"The Young and the Restless" from thehockeywriters.com

[CanadianJacketsFan]

Not to mention the Washington Capitals and Boudreau.

[firefly118]

   o.k, out voted obviously!  It seems as if everyone else feels this is the coach's fault!  Thats cool, I hope you are right, because changing one guy is easier than changing 4 or 5.  BUT, I am not feeling it!

Here is one of my "remember this" comments you guys like to bring up and give me grief about, dirty dogs!

When Hitchcock goes (and it looks like he could go this year, but it would surprise me) and the next guy comes in, he will not have a better record over the same number of games with the team!!!!!  Baring a major player exchange like a few big trades or big F.A signings !  This team will be no better with the personnel it has!!

I hope I am way off on this one!

[Crede777]

I don't think it's Hitchcock's inability to coach, but I think the approach of Hitchhockey is wrong for this team.  I would much rather see the Jackets pursuing a gameplan similar to that of Chicago.  Problem is, Chicago has the $$$ to sign talented D-men long term and Columbus doesn't.

Still, we are a young team with relatively light players, no enforcer, and no awesome shut down defenders at the moment.  What about that sounds like neutral zone trap style, defense first, hitch hockey?  He can try to change the players to fit him all he wants, but I think you have to take what you're given and THEN plan what you're going to do for the season.  Instead, Hitch is starting from 1996 and then going from there.  He came in with that mindset and he'll be damned if he doesn't leave with that mindset.

Huselius isn't a hitch player.
Voracek isn't a hitch player.
Brassard isn't a hitch player.
Nash isn't much of a hitch player.
Filatov wasn't a hitch player.
THOSE are the guys we are building this team around.

[gregin120]

I agree Crede77.  When I read what Mike Priest said in the Dispatch yesterday -- that this team was built around Hitch's system (or words to that effect) -- I almost blew Cheerios out of my nose.  So they thought Filatov was going to play Hitch hockey?  I didn't pay a lot of attention to Huselius before he came here, but he must have been a beast of a fore-checker, right?

[Buzz]

Im with Fly...Hitchcock knows how to win, we just do not have the players that can play his style of hockey.

[gregin120]

I don't think it is really a question of fault.  I think Hitch is a great coach.  But I think it is quite clear that he doesn't have the players to play his brand of hockey.  So I can't say it is Hitch's fault.  If he only knows or believes in one style of hockey, and I think the whole world knew that before he came here, then you can't pin this on him.  I'm not even sure you can pin it on Howson.  He hasn't been here long enough.  But you do have to scratch your head over the Filatov selection and wonder this:

1) Maybe Hitch isn't really Howson's guy and the plan was to replace him all along, until the Jackets made the playoffs last year; OR

2) Howson selected Filatov thinking he could play in Hitchcock's system and gain like 50 pounds;  OR

3) Howson thought Hitch could change and learn to coach with guys like Huselius and Filatov in the lineup.

Of those scenarios I think the most likely one is number 1.  I'm not saying I believe it to be the case, but Howson seems like a pretty sharp dude, which makes the other two scenarios less plausible.  Just something to chew on.

By the way, I was at the game last night and you could sense the tension in the air.  When Hitch was announced during pre-game, there was a smattering of boos.  Santa Claus carried and planted the flag at center ice and I was pretty sure he was going to get booed too, but to my surprise he didn't.  He didn't really get all that many cheers though either.  Pretty lame crowd until the Jackets finally scored in the third.  The last ten minutes of the game was fun anyway.  But alas, I climbed the aisle on my way out of the arena to the familiar murmur of cuss words, most of them directed at Tyutin for looking like an eighth-grader in the shootout, and the rest directed at Hitchcock for using Tyutin in the shootout.

(By the way, I know I am going to piss off some eighth-graders out there.  I apologize.  I didn't mean to insult you.)

[bring back danny]

My reply to Jeff:

Jeff,

I don’t understand how you can detail one-by-one the argument that Hitch Hockey probably doesn’t work long-term in the new NHL and subsequently conclude “…You don’t jettison a future Hall of Fame coach based upon a couple of losing streaks.”

As you articulately illustrated a mere paragraph prior, firing Hitch would NOT be a knee-jerk reaction based on a few bad weeks. There is a fundamental flaw in his approach in addition to the fact that this young squad is the polar-opposite of what Hitch traditionally wins with.

I thought you did a magnificent job detailing the problems, then rendered it moot by not having the stones to take a chance and pull the trigger. Sadly, I suspect Howson et al will do much the same.

Jeff responded:

The reason you don't just "pull the trigger" is to give him a chance to demonstrate some flexibility and see if and how the players respond.  Seriously, you don't axe a coach of Hitch's stature without giving him a chance to change things up.  Maybe he won't or can't, but maybe his interest in taking things further is greater than his adherence to the "old ways".

That being said, despite the public pronouncements, I believe he is on a relatively short leash.  No deep background to base it on, just gut feeling from a  lot of little things.  It's the way of the world of professional sports -- the public pronouncements will always be supportive -- until the day the coach is fired.  Organizations just don't air their dirty laundry in public, nor should they.

I am convinced that the people who need to be having serious discussions about what needs to be done have had those talks, and are continuing to have them.  As I said, however, I think the timeline is shorter than you might believe.

[puckhogg]

greg i do agree with you about hitch not being " scotty's guy " ..he was after all hired by the ex gm....

but at the same time you can't blame scotty for hanging on to him...he is a first time gm and with a proven winning coach and a bag of s$&t roster ,it made no sense for him to come and clean house when he got the job...scott has done a great job of changing the roster....juice was signed to be a playmaker from the wing because there was no playmaking center available for nash at the time...filatov was a no brainer for a pick...the team is having a hard time scoring goals and if he hadn't been russian would have maybe been the overall number 1 pick. when he fell into scott's lap he had to pick him.

this combination worked last year and was working earlier in the year...

hoggservation:

young team who had success last year and read all the press clippings on how they were an up and coming team,had success early this year with a run and gun offense ,an improved power play maybe they got a big head and lost focus on the style that got them where they are and now are just starting to re-dedicate themselves to playing that way again.

[firefly118]

whether we agree or not, I still pose the question, if not Hitch then who?

If everyone has insight on "hitch hockey" and its ineffectiveness, then what coach and style will come in here and win without anyone who can play D!

[alxzanki]

Don't worry Alex, I don't even have to come on this site for a day and my rep get's bumped.

On the article, it basically sums up everything that everyone has been saying on this site for the past month or two. If we can turn this team around and keep Hitch I would be ecstatic, however if things continue the way they are I don't see us keeping him. He is a great teacher of the game there is no question about that.

We need personnel, we just aren't in a position to achieve what needs to be achieved.

Dude seriously...how can people hate you . You know your hockey and you always have pertinant comments to say.

[Crede777]

whether we agree or not, I still pose the question, if not Hitch then who?

If everyone has insight on "hitch hockey" and its ineffectiveness, then what coach and style will come in here and win without anyone who can play D!

I asked that question on the HFboards and got a reply of "an AHL coach or something."

I guess that's an indirect answer, as it's not a NAME but a place to look.

Basically my stance is not whether we should fire Hitch or not but whether we should be trying to get a coach to fit the players or get players to fit the coach.  Honestly, I'm much more in favor of changing 1 person than about 6-10.

Also, I realized that "Hitch-type player" is synonymous with "a no-name, physically big 3rd liner with little skill but can hit/block shots."  I don't want to go see that type of player at Nationwide.  I want to see Malkin/Heatley/Ovechkin types who dazzle me with puck handling and can put up 10 goals a game.  If the Jackets want to become successful, they need more recognition.  To get more recognition, they need to get further in the post season and have players who make headlines.  That's the bare-bones of post lockout hockey.  To be successful, you have to be entertaining and pricey.

[CanadianJacketsFan]

Thanks Alex, I think it's because I accompany my good posts with ones that are inmature.

Here is a list of new coaches who have come from the AHL ranks and found success in the NHL...

Joe Sacco - Colorado, the avs are the youngest team in the league, and under his guidance have found instant success, he is young (40) and his team is playing inspired hockey. How long it will last, yet to be seen.

Peter DeBoer - Florida, he is from the OHL, and a memorial cup winner. Florida brought him in last year and he lead them to their second best pt total as a team and finished tied for 8th and lost in the tiebraker. They currently sit in 8th in the west.

Terry Murray- LA, sure he has had plently of NHL experience but not much as a head coach. He has spent alot of time as an assistant and also spent a few years as a pro scout. LA brought him in and they sit 4th in the west. Could an assistant coach be the answer we are looking for?

Cory Clouston- Ottawa, a former WHL and AHL coach, he was brought up last year and in 34 games coaches ottawa went 19-11-4. He is young, and has ottawa sitting in 7th in the east, playing with a newly formed lineup.

Bruce Boudreau- Washington, he has to coach the craziest player in the game, he won the Jack Adams in his first ever year coaching, washington has become one of the most feared teams in the league

Dan Bylsma- Pittsburg, won the stanley cup, enough said

There are coaches everywhere in he world, but you never know if they are going to work out until the yare given the chance. Honestly, most of the time it doesn't work out but latley, in the NEW NHL, new coaches have found success.

Where to look, I have no clue, the next great NHL coach might be spending his time volunteering for Timbits Hockey for all I know.

[firefly118]

777, the thing about those players you mentioned, heck yeah they will dazzle you with awesome moves and great plays, but those guys will get after on D and hit you!  Watch Ovie play, sometimes a little dirty, but that M%#^ F&*#% (love this character game) will flat out go out to hit someone, I love it!  So it is possible to have skilled talent AND someone who will do the defensive deed all in one!

[Crede777]

I agree, and we haven't really been drafting those guys, which goes back to questioning wtf Priest was talking about when he claimed we had been building this team around the Hitch gameplan.

Sadly, I think that there's now a direct correlation between success of a franchise and how much it can spend on players.  With a few exceptions (Nashville right now), teams like the Caps, Pens, Chicago, etc. will do better than budget teams.

[DfromBG]

The team either ISNT or CANT play Hitch Hockey.

That tells me that either Hitch has lost the locker room, or the team skill set isnt suited for Hitch hockey.

Either way, this comes back on Hitch. Either he has lost the team, or he is too set in his ways as a coach and he can't coach to the talent he has.