Per the same included in the game recap post:
Hey all, Tuesday’s horribly disappointing loss arguably represents the greatest opportunity to be frustrated since the Canes and Coffee comments picked up steam. What a day to be alive at Canes and Coffee, am I right? ? With that comes to opportunity for readers and fellow Canes fans to be nasty to each other or instead have great debates in a true ‘we are in this together even if we disagree on things’ neighborhood coffee shop kind of way. Let’s stay on the right side of being respectful to each other.
In addition, there is not a need to candy coat a player or team management’s performance. It is fine to say that they did poorly, that they should be traded or whatever else. That falls under evaluating and offering an opinion on their performance which is for better or worse within the realm of their jobs. That said, it is never okay to take shots at players or staff personnel personally. Please, let’s stay on the right side of that line on a day when no doubt there will be tough evaluations of individual performances and suggestions for changes in personnel.
For obvious reasons, I took a different approach for my game recap/notes after Tuesday’s 6-4 loss. The recap is largely the introduction for what follows, so I encourage everyone to read that first if you have not already.
I finished that article by saying that the team is broken. The question then is how to fix that or at least take the right steps in that direction especially with 12 games remaining on the 2017-18 schedule.
I spelled out the basics of what I think should be done on Twitter but will add additional details here.
#CanesCoaster officially crashes. There's just not enough ice cream for this kind of stuff.
— Canes and Coffee (@CanesandCoffee) March 14, 2018
Enough said. And “ice cream” (wink) for those who are otherwise Canes remedy-inclined.
1/? Most disturbing is not that @NHLCanes are bad. It's that they have become some combination psychological case/intensity-less zombies.
— Canes and Coffee (@CanesandCoffee) March 14, 2018
This is the crux of it all and where I left off in the game recap article. This team is unmistakably broken. It is one thing to lose, fail, not make the playoffs or whatever else in terms of results. It has become increasingly clear that the problem is bigger than that. If it is possible to need a full exorcism of an entire hockey team and organization, I think the Hurricanes reached that level on Tuesday night.
There are personnel issues too, but this is bigger than that.
2/? I said during the offseason that @NHLCanes needed some kind of "jolt" (Williams for captain over old guard). They are getting that jolt now thought it's unclear who will survive it and what state they will be in when team emerges into offseason.
— Canes and Coffee (@CanesandCoffee) March 14, 2018
I talked about this in some detail in the game recap, so I will not beat it to death. Depending on how the team responds, part of me thinks that Tuesday’s game in itself might actually be severe enough to provide the necessary “jolt” albeit too late for the 2017-18 season.
3/? Ironically, in terms of building something above the wreckage once the flames subside, Ron Francis could have been something sound and stable.
— Canes and Coffee (@CanesandCoffee) March 14, 2018
I think many might disagree with this simply because Ron Francis was very clearly right in the middle of what this team has become. To some degree, I agree. But two things make me think differently. First is that I continue to wonder if Francis brought Justin Williams in with the intent that he would be named captain but tried to do the right thing in letting the locker room stuff be decided in the locker room. If so, it is actually possible that Francis both recognized and addressed the current problem last summer, but just did not manage to navigate its resolution through Bill Peters. We might or might not ever know what really happened with that. Looking forward instead of backward, I also think some kind of steady father figure could be useful in what I think lies ahead. I think the team has reached the point where there needs to be some upheaval, discomfort and tumultuous times in the locker room as the group tries to climb up out of the wreckage and push forward. As a former player and captain with NHL success and also a calm personality, I think he could serve valuable in terms of adding spoonfuls of calm as needed. But given that he is somewhat pushed to the side right now, it is unclear if he is capable of doing that and/or if he would even step into that fray at this point.
4/? I will be surprised if Bill Peters is still the coach by Thursday. I just think it sends a horrible message right now if @NHLCanes even play out string at this point with Peters at the helm.
— Canes and Coffee (@CanesandCoffee) March 14, 2018
I am on record as saying that I think the team owed Bill Peters the 2017-18 season before passing judgement on him. The 2017-18 season is now more or less over, and preparation for the 2018-19 season needs to begin.
But bigger than that reality is that I think inaction with regard to Peters and leadership right now sends a horrible message to a young group that is gradually learning that this is how it goes in the NHL because they have experienced nothing else. Justin Faulk and Jeff Skinner are a large chunk of a career deep in this way of NHL life and might actually be unsalvagable. Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce, Haydn Fleury, Noah Hanifin, Sebastian Aho and Brock McGinn are now headed in the same direction.
I really think the time is now to very decidedly put a stake in the ground that first makes it clear that the current state of things is unacceptable and then very firmly plants a stake in the ground such that the current state of the team is in the past with a new future.
I think after how this team has flailed horribly and completely unraveled at a time when it should be digging down and finding a way that there is no path forward with Bill Peters. And because of the degree to which the team has completely imploded, I do not think the change can wait until the offseason.
5/5 I think the path forward to try to build not just burn to the ground over last 12 games is to let Peters go, make Brind'Amour the interim head coach and possibly make Justin Williams captain. That very emphatically puts a stake in the ground & looks forward not backward.
— Canes and Coffee (@CanesandCoffee) March 14, 2018
I really think that Rod Brind’Amour is the leader for the next 12 games that represent a chance to dramatically change the direction of the team versus stumbling into the offseason to try to recover and start anew then. To be clear, I am not proposing that Brind’Amour become the new head coach or even audition for it. Rather, I am proposing that he be very clearly named interim coach for the remainder of the 2017-18 season such that a new head coach can be named during the offseason.
I actually think that Rod Brind’Amour could prove to be better for this stint of 12 games than the eventual coach. Right now, the team does not need systems, Xs and Os, strategy or anything like that. Very simply, the team desperately needs a change in mindset, mentality, attitude, confidence and whatever else you want to lump into the all-important mental/psychological component of the game. As a successful captain who has been lauded by absolutely everyone ever interviewed about his leadership, Brind’Amour gets the people and motivation part of this game that I think is an Achilles’ heel for Bill Peters. Brind’Amour has been in the midst of all of it with an inside the locker room viewpoint and already knows the individual players and their situations. Combining that with his leadership abilities, I think he more than any outsider has the potential to effect a change in mentality both at an individual player and team level.
Some might ask why he has not already done this if he is in fact capable of it. I think in an assistant coaching role, there are limitations to role and player interactions. Brind’Amour is a lieutenant whose responsibilities are dictated or at a minimum influenced by Bill Peters’ assignments. My belief is that as a #1, he gains broader freedom to interact with, challenge and work with the players in a different way.
I then think that Brind’Amour’s first move is to make Justin Williams the captain. There are conversations that need to happen and such to make the current leadership group feel included in the future despite taking on a different role and no doubt feathers might be ruffled, but I think it is the right move. Especially for the young group, it sends a message that the current state of the team is not good enough all the way down at the player level. This is not just Francis not building the right lineup. It is not just Peters not coaching well enough. The changes that need to start immediately are also on the players’ shoulders. I think naming Justin Williams as the captain clearly plants this all-important stake that makes sure the jolt that is needed is felt and received not just seen down at the level of the individual player stalls in the locker room.
For 12 games just trying to change mindset and mentality, it's nothing about Xs and Os or even coaching. It's about leadership. Rod Brind'Amour is ideal for what needs to be done for the next 12 games.
— Canes and Coffee (@CanesandCoffee) March 14, 2018
So what now…
I actually think the probability that Bill Peters does not make it until Thursday or at least the next game is higher than most people realize right now. Tom Dundon has already shown that he is willing to take action and is not necessarily one to wait until the offseason to do an end of season evaluation and then sort things out.
I say Thursday or before the next game simply because there is a logical chain of events that must happen. First is that Tom Dundon needs to be in Raleigh – not sure if he was in town for Tuesday’s game and is already here or anything must be preceded by him arriving in Raleigh. Then he would need to at least talk to Ron Francis if he has any sincere intentions of keeping him in the organization in a different role, and then he would need to talk to Rod Brind’Amour. So there is a chain of events that must happen serially before any announcement would be made.
If nothing else, Wednesday’s practice is a rare one that could be newsworthy as are the couple off days ahead.
What say you Canes fans?
1) Do you agree with any of this, or do you think I should have taken more time to digest Tuesday’s loss before going into drastic mode?
2) If you were in charge of everything Hurricanes right now, what would you do?
3) What do you think will actually happen and when?
Go Canes!
We’ve all seen Bill Peters scribble in that little notebook of his, during the games, while standing behind the bench. I can now only imagine he’s just been writing over and over: “What do I do now?”
Okay, in all seriousness – here’s my answers.
1. I don’t think your opinion is just an emotional knee-jerk reaction to last night’s game, Matt. Having read your articles for quite a while now, you’re just too level-headed and analytical to allow yourself to let that happen. So although last night’s game dragged all of us to a new level of fandom hell, I feel like our reactions this morning will actually be a result of the ‘snowball effect’ of this entire dismal season. Last night’s game, at least for me, was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. Actually more like a log… so to answer your question: “drastic mode” is quite appropriate.
2. If I was in charge (which means I’m Tom Dundon?), I take immediate action. Again. Send a message to your ‘customers’ that you’re as upset as we are. And at this point in the season, all that can really be done is fire Bill Peters. And again, using the snowball analogy, there’s been more than enough reasons by now to do this. Last night just gives (me) the last bit of ammunition to go on and take this drastic step. And Rod is as good of a temporary replacement as anyone else. However, I don’t know if I’d go so far as renaming a captain – at this point, I don’t think that would make much of a difference. I would also insist on bringing up some Charlotte talent, to see how they handle the NHL game speed. And perhaps even give Ned a try for a game or two. And if Peters mentions that ‘we’re still in it’, he’s just kidding himself. After last night, it’s time to realistically start thinking about how we can use the rest of this season to help us next year.
3. I actually think it’s going to play out just like you described. Peters won’t last out the week (if not today), and Rod will be named interim head coach.
I really don’t see the point in making a coaching change right now. The season is over. Big changes are likely coming. Why make a little change now when the changes coming this summer will make these changes moot? Also, why put Brind’Amour in the awful position of trying to motivate a bunch of guys who think, or hope, they are out the door in a couple weeks? Especially when we know it is highly unlikely that Rod will have any influence over this team after the end of the season? The last 12 games will be painful. Maybe they should be. This organization is screaming for leadership. Good, solid, hockey leadership. Knee jerk reactions are not leadership. The changes are coming. If they lose out, so be it. Better draft pick.
The fact the season is over is the perfect time to do it; if someone is trying to make a change to alter the course for this season they are delusional.
The mentality of this team right now is broken and you’ve got an extremely disappointed fan base. Making a move right now strengthens the statement to the team that this is not acceptable and things are going to change and to some degree will satisfy the fans during the season ticket drive.
Agree with the last part of the statement. Making a coaching change now is mainly for the fans. Players know a big shakeup is coming and it really doesn’t matter who is standing behind them on the bench for the last 12 games. It’s a crappy thing to do to Brind’Amour though.
A lot of wisdom there Matt.
I haven’t weighed in on the Ron Francis “reassignment” because I believe a well run business should always be moving toward something. Moving away from things can be reckless and dangerous if you don’t know what you are moving towards. Without Francis’ successor being named, or a clear set of requirements for the next GM, it is impossible to tell what the canes are moving towards.
Only time will tell what they are moving towards.
I love the suggestion of naming Brindy coach and Williams captain, because of what it is moving towards. We are moving towards people who play the game the right way, every game, every shift, all game long and all season long. We are moving towards behaviors that are rewarded with success.
Francis’ greatest failure was failure to manage BP. He let BP blame team failure on the players instead of taking responsibility. He let BP sit prospects when they should either be playing or re-assigned. He let BP play call-ups 4 minutes a game. He let BP name co-captains (of BP “guys”) when he should have insisted on Williams, and let BP know if he didn’t like it turn in his resignation – today. Get on board or get out, the organization can’t afford any more seasons of accommodating poor behaviors.
Francis was just too nice to “his guys”.
That said, our organization needs leadership. The players already have a Mom and/or Dad who love them unconditionally, what they need is leadership who loves them conditionally. With very clear conditions. Play the right way all of the time or move along, that isn’t how we do it here.
If I were king for a day, I fire BP this morning. Assign Brindy and Williams to lead. Bring up prospects who have been doing it the right way st the AHL level and play them – a lot. This isn’t about who scores the most points over the course of a season it is about who does it to the best of their ability all of the time, on both ends of the ice. Guys like Foegele.
If you do it the right way all of the time, results will come. Brindy didn’t win a Stanley Cup every year – nobody does – but if you lead a group of guys who do it right rewards will come.
BTW Francis knew the problem and it is why he brought in Williams.
We only get 4 call ups post trade deadline.
The organization missed a long time ago at the opportunity to show the effort level isnt tolerated. Skinner at times, Rask, Darling, and Faulk have been getting away with awful performances with no repercussions. Only punishing management for poor performance doesnt fix the issue or send the right message. I felt like Francis or BP had their shots to correct this months ago with a call up and sitting a big name. Instead we sit the rookie defender to show that his performance isnt acceptable.
I agree with Goaliedad, but would add a few things.
TD being a very successful businessman has to make organizational changes swiftly. Rather than waste the final 12 games use them as Goaliedad said to help the team for next year.
New Coach (today), Rod is logical… Bring up several Checkers…
Statement to the Fans & Season Ticket Holders… like the Rangers did.
Take the amount paid for the last 5 home games paid and apply this as a deposit for next year to at least keep some of them….committed
Open up the doors to the general public (5 remaining home games) and try to fill the house (must wear Canes Jersey only, no exceptions) and you still have to pay for parking, but have $2 soda, hotdogs and popcorn for the fans. (marketing dept should listen, if they want to keep their jobs).
Have Fun, win lose or draw!! There’s always next year my friends.
1/ Usually I’d like more time to digest something like last night but I’ve been in denial for the last few weeks and I don’t really think more time is necessary. Warren Buffett likes to say that “you don’t know who’s swimming naked until the tide goes out.” You can apply the same test to leadership: it’s easy during the good times (high-tide); really hard during the tough times (low-tide). The tide is out and, unfortunately, we’re swimming naked – or at least our clothes got swept off in the surf.
I thought BP did a nice job for us over the last few years, but it’s clearly not working now and, since leadership starts at the top, the responsibility and accountability starts with him.
2/ Making a change now isn’t going to salvage the season but it will send a clear message that everyone is going to held accountable if the reassignment of GMRF wasn’t clear enough. As a management decision, I applauded TD for making the change with GMRF immediately after he recognized he had a problem without letting it fester; I’d recommend the same thing now with BP. Naming JW captain can probably wait.
3/ I thought I had seen everything this season, but every recent game seems to present some new way to crush my spirit. I have no idea what will happen but I’m hoping something does soon. It’s hard to take much more of this.
After listening to Peters last night I came to the exact same conclusion as you did, Matt. Peters out before Thursday and Rod in as an interim. Peters was just toxic last night. He threw the players under the bench (when asked if there needed to be personnel changes from players who have been with the program for a while he said, “That’s a good question.” and moved on; that is his euphemism for “I agree with you.”). He threw management under the bus (when addressing whether there should be player changes, her referred to the 3 asst. GMs and said “they appear to know more about this than I do”).
Losing is a cancer. And the coach is now toxic.
Changing the coach is not to send a message to the players or the fans. It is not to save this team from a W-L, make the playoffs perspective. It is so the remaining month of the season isn’t a cesspool.
The players are talented. But the players are frustrated and the players are lost. Put an ex-player in as interim coach who everyone knows and respects and let them play the game. Improve the energy going into the end of the season and make this the turning point.
It is not a bad position for Rod – it is what he is made for. A players’ coach re-energizing the players with a love of the game and the energy and effort it takes to play it well and confidently – finish out the season with hard play and let the summer take care of itself.
As to what will happen? – whatever it is will be a tell on Dundon. What are the hockey people in the organization saying? – RF as an advisor, the 3 asst. GMs. What is Dundon hearing from Cuban? What are his business instincts telling him. I have no clue what he will do – there is no roadmap here. But we will all learn something.
I cant see BP getting fired until the new GM is in place.
I also cant see changing the Captains at this point. I would bet that if that conversation came up then JW would say no. I hated the 2 captains decision… and when I posted that it clearly was supposed to be JW… I got blasted. Also, I think far to much gets put on a captain as far as credit and blame. There is very rarely just one guy. Its a leadership group and more often then not its just people on the outside looking in that put all the stock in the letter designations.
I see changes coming this offseason for sure. Just its not sustainable to make drastic changes without a GM in place. The group needs to get the guy they think will be best and then they can devise a plan and then implement said plan. Anything else is just knee-jerk reactions and not sustainable in a successful business. This still will not change over night. Business are not purchased and transformed over night. Everybody thinks that it will be great next year… I think we will have a similar season, bubble team at the deadline. Which was most of our hopes at the start of this season btw. That happened.
Getting rid of BP at this point in the season may be knee-jerk reaction. Yes, last night’s loss was by far the worst of the year. But his players did build a 4-1 lead so it’s not as if they were not prepared. It is the players who completely broke down in that short span which clearly indicates the personnel on this team is subpar. If you are a player on this team it’s hard to look in the mirror.
In short, hard to can a coach over this one. Per Justin Faulk’s interview, the players shot themselves in the foot. BP has a right to be annoyed because he’s been clamoring for better personnel since last summer. And he’s right in saying the AGM’s, former GM has a better handle on player movement because that is their job. A coaching replacement is not going to change the vibe, rather hiring a new GM to make personnel moves I think will.
This isn’t solely on BP but the team as a whole is “broken”. I don’t disagree that there is a personnel issue, mainly in we don’t have enough difference makers in the line-up right now, but the biggest issue is the losing mentality we have taken on. The team is in a toxic environment and this stems from a lack of leadership, BP has lost the team and doesn’t seem to have it in him to create that needed spark. Hell, he can’t even make the in-game decision to call a timeout to take away momentum last night during the implosion.
Lots of changes need to be made; the sooner it happens the better. We can’t make personnel changes now but BP can go. Send the message, let Rod ride the rest of the season out and work with the new GM to bring in new coaching staff in the off-season. BP is the 4th longest tenured head coach in the NHL, I can’t imagine he would still have a job at any other team given the circumstances.
I am totally with your thought process here live free. I don’t think Peters has much control over this group for whatever reason. His time in coming to an end and making a change now would be an emotional overreaction.
Also, why would you do this to Brind’Amour? So, Rod….we want you to take the reins of the team for the last three weeks or so. Get their attitude right. Show them that they have to play hard. You can do that in three weeks, right? Just so you know, we aren’t going to consider you for the job going forward, but do it for us. Don’t worry that the players know you’re a lame duck and they really don’t have any reason to listen to you.
As fiftymission states below, how Dundon operates now says a lot to the rest of the league. Can they take advantage of him because he makes knee-jerk decisions? What will potential GMs or coaches think of him? Would you want to work for a guy that treats people like this? Would you want to work for an owner that lashes out every time the fans are pissed off? Nope. Finish the year. Do your work in the offseason.
Firing Peters and naming a new C is a necessary first step. You have to send the message that this is not acceptable. The players know big changes are coming and many wont be a part of the future. But you have to send an organizational message that the current situation is not one will be tolerated and that starts with leadership changes throughout. The GM was the first step, coach and captains is next. That has to be done. Fortunately we have some pieces in place for success and some help in the pipeline. That prevents this from being a total blow up, but this will take a few more years. Culture is very hard to change, but TD seems to understand that it needs to change throughout the organization and I believe he will get it done
Just to make a comment on this trend of fire BP talk. Whether he stays or whether he goes – I think that you could look at the situation as the season was lost or questionable a long time ago – and recent losses near the end of the season while magnified in their recency do not warrant firing the coach with so few games remaining. His fate is sealed one way or the other and the remaining games will not change that – however what message does it send on an organizational level if the Canes fire him now. To me it signals to 30 other teams “wow the Canes are in absolute PANIC mode right now” which I just don’t see as the correct situation. In some instances I think they should play it cool – and take their time to assess what has happened over the course of the off-season and make the changes needed. Analysis of what is wrong especially from Tom Dundon’s perspective who pretty recently came on board will take time – and I think firing Bill now shows less of an analytical approach to figuring out the problems and more of a panic-emotional decision which has no place in professional sports in my humble opinion.
Let the season unfold. Honestly before making coaching changes I am for adding new players to the roster I think that has to be the first step. I am also not sold on how if Faulk wasn’t wearing a letter and Williams had the C that the season would be entirely different. I mean it’s a damn figurative letter – if Williams wants to man up and become the captain without the C he can do that. To me the teams failure has less to do with leadership and more to do with objective issues with the teams offense and goaltending – and more progress needed from a high upside d – corps.
I’m just not in panic mode right now. The franchise despite ownership turmoil and a need for a new GM is still in a good place moving forward. Prospects are good, contract situations are decent, cap space, young core players who can still improve. To me this is a team that is closer to winning than needing an implosion… Next year guys.
I agree. The new GM will drive the bus.
Matt, great summary and I agree with your thoughts.
First, RF and Peters have made positive impacts on the franchise. The pool of prospects has improved a great deal and the lengthy bloated player contracts RF inherited have been resolved. Let’s face it, RF had housecleaning to do before he could move forward. Unfortunately, critical trades (see Darling) and lack thereof (adding a veteran scorer) was his demise.
BP established a system and I could see improvement in the early years of his tenure. Still, the teams were soft and lacked grit. Plus, the Canes excel with being *consistently* inconsistent. These problems are leadership issues — see captains (plural) and coach. Until recently I have given BP a pass. …and RF as well.
1. I do not think more time was needed to think about the state of the franchise. Let’s see, how many years has it been since we’ve been to the playoffs. Also, the results are in front of us — not just the win-loss record for this and previous campaigns, but the decisions (or lack of decisions/trades/call-ups) that have been made off the ice – for example, two captains. Really, two captains? So, no, enough has occurred and the comments and suggestions for a path forward are definitely not knee-jerk.
2. It is time to part ways with BP. I appreciate what he has done, but the team needs to build from many of the parts we currently have on the ice and move in a different direction. Sure, name Roddy as coach and definitely make JW captain. I agree with Goaliedad — do this for the customers. But also do this for the players — I believe they need to be shaken up. Everybody needs to be put on notice.
I agree with AshevilleCaniac, RF was too nice to the coaches and players.
3. What’s gonna happen? Good question. As of this writing, BP is still employed. Dundon is not patient, but has he forged a relationship with BP that keeps him in the fold? Does Dundon pull the trigger now or wait until the official end of the season? For all intents and purposes, the 2017/2018 season is toast, so what the heck!
We are in for a rocky ride, but things must change. I hope TD is ready and willing to make the necessary investments to get the team out of the endless mediocrity.
I think the bloated contract situation has not been fully resolved.
We have Darling for 3 more years at 4 mill per, if he does not get his act together we need to buy him out.
Rask is on a 6-year contract, 4 mills per, he is not a bad player and I still believe, if slotted as a third line center, hecould recover and be worth at least 75% of the money.
We’re still buying out Semin’s contract.
We’re still on the hook for some of Brian Bickell’s salary, I think, though it might be covered by insurance.
It is definitely better than the Eric Staal situation (great guy, not his fault he was offered more money than Crossby, that is on JR).
I guess every team has contracts that do not look great.
But I agree with the rest. I am oddly optimistic that this team is not too far off in terms of building a winner. Change in management and coaching, beetter goaltending, a couple of prospects panning out and one or two big signings would do it.
Also continuing to crash and burn down the stretch. We don’t need another set of moral boosting ictories when the season no longer matters, we need to maximize our odds at drafting a difference maker.
Since the team will go through a significant rebuild over the summer any imaginary success from putting together awinning streak now will be lost, whereas losing out on a difference making draft pick can influence years of Canes hockey.
Better Darling at 4×4 than Semin at 5×7. At least Darling has the will and (theoretically) the capability to improve and play better throughout his contract. But then again, we’re not exactly financially strapped right now.
Funny how people think we’re just now starting a rebuild though, I could be wrong, but isn’t that what we’ve been doing for the last 4 years? Cleaning out JR’s mess and rebuilding? I still think we’re doing pretty good, all in perspective. There’s a lot of emotion in the air right now. Understandably so, we want playoffs, but still, emotional decisions aren’t the ones we want.
In terms of the amount, yes. In terms of what Semin brought when he was on his game, no. Semin was an elite sniper with deadly scoring talent.
If somehow he could have been jolted out of his cheating ways (sorry, nothing personal, but not playing hard for the team that pays you 7 mill per year is cheating) he would have been worth the contract he got.
I also just can’t understandhow ateam can be obligated to pay a player this amount of money when the player is clearly not holding up his end of the bargain. The Cnaes should have been able to dismiss Semin without pay after the second non performing season.
The downfall of Semin remains the biggest mystery of the JR era Canes for me, and a pivotal factor in why the team fell apart 5 years ago.
I agree the team has a lot of potential right now, but some of the retooling didn’t work and needs to be corrected and the expectation and atmosphere needs to be fixed.
I didn’t jump ship on Semin in the first season he underperformed on his contract and I won’t do it on Darling. So i’ll post the Darling contract as TBD on whether it was a bad one. Rask i’ll say was a bad one because by the end of this season we are looking at 2 seasons of returning probably somewhat negative value. Albeit he is not an incompetent player it’s just not a good contract moving forward. With that said – Francis avoided what many other teams did and that was commit 5+ million and multiple years to aging players in free agency. I can appreciate that has at least put the Canes in a ‘decent’ cap situation moving forward pending on the Rask and Darling situations.
What do you guys mean when you say that the team is “broken “? The term doesn’t make any sense to me. Last night’s game was exciting. I could see the Bruin scoring burst coming. I could feel it in the Bruins’ body language, their passing and skating, the fouls they committed with more boldness as the refs swallowed their whistles. The foul that Faulk committed that gave the Bruins a power play, was one a player commits when he is exhausted. The Canes were exhausted. Bill did not call for a time out. He sent a fresh pair of legs back to Charlotte. He didn’t shorten shifts.
All season long management, as well as Willie have been talking about the need for a heavy game, grit, a net front presence. Yet, aside from an occasional outburst from some, only the Sea bass has played heavy and in front of the net.
Why?
When we do have an outburst, we win.
Bill benched our grittiest player for a game against the Bruin goons.
Why?
There is obviously much going on about which we know little.
Something broken is something you throw away and replace. Ronnie has built a team that is only a player or two short of a masterpiece.
Let’s see how this all pans out.
Powerless has a point. Nobody (that I’ve seen) has said anything about the team that came back and beat us…. they are a great team, with great mojo and believe they can win… Like our 06 team. they are just good.
We are fragile. we played hard on the second night of a back to back… being fragile and tired and emotionally tired and young and used saying “oh crap, here we go again” and playing over our position and …. and …
Good points have been made on both sides for keeping/firing BP. Glad I’m not making the decision.
My point here is to say that the team that beat us… is a good/great team and we should factor that into the conversation on what we should do and how high a ledge we should jump from!
There are a lot of smart “x” & “o” NHL guys. But a coach has to be the leader in setting the culture of the team. For whatever reason, that is what is broken. Matt talks about “what is the Cane’s way” to win games. The answer never materialized. And now the culture of this team is in shambles. That falls on Peter’s (IMHO). He cannot survive. I do think there are reasonable arguments on either side of whether he goes before Thursday or at EOY. But he has to go. Based on TD comment when moving GMRF out, he just said he decided and acted. I suspect that BP is still here because TD hasn’t decided what to do with him yet. What a train wreck. A shame considering the optimism that this season started with.
To clarify my comments, I think BP needs to go not because the canes lost last night. Like RF, he picks “his guys” and sticks with them when a call up is a better choice. But most of all, his offensive system is bad.
Unlike BP, I believe his team is loaded with scoring talent, from the blue line in. The reason that statistics do not reflect it is because of his system.
The jailbreak “chip and chase” system gets the puck up the ice quickly, which is good. However “FMUTIS” – First Man Up The Ice Shoot” – is a disaster. There is no traffic in front of the shooter, and if there is a rebound, it is kicked to the corner instead of out to the second wave of players coming up the ice. It is almost the same as a pass to the goalie or the forward skating to the corner and standing against the boards. The second wave of players, including the d-men, is rendered irrelevant by the strategy. A “secondary break” – drop passes to the second wave – make the goalie move side to side with traffic in front. The defenseman have lots of opportunity to score in ideal situations. Make the goalie move, traffic in front, shooter in the slot moving rapidly towards the goal, that is an ideal high percentage shot.
Every team with high scoring defense men run this system.
That is why BP has to go. The poor emotional leadership and throwing everyone around him under the bench is icing on the cake.
1. I don’t see BP back next season. As much as he(and ex-GMRF) did to improve the team, he can’t get it to the next level. seems like the wheel fell off after we beat LA, and got the 2WC slot, then BP changed the lines for the next game. Why mess with success on a non-back to back? Maybe let the next GM do the firing, though.
2. If I was the owner, I’d go on a 8 hour pub crawl in my arena. But not much else we can do. We only have 3 non-injury callups left for the season, if we sack BP, and put Rod in charge, he has zero head coaching experience at any level. Dundon has a history of learning a new business, and improving it, but how long does it take him to learn how to be a (good)hockey owner?
3. New Captain(Williams), new Head Coach. Goalies? Gotta try Darling a little bit more. But not a lot of UFAs available to replace Ward. Bernier is the best available. I do us being more actice at the Draft and on Free Agency Day.