Dallas Eakins fired, Nelson named HC, MacTavish named interim

Beukeboom Fan

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Feb 27, 2002
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On this horrible stretch. 15 losses in 16 games. 11 were one goal games (2 of which had an empty netter at the end of the game). The Oilers did have a tonne of 1-goal game losses. That doesn't mean they were playing well though. The team was playing awful, unmotivated, sloppy hockey.

Agree with this. Just from my perspective - most hockey games are 1 goals games, so losing by 1 while getting pretty consistently getting outplayed isn't exactly a "moral victory".

And while I really dislike the Oilers braintrust, and optically it's bad for one of the "good old boys" to take over as coach (even temporarily), from my perspective MacT is at least a legit NHL coach, something that Eakins wasn't. MacT did a pretty good job as Oilers coach for something like 8 years, and for much of that time the Oilers had a pretty significant talent gap with the rest of the league.

I guess I look at it like MacT knows a hell of a lot more about coaching than GM'ing, and I don't see why so many posters in this thread are making it out like MacT will be a total moron behind the bench. Obviously, he's done a poor job as the Oilers GM with addressing the issues (coaching, center depth, legit top 4 dmen, etc.) but that doesn't necessarily mean he'll be terrible as the coach.
 

Eb

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Feb 27, 2011
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Agree with this. Just from my perspective - most hockey games are 1 goals games, so losing by 1 while getting pretty consistently getting outplayed isn't exactly a "moral victory".

And while I really dislike the Oilers braintrust, and optically it's bad for one of the "good old boys" to take over as coach (even temporarily), from my perspective MacT is at least a legit NHL coach, something that Eakins wasn't. MacT did a pretty good job as Oilers coach for something like 8 years, and for much of that time the Oilers had a pretty significant talent gap with the rest of the league.

I guess I look at it like MacT knows a hell of a lot more about coaching than GM'ing, and I don't see why so many posters in this thread are making it out like MacT will be a total moron behind the bench. Obviously, he's done a poor job as the Oilers GM with addressing the issues (coaching, center depth, legit top 4 dmen, etc.) but that doesn't necessarily mean he'll be terrible as the coach.

You answered your own question in the bolded.
 

Unlimited Chequing

Christian Yellow
Jan 29, 2009
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Holy crap, Eakin's exit new conference was 24 minutes long? He sure loves the sound of his voice.

He kisses the organization's ass because he knows he's up for a job in the front office haha
 

winnipegger

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Dec 17, 2013
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Geez Dallas why the heck did you do a 25 minute long press conference after getting fired. It's just awkward. You need to step aside and move out of the limelight for the best of everyone.

big sigh
 

Freudian

Clearly deranged
Jul 3, 2003
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Geez Dallas why the heck did you do a 25 minute long press conference after getting fired. It's just awkward. You need to step aside and move out of the limelight for the best of everyone.

big sigh

The audience for the press conference was the other 29 NHL teams. He wanted to show that he's employable because he's not a guy that throws his former employers or players under the bus.
 

MarkGio

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Nov 6, 2010
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I don't think Eakins will ever get another coaching job. The water bottle incident was absolutely ridiculous. Eakins made it seem like Taylor Hall garden hosed turned on a fire hydrant and tried to drown the bench.

But I agree that the record isn't on Eakins. The whole organization has been garbage for years - it can't be the new guys fault.
 

DFC

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I don't think Eakins will ever get another coaching job. The water bottle incident was absolutely ridiculous. Eakins made it seem like Taylor Hall garden hosed turned on a fire hydrant and tried to drown the bench.

But I agree that the record isn't on Eakins. The whole organization has been garbage for years - it can't be the new guys fault.

He'll get an AHL job again, or a job somewhere, and he'll build a reputation again. The fact that he went out praising MacT is going to look good to whatever GM might have to fire him next.
 

Del Preston

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Mar 8, 2013
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I could totally see this. Always seemed like Mactavish had a soft spot for Eakins.

Wasn't it between Eakins and Maurice for the role? Sounded like Mactavish pushed hard for Eakins.
iirc they both were interviewed for an assistant position (Eakins for Krueger, and then Maurice for Eakins). MacTavish fell in love with Eakins during the interview and offered him the head coaching position.
 

LGB51

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Oct 9, 2013
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I wonder what a behind closed doors conversation between Oilers players sounds like right now about this team? I'd love to be a fly on the wall in that hotel room :biglaugh:
 

Beerfish

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Apr 14, 2007
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Can't believe he used the word patience. The time to be able to say this came and went a long time ago.

The Oilers for some reason think they get a new 5 year reset each time they fire and then hire a coach, gm, water boy, etc
 

Beukeboom Fan

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You answered your own question in the bolded.

From my perspective what makes this different is that MacT was a competent NHL coach in the past. All of the other "old boys club" moves have been given guys responsibilities that they have not previously shown they were competent to handle. The MacT move at least makes sense from that perspective IMO.

If the Oilers had given the head coaching job to Messier, I would 100% understand the response. But that isn't the situation.
 

Cawz

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Sep 18, 2003
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Oilers will be flying tonight.

MacTavish is a beast!

Eakins must be secretly hoping they continue to falter. How bad would it look if they improved right when they fire him. He'd never work in the NHL again.

Oilers were slowly improving (in a playoff position at the trade dealine for the first time in years) right before he was hired. Then regressed hard to patheticability.
 

Nac Mac Feegle

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Jun 10, 2011
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I don't think Eakins will ever get another coaching job. The water bottle incident was absolutely ridiculous. Eakins made it seem like Taylor Hall garden hosed turned on a fire hydrant and tried to drown the bench.

But I agree that the record isn't on Eakins. The whole organization has been garbage for years - it can't be the new guys fault.

Aw, it wasn't that bad. Coaches have hissy fits behind the bench all the time.
 

Eagle Eye Cherry

guitar player
Feb 19, 2006
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My question in all this,

will Eakins get a coaching job in general, let alone the NHL?

I say yes but not at the NHL level. If it's at NHL level, it will be like assistant coach but not head coach.

I can see him as a head coach on a AHL team. I think his days as a "NHL head coach" are done.
 

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