Craig Berube

[Curufinwe]

I thought we should have a general thread to discuss the current coach, and I'll start it off with what I think is Bill Meltzer's most direct criticism of him to date.

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Bill...y-Unit-Practice-Updates-Alumni--More/45/63621

When Lecavalier returned, Schenn was moved back to the second power play unit and to Sean Couturier's line at 5-on-5.

The second unit remains an utter mess right now. Matt Read is playing with very little offensive confidence right now. Couturier needs to be more assertive when he has power play time. Schenn's success has been sporadic when he's been on the second unit. Michael Del Zotto has done better in his career as the off-point option rather than a power play quarterback. Nick Schultz has gotten power play time by default with Andrew MacDonald injured.

Something that puzzles me: When Flyers head coach Craig Berube has dressed Jason Akeson for games this season, he has avoided using the player on the power play. I don't get it. If there is one thing Akeson does truly well at the pro level, it's work the power pay. Putting aside the question of whether Akeson can adapt to a fourth-line role at even strength, it seems like a no-brainer to give him ice time on the secondary unit (stationed in the left half-boards role that Claude Giroux plays on the top unit).

If it were my choice to make, the second unit would consist of Lecavalier, Akeson, Umberger, Del Zotto and Read. Schenn would go back to the top unit, at least for the time being. Even though Lecavalier is the better pure sniper, Schenn is better suited to the former "Scott Hartnell spot" in the way the top unit rotates the puck.

A coach has to work with what the hand he's been dealt but also put his players in the best position to succeed. I don't think Berube has done that with Akeson or, to a lesser extent, with Umberger. In the bigger picture, revising the second-unit personnel for a few games seems worth a look because what the Flyers have there right now is simply not working.

Click to read more...

 

[dats81]

Some Coaches emphasize on players having to earn PP time.
Not sure if Berube ever mentioned it but if so, he probably stands by his words and Umberger has definitely not earned it yet. He does not stand out at all.

Akeson is a different case because it is tough to shine offensively when getting 4th line minutes and many D zone shifts.

 

[RJ8812*]

I don't think he's ready to be a HC now, but I don't think any coach can do much with the mess we have on the blue line

 

[flyershockey]

Yes, Berube has been trying to jam square pegs into round holes since last year. The Vinny fiasco is about the only thing I give him a pass for though. He's tried him in a bunch of spots, and nothing has really worked better than just not having him in the lineup.

I'm not a huge Akeson fan, but it is pretty dumb that Berube hasn't tried him at all on the powerplay. That's about the ony place that Akeson could be a real asset to an NHL roster.

My biggest complaints about Berube are his bench management and how only certain players are held responsible for their level of play. Those topics have obviously been beaten to death around here.

I'll give him some credit for getting them in shape after he took over for Lavy last year. That and the fact that he generally has preached becoming a puck possession team, though he doesn't really have the players on the roster to make it work as well as he wants.

 

[dats81]

The whole discussion is based on observations.

Noone can provide insider information, noone knows how the assistent Coaches and Berube work as a team, i.e. who stands for what actions.

Some roster decisions earlier this season were actually encouraging like not carrying an enforcer, keeping Akeson (although not dressing him every game), more responsibilities to the Couturier line, practicing the shootout more even though to no countable outcome.
But is this Berube's way of adjusting or more due to Lappy's or Gord Murphy's rising influence? And is Berube the right choice to work with this roster and how the NHL evolves?

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

Someone from The Fourth Period tweeted earlier about Petr Straka as a player to watch, maybe Akeson is going to be sent down in favor of Straka? Complete and utter speculation on a tweet that made no reference to my conclusion...but maybe Berube is just not feeling Akeson? Shakeup coming?

 

[Curufinwe]

Straka is even less likely to be a 4th liner than Akeson.

 

[dats81]

Soft as toilet paper and often injured.

 

[BringBackHakstol]

Berube has simply not been icing the best possible lineups and not maximizing this team's players to the greatest possible extent.

The PK pairing have been getting weird, the PP decisions especially against the Panthers, were quite obviously not the best possible set up.

At even strength, we are icing a gimped 4th line and not getting our most productive players the proper amount of ice time.

This team isn't great but it's being handicapped by illogical decisions by Berube

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

Straka is even less likely to be a 4th liner than Akeson.

Maybe that's the point. Perhaps Berube doesn't see Akeson a legit NHL player so rather than moving him up where his offensive talents are better suited, he will send him down in favor of Straka who may get the opportunity to play in the top 9 and someone will get moved down to the 4th line.

Again this is complete speculation. Just spitballing.

 

[Vikke]

He's not a good coach. Simple as that.

 

[JDinkalage Morgoone]

Agreed about Akeson on the PP. He has decent enough vision to be able to play the PP. Not sold on him being a 4th liner. He has shown SOME glimpses of offensive upside this season though, he has a pretty decent shot.

 

[RJ8812*]

Akeson has creativity that would be useful on the 2nd PP since that line is just a huge mess. Why Umberger is there, I have no idea

 

[CSKA1974]

He's not a good coach. Simple as that.

I would say he is not an experienced enough coach to manage the team as constructed. Additionally, I do not believe, that his perception of the game allows him to put players in the best possible positions.

I am afraid, that the team will quit on him soon.

 

[BillDineen]

Don't like Schultz on PP2 and didn't like MacD either. No Akeson was a head scratcher.

I don't mind B.Schenn on PP1. If Akeson dressed, I would like to see.

Akeson in G's spot.
Vinny in Voracek's spot.
Couturier in Simmonds spot.
Umberger/Read in the high slot spot.
MDZ

I think Couturier can be effective in traffic (PP and even strength), but he needs to be told to go there. His role on the right boards on PP2 is very ineffective and he wasn't great on the point in the past. I am a bit tired of always seeing him on the perimeter even though part of it even strength is him wanting to be able to cover defensively.

 

[BillDineen]

Akeson has creativity that would be useful on the 2nd PP since that line is just a huge mess. Why Umberger is there, I have no idea

He wasn't last game.

 

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

I'm willing to give Berube the benefit of the doubt here. It's clear that this year is all about keeping their "heads above water" so to speak, so I get why he's not using all the players he can. I'm sure he and Hextall have talked about this year being a transition year and that they're basically running a year long test to see who can function in what role and who ever can't, won't be back next year.

As for Berube not being ready to be a head coach, he's been an assistant in the AHL for two seasons (2004 - 2005, 2005 - 2006), an assitant coach in the NHL for multiple seasons (2006 - 2007, 2007 - 2008, 2008 - 2009, 2009 - 2010, 2010 - 2011, 2011 - 2012, 2012 - 2013) and was a head coach in the AHL for the 2007 - 2008 season and has been the Flyers head coach for most of the 2013 - 2014 season up to now. I don't know how much more time he needed to prove he can handle a head coaching position.

I think what Berube needed was some experienced assistants who had head coaching experience in the past. That's what kind of perplexes me about the Flyers letting John Paddock walk or why they haven't brought up Terry Murray to assist him. I think having someone who can help him with line matching and lineups would have been ideal for him.

Anyways, I think it's fair to give Berube a chance to see what he can do with a lineup full of players that he'll help have a say in. He was given a mess of a situation to deal with last year and he managed to dig the Flyers out of a mess. I think he's earned enough to have the benefit of the doubt with regards to what he's trying to accomplish.

 

[Funf]

Don't like Schultz on PP2 and didn't like MacD either. No Akeson was a head scratcher.

I don't mind B.Schenn on PP1. If Akeson dressed, I would like to see.

Akeson in G's spot.
Vinny in Voracek's spot.
Couturier in Simmonds spot.
Umberger/Read in the high slot spot.
MDZ

I think Couturier can be effective in traffic (PP and even strength), but he needs to be told to go there. His role on the right boards on PP2 is very ineffective and he wasn't great on the point in the past. I am a bit tired of always seeing him on the perimeter even though part of it even strength is him wanting to be able to cover defensively.

This is what I would suggest, except I think you'd need to switch Couturier to the high slot, and put Umberger or Read down low. Handedness plays a big part in where guys play on the PP.

Edit: Unless you're suggesting that the PP would run through Vinny and not Akeson, in which case, what you said!

 

[YEM]

He's not a good coach. Simple as that.

Team is not very good either which means it's not so simple as that...

 

[BillDineen]

This is what I would suggest, except I think you'd need to switch Couturier to the high slot, and put Umberger or Read down low. Handedness plays a big part in where guys play on the PP.

Edit: Unless you're suggesting that the PP would run through Vinny and not Akeson, in which case, what you said!

Not Vinny, I prefer the puck on his stick for only enough time to let it rip. Read would match down low and Couturier high compared to PP1. Read has good hands. Not sure if he could handle the physical part though. Couturier has shown a good shot in the past (his 5 gm streak couple years ago as an example that comes to mind).

 

[Funf]

Not Vinny, I prefer the puck on his stick for only enough time to let it rip. Read would match down low and Couturier high compared to PP1. Read has good hands. Not sure if he could handle the physical part though. Couturier has shown a good shot in the past (his 5 gm streak couple years ago as an example that comes to mind).

Okay, that's what I thought! Then the 2nd unit would run almost identical to the first.

Couts still flashes that shot. He had that nice one off the post against Tampa the other night, which is one of the reasons I want him in the slot. He's also willing to go in front for deflections like Hartnell used to.

The only reason I don't want Read in that position is because he's a righty. I like Read a lot and want him to get PP time, but I don't think you can justify playing him over Lecavalier on the right wall. So that's why I'm saying down low, although Umberger might be a better choice...

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

Akeson has creativity that would be useful on the 2nd PP since that line is just a huge mess. Why Umberger is there, I have no idea

dat veteran presence man.

 

[Flyerfan4life]

I would say he is not an experienced enough coach to manage the team as constructed. Additionally, I do not believe, that his perception of the game allows him to put players in the best possible positions.

I am afraid, that the team will quit on him soon.

this is about how i see it to..

i've been saying it for awhile... Berube simply isnt the right HC for a big market town like Philly..

sadly i fully suspect we'll be stuck with him for this entire season regardless of how bad the team plays..

 

[BillDineen]

As to Berube, not everything he does is questionable. He has given the replacement minutes to those who have stepped up, Schultz and MDZ which has been effective as possible under the current situation.

I personally would have liked to have seen Read/Couturier/Simmonds and B. Schenn is LW on the G line longer, but Raffl at least has been good.

 

[bennysflyers16]

He appears to have done a great job with the teams fitness and has got quite a bit out of the defense.

But his personnel decisions is where is old way of thinking is killing him. Zac getting ice time in 3rd when down goals, Gross in OT, and forcing Vinny to spots that don't work. He really needs to try him in the press box as their are guys that fill more specific roles we nee over what Vinny brings. Akeson on 2nd unit also makes sense as it is something he is good at and the 2nd unit is one of the biggest problems on the team