Vote: Keep or Fire Blash

[guinness]

Promoting Blysma isn't going to fix the "toxic" situation. Blysma wouldn't be an upgrade. Hire a proven coach like Trotz, and I'll be onboard. Just firing to fire makes no sense unless there is a clear upgrade.

No self respecting coach wants to coach this ****hole.

I look at the Wings like I do the Tigers, I like Gardenhire, but that roster blows.

And while I also don't think firing Blashill will change anything meaningfully, he hasn't filled even me with much faith in keeping him around of late, and with a 0.250% winning percentage, might as well just flip that coin.

That other side of the coin will probably be Bylsma, but again, it's a coin flip.

 

[RedWingzz]

Promoting Blysma isn't going to fix the "toxic" situation. Blysma wouldn't be an upgrade. Hire a proven coach like Trotz, and I'll be onboard. Just firing to fire makes no sense unless there is a clear upgrade.

No self respecting coach wants to coach this ****hole.

Bylsma would at the least be a fresh voice. I truly believe if the players had a fresh voice, they would find some determination/effort/heart whatever the word is. I just think having a fresh voice will give them some motivation. If it doesn't work, then who cares? It can't be any worse. If they promote Bylsma and it's just as bad, then it's a lateral move.

I dunno man, I've been a fan of this team for 20 years now (I'm old enough to remember the 97 and 98 Cups), and it sucks watching this. I get it, we are rebuilding, but when the team can't even show up and make the games worth watching, then why even tune in? I personally am not going anywhere, because I follow this team religiously, but they are surely losing tons of "casual fans" right now. Losing by 4 or 5 consistently is downright embarrassing.

 

[Dotter]

Well we agree on 2 out of 3 things, that's a start.

The team sucks but so does the coaching. The power play absolutely kills me, there's enough talent to put together one good power play line, but they can't score because the power play system is stationary, and the goal appears to be to shoot from the blue line.

Of course with this D, the team would more than likely lose even if the team had the league's best PP%, but at least they'd score a few more goals.

I'm heading out to a bar (west coast so it's 9pm), see ya guys later.

I don't see any talent for PP1. I'm not really high on Hronek at all. Cholo is okay quarterback probably 20% of the time, but he sucks. Larkin is meh. Bert is good net front and has good hand-eye coordination, but I think in reality he's a 3rd line guy and being over-utilized because the team sucks. Mantha is a legit sniper, but he's out. Zadina's shot isn't a real NHL threat and he doesn't do much else other than snipe. AA is a freaking useless moron.

I mean, the reality of the situation is this entire team sucks. There's no real star power what-so-ever. There's no real offensive threat.

 

[Dotter]

Bylsma would at the least be a fresh voice. I truly believe if the players had a fresh voice, they would find some determination/effort/heart whatever the word is. I just think having a fresh voice will give them some motivation. If it doesn't work, then who cares? It can't be any worse. If they promote Bylsma and it's just as bad, then it's a lateral move.

I dunno man, I've been a fan of this team for 20 years now (I'm old enough to remember the 97 and 98 Cups), and it sucks watching this. I get it, we are rebuilding, but when the team can't even show up and make the games worth watching, then why even tune in? I personally am not going anywhere, because I follow this team religiously, but they are surely losing tons of "casual fans" right now. Losing by 5 consistently is downright embaressing.

Fresh voice from someone who is already in the room ever-single-day using his voice already? Lol, sure.

 

[RedWingzz]

Fresh voice from someone who is already in the room ever-single-day using his voice already? Lol, sure.

You really think assistant coaches have that much of a voice?

Anyways, it seems to me like you are looking for an argument rather than a discussion...If you want to have an actual discussion I'm all for it, but it doesn't appear like you want to have one.

 

[lilidk]

Bring Marco Sturm

 

[ricky0034]

kinda curious what the limit is for the people constantly carrying water for Jeff Blashill of all people

what if we start losing by 10 goals a game? is that enough?

 

[RedMenace]

Getting rid of Blashill isn't an attempt to "upgrade" anyone; it's getting a new voice in the room. Maybe they have different ideas, maybe they don't. Maybe the players give more of a shit, maybe they don't.

The point is something has to change, for the sake of the players, the organization, and the fans; losing like this is toxic to everyone involved.

 

[Dotter]

You really think assistant coaches have that much of a voice?

Anyways, it seems to me like you are looking for an argument rather than a discussion...If you want to have an actual discussion I'm all for it, but it doesn't appear like you want to have one.

Nothing to discuss. Firing Blash makes no sense when the team sucks and you're only putting the other moron in charge.

It's like you're trying to patch a hole with a bigger hole when you don't even have a boat. Wings aren't even an NHL team.

 

[Tetsuo]

Nothing to discuss. Firing Blash makes no sense when the team sucks and you're only putting the other moron in charge.

It's like you're trying to patch a hole with a bigger hole when you don't even have a boat. Wings aren't even an NHL team.

The team could not be playing any worse right now. A change is necessary now imo. Even if its not his fault things are bad (he didn't fill the roster with NHL scrubs), Blash has clearly lost the locker room. No team should be in this sort of complete free fall, ever. Yet here we are.

 

[Dotter]

The team could not be playing any worse right now. A change is necessary now imo. Even if its not his fault things are bad (he didn't fill the roster with NHL scrubs), Blash has clearly lost the locker room. No team should be in this sort of complete free fall, ever. Yet here we are.

Well I guess Bill Peters is available.

 

[Claypool]

No team should be in this sort of complete free fall, ever. Yet here we are.

What games in this recent losing streak did you feel they should have won?

 

[LeftWingLocked]

What games in this recent losing streak did you feel they should have won?

People just want competitive games man. 25 teams have changed coaches since Blashill got hired yet people still want to defend him.

 

[Hen Kolland]

Ottawa doesn't have more talent than Detroit.

Buffalo BEFORE Bylsma; .317 and .329.
Buffalo DURING Bylsma: .494 and .476.
Buffalo AFTER Bylsma .378.

Bylsma may not be a coveted NHL coach.
But he's miles better than Blashill.

* Has won a Stanley Cup.
* Has a career record of 320-190-55
* Has won seven playoff series.
* His .485 record in Buffalo is better than Blash's .473 record in Detroit

You have to stop with this Bylsma thing. He’s been unemployed (as a head coach) since 2017. He took a supremely talented team to a cup win, but never got it right with the same talented team in the years that followed. He accomplished nothing in Buffalo, and was rumored to be the reason that Eichel wouldn’t commit to staying in Buffalo as long as he remained the head coach. He’s currently the man responsible for one of the worst powerplay units in hockey.

I don’t think defending Dan Bylsma is going to win much support. This is year 3 where not a single team hiring a new head coach have appeared to even consider him.

 

[cjm502]

I didn't mind Blash because I felt our roster was the bigger issue and he seems to do a decent job developing the kids, but if this team doesnt start showing some heart and guts he has to go. At least show some effort out there.

 

[DetroitRed]

I don't get frustrated with the losses, what with the injuries that the team has and with the goalie predicament. However, I do think Blashill still has responsibilities beyond wins.

Basically, I need to see Detroit's young players progressing. On that end, it seems like he's had some successes this season and last, with Mantha, Bertuzzi, and Athanasiou. Those successes do seem kinda tempered at times, but again, I think it's hard to sustain progress with every player on a team under such conditions. Notwithstanding, if the opportunity to hire a better coach is available, it stands to reason that you take it.

The motivation for firing a coach mid-season tends to be losses though and, I'm not sure anyone would produce wildly different results in that area with the same team. So, giving him until at least the end of the season seems more appropriate.

 

[newfy]

I dunno at this point. I was saying keep him til the end of the season but this is getting ridiculous. On one hand maybe it guarantees last place, on the other these guys are going to have no confidence if they keep losing like this. On the other hand again, guys like Larkin and Bert seem like this wont hurt them that much and who cares about most of the rest of the team because theyll be gone in a year or two anyways.

Last season I liked how they tanked. Close games, competitive and the young guys produced. This isnt good for the team I dont think whats happening right now.

 

[Snuggs]

Nothing to discuss. Firing Blash makes no sense when the team sucks and you're only putting the other moron in charge.

It's like you're trying to patch a hole with a bigger hole when you don't even have a boat. Wings aren't even an NHL team.

Man this reasoning is loser stuff. You don't allow losing just cause... Someone somewhere has to pay for the ludicrous ways they're losing. I agree you don't promote from within but still, you have to move on at this point. It's clearly not working and he's not effective at all.*Blashill*

It's making someone accountable. Sends a message to players and the rest of the organization. We know it's not a good team but why keep a bad coach? Just cause we'll lose anyways? Whatever... Keep this loser next year too then right? Not like we'll turn it around in just one off-season...

It's Ford ownership mentality that you're preaching. Loser stuff man, no one is saying they'll turn it around with a new coach but we are saying this coach doesn't help anything. At all. He's not even developing/using young players correcting in a lot of fans eyes. He's swimming up stream when everyone wants to float down the river. He's a really bad coach right now.

 

[MBH]

You have to stop with this Bylsma thing. He’s been unemployed (as a head coach) since 2017. He took a supremely talented team to a cup win, but never got it right with the same talented team in the years that followed. He accomplished nothing in Buffalo, and was rumored to be the reason that Eichel wouldn’t commit to staying in Buffalo as long as he remained the head coach. He’s currently the man responsible for one of the worst powerplay units in hockey.

I don't have to stop anything.
He WON a cup.
He's been unemployed for three year but only as head coach. He's been here for two years now.

I don’t think defending Dan Bylsma is going to win much support. This is year 3 where not a single team hiring a new head coach have appeared to even consider him.

I don't care about support.
I care about stopping the gushing wound.
Bylsma has a chance to do that.
And if he can't, you can fire him too.

 

[Hen Kolland]

I don't have to stop anything.
He WON a cup.
He's been unemployed for three year but only as head coach. He's been here for two years now.




I don't care about support.
I care about stopping the gushing wound.
Bylsma has a chance to do that.
And if he can't, you can fire him too.

He has a Stanley Cup ring with an outstanding team. I could argue that a good coach would have rattled off two or three wins with that team. He could not, and was fired because he was not a good coach with a stacked team in today’s terms.

 

[kliq]

I'm completely open to firing Blashill at this point, but I don't want an interim head coach. Either replace him with with someone you have faith in that can turn things around as the roster improves, or wait until the summer when the coaching market is deeper and make a change at that time. I completely understand the "new voice" argument, but I'm not sure if the right hand man and doppelganger of the person you are firing is going to be that.

I have to wonder if our future head coach is going to be Jon Cooper. He is obviously an Yzerman guy, and with TB's regression this year I could see him being the scapegoat in TB especially if they don't make the playoffs or get bounced early.

 

[kliq]

He has a Stanley Cup ring with an outstanding team. I could argue that a good coach would have rattled off two or three wins with that team. He could not, and was fired because he was not a good coach with a stacked team in today’s terms.

I dont really want him as our head coach either based on his time in Buffalo, but in 2008 didnt he step in to Pittsburgh and completely turn things around? I seem to remember them firing their head coach mid season because the team was under-performing, and he came in and they took off from there.

 

[Hen Kolland]

I dont really want him as our head coach either based on his time in Buffalo, but in 2008 didnt he step in to Pittsburgh and completely turn things around? I seem to remember them firing their head coach mid season because the team was under-performing, and he came in and they took off from there.

He did. That was the one instance when you have a contending team who couldn’t get their shit together and the coaching change did help. But with that same team just absolutely stacked with talent, he never made it back to the Stanley Cup finals.

 

[MBH]

He has a Stanley Cup ring with an outstanding team. I could argue that a good coach would have rattled off two or three wins with that team. He could not, and was fired because he was not a good coach with a stacked team in today’s terms.

WHich coach with a Stanley Cup ring didn't have an outstanding team?

I'm not saying he's a great coach. Or even a good coach.

I'm saying he's better than the f***ing moron who's coaching right now.

 

[MBH]

I dont really want him as our head coach either based on his time in Buffalo, but in 2008 didnt he step in to Pittsburgh and completely turn things around? I seem to remember them firing their head coach mid season because the team was under-performing, and he came in and they took off from there.

After that Buffalo stint, I had my reservations about him too.
But man. Look at Pre-Bylsma and post-Byslma - it's pretty hard to say Bylsma was the problem.