Should Guy Boucher be fired?

[Coopers Gum]

More and more people on the board are joining the "fire Guy" camp. I wanted to get a count. Yay or Nay. Whether the end of this season, or immediately.

EDIT: I should've made options for immediately or the end of the season. Dang. Indicate your vote if you want.

Click to read more...

 

[Bolts4Life91]

Something needs to be done since we are not winning and it doesn't seem to be getting better. Until we actually start competing and winning, I am saying yes.

 

[The Macho King]

Give him to the end of the season, and if we don't make a push, if the team isn't responding, he has to go.

 

[dbieon12]

He has until the end of the season for me as well unless the team just plummets in the standings.

IF THE COACH ****ING BELOW HIM IS EXCELLING AT HIS JOB, AND BOUCHER CONTINUES TO SUCK - IT IS CLEAR WHAT THE CHOICE IS.

The current play and effort is unacceptable. /thread

 

[2 Weekes Notice]

Way too early, but if they're playing like this by the end of the year and we finish bottom 10, I think the consideration has to be there, but ONLY because I don't want someone else taking Jon Cooper. If SFY didn't have an option like that burning a hole in his pocket, I would say there's less urgency. It is a lockout year, after all.

 

[chasespace]

If they miss the playoffs or they string a few effortless games like this together then Boucher will be gone.

 

[gn2007]

we are a playoff caliber team we should play as one our powerplay is awesome yet they keep changing the lines of people just keep 2 powerplays that will work you know. Boucher shouldn't only be the one fired the other assistants also.

 

[ThunderAlleyNomad]

Way too early, but if they're playing like this by the end of the year and we finish bottom 10, I think the consideration has to be there, but ONLY because I don't want someone else taking Jon Cooper. If SFY didn't have an option like that burning a hole in his pocket, I would say there's less urgency. It is a lockout year, after all.

This is almost exactly my thinking.

Yes if not in playoffs, especially as lame as this division is this year. No if they come back and accomplish something.

 

[MattM92]

If we go 0-4 on this road trip then now. If we manage to scrape some points together then wait until the end of the season. Either way, Boucher needs to go. Anything short of winning one playoff round will make the season feel very disappointing. And right now, I don't see it

Edit: By "Boucher needs to go", I mean Raymond, Lacroix and Frantz Jean-ius too.

 

[AlphaCatalyst]

Playoffs = no
No playoffs = yes

 

[The Wyzerhood]

Boucher deserves to see if he can make it work with a new player via trade or call-up. I think we should first try and promote Gudas. He's a tough, physical and defensively reliable defenseman. I can't see any reason as to why he hasn't been recalled yet, aside from the fact that he may have to be placed on waivers if he's sent back down (can someone confirm this?). The rotation of Aulie, Lee, MAB and Mikkelson is just not working and one or two should be sent down to improve their games and confidence.

When Malone comes back from injury, it'll boost our morale and give us some much needed size and skill up front.

It's tough for Killorn and Panik to establish themselves and play to even better levels when the examples ahead of them are playing well below par. Once Vinny, Stamkos and Purcell finally start showing some heart and determination out there then hopefully things will fall into place.

Tyrell should have never been demoted, I really thought he gelled well with Pyatt and brought some energy to this team. I love what Panik brings, but if he's going to be playing reduced minutes on the 4th line every game, what's the point? I'd rather have him developing his game in the AHL. My guess is he will be sent down once Malone returns from injury.

 

[TBLHoser]

If they continue to play like this then I see making a change at the end of the season. Either way, the assistants contracts are up and I wouldn't renew any of them.

Cooper vs. Boucher?....I don't think we want to lose Cooper to another team.

...Only knock on Cooper though....he played at Hofstra...didn't we already have a former coach that played at Hofstra? (Raheeeeem)

 

[Sky04]

End of season at the earliest.

 

[TheThunderYears]

To fire him now would do more damage. Playoffs - no. No playoffs - yes.

 

[Felonious Python]

I have a feeling that we'd regret firing Boucher.

This season is weird, you have to remember it's a non-standard season. While that's not an excuse, I get the feeling that this one was never supposed to be the one.

I always figure that by the time we figure something out, SFY and co. already knew long before, and I felt from the minute the entire coaching staff was confirmed as staying that either Boucher was going to go down with his ship, or that this shortened season was really a tryout for the assistants to prove they can hang.

I see the value in sticking with guys you believe in, but I feel that even though Boucher introduced the concept of the process to us, the process doesn't give a ****. I think everyone is subject to it. Him, you, me. We may not like who it weeds out, but once it's set into motion, the organization comes first.

 

[LTIR Trickery]

This season is a painful reminder how much blueline help we still don't have.

 

[The Wyzerhood]

I think we have to be cognizant of the fact that we introduced a host of new players this year and that it takes time for the team to transition and become accustomed to playing with each other. No real training camp or preseason to work out the kinks and that is finally catching up to us. We were somewhat deceived by a very torrid start to the season, but we've since looked tired and uninterested. Our players have to get used to playing 4 times a week in the condensed schedule too, after some did not play for 8 months.

Some players gain instant chemistry or make an immediate impact like Salo and Pouliot, but others may take longer like Carle, Lindback etc. Just look at the struggles in Minnesota with Parise and Suter as evidence that new players often need time to transition. Boucher should at least see out the season, but I too do not want to see Cooper going to another team.

 

[CupsOverCash]

This season is a painful reminder how much blueline help we still don't have.

Yup and this team has about zero toughness. Skill they have yes but they have no physical toughness. They lack that presence that sets the tone for the team.

 

[MattM92]

We really didn't have a huge turnover in the roster since last year. A few new players were added, but most were from Syracuse where they played together already. And to be honest, I'm done with Boucher's "process". I don't want to be involved in a process that makes us progressively worse every year when our roster is trending in the other direction. I'm not willing to waste the end of MSL's career and the last of Vinny's somewhat productive years to give that gelled up goofball some more time. What's going to happen when in 2 years we lose MSL and Vinny is 35? Stamkos will be 25 and on the decline of his prime and we'll be running out of time. Boucher and his buddies need to go. This organization has a world class owner, a so far very good GM, and...Boucher. I think it's pretty clear where the cancer is.

 

[CupsOverCash]

I have a feeling that we'd regret firing Boucher.

This season is weird, you have to remember it's a non-standard season. While that's not an excuse, I get the feeling that this one was never supposed to be the one.

I always figure that by the time we figure something out, SFY and co. already knew long before, and I felt from the minute the entire coaching staff was confirmed as staying that either Boucher was going to go down with his ship, or that this shortened season was really a tryout for the assistants to prove they can hang.

I see the value in sticking with guys you believe in, but I feel that even though Boucher introduced the concept of the process to us, the process doesn't give a ****. I think everyone is subject to it. Him, you, me. We may not like who it weeds out, but once it's set into motion, the organization comes first.

I think you have to consider it if this team doesnt make the playoffs. They have so much talent. You have to maximize it.

 

[The Wyzerhood]

We really didn't have a huge turnover in the roster since last year. A few new players were added, but most were from Syracuse where they played together already. And to be honest, I'm done with Boucher's "process". I don't want to be involved in a process that makes us progressively worse every year when our roster is trending in the other direction. I'm not willing to waste the end of MSL's career and the last of Vinny's somewhat productive years to give that gelled up goofball some more time. What's going to happen when in 2 years we lose MSL and Vinny is 35? Stamkos will be 25 and on the decline of his prime and we'll be running out of time. Boucher and his buddies need to go. This organization has a world class owner, a so far very good GM, and...Boucher. I think it's pretty clear where the cancer is.

We didn't have a large turnover?

In: Carle, Brewer, Pouliot, Crombeen, Lindback and the AHL guys in Panik, Killorn, Conacher, Aulie.

Out: Roloson, Clark, Commodore, Gervais, Gilroy and Shannon, along with the demoted players in Wyman, Brown, Labrie.

That seems like a pretty big turnover to me and it doesn't even include the deadline day departures of Downie, Kubina, Moore and Gilroy.

Despite what you may think, the AHL guys have not regularly played with their NHL line mates, so having chemistry in the AHL means relatively nothing.

 

[CupsOverCash]

We didn't have a large turnover?

In: Carle, Brewer, Pouliot, Crombeen, Lindback and the AHL guys in Panik, Killorn, Conacher, Aulie.

Out: Roloson, Clark, Commodore, Gervais, Gilroy and Shannon, along with the demoted players in Wyman, Brown, Labrie.

That seems like a pretty big turnover to me and it doesn't even include the deadline day departures of Downie, Moore and Gilroy.

Despite what you may think, the AHL guys have not regularly played with their NHL line mates, so having chemistry in the AHL means relatively nothing.

I do think this team is better skill wise. They may not be in sync yet but this is a better team. Maybe its a case of patience and time but right now its not clicking. They also lack toughness that teams like Boston have.

 

[Major4Boarding]

Yes, at the end of the season if the snide's not broken (i.e. no playoffs)

 

[The Wyzerhood]

I do think this team is better skill wise. They may not be in sync yet but this is a better team. Maybe its a case of patience and time but right now its not clicking. They also lack toughness that teams like Boston have.

Of course there are still flaws and areas needing improvement (defense and toughness up front), but it'll take some more ups and downs before the team truly clicks. On paper we're definitely more talented than last year and what we've been showing this year, but it just hasn't consistently clicked on the ice yet.

 

[ThunderAlleyNomad]

Gelled up goofball? Cancer? Seriously? You seem to be taking every move Boucher makes as a personal affront. You can not like some things he's doing on the coaching front, I'm not a big fan of some of it, but you cannot blame all of this on him.

Like it or not, we did have turnover in key areas. Salo and Carle are new. As awesome as Salo has been, we've known he was an injury risk. And bingo, he's hurt. Carle is as advertised. Weak shot, bad pinches and occasional lazy play. We were warned. Not sure why a single person is surprised that he's looked bad lately. But yay, he's ours for 6 years. That's half our top 4 defense. You've also got a brand new goalie who has had a whopping 50 NHL starts.

As far as wasting Marty and Vinny's careers and Stamkos in his prime, enough already. I'm pretty damn sure Boucher isn't telling Marty to make no look back passes to the opponent, Stamkos to lose every faceoff and Vinny to float and lose board battles to guys half his size.