An interesting trend has developed in recent years involving the Flyers' annual day-after-Thanksgiving matinee home games: one of the teams playing the game has fired their head coach for 4 years in a row.
In 2006 the Columbus Blue Jackets fired coach Gerard Gallant and eventually replaced him with former Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock, who made his Columbus debut at the Wachovia Center the day after Thanksgiving. The next year the Washington Capitals fired their head coach, Glen Hanlon, and Bruce Boudreau took over -- against the Flyers, the day after Thanksgiving.
Slightly going against the tide, last year the Carolina Hurricanes faced the Flyers in the Black Friday afternoon game, but they actually waited until December to fire coach Peter Laviolette.
This year's post-Thanksgiving game featured the Flyers and Buffalo Sabres, but in a twist, it wasn't the Sabres firing their coach. Instead, it was the Flyers, who fired John Stevens today -- and in another twist, Laviolette has taken his place.
Stevens seemed to be a promising choice at first. He coached the AHL Phantoms to a championship in 2004-05, and a number of players from that team have been Flyers since then. However, despite one strong run to the Eastern Conference finals, the team has been maddeningly inconsistent, as I mentioned last night. This year, with the additions of Chris Pronger and Ray Emery to a team that already had players like Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, expectations for a Stanley Cup run were very high. But the hot and cold streaks have kept this team from living up to their hype.
Last night, after their dismal 3-0 loss to Vancouver, I wrote the following about the Flyers' recent stretch: "This is the type of thing that should get a coach fired. The sooner it happens, the better off the Flyers will be." It should be noted that another highly-touted team, Pittsburgh, struggled mightily for a good part of last year. The Penguins then made a coaching change and promptly won the Stanley Cup. And Laviolette won a Cup with Carolina in 2005-06. So, less than 24 hours after I wrote that, the Flyers are instantly better off. I wish I had such power over other matters.
Showing posts with label John Stevens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John Stevens. Show all posts
Friday, December 4, 2009
No answers for Flyers either
While the 76ers have taken center stage in the last few days, the other tenant of the Wachovia Center needs some attention. The Flyers' season has gone like this: 3 wins in a row, then 0-2-1, then 2 wins, then 2 losses, then a stretch of 7 wins in 8 games, and now their current stretch of 6 losses in 7 games, including being shut out in two consecutive games.
What's worse is that they've been this inconsistent pretty much since John Stevens took over as coach, and it hasn't improved. They have injuries, but not to their most important players. This week there's been talk about the team's leadership. Tonight's game against Vancouver was looked at as almost a must-win game, but a 3-0 loss to a Canucks team that played a tough game last night while the Flyers had 4 days' rest leaves the Flyers in 10th place in the Eastern Conference. If the season ended right now, besides the lost revenue from so many unplayed games, the Flyers would miss the playoffs.
Even worse are these comments by the Vancouver TV announcers during tonight's game (as posted to a Flyers' message board): "Un-Flyer-like...No puck support...The players look like they are playing in isolation, not as a team...There's no passion, no emotion, on that [Flyers'] bench...I'm surprised it took the fans this long [third period] to start booing...Under Stevens, this [Flyers] team is only consistent in being inconsistent...This [Flyers] team is too talented to play like this."
This is the type of thing that should get a coach fired. The sooner it happens, the better off the Flyers will be.
What's worse is that they've been this inconsistent pretty much since John Stevens took over as coach, and it hasn't improved. They have injuries, but not to their most important players. This week there's been talk about the team's leadership. Tonight's game against Vancouver was looked at as almost a must-win game, but a 3-0 loss to a Canucks team that played a tough game last night while the Flyers had 4 days' rest leaves the Flyers in 10th place in the Eastern Conference. If the season ended right now, besides the lost revenue from so many unplayed games, the Flyers would miss the playoffs.
Even worse are these comments by the Vancouver TV announcers during tonight's game (as posted to a Flyers' message board): "Un-Flyer-like...No puck support...The players look like they are playing in isolation, not as a team...There's no passion, no emotion, on that [Flyers'] bench...I'm surprised it took the fans this long [third period] to start booing...Under Stevens, this [Flyers] team is only consistent in being inconsistent...This [Flyers] team is too talented to play like this."
This is the type of thing that should get a coach fired. The sooner it happens, the better off the Flyers will be.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Another Philly Sports 4-Team Update
I thought I'd compile some comments on the big four teams into one post. Let's do this thing!
Phillies: Phrustration, Panic? - The magic number to clinch the NL East remains at 3. The Phils lost a hideous game last night to Houston, and haven't beaten the Astros all year. There are 6 games left in the season starting tonight. The Atlanta Braves keep winning, so it behooves the Phils to win their games. There's way too much talk of 1964 around here, even though the Phils' lead then (not to mention the New York Mets' lead in 2007) was a lot smaller than the current 4-game lead at the same point in their respective seasons. The pitching staff is in a state of flux (especially the bullpen), between injuries and ineffectiveness. That is not a good sign. The hitters are not doing all that well either, which makes things worse.
Eagles? Still A Mystery - There's no real way to know how good the Eagles may be. Their 34-14 win over Kansas City Sunday was just another easy win over a very poor team. They're 2-1, with a blowout loss against a strong team sandwiched by two blowout wins over poor teams. The Birds have a bye this week, and their next three opponents (Tampa Bay, Oakland, Washington) aren't the best, to say the least. So if the Eagles are 5-1 going into their game Nov. 1 against the Giants, they'll finally have another test. Anything less will be a poor sign. That they signed linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, who's been out of football since the end of the 2007 season (and was cut by the Eagles before that season started), to a contract today says that there are still worries about the defense's weakest link.
Flyers: High Expectations - The NHL regular season begins Thursday, and the Flyers take the ice for the first time on Friday at Carolina. The Hockey News has picked the Flyers to win the Stanley Cup this season. There seems to be a consensus that this team will be in the mix, at the very least. The addition of Chris Pronger has to be pushing much of this. It's hard for me to join this chorus, as I worry about the goaltending and I'm still not 100 percent sold on head coach John Stevens.
76ers: Ummmmmm... - No, I still don't really care much. But they started training camp today. They have a new coach (Eddie Jordan) implementing a new system. Will it work with too many of the same old players?
Phillies: Phrustration, Panic? - The magic number to clinch the NL East remains at 3. The Phils lost a hideous game last night to Houston, and haven't beaten the Astros all year. There are 6 games left in the season starting tonight. The Atlanta Braves keep winning, so it behooves the Phils to win their games. There's way too much talk of 1964 around here, even though the Phils' lead then (not to mention the New York Mets' lead in 2007) was a lot smaller than the current 4-game lead at the same point in their respective seasons. The pitching staff is in a state of flux (especially the bullpen), between injuries and ineffectiveness. That is not a good sign. The hitters are not doing all that well either, which makes things worse.
Eagles? Still A Mystery - There's no real way to know how good the Eagles may be. Their 34-14 win over Kansas City Sunday was just another easy win over a very poor team. They're 2-1, with a blowout loss against a strong team sandwiched by two blowout wins over poor teams. The Birds have a bye this week, and their next three opponents (Tampa Bay, Oakland, Washington) aren't the best, to say the least. So if the Eagles are 5-1 going into their game Nov. 1 against the Giants, they'll finally have another test. Anything less will be a poor sign. That they signed linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, who's been out of football since the end of the 2007 season (and was cut by the Eagles before that season started), to a contract today says that there are still worries about the defense's weakest link.
Flyers: High Expectations - The NHL regular season begins Thursday, and the Flyers take the ice for the first time on Friday at Carolina. The Hockey News has picked the Flyers to win the Stanley Cup this season. There seems to be a consensus that this team will be in the mix, at the very least. The addition of Chris Pronger has to be pushing much of this. It's hard for me to join this chorus, as I worry about the goaltending and I'm still not 100 percent sold on head coach John Stevens.
76ers: Ummmmmm... - No, I still don't really care much. But they started training camp today. They have a new coach (Eddie Jordan) implementing a new system. Will it work with too many of the same old players?
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