Consider your entire existence on these boards lacks explanation and deals in absolutes: your opinion is fact and any that defy live in fantasy lands or hyperbole, i think you need to stay out of other conversations unless you yourself have anything substantial to provide to it.
As to the poster i was talking to. Tortorella failed at his job. It doesn't need much explanation. Your clinging on to something. The players wanted him gone. The organization clearly wanted him gone. He is gone. He failed to adjust in games. He shortened his bench. He threw his players under the bus. He got a lot out of the 2011-2012 roster. The 2013 roster wasn't the 2011-12 roster. Different players. Different skill sets. No adjustments made. Power Play was inexcusable. He didn't run the Power Play. That's an easy excuse to hide behind. He's the head coach. Run your staff.
Clearly the players and the organization feel there is more potential here and Tortorella was not the man to bring it out. The change was made. Or, am i living in fantasy land:
http://m.espn.go.com/general/story?storyId=9322234&city=newyork&src=desktop wait i guess important not in a fantasy land.
Brassard, Stepan, Nash, Callahan, McDonagh, Moore, Stralman, Zuccarello, Del Zotto. There is talent on the roster. Kreider, Hagelin, Miller, Staal, there is some untapped offensive potential on the roster.
A good coach will recognize strengths and weaknesses of individual players and figure out how to maximize their strengths and attempt to mask their weaknesses. Systems, set plays, lines, matchups, players' roles. All factor into it.
Tortorella sucked the life out of this team. He bullied his players. He demoralized them. He sucked the confidence out of a handful of them. The change was needed. It was requested BY THE PLAYERS. Or do their opinions not matter?
Calling Alain Vigneault a "crap shoot" and what ever other nonsense, is just that: nonsense. He wasn't my preference. But he's an outstanding coach. He's had a high level of success in recent years. He's reached Conference Finals, Cup Finals, won divisions, won Presidents Trophies. His resume speaks for itself. He gets his defenders on the attack. He pushes the pace. He doesn't ignore the defensive side of the game. He implements advanced statistics into his decisions. He didn't mess up Hodgeson's back nor did he mis diagnose the injury. That's the team doctors.
You can continue to whine about the move. You can continue to call others "homers" and any other thing you want. That doesn't reflect poorly on them. For one, id like to see who he brings in as his staff. Id like to see how he impacts organizational philosophy. Id like to see the roster changes and to see how training camp goes, before i make indictments on the coach, his staff (that hasn't yet been hired), the roster (that isn't yet put together) before i think about lambasting others.
