Let's Go Blues

glen a richter wrote:

dmiles2186 wrote:

glen a richter wrote:

dmiles2186 wrote:

glen a richter wrote:

Kerfuffle wrote:I voted 'keep' - he's still one one of the winniest coaches in history. For those that want to fire him ask yourself this --> replace him with what? Look what happened in Vancouver - they fire Alan Vigneault and replaced him with Torterella and they actually went backwards this year and regressed under Torterella.

That's because Torts is a crappy coach and it was a dumb decision by Vancouver. They could have and should have hired someone different but they wanted to go in the opposite direction of Vigneault and they got what they asked for.

Regardless of this, I still agree with Kerfuffle. Who is out there for us?

I guess the only name I can come up with is Laviolette and he's been fired from two different places. Granted, he got both teams to the Stanley Cup and won one, but still...he's the only intriguing option I'd be okay with.

Hitch also has a history of being fired. Just saying.

Not it's true. I wasn't happy when we hired him. I thought he was another retread and I thought Payne didn't get a proper chance. But this team has played winning hockey (in the regular season) at an astounding rate under Hitch. He turned this team from a 'we're fighting for a 6-8 seed' to discussion of a Stanley Cup. That gets lost at a time like this.

Let's not get carried away. Let's look at Colorado for a second. Now everyone in Colorado is saying Patrick Roy is the greatest thing since sliced bread to coach that club, but lost on them is that they have a very talented group of young kids who were just coming into their own. Is Roy a great coach or did he just happen to inherit a team that was ready to break out with the skill they already had on roster regardless of who was coaching them?

Hitch took over a team that was a bit raw but had tasted some success. They were coming into their own and may have very well done exactly the same thing whether Payne had stayed or someone else was coaching instead.

Good point, I can't argue with that. We'll never know of course. All we know is that the Blues have gone on to get home ice in the first rounds of the last 3 playoffs. Granted, hasn't helped, but it's a pretty good run.

Also, just throwing this one out there: Barry Trotz.

Before you shoot that one down, remember this: Trotz had to be a defense first coach because he was never given offensive pieces to work with. That's why Nashville went belly up this year. Our lack of a sniper nonwithstanding, this team still has more offensive chips than Nashville ever had and perhaps Trotz could get something more out of them that he couldn't do with the slop he was given with the Predators. He also knows the division already so we're not starting from scratch.

Or I might just be talking out my ass.

Where's my all-star scoring defenseman who "takes over games" when needed Alex Pietrangelo? Jay Bouwmeester?
Where's my versatile enforcer Ryan Reaves? Where's the best 4th line in hockey?
Where's my shut down, bad, big mean defenseman Roman Polak?

I think Hitch's greatest strength is also his greatest weakness. He is great at getting players to play to a system, but he is awful at nuance. He "smoothes out" most players' individual strengths. In the end, we have a "defense first" team where most of our defensemen appear to be regressing.

I don't know that there's anyone better. To be fair to Hitch, we still don't have a truly threatening forward that would draw multiple defensemen and "make the rest of the team better." Or maybe we do, but don't know it because Hitch's system doesn't allow for it.

I will say that I prefer THIS to the other end of the spectrum known as the recent Edmonton Oilers.

Whatever the we do about Hitch, we need to get some help for the coaching staff in shooting drills. It's just INSANE how many shots we miss. INSANE.

drwoland wrote:Where's my all-star scoring defenseman who "takes over games" when needed Alex Pietrangelo? Jay Bouwmeester?
Where's my versatile enforcer Ryan Reaves? Where's the best 4th line in hockey?
Where's my shut down, bad, big mean defenseman Roman Polak?

I think Hitch's greatest strength is also his greatest weakness. He is great at getting players to play to a system, but he is awful at nuance. He "smoothes out" most players' individual strengths. In the end, we have a "defense first" team where most of our defensemen appear to be regressing.

I don't know that there's anyone better. To be fair to Hitch, we still don't have a truly threatening forward that would draw multiple defensemen and "make the rest of the team better." Or maybe we do, but don't know it because Hitch's system doesn't allow for it.

I will say that I prefer THIS to the other end of the spectrum known as the recent Edmonton Oilers.

Whatever the we do about Hitch, we need to get some help for the coaching staff in shooting drills. It's just INSANE how many shots we miss. INSANE.

I can't count how many times I heard "shot wide by design" or some variation. You don't shoot wide by design, you shoot wide because you can't hit the franking net.

glen a richter wrote:Also, just throwing this one out there: Barry Trotz.

Before you shoot that one down, remember this: Trotz had to be a defense first coach because he was never given offensive pieces to work with. That's why Nashville went belly up this year. Our lack of a sniper nonwithstanding, this team still has more offensive chips than Nashville ever had and perhaps Trotz could get something more out of them that he couldn't do with the slop he was given with the Predators. He also knows the division already so we're not starting from scratch.

Or I might just be talking out my ass.

I completely forgot about Trotz. Should Hitch get fired, I'm not opposed to Trotz, although it will be hard pulling for King Koopa after disliking him for so long. But I did it with Hitch, so what do I know?

dmiles2186 wrote:

glen a richter wrote:Also, just throwing this one out there: Barry Trotz.

Before you shoot that one down, remember this: Trotz had to be a defense first coach because he was never given offensive pieces to work with. That's why Nashville went belly up this year. Our lack of a sniper nonwithstanding, this team still has more offensive chips than Nashville ever had and perhaps Trotz could get something more out of them that he couldn't do with the slop he was given with the Predators. He also knows the division already so we're not starting from scratch.

Or I might just be talking out my ass.

I completely forgot about Trotz. Should Hitch get fired, I'm not opposed to Trotz, although it will be hard pulling for King Koopa after disliking him for so long. But I did it with Hitch, so what do I know?

Somebody I know suggested Trotz a week or so ago. I'm not strictly opposed to that, but he doesn't jump out at me either. If we are going to fire Hitch, I'm intrigued by MacInnis.

I'm still not there on firing Hitch and think he's taking an inordinate amount of blame for this. But, I'm less opposed to it than I was at first. Maybe he has taken us as far as he could. I don't know.

cardsfan04 wrote:

dmiles2186 wrote:

glen a richter wrote:Also, just throwing this one out there: Barry Trotz.

Before you shoot that one down, remember this: Trotz had to be a defense first coach because he was never given offensive pieces to work with. That's why Nashville went belly up this year. Our lack of a sniper nonwithstanding, this team still has more offensive chips than Nashville ever had and perhaps Trotz could get something more out of them that he couldn't do with the slop he was given with the Predators. He also knows the division already so we're not starting from scratch.

Or I might just be talking out my ass.

I completely forgot about Trotz. Should Hitch get fired, I'm not opposed to Trotz, although it will be hard pulling for King Koopa after disliking him for so long. But I did it with Hitch, so what do I know?

Somebody I know suggested Trotz a week or so ago. I'm not strictly opposed to that, but he doesn't jump out at me either. If we are going to fire Hitch, I'm intrigued by MacInnis.

I'm still not there on firing Hitch and think he's taking an inordinate amount of blame for this. But, I'm less opposed to it than I was at first. Maybe he has taken us as far as he could. I don't know.

The only thing that really concerns me about Trotz is that Radulov seemed adamant in not wanting to play for him. Is there something in Trotz's personality that guys who have offensive talent don't agree with? And if so, how would that impact Tarasenko's desire to stay in America in the long term?

I don't think I could handle that Sleestack-looking sucker coaching St. Louis. I'd be much happier with a younger guy. Let's try someone with some success in the minors under 50, throw him the keys, and let's find out what happens. I think we have enough talent that I'm not afraid of him not making the playoffs. I'd like a Patrick Roy-type experiment. How much worse than this can it be? And no, I don't care about the regular-season wins. I'm so over that after the last two tire-fires.

Nyghtewynd wrote:I don't think I could handle that Sleestack-looking sucker coaching St. Louis. I'd be much happier with a younger guy. Let's try someone with some success in the minors under 50, throw him the keys, and let's find out what happens. I think we have enough talent that I'm not afraid of him not making the playoffs. I'd like a Patrick Roy-type experiment. How much worse than this can it be? And no, I don't care about the regular-season wins. I'm so over that after the last two tire-fires.

Dave Lowry?

glen a richter wrote:

Nyghtewynd wrote:I don't think I could handle that Sleestack-looking sucker coaching St. Louis. I'd be much happier with a younger guy. Let's try someone with some success in the minors under 50, throw him the keys, and let's find out what happens. I think we have enough talent that I'm not afraid of him not making the playoffs. I'd like a Patrick Roy-type experiment. How much worse than this can it be? And no, I don't care about the regular-season wins. I'm so over that after the last two tire-fires.

Dave Lowry?

Yeah, kinda. I hadn't given him a thought, but just read through his record, and I'd go for that.

Nyghtewynd wrote:

glen a richter wrote:

Nyghtewynd wrote:I don't think I could handle that Sleestack-looking sucker coaching St. Louis. I'd be much happier with a younger guy. Let's try someone with some success in the minors under 50, throw him the keys, and let's find out what happens. I think we have enough talent that I'm not afraid of him not making the playoffs. I'd like a Patrick Roy-type experiment. How much worse than this can it be? And no, I don't care about the regular-season wins. I'm so over that after the last two tire-fires.

Dave Lowry?

Yeah, kinda. I hadn't given him a thought, but just read through his record, and I'd go for that.

He coached Brett Sonne to a 100 point season. Anyone who can do that is worth a look.