Proposal: Fire DJ Smith

[Cosmix]

Idk about their sausages, but the chipwagon that used to be outside of the Coventry Cdn Tire was pretty good, or at least it was pre 2016, I haven't worked on Coventry in a while so I haven't a clue if it's even still there...

I went there too but not recently.

Those places are all in the middle of town now & Ottawa continues to grow east & west. Ottawa's city limit is almost at Arnprior now about 20 mins north west of the CTC.

My wife and I go to Billings Bridge SC and St. Laurent SC quite often.

 

[Cosmix]

Those places are all in the middle of town now & Ottawa continues to grow east & west. Ottawa's city limit is almost at Arnprior now about 20 mins north west of the CTC.

My wife and I go to Billings Bridge SC and St. Laurent SC quite often.

They should be over .500 but they have had some tough breaks, injuries & mostly IMO it has been because of young player mistakes that have cost them games & the reason they are not at .500. We can see they are getting better, but they have to reduce their mistakes & take less risks & play better defensively. They are slowly getting there & with a little more experience & a few more better players should at the least challenge for a playoff spot soon.

This is somewhat unfair, when DJ took over the team they were just about to start the transition from a shitty team to a rebuilding team. In fact, most of his tenure here they have been rebuilding & even now with the team they have they are young players making young player mistakes. They can't just magically become a good team because the fans want a winner right away. It takes time, even with Gretsky they didn't win the cup in his first few yrs.

It takes a number of great & very good players, luck & experience & even then only one team wins the cup. This team is showing signs of being a good team but they still have a ways to go & gain the experience necessary for a cup run. I'm not sure any other coach could have changed what has happened or what is happening, it's going to take time. Having said that though coaches are hired to be fired & at some point the players need a different voice in the room & a different message that can inspire them. What happens when a new coach comes in & benches or scratches Stutzle for making risky plays? How will the fans feel then?

About Gretzky winning a cup in his first few years, I remember seeing him play pro hockey for the Indianapolis Racers of the WHA, when Winnipeg won the cup (the Avco Cup). So I can confirm your statement is true!

 

[aragorn]

My wife and I go to Billings Bridge SC and St. Laurent SC quite often.

About Gretzky winning a cup in his first few years, I remember seeing him play pro hockey for the Indianapolis Racers of the WHA, when Winnipeg won the cup (the Avco Cup). So I can confirm your statement is true!

My brother-in-law played against Gretzky in pee-wee or bantam something like that when Wayne still lived in Brandford & Gretsky had 5 pts in 2 periods. Poor kid got booed & yelled at a lot by the non- Brandford fans back then, hockey fans are kind of nuts yelling at kids.

 

[cudi]

My brother-in-law played against Gretzky in pee-wee or bantam something like that when Wayne still lived in Brandford & Gretsky had 5 pts in 2 periods. Poor kid got booed & yelled at a lot by the non- Brandford fans back then, hockey fans are kind of nuts yelling at kids.

i was a ref when i was a teenager. hockey parents are wild lol

 

[Cosmix]

My brother-in-law played against Gretzky in pee-wee or bantam something like that when Wayne still lived in Brandford & Gretsky had 5 pts in 2 periods. Poor kid got booed & yelled at a lot by the non- Brandford fans back then, hockey fans are kind of nuts yelling at kids.

Some certainly can be nuts. Fortunately for me, when I was coaching my son's team, I had only 1 parent of a boy on our team who was a problem. The boy was not a problem; he knew what was going on and apologized to me.

 

[JD1]

My wife and I go to Billings Bridge SC and St. Laurent SC quite often.

About Gretzky winning a cup in his first few years, I remember seeing him play pro hockey for the Indianapolis Racers of the WHA, when Winnipeg won the cup (the Avco Cup). So I can confirm your statement is true!

I used to get the odd ticket to go watch the Jets from delivering the Tribune.

 

[aragorn]

i was a ref when i was a teenager. hockey parents are wild lol

Yikes ... yep even young guys reffing get yelled at more than the players sometimes .... some hockey parents are out of control. They are either yelling at their own kids, the players on the other team or the refs & coaches. They could all use some Xanax, not that I'm advocating for an increase in pharmaceutical use.

Some certainly can be nuts. Fortunately for me, when I was coaching my son's team, I had only 1 parent of a boy on our team who was a problem. The boy was not a problem; he knew what was going on and apologized to me.

I can't remember how many time we would see fights between parents of opposite teams, it was just crazy sometimes.

 

[Cosmix]

I used to get the odd ticket to go watch the Jets from delivering the Tribune.

I delivered the Tribune too on Enniskillen but I never got a ticket back then cause the WHA Jets did not exist at that time.

Got my name in the paper playing kids hockey in a league organized by Vince Leah. Was an Excelsior too in soccer.

Vince Leah - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Ice-Tray]

Those places are all in the middle of town now & Ottawa continues to grow east & west. Ottawa's city limit is almost at Arnprior now about 20 mins north west of the CTC.

Crazy!

Have they done anything with that land where the old Rockliffe base was? I remember as kids we'd ride our bikes up that way to check out some of the old planes they left outside when the old aviation museum was an old hanger and most of the plaes were just sitting outdoors. Last I saw (this was like 8-10 years ago) the old base was all cordoned off an inaccessible to the public.

That’s near my hood. I was an air cadet there way back in the day when it was a semi active base. Pretty sure the Aviation museum was kinda new…. Shiiiiit.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Crazy!


That’s near my hood. I was an air cadet there way back in the day when it was a semi active base. Pretty sure the Aviation museum was kinda new…. Shiiiiit.

It sort of is. They had an old hanger there for several decades (late 1960s I think?) with a few planes inside and out. There is a new and bigger museum in the same general area now. Opened maybe 20 years ago, iirc.

I grew up just east of the quaries and around the NRC parkland. Back in the day that parkland was open to the public...even played on the baseball diamonds there a few times. Long before those CSIS buildings went up and they shut everything down to the public. Kinda sucks...that was a great area for families and picnics and all that.

 

[Senscore]

I've really had enough of this guy.


He's just not good enough for this league.

 

[DJB]

Another day closer.

DJ will be like other Sens head coaches and never be a head coach in the NHL ever again once he’s fired from here

I mean Melnyk was right about DJ when he trashed him on air about how horrendous he was defensively and that the Leafs D was a joke because of him.

Nothing has changed , the dude knows nothing about systems and defensive coverage

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

It's now or never.

If he coaches another 5 games, we basically quit on the season and accepted our fate to pick 12th overall with him staying till the end.

 

[CorrectOpinion]

What are the chances our next coach is a real coach?

 

[Puikiou]

It's not a talent issue. This team has more than enough pieces in place to be consistently better than it is. Talent is in fact what has won us most games, as a team like the Arizona Coyotes plays with more structure than the we do.

It's an accountability issue. Individual players, and by extension the team, play really well when they feel like it and can't be bothered to give a damn when they don't want to.

DJ may or may not have a great system. He may or may not be an excellent coach. It doesn't matter.

Fact is that this team has failed to play any extended stretch of consistent, meaningful hockey, in almost 5 years. Not even talking about wins or losses, just good, consistent hockey for 20+ games. As far as the eye can see, DJ's approach or "system" is all brawn and no brains (dump and chase, collapse in front of the net and leave the points open, run around aimlessly, etc.). It didn't work as the defense coach in Toronto. It hasn't worked and continues not to work here.

If there's structure, 4+ years should be enough to implement it, regardless of roster turnover. Yet, there's still no identifiable system the players can fall back on, on evenings where their individual talent(s) don't carry them. If there's accountability, it clearly hasn't shown, since complacency seems rampant from the top of the organization down and effort seems optional throughout the roster.

This sort of failed experiment would never fly for as long as it has anywhere but in Ottawa. Bring in actual pros for once. DJ has to go and so does Dorion.

 

[CorrectOpinion]

I was shitting on DJ earlier but the more I think about it it's not his fault. The truth is we are still very realistically where we should be with this roster. DJ is not going to take us to the next level but he is probably not a bad guy to guide the team through their growing pains this season. We will need someone new next year but yeah, the real problem is Pierre Dorion putting unrealistic expectations on the club because he made a couple good moves. No one approached this season with any caution and we should have. You can't fast forward the proccess.

 

[SpezDispenser]

I was shitting on DJ earlier but the more I think about it it's not his fault. The truth is we are still very realistically where we should be with this roster. DJ is not going to take us to the next level but he is probably not a bad guy to guide the team through their growing pains this season. We will need someone new next year but yeah, the real problem is Pierre Dorion putting unrealistic expectations on the club because he made a couple good moves. No one approached this season with any caution and we should have. You can't fast forward the proccess.

I think most fans did to be honest. We were hoping to challenge for a wild card - pretty much at best. Making the playoffs was always a fantasy imo - like if everything went perfectly.

The pieces are there for a long streak of competitiveness. We just need a rd to go with the ld studs and some patience.

And a new coach. I won't lie, it has to happen by off season or sooner.

 

[Tnuoc Alucard]

Innes. The lady sets up right outside the entrance. She BBQs a mean Italian sausage

I've been known to come up with some pretty flimsy reasons to head to CT so I could get a sausage while I was there

May I suggest Adams Sausages, on Michael St. near St Laurent and Belfast.
Closed Mondays and Cash or Debit only.

Ottawa Sausage | Adams Sausages & Meat Products

www.adamssausages.com

 

[JD1]

May I suggest Adams Sausages, on Michael St. near St Laurent and Belfast.
Closed Mondays and Cash or Debit only.

Ottawa Sausage | Adams Sausages & Meat Products

www.adamssausages.com

I'm quite familiar with Adams. Great place

 

[Tnuoc Alucard]

I'm quite familiar with Adams. Great place

Has been my “Go To” sausage place ever since Bank Street Sausage closed shop a number of years ago.

 

[boxbox]

It's not a talent issue. This team has more than enough pieces in place to be consistently better than it is. Talent is in fact what has won us most games, as a team like the Arizona Coyotes plays with more structure than the we do.

It's an accountability issue. Individual players, and by extension the team, play really well when they feel like it and can't be bothered to give a damn when they don't want to.

DJ may or may not have a great system. He may or may not be an excellent coach. It doesn't matter.

Fact is that this team has failed to play any extended stretch of consistent, meaningful hockey, in almost 5 years. Not even talking about wins or losses, just good, consistent hockey for 20+ games. As far as the eye can see, DJ's approach or "system" is all brawn and no brains (dump and chase, collapse in front of the net and leave the points open, run around aimlessly, etc.). It didn't work as the defense coach in Toronto. It hasn't worked and continues not to work here.

If there's structure, 4+ years should be enough to implement it, regardless of roster turnover. Yet, there's still no identifiable system the players can fall back on, on evenings where their individual talent(s) don't carry them. If there's accountability, it clearly hasn't shown, since complacency seems rampant from the top of the organization down and effort seems optional throughout the roster.

This sort of failed experiment would never fly for as long as it has anywhere but in Ottawa. Bring in actual pros for once. DJ has to go and so does Dorion.

My following question might come off as rude, not the intention at all btw simply curious, but what do you consider "consistent hockey" ?

I haven't had the chance to watch too many of the Sens games when they are on but I do watch the highlights for each game and read up on the stats. Based on info gathered from highlights/stasts and the few games I've seen the team has been consistently competitive. November wasnt good to the Sens but for that I mainly blame our goal-tending; bottom 5 in the league. I know people will say the D was to blame, sure they werent' great but they were by no means the reason why our goalies had a sub .900 sv% and letting inn over 3.5 goals a game. Would be acceptable numbers for a rookie goalie but not for a seasonsed NHL goalie with career numbers over the .910 ish sv% and a GAA around 2.5.

Just like any team they lost a share of games they should have won and won some games they probably deserved to lose; but that is normal in a 82 game season. One could say the timing of those loses that more likely would have been wins 9 out of 10 times was a bit unlucky. If they had won their first 2 games of the season or even won one of them their October record would have been 5 wins and 3 loses.

Its almost impossible for a team to be playing at a "good" consistent level through out the season; all teams have stretches of good games and bad ones. This is still a very young team with a good amount of players still learning and gaining the necessary experiences for them to solidify themselves as regular NHL players. I am almost glad November played out as it did as it did challenge the teams solidarity and show how they react to adversity and deal with it. Long bad stretches like November was for the Sens can either break a team or make it stronger if they manage to get out of if. In December they had only 4 regulation loses in 14 games, 8 wins and couple OT loses. 8-4-2. Safe to say they weathered the storm.

The team has had a top 5 pp for a decent chunk of the season and the PK is now in the top 10 of the league. Given how much people bash the D to have a top 10 PK must be the work of the coaches ? Those numbers aren't achieved with inconsistent play or guys not being held accountable / not trying as PP and PK are successful only if everyone is on the same page. If our special teams sucked and the team was getting outplayed each game then by all means rip the coach and staff apart but like those are impressive changes given how lackluster we have been in that department for some time now.

I feel people just have unrealistic expectations from this team because of the off season signings. The players that were signed and traded for are just PIECES. We didn't sign or trade for franchise players and no one expected this team to be a real contender this year with those moves. Goal was to improve which so far the team has and to challenge for a playoff spot which the team currently is; being 7 points out.

I really don't get all the constant doom and gloom....and making DJ look like hes clueless out there all the time and the team not knowing what they are doing. All NHL coaches at one point had no NHL experience. Look at the Bruins...top in the East with a coach that has what to his coaching resume ? 1 playoff appearance ? Philly with a coach that has more games coached under his belt then his whole team has combined games played in the NHL. If the unlikely scenario would occur and DJ would get fired I guarantee a lot of the players will be very unhappy. I mean we have a coach the players want to play for and like and the team is trending up so like why why why mess with that.

Only coach I'd consider is Joel Quenville and maybe Berry Trotz but 1 cup in 19 years ....I don't know

 

[boxbox]

I was shitting on DJ earlier but the more I think about it it's not his fault. The truth is we are still very realistically where we should be with this roster. DJ is not going to take us to the next level but he is probably not a bad guy to guide the team through their growing pains this season. We will need someone new next year but yeah, the real problem is Pierre Dorion putting unrealistic expectations on the club because he made a couple good moves. No one approached this season with any caution and we should have. You can't fast forward the proccess.

in the end its the players that ultimately decide the outcome of the games...I don;t think this team will need a hall of fame coach if its going to win down the road....there is talent on this team even some elite talent so its not like we need a coach that will push players to play beyond their capabilities for the team to be successful , yes get the most of the players but not like Tortarella does....

 

[Puikiou]

My following question might come off as rude, not the intention at all btw simply curious, but what do you consider "consistent hockey" ?

I haven't had the chance to watch too many of the Sens games when they are on but I do watch the highlights for each game and read up on the stats. Based on info gathered from highlights/stasts and the few games I've seen the team has been consistently competitive. November wasnt good to the Sens but for that I mainly blame our goal-tending; bottom 5 in the league. I know people will say the D was to blame, sure they werent' great but they were by no means the reason why our goalies had a sub .900 sv% and letting inn over 3.5 goals a game. Would be acceptable numbers for a rookie goalie but not for a seasonsed NHL goalie with career numbers over the .910 ish sv% and a GAA around 2.5.

Just like any team they lost a share of games they should have won and won some games they probably deserved to lose; but that is normal in a 82 game season. One could say the timing of those loses that more likely would have been wins 9 out of 10 times was a bit unlucky. If they had won their first 2 games of the season or even won one of them their October record would have been 5 wins and 3 loses.

Its almost impossible for a team to be playing at a "good" consistent level through out the season; all teams have stretches of good games and bad ones. This is still a very young team with a good amount of players still learning and gaining the necessary experiences for them to solidify themselves as regular NHL players. I am almost glad November played out as it did as it did challenge the teams solidarity and show how they react to adversity and deal with it. Long bad stretches like November was for the Sens can either break a team or make it stronger if they manage to get out of if. In December they had only 4 regulation loses in 14 games, 8 wins and couple OT loses. 8-4-2. Safe to say they weathered the storm.

The team has had a top 5 pp for a decent chunk of the season and the PK is now in the top 10 of the league. Given how much people bash the D to have a top 10 PK must be the work of the coaches ? Those numbers aren't achieved with inconsistent play or guys not being held accountable / not trying as PP and PK are successful only if everyone is on the same page. If our special teams sucked and the team was getting outplayed each game then by all means rip the coach and staff apart but like those are impressive changes given how lackluster we have been in that department for some time now.

I feel people just have unrealistic expectations from this team because of the off season signings. The players that were signed and traded for are just PIECES. We didn't sign or trade for franchise players and no one expected this team to be a real contender this year with those moves. Goal was to improve which so far the team has and to challenge for a playoff spot which the team currently is; being 7 points out.

I really don't get all the constant doom and gloom....and making DJ look like hes clueless out there all the time and the team not knowing what they are doing. All NHL coaches at one point had no NHL experience. Look at the Bruins...top in the East with a coach that has what to his coaching resume ? 1 playoff appearance ? Philly with a coach that has more games coached under his belt then his whole team has combined games played in the NHL. If the unlikely scenario would occur and DJ would get fired I guarantee a lot of the players will be very unhappy. I mean we have a coach the players want to play for and like and the team is trending up so like why why why mess with that.

Only coach I'd consider is Joel Quenville and maybe Berry Trotz but 1 cup in 19 years ....I don't know

To answer that, I'll defer to Filip Gustavsson who essentially said that the difference between Ottawa and Minny is inconsistency + the fact that, as a goalie, he never knew which team was going to show up in front of him.

Again, we're not talking about wins and losses, but merely a system within which players can constantly grow, thrive and succeed. We've been nothing but a big, mediocre pandora box for 4 years and running under DJ. It's not for nothing that players often go on to look better outside of Ottawa.

With that being said, if DJ is to remain the coach, I'll be happy to be proven wrong as the goal is not to win the argument, but to see the team improve.

 

[aragorn]

- the people who know & analyse hockey for a living had Ottawa out of the playoffs before the yr started.
- while they have significantly improved from last yr they are still a young team that make way too many young player mistakes that cost us games.
- goalteding was a bit of an issue at times this yr, but Talbot has really come on & is playing much better & so has Forsberg lately.
- injuries have once again hurt the team especially the injuries to key players like Norris & Zub & losing Formenton all yr has also hurt.
- the defence was a problem last yr & continues to be a problem this yr, but even with all this they have managed to play some exciting hockey at times.
- the future looks bright however it can't come fast enough.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

I thought Micklebot put it best but can't find the comment now.

It's not always about calling for heads, or someone being "terrible" or other hyperbolic statements about them. Sometimes changing Coaches and/or GM's is just the natural evolution a team needs to take the next step. I think it's hard to see a scenario where some of that doesn't happen this summer with new ownership taking over.