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John Stevens Fired For Flyers Goaltending
by PuckStopsHere on 12/04/09 at 08:38 PM ET
Comments (22)
One of the biggest surprises this season is that it took until December for a team to fire a coach. This makes faux rumors prediction that 25-50% of the coaches who started the 2009/10 season would be fired before game 82 look to be in doubt.
The first coach fired this season is John Stevens, who was fired by the Philadelphia Flyers. Stevens coached the Flyers for slightly over three seasons. He found himself coaching a team with a 13-12 record (with one loss counted as an overtime tie), that has his time in tenth place in the East Conference.
The Philadelphia Flyers have a talented group of position players including Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Chris Pronger and Kimmo Timonen. Their forwards and defencemen are groups that look like they should make playoffs. The problem is that they do not have top level goaltending. Due to some poor choices that significantly limited their salary cap space, the Flyers were stuck signing Ray Emery and Brian Boucher to be their goaltenders this season.
Ray Emery has been slumping lately. He has a .861 saves percentage and a 3.91 GAA in his last six games. His overall season stats are much better than that due to a good start (.907 saves percentage and 2,65 GAA). It was Emery’s recent slump that provoked the John Stevens firing.
Brian Boucher has been the better of the two Flyer goalies so far this season, but he has had very limited play. Boucher has only appeared in six games, but has posted a .924 saves percentage and a 2.20 GAA. One solution for the Flyers, should Emery not find his game again, would be to use Brian Boucher more frequently.
The goaltenders the Philadelphia Flyers used last year have performed pretty well so far this season. Antero Niittymaki has some of the best numbers in the NHL so far this season. He has a .931 saves percentage and a 2.18 GAA for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Martin Biron has a .907 saves percentage and a 3.04 GAA (facing significantly more shots than he would with the Flyers) for the New York Islanders. His overall numbers are comparable to Ray Emery, but he has been more consistent (and also played behind limited offensive support which has limited his win total). The Philadelphia Flyers would have fewer questions regarding their goaltending has they stood pat with last year’s goalies.
Ironically, should the Flyers opt to change their goaltending via trade, the most available goalie is likely Martin Biron, who will be the odd man out on Long Island when Rock DiPietro returns from injury. Would the Flyers consider taking him back?
These goaltending questions are the main reason that John Stevens had been fired. If the Flyers had a legitimate number one goalie, he would still have a job. This is a failure of general manager Paul Holmgren. Holmgren is firing the coach to try to cover up his own mistakes.
The Philadelphia Flyers new coach is Peter Laviolette. He is probably a step up from Stevens as a coach. His most significant success is winning the 2006 Stanley Cup as coach of the Carolina Hurricanes. A minor improvement in coaching does little to change the likely direction of the Philadelphia Flyers. They clearly have the talent of a playoff team and have won more games than they have lost so far. That is likely to continue. The Flyers weakness remains goaltending. It could be a big enough problem to keep the team from a playoff berth. If they do make playoffs, they will likely be first round fodder, unless they can find a top goaltender by playoff time. A new coach does nothing to change that picture.
Filed in: | The Puck Stops Here | Permalink
Tags: John+Stevens, Martin+Biron, Paul+Holmgren, Peter+Laviolette, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ray+Emery,
Comments
Swing and a miss.
Stevens was not fired because of the goaltending. Stevens was fired because for three years this team has been either red hot or ice cold. Right now they’re paying their top six forwards almost $30mm and not only are they struggling to score, but guys like Arron Asham and Dan Carcillo have been outchancing them.
But hey, why not repost an article from 2003 and change the names from Cechmanek and Barber to Emery and Stevens
Posted by John from Philly on 12/04/09 at 09:25 PM ET
I agree that this is an extremely oversimplified view. Its two years of underachievement (including a late season collapse last year that cost them home ice in the playoffs), 6 losses in 7 games, nearly 9 consecutive periods of being shutout, and unexplainable inconsistency, combined with very high expectations.
Posted by dip on 12/04/09 at 10:33 PM ET
Stevens is just to relaxed, the Flyers’ players seem like a rowdy bunch so you really need that type of coach to put the foot down and get his players focused on the task at hand. This is just opinion. And I hope its someone thats gonna crack a whip when somebody doesn’t play 100%.
Posted by clef usb from u.s.a on 12/04/09 at 11:47 PM ET
Now that Comcast bought NBC, they can bring in Al Roker to do goalie coaching.
Posted by Hippy Dave from Portland by way of Detroit on 12/05/09 at 01:12 AM ET
haha. the flyers.
Posted by Boo Kershaw from not philly on 12/05/09 at 02:46 AM ET
UMMMMMMMMM I know Phllthy Fans aren’t the Brightest Bulbs in the Chandelier when it comes to Hockey, But Under a Salary Cap when you overspend on certain Players or Positions you Have to Cut Corners elsewhere
In other words You Have Emery & Water Boy as your Goalies
You DO NOT cut corners on Goalies !!! Unless you are an ABSOLUTE Powerhouse you can’t win the SC with Mediocre Goalies
Posted by Evilpens on 12/05/09 at 08:23 AM ET
Yea, because not scoring a goal in 8 periods had nothing to do with him getting fired, idiot.
Posted by Matt on 12/05/09 at 01:55 PM ET
If you are even moderately intelligent you fire a coach for longer term reasons. Sure the Flyers are slumping now. Eight periods without a goal is not good. But it makes no sense to judge a man who has coached your team for over three years on his last eight periods.
I think it is clear that if the Flyers had better goaltending we would not be having this discussion. Their record would look better and nobody would think of firing the coach even if they just went eight periods without scoring a goal. In the end the goaltending is what got Stevens fired - and the goaltending being problematic was 100% predicatable before the season began.
Posted by PuckStopsHere on 12/05/09 at 02:11 PM ET
You don’t judge a coach on his last 8 periods, and you certainly don’t judge a goalie on his last 4 starts (4.71GAA). Emery was a stud in the beginning of the season, but has struggled as of late. Boucher struggled in the beginning, but his stats are solid on average. (.924GAA 2.20)
You’re argument that Stevens got fired based on goaltending is completely baseless and absurd.
Posted by Matt on 12/05/09 at 02:20 PM ET
This post is a gross oversimplification (you’ll note that off-ice discipline was a key talking point in Laviolette’s comments today, which means it’s probably a factor in Philadelphia’s inconsistency), but it’s not that far off base.
The Flyers have had C goaltending since the early 90s. Goaltending has been the most glaring difference between Philly and the archrival Penguins these past few years, and Holmgren actually downgraded that position over the summer.
Last three games aside—Philly’s record was going to be worse this year no matter what Stevens did. A hall of fame D-man was added, but offense was subtracted up front and the goaltending went from average to bad. Less goals scored+more goals allowed=more losses.
Snyder’s mandate to Stevens and the team was that they beat the Penguins in the playoffs. That simply won’t happen with the teams constructed as such and there’s nothing Stevens or Laviolette can do about it.
So yes, Stevens was mostly fired because Holmgren made the Flyer’s achilles heel more vulnerable.
Posted by steve on 12/05/09 at 03:11 PM ET
God Phllthy Fans are Shortbus Window Licking Retards
Problems in the Locker room when you Had the Greatest leader to EVER tread this or any other Planet Richards
UMMMM The Problem in the Locker room might Be coming from the Cokehead Goalie who played & a acted his way out of the League last Season
& Pronger who is probably Banging Someone’s Wife or GF
Snider is Senile YOU DON’T BUILD YOUR TEAM TO BEAT 1 PARTICULAR TEAM, You might not even play the Pens at all in the Playoffs
Meaning that either The Flyers or Pens get beat by someone else
I don’t see the Pens losing, But right Now the Flyers wouldn’t be in the Playoffs
You DON’T cut corners on Goaltending
Posted by Evilpens on 12/05/09 at 03:47 PM ET
Stellar use of caps.
Posted by Matt on 12/05/09 at 03:49 PM ET
If you are even moderately intelligent you fire a coach for longer term reasons.
Yeah, which is why he wasn’t fired because of goaltending.
Emery has come back to earth now, but he started out doing phenomenally, so if Stevens was fired because of the goaltending then it was a SHORT TERM REASON.
You can’t make a point and then contradict that point in order to prove the point, moron.
To say that it’s because of goaltending is shortsighted and stupid.
The team was supposed to be good enough (and on paper IS good enough) that they shouldn’t need Martin Brodeur in net and the fact that the team is failing both offensively and defensively is why he was fired.
Not because the goalie that the GM hired isn’t performing up to par.
Posted by Garth on 12/05/09 at 03:56 PM ET
You DON’T cut corners on Goaltending
Who’s cutting corners? They picked up a steal of a goalie who has proven himself to have the talent to get a team to the Stanely Cup finals.
The team as a whole is underperforming. You’d have to be a retard or a Pens fan to not understand that.
Was Therien fired because of goaltending last year? No, it’s because the entire team took a shit on the ice every night for the first half of the season.
Posted by Garth on 12/05/09 at 03:58 PM ET
Who’s cutting corners? They picked up a steal of a goalie who has proven himself to have the talent to get a team to the Stanely Cup finals.
The Flyers are. They signed a starter that nobody else even trusted to be a backup for three million less than starting goalies normally make.
And let’s not rewrite history, here, that Senators team was a powerhouse that was stacked at all positions and it took Emery to a Stanley Cup final, not the other way around.
Posted by steve on 12/05/09 at 05:11 PM ET
Noe MT got Fired Because he is Very good at taking a very bad team & making overachieve, & make a Average team Better, But can’t make a Good Team Great, His Hard Ass mentality where’s thin after awhile, You Can delude yourself in to believing that it’s a Similar situation BUT it’s Not
The Pens Had Sid, Geno, Staal, Gonchar coming back from Injury, They traded for Kunitz & Tangradi just before Canning MT& above all had an ELITE goalie in MAF
Flyers Don’t Have anyone like Sid or Geno or Staal for that matter & sure as HELL don’t Have a MAF
But again you Flyers Fans aren’t Sharpest Knifes in the Drawer, You have been lapping up the Puke that Senile MORON Snider & his Minions in the Media have been puking up to you & they Haven’t won a SC since “75”
Posted by Evilpens on 12/05/09 at 05:49 PM ET
Matt and EP, the last few comments have been deleted.
If you wish to trade barbs, feel free to do it thru KK private messaging. Matt, you would first have to become a KK Member.
Posted by Paul from Motown Area on 12/05/09 at 06:40 PM ET
Yea, because not scoring a goal in 8 periods had nothing to do with him getting fired, idiot.
You don’t judge a coach on his last 8 periods, and you certainly don’t judge a goalie on his last 4 starts (4.71GAA). Emery was a stud in the beginning of the season, but has struggled as of late. Boucher struggled in the beginning, but his stats are solid on average. (.924GAA 2.20)
You’re argument that Stevens got fired based on goaltending is completely baseless and absurd.
Stellar use of caps.
That is some REALLY Expert analysis there Toe
Posted by Evilpens on 12/05/09 at 06:40 PM ET
If you wish to trade barbs, feel free to do it thru KK private messaging. Matt, you would first have to become a KK Member.
Thanks but no thanks, Paul. While I respect your work on your website, articles like this one considerably diminish it’s value. Posters like the one above certainly don’t help matters.
Cheers.
Posted by Matt on 12/05/09 at 06:43 PM ET
The problem in Philadelphia is lack of discipline on (and probably off) the ice, thereby continually failing to adopt to the rulebook changes and signing players that exasperate that problem. It’s no coincidence that they lead the league in penalty minutes per game just like they did the year before. John Stevens has failed to do anything about the situation despite recognizing it as a problem in several interviews.
Granted, the goaltending isn’t fantastic. But the lack of discipline exposes it even more. I’m curious to see if Laviolette can change the culture of the club given the players and the people in charge of the organisation.
Posted by Moq from Denmark on 12/05/09 at 06:48 PM ET
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Phillthy Fans hows that new HC working out ???????
8-2 a lot because the Amoeba Brain that Holmgren had to take for Dumping the Salary of a good 3rd,4th line Guy like Upshall & a 3rd Round Pick
Posted by Evilpens on 12/05/09 at 10:33 PM ET
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You nailed it. The inability to get a top notch goalie will keep the Flyers cupless. As a Pen fan, I love it.
Posted by Paul from Pittsburgh on 12/04/09 at 08:53 PM ET