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Time for a Change

Posted 2:18 PM ET | Comments 15
I am not a alarmist on most items. However I think plenty of time has been giving to John Stevens as the coach of the Flyers. I know that there are lots of injuries, but every team has injuries. Perhaps the injuries are the results of the practice schedule, practice drills, or maybe the training regiment. To me all of these items fall under the perview of the head coach. But the biggest factor in this change would be too many periods were the team is flat and seems to lack effort. It is his job to make sure that the team is ready to play.

Another big issue is the rotation of the lines. I am totally baffled as to why he broke up the pairing of Carter and Hartnell after the season both players had last year together. He seems to go with the idea of loading up 2 lines, instead of spreading the talent across 3 lines. To me Jeff Carter is a guy that needs the puck on his stick and adding Danny Briere to his wing (who wants the puck too is a bad combination). Mike Richards is a guy that needs shooters on his wings and Stevens had Gagne before the injury.

On the defensive side I think that Stevens has gone to loading up 2 pair and forsaking the 3rd pair. The Flyers have 5 quality defensemen and these guys need to be split differently. Coburn and Timonen as a pair does not work well. The defense pairs should be Pronger and Carle, Coburn and Parent, Timonen and Bartulis. This give Coburn a very offensive minded player a steady stay at home partner in Parent. It also lets Timonen play against 3rd and 4th line players to save him physically. This would split the minutes on defense better and not create a bad matchup with Parent and Bartulis out against a top line.

Last year Stevens produced basically a .500 team and with all the talent this year is 13-10. That is not good enough with this roster. I am not reacting to the current standings since the number of games played is still an issue, but the Flyers are approaching gaining only 1 point per game played. They need to be closer to 1.75 points per game played to challenge for home ice in the playoffs. I also point to the end of the season last year and the lackluster efforts that cost the Flyers home ice versus the Penguins.

Homer, make the change!
Filed Under:   Flyers  
November 29, 2009 7:33 PM ET | Delete
If I was Homer I would wait until the whole roster is healthy and playing before anyone is fired. You can't fire a coach for having a lack of player to play
November 29, 2009 8:12 PM ET | Delete
My concern is the long stretches of lackluster effort. That is a reflection on the coach. We have Richards, Carter, Giroux, JVR, Pronger, Timonen, Coburn, Carle, Emery,etc.... plenty of weapons - he has had his chance. Time for a new coach. An impact coach!
November 29, 2009 8:13 PM ET | Delete
Do not promote from within. Grab someone from outside!
MJL
November 30, 2009 8:25 AM ET | Delete
November 30, 2009 3:47 PM ET | Delete
you play as your coach shows emotion to some degree. Stevens does not show any fire or intensity. He may prepare them but it doesn't show. So, yes, i would agree with time for a change
December 1, 2009 3:19 AM ET | Delete
I've been call for Stevens to be shown the door since last year. I was hoping we could have gotten Lemiere when he left the Wild. My question is...is there an impact coach out there that needs a job?
December 1, 2009 9:04 AM ET | Delete
Peter Laviolette
December 1, 2009 6:55 PM ET | Delete
No Laviolette - I don't like him. I would rather bring in a new guy like Eric Desjardins or Wayne Gretzky
December 1, 2009 6:59 PM ET | Delete
December 1, 2009 6:59 PM ET | Delete
Message Posted
December 2, 2009 12:43 PM ET | Delete
At what point do the Flyers realize that part of the problem is a lack of true leadership from Mike Richards? Great player, but not worthy of the "C". Time for a change there, too.
December 2, 2009 3:51 PM ET | Delete
at what point will people remember that Richards captained the World Junior 2005 team to a championship with a team that included Crosby? he will be fine, people. relax.
December 2, 2009 4:02 PM ET | Delete
December 3, 2009 9:06 AM ET | Delete
December 3, 2009 9:06 AM ET | Delete
This site sucks.
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