Bruce Cassidy Fired - Part II - Now he is in the Frozen Four with VGK

[Fenway]

 

[Alan Ryan]

I agree with you. But, again...keep your mouth shut until you have the facts to make a decision. They didn't need to tell him that he was safe. That's crazy to me.

I get business is business and at the end of the day it's about results and money. But how you treat people does matter, and can have an impact on your business.

The often used excuse "it's just business" is pathetic. It's a cop out for shoddy practices that too often treat people shabbily.

 

[Bruinswillwin77]

It's all a #'s game.

 

[LouJersey]

Kevin Weekes on what's going on in Boston:

"I want to be respectful of everybody involved... I feel like things had run their course with coach Cassidy, who did a really nice job there. He brought in a lot of those young [Providence] players... but it had just run its' course in the dressing room. From speaking to different people, different players, it had just run its' course and had started grating on them a little bit. There were just enough influential players in that group that were essentially saying, 'hey, at this point we'd rather it be somebody else.' ... I just know from enough people there that it just got to the point where guys were just kind of over it - it started grating on guys a little bit too much."

So basically the players really do drive the bus.

People lose their jobs all the time. But to tell someone they're safe and then weeks later go back with an LOL JK you're fired, is completely gutless and shows a lack of strategic and cohesive direction.



Literally the entire world is forced to figure out how to communicate and coach an intergenerational workforce.

Why is this such a hard thing to do in sports?

If you are the "owner" of a company that operated liked what we just saw, wouldn't you fire everyone involved?

 

[Blowfish]

So basically the players really do drive the bus.


If you are the "owner" of a company that operated liked what we just saw, wouldn't you fire everyone involved?

It doesn't take a brain surgeon to come up with the reason why Cassidy was released. Weekes simply confirms it with inner circle folk. What I don't understand is how many folk continue to harp on this? Wasn't it obvious? There were rumblings of Cassidy disfavour for 2 years now.

This fan approves.

 

[LouJersey]

It doesn't take a brain surgeon to come up with the reason why Cassidy was released. Weekes simply confirms it with inner circle folk. What I don't understand is how many folk continue to harp on this? Wasn't it obvious? There were rumblings of Cassidy disfavour for 2 years now.

This fan approves.

I approve as well. I don’t approve of telling someone they are safe when they aren’t

 

[bruinsfan1968]

As far as this "safe" thing, wasn't it more of an interpretation by a reporter, then what actually was discussed, between the Front office and Cassidy?

 

[Blowfish]

As far as this "safe" thing, wasn't it more of an interpretation by a reporter, then what actually was discussed, between the Front office and Cassidy?

I believe so.

For whatever reason the reporters liked Cassidy...Dam you Sweeney, listen to the reporters ... not the players and coaching staff.

 

[Spooner st]

As long we have Sinden, and the Jacob's around... this organization will be classless and not a first choice destination. They'll come if we overpay. The Bergeron and Marchand home discount for the good of the team are already a thing of the past.

As far as this "safe" thing, wasn't it more of an interpretation by a reporter, then what actually was discussed, between the Front office and Cassidy?

Not according to Cassidy.

 

[Patdud]

So basically the players really do drive the bus.

If the players dont play for the coach you dont win, plan and simple. personal opinions about them being babies or soft mentally whatever - aside, You want a leader your players will skate through a wall for if your going to win. That isn't Cassidy, that's his MO.

If the players wont play for their coach for whatever reason the coach has to go
20 roster players vs 1 coach, whose easier to replace?

 

[LouJersey]

If the players dont play for the coach you dont win, plan and simple. personal opinions about them being babies or soft mentally whatever - aside, You want a leader your players will skate through a wall for if your going to win. That isn't Cassidy, that's his MO.

If the players wont play for their coach for whatever reason the coach has to go
20 roster players vs 1 coach, whose easier to replace?

They seemed to rally for him Jan-March

 

[Patdud]

They seemed to rally for him Jan-March

I want them to rally for him when the going gets tougher in May/June.

 

[LSCII]

It doesn't take a brain surgeon to come up with the reason why Cassidy was released. Weekes simply confirms it with inner circle folk. What I don't understand is how many folk continue to harp on this? Wasn't it obvious? There were rumblings of Cassidy disfavour for 2 years now.

This fan approves.

The issue is that it wasn't sweeping enough. They scapegoated the coach but left the two clowns who assembled the highly flawed roster (yet again) that wasn't good enough to actually compete. And it was obvious from the start of the season. Every time they'd play a playoff caliber team, they'd lose and lose badly. I had zero expectations that them getting into the playoffs would end in an good run because they lost every time they played a good team all year long. So to me, if you wanted to fire the coach, they should have also used that opportunity to remove Sweeney and Neely as they were behind the roster issues from the jump.

If the players dont play for the coach you dont win, plan and simple. personal opinions about them being babies or soft mentally whatever - aside, You want a leader your players will skate through a wall for if your going to win. That isn't Cassidy, that's his MO.

If the players wont play for their coach for whatever reason the coach has to go
20 roster players vs 1 coach, whose easier to replace?

But they did play for the coach, no? I mean, you don't win at the percentage they did and make the playoffs if your team has tuned out the coach, no? Think back to Claude when he was on his last legs here. The team quit on him and literally stopped playing. To the point where they didn't make the playoffs in consecutive seasons.

 

[Blowfish]

The issue is that it wasn't sweeping enough. They scapegoated the coach but left the two clowns who assembled the highly flawed roster (yet again) that wasn't good enough to actually compete. And it was obvious from the start of the season. Every time they'd play a playoff caliber team, they'd lose and lose badly. I had zero expectations that them getting into the playoffs would end in an good run because they lost every time they played a good team all year long. So to me, if you wanted to fire the coach, they should have also used that opportunity to remove Sweeney and Neely as they were behind the roster issues from the jump.


But they did play for the coach, no? I mean, you don't win at the percentage they did and make the playoffs if your team has tuned out the coach, no? Think back to Claude when he was on his last legs here. The team quit on him and literally stopped playing. To the point where they didn't make the playoffs in consecutive seasons.

They removed a coach that was no longer respected by the players...no scapegoating anything. Yes Don made some bad decisions with player personnel but not the reason why Cassidy was removed.

 

[ODAAT]

I believe so.

For whatever reason the reporters liked Cassidy...Dam you Sweeney, listen to the reporters ... not the players and coaching staff.

they like him because of the candor he approached interviews with which is a far cry from the usual post game cliché filled stuff they typically get

 

[Blowfish]

they like him because of the candor he approached interviews with which is a far cry from the usual post game cliché filled stuff they typically get

I agree he was great with the interviews.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

As long we have Sinden, and the Jacob's around... this organization will be classless and not a first choice destination. They'll come if we overpay. The Bergeron and Marchand home discount for the good of the team are already a thing of the past.


Not according to Cassidy.

Weren't Sinden & Jacobs around when Bergeron & Marchand signed? Or Taylor Hall? Or Chara?

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

So basically the players really do drive the bus.


If you are the "owner" of a company that operated liked what we just saw, wouldn't you fire everyone involved?

The problem with the "company" comparison is that normally the workers don't make more money than management.

 

[LSCII]

They removed a coach that was no longer respected by the players...no scapegoating anything. Yes Don made some bad decisions with player personnel but not the reason why Cassidy was removed.

That’s the teams narrative. On the flip side there’s the Pasta rumor that he won’t resign here because they fired Cassidy unjustly. So I guess it’s pick and choose whatever rumor you prefer?

And they absolutely scapegoated him. They had no f***ing 2C and slotted a bottom six player up and it bit them in the ass in the playoffs because Haula was absolutely exposed as not being good enough.

 

[Over the volcano]

They seemed to rally for him Jan-March

The story of that December break must be a good one. After 5 1/2 years and whatever was said to him during that break he finally takes an egg out of his 1st line basket - they look like a whole new team the rest of the regular season: Hall, Haula, Smith, Debrusk, Coyle, Frederic come alive.

Playoffs roll around and halfway through game two he undoes it.

Leopards and spots and whatnot.

That’s the teams narrative. On the flip side there’s the Pasta rumor that he won’t resign here because they fired Cassidy unjustly. So I guess it’s pick and choose whatever rumor you prefer?

And they absolutely scapegoated him. They had no f***ing 2C and slotted a bottom six player up and it bit them in the ass in the playoffs because Haula was absolutely exposed as not being good enough.

If you're going to mention that rumor you should at least let people know you're the one inventing it.

 

[ODAAT]

The issue is that it wasn't sweeping enough. They scapegoated the coach but left the two clowns who assembled the highly flawed roster (yet again) that wasn't good enough to actually compete. And it was obvious from the start of the season. Every time they'd play a playoff caliber team, they'd lose and lose badly. I had zero expectations that them getting into the playoffs would end in an good run because they lost every time they played a good team all year long. So to me, if you wanted to fire the coach, they should have also used that opportunity to remove Sweeney and Neely as they were behind the roster issues from the jump.


But they did play for the coach, no? I mean, you don't win at the percentage they did and make the playoffs if your team has tuned out the coach, no? Think back to Claude when he was on his last legs here. The team quit on him and literally stopped playing. To the point where they didn't make the playoffs in consecutive seasons.

I`m not sure they ever tuned him out but I could see them being tired of the same message and same systems. Who knows, I wouldn`t have had an issue if I woke up a few days ago with the news that Sweeney, Cam and Butch had all been relieved of their duties. We know Cam`s going nowhere which is bothersome to me, great player, my fav but not my Prez choice that`s for sure. I have less issues with Sweeney but not by much

Butch will be fine, I was never nearly as impressed by Butch as many here are/were, great regular season record, not so much in the post season which certainly isn`t all his fault, injuries, roster deficiencies aren`t his issues ..

 

[MattFromFranklin]

The sad thing is that if Bruce used to play for the Bruins I think he'd still be employed.

 

[BruinDust]

The issue is that it wasn't sweeping enough. They scapegoated the coach but left the two clowns who assembled the highly flawed roster (yet again) that wasn't good enough to actually compete. And it was obvious from the start

This is a team that under Cassidy from 2017 until 2020 was middle-of-the-pack in shooting % (18th, 10th, 13th, 12th).

The past two seasons they've been 27th in 2020-21 and 30th in 2021-22.

Is that a coaching issue or a talent/skill-set issue? I'm gonna say it's a talent/skill-set problem.

I don't know how any NHL manager can look at a team that is 3rd worst in the entire NHL in shooting % and believe that roster is a contender.

 

[KnightofBoston]

So I’m completely in agreement that if the players were tuning him out, it was time

However I really don’t like the flip flopping on his status, and that to me has Neely’ a fingerprints all over it so once again, Neely is the real problem

 

[BlackFrancis]

This is a team that under Cassidy from 2017 until 2020 was middle-of-the-pack in shooting % (18th, 10th, 13th, 12th).

The past two seasons they've been 27th in 2020-21 and 30th in 2021-22.

Is that a coaching issue or a talent/skill-set issue? I'm gonna say it's a talent/skill-set problem.

I don't know how any NHL manager can look at a team that is 3rd worst in the entire NHL in shooting % and believe that roster is a contender.

You notice a lot of breakaways or odd man rushes for the Bruins the past two seasons?

Do you think the Bruins' players are incapable of skating fast enough to outpace an opponent and create a breakaway or odd man rush?

Did Sean Kuraly's revival last season occur due to his skill/effort returning in Columbus, or were his last two seasons with the Bruins a result of Cassidy's usage?

Is the overarching reason for the Bruins' bottom six forwards being an abject black hole offensively over the past couple season a matter of skill, effort or usage? People were surprised by Curtis Lazar scoring 8 goals on the 4th line. 8 goals surpassed expectations.

I believe you are overlooking a lot when attributing the problems solely to skill.