John Tortorella is The Man (in defence of our head coach)

[TrevorLinden4ever]

I think firing Torts would be the worst move this team has done in a long time. So here's my piece defending our head coach. Remember, this guy could've told any beatoff reporter here to go fuck themselves, but he didn't, and still he gets the short end of the stick. A bunch of bullshit.

Torts is The Man

Can a coaching change really make a difference to winning? This is a legitimate question when it comes to the Canucks but in acknowledgment of a coach who wears his heart on his sleeve and gives it his all, the answer is as follows: A coaching change was needed last season, but the coach today is far from the problem.

Since that heartbreak loss in game 7 in the 2011 finals, the Canucks have bowed out of each of the first rounds in the playoffs.

As far as 2014 goes, rather than point the finger at Torts, it would be better to place your money on the fact that the real issues lie with the players on the ice and the inability to live up to and further build on the 2011 success run. However more than anything, with the crash in the last couple games of the finals, 2011 is often regarded as less of a success story to build upon than the sudden onset of an underlying imbalance of the team and subsequent trades or lack thereof have failed to provide a support cast for the main core. The team in the 2011 finals, far from the spirited run in ’94, was highlighted as follows: The Sedin’s were pushed around like Barbie dolls without a Tom Sestito to answer to, Burrows gave the Vancouver beat jocks an easy pass to “tabloid lane” with his “biting” conduct (which only created bad coverage and gave the Toronto media a platform to rile up their hate on the Canucks), all while the team just didn’t come together to get the job done and take it when they had it in the bag.

Another side of the story is, however, on-ice coaching decisions by the former coach which were never scrutinized compared to the personal scrutiny of John Tortorella before he landed on the west coast. Vigneault was far less transactional and reactionary, never really tweeking line combinations or special units. Keeping Burrows off the power play on a consistent basis stymied the production flow seen by the tandem chemistry of the first line, and prioritizing both Kesler and Burrows for double duty on the PK didn’t optimize offensive productivity of the two breadwinners. Along with the organic structure of the team, these are also important things to consider when it comes to the failure of June 2011. The only difference now is the big four (Sedins, Kesler, Burrows) have been hampered all season with injuries and with a lack of minor league depth, replacements have not lived up to the billing. To that end, some serious additions by a new GM could happen this summer, whether it be for guys clawing their way in the minors and itching to, unlike June 2011, just take it, or a deadweight with a big contract and nothing to lose. Hopefully history doesn’t repeat itself a la Booth, Ballard or Garrison. All in all though, what we needed more than anything at the very least, was a coach who publicly demonstrated more passion and ego than what Vigneault was able to offer. As has been exemplified this past season, we also got a more proactive approach to coaching in spite of this team.

[Westcoasting]

A new GM would want to hire his own choice of a coach, not someone else's choice.

[Bissurnette]

Before this thread gets locked, I want to say that firing Torts would be the wrong move because that's telling the core that it's not their fault. Even though it's nobody's fault but their own.

[nux4lyfe]

Here comes the 'calm' before the storm mods...Get ready for tomorrow!

[TrevorLinden4ever]

A new GM would want to hire his own choice of a coach, not someone else's choice.

The let him hire and fire. What if the new GM wants to keep Torts? Like Gillis did with AV?

[TrevorLinden4ever]

Whoever broke that speculative story about Torts being fired is a douchebag. Totally put me in a shit mood. Thats one of the most honest head coaches we've had!

[BCNeil]

A new GM would want to hire his own choice of a coach, not someone else's choice.

I agree. I am surprised he was not fired the same time as Gillis.

The GM candidates for the team all have their own ideas for what needs to be done to turn the Canucks around. They need a coach that will work with their ideal plan. They shouldn't be modifying their ideal plan to work with one mans coaching style. Especially when that style didn't seem to be a good fit for the team.

Maybe Torts could go to Nashville.

[MJDDawg]

Totally disagree with your post in general.

And that last sentence about publicly demonstrating passion? Couldn't disagree more as it's exactly what we DON'T need.

How many coaches have you seen in the first round of these playoffs have you seen "show passion" as you call it?

Nope, a coach needs to be cool, composed and collected on the bench.

It might not be fair that Torts only gets a year, but he needs to go.

[BCNeil]

The let him hire and fire. What if the new GM wants to keep Torts? Like Gillis did with AV?

I was thinking they already know who the GM will be, and that he would not want to keep Torts.

Otherwise yeah, Linden said it is the GMs job to get the coach, therefore the new GM should at least have the option to address torts. Fire him if he wants.

I don't know, just makes it sound more like they have a wink wink deal with a GM, that can't be talked about now.

[TrevorLinden4ever]

Totally disagree with your post in general.

And that last sentence about publicly demonstrating passion? Couldn't disagree more as it's exactly what we DON'T need.

How many coaches have you seen in the first round of these playoffs have you seen "show passion" as you call it?

Nope, a coach needs to be cool, composed and collected on the bench.

It might not be fair that Torts only gets a year, but he needs to go.

Okay, then go and fire him then.

[TheRussianRocket.]

So when we miss the playoffs next year, do we fire the new coach? At some point we have to realize that we're just not a good enough team and stop taking it out on coaches

really?

This team has been on a downfall since 2011, Torts just happened to be here for the lowest point of that fall this year. He wasn't the reason we got to it

But I don't understand how the same people who got bored of his system now want Trotz (an even more defensive guy).

Torts is not a bad coach and I thought he was decent. This will come back to bite us.

I hope next season when we do just as bad people will understand that the problem wasn't AV, nor Torts, nor the next guy at the helm but the players themselves.

As long as the majority of the core comes back, there will have to be a revolving door installed at the entrance to the coach's office.

2011 Cup loss

2012 first round exit

2013 first round exit Coach fired

2014 no playoffsGM fired Coach

no change in players

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting the same result.

Coaching, much like goaltending has never been this team's problemInteresting to see when / if any players are actually moved since the common denominator in this mess is folks...unfortunately, the playersblame coaches all you want, blame torts all you want.

Torts saw a SOFT TEAM PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY, when he came in here.he assessed the competition and realized with this lineup his players are going to have to learn to play tougher physically and mentally if they want to win a cup - thus he tried to use the regular season to teach them to play the way they need to, to actually win...which they simply whined about and wilted like the wimps hey are...if you disagree, you certainly haven't watched the Anaheim/Dallas series, the LA/SJ series, the way Boston playsjust because he has a team full of whiney pufters was not his fault, its the team full of whiney old pufters...wrong decision

[Toni Zamboni]

firing torts is the right move.

[Fred65]

Torts is The Man

Apparently not.

I'm thinking Linden has either learned or figured Tod McLennan in SJ is likely to be released by Wilson . So they have to be in the position to grab him when he is open on the market.

[TheRussianRocket.]

I think it's hysterical people want Mclellan. You want playoff success? Stay the hell away from Teddy. He hasn't got it done and has been known as arguably the biggest choker in postseason play. Has good regular seasons and subpar postseasons. Sounds oddly similar to a guy we used to have.

But coaching aside, there's a bigger picture most are missing and it's the current players/core can't get it done. Fire and hire coaches all you want, it won't make the players perform Godly unless you get a guy of Mike Babcock's calibre which we won't. It's the player, the players, the players at fault. We'll be the Oilers 2.0 if we give coaches the boot everytime the team under performs. A challenge with a heart and soul coach for the better of everyone and they fold under the pressure. Don't take responsibly and are off the hook. Good grief, this really is insanity. This team won't be a contender unless management makes roster changes folks...

[Bure010]

we fired the coach last year because we had a sub-par season and then had an even worse season...you'd think they'd take a hint from that but guess not

we're going to be even worse next year if they keep blaming everyone else except the players

[Angry Goose]

John Stevens because he advocates the same hard hitting style as Torts lol

[Westcoasting]

I think it's hysterical people want Mclellan. You want playoff success? Stay the hell away from Teddy. He hasn't got it done and has been known as arguably the biggest choker in postseason play. Has good regular seasons and subpar postseasons. Sounds oddly similar to a guy we used to have.

But coaching aside, there's a bigger picture most are missing and it's the current players/core can't get it done. Fire and hire coaches all you want, it won't make the players perform Godly unless you get a guy of Mike Babcock's calibre which we won't. It's the player, the players, the players at fault. We'll be the Oilers 2.0 if we give coaches the boot everytime the team under performs. A challenge with a heart and soul coach for the better of everyone and they fold under the pressure. Don't take responsibly and are off the hook. Good grief, this really is insanity. This team won't be a contender unless management makes roster changes folks...

What makes you think most people don't want big changes to the core? I think most people are expecting big changes and have been for the last couple years. So go preach to Gillis on why he didn't do a thing about it other than fire one coach and hire another.

[BurgerKing]

I hate how he would stand behind the bench, shake his head and have a smirk on his face everytime something bad happened, to me he's saying "i don't know, it's not my fault". Not how to act. Good riddance.

[TheRussianRocket.]

What makes you think most people don't want big changes to the core? I think most people are expecting big changes and have been for the last couple years. So go preach to Gillis on why he didn't do a thing about it other than fire one coach and hire another.

Clearly the organization doesn't if they continually use the coaches as scapegoats for the players failures..

[icetime]

I think firing Torts would be the worst move this team has done in a long time. So here's my piece defending our head coach. Remember, this guy could've told any beatoff reporter here to go frack themselves, but he didn't, and still he gets the short end of the stick. A bunch of bull.

Torts is The Man

Can a coaching change really make a difference to winning? This is a legitimate question when it comes to the Canucks but in acknowledgment of a coach who wears his heart on his sleeve and gives it his all, the answer is as follows: A coaching change was needed last season, but the coach today is far from the problem.

Since that heartbreak loss in game 7 in the 2011 finals, the Canucks have bowed out of each of the first rounds in the playoffs.

As far as 2014 goes, rather than point the finger at Torts, it would be better to place your money on the fact that the real issues lie with the players on the ice and the inability to live up to and further build on the 2011 success run. However more than anything, with the crash in the last couple games of the finals, 2011 is often regarded as less of a success story to build upon than the sudden onset of an underlying imbalance of the team and subsequent trades or lack thereof have failed to provide a support cast for the main core. The team in the 2011 finals, far from the spirited run in ’94, was highlighted as follows: The Sedin’s were pushed around like Barbie dolls without a Tom Sestito to answer to, Burrows gave the Vancouver beat jocks an easy pass to “tabloid lane” with his “biting” conduct (which only created bad coverage and gave the Toronto media a platform to rile up their hate on the Canucks), all while the team just didn’t come together to get the job done and take it when they had it in the bag.

Another side of the story is, however, on-ice coaching decisions by the former coach which were never scrutinized compared to the personal scrutiny of John Tortorella before he landed on the west coast. Vigneault was far less transactional and reactionary, never really tweeking line combinations or special units. Keeping Burrows off the power play on a consistent basis stymied the production flow seen by the tandem chemistry of the first line, and prioritizing both Kesler and Burrows for double duty on the PK didn’t optimize offensive productivity of the two breadwinners. Along with the organic structure of the team, these are also important things to consider when it comes to the failure of June 2011. The only difference now is the big four (Sedins, Kesler, Burrows) have been hampered all season with injuries and with a lack of minor league depth, replacements have not lived up to the billing. To that end, some serious additions by a new GM could happen this summer, whether it be for guys clawing their way in the minors and itching to, unlike June 2011, just take it, or a deadweight with a big contract and nothing to lose. Hopefully history doesn’t repeat itself a la Booth, Ballard or Garrison. All in all though, what we needed more than anything at the very least, was a coach who publicly demonstrated more passion and ego than what Vigneault was able to offer. As has been exemplified this past season, we also got a more proactive approach to coaching in spite of this team.

Torts was the biggest mistake in Canuck history. He had to apologize for his behavior to the press when he took the job. At the same time he promised he would never do it again. Within months he was looking for a fight in the locker room. His arrogance was obvious from the outset. He never took repsonsibilty for his terrible decisions. The best he could offer for his new regime when he took the job was that "We are going to block shot" and 'We may not win many games but we will be tought to play against." His blocked shot nonsense cause Burr to lose a grate deal of the season. I won't comment on the other quote. The fans in New York booed him when he returned with the Canucks to play the Rangers. Torts is well past his era.

Linden siad he has a vision for the future, Obviously Torts was not part of that vision. Thank goodness. I'm happy. Hopefully San Jose will make the same dumb decision about thier coach the Canucks did about AV and there will be a greta coach on the market.