GDT #76: 3/30/15 | 7:00PM CST | v Canucks | FSMW/KMOX

[CaptainLakitu]

I think we're over analyzing. Everyone is afraid of a repeat of last year. They'll get back on track. I wouldn't over analyze these losses. They honestly don't have a whole lot to play for at this point. Home ice is great, but don't know if it makes a statistically huge difference. Anyone have any numbers?

[theohall]

Here is an article from last June about home ice in the playoffs and results post lockout compared to all-time.

Bottom line - home ice doesn't matter any more. It used to matter, but the change in formats between regular season and playoffs now makes judging home ice on regular season performance less relevant. Also, teams are closer in ability due to cap restrictions for most playoff teams. This is also a mitigating factor irt home ice.

[glen a richter]

Remember when everyone was hyping up Rangers v. Blues cup finals? these never materialized because Tortorella, like Hitchcock, ran his players into the ground and they were gassed by the time the playoffs rolled around. The Rangers made a change and are legit Cup contenders this year, like they were also last season. This team needs a coach and coaching staff that doesn't promote a physically exhausting system, allows creativity and takes advantage of the weapons at hand. Again, for the umpteeth time, I'm talking about Dan Bylsma. You want to see Tarasenko score 100 points a season, you want to see Barbashev, when he arrives, score 100 points a season, you want to see Lehtera load up on assists and Schwartz be secondary scoring with only a little over a point per game average? It's not happening with Hitchcock. No way.

[not_a_wings_fan]

Remember when everyone was hyping up Rangers v. Blues cup finals? these never materialized because Tortorella, like Hitchcock, ran his players into the ground and they were gassed by the time the playoffs rolled around. The Rangers made a change and are legit Cup contenders this year, like they were also last season. This team needs a coach and coaching staff that doesn't promote a physically exhausting system, allows creativity and takes advantage of the weapons at hand. Again, for the umpteeth time, I'm talking about Dan Bylsma. You want to see Tarasenko score 100 points a season, you want to see Barbashev, when he arrives, score 100 points a season, you want to see Lehtera load up on assists and Schwartz be secondary scoring with only a little over a point per game average? It's not happening with Hitchcock. No way.

I'm on the dump Hitch train, never got off.

[cardsfan04]

I think we're over analyzing. Everyone is afraid of a repeat of last year. They'll get back on track. I wouldn't over analyze these losses. They honestly don't have a whole lot to play for at this point. Home ice is great, but don't know if it makes a statistically huge difference. Anyone have any numbers?

I agree. I'm very frustrated by the way they've played lately, but game 83 is when it matters most now. If we look good in game 83, everybody will forget about game 76.

[not_a_wings_fan]

I think we're over analyzing. Everyone is afraid of a repeat of last year. They'll get back on track. I wouldn't over analyze these losses. They honestly don't have a whole lot to play for at this point. Home ice is great, but don't know if it makes a statistically huge difference. Anyone have any numbers?

I agree. I'm very frustrated by the way they've played lately, but game 83 is when it matters most now. If we look good in game 83, everybody will forget about game 76.

We won Game 83 the last couple of years...

[JesusNEVERexisted]

Glen, you realize Pittsburgh dumped Bylsma when the players tuned him out?

[STLADOGG]

Win or lose in the real season, get Dan Bylsma ASAP. Imagine what he'll be able to get out of guys like Vova and Schwartz. The fact he's still available is nothing short of a miracle this team needs to take advantage of.

I was about to post the same thing, it blows my mind that he still has no job.

[glen a richter]

Glen, you realize Pittsburgh dumped Bylsma when the players tuned him out?

You realize that probably 99% of all coaching changes are made because the players tuned out the coach? Then they land elsewhere and, shockingly, they win again because they're good coaches! It's called a change of scenery, a different voice, a new philosophy, whatever you want to call it. If everyone subscribed to your argument that Pittsburgh dumped Bylsma because players tuned him out, so he's now an ineffective coach, no coach would ever get more than one job.

[Oaklandblue]

At this point we can sit down, put up the record for the last few years since Hitch has coached and see the trend. If we are moving in the same direction as the last few years, I would fire Hitch now, hire in Dan Bylsma and get the team back on track. It's safe to say there isn't much gelling and what the team needs is a jumpstart. Our opposition will have no way which Blues team or what tactics are coming into the playoffs after them, which may be the only way we're winning a Cup, and the sudden change might jumpstart them and get them streaking AT THE RIGHT TIME. That alone will build confidence that we're missing and get us to go deep. The skills are there, the will to win isn't. That isn't something one player embodies, it's something the entire team buys into or not, it's why putting in a netminder can change an attitude or a hard-earned goal can start a turn in the tide. That has to come from the top, always has to start there.

Dan is no stranger to walking into a team in the middle of a mess and getting them all the way to the Cup. This will be no different and right now there is no one that can do this other than him. He's been on the sidelines most of the season and you can't tell me he'd be hungry for another shot at the Cup, with the situation in front of him dire. He's a guy who jumps on those challenges and with the tools and skills this team has, he can make them make themselves winners.

A short playoffs this year can seriously hurt what Stillman is trying to do on a financial level. He needs the Blues to go deep or we might be seeing the beginning of the end and another 5-year rebuild in two years. Now's the time to win and now's the time to take a risk. Break the cycle or be forever stuck in it like we have been.

[JesusNEVERexisted]

Yeah Glen I know that. Even the legendary Scotty Bowman coached multiple teams. I just wanted to test you.

But I agree Bylsma would be an improvement over Hitch. Bylsma should be able to get the Blues back into the Conference finals and maybe the Cup too. Anyone know if Army is considering him if this season ends like last year?

[glen a richter]

If being entrenched as St. Louis legends, the first group among all the immortals like Hall, Plante, Federko, Hull, et al. to finally bring the Cup to the city isn't motivation enough to bust it out on the ice every single night, that's a deeper problem than just the players don't care. Whether it's Hitch sending mixed messages, information overload, restricting creativity or developing a system that once understood by opponents is easy to beat, it all goes back to Hitch. You can't blame it on the players and say "well they sucked just as bad under Murray and Payne, so it was them, not the coach". They were just kids then. They're grizzled veterans now. I'm not sure if Oakland is advocating firing Hitch right now and replacing him right now, but you know what? It worked for the Devils. I'd actually say go for it. Put a fire under them today. Get them going into the playoffs with a totally different look no one's ever seen.

Fun fact: When the Devils won in 2000, they fired Robbie Ftorek on March 23rd, so it wasn't like it was months and months until the playoffs. They were right around the corner much like now. The Devils went on to win the Cup with their new coach, and the opposing coach who lost in the finals that season? Ken Hitchcock. It's not unprecidented.

[Toasted Oates]

Would they really have anything to lose if they fired him now? I want to argue against it, but I can't.

As it was pointed out in the post above this one, Larry Robinson took over the 2000 Devils with 8 games left and won the Cup, beating Ken Hitchcock's Stars.

I know Armstrong respects Hitch too much to do it. I respect him too and appreciate his contributions to my favorite NHL organization. However, you eliminate Hitch and you eliminate the excuses in an instant.

[ViPeRx007]

Would they really have anything to lose if they fired him now? I want to argue against it, but I can't.

As it was pointed out in the post above this one, Larry Robinson took over the 2000 Devils with 8 games left and won the Cup, beating Ken Hitchcock's Stars.

I know Armstrong respects Hitch too much to do it. I respect him too and appreciate his contributions to my favorite NHL organization. However, you eliminate Hitch and you eliminate the excuses in an instant.

Still would be rough to fire a coach when his team has 99 pts...of course, we had the points last year and it didn't do much good either so, I don't know. I wouldn't do it. But I'm probably too nice.

Bylsma would be nice though. It just feels like he'd mesh well with this group...

[Portland Blues]

Would they really have anything to lose if they fired him now? I want to argue against it, but I can't.

As it was pointed out in the post above this one, Larry Robinson took over the 2000 Devils with 8 games left and won the Cup, beating Ken Hitchcock's Stars.

I know Armstrong respects Hitch too much to do it. I respect him too and appreciate his contributions to my favorite NHL organization. However, you eliminate Hitch and you eliminate the excuses in an instant.

Still would be rough to fire a coach when his team has 99 pts...of course, we had the points last year and it didn't do much good either so, I don't know. I wouldn't do it. But I'm probably too nice.

Bylsma would be nice though. It just feels like he'd mesh well with this group...

Then again nothing else has ever seemed to work. Worst case we lose in the 1st round...again.

[cardsfan04]

I wouldn't fire Hitch today for 2 reasons:

1. We've had a really good season even despite the recent rough stretch. The results this season don't warrant him getting fired. If it's because of the playoffs, we should have fired him last offseason.

2. I know Bylsma won a Cup the year he took over right before the playoffs, but with absolutely nothing to back it up, I suspect that's the exception, not the rule when it comes to last second coaching changes. Having Crosby doesn't hurt either.

As for the offseason, I'm on the fence. If he's lost the locker room (which he might have, but it's hard to determine that with just a couple of short quotes), fire him. If he can't get us to the next level (another thing that may be true, but I'm not sure of), then fire him. And Bylsma would be a great candidate for replacing him.

I sometimes think it's the players, not the coach when we go on these rough stretches though.

[Kreegz2]

You want to see Tarasenko score 100 points a season, you want to see Barbashev, when he arrives, score 100 points a season, you want to see Lehtera load up on assists and Schwartz be secondary scoring with only a little over a point per game average? It's not happening with Hitchcock. No way.

I'd rather see the Blues win a cup, which I feel is much more likely with Hitchcock than Bylsma tbh.

However, you eliminate Hitch and you eliminate the excuses in an instant.

Nah, you just create even more excuses if you bring in a new coach and the team tanks in the first round.

[Toasted Oates]

Nah, you just create even more excuses if you bring in a new coach and the team tanks in the first round.

From who? I'm talking about the players. They've grumbled about Hitchcock all year, let them have it their way. Make Muller interim coach. They tank with a different guy, at least they can't blame the biggest scapegoat (besides the goalie) of the last 3 playoff exits.

To your point, I agree that it opens the door for the fans and organization to make an excuse like, "It's hard on a team to dismiss a coach so late in a campaign." Maybe it is, but any sport is a player's sport. I get the sense a group of players is tired of their coach. Fine, let's see if the grass is really greener.

[Oaklandblue]

If being entrenched as St. Louis legends, the first group among all the immortals like Hall, Plante, Federko, Hull, et al. to finally bring the Cup to the city isn't motivation enough to bust it out on the ice every single night, that's a deeper problem than just the players don't care. Whether it's Hitch sending mixed messages, information overload, restricting creativity or developing a system that once understood by opponents is easy to beat, it all goes back to Hitch. You can't blame it on the players and say "well they sucked just as bad under Murray and Payne, so it was them, not the coach". They were just kids then. They're grizzled veterans now. I'm not sure if Oakland is advocating firing Hitch right now and replacing him right now, but you know what? It worked for the Devils. I'd actually say go for it. Put a fire under them today. Get them going into the playoffs with a totally different look no one's ever seen.

Fun fact: When the Devils won in 2000, they fired Robbie Ftorek on March 23rd, so it wasn't like it was months and months until the playoffs. They were right around the corner much like now. The Devils went on to win the Cup with their new coach, and the opposing coach who lost in the finals that season? Ken Hitchcock. It's not unprecidented.

I believe it would work, I'm advocating for it and Hitch wouldn't be fired; Army pretty much promised him a position in the organization when he decided to hang it up. Simply reassign him to that position or as an interim therein and hire in Dan to coach. Hitch would still get a ring and the recongnition of helping bring the first Stanley Cup to the STL and he is getting up there in age. Best of all worlds for everyone.

[Oaklandblue]

Nah, you just create even more excuses if you bring in a new coach and the team tanks in the first round.

There are no more excuses left that can be used. You name it, we've lost to it. In fact, people expect us to lose. If you had the power to make one change that would give you the element of surprise, a revitalized team, a new, fresh outlook and a reason to win right before going into the playoffs, wouldn't you take that chance and do it?

Better question: Will Stillman do it?