[PGT] Fire Ward and trade Bennett

[midniteowl]

Originally Posted by monkeyman

Funny, I was thinking the same thing.

They ended up firing the coach anyway and lost a valuable player for peanuts because a stuborn coach and GM with something to prove devalued the player so much.
Let's hope BT learned from past management mistakes. I mean that GM's brother still works for the team so that history shouldn't be lost. I hope.

I was so mad at the GM at the time. Screaming at the TV every game to fire effing Gilbert, and they traded Savard for peanut. THEN the effing GM fired the effing coach.

[Mathgod]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I was pretty foul tempered in the GT and said this only less eloquently. I just get tired of the “anyone can do better” comments. It’s way harder than it looks. There’s plenty of legit comments about him, but I do find it funny that people complain he doesn’t make adjustments, and also that he changes the lines, or that he’s too easy, but that he benches guys.

I think Ward is not a good coach compared to a lot of other NHL coaches - his record isn’t and his results so far are not great. I also think his roster doesn’t give him a lot of options and he’s trying to find a combination that works.

I didn’t think it was a great hire, but I think changing coaches now is harder than many have suggested. COVID creates problems and Seattle is also out there as a good opportunity for a coach.

Trying to find a combination that works? He breaks up combinations that work and keeps cycling players throughout the lineup endlessly.

If your argument is that there are no better options available right now, sorry but your argument is wrong. There are better options.

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

https://twitter.com/user/status/1362988233949241347

that is a ####ing yikes from me

[nieuwy-89]

Originally Posted by Karl

Thing is, their 4th line (Neal-Haas-Chiasson) looked better than most of the Flames forwards tonight. Not least of all light years better than the Flames 4th line calibre players. That is pitiful and quite frankly, embarrassing.

Particularly when 2 of 3 are Flames cast-offs. That’s gotta be embarrassing for the Flames front office.

[CalgaryFan1988]

Originally Posted by timbit

He was in glide for the last 30 feet. Not acceptable.

It was 2 on 2 and he had the 3rd man, his skating wasn't prime but hardly benching worthy.

I find Bennett on such a short leash it's getting bonkers and I'm not even a Bennett fan.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

What I see is that he went to go cut off what might have been a wraparound attempt before the pass was made.

Maybe it was a bad read, but benching worthy? I just don't see it.

Looking at it again, it was really bad. He glided in, didn’t try to cover anyone, and a wraparound was never a realistic play. If that was it, he’d have continued skating behind the net. Haas was his guy and he just let him go.

This is a guy who wants to play centre, after all. He needs to D a little harder.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by btimbit

Agreed.

It's a bad performance on a bad play, but if that's the standard you'd be icing 4 players by the end of the game. Why just Bennett getting the axe.

Unless there's some other stuff we don't see like lazy practices or a bad attitude, I don't get it

I mean he did ask for a trade...I agree with Rhett he should be in the press box. Its not like his three points are make or break

[Igottago]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

https://twitter.com/user/status/1362988233949241347

Wow...just...wow. And we wonder why this team never goes anywhere. This is unbelievable.

[ComixZone]

[AC]

Hell, Geoff Ward could be a great coach on some level for some team... But he doesn't seem to be making this version of the Calgary Flames better.

We seem to have way less offensive ability, our attack is almost non existent, we barely keep possession of the puck when we need to, and we struggle to generate shots, let alone scoring chances.

You aren't going to win many games when you get 6 shots in the 2nd, and 5 shots in the 3rd while trailing. Not to mention the many, many 1st periods we've had where we get embarrassed, with shots around the 15-3 territory.

[Manhattanboy]

Benching Sam with Monahan injured is inexcusable.

[midniteowl]

Originally Posted by AC

Hell, Geoff Ward could be a great coach on some level for some team... But he doesn't seem to be making this version of the Calgary Flames better.

We seem to have way less offensive ability, our attack is almost non existent, we barely keep possession of the puck when we need to, and we struggle to generate shots, let alone scoring chances.

You aren't going to win many games when you get 6 shots in the 2nd, and 5 shots in the 3rd while trailing. Not to mention the many, many 1st periods we've had where we get embarrassed, with shots around the 15-3 territory.

The question I want to ask Ward is, this is because of the players not trying hard enough, or his system is ?

[Sec214]

Where there is smoke, there is fire... Wardo's wife carried u-Haul boxes into our building today.

[ResAlien]

We’re on to Saturday. I’m sure it’s gonna be a gas.

[Samonadreau]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Are you serious? that was ####ing terrible

Bennett has 3 points on the year and defends like that...maybe take a man

That whole sequence was a cluster, starting Hanifin sliding into his own goalie, maybe don't slide into your own goalie. If you would bench him for the rest of the game there then you and Ward would make a great $hite coaching tandem.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

https://twitter.com/user/status/1362987605046923267

What a mess.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I was pretty foul tempered in the GT and said this only less eloquently. I just get tired of the “anyone can do better” comments. It’s way harder than it looks. There’s plenty of legit comments about him, but I do find it funny that people complain he doesn’t make adjustments, and also that he changes the lines, or that he’s too easy, but that he benches guys.

I think Ward is not a good coach compared to a lot of other NHL coaches - his record isn’t and his results so far are not great. I also think his roster doesn’t give him a lot of options and he’s trying to find a combination that works.

I didn’t think it was a great hire, but I think changing coaches now is harder than many have suggested. COVID creates problems and Seattle is also out there as a good opportunity for a coach.

Oh it’s probably impossible to change coaches now, and no way ownership lets Tre fire another coach after 16 games.

Doesn’t change that Ward is not an NHL quality Head Coach.

I don’t think I can do any better; but I’m not the bar that he should be measured against, it’s other NHL head coaches and honestly he’s not even on the same level. Sometimes there is a reason a guy is an assistant coach for 20 years, this feels like one of those situations.

I’d be shocked if Ward gets another NHL head coaching job after his time as head coach in Calgary, and you can add him to the list of the 6 other Flames coaches before him that had the same fate.

[Toonage]

Well, at least the Flames aren't boring. Well, they are. But you know what I mean.

[Red]

Nice to see Ward increase Sam's trade value.

Treliving is trying to trade the guy and the coach keeps benching the guy. Good plan.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Mathgod

Trying to find a combination that works? He breaks up combinations that work and keeps cycling players throughout the lineup endlessly.

If your argument is that there are no better options available right now, sorry but your argument is wrong. There are better options.

You are missing my point. I think he figures the forwards overall aren’t good enough, and that’s true IMO. We’ve all talked about the pairs concept - two better players with a complimentary guy. Lots of teams do this. So he’s looking for a guy who’s not a top 6 player to work with the other two.

IMO there’s only two 3 man lines that have worked really well: Lucic-Backlund-Mangiapane and Lucic-Bennett-Dube, and I have my doubts that the latter is sustainable. So, yeah, he’s cycled guys on the Lindholm and Monahan lines to try and find something that works.