Last night was less of a disgrace and more just a sad show of a team that was fundamentally broken from the top down. They're all in their own heads, can't string two consecutive plays together, and just in general are fighting everything. They've somehow morphed into a horrible Frankenstein of the 2016-17 team and the 2022-23 Flames, which is ironic considering people are actually suggesting bringing in that dipshit Darryl Sutter.
The organization needs to take a big step back and look at how they've gotten here because the entire process is just fundamentally broken. I'm tired of mentioning it, but Drury just hasn't brought in enough of the right guys to help in that respect, even though there have been some improvements overall. The glaring issue to me is that this team really has no clue what they want to be. They can keep preaching an identity and all that nonsense, but it's nothing but lip service.
Why hasn't anyone pressed Laviolette on the switch to a fully man-on-man system this year? Andrew Brunette had to answer for it in Nashville, why is he safe here in that respect? Who looks at this defense and thinks that they have the horses to actually pulll that system off? Who looks at the way these forwards cherry pick and provide zero close-ice support and think it could work? I mean, just look at the breakdown last night that led to CONNOR MURPHY having that much time and space to skate in on Igor and try to pick a corner. The forwards got lost on their assignment up high, and the D just sat back trying to cover their two guys down low because they were outnumbered once Murphy broke in. Why are they trying to re-invent the wheel when the flaws of this team are pretty obvious?
This is why I thought Laviolette was going to be such a terrible hire for this specific group of players. I gave him credit for some changes last year and was glad to admit being wrong on some things, but the overall issues are still there: he's a one-year coach that literally just got fired for losing his locker room and having the core tune out his message. Why did we think it was going to be different here? They had the right idea looking at guys like Carberry and Knoblauch, but we went with the standard retread and are yet again at the nexus point of canning another coach.
At this point, I'm done waiting around for the roster to get it together. This core has had their kicks at the can, and they need to start retooling. There is a good young NHL nucleus there in Chytil, Cuylle, Fox, Kakko, Lafreniere, Miller, and Schneider. I'm not going to be shocked when they move Miller and he blossoms elsewhere. Housley has just been a ridiculous failure at helping these dmen grow.
As to the next coach, I honestly don't even know what route to go there. I'd guess Muse or Peca as interim and then re-assess in the offseason. Trade the other guys like Kreider and Lindgren now. I don't want to do it, but I'd see what 1.5 years of Panarin gets you on the trade market. They have the talent on W to grow into a role and replace him in the aggregate eventually. Stop trading Fox you donuts. Maybe draft a center every now and then too
