Fire/Don't Fire/Discuss Torts II

[Columbus Jack]

Hmmm, sounds like Columbus.

That is insane.

If Bergevin wanted to see film of a confused team all he had to do was watch 5 minutes of our 1st period last night and he'd realize how good he had it. Not a smart move this firing imo.

 

[DarkandStormy]

That is insane.

If Bergevin wanted to see film of a confused team all he had to do was watch 5 minutes of our 1st period last night and he'd realize how good he had it. Not a smart move this firing imo.

They lost two straight to Ottawa and are 2-4-2 in their last 8.

 

[Columbus Jack]

They lost two straight to Ottawa and are 2-4-2 in their last 8.

Even good teams have bad stretches, just seems a bit of an over reaction to do it in such a short season. Julien is a good coach too, I hope it works out for MTL but I often feel what's truly holding that franchise back is their insane expectations to be perfect.

 

[KJ Dangler]

Imagine a team seeing them underperforming , and not accepting mediocrity. Jackets meanwhile going to miss on chance of hiring Gallant

 

[Cyclones Rock]

Imagine a team seeing them underperforming , and not accepting mediocrity. Jackets meanwhile going to miss on chance of hiring Gallant

The CBJ are a mediocre team. And why would Gallant consider coming here when his next job will probably be his last?

They've often started slowly and finished strong under Torts. The offense is showing signs of life. The defense is not all of a sudden one of the worst in the league despite its recent performance. Korpisalo is not a .887 save percentage and 3.56 GAA goalie-at least one wouldn't think so.

Z will come back and Elvis certainly can offer more than Korpi has this season. Still, the CBJ are not likely a playoff team-nor should they be expected to be one. Unless Florida falters-probably by playing Bob (lol)-it's not probable that the CBJ will be able to make the post season this year. Tampa (defending Cup Winner), Dallas (SC finalist last year) and Carolina are better teams. Florida has gotten off to an insane start in a truncated season. Anyone who sees the CBJ roster as anything better than a 4th place team in this division-under any coach-is looking at the team through rose colored glasses.

 

[majormajor]

Imagine a team seeing them underperforming , and not accepting mediocrity. Jackets meanwhile going to miss on chance of hiring Gallant

Somehow with the name Gerard Gallant, and going to Canadian schools, he doesn't speak French. He won't be hired there unless Bergevin wants a riot.

 

[Forepar]

Prior posts indicate I am in favor of retaining Torts under current situation. In interest of full disclosure, I still am, but...

For the sake of argument, I will set my preference for retaining Torts aside completely and will assume for purposes of any following discussion that Torts is no longer HC (resigns, fired, not renewed, doesn't matter how). CBJ looking for a new HC, with JK still the GM.

Someone explain to me how Gerard Gallant keeps being mentioned as the best option of a new coach for this CBJ team. He will be 58 years old in September 2021. Yes, I know Torts will be 63 in June 2021, but this isn't about Torts. Yes, I know Gallant had crazy initial success with VGK - but he was canned soon thereafter in year 3 (see below). He had moderate success in FLA - canned in year 3. Is the crush on Gallant because of the perceived wide-open style we think VGK played under him? If that's the perception, it's a bit misguided. Gallant's coaching style (as far as play is concerned) is not far removed from Torts' style - "hard to play against, relentless forecheck." They outworked teams, not out-skilled them. The one difference from Torts may be a bit more focus on speed through the neutral zone. We don't have that kind of roster. Is it because Gallant is viewed as a "player's coach?" Does that translate into the "country club" atmosphere that so many of us wanted CBJ to get away from? I don't know, but he's just not my choice if there is a replacement coming.

Many of us saw Gallant's coaching here in Columbus some years ago - "meh" would have been my reaction. I know the Jackets' roster was not very good then , but nothing stood out to me then (or now). And the country club atmosphere was in vogue during his tenure (not necessarily caused by him, but it was here then). I realize he may have grown away from that - but not willing to take that chance.

Gallant's firings after CBJ were weird.

FLA improved by 25 points in Gallant's 1st yr in FLA, compared to year before; FLA makes playoffs and wins division in year 2 but gets bounced in 1st round, and then fires Gallant after only 22 games in year 3, while one game over the NHL's definition of .500 hockey. What happened?

VGK was wildly successful run for an expansion team, not only in year 1, but also got back to PO's in year 2, losing in first round. Gallant is fired slightly after halfway point of year 3, while 5 games over .500 (NHL definition), following a 4-game losing streak. There was magic in that first year at Vegas, but not all or mostly because of him. And he gets fired mid-stream in year 3. What happened?

Something not quite right here. I don't intend to bash/trash or suggest anything untoward about Gallant. Just not understanding several posters thinking he's THE guy to be HC of CBJ, when he's not won the SC, when many of us remember him from previous gig here, and when he's routinely gone in year 3 (same 3rd year firing by CBJ, ultimately replaced by Hitch).

Maybe Covid prevented Gallant from landing another HC job for this season - but he clearly didn't make GM/PRES/OWNER happy at the last 2 stops for some reason. If CBJ is to change coaches, I'd suggest making it a younger coach. I'd run through brick walls for Torts, but I can't skate so not much help I'd be. And I'm also in Torts' generation, and he was the kind of coach I wanted back in the day. And yet many here suggest that Torts has not found the best way to communicate with younger players these days. So why hire Gallant, instead of someone 20 years younger?

Head coaching record[edit]

Team	Year	Regular season	Postseason
		G	W	L	T	OTL	Pts	Finish	Playoff Record
CBJ	2003–04	45	16	24	4	1	(37)	4th in Central	—	—	—	Missed playoffs
CBJ	2005–06	82	35	43	—	4	74	3rd in Central	—	—	—	Missed playoffs
CBJ	2006–07	15	5	9	—	1	(11)	(fired)	—	—	—	—
CBJ total		142	56	76	4	6	—	—
FLA	2014–15	82	38	29	—	15	91	6th in Atlantic	—	—	—	Missed playoffs
FLA	2015–16	82	47	26	—	9	103	1st in Atlantic	2-4		.333	Lost in First Round (NYI)
FLA	2016–17	22	11	10	—	1	(23)	(fired)	—	—	—	—
FLA total		186	96	65	--	25			2-4
VGK	2017–18	82	51	24	—	7	109	1st in Pacific	13-7		.650	Lost in Stanley Cup Finals (WSH)
VGK	2018–19	82	43	32	—	7	93	3rd in Pacific	3-4	4	.429	Lost in First Round (SJS)
VGK	2019–20	49	24	19	—	6	(54)	(fired)	—	—	—	—
VGK total		213	118	75		20		.593	16-11
Total		541	270	216	4	51		.545	18-15

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[majormajor]

VGK was wildly successful run for an expansion team, not only in year 1, but also got back to PO's in year 2, losing in first round. Gallant is fired slightly after halfway point of year 3, while 5 games over .500 (NHL definition), following a 4-game losing streak. There was magic in that first year at Vegas, but not all or mostly because of him. And he gets fired mid-stream in year 3. What happened?

As far as we know there's a good chance that Gallant just got unlucky to be saddled with impatient ownership and GMs. Florida got worse without him. Vegas' record rebounded after he was fired but every stat head out there was saying they were just getting unlucky, that their luck would turn regardless.

 

[Forepar]

As far as we know there's a good chance that Gallant just got unlucky to be saddled with impatient ownership and GMs. Florida got worse without him. Vegas' record rebounded after he was fired but every stat head out there was saying they were just getting unlucky, that their luck would turn regardless.

He may have been unlucky...he may not have been. Combine that w watching his 3 years here makes me circumspect. Let’s assume he was just unlucky w both FLA and VGK...I still ask what about him makes him an obvious fit for CBJ?

 

[Johansen2Foligno]

He may have been unlucky...he may not have been. Combine that w watching his 3 years here makes me circumspect. Let’s assume he was just unlucky w both FLA and VGK...I still ask what about him makes him an obvious fit for CBJ?

Because his name is Gallant, and that's what you have to be to want to coach here.

 

[majormajor]

He may have been unlucky...he may not have been. Combine that w watching his 3 years here makes me circumspect. Let’s assume he was just unlucky w both FLA and VGK...I still ask what about him makes him an obvious fit for CBJ?

I don't judge based on what happened 16 years ago as CBJ coach, he obviously became a better coach after that experience.

I don't really know much about what makes a good coach good, or who the best coaches really are. I don't think we have that knowledge on these boards in general. FWIW it seemed like Gallant was able to create a good atmosphere and get very unbalanced rosters (in both LV and FL) to play to their strengths.

 

[Halberdier]

Gallant (or some of his assistant coaches, who knows) totally outcoached Jets in the playoffs 17-18. They scouted how the Jets do their breakout game, and totally annihilated it.

I was quite mad about the situation, as Maurice did absolutely 0 adjustment for the breakout game after being "raped" time after time. Canadian media made it a Fleury vs. Helly battle as that is the level they can understand and "analyze" the game, but how wrong they were. It was not that Helly was letting soft ones in. In fact, the only really soft goals in went for Fleury, in the first game. Vegas just gave amazing forecheck pressure for Jets D which caused to multiple turnover that they feasted. Those kind of goals are almost never on goalie. Fleury was good, but that series was lost by letting the Vegas do their thing.

Who knows if Gallant is the right coach for the Jets, but I think he is a proven, really good coach.

 

[KJ Dangler]

 

[CBJWerenski8]

just echos the above

 

[majormajor]

I suppose it really depends on your expectations. The Habs thought they'd be better than what they've seen in recent weeks, I get that.

I look at the Jackets lineup with all the kids at center and I think this is going to be a process.

 

[DarkandStormy]

It's time.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Not that I think it’ll happen, but if there is a time to do it, the time would be in dallas on March 6th. Because they have three days off afterwards, and gives them time to get the new guy here (as long as he’s in the US) and set up his system.

 

[KCbus]

I think I'm finally on the bandwagon.

I'm not convinced that he's the problem, but it's certainly starting to look like he's no longer the answer. There's just no sign that it's coming back. Now, I'm not a smart enough mind to know what we could get in terms of a replacement. There really isn't anyone on our bench that I'm drooling over in terms of making them the boss. I also don't know if it's going to happen during the season or at season's end. But this looks like it's run it's course now.

 

[InfiniteElement]

Next 2 are in Nashville, then home against Detroit. You'd have to think if we don't at least get a win in there...

I appreciate Torts and what he's done for the city/club, but somethin's gotta give and in sports it's usually the coach.

 

[DJA]

Not that I think it’ll happen, but if there is a time to do it, the time would be in dallas on March 6th. Because they have three days off afterwards, and gives them time to get the new guy here (as long as he’s in the US) and set up his system.

If it happens, the new guy will already be in the locker room (one of the Brads). No way is ownership paying a new salary starting this season.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

If it happens, the new guy will already be in the locker room (one of the Brads). No way is ownership paying a new salary starting this season.

If that’s the case then there is no reason to fire torts. At all.

 

[DJA]

If that’s the case then there is no reason to fire torts. At all.

new voice, no longer having to see/listen to the boss you don’t want to play for, I could see it making a whole lot of sense. But I think this team sucks regardless of who is coaching it and we’ve already played ourselves out of the playoffs so I don’t really care one way or the other

 

[CBJWerenski8]

new voice, no longer having to see/listen to the boss you don’t want to play for, I could see it making a whole lot of sense

It’s not a new voice when it’s the same guy in the locker room. They know the Brad’s. That’s a backwards move.

Unless of course they hire either Brad as the permanent coach. Then you would actually have a “new” voice.

 

[Columbus Jack]

If that’s the case then there is no reason to fire torts. At all.

Agreed, just suck and see how it plays out.

Now if they do decide to go out and get someone, I'm totally cool with Claude Julien.

 

[DJA]

Agreed, just suck and see how it plays out.

Now if they do decide to go out and get someone, I'm totally cool with Claude Julien.

Claude Julien makes $5 mil per year, the CBJ will never pay a coach that much.