Berube a Jack Adams candidate ?

[mojo1917]

I mentioned this in the home and home thread...and think it it worth some discussion.

0-3 to 1-7 and blown out by a middling Capitals team, since December there are what 4 teams with a better record ? He got them in shape during the season, since Pete was too busy at Delaware downs or something... He has everyone buying in to his "vision" .

I was skeptical when Homer called him one of the smartest hockey men he knew...made me think Homer didn't know too many hockey men. I was wrong, Chief has evaluated his team and figured out how to make them successful.

I'd say Bylsma should be considered too since he's got the Pens in First place playing with guys from W-B Scranton. I hope the short sighted Pens fan can see that.

Boudreau , Hitch, Paddy Roy?

I think Chief at least deserves a mention.

[fishbulb]

Candidate?... definitely yes.  Winner... No.   That has to go to Roy in Colorado.   Nobody had them competing for a playoff spot, let alone sitting 4th in the super competitive West.

[hf101]

I don't think Blysma is on the list.  The Penguins were chosen to win the Cup prior to the season.  

 

Roy and Cooper surely would be on the list.  Depending on how the Flyers finish out the season will determine the fate of Berube.  They play strong to the end - he is definitely a candidate.

[pilldoc]

@mojo1917

 

Good topic.  Yeah I remember you mentioning it in the other thread.  I think it all depends on whether the Flyers make the playoffs or not.  Certainly he has to be a worthy candidate.  They were absolutely brutal to start the season.  Remember alot of us were thinking lottery pick and who to trade.  This team, I believe, were picked by many not even to make the playoffs. 

 

Boudreau: Pros - has 1 of the top 3 teams in the NHL this year with tons of talent.  Cons: he has tons of talent. 

 

Hitch:  Pros - has 1 of the top 3 or 4 teams in the league. Cons: he too has tons of talent to work with.  The addition of Miller is up for serious debate. The Blues were expected to compete this year and they are doing just  that.

 

Bylsma: this is an interesting candidate.  On paper I would say he is not a candidate because of the team he has on paper.  After all the Pens were a favorite to win the SCF. Granted no one for see's injury's. However, his team is playing in a week Metro Division.  He does not adapt well.  I get the injuries., but then again the strong teams are in the Western Conference this year.  With all due respect to our fellow Pens fans, I say no. 

 

Paddy Roy:  The front runner IMO.  The Avs were absolutely dreadful last year.  The addition of McKinnon is paying off.  The kid is a super star in the making.  Good solid young team and he has the Avs almost a lock for a playoff spot.  He has this team going in the right direction.  This team is legit and a number 4 seed.  He should be the winner.

 

The Chief. - Has done wonders for the Flyers.  As I mentioned before this team was just awful and was essentially a ship with out a rudder.  Giroux was still reeling from an injury and the team as a whole might have been tuning Lavy out.  He has turned this ship around, got this team focused and resilient and taught this team how to win through adversity.  I think he is a very legitimate candidate especially if he gets this team to the playoffs.  I too was very skeptical, but he is slowly making a believe out of me.  He is  a very legit candidate, but a distance 2nd to Paddy Roy.

Edited March 16, 2014 by pilldoc

[hf101]

@pilldoc

 

No votes for Cooper being without Stamkos for most of a season? Tampa was the 3rd worst team in the league last season.

[AlaskaFlyerFan]

If I had a vote it would be for Berube (and not because I'm a Flyers fan). Not taking anything away from Roy, he has done an outstanding job in Colorado. The difference is that Roy had a full training camp with his team and Berube did not. I think it is a whole lot tougher to turn a team around during the season than it is when you have the camp and preseason to work with. Don't forget this was an Olympics year and compressed schedule. Not much practice time to install your systems. The Flyers had to learn the systems during games. To me, that carries more weight.

[pilldoc]

@pilldoc

 

No votes for Cooper being without Stamkos for most of a season? Tampa was the 3rd worst team in the league last season.

oops...totally forgot about him (slapping my hand upside my head)..guess you have to add him to the mix

[mojo1917]

@hf101

I knew I was forgetting someone, Tampa isn't really on my radar and they' do been pretty damn good, without their super duper star.

Good catch

[jammer2]

1)Cooper

2)Roy
3)Berube

4)Nolan

[doom88]

Should be and won't be. The NHL ignored John Stevens efforts totally, and handed it to Bruce Boudreau. It's a political prize, and Philly is the tea party of the NHL. Remember Bobrovsky's Vezina?

[Vanflyer]

Boudreau , Hitch, Paddy Roy?

 

I guess the question could be expanded into two-fold: GM of the year as well. 

 

On the coach of the year, for me its Hitchcock. There are only TWO players on that team that make more than 4.5M a year. The biggest thing is the goal differential. They lead the league in goals scored and are third in goals allowed. Given the payroll / team, that tells me it is Hitch that is pulling all the right strings. 

 

Roy is a candidate, but he is the biggest asshole I have ever met and I can not get behind him. 

 

Nolan is righting the ship, but does not have enough games / success to warrant a Jack Adams. 

 

Cooper is a legit candidate (thanks Yzerman for effing up the team), but I think they are going to flounder down the stretch. 

 

If Berube can get the Flyers 18 points in the remaining games, it should be him and Hitch as the finalists (IMHO). 

[Lightning fan]

I'd think Roy has it in the bag. The award seemingly goes to coaches who manage to improve their team's standings most as compared to the previous year... Yes, there are many other factors besides coaching, and yes, it shouldn't be the only factor when deciding the winner but in this case it will be. From finishing second to last to making playoffs in the tough West (and currently sitting in 4th in the conference), that will get a lot of votes.

 

Cooper should get some votes, too. 

[Vanflyer]

From finishing second to last to making playoffs in the tough West (and currently sitting in 4th in the conference), that will get a lot of votes.
 

 

Agree, but he is just such a douche bag. I lived in Colorado. What kind of man hits a woman? I have met him. That said, Sakic for GM of the year. 

[flyercanuck]

Not only has Berube done an admirable job, he's the type of coach players actually like. That could give him some longevity, we'll see.

 

 Roys done a nice job coaching, (though he'd never win a father of the year award - those boys are as big of jerks as the old man) Take Nathan MacKinnon out and throw him on the Flyers and who looks better? I get that he's part of the team. But Roy got him as a bonus over the previous coach. That has to make his job a bit easier. Still, he has that team believing in itself.

 

 Bylsmas done a nice job with all the injuries. But for a team with those two players he has on it, they are one of the most underachieving playoff teams of the last 4 years. They rack up the points every year and are cup favorites. Then they lose in the first or second round. They made it further last year, even though they were outplayed by the Isles, but looked like Buffalo against the Bruins. Yes, Buffalo. But that was then and this is now. If they don't make the finals, I'd fire his arse.

[Podein25]

Bylsmas done a nice job with all the injuries. But for a team with those two players he has on it, they are one of the most underachieving playoff teams of the last 4 years. They rack up the points every year and are cup favorites. Then they lose in the first or second round. They made it further last year, even though they were outplayed by the Isles, but looked like Buffalo against the Bruins. Yes, Buffalo. But that was then and this is now. If they don't make the finals, I'd fire his arse.

 

Bylsma must be nervous. He's got Fleury and his playoff albatross and Jeff Zatkoff as a backup. That has to make him nervous.

[ruxpin]

For my money, barring disaster down the stretch Patrick Roy wins in a walk  (it's going to be an Avs show at the awards and they should just go ahead and hold it in Denver.  Adams, Calder, Vezina).

 

Cooper and Berube.

 

The Sabres just haven't done enough under Nolan to warrant Adams consideration.  Hat's off to him for doing as well as he has with such a cess pool of a team, but that doesn't get you Adams consideration.

 

If you take out the 3-9 start, the Flyers are winning at a 100+ point clip.   Considering that and the way they started, he deserves nomination.  Cooper because I'm out of ideas of who to make the third nomination.   Most of the year he's had a really good goaltender and MSL and Stamkos.  Yes, he kept them going without Stamkos and now since the trade of MSL, so that gets him a nomination but not enough to be in the same park as Roy.

 

I'm not a fan of Patrick Roy so it pains me, but he wins this hands down.

 

 

Bylsma?  Why?  Because the Pens are where they should be?   Honestly, I would fire him before nominating him for the Adams.  He doesn't adjust; his game planning is poor; injuries or not his line combos are absurd; etc.   No way on Bylsma.

[OccamsRazor]

I mentioned this in the home and home thread...and think it it worth some discussion.

 

Before the first of the year i'd would have said no find another coach. But i have to admit i like the way they are playing now and you have to give it up for Chief and Lappy....so yeah i say why not he has turned this club around...impressed me.

[Polaris922]

First I'll defend Byslma.  I'm not a fan of his in game adapting or lack thereof, but he's not exactly losing games his way, and in all honesty, there is something to be said for a lot of coaches who believe in their system.  His system does bring back a lot of games we're very close to losing.  And many come from behind victories happen under his guidance.  Sometimes he's right, and we shouldn't adapt to the enemy style of play, but those times go largely unnoticed, and we focus on the bad times.  

 

I think what makes his a candidate is simply that the Pens were first in the East damn near all season until this past week.  Why?  We've lost 413 man games to injury.  413!  That's an awful lot, and it's not just RObert Bortuzzo's and Chuck Kobasew's that are hurt.  At one time this team had four of its top 5 defensemen out at the same time.  Four of it's top six forwards.  You have GOT to give him some credit for staying first in the East for so long through all of that.  

 

The metro division argument is invalid as well.  The Pens have practically the same win% against the Atlantic as they do against the metro, and actually a great win% against the pacific (anaheim, san jose, LA).  

 

I'm frustrated with Bylsma's methods at times, but you can't argue the success he's having with a 50% AHL lineup night in night out. 

 

As for Berube... when I first read the topic I have to admit I kind of chuckled to myself.  I didn't care for Berube as a player, and I really gave no mind to him as a coach until we discussed another topic thread about Giroux's season.  Now, I have to sit and think about it more, and I think Berube is a legitimate candidate as well.  The Flyers have turned the ship around, so to speak, and are on the right track for a playoff appearance.  Berube reversed the lack of conditioning brought in under Laviolette and once that was done, your boys started winning hockey games.  Streit has become the defenseman for you I was worried he would, and you're on pace for possibly SIX twenty goal scorers.  

 

I don't get to see Berube's work game in game out, thank God  But you have to give him credit for the turnaround in the start of the season.  You guys basically wasted away 8 games before starting the season, and now you might be able to make something of it.  Despite certain mistakes by the GM and above i.e. Emery, Lecavalier, Downie, Rosehill, Gill.  

 

My pick for the award though?  Patrick Roy.  Despite all of the other points about his personality or whatever else..  the Avs have 94 points in 70 games as compared to what would have amounted to 57 in 70 games last year.  A 37 point improvement.  Players maturing, MacKinnon pushing for the Calder...  Roy deserves an awful lot of credit here.  He's my pick if it's up to me.  And I think I'm not the only one on this board or perhaps in a position to actually vote on it.  

[Vanflyer]

 413!  That's an awful lot

 

That is a really good point. It merits as much consideration as the last to first argument. 

[flyercanuck]

@Polaris922

 

 I agree about the injuries. We've had those years and they didn't go well.

 

But when Bylsma came out and said "We need to be a grinder team" after getting his arse handed to him by the Flyers every time they try to be a grinder team against them, well, what else needs to be said? That's not a brilliant coach...at least when it comes to playing Philly.

[Samifan]

If he doesnt get considered for the Jack Adams, Chief should definately be considered for the Jack Daniels Award!

[ruxpin]

@Polaris922 really fair points about Bylsma. Even-handed on Berube, too.

But I agree about Roy. Just like with the Hart trophy, I think the winner is obvious (Crosby for the Hart) so it's just a debate on who else is nominated.

I think Berube gets discussed and in the way you frame it Bylsma should as well.

The really bizarre thing is that if the Pens go out in the first round (not saying they will, this is just "if") he could be both an Adams finalist AND unemployed.

[flyercanuck]

@Polaris922 really fair points about Bylsma. Even-handed on Berube, too.

But I agree about Roy. Just like with the Hart trophy, I think the winner is obvious (Crosby for the Hart) so it's just a debate on who else is nominated.

I think Berube gets discussed and in the way you frame it Bylsma should as well.

The really bizarre thing is that if the Pens go out in the first round (not saying they will, this is just "if") he could be both an Adams finalist AND unemployed.

 

Which is the way it goes.

[Samifan]

he could be both an Adams finalist AND unemployed.

 

Didn't that happen to Ted Nolan? Adams winner then terminated

[flyercanuck]

Bill Barber? Let's face it, they all get fired eventually. But I seem to recall a few guys who win coach of the year get terminated within a year or two.