Quote:
Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen
We're giving Hartley credit for currently being ahead of a Buffalo team that is on pace to be the lowest point total team since the 2002 Atlanta Thrashers? Way to set the bar low.
|
all i was saying was that this team was supposed to be flat out terrible. They have been a team that has been able to keep it close in almost all their games, and been a relatively exciting group to watch, despite not winning much. They have been considered the hardest working team in the league, we have heard that from numerous people outside the organization and fan base.
Hartley has to be applauded for that in my opinion, and i'm not even a hartley fan.
if everyone wants to start freaking out about the state of the flames, a team that seems to have completely derailed and can't generate any offense, let's look at Brian Burke DIRECTLY. There is a direct correlation between the firing of feaster/wiesbrod and the sudden craptastic play of the team.
I get that burke felt they weren't part of the future for this franchise, and needed to be removed. what i don't understand is why the change had to be made mid season, when things were going about as good as a Rebuild:Year1 could be going? did he not expect the team to have a reaction and the possibility that it would bring a possible change in attitude of some key players on the team? There's the excuse that we're in a race to a new GM with buffalo, so this had to be done asap... well by all accounts that rush is all but over, with rumours out there that no replacement GM will be in place till at least the offseason.
it's not actually even that big a deal (flames were supposed to suck, and now truly do), especially if, at the end of the day, the team is already looking at this year as a lottery draft winning type year, so the end result on the scoreboard is becoming more and more of a insignificant matter.
sorry for the novel. i just don't see a group of players that have packed it in, or tuning out the coach over the course of the first half of the season. i do see a different attitude and quality of play shortly after the GM removal.