Confirmed with Link: D.J. Smith Contract Extension

[Blacephalon]

Changing the coach here would be like painting over a water stain on your ceiling. Maybe it looks better for a few weeks, but you haven't fixed the fundamental problem.

Of course not. You have to fire the muppet GM too.

 

[Tuna99]

Genuinely curious to get your opinions on why this was not a suggestion a week ago when the team was winning and keeping up against much better teams?

Seems a couple of losses and suddenly some people remember that they hate the coach.

Blow outs get the attention of fans. When the Sabers are ahead of you in the standings and then Arizona hangs 8 on you - you just take a moment and reflect and say “I don’t see progress, I thought there was progress, I want progress but this is embarrassing hockey and I’ve been embarrassed before with this coach and I don’t like it so let’s try a new coach” kinda thing

 

[bert]

The problem is the owner and the spineless gm. Melnyk has microphones in the rooms. How can you possibly coach a team under these circumstances.

 

[Simplicity]

The problem is the owner and the spineless gm. Melnyk has microphones in the rooms. How can you possibly coach a team under these circumstances.

Well I think the TV cameras o the ice are a bigger problem for DJ than any microphones. Have you seen this team play?

 

[Loach]

I thought Defence was coachable. Skill is born with. ...or something like that. If so maybe DJ needs better assistants.

 

[Sweatred]

The problem is the owner and the spineless gm. Melnyk has microphones in the rooms. How can you possibly coach a team under these circumstances.

Any evidence on this or are you just making it up?

I mean every cell phone in the room has a microphone so there are probably 20 microphones most of the time … but are you suggesting that Melynk is recording the staff and players to hear what they say about him?

 

[Micklebot]

The team has looked disorganized the last few games. It's hard to pick out elements of the system that are problems or failing, as it doesn't really appear as though the players are actually playing any discernable system at times.

So is this a coaching quality issue, or a players issue. A couple weeks ago we were playing pretty well, 14-11-7 from 2 Dec to 22 Feb, basically bubble playoff team pace, and much of that with both Norris and Batherson out injured.

Idk, the last few games aren't DJs system exposed imo, perhaps the team has run out of mental gas given the whole season has been a write off, we've had a ton of injuries that required guys to play above their normal slot, flu bug just ravaged the team, and are in the middle of a highly compressed schedule to make up for cancelled games; perhaps the pond hockey we've seen is the result of them going through the motions.

Now, part of the coaches job is to motivate guys and make sure they don't have these types of games, so not having the players mentally prepared is on him, but given the circumstances I'm not sure you're getting better results out of a different coach, you might, but it's not a guarantee.

I have my issues with some of DJs decisions, but I'm not sure he's fully at fault here.

 

[Tuna99]

The team has looked disorganized the last few games. It's hard to pick out elements of the system that are problems or failing, as it doesn't really appear as though the players are actually playing any discernable system at times.

So is this a coaching quality issue, or a players issue. A couple weeks ago we were playing pretty well, 14-11-7 from 2 Dec to 22 Feb, basically bubble playoff team pace, and much of that with both Norris and Batherson out injured.

Idk, the last few games aren't DJs system exposed imo, perhaps the team has run out of mental gas given the whole season has been a write off, we've had a ton of injuries that required guys to play above their normal slot, flu bug just ravaged the team, and are in the middle of a highly compressed schedule to make up for cancelled games; perhaps the pond hockey we've seen is the result of them going through the motions.

Now, part of the coaches job is to motivate guys and make sure they don't have these types of games, so not having the players mentally prepared is on him, but given the circumstances I'm not sure you're getting better results out of a different coach, you might, but it's not a guarantee.

I have my issues with some of DJs decisions, but I'm not sure he's fully at fault here.

DJ Smith and Matt Murray are not the answer. They are going to get each other fired

DJ Smith hadn’t ever shown me a consistent team. He gets them to work hard, but that’s because they want jobs and not because they move the coach

Matt Murray can go somewhere else and be good like Gudbranson has done, but it’s not working here for him. Weak Mentally

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

People saying DJ Smith can't coach at the NHL level and then pointing to MTL as a positive example is pretty hilarious

DJ Smith and Matt Murray are not the answer. They are going to get each other fired

DJ Smith hadn’t ever shown me a consistent team. He gets them to work hard, but that’s because they want jobs and not because they move the coach

Matt Murray can go somewhere else and be good like Gudbranson has done, but it’s not working here for him. Weak Mentally

You chastised him for taking the day off when his kid was born, clearly you are approaching this with a level head.....

 

[Tuna99]

People saying DJ Smith can't coach at the NHL level and then pointing to MTL as a positive example is pretty hilarious

You chastised him for taking the day off when his kid was born, clearly you are approaching this with a level head.....

maybe I was wrong, but Matt Murray to me does look like he avoids the net and avoids leading the team. Just my 2 cents.

Like I said, maybe I’m wrong, I didn’t ask him to miss the birth of his child, I just said there was time enough in the day to see your kid born and win a hockey game

 

[Sweatred]

Phoenix gets 5 PP to our 2, Fld get 9-3, TB has 4 PP’s before our second.

These teams are better than us but the sheet number of subjective calls against doesn’t give Ottawa much of a chance.

For What ever reason the refs are giving the home team here a “statistical +1 goal a game” which is the margin of winning in the NHL.

No coach can consistently out coach that disadvantage.l unless their roster is much better … and ours isn’t.

 

[otown]

A lethal combination of pylons for "D" and sub par goaltending never ends well!

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

The team has looked disorganized the last few games. It's hard to pick out elements of the system that are problems or failing, as it doesn't really appear as though the players are actually playing any discernable system at times.

So is this a coaching quality issue, or a players issue. A couple weeks ago we were playing pretty well, 14-11-7 from 2 Dec to 22 Feb, basically bubble playoff team pace, and much of that with both Norris and Batherson out injured.

Idk, the last few games aren't DJs system exposed imo, perhaps the team has run out of mental gas given the whole season has been a write off, we've had a ton of injuries that required guys to play above their normal slot, flu bug just ravaged the team, and are in the middle of a highly compressed schedule to make up for cancelled games; perhaps the pond hockey we've seen is the result of them going through the motions.

Now, part of the coaches job is to motivate guys and make sure they don't have these types of games, so not having the players mentally prepared is on him, but given the circumstances I'm not sure you're getting better results out of a different coach, you might, but it's not a guarantee.

I have my issues with some of DJs decisions, but I'm not sure he's fully at fault here.

Great post.

I have no idea why people melting over the last game. Yea the result was very undesirable, but it literally did not come from an entire system breakdown, it was just a bunch of random unfortunate stuff that happened when ended up always in the back of our net + goaltending errors.

We crushed Florida, a cup favourite 8-2. You think they went absolute bonkers like that? We were 2nd last in the league when we did it too.

I saw nothing that demonstrated it was utterly coaching errors that cost us last game. I've seen much worse games this year too, must worse.

Some consistency would have been nice, and 4 unanswered after 5-4 is inexcusable, but considering context of our team + schedule + score, it's not that obscene of a thing to have witnessed, we had far worse games.

 

[AchtzehnBaby]

The team has looked disorganized the last few games. It's hard to pick out elements of the system that are problems or failing, as it doesn't really appear as though the players are actually playing any discernable system at times.

So is this a coaching quality issue, or a players issue. A couple weeks ago we were playing pretty well, 14-11-7 from 2 Dec to 22 Feb, basically bubble playoff team pace, and much of that with both Norris and Batherson out injured.

Idk, the last few games aren't DJs system exposed imo, perhaps the team has run out of mental gas given the whole season has been a write off, we've had a ton of injuries that required guys to play above their normal slot, flu bug just ravaged the team, and are in the middle of a highly compressed schedule to make up for cancelled games; perhaps the pond hockey we've seen is the result of them going through the motions.

Now, part of the coaches job is to motivate guys and make sure they don't have these types of games, so not having the players mentally prepared is on him, but given the circumstances I'm not sure you're getting better results out of a different coach, you might, but it's not a guarantee.

I have my issues with some of DJs decisions, but I'm not sure he's fully at fault here.

I think there has been a problem with DJ’s ability to get this team ready for season starts and for road trips.

 

[Tuna99]

I think there has been a problem with DJ’s ability to get this team ready for season starts and for road trips.

He’s had game day diarrhea for the last 2 years, please be kind

 

[SensHulk]

Should one of DJ Smith or Pierre Dorion be fired in the off-season for this debacle? Discuss.

 

[aragorn]

Should one of DJ Smith or Pierre Dorion be fired in the off-season for this debacle? Discuss.

Isn't this a little unfair given all the tribulations they have had to endure this yr moreso than last yr or any other yr in the history of this team? They will have played I believe 17 back to backs this yr is that not the most in their history?

They have had to deal with Covid, the flue, the loss of their three top centres, their best offensive player, their best defenceman a few times, their best goalie, the schedule is brutal this yr & no fans at their games for good portions of the yr or very few. I mean, it's been an unbelievable difficult yr, does that not count for a muligan at the least?

 

[Union2017]

If only we would stop getting 3-4 useless plugs in the off season and use the money to get one good vet to play with Stu, some of of these L-s would be W-s. Play Chabot, Zub, Sanderson, Holden and then two of JBD, Thompson and Bran next year as our D. But for the love of Alfie, get someone to play with and mentor Stu. Get rid of Murray and maybe, just maybe try to find a good, experienced coach. We didn’t have that since BM and then we had Guy who did his standard one year miracle and we went to conference finals with him. We are not this bad, I promise you. We just look like we have no direction and no bench. When you score 5 goals and take the game over after being down 4:0, then a good coach will help you win that game. DJ is just not that level of a coach. He seems like a good likeable dude, but that’s not what we need. Take him for a beer if you like him, don’t give him a 4 year contract.

 

[Crosside]

Should one of DJ Smith or Pierre Dorion be fired in the off-season for this debacle? Discuss.

Not in the off season, but if in November we don’t battle for a playoff spot. I could see a possibility

 

[Silencio]

maybe I was wrong, but Matt Murray to me does look like he avoids the net and avoids leading the team. Just my 2 cents.

Like I said, maybe I’m wrong, I didn’t ask him to miss the birth of his child, I just said there was time enough in the day to see your kid born and win a hockey game

This isn't 1952. Most fathers don't just wait in the hospital lobby, smoke their congratulatory cigar and immediately head back to finish their factory floor shift before poker night with the fellas anymore.

 

[Tuna99]

This isn't 1952. Most fathers don't just wait in the hospital lobby, smoke their congratulatory cigar and immediately head back to finish their factory floor shift before poker night with the fellas anymore.

have you never met anyone who had a baby and was at work the next day?

 

[GCK]

have you never met anyone who had a baby and was at work the next day?

He was at work the next day.

 

[Union2017]

have you never met anyone who had a baby and was at work the next day?

never met anyone who makes more than $60,000 per year and who didn’t take the time off after his kid was born.

 

[SensHulk]

Isn't this a little unfair given all the tribulations they have had to endure this yr moreso than last yr or any other yr in the history of this team? They will have played I believe 17 back to backs this yr is that not the most in their history?

They have had to deal with Covid, the flue, the loss of their three top centres, their best offensive player, their best defenceman a few times, their best goalie, the schedule is brutal this yr & no fans at their games for good portions of the yr or very few. I mean, it's been an unbelievable difficult yr, does that not count for a muligan at the least?

so it’s the universe’s fault and not a single blame on how the team was built and deployed? Excuses galore…this is absolute loser talk

 

[SensHulk]

Not in the off season, but if in November we don’t battle for a playoff spot. I could see a possibility

That’s fair. Just cannot afford another slow start