Fire Eakins (Part II) - AKA: The Official Coaching Thread

[nabob]

Still don't think he's a bad coach at all, but clearly he isn't ready to be an NHL coach yet. The losses and his record is deceiving IMO. The team has worked hard and has actually been much better defensively than previous years. It's just when they make a mistake, it's a big one. And when it happens, it changes the game. They aren't getting out shot and hemmed in their own zone all game anymore either. That has to mean something positive in this nightmare I suppose. If only they could have won their many close games they've been in this year. They'd probably be around .500 right now. Pretty much what the critics were saying. Basically they've played a lot better than there record indicates. IMO of course.

So what you're saying is that "visually they are an improved team"

The team sucks, their records indicates perfectly how poorly they have played.

 

[Quinteoilers]

Paul Maclean said "you have to win" and that you don't just get to hang around when you can't in his departure news conference. Someone should have asked him what he thinks about the Oilers.

Winning is optional when coaching the Oilers, it's all about the process....

 

[MrM]

I think that Eakins will be fired after Christmas. They are setting the table for him to be the fall guy. Don't get me wrong, he should be fired, but he's not the only one.

 

[RuneMcEres]

with Babcock wanting more player personnel control [given his latest spat with Holland of Oullet], I wonder if he's holding out for Oilers GM/coach double duties

Perhaps Nicholson planted seeds during Babcock's Hockey Canada stuff

Just hand him the keys. Give the man complete control. Babcock is on record saying he won't sign a new contract during the season. It really looks like he may be an option, and the MacT and Eakins are lame ducks for the remainder of the season.

 

[Faelko]

5 points back of Buffalo a third of the way through the season... Yeah, he needs to go, they all do.

 

[McShogun99]

5 points back of Buffalo a third of the way through the season... Yeah, he needs to go, they all do.

What's sad is that Buffalo went into this season trying to tank. We went in aiming to be a playoff team. Shows the mental fortitude of the players on the Oilers as well as what may be the worst coach in franchise history.

 

[Playa Hejda]

What's sad is that Buffalo went into this season trying to tank. We went in aiming to be a playoff team. Shows the mental fortitude of the players on the Oilers as well as what may be the worst coach in franchise history.

I believe we went into the season aiming to be competitive for one of the last playoff spots. The Oilers were very careful not to raise expectations too high this summer.

 

[McShogun99]

I believe we went into the season aiming to be competitive for one of the last playoff spots. The Oilers were very careful not to raise expectations too high this summer.

I hope next years expectations are "not last place."

 

[redgrant]

I actually dont know if its even possible for MacT to fire Eakins this season after all his votes of confidence.

The rumor mill has Eakins leaving in January if things dont improve but honestly how is that even possible?

MacT put on a big presser stating that there have been too many changes and Eakins isnt going anywhere.
He said that Eakins is a 10 year man.

Obviously I think MacT is an idiot for such over the top comments and now boxing himself into a corner but how can he do anything after going so over the top?

"Bold moves" all over again?

 

[Playa Hejda]

I hope next years expectations are "not last place."

That's still not out of the question for this year!! Dare to dream, shogun, dare to dream.

 

[sepHF]

with Babcock wanting more player personnel control [given his latest spat with Holland of Oullet], I wonder if he's holding out for Oilers GM/coach double duties

Perhaps Nicholson planted seeds during Babcock's Hockey Canada stuff

I thought that whole spat was pretty funny... I mean I get where Babcock is coming from, I would rather have Oullet over Lashoff or Kindl but Detroit has been SO GOOD at developing players, I wouldn't question Holland in that regard.

 

[Throttlehead]

Here's an underrated MacT quote from the press conference when he was hired, that seemed to slip under the radar because Lowe lost his mind immediately afterwards:

"Well I think any time you win five Stanley Cups there's a certain amount of mess that comes on the tail end on all that success. It's the cyclical nature of the business. We kinda semi-jokingly talk about the price we're still paying for all that success in the 80s and the early 90s that still has a residual effect over where we are right now."

Yes, this idiot is blaming the stupidity of management and why the team is in the sewer on championships they won over a quarter of a century ago.

McTavish also said that Gagner (in Gagner's rookie season) reminded him of and played like a player we used to have in Edmonton (referring to Gretzky).

Well we swapped current Wayne Gretzky for Teddy Purcell.

Internet MBA McTavish is no smarter.

 

[Del Preston]

 

[WayneGreatzky]

Watch all the wins start coming in the '15 part of the 2014/15 season and the Oilers play themselves out of the McEichel sweeptakes AND earn 2 more years of Eakins...

#BecauseOilers

 

[smackdaddy]

Watch all the wins start coming in the '15 part of the 2014/15 season and the Oilers play themselves out of the McEichel sweeptakes AND earn 2 more years of Eakins...

#BecauseOilers

That would be a Leafs level of failure. Might be even worse - false hope

 

[Bps21*]

What's sad is that Buffalo went into this season trying to tank. We went in aiming to be a playoff team. Shows the mental fortitude of the players on the Oilers as well as what may be the worst coach in franchise history.

I don't believe either of these statements to be true.

Buffalo went into this season looking to bring a lockerroom change to make the team stop sitting around with their heads down and provide an atmosphere to best develop their young players. They knew they weren't going to be good...but they also were in a spot where their best assets are mostly young. That they are winning more lately is because they have three 20 or younger guys who are playing great, and since they have no offensive skill nolan is pushing them to block shots, hit everything and outwork the opponents who nightly are way better than them. That was what they came into the season wanting to do. Change the culture. They weren't going to put the young players in over their head (even Girgensons started on the third line, ristolainen on the bottom pair and zadorov couldn't even get on the ice). They earned their way up as was the plan. You can't go into a season looking to lose. Or you ruin those guys. What's most important to buffalo is that when Reinhart, armia,grigorenko, Pysyk, McCabe, whoever they do get drafting this year, and whoever survives all the other prospect depth they've been acquiring join the team...theyare coming into a culture of hard work, accountability, and belief.

Fans wanted them to finish last. Sure. But we don't run the team.

And I'll believe Edmonton was trying to compete for a playoff spot when someone comes up with a reason Draisaitl is there that doesn't include the phrase "we don't have better center options". It tells it's own story.

 

[Wheathead]

I don't believe either of these statements to be true.

Buffalo went into this season looking to bring a lockerroom change to make the team stop sitting around with their heads down and provide an atmosphere to best develop their young players. They knew they weren't going to be good...but they also were in a spot where their best assets are mostly young. That they are winning more lately is because they have three 20 or younger guys who are playing great, and since they have no offensive skill nolan is pushing them to block shots, hit everything and outwork the opponents who nightly are way better than them. That was what they came into the season wanting to do. Change the culture. They weren't going to put the young players in over their head (even Girgensons started on the third line, ristolainen on the bottom pair and zadorov couldn't even get on the ice). They earned their way up as was the plan. You can't go into a season looking to lose. Or you ruin those guys. What's most important to buffalo is that when Reinhart, armia,grigorenko, Pysyk, McCabe, whoever they do get drafting this year, and whoever survives all the other prospect depth they've been acquiring join the team...theyare coming into a culture of hard work, accountability, and belief.

Fans wanted them to finish last. Sure. But we don't run the team.

And I'll believe Edmonton was trying to compete for a playoff spot when someone comes up with a reason Draisaitl is there that doesn't include the phrase "we don't have better center options". It tells it's own story.

The Oilers have had their eye on McDavid since free agency didn't turn out for them.

Watch, now they're going to draft 5 centres this coming draft.

 

[Pablo Aimar]

And I'll believe Edmonton was trying to compete for a playoff spot when someone comes up with a reason Draisaitl is there that doesn't include the phrase "we don't have better center options". It tells it's own story.

There is a very clear reason: MacTavish is a nimrod.

 

[Bps21*]

We had the same thing happen here with grigorenko. Darcy regier never filled the hole and we killed grigorenko making him play on a bad team. It took until this year for him to start turning around from ...oh no...to hey maybe he can make it.

Though I do think higher of Draisaitl than I do of grigorenko as a player.

 

[oobga]

Was just thinking back to how quick Eakins was to take credit for the win vs Tampa and how it was his "system" and how that win confirmed the system works perfectly with this group. Someone should ask him to follow up his thoughts from that win.

 

[Lay Z Boy GM]

Was just thinking back to how quick Eakins was to take credit for the win vs Tampa and how it was his "system" and how that win confirmed the system works perfectly with this group. Someone should ask him to follow up his thoughts from that win.

The key to that win against Tampa Bay was Marincin with Fayne.

I bet if we had Marincin-Petry and Klefbom-fayne we might win 2 in a row.

 

[McAsuno]

The key to that win against Tampa Bay was Marincin with Fayne.

I bet if we had Marincin-Petry and Klefbom-fayne we might win 2 in a row.

In order to win, you always ice your best players. Its clear they're not, because they don't want to stay out of bottom 2 to draft McEichel. Disgraceful.

 

[Beerfish]

The MacT-Eakins coaching duo (and this is how I view it, if you think Eakins is not going to mact for help/feedback every second day you are naive.) has a number of big flaws.

1) They think they are smarter than they are and feel that system is more important to winning than the basics and the players on the ice. The team is 100% reactive and not proactive. This was hilighted again the other day when a media guy asked Eakins about the players not going to the net. Eakins stated that it's more complex than that and if teams take that away you have to go to the outside. Teams love playing us, take something important away and instead of us being proactive and finding a way to beat their move just go to plan B.

2) They have zero ability to get the best out of their players and play to their strengths. Coach A sees a guy like Yakupov and says, this guy is dangerous we need to get him the puck and find a way to hid any defensive problems. This duo says we have to break this player down, make him play defense and our system and cure him of these offensive irresponsiblites.

3) The mind bendingly poor way they handle toughness. At a point when the team is out of it year after year they discourage tough reaction and force players to ask for permission to take other teams players to task and will always take a 2 minute pp over sending a message. The result? The team gets bullied, the team doesn't stick up for each other, star players have to fight and risk injury. Just a total fail of a concept. Want to know when the Islanders started to turn the corner a bit? A few years back when after being bullied for years they broguht up goon after goon and beat the hell out of the other team and took the suspensions and majors.

 

[Consultant]

Still nothing??? Come on MacT, enough.

 

[frag2]

I thought that whole spat was pretty funny... I mean I get where Babcock is coming from, I would rather have Oullet over Lashoff or Kindl but Detroit has been SO GOOD at developing players, I wouldn't question Holland in that regard.

Well, having a Hall of Famer D for 20+ years definitely makes developing and sheltering players easier, more so for up and coming D.