no decision has been made but hexy assures us one will be made in due time out of fairness to chief.
- hogweed

also said multiple times he is not waiting to see what other coaches become available but many here think he is

Explain to me why RJ Umberger was allowed to play every game and in doing so, remain a second unit regular on the Power Play. It's one thing to play every game, fine! Berube never made an adjustment with Umberger on the second unit on the PP. This is an unacceptable example when you have other options.
- SuperSchennBros

I am going to bring up one thing here. Not really regarding Umberger specifically but as a whole because this issue goes back to the coaches who were in place before Berube as well.

How long would a coach last on a Snider lead team, that willingly gave more ice time to unproven players or youth where the odds of losing on a given night possibly increase because of the same.

Berube isn't the sole coach, to be dubbed as "coaching for his job".

What drives me bat-poop insane isn't that you can't drop Chief -- fine. Go for it.

But WTF were you doing when you fired Hitch and Laviolette -- previous Cup winners who had dropped 100-point seasons for you, gotten to conference finals and Stanley Cup finals?

Or when you dropped Stevens, who led you to either the biggest turnaround in league history, or close to it, and a conference final?

Now granted, Hextall's predecessors pulled those triggers. But damn, man -- pick a (frank)ing coach and stick with it! The Flyers turn on coaches as soon as poop gets a little sour, and it's not like Hitch and Laviolette are imbeciles who aren't winning any games now that they've been cut loose!

JFC!
- AllInForFlyers

I agree completely. Laviolette for my money, regardless of what's going on in Nashville, should still be the Philadelphia Flyers bench boss. There is no question about this. Anyone who has been watching this team for at least 20 plus years knows that Hitch and Lavy were game changers. There was them and then there was everyone else the past 20 years.

I really think Hextall is just waiting for the guy he wants to become available. It isn't hurting anyone to not make a decision this instant.
- hereticpride

Whatever they do, give whoever the guy is a complete roster to the best of your ability and stick with him for more than 2.5 seasons -- I mean, seriously.

If you knew that you could be firing Chief the season after you hired him, then you should've just made him the interim last season and hired your guy this year. Nobody made them give him a multiyear contract.

I just got home from, so I have no clue what the presser was about. I assumed Berube was getting fired and now I'm forced to assume he's staying. So what's up?
- SuperSchennBros

We as the people who are the initial base source of income for the rich boys running the club are deemed to not have the right to know.

Or Hextall really hasn't made up his mind yet which is asinine.

I am going to bring up one thing here. Not really regarding Umberger specifically but as a whole because this issue goes back to the coaches who were in place before Berube as well.

How long would a coach last on a Snider lead team, that willingly gave more ice time to unproven players or youth where the odds of losing on a given night possibly increase because of the same.

Berube isn't the sole coach, to be dubbed as "coaching for his job".
- flyer_nutter

Berube I'm assuming as the head coach has the final say on everything coming off and going on to the ice. I'm sure every thing is discussed during and around practice.

We as the people who are the initial base source of income for the rich boys running the club are deemed to not have the right to know.

Or Hextall really hasn't made up his mind yet which is asinine.
- flyer_nutter

I'm almost afraid to watch this...

i'm not as eager to hang chief as some but i have to say that by the time guys get to this level, they pretty much know how to play hockey. i would offer that coaching is about intangibles at least as much as anything else. when a team demonstrates the ability to win games and play well in some situations but not others (esp better against better teams) then it's as much about coaching as anything else.
i think a better coach would have been able to recognize and make whatever changes were needed (since we know it wasn't personnel) to get that team ready to play complete games against bad teams and, to a lesser extent, play better on the road
- hogweed

I think there is something to player buy in. Some coaches can get a team to respond better then other did. Let's look at last year, the team struggled early, Berube took over, changed some things, and the team responded. They had a solid record under Berube last year, one of the better records in the league over that time period. What changed between then and this year? The team is no longer responding to Berube? If that's the case, then whose fault is that?

The same coach prepared the team for the games against the good teams, as against the weaker teams. Berube has repeatedly said that they prepare the same way against the weaker teams as they do against the better teams. That method of preparing works with they're playing the good teams. Whose fault is it that the same method doesn't work against the weaker teams?

Frank Seravalli ‏@frank_seravalli 5m5 minutes ago
Hextall: “If I’m looking back and the goalie had a great year, the coach must’ve done a good job with him, right?” #notatypo

I agree completely. Laviolette for my money, regardless of what's going on in Nashville, should still be the Philadelphia Flyers bench boss. There is no question about this. Anyone who has been watching this team for at least 20 plus years knows that Hitch and Lavy were game changers. There was them and then there was everyone else the past 20 years.
- SuperSchennBros

This team has had 6 truly top flight coaches in their history, Berube is NOT one of them:

Shero
Quinn
Keenan
Neilson
Hitchcock
Laviolette

They all had some faults, all coaches do, but they stand head and shoulders above the rest of the bunch.

I agree to an extent. Its kind of like the Rinaldo thing though, sure he isn't THE problem but in a league that's built for parity with the salary cap, where you can improve, should try and improve imo.

I am starting to, in a sick way hope they keep Berube. Let this mother (frank)er burn.
- flyer_nutter

That's not a coaching issue though. A coach can only play the players he has available to him.

Frank Seravalli ‏@frank_seravalli 5m5 minutes ago
Hextall: “If I’m looking back and the goalie had a great year, the coach must’ve done a good job with him, right?” #notatypo

- PhillySportsGuy

Personally, I would have fired him at the all star break and forced Holmgren to coach em for the rest of the season.

What drives me bat-poop insane isn't that you can't drop Chief -- fine. Go for it.

But WTF were you doing when you fired Hitch and Laviolette -- previous Cup winners who had dropped 100-point seasons for you, gotten to conference finals and Stanley Cup finals?

Or when you dropped Stevens, who led you to either the biggest turnaround in league history, or close to it, and a conference final?

Now granted, Hextall's predecessors pulled those triggers. But damn, man -- pick a (frank)ing coach and stick with it! The Flyers turn on coaches as soon as poop gets a little sour, and it's not like Hitch and Laviolette are imbeciles who aren't winning any games now that they've been cut loose!

JFC!
- AllInForFlyers

No coach has lasted more than 3 seasons since Mike Keenan.

Explain to me why RJ Umberger was allowed to play every game and in doing so, remain a second unit regular on the Power Play. It's one thing to play every game, fine! Berube never made an adjustment with Umberger on the second unit on the PP. This is an unacceptable example when you have other options.
- SuperSchennBros

Berube didn't have anybody better to replace him. Hextall was not going to call up the kids and play them if they thought they weren't ready on their own merit.

Berube I'm assuming as the head coach has the final say on everything coming off and going on to the ice. I'm sure every thing is discussed during and around practice.
- SuperSchennBros

I am under no belief what so ever that a coach would last if he willingly took ice time away and gave it to unproven players or youth, in the name of "development".

Not on a Snider lead team.

Personally, I would have fired him at the all star break and forced Holmgren to coach em for the rest of the season.
- BiggE

I would too. Not sure why he didn't just pull the trigger today

No coach has lasted more than 3 seasons since Mike Keenan.
- mayorofangrytown

Well technically, Hitch made it a few games into a 4th season, but I get what you're saying.

Frank Seravalli ‏@frank_seravalli 5m5 minutes ago
Hextall: “If I’m looking back and the goalie had a great year, the coach must’ve done a good job with him, right?” #notatypo

- PhillySportsGuy

Like I said. Let the mother (frank)er burn.

This team has had 6 truly top flight coaches in their history, Berube is NOT one of them:

Shero
Quinn
Keenan
Neilson
Hitchcock
Laviolette

They all had some faults, all coaches do, but they stand head and shoulders above the rest of the bunch.
- BiggE

Roger Neilson, yes, absolutely. He was my guy around the time I started watching.

I am going to bring up one thing here. Not really regarding Umberger specifically but as a whole because this issue goes back to the coaches who were in place before Berube as well.

How long would a coach last on a Snider lead team, that willingly gave more ice time to unproven players or youth where the odds of losing on a given night possibly increase because of the same.

Berube isn't the sole coach, to be dubbed as "coaching for his job".
- flyer_nutter

Good point. First and foremost, a coaches job is to try and win every game. That's how they're programmed.

Berube didn't have anybody better to replace him. Hextall was not going to call up the kids and play them if they thought they weren't ready on their own merit.
- MJL

So your telling me Michael Raffl was never a better option?

No coach has lasted more than 3 seasons since Mike Keenan.
- mayorofangrytown

That is absolutely (frank)ing asinine

Frank Seravalli ‏@frank_seravalli 5m5 minutes ago
Hextall: “If I’m looking back and the goalie had a great year, the coach must’ve done a good job with him, right?” #notatypo

- PhillySportsGuy

Oh wow...

That's not a coaching issue though. A coach can only play the players he has available to him.
- MJL

Meh. I would rather have seen Akeson flounder all year but at least given a shot, or same for Straka than knowing you have a piece of poop in Umberger with no room to grow.

Well technically, Hitch made it a few games into a 4th season, but I get what you're saying.
- BiggE

knew someone would immediately bring that up.