Post-Game Talk: #23: FLYERS 0 at Maple Leafs 6, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018, 7:00 p.m. ET

[Ghosts Beer]

This seems like a bit of waffling. What makes you think Knoblauch has any value or is a good coach? Why would you keep an assistant and foist him upon a new coach. It really makes zero sense.

This has been the Flyers m.o. for years - saddling new coaches with used assistants or forcing former Flyers players onto their staffs. This is a really horrible practice. A new coach needs a staff he is comfortable with, who understands his system and is properly aligned with his vision. Likewise, the GM needs to respect it and feed the coach the players that will thrive in his system. This clearly did not happen with Lavi and Homer. The organization's track record is really poor in both these areas and that is what is truly terrifying.

Knoblauch had insane success in junior and was one of the hottest young hockey coaching candidates in the professional hockey world.

Unless you think they were completely wrong on him and that his junior success was an utter fluke and simply based on talent, you keep him in your organization. Assistants usually are charged with simply carrying out what the head coach asks -- it's not their own individual ideas and strategies being coached. Also, new coaches keep at least one existing assistant relatively often. From what I've read about Knoblauch, he won't have an issue adjusting to the ideas of a new head coach. I'm quite sure he had to adjust to Hakstol's systems.

 

[David St Hubbins]

I got no problem giving Knob the rest of this season to see what he can do. If nothing else, it gives us some certainty about him, and I share the feeling that Q is unlikely to jump into any situation mid-season. If he takes another job it will be after the season ends, before the draft and free agency, so he can help shape the roster he will take on. Having an interim to see how the players react to a change, to see perhaps if there are some attitude problems that need to be addressed, would only aid that.

 

[Harhis]

Knoblauch had insane success in junior and was one of the hottest young hockey coaching candidates in the professional hockey world.

Unless you think you were completely wrong on him and that his junior success was an utter fluke and simply based on talent, you keep him in your organization. Assistants usually are charged with simply carrying out what the head coach asks -- it's not their own individual ideas and strategies being coached. Also, new coaches keep at least one existing assistant relatively often. From what I've read about Knoblauch, he won't have an issue adjusting to the ideas of a new head coach. I'm quite sure he had to adjust to Hakstol's systems.

Why was Mullen fired btw? Ever since Knob started coaching PP it has been getting worse.

 

[Ghosts Beer]

There isn't a coach out there who would have started an emergency call-up coming off two major knee surgeries and essentially an entire missed season (save for 3 ECHL games and 1 terrible AHL game) and then had only played in 3 minor league games this season before the emergency call-up, over a goalie who had been getting NHL game action and was coming off a shutout against a hot opponent. And start that emergency call-up in Toronto on Hockey Night in Canada, no less.

That's putting Stolarz in a horrible position, and going completely blind on what to expect. You can't do that, and no coach would. Good for him that he surprisingly played pretty well in relief under no pressure at that point, but acting like it was an indefensible decision to play Pickard over him is an absurd case of backseat driving and wanting to call Hakstol an idiot for *everything* that goes wrong.

 

[David St Hubbins]

Assuming of course that Knob is giving the freedom to implement the PP as he wishes. I'm not sure he - or God forgive me - Lappy have as much control over their respective units as we might think/expect.

 

[Ghosts Beer]

Why was Mullen fired btw? Ever since Knob started coaching PP it has been getting worse.

To create room for Knoblauch. To be fair, Knoblauch has kept the PP setup pretty much the same as Mullen's. Maybe with a few more set plays mixed in. I would guess that Hakstol chooses the personnel on the units and has a lot of input, as well.

 

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

The coaching should be held accountable but the players shouldn't get a free pass. A lot of posts seem to imply that the players deserve a free pass because of Hakstol, and I don't agree with that at all.

I wouldn't fire Knoblauch as an assistant. I doubt he had significant responsibility, at least enough for it to trump his accomplishments in junior. But I'd also be very leery making Knob the new HC. I'm not sure another mild-mannered rookie NHL head coach is the way to go with this team.

When two-thirds of the roster has been turned over, it's clear that players aren't getting a pass. With that being said, I also agree that players shouldn't be let off the hook. At the same time, when the results haven't changed and they've been stagnant for several years, it's more than just the players at fault. There's blame to go all around. However, a large portion of the roster has been turned over. It's time to start looking at the direction of the coaching staff.

 

[Ghosts Beer]

When two-thirds of the roster has been turned over, it's clear that players aren't getting a pass. With that being said, I also agree that players shouldn't be let off the hook. At the same time, when the results haven't changed and they've been stagnant for several years, it's more than just the players at fault. There's blame to go all around. However, a large portion of the roster has been turned over. It's time to start looking at the direction of the coaching staff.

The players who have been "turned over" aren't difference makers. They are fungible depth guys.

Top 7 point getters in Hakstol's first season (15/16): Giroux, Simmonds, Schenn, Voracek, Ghost, Couturier, Raffl.
Only 1 of those (Schenn) isn't here in 18/19.

The guys who are gone are Read, Streit, White, Gagner, Bellemare, Vandevelde, DelZotto, Medvedev, Cousins, Umberger, Schultz, Manning, and Mason, and then Filppula. In other words, dime a dozen players who don't matter.

And as I've said dozens of times, believing the roster is flawed and needs core changes doesn't mean I don't think they need a new coach. I think they need both.

 

[Philly Fanatik]

It's called a REBULD...As bad as it sounds...we have to go through it!

 

[onlylordsvsmorebp]

So, I'm now watching the game. 15 minutes down the first period. Spoiled myself of the outcome. Any reason to watch this ****show to the end?

YUP. ONE. GUY THROWS FLYERS JERSEY ONTO THE ICE LATE IN THE THIRD!

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

Pretty sad that this team comes out and just goes thru the motions on national tv in Canada. 2nd time in 3 games they fall behind 4-0 after 1. Playing another listless game under a listless coach. I am beyond done with this whole coaching staff.
Changing coaches now does not fix everything but it would have to be a huge lift for the room. This team is mentally fragile.
Time for a change

 

[Striiker]

It's called a REBULD...As bad as it sounds...we have to go through it!

We already did.

We're missing 2 or 3 pieces and a coach. The rest was rebuilt.

 

[Philly Fanatik]

We already did.

We're missing 2 or 3 pieces and a coach. The rest was rebuilt.

Two or three pieces and a coach to compete?
Or to win a Stanley Cup?

 

[Harhis]

The players who have been "turned over" aren't difference makers. They are fungible depth guys.

Top 7 point getters in Hakstol's first season (15/16): Giroux, Simmonds, Schenn, Voracek, Ghost, Couturier, Raffl.
Only 1 of those (Schenn) isn't here in 18/19.

The guys who are gone are Read, Streit, White, Gagner, Bellemare, Vandevelde, DelZotto, Medvedev, Cousins, Umberger, Schultz, Manning, and Mason, and then Filppula. In other words, dime a dozen players who don't matter.

And as I've said dozens of times, believing the roster is flawed and needs core changes doesn't mean I don't think they need a new coach. I think they need both.

Last year you and few other were saying the problem is depth. Now that depth should not be problem the goal posts are moved and blame is on core players. Never nothing wrong with Hak.

 

[Striiker]

Two or three pieces and a coach to compete?
Or to win a Stanley Cup?

Same thing.

When people say "compete" they mean for a Stanley Cup.

 

[Philly Fanatik]

YUP. ONE. GUY THROWS FLYERS JERSEY ONTO THE ICE LATE IN THE THIRD!

Wasn't me but I could see the guy's frustration!
The Flyer nation had a nice following with the showing of jerseys worn last evening...

 

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

The players who have been "turned over" aren't difference makers. They are fungible depth guys.

Top 7 point getters in Hakstol's first season (15/16): Giroux, Simmonds, Schenn, Voracek, Ghost, Couturier, Raffl.
Only 1 of those (Schenn) isn't here in 18/19.

The guys who are gone are Read, Streit, White, Gagner, Bellemare, Vandevelde, DelZotto, Medvedev, Cousins, Umberger, Schultz, Manning, and Mason, and then Filppula. In other words, dime a dozen players who don't matter.

And as I've said dozens of times, believing the roster is flawed and needs core changes doesn't mean I don't think they need a new coach. I think they need both.

And those dime a dozen guys have been replaced with better payers (for the most part). You can continue to sugar coat things all you want, but when you look at the talent that's here (Provorov, Sanheim, Gudas, Konecny, Patrick, Lindblom, van Riemsdyk, Laughton), they should be significantly better than what they are. The replacements aren't 'dime a dozen' players. These are good hockey players and in the case of a few of them, high end/franchise players (Provorov, Sanheim, Konecny, Patrick, Lindblom).

 

[Philly Fanatik]

Same thing.

When people say "compete" they mean for a Stanley Cup.

The words COMPETE,FLYERS and the STANLEY CUP in the same sentence are laughable...
Like a said before...4-6 years to even thinking COMPETING for a long playoff run alone a Cup!

 

[Striiker]

The words COMPETE,FLYERS and the STANLEY CUP in the same sentence are laughable...
Like a said before...4-6 years to even thinking COMPETING for a long playoff run alone a Cup!

Well then that's the fault of your own flawed thinking.

 

[Philly Fanatik]

Well then that's the fault of your own flawed thinking.

Very good!
Hope I'm wrong!
But....

 

[Foggy14]

Ronald Jeffrey Hextall,

Gee, I feel much better.

I'm going to hire a real head coach, asap!

 

[Deadpool8812]

Why was Mullen fired btw? Ever since Knob started coaching PP it has been getting worse.

PP was one of the best for years, it slips one season...MULLEN CANNED

PK was solid for a few years, Lappy takes over and it's been consistently getting worse...GIVE HIM A PROMOTION

 

[bennysflyers16]

PP was one of the best for years, it slips one season...MULLEN CANNED

PK was solid for a few years, Lappy takes over and it's been consistently getting worse...GIVE HIM A PROMOTION

Its incompetence from the top starting with GM, teams is a hot mess

 

[DancingPanther]

Is it over yet

 

[Tripod]

I wonder how many times it needs to be said before certain people stop spewing lies.

NO ONE THINKS FIRING HAK WILL FIX EVERYTHING.

They DO think firing Hak, fixes the Hak issue.

Understand?