Does anybody still think that Tmac was the problem, rather than the team itself?

[russ99]

I'm still convinced that Todd is the reason JP has no confidence. Having a bad roster and a bad coach is entirely possible. Thinking that both aren't possible at the same time is absolutely clueless.

The way the organization handled him the first year over is why. Most teams have a plan to smooth the transition from Europe to North America, we jerked him around from NHL press box to Bakersfield with no support or interpreter. And yet MacTavish and Howson who are directly responsible for player development and the AHL team are still here.

 

[Soundwave]

Hitch is a better coach, but the roster is still very poorly built and you throw in injuries and its game over.

 

[Panda Bear]

McLellan was a problem.

He wasn't the only problem.

Our current biggest problem is that we're out Klefbom, Russell and Sekera. We don't have a genuine #1 defenceman, and it's arguable that we don't have any genuine #2 defencemen. Our defencemen need specific pairings to maximize their qualities and minimize their weaknesses. We don't have any one-size-fits-all players.

In terms of pairing quality:
Nurse-Larsson --> second-pair quality
Jones-Benning --> third-pair plus quality
Gravel-Wideman --> third-pair minus quality

vs

Klefbom-Larsson --> first-pair quality
Sekera-Russell --> second-pair quality
Nurse-Benning --> third-pair plus quality

 

[Barrsy]

I'm still convinced that Todd is the reason JP has no confidence. Having a bad roster and a bad coach is entirely possible. Thinking that both aren't possible at the same time is absolutely clueless.

JP is a dog. Its clear. And its on nobody but him.
Both of course are possible. But both are not the case.

 

[Panda Bear]

Also, a big thank you to MacTavish for running Jeff Petry out of town for nothing and ruining Justin Schultz by giving him no support. 14-15 ruined Schultz for us, who was tasked with playing top minutes ahead of Nikitin, Fayne and Ference.

Just horrible.

 

[Pointteen]

He was never the problem but he didn't bring anything extra. He helped the team remain afloat. I don't think he was responsible for the hot streak we saw when we almost made the conference finals.

 

[Panda Bear]

Just to make it a threefer (not just a twofer): how the f*** do we still have the same upper management group? Chiarelli vets player acquisitions and other ideas with a group that includes people like MacTavish and Lowe.

They might have been a good judge of hockey back in 2005, but they certainly aren't now.

 

[Panda Bear]

He was never the problem but he didn't bring anything extra. He helped the team remain afloat. I don't think he was responsible for the hot streak we saw when we almost made the conference finals.

Who is "he"?

 

[Pointteen]

Who is "he"?

TMac. The thread topic.

 

[Missing smitty]

JP is a dog. Its clear. And its on nobody but him.
Both of course are possible. But both are not the case.

Yes they are. If you can't see that Todd McLellan isn't a garbage coach, you are being willfully ignorant, or just a shitty troll

 

[Barrsy]

Yes they are. If you can't see that Todd McLellan isn't a garbage coach, you are being willfully ignorant, or just a ****ty troll

No . You are clearly trolling. You must be willfully (or actually ) blind to his San Jose years and 2 years ago when he actually had an NHL goalie.
But that would take thinking.

 

[Missing smitty]

No . You are clearly trolling. You must be willfully (or actually ) blind to his San Jose years and 2 years ago when he actually had an NHL goalie.
But that would take thinking.

You mean the San Jose team that couldn't go farther until he was fired? That San Jose team?

TMac is garbage, he needed a team full of all stars to hide is bad systems. He was hired because he was an assistant coach on stacked Red Wings team, under what will be a hall of fame head coach. Stop pretending you know anything about hockey, your "takes" are garbage.

 

[Barrsy]

You mean the San Jose team that couldn't go farther until he was fired? That San Jose team?

TMac is garbage, he needed a team full of all stars to hide is bad systems. He was hired because he was an assistant coach on stacked Red Wings team, under what will be a hall of fame head coach. Stop pretending you know anything about hockey, your "takes" are garbage.

You funny.

 

[Aerchon]

There is no doubt McLellan was a huge part of the problem.

Honestly believe only an idiot could think he wasn't part of the issue.

Losing even more players from a depleted blueline has a lot to do with the Oilers current skid.

Although this last game was a comedy of errors from everyone.

 

[Dan Kelly]

This team has gone through a mountain of coaches the last 10 years and I for one have stated many times over the years that the players just won't listen to the coaches and I don't understand why? Because when they do, we get 47 win seasons!

 

[LTIR]

Russell is the teams 4th best, not 2nd.

Russell has been the steadiest Dman we have had this season and last.
Larsson under TMac was #2 ahead of Russell but right now Russell is our 2nd best Dman after Klefa.

 

[Missing smitty]

You funny.

Good, that really shows how good a coach TMac is...

 

[oobga]

TMac was one problem, but not the whole problem. Same can be said for many many other turds this team employs.

 

[Soundwave]

This team has gone through a mountain of coaches the last 10 years and I for one have stated many times over the years that the players just won't listen to the coaches and I don't understand why? Because when they do, we get 47 win seasons!

No they get that when they get .920 Vezina tier goaltending plus the Art Ross winner.

Any team would make the playoffs with those two factors, it's not sustainable to ride two players that hard in the long run.

They've had crap GMing since at least 2008. Play stupid games and you win stupid prizes.

 

[The Panther]

I never thought McLellan was the core problem. But I can understand Chiarelli firing him when he did and bringing in Hitch when he did. Hitch is a great motivator (which McLellan wasn't, by reputation anyway), and by bringing in the new guy with the big track-record Chiarelli may have saved his job until this spring, at least.

I must say, I was not in favor of firing McLellan (as my post history will show). It's not because I thought McLellan was doing a great job -- his attachment to Lucic and Benning continues to confound the universe -- but because the Oilers have simply fired too many coaches.

1979 - 1991
2 Head Coaches (not counting Bryan Watson, who lasted 18 games)
5 Stanley Cups
8 1st/2nd-place finishes
7 Conference Series appearances

2008 - 2018
8 Head Coaches
0 Stanley Cups
1 2nd-place finish
0 Conference Series appearances

 

[BlackDogg]

You could ask if any of them are actually beneficial to the team and the answer is probably NO. Tmac was not a good coach here but to be fair most were clamoring to get rid of both him and Chia at once + the OBC. Which still stands. The roster is garbage for the most part. But the coach is the first step.

 

[Oilhawks]

McLellan was definitely a big part of the problem. The injuries are another part, as is the mediocre roster. Hitchcock is one of the best coaches this team has employed.

The biggest problem starts at the very top, unfortunately. Unless Katz hires a competent POHO and lets him do his thing and choose competent people to help him, firing Nicholson and Chiarelli will likely be a temporary fix.

 

[Stoneman89]

Missing Klefbom/Russel. I mean you can't really judge because we are missing our best defender who was literally just regaining his 16-17 self while Tmac had a healthy line up and still sucked balls at every aspect of coaching.

Injuries happen to all teams. Bad teams with no depth just use them as excuses.

 

[McFlash97]

Tmac was an average coach. However the real culprit is the pudgy hairless one with the most punchable face in hockey. Chiarelli.

 

[tellermine]

Well as Klefblom said in interview, the Hithc system is not that diffrent from Tmac's. He said they just adjusted few things.

Real broblem is Lucic and Puljujärvi not having impact they were thought to have.
Personally I did not expect mutch from Pulju but from Lucic I did.
Lucic was a real force in Boston, my faforit players.

With these two playing expected level, well offence would be quite mutch better.

Hitch did get defence going but injuries made old news.