A good start, but I hope the Panthers don't think that these guys are going to turn the team around with the current roster. Florida was one of those teams that probably deserved to be as bad as they were given the players on the roster.
Martin will get whatever there is to get out of the players he's got; I think his performance in Ottawa showed that. The real question in this equation is Keenan, who at least in his recent coaching tenure hasn't proven to be the most patient man in the world. The only success he's had in the last decade has been with teams that were on the brink even before he got there; he basically added Stephane Matteau and Brian Noonan and hoped for the best. I can't think of an instance where Keenan took a team and built it from the bottom up into a contender. He brings more reason for optimism than Rick Dudley, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's gone after his first season if it's not a successful one.
The Toronto Maple Leafs: Hockey's equivalent of the Chicago Cubs, but easier to hate.
I found interesting that Martin admit that by coaching Florida, he would have the chance to coach an "established goalie" that "he can trust". Take that Lalime, byatch.
Martin will coach a team that will be great in a couple of years...Luongo, Weiss, Bouwmeester, Biron, Jokinen, Huselius...things are looking good for the Panthers.
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Everything I say is a lie. Except that. And that. And that. And that. And that....And that.
Current Draft Positions: 1. Washington 2. Pittsburgh 3. Chicago 4. Columbus 5. Phoenix 6. NY Rangers 7. Florida 8. Carolina 9. Anaheim 10. Atlanta 11. Los Angeles 12. Minnesota 13. Buffalo 14. Edmonton Above are official, below are speculated based on overall standings. 15. Nashville 16. NY Islanders 17. St. Louis 18. Montreal 19. Dallas 20. Colorado 21. New Jersey 22. Ottawa 23. Toronto 24. Philadephia 25. Vancouver 26. Boston 27. San Jose 28. Tampa Bay 29. Detroit 30. Calgary If Tampa wins, Calgary drafts 19th and everyone moves up except for Tampa (now 30th) and Detroit (who stay at 29).
THE 111TH STANLEY CUP FINALS: Calgary Flames lead Tampa Bay Lightning 1-0; Game 2 is Thursday
For all of you hoping Keenan does good in FLA as a GM, remember this little tid bit, the Blues just got done this past season paying off contracts that he signed while he was the GM here. Plus, he ran Gretzky out of town.
Right. Keenan had nothing to do with Gretzky leaving St. Louis. When the Blues got him everybody knew it was a rent-a-player situation and that Gretz was either going to play with Messier in NY or play at home with the Leafs. Thank God it was the former.
The Toronto Maple Leafs: Hockey's equivalent of the Chicago Cubs, but easier to hate.
Thats the happy, feel good story. After going out and getting the Great One for a playoff run, Keenan basically treated him like crap. During the final intermission of the last game of the season, he berated Gretzky in the locker room in front of the team, because the team wasnt playing well enough. Gretzky had agreed to a contract with the team, and was to sign after the season (His wife is from Missouri, and was out of show business anyhow, she was happy getting back home). However, he bolted as soon as he could, feeling disrespected and humiliated.
Speaking of disrespecting Gretzky, it's one of the only things I still hold against Marc Crawford. I generally like the guy as a coach, he's fair and tough on his players and has a great track record.
But in the 1998 Nagano Olympics, he left Gretzky on the bench in the Shootout. Now I know Gretzky was older and didn't have the best Olympics but I don't care if he was the worst player on that Olympic team at the time, you let Wayne Gretzky take one of the shots.
The shot of Gretzky sitting on the bench as Canada lost the Shootout is one of the most depressing images in Canadian hockey.
"Each race determines for itself what indecencies are. Nature knows no indecencies; man invents them." - Mark Twain
Mike Keenan's career: -Played, but never got higher than the OHA. Played at St. Lawrence University for 2 seasons. -Coached the Peterborough Petes of the OHA, then the Rochester Americans for 3 years including an AHL Championship. Coached the University of Toronto for one season before jumping to the NHL, coaching Philadelphia [1984-88], Chicago [1988-92], The Rangers [93-94], St. Louis [1994-97], Vancouver [1997-99], Boston [2000-01] and Florida [2001-03]. He won the Jack Adams Award from the NHL for Best Coach in 1984-85 (his first season), but hasn't been awarded since.
Jacques Martin's career: -Played 2 seasons with St. Lawrence University of the NCAA, beginning the year after Keenan left. -Assistant Coach with Peterborough of the OHL for 2 years, Head Coach of Guelph in 1986, then hired as St. Louis' Head Coach. Coached the Blues from 1986-88, then hired as Assistant Coach with Chicago under Keenan from 1988-90. Hired by the Nordiques as Associate Coach from 1990-93. Head Coach for Quebec's AHL affiliate in Cornwall for 1993-94, then brought up as Assistant Coach for Quebec/Colorado from 1994-96. Named Ottawa's Head Coach in 1995 and lasted until the end of the 2004 playoffs. OHL Coach of the Year with Guelph in 1986, NHL Coach of the Year with Ottawa in 1999.
THE 111TH STANLEY CUP FINALS: Calgary Flames lead Tampa Bay Lightning 1-0; Game 2 is Thursday
Originally posted by fuelinjectedThe shot of Gretzky sitting on the bench as Canada lost the Shootout is one of the most depressing images in Canadian hockey.
Yeah, my friends and I still talk about that whenever we talk about big mistakes in hockey. Crawford had the best hockey player of all time in his team and he didn't even send him for the shootout. Incredible.
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Everything I say is a lie. Except that. And that. And that. And that. And that....And that.
Originally posted by SocksKeenan the new GM, Martin the new coach. Could be the begining of a train wreck, or something magical!
... Martin is a fantastic coach, perhaps the best in the game right now. The Senators were fools to let him go. He will definitely make a difference with the Panthers, when and if the NHL resumes.
Originally posted by StaggerLeeThats the happy, feel good story. After going out and getting the Great One for a playoff run, Keenan basically treated him like crap. During the final intermission of the last game of the season, he berated Gretzky in the locker room in front of the team, because the team wasnt playing well enough. Gretzky had agreed to a contract with the team, and was to sign after the season
... Keenan actually pulled the offer off the table, IIRC. It was probably just as well; Gretzky and Hull didn't really mesh together well as players. Hull liked to get out front on the rush, and Gretzky preferred to have trailers and dish the puck off to them. I'm sure, given another half-season or so, Gretz would have adjusted his style to fit what Hull wanted to do ... but it wasn't meant to be, as long as Keenan was ruling the roost in St. Louis.
May 13, 2003.......................................................May 13, 2004......................................... ......
Originally posted by fuelinjectedThe shot of Gretzky sitting on the bench as Canada lost the Shootout is one of the most depressing images in Canadian hockey.
So true that was one sad sight. Gretzky sitting on the bench alone after the game not even allowed an opportunity. I like Crawford a lot as a coach as well, but that was wrong on so many levels.
As for Martin, I think he's over-rated and passing the buck to Lalime shows how spineless he is. With the exception of Game 7 Lalime played fine... I'll ask Jacques Martin this, where the heck did your #1 powerplay go during the playoffs. A good coach during a long playoff series will figure out his opposition defensive PK scheme, especially his arch-enemy in the Leafs. But once again Martin and his Senators couldn't figure it out and he's using Lalime as a scapegoat.
(edited by Net Hack Slasher on 30.5.04 0341) smark/net attack wienerville advisory stays at BLUE alert - Guarded (With Benoit & Eddie being World & WWE champions you'd expect all's be right but couldn't do it due to Trish/Y2J character switches & whats the deal with JBL PPV main event)- 5/6
That's the rumour I've heard. Conklin has outplayed the far more expensive Salo, and Markkanen is a perfectly acceptable backup (who actually outplayed Dunham in New York this year).