Four head coaches with the same result. Why get mad about coaching anymore? I think it’s pretty obvious this team needs significant changes and the coach isn’t really the issue anymore. Gulutzan was the only coach they had that I thought actively brought the team down.
Ward had them playing good hockey (and discounting the win streak is totally unfair, I could just as easily discount a losing streak to make his numbers better). Did he make some weird moves? Yup. But I think you see that with every coach. They’re easy to blame when things go wrong.
The issue with this team has always been the playoffs. I didn’t look at any of the last 4 series (4-1 loss, 4-0 loss, 4-1 loss, and 4-2 loss) and think “gee we’re a top tier coach away”. It has always been an on-ice issue. They’ve been completely outclassed, outworked, and overwhelmed by their opponent every single time.
I’ll save my anger for whatever moves they do or don’t make when it comes to the players. Ward seems like a good guy, they had a winning % of over .600 with him, and the players seem to like playing for him. I get the desire for a top tier coach but I just don’t think it’s worth it to be as upset as some of you are over this. It’s not a sexy move but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad move.
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