Is it time for a new coach?

[afan]

The Canucks will lose many more games blowing 2 or even 3 goal leads under this cowardly , too afraid to lose, coach AV.

Whenever Vancouver has a lead, the entire team usually skates like crazy in their own zone chasing the puck trying to clear the zone. But once the puck enters the offensive zone, all Vancouver forwards will go for a quick change all at the same time. By the time Vancouver completes the change, the puck is again in the Vancouver zone and the same process will repeat itself until sooner or later the puck ends in the Canucks net. This is how Vancouver could manage to have only 2 shots in the 3rd period while Schneider had to face 13 shots tonite vs the Blues. A 3 or even 4 goals cushion will never be enough for the Canucks to win if they constantly giveaway the puck during the change.

AV should keep the last forward going for the change to stay on ice pressuring the puck in the offensive zone so that the fresh legs don't have to start playing in their own zone all the time. Blowing leads has become the trade mark of this team and things are not going to change unless all 3 subpar coaches are gone.

[Bodee]

Debatable. But now is not the time anyway. It will make NO difference. What I said in a different thread:

And replace him with who?

Because Lindy Ruff is going to fair so much better with a bottom six of Lapierre, Pinnizotto, Ebbett, Weise, Schroeder and Sestito.

Furthermore, Hansen is generally not a top six winger. Nor is Higgins. And both of them are playing in those roles.

Daniel's complete inability to score is not the fault of AV.

A change may be in order eventually, but:

1) Now is not the time

2) Given AV's record and resume with this team, you must give him the chance to turn it around with a healthy line up.

[Baggins]

Last night it was the case evidently. At least Backstrom thought so.

Kevin Woodley ‏@KevinisInGoal

As happy as #Canucks seem w/ chances generated worth noting Nik Backstrom found it relatively easy, saying saw everything + rebounds cleared

[cc_devil]

Av almost cost the team again with his defend a lead till the end crap. 3 shots in the third.??

Note to AV " If you keep attacking its not as hard to defend a lead, Plus you might have more than 2 shots"

Av and his staff go to go for their brainless uninteresting same old boring system alone!

[MikeyD]

A good coach wouldn't have been playing the dump and change in the third period. At least send one man in.

[combover]

yes. brown should have been replaced a while ago 1 trick pony we have one of the worst pp in the league. AV has his players playing this system that basically takes them out of the game if there up in the third dump it in and stand around. his in ability to make adjustments has cost this team in the playoffs and the obvious misuse of others to put them in positions to fail instead of thrive. why booth and kassian weren't used on the pp in front of the net is criminal big bodies that actually go to the net.

he also throws his players under the bus more than any other coach i've seen Hodgson back isn't really hurt(later asks for a trade) kesler looks good to go(two sholder and wrist sureries) schoder isn't performing(4th line).... Schieders the number 1 even thou louie got them to the playoffs.

[TheCammer]

If we were to get rid of AV, Lindy Ruff would be my choice as new coach.

[RUPERTKBD]

"In the 2009-10 season, the Panthers struggled, as they finished with a 32-37-13 record, earning 77 points, and last place in the Southeast Division. The 77 points was the lowest point total by the Panthers since 2003-04. The Panthers continued to struggle in the 2010-11 season, as Florida finished in last place in the Eastern Conference with a 30-40-12 record, earning 72 points. After the season, the Panthers fired DeBoer with one year remaining on his contract.^[1]"

Um... you do know that Dineen replaced DeBoer as the coach starting last season and led them to 3rd in the conference right?

So are you a proponent that we should change coaches because it will have an immediate impact?

The only thing you can ask from your post is whether the great results Dineen produced last year compared to this year was whether the coaching change only made an immediate impact rather than a sustained one?

That would then involve more variables like is Dineen actually a good coach or was spark all he brought to the team last year which was good enough for 3rd in conference?

[RUPERTKBD]

Last night it was the case evidently. At least Backstrom thought so.

Kevin Woodley ‏@KevinisInGoal

As happy as #Canucks seem w/ chances generated worth noting Nik Backstrom found it relatively easy, saying saw everything + rebounds cleared

[RUPERTKBD]

It's awesome, Rupert is a proponent of AV yet his arguments actually support those that dislike AV

1) He said the Canucks have played well in the past 8 games by firing 35 shots on goal (actual stats is 31.5)

[CanucksJay]

I'm not sure how you got on to this bit about the coaching change. My post was in response to someone suggesting that good coaches rise above team injuries and pointing at the Senators as confirmation. I mentioned Florida because they clearly have not been able to.

[Baggins]

HAHA good point and well put

When I saw Baggins' links, I was like ... what's the point of those links?

Hodgson showed more class than the writers as well

[snucks]

Obviously Gillis is totally satisfied with his coach. That is sad. Maybe though he has started looking for a new coach.Maybe Aquilinni has started looking for a new manager. Who knows. It seems the team has been not playing as well as they can. Why ? The players are getting older and there is not much of a future because the management is not rebuilding. This is why they can't muster the wins the way they used to. Old team, old coaching style, manager who was a player agent, poor draft choices because of ending too high in the standings, etc. It is really bad management that squandered their chance to win it all.

[Red Light Racicot]

Actually the links comfirms what MG said about how long he'd been dealing with Cody and his agent about ice time. Which started before he even played a game for the team. It also points out several contradictions from his agent who then went back and deleted the tweets. Yet you choose to believe what you want when those contradictions would indicate a less than honest person. Cody has no reason to be a primadonna in Buffalo as he has what he wanted there in ice time. It wasn't going to happen here behind an Art Ross winner and a Selke winner. He wasn't happy with his role here and didn't have the patience to try and earn it. How many prospects go through three agents before even playing an NHL game? Red flag. How many prospects have their daddy calling the GM wanting his little boys ice time increased? Red flag. You can believe what you want, but put it all together and I don't blame MG for wanting Cody and his crew out of his hair.

[RUPERTKBD]

OR, the mere fact that Florida was last in the conference just 2 seasons ago might suggest they overachieved last year finishing 3rd because of the immediate impact of a coaching change and they've come back down to their regular standards

Lol semantics... I guess maybe I have higher standards because when I say solid, I mean that they played very well or even great.

Does solid mean average to you? Or did you want to go through the different degrees of what solid could mean?

Main point is, you said "solid" to infer the losses came as a result of above average goaltending from the other team so let's stop trying to change the scope of the argument.

Hahaha, out of those games, Bobrovsky's the only one that actually played well against the Canucks. Niemi and Howard played how they normally play. So what are you batting now... .500 at best?

I thought they lost to Calgary because of Taylor's "solid" performance...FLIP FLOP FLIP FLOP

Well I'm glad you can see that AV's strategy was ridiculous in the 3rd. Even TSN was commenting on it. The problem is, it's like he has amnesia because he does this strategy over and over again

[Vansicle]

I believe what you say is true. That being said it might not work for any team, for example the Maple Leafs as Brian Burke said, shortly after replacing Ron Wilson "fell off the cliff." Of course it can change too, Pittsburgh won the cup in 2009 after replacing Therrien, (who is currently the head coach of the Habs) I personally don't think it's the coach, but the team needs to be improved.

[CanucksJay]

1 - It's possible. But since they have been decimated by injuries and their goaltending has been terrible, it's impossible to say for sure.

2 - I say solid as in he made the saves that he should have. Then I pointed out that Luongo did not. Whether you have a different interpretation of what solid goaltending is, really makes no difference to me.

I didn't claim that those solid games were the reason for the loss, either. I claimed that they were better performances than the Canucks goalies gave.

3 - I totally disagree that the Niemi and Howard games weren't outstanding. Whether you agree with that or not, I can't imagine anyone claiming that they weren't better than Vancouver's. Well above .500....

4 - I didn't claim they lost because of Taylor's performance. They lost because Luongo couldn't outplay him. No filp flopping whatsoever.

5 - I always say something when I disagree with coaching moves. It's the AV haters who can't seem to see that there are positives as well as negatives.

[RUPERTKBD]

So to me, after reading your points, it basically seems like you are saying in the 8 games, the opposing goalies outplayed ours and that's why we lost?

Seriously read your post. That's pretty much what you are saying...

[CanucksJay]

I'm saying it was a large part of the problem. Nothing is ever absolute. For example, I thought the loss in Minnesota was a bad game all around.

What I take issue with, is this seemingly ubiquitous opinion that the Canucks aren't trying, playing lazy and/or have quit on the coach. I absolutely disagree that this is the case.

Further to the point of goaltending, last night Schneider was outstanding and the main reason the Canucks won the game. How long has it been since we've seen one of our goaltenders put up a performance like that?

[thad]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=w0T66eiat3E

Get this guy.. He doesn't think too highly of sticks but his passion can't be matched. Judging by the end he might have a bit of AV Rome syndrome but you can't put a price on 3 generations of coaching.