Speculation: Dan Bylsma Hot Seat Pt. II

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[66871]

Axe axe axe

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Bingo.

Caught Madden yesterday for the first time in a long time. Rossi was telling him how the team will have younger guys next year and how that's a reason to keep Bylsma because he's great at developing young players. Madden said 'oh really . . . like who'. Rossi says 'lots' of young players. Madden says 'name one'.

The thought of Bylsma ******* up Bennett and Despres is not something I look forward to seeing.

Neal. Letang. Only turned into a 1st Team All-Star (in good part due to his insistence to switch wings) and Norris finalist under DB.

No biggie.

 

[#66]

Player development under Bylsma is one thing but have the Pens ever been that great at it? Look at MT's group of prospects. Talbot, Army, MAF, Whits never became the players they should have been and it goes back to Morozov.

Look at Letang. He's an awesome player but he has these huge gaps in his game. He could be so much better if he was developed the right way.

 

[Ugene Magic]

This team most likely won't be a serious contender for a couple of seasons or more. Shero just blew his wad.

Iggy should move along if he wants another real chance next season, but I'm more than happy if he stays. when the roster turnover does happen his normal roster position will open up full time.

Unless Shero is "all in" every single season from here out I'm not expecting to get where they just failed at. The ECF would suggest your coach did a good job and you just hit the wrong team at the wrong time. NOT TRUE, in this case. Dan Blysma single handly pooch a star studded roster full of stubborness.

Personally I think he single handedly sabotaged their chances, but really not without some help from a stubborn Crosby ego having to be with his usual crew. It starts there, the rest of the lineup was fair game outside of Malkin and Neal.

When in doubt though, wip out the Kunitz/neal, Crosby, Malkin line.

Other than game number one/three, truly, the effort/focus wasn't there. Brain fart after brain fart was the norm.

In any normal circumstances you don't fire a coach for getting you to the ECF's, but that's if they had a valliant effort and just lost to a better team. This team lost because they had a bad coach who couldn't make the adjustments or figure them out plus rein in his players until it was too late. Maybe they should have picked up a bench boss to back up the bench boss. Switch him out if the right adjustments are not made. Personally, I don't envy Mario for having to watch this unfold before his eyes, as with Shero. How do you watch series after series go bye with such incompetence.

I'll stop here, the end result should be the release of Dan Blysma. You can't ignore the neutral zone by bypassing it all together. The only two players who could navigate it was Crosby, Malkin, Martin, maybe Letang when his brain is plugged in.

 

[bradshaw06]

Can't really develop guys if you refuse to play them

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Player development under Bylsma is one thing but have the Pens ever been that great at it? Look at MT's group of prospects. Talbot, Army, MAF, Whits never became the players they should have been and it goes back to Morozov.

Look at Letang. He's an awesome player but he has these huge gaps in his game. He could be so much better if he was developed the right way.

Somehow, I don't think it's Bylsma telling Letang to do most of the mind-blowingly stupid things he pulls.

"Alright Tanger, now if the puck's ever above your goalie's head, forget about trying to box out the leading scorer in the playoffs and just swat at the puck with your stick. It's unconventional, but trust me, it'll work".

Martin didn't end up doing these things this year in the same system. Although I'm sure that's due to habits he picked up earlier, since that's basically the explanation for any good thing that occurs under DB.

 

[AquaticBirdman]

Neal. Letang. Only turned into a 1st Team All-Star (in good part due to his insistence to switch wings) and Norris finalist under DB.

No biggie.

So those guys turned into the players they are solely because of DB? I find that hard to believe. Neal was a budding star even before he arrived with us and was planted on a line with one of the best players in the world. Letang wasn't expected to blow up offensively the way he has, but whose to say that that wouldn't have just as easily happened under another coach? Shall we also discuss the amount of young talent he's constantly neglected in favor of aging veterans?

 

[DegenX]

Neal. Letang. Only turned into a 1st Team All-Star (in good part due to his insistence to switch wings) and Norris finalist under DB.

No biggie.

Letang credits Reirden and his teammates.

And Neal developed an unreal chemistry with Geno ... which may not have had a chance to happen if Sid had been in the line-up for any real length of time. Seeing as how DB insisted on keeping Sid with Kunitz and Duper even when it was no longer effective and playing Iggy on his off-wing, it's hard to argue that he would have tried Neal with Geno if his hand hadn't been forced.

 

[Waffle Fries]

Neal. Letang. Only turned into a 1st Team All-Star (in good part due to his insistence to switch wings) and Norris finalist under DB.

No biggie.

I'd say that was in good part to playing alongside Evgeni Malkin.

And as far as Letang 'turning into a Norris finalist under DB' he was only like 21 years old when MT was still here. That was just natural progression because of how talented he is.

Dan has done Letang absolutely no favors.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

So those guys turned into the players they are solely because of DB? I find that hard to believe. Neal was a budding star even before he arrived with us and was planted on a line with one of the best players in the world. Letang wasn't expected to blow up offensively the way he has, but whose to say that that wouldn't have just as easily happened under another coach? Shall we also discuss the amount of young talent he's constantly neglected in favor of aging veterans?

How would one go about proving that?

The fact is that both Letang and Neal did develop under DB, which debunks the misguided idea that no young players have.

 

[KIRK]

Neal. Letang. Only turned into a 1st Team All-Star (in good part due to his insistence to switch wings) and Norris finalist under DB.

No biggie.

ROFL, Letang. Look at the player he was in 2009. Look at the player he is now. If you're telling me that Letang now is even close to where you expected him to be four years ago, then I'll have a double of whatever you're drinking.

And Neal? Yeah, it's switching wings, rather than playing half a season with Malkin and Kunitz, that made him a 1st Team All-Star.

I'd say that was in good part to playing alongside Evgeni Malkin.

And as far as Letang 'turning into a Norris finalist under DB' he was only like 21 years old when MT was still here. That was just natural progression because of how talented he is.

Dan has done Letang absolutely no favors.

Actually, if you'd have told me in 2009 the player that Letang (and Sid and Geno for that matter) would be today, then I'd have been disappointed. Bylsma has stunted, not enhanced, their natural progression as players.

No, I don't want this guy having any part of Bennett or Despres or the next crop of young defensemen coming. He knows guys like Englland. He doesn't know how to harness and teach real talent.

Can't really develop guys if you refuse to play them

Yeah, well that's a problem too. But, you see, he couldn't play them in the playoffs because they didn't have the experience. And, he can't play them consistently during the regular season (a) because Adams and Englland have to play and (b) because it might hurt the Pens chances of winning another February cup.

 

[HotCoffey]

Neal. Letang. Only turned into a 1st Team All-Star (in good part due to his insistence to switch wings) and Norris finalist under DB.

No biggie.

James Neal is a star because of DB? Sure, it had nothing to do with the fact that in Dallas he was a rising star on that team with a do nothing Brad Richards as his center and a never constant left wing. His role on the PP also helped him too.

 

[gordie]

This is what Pens fans are facing. If Bylsma is retained? It means being likeable within the organization trumps competence and that the financial footing of the franchise is so solid they feel they can afford the less than Stanley Cup results from a Bylsma-coached team, so the clique from the 2009 Stanley Cup run can mostly stay intact. In other words, the Consol Energy Center Pittsburgh Penguins are turning into the PNC Park Pittsburgh Pirates of the last 11 years.

 

[Waffle Fries]

So question, if Dan turned Neal into this awesome player by making him switch wings, and it wasn't mostly the fact that he played alongside Evgeni Malkin, then please tell me why Neal is completely useless when Malkin is out of the lineup?

 

[Ugene Magic]

Neal. Letang. Only turned into a 1st Team All-Star (in good part due to his insistence to switch wings) and Norris finalist under DB.

No biggie.

Neal was already developed and a switch in roster spots is not developing. Letang is not a byproduct of Blysma. The same player who makes the same mistakes from his rookie season. I think you have developement confused with natural ability.

 

[Darth Vitale]

There once was a coach named Dan.
All of his players were a fan.
He won 200 quick, with the same old schtick,
but entered the playoffs without plan.

Execute, Go North, Get to Our Game...
New players or old... the result was the same.

First the Leafs, then the Rags, now we're next on the tee.
For us fans and Ray Shero too, the solution is easy to see.

Give Dan the boot, the hook, or the axe.
For this locker room has been far too lax.
For the coach may hold Lord Stanley once more,
But move on he must before adding to his lore.






Sank you I be hea all ze veek!

 

[skillhockey]

How many days it's the standard. i mean how many days they think it's enough time to fire him...

 

[HotCoffey]

So question, if Dan turned Neal into this awesome player by making him switch wings, and it wasn't mostly the fact that he played alongside Evgeni Malkin, then please tell me why Neal is completely useless when Malkin is out of the lineup?

I agree with you but I don't think that's fair to Nealer. He's a set up shot man and Malkin is an incredible partner for that. He's the perfect winger in many respects. If Malkin and Neal were in Dallas together, Neal would have had his 40 goals instead of ~30

 

[Ugene Magic]

How many days it's the standard. i mean how many days they think it's enough time to fire him...

Coaches are sometimes fired the fallowing day, some a bit longer.

 

[AquaticBirdman]

How would one go about proving that?

The fact is that both Letang and Neal did develop under DB, which debunks the misguided idea that no young players have.

Developing under a coach and developing BECAUSE of a coach are two different things. For all we know Letang might've developed into a more well-rounded overall d-man under Therrien long term. Meanwhile it is obvious that a major aspect of Neal's production is due to Malkin, and not because DB worked some form of magic that turned Neal into a 40 goal scorer within a year.

 

[Waffle Fries]

How many days it's the standard. i mean how many days they think it's enough time to fire him...

I'm not sure. It took Colorado awhile. Torts was the quickest I think. How long did it take Vancouver? I think that's what we should use as a basis.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Letang credits Reirden and his teammates.

And Neal developed an unreal chemistry with Geno ... which may not have had a chance to happen if Sid had been in the line-up for any real length of time. Seeing as how DB insisted on keeping Sid with Kunitz and Duper even when it was no longer effective and playing Iggy on his off-wing, it's hard to argue that he would have tried Neal with Geno if his hand hadn't been forced.

Why is that relevant? DB is still the head coach. It's obviously not stifling his development.

And like I said, Neal credits DB for his wing switch and went out of his way to explain those benefits to Iggy, so he clearly buys into it as being a big factor in his success.

I'd say that was in good part to playing alongside Evgeni Malkin.

And as far as Letang 'turning into a Norris finalist under DB' he was only like 21 years old when MT was still here. That was just natural progression because of how talented he is.

Dan has done Letang absolutely no favors.

The FACT is that both Neal and Letang developed into great players under DB, so whatever other magical mystery circumstances people want to attribute their success to, it is totally baseless to suggest young players can't develop under DB.

 

[Waffle Fries]

I agree with you but I don't think that's fair to Nealer. He's a set up shot man and Malkin is an incredible partner for that. He's the perfect winger in many respects. If Malkin and Neal were in Dallas together, Neal would have had his 40 goals instead of ~30

Neal is a great complimentary player. His skillset is pretty much limited to his shot, but that's okay because that's all Malkin needs from him on his RW. They're perfect together.

My point was that if Dan was really developed him into something brilliant, then maybe he would have had more than 1 goal in 13 games when Malkin was out.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

James Neal is a star because of DB? Sure, it had nothing to do with the fact that in Dallas he was a rising star on that team with a do nothing Brad Richards as his center and a never constant left wing. His role on the PP also helped him too.

Neal was already developed and a switch in roster spots is not developing. Letang is not a byproduct of Blysma. The same player who makes the same mistakes from his rookie season. I think you have developement confused with natural ability.

Developing under a coach and developing BECAUSE of a coach are two different things. For all we know Letang might've developed into a more well-rounded overall d-man under Therrien long term. Meanwhile it is obvious that a major aspect of Neal's production is due to Malkin, and not because DB worked some form of magic that turned Neal into a 40 goal scorer within a year.

The argument was that no young players developed under Bylsma.

That argument is wrong.

I am not suggesting that Bylsma is solely responsible for the development of any player (how would one go about proving that for any coach?). Only that young players can clearly blossom in his system.