News Article: Michael Farber on Dan Bylsma

[MtlPenFan]

http://olympics.si.com/olympic-ice-hockey/2014/02/18/usa-ice-hockey-dan-bylsma

Love him or hate him, this is a great article on DB. Really puts the man into light, and also shows why he can be so polarizing for Penguins fans.

There's so much potential for him to be the best coach in the league, but it's a couple of maddening habits he has that prevent him from being exactly that.

Our hope is that he'll learn a few more things coaching the U.S. team, and transfers that back here to the Pens.

Click to read more...

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Nice article.

 

[wej20]

Thanks, interesting read for sure.

 

[Ozz]

Ditto. I like DB.

 

[Michael8771*]

He seems to not like Babcock much, though he respects him. Not overly impressed with the article.

 

[#66]

He seems to not like Babcock much, though he respects him. Not overly impressed with the article.

That's how I feel about Babs. I don't think he's the best coach in the league or the best coach for Canada. He's a very good hockey mind. Every coach has their warts though.

Would anyone else kill to see a bench of Lavs, Disco and Martin?

 

[cheesedanish87]

Great article, DB is one of the best, i wouldn't trade him for any other coach.

 

[Michael8771*]

Great article, DB is one of the best, i wouldn't trade him for any other coach.

I would.

 

[Darth Vitale]

And so the mythology grows. People better get used to having him around. He seems to be popular everywhere except on this board.

 

[Shady Machine]

This article affirms what we already knew: He's a good guy and a hard working coach that the players like.

None of that necessarily means he's the right coach for this team going forward.

 

[Darth Vitale]

It doesn't but our collective opinions aren't worth a sack of slimy mushrooms, and the reality is everything we read indicates he is well-respected by other players, coaches, GMs... hate to say it but he probably is a draw when players are mulling FA moves, and he'll be even more of a draw now. That's going to weigh a lot more than what we think of his system and his love of Craig Adams (which, the parallels he has to Bylsma are obvious by this point -- won't be shocked to see Adams become an assistant down in WBS in a few years).

I think he's going to be a classic case of the guy who can make his team competitive during the regular season no matter what, get them into the playoffs no matter what, and then constantly struggle in the playoffs against better coaches. when it comes down to X's and O's.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

Bah, all coaches have a shelf-life. He's a Czech victory tomorrow away from being back on the hot seat. Then if he survives that, he's a first-round upset from getting canned with us.

I'm not worried about him sticking around like Connie Mack in baseball, or even Barry Trotz.

Unless they change the rules and championships are now won after Game #82.

 

[Darth Vitale]

I'm not worried about him sticking around like Connie Mack in baseball, or even Barry Trotz.

Unless they change the rules and championships are now won after Game #82.

Remember last June's press conference... the speech about how "successful" the Penguins have been, selling out every season, getting to the playoffs, etc. Shero does not tip his hand often but he's never shy about the fact that Bylsma is his coach, and how much everyone including Mario loves Dan, etc. You're maybe a little naive if you think he won't stick around as long as he continues to get us into the playoffs and 1 or 2 series wins every year. Sweeps are the only sure cause of death for coaches, and even then it usually has to be a first series sweep.

I would say a Silver or Gold medal + a playoff series win this year guarantees he'll at least finish his contract, if not get an extension. And remember where Shero hails from -- he's part of that Nashville culture that has kept Trotz in control of that team for years. He buys into that philosophy. We are fa-mily.

Mario probably does too, remembering the importance of always filling seats first. Bylsma is never going to do anything that leaves seats empty IMO.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

Extend him again!!

All joking aside nice read, DB does seem like a really good guy and one that cares and wants to lift that Cup again. Hope it happens

 

[MrBurghundy]

And what has that Nashville culture ever gotten them? Nashville that is.

 

[Michael8771*]

And so the mythology grows. People better get used to having him around. He seems to be popular everywhere except on this board.

That's probably true. That in and of itself though doesn't mean he's a great coach. But barring a first round four and out, you're right, he'll probably be a fixture here for a long time.

 

[penguins2946*]

He's done pretty well as the coach for team USA

 

[Michael8771*]

He's done pretty well as the coach for team USA

Well, that'll be determined in the next five or six days.

 

[Darth Vitale]

And what has that Nashville culture ever gotten them? Nashville that is.

Butts in seats every single year (financial viability) and playoff berths despite a lack of offensive talent. Hockey is a business and for better or worse I think our owners are more keenly interested in finding a formula that always fills seats no matter who is on the roster, than they are at chasing a Cup at all costs. Mario almost lost this team. You can bet your arse he keeps perspective on "it wasn't that long ago we were almost relocated" when thinking about "how successful was our franchise this year"?

That's probably true. That in and of itself though doesn't mean he's a great coach. But barring a first round four and out, you're right, he'll probably be a fixture here for a long time.

I'm not saying he is a great coach; I'm saying he's perceived that way by a lot of people inside the game of hockey (whose opinions are way more important than ours).

He's done pretty well as the coach for team USA

So far, so good. Hopefully it's another thing that can help make him a better coach (since he's still learning the ropes).

 

[Jaded-Fan]

It doesn't but our collective opinions aren't worth a sack of slimy mushrooms, and the reality is everything we read indicates he is well-respected by other players, coaches, GMs... hate to say it but he probably is a draw when players are mulling FA moves, and he'll be even more of a draw now. That's going to weigh a lot more than what we think of his system and his love of Craig Adams (which, the parallels he has to Bylsma are obvious by this point -- won't be shocked to see Adams become an assistant down in WBS in a few years).

I think he's going to be a classic case of the guy who can make his team competitive during the regular season no matter what, get them into the playoffs no matter what, and then constantly struggle in the playoffs against better coaches. when it comes down to X's and O's.

I do not see the conflict between the opinions here, and the opinions around the league as expressed in that article, as you seem to.

I do not think that the criticism and frustration with Bylsma is because he is seen as an incompetent coach. That would be easy. The frustrations are because he is seen as a coach who could be great except for a couple of issues, which both seem to stem from stubborness more than anything else. The classic Greek hero tragedy flaw, hubris. Oedipus was seen as in almost every way the very best of men, better than all others in almost every way. Did not stop him from shacking up with Mommy. Simply because he did not believe that he could do wrong, all he had to do was get to his game.

Simple question.

Has Bylsma's stubborn refusal to make in game adjustments in the playoffs and with choices regarding lines and who to play and who to sit cost the team in the playoffs in previous years? If you agree you are looking at the frustration expressed on this board. None of which calls Bylsma a bad coach or stupid, quite the opposite. Which is why we are so frustrated.

 

[MrBurghundy]

@DV

True, but that's not what I was getting at. They haven't won anything with their strategy and that's why I don't like it. Its all well and good for continuity, but eventually that kind of culture goes stale and a change is necessary.

 

[M10]

There are coaches in the NHL who have been fired, yet had similarly inspirational stories. It's a feel good story that contributes to the replication of the lake placid ghost that the media tries to revive every 4th winter.

To the average hockey fan, the US beat an inferior Russian team and TJ Oshie is a marginal 3rd/2nd line player. Insert the US media hype machine, the casual fan or the non-fan thinks the US win against Russia was as historical as 1980 and that TJ Oshie is a rag tagging, steer riding, tobacco chewing, guns blazing version of Wayne Gretzky.

Moral of the story: Dan Bylsma needs to get results and/or not have the Penguins fail in such spectacular fashion during the post season. TJ Oshie is good in the shoot out.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

@DV

True, but that's not what I was getting at. They haven't won anything with their strategy and that's why I don't like it. Its all well and good for continuity, but eventually that kind of culture goes stale and a change is necessary.

Continuity is good when you're being successful, don't mess with a winning recipe or whatever. The issue is that Bylsma has only really had regular season success, now if that's all they care about then it's all good.

Bylsma is a good coach, by all accounts he's a good guy, that doesn't mean he doesn't have some serious warts and that doesn't mean he's a fit for this team right now.

 

[gordie]

They haven't won the Gold Medal yet!

 

[pensfan71]

Sweet...this guy's going no where...let's enjoy seeing him behind the bench for the rest of his ****ing career...my only consolation is that Adams HAS to retire at some point...

Knowing our luck, he'll be our next assistant coach -_-