Very well said. The needs were obvious and he blew it. I think this is really the first time that the fans are starting to heat up his seat. He preached patience and the fans gave it to him. But regression and mediocrity is simply unacceptable at this point.
- Flyers1218

We are going to at some point find out how much influence Dave Scott has in things. By all accounts it seems Holmgren and Hextall are loyal to a fault here.

I don't know what they should do, I'm not a coach. It's not my job to make adjustments to the team. It's the coach. Is he to blame for everything? No. But why is the PP worse this year? Why has the PK been bad for years? You and I know the coach takes the fall either way. But they are the ones in charge of the team. If leadership on the team is the problem then he needs to address it.

Like I said, in any job, the boss sets the tone. It is his responsibility to give players a kick in the ass, Giroux or whoever included. If he can't do that, then it's time to move on.
- feelingkettle

No you're wrong, coach doesn't need to be fired. All we have to do is just wait for the players to wake up and play themselves...

He’s going to get the chance to make a coaching change before he’s fired, and I’d agree with that.

I know I beat that Hak drum, and I want the beet farmer out but this is more than just coaching. It is however the easiest “fix” so to speak, and with Q and Vigneault available - you’ve got potential quality replacements out there.

I’m not sure why this season has to be thrown away. Other than some good games against a few poop teams in the West, they have looked brutal all season, and going back to the playoffs last year.
- flyer_nutter

Something has to give, this is beyond bad. And yeah, the coach will go first and Hextall will get at least another season if not two. But he’ll be under the gun like he never has since he took this job starting next season. It’s time to start winning.

I don't know what they should do, I'm not a coach. It's not my job to make adjustments to the team. It's the coach. Is he to blame for everything? No. But why is the PP worse this year? Why has the PK been bad for years? You and I know the coach takes the fall either way. But they are the ones in charge of the team. If leadership on the team is the problem then he needs to address it.

Like I said, in any job, the boss sets the tone. It is his responsibility to give players a kick in the ass, Giroux or whoever included. If he can't do that, then it's time to move on.
- feelingkettle

That's bull. It's not the coach. Did you see a team competing in that period? Why not? Are they waiting for the coach to motivate them? What adjustments can a coach make with the team standing around? How does a coach address leadership? Leadership is a player issue. They either have it for they don't. None of the top players on this team did squat that period. I don't know any coach that would be successful with that putrid effort.

Giroux and Co. didn't come out to play because the coach didn't give them a kick in the ass to start the game. They didn't know that this is the NHL and you have to compete from the opening puck drop.

That isnt fair. I thought Giroux played well. Konecny needs to shoot. Couturier looked a lot better as the game went on. No one on that 2nd line looked good at all. Contant thing I saw with Line 3 was Weal being out worked, stripped of the puck or just giving it away.
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

Giroux and Coots took a shift off and it cost them the first goal that sets a horrible tone for the bench. Your leaders aren't into it why should you play...

That isnt fair. I thought Giroux played well. Konecny needs to shoot. Couturier looked a lot better as the game went on. No one on that 2nd line looked good at all. Contant thing I saw with Line 3 was Weal being out worked, stripped of the puck or just giving it away.
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

Giroux was playing like garbage.

The answer better not be "Wait for Carter Hart," because if that's the answer, everyone needs to get fired because nobody, absolutely no one, has any effing clue if he will stop a shot in the NHL
- AllInForFlyers

Goaltending is the least of their worries. If a bad goal a game is the worst thing about this team, I am sure many people here would be jumping for joy.

Good on Laughton for trying something..

4 seconds left in a period is not the right time..No one can follow that up before the period starts..

Im also sick of the touchy feely NHL at this point..Weiss lays a good hit and then basically wants to give the player he hit a hug because the puck hit him ..Nothing wrong with a little nastiness and hate.

This team annoys me in every single way right now and honestly..Honestly..Hak is the least of my complaints ..It starts with Hexy then goes to goaltending..then goes back to Hexy..then all of the players that are basically mirror images of each other..not really great at anything but (frank) yah defensively sound!

Okay what should he do to the leadership? Watch the replay of the Skinner goal. Watch the Captain glide from the blue line in while Skinner skates right by him into the slot to pot the rebound. That is what set the tone for this game and it continued through the period. Watch how tough it was for the Flyers to get out of the zone and how easy it was for Buffalo to move out of their zone and into the Flyer zone. So what should he do, bench Giroux?

I bet if the leaders came out on their skates ready to compete, the rest of the team would follow.
- MJL

It’s the coaches job to make sure the team comes out prepared and ready to play. They weren’t. Again. End of story.

That isnt fair. I thought Giroux played well. Konecny needs to shoot. Couturier looked a lot better as the game went on. No one on that 2nd line looked good at all. Contant thing I saw with Line 3 was Weal being out worked, stripped of the puck or just giving it away.
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

Giroux did not play well at all that period. He's one of the biggest culprits in the result of that period. Nobody played well.

Agreed. Hell its not like Hextall is scouting all theee kids and making picks in a vacuum. Pryor and the scouts do the lions share of the work. If this team ends up out of the playoffs and in the bottom third of the league, I’d have no problem if ownership pulled the plug on the Hextall era.
- BiggE

It wouldn’t be a suprise or not warranted if that happened.

It’s the coaches job to make sure the team comes out prepared and ready to play. They weren’t. Again. End of story.
- Flyers1218

Bullcrap! How does a coach do that? Give a Knute Rockne speech? The players are responsible to be ready to compete. This is the NHL! End of story!

Something has to give, this is beyond bad. And yeah, the coach will go first and Hextall will get at least another season if not two. But he’ll be under the gun like he never has since he took this job starting next season. It’s time to start winning.
- BiggE

Whatever change is made, and I do think one will happen eventually - I want the identity of the Flyers to be restored. I do not agree with this being one of the softest clubs in the NHL. You can change from being a dfirst club to offensive first, whatever - but somewhere along the line it became acceptable for that “nasty” identity to be lost somewhere.

Maybe it’s just nostalgia, but I want that back. Not fights and Boulerice, but this team has been Vanilla for years.

That's bull. It's not the coach. Did you see a team competing in that period? Why not? Are they waiting for the coach to motivate them? What adjustments can a coach make with the team standing around? How does a coach address leadership? Leadership is a player issue. They either have it for they don't. None of the top players on this team did squat that period. I don't know any coach that would be successful with that putrid effort.

Giroux and Co. didn't come out to play because the coach didn't give them a kick in the ass to start the game. They didn't know that this is the NHL and you have to compete from the opening puck drop.
- MJL

Players don’t play for coaches they don’t believe in. Go watch the Senators video.

Giroux was playing like garbage.
- bird_dog_pa

Rough period for everyone....totally out matched and out skated.

Players don’t play for coaches they don’t believe in. Go watch the Senators video.
- Flyers1218

So the Flyers are losing on purpose? If that's the case, Hextall has a lot of trading to do.

That's bull. It's not the coach. Did you see a team competing in that period? Why not? Are they waiting for the coach to motivate them? What adjustments can a coach make with the team standing around? How does a coach address leadership? Leadership is a player issue. They either have it for they don't. None of the top players on this team did squat that period. I don't know any coach that would be successful with that putrid effort.

Giroux and Co. didn't come out to play because the coach didn't give them a kick in the ass to start the game. They didn't know that this is the NHL and you have to compete from the opening puck drop.
- MJL

This goes against any workplace environment. Is the coach in charge of the players? Are the players not playing well? Whose job is it to be in charge of the players? I'm not sure why you're not holding the guy to the job he's doing.

Was it a poopty period? Yes. Has it been a poopty season? Yes. Have things regressed this season under Hakstol and Hextall? Yep. The coach can hold the players accountable. The GM can hold the coaches accountable. It's really not that hard to understand if you have been employed in a semi competent work environment.

murray for scott laughton?
- stayinthefnnet

Laughton is one of few guys who I trust to give a poop every night

Players don’t play for coaches they don’t believe in. Go watch the Senators video.
- Flyers1218

I think at this point the man could give a speech similar to the president in that Independence Day movie, but they have tuned him out.

He made the right call with the timeout.

What's the point of even having a coach? They don't really do anything anyways

That's bull. It's not the coach. Did you see a team competing in that period? Why not? Are they waiting for the coach to motivate them? What adjustments can a coach make with the team standing around? How does a coach address leadership? Leadership is a player issue. They either have it for they don't. None of the top players on this team did squat that period. I don't know any coach that would be successful with that putrid effort.

Giroux and Co. didn't come out to play because the coach didn't give them a kick in the ass to start the game. They didn't know that this is the NHL and you have to compete from the opening puck drop.
- MJL

I don’t believe it’s the coaches job to motivate a team to be ready to play a game.
I do see a team that is unwilling to do the fundamental things it takes to play to be competitive.
As a GM you can’t throw away seasons because your plan is so rigid you can’t address the infection in your locker room that enables the team to not show up so often.

That's bull. It's not the coach. Did you see a team competing in that period? Why not? Are they waiting for the coach to motivate them? What adjustments can a coach make with the team standing around? How does a coach address leadership? Leadership is a player issue. They either have it for they don't. None of the top players on this team did squat that period. I don't know any coach that would be successful with that putrid effort.

Giroux and Co. didn't come out to play because the coach didn't give them a kick in the ass to start the game. They didn't know that this is the NHL and you have to compete from the opening puck drop.
- MJL

Maybe the players want a coaching change because they know he is a loser. So they stop playing with any passion. Certainly would not the first time that has happened.

Bullcrap! How does a coach do that? Give a Knute Rockne speech? The players are responsible to be ready to compete. This is the NHL! End of story!
- MJL

Do they look prepared? Do they look like they have a clue of what they are supposed to be doing on the penalty kill or powerplay or defensive zone. This is going on years now. It absolutely is on the coaching. Again, go watch the Senators video. Watch how fast leadership bails when they think a coach is crap.

I think at this point the man could give a speech similar to the president in that Independence Day movie, but they have tuned him out.

He made the right call with the timeout.
- flyer_nutter

Not only that he chewed them out during it

Someone said what should Hak do? Bench Giroux? Well here’s a newsflash for ya. If Giroux or any player was lazily coasting back on D and it led to a goal against, you can bet your ass a guy like Mike Babcock would bench his ass for a couple of shifts. So would a Mike Keenan, a Ken Hitchcock or any other top coach. Hak has lost this team. He may not be a bad coach, but this team has tuned him out. Anyone who can’t see that is clueless.