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John Chayka's First Blunder: Rick Tocchet

October 22, 2017, 11:19 AM ET [111 Comments]
James Tanner
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The Coyotes have opened the season 0-8. That pretty much sinks all the hope and optimism the fanbase had going into the season. In a way, it would be better if the team just sucked. They don't.

The Coyotes could have played no differently and be 4-4. It's not like they're getting killed. When you have to play three different goalies in six games, you're not gonna win very many of them, usually. But still, their coach isn't doing them any favors.

Last night, down by one, they let in an empty net goal with about a minute left. OK that happens. But can someone explain to me what the _____ Kevin Connauton and Zac Rinaldo were doing on the ice at that point?

That is seriously one of the biggest coaching blunders I've ever witnessed, and I grew up a Leafs fan.

I may be impulsive and insane, but if I was the GM I might have fired Tocchet for that. I mean, you're 0-7 for F'sakes. How can an NHL coach be so bad at managing his lines that he has his worst defensemen and his worst forward (Though Tobias Rieder might have something to say about that) out on the ice in the final minute of a one goal game?

Also, when you have a home game and last line change, you need to get your best players better matchups. Clayton Keller, Max Domi and Derek Stepan were under 40% last night and spent most of their night matched up against the Patrick Kane line. That's inexcusably bad coaching.

Also, his lines are terrible. Sending Strome down was a mistake. Duclair needs to play with actual other offensive players to be effective. After the top line, Tobias Rieder is the most used forward. That's just a failure in player evaluation. He has a 42% CF and three points.

Why is Nick Cousins the sixth most used forward?

If you want to know why your team sucks, maybe it's because you played Dylan Strome - your co-top prospect - for two games with absolute anchors Perlini and Crouse and then decided he needed more time. You know who shouldn't be in the NHL? Perlini and Crouse.

How hard would it be to put Stepan with Keller, and Domi with Strome? Dvorak with Duclair.
Spread it out a bit. Only someone who's never heard of Mike Babcock would put their three best players on the same line and wonder why the rest of their team is terrible.

It's really not hard to coach against a team who stacks one line, Rick.

The Coyotes can't help that they've had absolutely zero puck-luck, and that everything has gone against them so far this year. But their coach has been an absolute disaster.

There might be a good reason why the guy went seven years between coaching gigs.

Honestly, I know it's only eight games, but it's not working. If he did get fired - which he almost certainly won't - it would be someone of a coincidence because he once replaced Barrie Melrose who was fired after only a 16 game tenure.

At this point I'd pick Melrose up from the airport myself.


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