FlyersFan4Life Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 http://thehockeywriters.com/the-flyers-desperately-need-guy-boucher/ Craig Berube simply isn’t working out in Philadelphia. Despite the bevy of excuses that have been stacked to block logic, Peter Laviolette’s former assistant won’t be leading the Flyers to a Stanley Cup. Not this year, or any other year down the road. It is what it is. But there is a coach that’s perfectly suited for not only the current roster, but the upcoming ones as well. The Flyers need Guy Boucher, and they need him badly.Craig Berube deserves to be applauded for what he was able to accomplish after last season’s unfathomable 0-7-0 start. The former enforcer appeared to be the change of pace the Flyers needed in turning their worst start in franchise history into a playoff berth. Unfortunately for Berube, the honeymoon was interrupted with another first-round exit from the playoffs. This season, Berube has failed to adapt to the changes that the new campaign ushered in. A lack of salary cap space, deficiencies on defense – made even worse with the loss of Kimmo Timonen – and a question of depth were the obstacles that were known. In addition, the challenges that popped up undetected from the radar, a la R.J. Umberger’s lack of effectiveness, and a conspicuous lack of consistent effort, is what will, or at least should, lead to GM Ron Hextall searching for a new coach in the offseason.That goes without even mentioning the dinosauric egg Berube’s team has laid all season long on the penalty kill. The same penalty kill that ranked within the top 10 in the league last season, despite being the most penalized team out of all 30 squads.From afar, something is broken. This is the same personnel, same system, same coach that finished 7th in the NHL last season (83.4 percent). A drop-off of 10 percentage points is more than just bounces, cycles and the occasional breakdown. — Frank Seravalli, Philly.comWhile firing the head coach isn’t always the smartest route to take when things go awry, refusing to do so when it’s abundantly clear that said coach isn’t a fit could bring the same consequences as a premature firing. In other words, you’d better be right with whichever path you choose. But the Flyers have that shining path from the lighthouse to guide them towards Guy Boucher, who sits across the pond in Switzerland.Boucher may only have two and a half seasons of NHL head coaching experience, but the Notre Dame-du-Lac, Quebec native earned his stripes right off the bat. Boucher led the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 46-25-11 finish in the 2010-11 season, which ultimately ended in a Game 7 defeat in the Eastern Conference Finals.But how does one super fun ride for Tampa Bay correlate to Philadelphia’s current situation?The answer is simple: personnel.Boucher’s familiarity of the European style of hockey has grown in this year alone, as the 43-year-old has been coaching SC Bern of the Swiss hockey league since January. Adding to his overseas resume, Boucher is currently guiding the Canadian international team in this year’s Spengler Cup.Boucher, 43, a native of Notre-Dame-du-Lac, Que., coached Tampa Bay from 2010-13 but is familiar with the nuances of European hockey on the wider, longer ice surface. He’s currently coaching SC Bern in the National A League in Switzerland and has been behind the bench internationally for Canada numerous times.Boucher served three seasons as an assistant with Canada’s under-18 program, winning gold in ’08. The following season he was an assistant with the Canadian junior squad that won a record-tying fifth straight gold medal. — Dan Ralph, The Canadian PressAre the pieces starting to come together now? Guy Boucher? NHL and European experience? It fits all too well with the European takeover on the Flyers’ roster. Philadelphia currently has five skaters in the lineup who not only hail from European countries, they’re also familiar with the style of play.Jakub Voracek, Michael Raffl, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Nicklas Grossmann, and Mark Streit, to be exact.hat analysis was from 2011! Anyone else see how it’s still relevant today? Especially with the current landscape of the Flyers’ blue line. Boucher’s 1-3-1 zone would benefit the likes of Michael Del Zotto and Mark Streit, relying on positioning and solid backchecking from the forwards, while sniffing out situations to jump in and join an offensive attack with the puck at the other end.ne Flyer who more than likely wouldn’t object to the idea of hiring Boucher is Sean Couturier, who played under Boucher in the 2008-09 season for the QMJHL’s Drummondville Voltigeurs.“Growing up I really was more offensive-minded,” said Couturier back in April. “Then when I got to junior, I had Guy Boucher as a coach and I was more on the third and fourth lines. To be consistently in the lineup, I had to be a solid two-way forward and take care of my own end. At a young age, 15-16 years old, I kind of had to be that way if I wanted to play.“It just got into my game, and ever since that’s the way I played. If you want to be that guy at the end of the game, up a goal or down a goal, you’ve got to be reliable defensively. I try to take pride in it. Sometimes that’s how you to have to prove yourself.”Guy Boucher may not be an animated genie that’ll grant his finder three wishes, but he is certainly the perfect fit for the Philadelphia Flyers. And sitting at 14-16-6, the Flyers are floating around in “No Man’s Land.” They certainly need him more than he needs them. I hate the thought I firing coaches for poor play. But I never though Craig is or will be a solid NHL coach. He has no systems and makes very bad lineup changes. Like keep sitting DZ and Carol and keeps playing Luke and other questionable D men that keep making the same mistakes every game and we all know who they are Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murraycraven Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 I cant stand the thought of Berube coaching the Flyers beyond this year. I have no faith that he will develop our younger kids and no faith he even has a system that will work in the NHL. With that being said I dont think Guy Boucher is the answer frankly - maybe I am wrong. Basing the decision to hire him on the "Euopean Factor" alone is a bit of a stretch. A coaching change at this point is not going to do much for this Team. As FC so gracefully states - "Embrace the Horror" this year and hope Berube is so bad that we actually land a good draft pick. Right now I would at the very least wait until after the deadline to see if we can move any dead weight from the roster. Hopefully, there will be some takers that are in playoff contention. Berube is not the answer - period. But with this mixed bag of players who is? Babcock would be the best thing for this club but that is not going to happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobbyClarkeFan16 Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 I hate the idea of Guy Boucher as head coach. It'll be trap hockey all over again. The Flyers biggest issue is that it looks like there's no sort of structure in place for the type of game Berube wants them to play. I keep reading that Berube wants them to play aggressive, but they look lost on the ice. I would have loved if they had hired Barry Trotz, but there's no chance of that. Hopefully Hextall looks outside the ranks and brings in a guy like Benoit Groulx and Ron lets Benoit choose his assistants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murraycraven Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 I hate the idea of Guy Boucher as head coach. It'll be trap hockey all over again. The Flyers biggest issue is that it looks like there's no sort of structure in place for the type of game Berube wants them to play. I keep reading that Berube wants them to play aggressive, but they look lost on the ice. I would have loved if they had hired Barry Trotz, but there's no chance of that. Hopefully Hextall looks outside the ranks and brings in a guy like Benoit Groulx and Ron lets Benoit choose his assistants. completely agree... truth be told I have no clue what Berube's system actually is. Simply listen to him speak and he literally repeats the same thing every time: skate harder, compete, etc... it really sounds like he subscribes to the "Billy Barber Manual for Head Coaches." I have no faith in Berube and hope they make a move in the offseason. And as you stated - someone outside the organization. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilldoc Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 . truth be told I have no clue what Berube's system actually is. honestly I don't think anyone really knows. Certainly not the players.....they just skate around aimlessly as if some Jedi mind trick is forbidding them to form a cohesive unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murraycraven Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilldoc Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 spitting out my drink of choice... LOL .... nicely done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 I think the Flyers should search the entire CHL and take the most progressive coach available. Giroux would be high on my list. Get some fresh blood in there with some fresh new ideas. This is where the Comcast money would come in most handy. There is no cap on management positions. Find your best coach and throw a boat load of money at him, then add to the scouting staff. These scouts make what a couple hundred thou a year?? That's peanuts to Comcast, double the scouting staff, scour the globe on Comcast's dime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyercanuck Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 If we're going to get Boucher we may as well bring Pronger back. He can stand in his own end with the puck for 60 minutes....YEEHAW! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idahophilly Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 All I have to say is this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icehole Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 I dont know how sexy Boucher is but I actually like the fact that he has a system that is defensively friendly. Like some have said, Berube has no system which makes this team have no identity. They arent a goal scoring team, a fast team, a tough team, or a defensive team. They have a little of everything but not a lot of anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 @icehole Yeah, I've said many times, I'd rather see a boring defensive style than no style at all. This current mish mash of a bit of everything is not cutting the mustard. Honestly, for a team lacking depth and a brutal defense, you can do a lot worse than having a defense first system. I believe that type of approach would be best for this current team anyways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobbyClarkeFan16 Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 The thing with a strictly defensive system like Boucher's is that it could negate the offensive output of Giroux and Voracek. On top of it, guys like Schenn, Couturier and Laughton really need to refine their offensive game. Sticking them in a defensive system menas that defense is a priority over any sort of offensive development that might need to take place. The next coach really needs to balance out offense and defense in order to make things work. Another name to watch if the Flyers decide to fire the coaching staff in the off season - Mark Morris, an assistant coach in Florida. He has ties to Hextall back to their days in Los Angeles when Hextall ran the operations in Manchester of the AHL and Morris was the coach there. There was talk that when Hextall became the GM in Philadelphia, he really wanted to bring Morris in. Not sure why he wasn't brought in though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briere48 Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 you know what this team needs more eurupean players, swes and fins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyercanuck Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 you know what this team needs more eurupean players, swes and fins. Stepford? Is that really you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murraycraven Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Stepford? Is that really you?What FC? You don't like swes and fins? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OccamsRazor Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 What FC? You don't like swes and fins?Kings didn't have any of either and it worked out just fine for them.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caluso Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Kings didn't have any of either and it worked out just fine for them....exactly! "systems" are so over-rated. what "system" do the black hawks play? bruins? rangers? kings? better question: would babcock win with this collection of garbage? would scotty bowman do any better than berube? it's all about talent and desire. sadly, the flyers lack both. the team has no chemistry and is poorly constructed: we have immobile, talentless d-men, we lack true wingers, we have only 2 top-tier players, complemented by an over-priced, over-valued bunch of idiots. let's face it, the team is year's away from actually competing for a cup. and we have Gomer to thank for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyercanuck Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 What FC? You don't like swes and fins? Swedes and Finns are fine. To say that's what the team is missing reminds me of a poster on philly.com who was always saying the Flyers needed Euros. We need defencemen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poulin20 Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 We need defencemen. And how!!! A truer statement was never uttered about this team.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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