[News] Oilers fire Krueger. Eakins to be named HC shortly

[CaptainCrunch]

Its funny when they point to his performance and that it was a better team with Schultz and Yak in the lineup and that should lead to the immediate improvement of the team.

But adding those two to the lineup while increasing the teams talent, wouldn't have guaranteed a better performance.

they added another wildly inconsistant semi soft forward who treated his own zone like a syphilitic hooker who's line he'd never cross.

they added Shultz who is notably a talented puck movie but a defensive zone disaster prone to give aways, that really didn't handle the physical play of the NHL very well.

On top of that neither of those players addressed the teams needs in terms of physical grit and determination and defensive zone awareness.

Basically Krueger inherited a hockey card collection of office fantasy team. It was a porrly assembled lineup with little thought or understanding about what makes a winning NHL lineup (That's right Lowe you played for a winning team, but you know Jack squat about winning from a coaching or managment perspective.

I counter that Krueger was destined to fail thanks to inept management and leadersup. You could probably put Bowman in the lineup and that team wouldn't win. Its a dog lineup, and now its a dog lineup that knows that they aren't accountable, when they fail the coach gets canned.

Just ask Renney who treated his firing like the merciful release of death.

Maybe Eakin's can wring a miracle out of the whatever you call them. Young Guns, or babies on the bus or whatever. But a team with a dreadful blueline, and forward group with no defensive conciousness and terrible balance, and a goalie who while decent has way to many brain farts, and a team that has loser stamped all over it. Its an up hill climb in front of a slowly losing their patience fanbase.

I hope he signed a long term deal to move to Edmonton.

[Table 5]

Not really sure what the big deal about using Skype is...especially in lieu of a phone call. I do Skype conference calls all the time with my clients...and a good chunk of them are large corporations, and they are the ones who want do to it. Do you have to waste money for something to be professional?

[CaptainCrunch]

On top of that, the Oilers management group's clear confusion over how to organize and build a team on the ice and lack of forsight and planning certainly reflected in the way that they handled their coach.

I knew and predicted at the start of the year that Krueger wasn't the right coach for this team, not because he's incompetent or stupid or both. But because he's a players coach and a teaching coach which should have been good for a young team. But at this point they needed to get a coach who could seriously kick this team in the a$$ and get em moving.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by dash_pinched

http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/201...ralph-krueger/

Strange article. Despite the team actually improving in the standings and W/L record under Krueger the author says the Oilers were better under Renney because his team got outshot less despite the fact Renney's team gave up more goals.

[FakenHaken]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Strange article. Despite the team actually improving in the standings and W/L record under Krueger the author says the Oilers were better under Renney because his team got outshot less despite the fact Renney's team gave up more goals.

Thought the same thing and then when you read "Old-Farts" comedic Drunky and Klown bit there maybe a whole lot of truth to how they arrived at Beekins or Muppet.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Originally Posted by dash_pinched

http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/201...ralph-krueger/

In the end, MacTavish decided those problems could best be fixed by outside help, and in the process identified a new coach – widely reported to be Dallas Eakins – who was a better fit for the new philosophy he is introducing to the organization. It’s not a decision that can be faulted.

What is this 'new philosophy' being introduced to the organization? I'm being serious here, has it been mentioned by MacT or someone else, I can't recall it.

Very curious to know what it is.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Edmonton should have had an advantage early this season with their top young players all having played and played together down in the minors.

As far as Skype goes, I don't see the big deal at all. It's better than a phone call because it is face to face. I don't think flying over there was called for. Don't see it deserving the amount of criticism it is getting here but Flames fans tend to grasp at any reason to diss the Oilers no matter how weak the reason.

[Ashasx]

Darren Dreger ‏@DarrenDreger
Dallas Eakins gets a 4 yr deal from the Oilers. Perhaps, the time needed to continue to a young group into a contender. #TSN

Dreger is such a homer.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

Darren Dreger ‏@DarrenDreger
Dallas Eakins gets a 4 yr deal from the Oilers. Perhaps, the time needed to continue to a young group into a contender. #TSN

Dreger is such a homer.

Last year it was the addition of Schultz and Yakupov. This year it's a flashy new coaching hire. Every offseason the Oilers become the hottest thing off the ice yet the on ice product never waivers from being bad. I have no doubt Eakins is a good coach but is that team really as good as the lofty heights the media and fans place on them? We will see soon enough.

[Rejean31]

Eakins talking about coaching "indivduals" not a "team".LOL!! Sounds like the perfect hire for the collection of uber stars. As a Flames fans I'm liking this hiring.

[dammage79]

Hate to say it and they maybe only words but I like what Eakins is preaching.

[calumniate]

First time hearing Eakins.. seems pretty smart, organized and well spoken. May take the Oilers a couple of seasons to break him

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by Rejean31

Eakins talking about coaching "indivduals" not a "team".LOL!! Sounds like the perfect hire for the collection of uber stars. As a Flames fans I'm liking this hiring.

That's smart IMO, not sure why you are laughing at him.

Each player on a team is an individual, and will need to be motivated and/or utilized differently.

You can't treat or interact with every player on a team the same way and expect them all to react to the treatment or interaction the same way.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by calumniate

First time hearing Eakins.. seems pretty smart, organized and well spoken. May take the Oilers a couple of seasons to break him

I thought Hartley was very impressive in interviews when introduced last offseason. Nevertheless he delivered one of the all time worst Calgary Flames seasons. It's all talk now.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by calumniate

First time hearing Eakins.. seems pretty smart, organized and well spoken. May take the Oilers a couple of seasons to break him

For the most part every NHL coach sounds well organized and well spoken and smart. You don't get to the top of the top by being a blundering moron (Kevin Lowe exception yo).

There was never ever any indication that Iron Mike would retire on the job in Calgary his preseason remarks were amazing. Yet it wasn't Iron Mike we got.

Jim Playfair sounded great and smart and ready to be a NHL head coach, but he wasn't.

He's another canary in the coalmine for the old boys club.

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by Rejean31

Eakins talking about coaching "indivduals" not a "team".LOL!! Sounds like the perfect hire for the collection of uber stars. As a Flames fans I'm liking this hiring.

I could be wrong, but didn't Hartley say something similar last year?

[Machiavelli]

Don't forget Brent Sutter and the "wolf pack" mentality.

Talk means nothing.

[Oil Stain]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

they added another wildly inconsistant semi soft forward who treated his own zone like a syphilitic hooker who's line he'd never cross.

they added Shultz who is notably a talented puck movie but a defensive zone disaster prone to give aways, that really didn't handle the physical play of the NHL very well.

I know you are trying to ham it up but your analysis of those two players is pretty off.

Yakupov didn't disregard his own end. He didn't have a clue how to play in his own end, but he competed there. Ran himself out of position trying to do too much numerous times.

Schultz wasn't prone to give aways at all. He was all things advertised with the puck on his stick. He just was bad without the puck with poor awareness.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Yeah, doesn't matter if it's the Flames or Oilers, I think fans of both teams are at the point that it doesn't really matter how great the newest hire sounds, they just want to see some positive results.

I only caught a few minutes of Eakins' press conference, but I was thinking how he sounds good, but doesn't mean squat if the Oilers finish poorly again next season.

[The Yen Man]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Not really sure what the big deal about using Skype is...especially in lieu of a phone call. I do Skype conference calls all the time with my clients...and a good chunk of them are large corporations, and they are the ones who want do to it. Do you have to waste money for something to be professional?

I guess it's more professional than removing him from his facebook friends list.

I'm just kidding, I actually agree with you. There's nothing really unprofessional about Skype. Big businesses do teleconferencing all the time. I can't really think of a better way to do it other than meeting with him face to face.