What is Randy Carlyle's "Tragic Flaw"?

[Highlander23]

He has one damn big problem: he wants players to adapt to him/his system rather than he adapts to his roster, that's HUGE FLAW

 

[The CyNick]

Its frustrating to watch.

A lot of these players have another great that they don't use night in and night out. Really tough to explain why this is, but it is.

 

[inthe6ix]

Stubborn, stubborn, stubborn.

It's Randy's way or the high way. Go over to the Ducks board and you'll read the same whining and complaining when he was on his way out over there too:

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/search.php?searchid=24069521

We've got a relatively young team - and unfortunately there are no Pronger's or Niedermeyer's here to right the ship - it just seems like most of them are tuning him out.

 

[gabeliscious]

he plays roll players/depth players over skill. imo thats a problem. he refuses to use a 4th line. to me it gives us a disadvantage every game. we have the option of having an effective 4th line, why use a guy out of position to play center, and 2 thugs.


jvr-bozak-kessel (this line could work but only if other lines working too)

lupul-kadri-holland

raymond-bolland-clarkson = solid 3rd line

damigo-mclemment-kulemin = premium checking/shutdown line imo


why play orr and mclaren, especially when the other team doesnt have a player who would possibly fight with them?


phaneuf-gunnarson = works, why **** with it. its like breaking up bozak/kessel

gardiner-gleason = gardiner is like a caged bird, let the kid fly, let gleason hold down the fort

rielly-franson (SHELTERED MINUTES)


ranger + fraser = should never be allowed to play for leafs again. no good can ever come from fraser being on the ice.....EVER

 

[topched]

I would say it's EASILY his over loyalty to the "foot soldiers"

It's why we see Ranger, Orr and McLaren in the lineup over and over again, and why we saw Kostka play top pairing minutes for stretches last year.

At some point you've gotta cut bait and try something different. When was the last time Orr/McLaren had a fight? If they're not doing this the value is 0

 

[monochrome]

Sometimes it seems as if Carlyle doesn't have a clue. Scratching Gardiner in last night's game is just one of the many mistakes. Sitting JML and sending him down to the minors when he can compete at the NHL level is another. Letting Clarkson have the idea that he needs to be a grit guy instead of a goal scorer, aka what we signed him for, is yet another mistake.

Superficially, motivation in the locker room isn't the issue as much as there are little directions or advice on how to execute plays. It might be too much to compare him to Babcock, a Canadian Olympic Coach, but Babcock seemed to have a piece of advice for nearly every play he taught his players and gave great motivational speeches in 24/7. Carlyle's bland, uninvolved coaching style becomes strikingly apparent just minutes later in the program when he is shown in the locker room.

We need a coach with a wealth of knowledge on how to play the game, possibly a more defensively minded coach in our locker room. We need a coach who will grab players by the collar and make them make sure they know they have to take accountibility for every mistake they make. Not a coach who favors certain players on personal opinion over skill and will bench players that deserve time for players that he likes better.

 

[Guy Boucher]

Most people don't understand how basic systems work so they're not confident to say that it's a system issue.

It's 100% a system issue.

 

[selltrade]

we keep hearing how RC wants and needs a tough roster, guys who bang etc... so whats Nonis do, he signs Clarkson a perfect RC player.. 10 games suspension a bad stretch of games and he's buried on the 3rd line... Play him on the 2nd line for FFS and get him going.. Raymond and NK back on the 3rd line with JMc until Bolland is back.

 

[Al14]

I would say it's EASILY his over loyalty to the "foot soldiers"

It's why we see Ranger, Orr and McLaren in the lineup over and over again, and why we saw Kostka play top pairing minutes for stretches last year.

At some point you've gotta cut bait and try something different. When was the last time Orr/McLaren had a fight? If they're not doing this the value is 0

It takes two to tango! The rest of the League knows that fighting is the Leafs MO to victory. That is why we're not seeing Orr or McLaren fight! No other opponent will engage!

 

[leafstilldeath*]

All of the above in addition to being supremely stubborn

 

[Kyle Doobas*]

Most people don't understand how basic systems work so they're not confident to say that it's a system issue.

It's 100% a system issue.

I'm definitely having trouble understanding why we're still having our wingers collapse into the low slot, leaving the points and sideboards wide open. Especially when several of our d-men are already pretty weak down low and are often outworked behind the net. We just get absolutely dominated along the boards in our own end.

 

[Penalty Kill Icing*]

He has many.

He preaches accountability, yet practises favouritism.

Main problem we are losing is: He has a team that has good skating instead of physicality, yet he wants them to play dump and chase. Any time a reporter asks about a goal scored off the rush, it is like he almost takes offense for scoring off the rush. To him, it looks like goals scored off the rush don't count.

Defensively, he asks everyone to collapse to the net. So teams keep cycling the puck along the boards and keep firing point shots knowing help is not coming. It doesn't help that he has a piss poor defensive group who has hockey IQ of peanuts. They can't make the breakout pass and always have to rely on the boards.

He also is unable to inspire this group to play competitive hockey. But I think this one lies more on leadership group than him. NHL players don't think highly of Phaneuf. Why do people think they'll miraculously change opinion on him once they are part of Leafs dressing room?

 

[Bluelines]

He's too rigid in how he matches lines, he needs to develop his players so he trusts his players to play in any situation.

For example you're not going to put Kessel out everytime against the Crosby line but if he happens to be out there you need to know that he will play well enough not to be a liability.

 

[HoweHullOrr]

Good coaches, managers, business men (ETC) adapt to the situation. A coach (hence GM) will not mould his team to his philosophy regarding a team's style of play. Professional sports organizations fire their coaches far too quickly to adapt the team's players. It takes years to build a club using this principle, and the organization will not wait that long.

In a situation like this, even though a lot is not RC's fault, he will be a fall guy. A lot of this fall's on Nonis, or Burke. But, a GM is in the position to axe the coach first. After the GM has fired a few coaches, and if the results are still bad, then it becomes his turn to get axed.

Its the cycle we've seen play out so many times. It's inevitable.

 

[gamer1035]

Randys biggest flaw is that his teams can only win the cup with Pronger and Neidymeyer on the back end.

Sadly any moron could win with those two on the back end.

 

[Swervin81]

Pretty sure if the Holzer experiment happened this year, everyone would be calling for Carlyle's head. Alas , it happened last year, so he gets a free pass as asinine a decision it was to put Holzer out on the top pairing with Phaneuf.

 

[Anth93]

Combination of things:

He cannot and I mean CANNOT understand that stationary/immobile poor decision making Dmen lead to goals against.

His inability to take advantage of the fourth line by icing actual NHL QUALITY players. Not guys who's primary focus is to look at the opposition and question who's able to drop the mitts.

His love for players like Jay McClement who basically punt possession in favor of defense.. Which is fine on a penalty kill and maybe a fourth line, but this guy plays 17 minutes a night. Just, lol.

Not being able to understand that 23 year old NHL players aren't little kids anymore that need to be punished. Flexing you muscles on Nazem Kadri and Jake Gardiner doesn't encourage them, it makes them hate your guts and not want to play at the highest possible level.

Last but not least, his SYSTEM. The idea that a bunch of offensive minded perimeter players can suddenly switch their style of play into a hard working cycle team that wants to be slow and methodical rather than an all out offensive attack. In fact what I said gives Randy Carlyle too much credit considering we have to question if he even knows how to teach or execute this system.. All we know is that's what he wants.

I'll look back on Randy Carlyle as a confused man that had absolutely no idea what he was doing. Hard to imagine that this guy won a Stanley Cup.. It really just shows you what type of leadership and ability that that Anaheim locker room had.

 

[The Caveman]

It's a system problem.

if you cant even break out of your zone, and this team is the worst at it that I have seen in years, even decades, then you have a serious system problem.

For example: Forwards pressure our D, and then pinch on our wingers because they know every puck goes up the boards. Only way to beat that and keep other teams honest is by going up the middle. Yet we don't.

 

[HoweHullOrr]

Randys biggest flaw is that his teams can only win the cup with Pronger and Neidymeyer on the back end.

Sadly any moron could win with those two on the back end.

Ya, and Pronger fell into his (& BB's) lap because his wife didn't like living in Edmunchuk.

 

[inthe6ix]

He's too rigid in how he matches lines, he needs to develop his players so he trusts his players to play in any situation.

For example you're not going to put Kessel out everytime against the Crosby line but if he happens to be out there you need to know that he will play well enough not to be a liability.

Good point. It's certainly also a trust issue, and Carlyle doesn't seem to have it in his players.

He puts McClement out against the opposing team's top line at every opportunity (people should realize this is why his TOI is so high), he wants the guys collapsing infront of their net (thereby opening up the side boards for point shots) because he doesn't trust the forwards will cover the points and backcheck any floaters passing into the slot, and he doesn't give opportunities to younger players, but favours vets. If you don't give the kids opportunities to grow, don't expect them to produce with 3-5/minutes TOI.

Bench Orr, McLaren, put in Holland with D'Amigo and Ashton (one of them can play off-wing) as a 4th line, and PLAY THEM.

Instead of line matching like a madman, trust your players to play against whatever the opposition puts out.

Try anything different to shake things up before it's too late.

 

[GordieHoweHatTrick]

He rules with an iron fist and probably can't see his own mistakes from his high horse because he won a cup. Good 'ol Niedermayer - Pronger

 

[moonbal]

Carlyle has got to go. He plays his favourites (defensive players lacking offense skills) way too much.
I understand that he emphasizes defense but I'm fed up with him sitting out guys who could score for bunch of mediocre defense oriented players.

 

[Drugstorecowboi]

Good one Randy. Good One. The team clearly doesn't give 2 ***** about what Randy says.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gBRNJ2BwfA

 

[Purity*]

Carlyle has got to go. He plays his favourites (defensive players lacking offense skills) way too much.
I understand that he emphasizes defense but I'm fed up with him sitting out guys who could score for bunch of mediocre defense oriented players.

The funniest part of it too, is his "defensive guys" are also being brutal defensively, YET HE STILL PLAYS THEM. Meanwhile, skill guys' like Rielly and Gardiner get scratched and given **** for playing nowhere nearly as bad as Fraser, Ranger and Franson. He always preaches accountability yet he ****ing plays favorites, looking like a damn hypocrite in front of the whole team, and we wonder why the team isn't putting in any effort? They hate the coach and they hate his face, that simple, Cmac and Grabo just happened to be vocal about it.

 

[Penalty Kill Icing*]

This is a solid, solid article by Michael Traikos of National Post. Agree with him on all fronts:

http://sports.nationalpost.com/2014...-a-job/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter