Boston v. Ottawa (Take their f***ing lunch money)
- Thread starter TheRealness
- Start date
Claude's comment after the game about hoping for a miracle is so ironic since it's been a miracle all year the defense hasn't given up more odd man chances and turnovers as they did.
If memory serves, it's the first time I've uttered the sentiment. Someone has to answer for the team's battle level being where it's been - save one game - for the last three weeks of the season. And for the second season in a row. And it's a game thread on the worst loss of the season - save your superiority for another day.
I don't know if I support the sentiment, but last year Jacobs fired Chiarelli after saying he expected the team to make the playoffs. I have to think Charlie will consider doing the same for Clode if Philly doesn't somehow shit the bed over the next couple of days.
I don't think he's considering it. I think he has the press release drafted already.
Claude's far down on the list of problems, but it seems inevitable that he goes. Shame. I'm absolutely terrified of who they hire.
The defense is the problem. It's been the problem from the minute they traded Boychuck. They've failed to address the problem (and made it worse) for 2 full seasons now.
The defense is the problem. It's been the problem from the minute they traded Boychuck. They've failed to address the problem (and made it worse) for 2 full seasons now.
They came out flat against Chicago, against Columbus, and again today. Blame the Captain, blame the players, but the Coach usually takes the fall. Clode is gone
Agreed. The D never recovered from the loss of Boychuck for 2 seasons now and it was their fatal flaw. They'll be aggressive in getting a top 2 D now but they'll need to trade for it.
They'll definitely move on from Claude now and it is terrifying what they might do as a whole in response to this terrible ending stretch.
If he gets a job next year they don't have to pay him. I bet he sits for a year.
What would people consider terrifying? Honestly they could deal anyone off the roster other then Bergeron and I'd be willing to give it a chance.
At some point it's up to the players in the room to take it upon themselves and give a better effort when their jobs are on the line. The effort today can't be blamed on Claude. If a coach had to coach effort, you're SOL anyways.
Some of us alluded to it upthread, it's not entirely the players, it's the management structure. In 2006, they blow it, finally usher out Sinden/O'Connell and that mess, Chia is in and the tide turns. They bring in Neely, few years later they show Chia the door (rightfully) and Sweeney assumes the role. Last fall, Fluto mentions Chia's demise has led to Sinden being brought in a bit from the fringes and being more active with Neely and Sweeney. A slip back to pre-2006. No one wants this and I think that is what people are worried about.
People should be worried. Chiarelli did not start the rebuild fast enough and it got him fired. Enter Sweeney and Neely and they have shown early on that they can't stick to a plan. When they traded Hamilton and Lucic they should have torn down the team besides Bergeron, Rask, and Krejci and gone to a youth movement. They did not. When they were presented with an opportunity to gain future assets for a retooling this trade deadline they passed it down AND gave away assets for bit players at a run for the 8th seed. They have not been consistent. With this NHL roster and the minor leagues being devoid of talent that can help now they can not rebuild on the fly. It is going to take some time and they don't want to do so. It's very worrying to me and I don't have confidence that management will make the proper calls to return to contender status. If they fire Claude and bring in some retread to make another run at 3rd place/WC and don't make significant changes to the roster then they'll be stuck in this hell until they can get out from under their bigger contracts.
Harry Sinden is 83 years old. He has no input. They probably ask him his opinion when he's actually up here and not in Florida in the summer because he's hanging around. That's Fluto being a troll because the guy that would talk to him off the record went to Edmonton. Same with Haggerty. If this organization sucks going forward the problem is Cam Neely. It's his team now for better or worse.
The trade deadline was entirely defensible.
Only Chicago gave up a first and that was for a former player they were comfortable with. You were getting .50 cents on the dollar in a Loui trade. Instead management rightfully decided to make a play for the third seed in the wide open Atlantic. They missed by a goal or two but that happens.
Where they are missing the boat is the talent evaluation at the pro level. Amateur scouting is top 5 in league. Pro scouting is bottom third.
Brett Connolly and Kevin Hayes along with the flotsam jetsam they trotted out on D were the undoing of this team.
They were in a playoff spot at the deadline. Sweeney couldn't walk into that locker room and tell Bergeron and the boys "Yeah we really don't believe in you guys so were trading Loui for a 2nd rounder and a prospect that might help us in 3 years." They didn't want to quit on them. Too bad the players didn't reciprocate the effort.
He dumped Seguin for nickels.
Crazy to think the only team to benefit from the kessel to Toronto trade was Dallas.
I guess if you squint you can draw a dotted line from that trade to the cup but long term Dallas looks like the clear winner.
The deadline moves can be argued either way. I just think that they should have gotten whatever they could for Eriksson. Their gamble didn't work and he's walking out the door for nothing. I mean I know a 2nd rounder is a lottery ticket but it's something.
I agree with the comment on the lack of good talent evaluation at the pro level. That is a big reason why I don't have any confidence in the brainiacs upstairs to make the right moves.
Agreed- Claude isn't the problem, and firing him makes things worse. I have zero confidence that any of the decision makers will share this perspective.
The GRIT and COMPETE LEVEL crowd had been calling for a CULTURE CHANGE!!! since the loss. I would guess that means firing the coach (though I doubt those people screaming the cliches really have put any thought into what CULTURE CHANGE!!! actually means).
Instead they should be crying GET TALENTED PLAYERS! This outcome was predicted by a solid majority of people on this board - you can't go into a season with no defense and expect to get anywhere. I was surprised they managed to surpass 90 pts but a near miss of the playoffs was exactly where I expected them to finish so its not like it is a surprise.
I wouldn't be so quick to blame him for that. Part of the FO discussion about the Seguin trade was shown on Behind the B a few years back, and Chia was the only guy in the room who seemed at all hesitant to trade Seguin. Everyone else who shared an opinion was gung-ho to dump him for whatever they could get.
Had Loui not gotten concussed in his first season here, I think the Seguin trade would be looked at significantly differently by about 90% of the fan base.
I don't buy this for a couple of reasons, and if it's true it's even a more damning indictment of this front office.
If you're worried about the playoffs and giving the impression that you believe in your team and are going for it, you don't trade Hamilton in the first place.
And, by all indications, they were actively shopping Loui, and unlikely for something that would have made them better this year. They didn't make a deal happen despite doing so, which matches up with the primary stupidity of this front office now: its moves are all at cross purposes. Trading Hamilton and extending McQuaid. Trading for Rinaldo. Buying at the deadline.
Last edited:
I don't know if they're at cross purposes, it might be that their talent evaluation is simply vastly different from what we can see. They may have tried to trade Loui, but if nothiing came about then they really thought they could make a run if they kept him and added more pieces. Sweeney may really think McQuaid is the type of defenseman to be a key component of a championship-level team...and if that's the case the mind reels.
Cam and Donnie repeatedly said they wanted the team to be "tough." Extending McQuaid, trading for Rinaldo certainly lend credence to that idea. McQuaid certainly fits that role, although he can also fill the "oft-injured" and "painfully slow afoot" roles too.
Cam and Donnie repeatedly said they wanted the team to be "tough." Extending McQuaid, trading for Rinaldo certainly lend credence to that idea. McQuaid certainly fits that role, although he can also fill the "oft-injured" and "painfully slow afoot" roles too.
The frustrating thing about the Seguin deal was that it was made in part because the team was still in go-for-it now mode, so giving up on a career's worth of Seguin to get a much older Loui was acceptable to the FO because they figured they could make another SC run while Chara was under 40. Problem was is that it didn't work: 2nd round flameout, missed playoffs, missed playoffs. So they've won nothing and no longer have a dynamic young player that could have been here for years. Hindsight 40/40 and all that, but the trade surely rankles now.
Dammit, I've been Lawyered!Well, yes, SJH. Hence the whole "even more damning indictment" bit.