersey Shore might be the best thing that ever happened to him.

You talking about Dustin Penner?
- Tomahawk

gagne. it's obvious that's why he's not been signed to an NHL roster this year.

no can do.
- hammarby31

- PLindbergh31

i didn't know that adam curry and gary dell'abate were friends.

i didn't know that adam curry and garry del'abate were friends.
- hammarby31

Stellar.

Stellar.
- PLindbergh31

i do what i can.

The onus is still on the coach and the player(s)...they both need to buy into it. It's always easier to get rid of the coach, the system then the player(s). it goes hand in hand. If you agree great, if you don't...great...either way...
- phi1671

The point is that since Lava has been coach we have gone through a ton of players, and still see the same BS results on the ice. The forwards sit in the middle third on the break out, they cant play against defensive hockey clubs and over the past 3 seasons have been pretty unspectacular in the playoffs.

2011 eeked out a series win against a pretty crappy Sabres club, and then were swept by the Bruins.

2012 beat Pitt in a terrible hockey series (very fun to watch) and then got destroyed by the Devils.

2013 were cellar dwellers for most of the season and missed the playoffs.

Total won-loss record of 9-13.

Totally possible, and it happens pretty often.. especially right before a coach is fired.
- jak521

Same could be said about a coach that changes his overarching system mid-job... Boudreau is the most recent example that comes to mind.

i love that it's the pre-season and we're already talking about hot lava getting the boot.
- hammarby31

It's not just us, the talking heads in Canada who actually care about the game are chatting it up preseason. It's definitely the current cloud following the team.

It's not just us, the talking heads in Canada who actually care about the game are chatting it up preseason. It's definitely the current cloud following the team.
- mayorofangrytown

i know. when i said "we", i was including those guys. but not tim.

The point is that since Lava has been coach we have gone through a ton of players, and still see the same BS results on the ice. The forwards sit in the middle third on the break out, they cant play against defensive hockey clubs and over the past 3 seasons have been pretty unspectacular in the playoffs.

2011 eeked out a series win against a pretty crappy Sabres club, and then were swept by the Bruins.

2012 beat Pitt in a terrible hockey series (very fun to watch) and then got destroyed by the Devils.

2013 were cellar dwellers for most of the season and missed the playoffs.

Total won-loss record of 9-13.
- jak521

okay, nice post...feel better...

wow, some of you really need to switch to decaf!

Look, we all know that if the team doesn't do well out of the gate that Lavy will most likely be gone. It's just the way pro sports works, coaches are hired to be fired.

Is it all Laviolette's fault? Of course not! But the coach does have to take some blame when the same problems keep occurring and the team struggles year in and year out against the same clubs. Lavy is a good coach, you don't lead a team to a cup if you are incompetent. However, if the team is not following his game plan properly or buying into his system, a change needs to be made.

Ken Hitchcock was a good coach, led the Stars to a cup in 99. Is he still in Dallas? Nope. Coaches wear out their welcome and do have a shelf life. Barry Trotz has done a remarkable job in Nashville. However if they miss the playoffs a 2nd year in a row, there may very well be a lot of pressure on Poile from ownership to make a coaching change.

Most coaches would tell you that a 3 year or longer run is a pretty good one. It's just the nature of the business.

Pedantic means "like a pedant," someone who's too concerned with literal accuracy or formality. It's a negative term that implies someone is showing off book learning or trivia, especially in a tiresome way. You don't want to go antique-shopping with a pedantic friend, who will use the opportunity to bore you with his in-depth knowledge of Chinese porcelain kitty-litter boxes.


- hammarby31

Asperger syndrome is distinguished by a pattern of symptoms rather than a single symptom. It is characterized by qualitative impairment in social interaction, by stereotyped and restricted patterns of behavior, activities and interests, and by no clinically significant delay in cognitive development or general delay in language.[28] Intense preoccupation with a narrow subject, one-sided verbosity, restricted prosody, and physical clumsiness are typical of the condition, but are not required for diagnosis

Same could be said about a coach that changes his overarching system mid-job... Boudreau is most recent example that comes to mind.
- Tomahawk

When did Lava change his system? He said (and was adamant) that he wouldnt change the way his system works, and then said that they made a few small adjustments on the defensive side.

These problems didnt start recently.. they have been here since the cup run.

It's not just us, the talking heads in Canada who actually care about the game are chatting it up preseason. It's definitely the current cloud following the team.
- mayorofangrytown

That's odd to me, because they're not going to be that bad -- Scott Hartnell looked healthy and in shape last night, Claude Giroux looked good, Mark Streit looked like he can really move the puck in a way that the team needs, Sean Couturier looked a lot more powerful in his first three steps, Ray Emery looked really sharp and confident...there were a lot of good things that I saw.

And oh, my gosh: That power play is going to be lethal. You can already see it.

They're going to have a playoff season, I feel. I don't see Laviolette getting fired early, because I think they're going to play well early. They haven't quit on him, and they're better than last year.

okay, nice post...feel better...
- phi1671

I nominate myself for head coach of the Flyers. I will call well timed time-outs and yell and scream on the bench while taking my gum out. It will forever endear me to the fans.

wow, some of you really need to switch to decaf!

Look, we all know that if the team doesn't do well out of the gate that Lavy will most likely be gone. It's just the way pro sports works, coaches are hired to be fired.

Is it all Laviolette's fault? Of course not! But the coach does have to take some blame when the same problems keep occurring and the team struggles year in and year out against the same clubs. Lavy is a good coach, you don't lead a team to a cup if you are incompetent. However, if the team is not following his game plan properly or buying into his system, a change needs to be made.

Ken Hitchcock was a good coach, led the Stars to a cup in 99. Is he still in Dallas? Nope. Coaches wear out their welcome and do have a shelf life. Barry Trotz has done a remarkable job in Nashville. However if they miss the playoffs a 2nd year in a row, there may very well be a lot of pressure on Poile from ownership to make a coaching change.

Most coaches would tell you that a 3 year or longer run is a pretty good one. It's just the nature of the business.
- BiggE

Good post. Agree with you. A coaches shelf life is a very short one in pro sports. It's a results based business.

It really is amazing at the coaches who have won cups elsewhere (Keenan, Hitchcock, Laviolette, and the boatload of players who have won Cups in other uniforms after leaving Philadelphia. The list goes on and on....

i love that it's the pre-season and we're already talking about hot lava getting the boot.
- hammarby31

We could talk about the flyers and cap management

When did Lava change his system? He said (and was adamant) that he wouldnt change the way his system works, and then said that they made a few small adjustments on the defensive side.

These problems didnt start recently.. they have been here since the cup run.
- jak521

He hasn't, but if does, as many are calling for, he'll pretty much be signing his own death certificate in Philly. I suspect he's smart enough to live and die by his current methods, and then reflect/adjust while he's looking for his next gig.

i love that it's the pre-season and we're already talking about hot lava getting the boot.
- hammarby31

I think it's a little early for that. Frustrating game to watch, but again preseason. I def think he needs to make some adjustments to the game plan vs NJ as this is clearly not working. As has been stated, close the gap between D and forwards so the D doesn't get sealed in for hours on end.

I took some positives from last night's game though. Ray has lost some lateral movement, but overall solid. Read looked solid. Giroux looked great, and I didn't think Laughton wasn't that bad... I think he's improving. Raffl got pushed off the puck once like a rag doll..I am sure it was just an experiment, but I can't see Gus and Streit together as a reg pairing.

This is still a work in progress, but I hope this team starts the season strong as it will alleviate some pressure on everyone.