Bill Meltzer: Musings and Quick Hits: State of the Team

It's not good, but there is hope

Bill Meltzer: Musings and Quick Hits: State of the Team
- bmeltzer

Clusterflogger

From previous thread:

Well, should be an exciting few days.

In the end I don't think Hakstol is the reason the Flyers are in the state they are in now, I think its more the players...but I also don't think Hakstol has the tools to bring them out of this either, as evidenced by the state of play since Hextall's firing.

I think this clearly leads to a coaching change. What I wonder is whether the Flyers are as good a landing spot for top notch coaching talent or not.

I agree that the goaltending has been a mess this year.

That said, I don't think Elliott would have fared any better than Stolarz had he played these past few games. Stolarz was the reason most of the games didn't get out of hand early. But over time, giving up oddman rushes and gift-wrapping scoring chances will eventually beat any goalie (makes me remember game 7 of the 2014 Rags' series). I don't think anything short of Patrick Roy wins those games.

I think this drama is just an attempt by the flyers to re-engage the fans that have chosen to stop watching and buying anything related to the the team.

I Hate Dave Hakstol as the coach of the Flyers. The Flyers have lost a fan of 40 years because in my opinion they are either more loyal to the coach than they are the fans or they are keeping hakstol to spite the fans. If they think Dave hakstol has earned the right to keep his job the entire organization needs to be wiped clean.

What has Dave hakstol done that would make the flyers choose him over the fans that are being lost by the thousands?

Does the organization not understand what is going to happen in the building if hakstol is behind the bench tomorrow night?

There is no way it ends well. Either the fans are going chant and riot for hakstol to be gone which is bad or nobody will care, which is worse.

Just get rid of this bum.

I think this drama is just an attempt by the flyers to re-engage the fans that have chosen to stop watching and buying anything related to the the team.

I Hate Dave Hakstol as the coach of the Flyers. The Flyers have lost a fan of 40 years because in my opinion they are either more loyal to the coach than they are the fans or they are keeping hakstol to spite the fans. If they think Dave hakstol has earned the right to keep his job the entire organization needs to be wiped clean.

What has Dave hakstol done that would make the flyers choose him over the fans that are being lost by the thousands?

Does the organization not understand what is going to happen in the building if hakstol is behind the bench tomorrow night?

There is no way it ends well. Either the fans are going chant and riot for hakstol to be gone which is bad or nobody will care, which is worse.

Just get rid of this bum.
- Shrike

Yes, the Flyers upper management is keeping Dave Hakstol employed just to drive away their customer base. You're 100% right.

Moving along...

The mix of players and the poor goaltending needs to change. They're not built to be anything more than a middling team. Outside of the top line there's just not a lot there. Hextall putting all his chips on the table with Patrick is just too much for him, he's not ready.

Yes, the Flyers upper management is keeping Dave Hakstol employed just to drive away their customer base. You're 100% right.

Moving along...
- jmatchett383

Can I get your opinion on hakstol jmatch?

Can I get your opinion on hakstol jmatch?
- Shrike

I think that he's a good developmental coach. If you give him young players to try to guide and groom, I think he's good. As an in-game manager and a coach to lead a team of veterans to make them push harder, I think he is not the right choice.

For the record, I have no facts to back this up, which is why I said "I think." Just a gut feeling.

At this point the organization is becoming an embarrassment. If the intention or plan is to ever fire hasktol you may as well get it over with. Your fans have turned on you. The media has turned on you. The locker room is a disaster. The play on the ice is a disaster. I'm sorry but hasktol isnt the guy to navigate this. I'd rather have an interim coach just so we can focus on hockey while we find the right replacement.

I think that he's a good developmental coach. If you give him young players to try to guide and groom, I think he's good. As an in-game manager and a coach to lead a team of veterans to make them push harder, I think he is not the right choice.

For the record, I have no facts to back this up, which is why I said "I think." Just a gut feeling.
- jmatchett383

I just wanted your perspective, not evidence.

Joke of a franchise.

At this point the organization is becoming an embarrassment. If the intention or plan is to ever fire hasktol you may as well get it over with. Your fans have turned on you. The media has turned on you. The locker room is a disaster. The play on the ice is a disaster. I'm sorry but hasktol isnt the guy to navigate this. I'd rather have an interim coach just so we can focus on hockey while we find the right replacement.
- Tfaehner

I agree. It's a sideshow, and right or wrong, it's not fair to the players, coach, or fanbase to drag this out.

Also, Dave Isaac should be fired ASAP.

I just wanted your perspective, not evidence.
- Shrike

You asked for my "opinion," i.e. what I think. I told you. The last part was not directed at you, it was for captain passive-aggressive.

Huh? Did you read Bills blog? A reporter made an erroneous report. Hak may get fired and Q may become the Flyers coach, but it has not happened yet. The reporter is at fault here.This is not the fault of the Flyers and I don't see how you can conclude that the Flyers leaked the story to increase interest in the team. This is not the kind of interest any pro sports team wants. This has been unfair to the players and to Hak and I'm sure the Flyers didn't want things to go down this way. Really unfortunate.

Maybe this was talked about in other threads, but why the decision to start Stolarz on Saturday? The guy is coming off a major injury last season, and you run him into the ground by starting him in a 3 in 4 on the road. This is starting to feel like groundhog's day.

I know that a top-10 goaltender should be able to handle this kind of workload, but come on, someone had to see this coming, right?

Maybe this was talked about in other threads, but why the decision to start Stolarz on Saturday? The guy is coming off a major injury last season, and you run him into the ground by starting him in a 3 in 4 on the road. This is starting to feel like groundhog's day.

I know that a top-10 goaltender should be able to handle this kind of workload, but come on, someone had to see this coming, right?
- jsh139

all part of Haks plan to take the team down with him.

Huh? Did you read Bills blog? A reporter made an erroneous report. Hak may get fired and Q may become the Flyers coach, but it has not happened yet. The reporter is at fault here.This is not the fault of the Flyers and I don't see how you can conclude that the Flyers leaked the story to increase interest in the team. This is not the kind of interest any pro sports team wants. This has been unfair to the players and to Hak and I'm sure the Flyers didn't want things to go down this way. Really unfortunate.
- Dkos

Yes, the asshat reported is the one truly at fault here. But right or wrong, that reporter (who published this story in a somewhat reputable paper) has poked an already pissed off hornet nest, and hell has pretty much broken loose among the fan base.

Maybe this was talked about in other threads, but why the decision to start Stolarz on Saturday? The guy is coming off a major injury last season, and you run him into the ground by starting him in a 3 in 4 on the road. This is starting to feel like groundhog's day.

I know that a top-10 goaltender should be able to handle this kind of workload, but come on, someone had to see this coming, right?
- jsh139

If he is healthy why can't he play?

I am also thinking they were looking for best chance to win. Team needed wins.

Do you guys when Hakstol was overwhelmingly booed at the home opener a year and a half ago?

Do you guys when Hakstol was overwhelmingly booed at the home opener a year and a half ago?
- Shrike

We're talking about the same fanbase that relentlessly booed Mike Richards every time he took the puck in his first game back after he was traded. You know, when he signed an 11-year contract to play with the Flyers and management decided to ship him elsewhere. Those are the fans we're talking about, right?

Yes, the asshat reported is the one truly at fault here. But right or wrong, that reporter (who published this story in a somewhat reputable paper) has poked an already pissed off hornet nest, and hell has pretty much broken loose among the fan base.
- jmatchett383

Certainly not the fault of the Flyers. Overreaction on the part of the fans.

Yes, the asshat reported is the one truly at fault here. But right or wrong, that reporter (who published this story in a somewhat reputable paper) has poked an already pissed off hornet nest, and hell has pretty much broken loose among the fan base.
- jmatchett383

Even if they haven't reached out to Quenneville yet I can't see how Hakstol coaches tuesday. The crowd will be merciless. Feel like they still fire him today and possibly use an interim until Quenneville comes aboard.

You asked for my "opinion," i.e. what I think. I told you. The last part was not directed at you, it was for captain passive-aggressive.
- jmatchett383

I know I was trying to build a foundation for an constructive conversation rather than talking while missing each other’s points