Should Cronin be fired? Yay or Nay?

[Mr Rogers]

I think it’s remarkable how good our record is and it’s almost entirely attributable to Dostal and Gibson. We have nobody in the top 60 for points and basically only one line that could be considered “top 6” but 2 of the 3 members on that line would ideally be 3rd liners on a good team.

This has been a really disappointing year from both players and coaches. In a lot of ways, this season has been a good deal more disappointing than last. Fortunately there’s still half of a season to turn things around.

 

[WhatTheDuck]

I keep going back to the teams the Isles had for a three year stretch the year before and two years during the pandemic, but especially that 2018-19 team - as example of what you can do with an elite coach even in the absence of proven elite star talent. They lost in the second round and then were a final four team twice. The 2018/19 team for example was led in scoring by Barzal at 62 points and Bailey at 56, Pulock led all Dmen with just 37 points and Lee had the most goals with 28. Overall finished just 22nd in goals for but first in goals against, on the back of excellent goaltending from a Lehner/Greiss tandem but also just made themselves a defensive gauntlet to face every night.

I'm not saying we should be that good already - but if you look at this roster, it really doesn't line up all that differently than what we have here.

2018-19 New York Islanders Roster, Stats, Injuries, Scores, Results, Shootouts | Hockey-Reference.com

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Yet they finished at a .628 points % and we are sitting at .464%. Yes different years/division/conference and whatever else but it's not a direct comparison. The difference between getting this team playing .600 hockey instead of .450 hockey can be somewhat improved with more talent but it's mostly an issue of consistency/culture/cohesiveness/confidence. Great coaches have taken rosters of this caliber way further.

It's not even so much the win/loss results this year though but more so development and culture. We don't want to raise losers in a loser environment. The tanking part of the process is over and it's time to start acting like a legit NHL hockey club. I just don't think Cronin is the guy to lead them over the hump. He knows what result he's looking for but has yet to prove he understands the cause and effect when it comes to getting this team to do anything consistently. The players need to perform yes, but what is he doing to push them there or put them in the best position to do so?

 

[freikugel]

Repeating what I said in the other thread:

Playoffs were within reach then these guys go out on the road and play lifeless hockey, I ain’t letting them off the hook and placing it all in the head coach

I don't know of many teams dead last in expected goals against that made the playoffs, this was never a playoff team they were just riding an unsustainable goalie hot streak. The way Cronin should be evaluated is how the youth are developing under him, not our standings, as the underlining stats point to us being a bottom team and imo he's doing an even worse job than Eakins in that regard. He should've been fired a long time ago.

 

[Hey234]

The players need to perform yes, but what is he doing to push them there or put them in the best position to do so?

To me, this is the part I can't get past. There's no question the players need to be performing better. But outside of LaCombe and maybe less goals against overall, what area of the team has improved with Cronin? It's astonishing the lack of progress. Coaches are supposed to get the best out of their players and help the team grow as a whole to achieve their goal. I can't find any evidence that this team is moving in the correct direction, but I can find an overwhelming amount of evidence that is moving in the opposite direction.

 

[Daz28]

I agree, I don’t think he has lost the room. Cronin just has no F’ing clue what he is doing or know how to adjust. The skill on this team has proven to win games but the inconsistency, I feel it’s more on the system/coaching than the players. Sure the players get some blame but when your leader doesn’t have a clue, it’s hard to find consistent success.

I'm not trying to bust your balls, but this isn't logical. If the coach were inconsistent, that would be preparation. I don't think many people accuse Cro of that. Some players are clearly not playing well, and the team game and goaltending has masked it. We all may be knee jerk reacting, and when Zegs, Terry and Zell get back in, we'll be ok again.

 

[KaseMeOutside]

I think it’s remarkable how good our record is and it’s almost entirely attributable to Dostal and Gibson. We have nobody in the top 60 for points and basically only one line that could be considered “top 6” but 2 of the 3 members on that line would ideally be 3rd liners on a good team.

This has been a really disappointing year from both players and coaches. In a lot of ways, this season has been a good deal more disappointing than last. Fortunately there’s still half of a season to turn things araround.

It's exact like the RC years

 

[Lord Flashheart]

While the players bear huge responsibility for the way they play, the question is whether Cronin is getting the best out of them over the entire season and the answer is a resounding no, thus it is time to fire him.

 

[Arthuros]

I'd be interested to hear if anybody on these boards actually changed their mind about whether or not Cronin SHOULD be fired ASAP.

 

[KelVarnsen]

Still needs to be fired. Team is constantly behind the play, offense is terrible, and the only reason team is in games or wins is due to otherworldly goaltending.

His apparent inability to make in game changes while being completely out game planed or coached does not help the team at all.

Add in the lack of development for a lot of younger players and IMO he needs to go before making any huge roster affecting trades. I would rather assess the young guys with another coach and system before making any big trade of one of our younger players.

 

[DuckRogers10]

Or maybe they're just not very good judges of coaching talent? Scotty is smart, that much we know, but Selänne has proved himself to be an utterly vapid blockhead when it comes to literally anything the last few years, and we barely know anything about Paul. Our fanbase has way too much trust in our former stars.

Why is Selanne a blockhead?

 

[JAHV]

Why is Selanne a blockhead?

I haven't seen it, but the movie he made looked pretty dumb. Other than that, I'm not aware of anything. He doesn't SEEM like a guy who's qualified to make managerial choices, but I'm also curious if there are specific things he's done or said that make him a blockhead.

 

[Boo Boo]

I haven't seen it, but the movie he made looked pretty dumb. Other than that, I'm not aware of anything. He doesn't SEEM like a guy who's qualified to make managerial choices, but I'm also curious if there are specific things he's done or said that make him a blockhead.

I think that might be referring to 1) how he reacted to Bruce reducing his role on the team at the end of his playing career or maybe 2) some other stuff that you can decide for yourself about if you go to his Twitter account and translate

Could be something else though I’m not sure

 

[JAHV]

I think that might be referring to 1) how he reacted to Bruce reducing his role on the team at the end of his playing career or maybe 2) some other stuff that you can decide for yourself about if you go to his Twitter account and translate

Could be something else though I’m not sure

Ah. I'm not on Twitter, so I remain blissfully ignorant of any social turpitude.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

I'd be interested to hear if anybody on these boards actually changed their mind about whether or not Cronin SHOULD be fired ASAP.

I'd be interested to see if they did change it b/c Cronin hasn't been fired yet as two potential head coach replacements were passed up. Sort of realize that Verbeek is good with what Cronin is doing. I thought when Verbeek glowed about Cronin after the end of last season literally spelled out that Cronin would be safe for the whole season this season. Cronin, with a vastly upgraded roster, only managed to earn one more point than Eakins' club was considered a huge success for Verbeek.

 

[Dryish]

Why is Selanne a blockhead?

You'd know if you were Finnish. He's continuously both on Twitter and commenting on Finnish societal matters (and politics, eesh) with the understanding of someone who barely passed elementary school, saying the absolute dumbest shit that even Finnish populist politicians call out, and acting like a colossal baby every time he gets called out because "I'm rich and popular, you should trust me". It's honestly pathetic, and most Finnish people have lost whatever respect we ever had for him.

Good hockey player but the number of braincells seems to equal the Stanley Cups he's won.

 

[Reveille1984]

Yeah, sometimes people forget most pro athletes are generally pretty huge morons that are only relevant because they played a sport well. And usually playing a sport well enough to become pro means you neglected a lot of other things growing up (primarily schooling and socializing with anyone outside your sports circle).

 

[91Fedorov]

Good hockey player but the number of braincells seems to equal the Stanley Cups he's won.

Damn! Shots fired!

 

[Ducks DVM]

Yeah, sometimes people forget most pro athletes are generally pretty huge morons that are only relevant because they played a sport well. And usually playing a sport well enough to become pro means you neglected a lot of other things growing up (primarily schooling and socializing with anyone outside your sports circle).

Except for NFL offensive linemen. Tons of doctors, lawyers, and PhD types in their ranks.

 

[91Fedorov]

Except for NFL offensive linemen. Tons of doctors, lawyers, and PhD types in their ranks.

That's very true, and quite an odd fact.

Ali Marpet was one of my favorite Buc offensive guards. He retired early to pursue his doctorate in psychology.

 

[Ducks DVM]

That's very true, and quite an odd fact.

Ali Marpet was one of my favorite Buc offensive guards. He retired early to pursue his doctorate in psychology.

I think having to memorize all the blocking schemes requires a good brain. As opposed to run over that way and catch/tackle.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

That's very true, and quite an odd fact.

Ali Marpet was one of my favorite Buc offensive guards. He retired early to pursue his doctorate in psychology.

Ali had his straw hat, ukulele, and RV. He was so dominant, but too much concussion made him make a great decision for his life to retire early. Smart guy!

I think having to memorize all the blocking schemes requires a good brain. As opposed to run over that way and catch/tackle.

They made Ali play RG, then center, and settled on LG. Not only blocking schemes (man/power vs zone), but also identifying opposing players who might blitz, drop down, stunt-twist/curl inward, stunt-twist/curl outwards. The more athletic you are as an O-Line man, the more they make you do in the run game.

 

[The Midnight Burrito]

Except for NFL offensive linemen. Tons of doctors, lawyers, and PhD types in their ranks.

Is that true? I don’t watch football but I played all through high school, as an offensive lineman.

 

[ADHB]

Is that true? I don’t watch football but I played all through high school, as an offensive lineman.

I don’t know how common it is, but every time I hear about some football player doing something totally bizarre, like taking a break from his career to go to medical school, it’s an offensive lineman.

 

[Dr Johnny Fever]

One of my orthopedic doctors played center and was captain of the Dartmouth football team. He’s treated a lot of professional sports players. His father was a cardio thoracic surgeon. Don’t know if dad played football though.

 

[TheGoodShepard1]

I don’t know how common it is, but every time I hear about some football player doing something totally bizarre, like taking a break from his career to go to medical school, it’s an offensive lineman.

John Urschel is another. Retired from the NFL after 3 seasons with the Ravens, is now an assistant math professor at MIT.