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Carlyle on the firing line?

November 2nd, 2009, 8:00 am · 27 Comments · posted by Curtis Zupke, Staff writer

There were rumblings toward the middle of last season that Ducks coach Randy Carlyle might on the firing line for the then-stagnant play of his team. carlyle

Nothing happened, of course.

Well, one knows this season has been disappointing if hockey-shy Sports Illustrated is asking the same thing.

And it’s not the only major media outlet raising the question.

ESPN and Yahoo! have also wondered if general manager Bob Murray would have to make a move if the club continued to underachieve.

Carlyle signed a two-year contract extension last July that keeps him behind the bench through the 2010-11 season, so any move would involve absorbing about $1.2 million in annual salary due Carlyle.

What do you think?

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 27 Comments

  • OsamaRosenberg says:
    November 2, 2009 at 8:35 am

    I think Carlyle does everything he can to keep this team competitive. Indeed, only a naive “hockey specialists” may think that by replacing him the Ducks will start winning, Ray Whitney suddenly will become efficient on power play, Nokelainen will become a second version of Samy Pahlsson, Christensen will start scoring goals in bunches and Giguere will make an incredible saves as he did in 2003.
    Once again, it’s not a coach, it’s a product on the ice that results in the team poor play.

  • Alisa says:
    November 2, 2009 at 9:36 am

    Ray Whitney actually plays for Carolina, so if he becomes efficient on the PP, well that doesn’t really effect us.

    However, Ryan Whitney becoming more of an offensive force from the blue line could help us.

    But I will agree that I’m not yet ready to make Randy Carlyle the scapegoat here. I think he’s earned our respect for his body of work since coming ot Anaheim. And though the team isn’t producing the results on the ice, I don’t think we should be so quick to judgment, at least not yet….

  • bb says:
    November 2, 2009 at 10:11 am

    I agree with both comments. I just wish he would leave our lines together longer and give them the opportunity to “jell”.

  • Paul says:
    November 2, 2009 at 10:14 am

    So long as he continues to adjust his system to keep up to date with NHL standards, the team will do just fine. I keep saying this over and over, but he was too stubborn and thick-headed to make even the slightest of modifications and it took a month’s worth of points just to get the ball rolling, that’s my only problem with him. The team’s too talented to be where they’re at right now and we’ll need a strong November and maybe a strong December to fulfill expectations. So far, the defense looks much better because of fewer turnovers and better support. Offense is starting to pick up speed with lesser dump ‘n’ chase and boardplay. Like I said, keep playing like this and we’ll be fine.

    • Paul says:
      November 2, 2009 at 10:16 am

      Also, as a result, we were penalized less often(only had to spend 8 minutes total in the box vs Vancouver) and outshooting our opponents, albeit slightly but still a good side-effect nonetheless.

  • Marc says:
    November 2, 2009 at 10:16 am

    They should have canned him last year. When teams underachieve, it’s an indictment of the coaching. He has not adapted and clearly doesn’t have the support of his players.

    • Paul says:
      November 2, 2009 at 1:23 pm

      I agree with Marc. The players have had enough of his brash, sandpaper comments. They have tuned him out a long time ago. Bring in Ted Nolan. We have 2 lines of racehorses…and yet Carlyle’s “system” uses each line as plowhorses.

    • Herb says:
      November 2, 2009 at 2:54 pm

      Hip Hip Hoorah!

  • michelel says:
    November 2, 2009 at 10:45 am

    Unfortunately if the team sucks, the coach is the first to go. I would much rather see some of our players get the can.

    • ClippinWings says:
      November 2, 2009 at 11:21 am

      Like who? The 8 that are left from the roster Carlyle developed this system for?

      Maybe Carlyle shouldn’t go, but he should change his strategy to suit the roster he has, not the one he had 3 years ago.

  • Randy says:
    November 2, 2009 at 10:47 am

    Agree with bb and Marc. He just will not leave the lines alone long enough for them to build any chemistry. And he does not appear to have adapted well at all to the change in his personal.

    Yes Whitney is not Pronger, and Nokie is not Pahlsson but that is where the adjustments come into play. He expects to use the exact same strategies and approaches with this group of players as he used with, say the 07 poster. Different group of players. Different roles. Different level of talent. But no difference in approach.

    There seems to be such hesitation in making a coaching change. Coaching changes have been known to work. New approaches. New plans. Can they be any worse off?

  • gc says:
    November 2, 2009 at 11:26 am

    I think that it’s hard to say.

    One thing is is that our players now don’t work with RC’s system. So that can be a problem. We’ll see what will happen. Seems like the team are starting to get their play in order as of the past two games.

    Go Ducks

  • Chaz says:
    November 2, 2009 at 11:41 am

    Tough decision. Ultimately it comes down to performance. We’ll see how the club improves from these last games. We have three games at home. Time to get points in all three. Then build from there. But the time for vast improvement is now. I like the direction we are going and it’s always good to see lines like the Brown - Carter - Parros line chip in. We’ll need that depth this season.

  • erikshunn says:
    November 2, 2009 at 12:12 pm

    I guess my question is who is out there that can replace him? Firing Carlyle and bringing in a retread would be a disaster IMO. I personally think its time to trade, demote, release, reassign some players and get a fire lit under some butts. Call up an energy guy like Troy Bodie and let him go wild.

    • Marc says:
      November 2, 2009 at 12:02 pm

      Like who? Bob Murray has already revamped almost the entire roster - and still nothing.

      • erikshunn says:
        November 2, 2009 at 3:33 pm

        Bob Murray did revamp the roster. Brian Burke left him in a bad situation and he made the most out of it. Considering how many impact players were set to walk away as UFA’s, I would say he did a pretty good job. However, some of the new guys don’t seem to be playing up to their potential. Artyukhin and Eminger come to mind. Time to cut ties with Giguere as well. Bring in/call up guys who wanna play. It’s still pretty early in the season, so I’m not ready to say the sky is falling.

        Like who? Well, I already mentioned Troy Bodie…I was surprised that Matt Belesky got called up ahead of him. It seems pretty obvious that Kyle Calder will be in the line up soon as well.

  • John says:
    November 2, 2009 at 12:37 pm

    Unfortunately Carlyle will be first to go. That’s the way it goes in hockey biz. Although he has been the best coach in Dux history, his philosophy just ain’t makin’ it for this group of players. I get the sense this has been brewing for over a year. We got by somehow last year. Not anymore -we’re an unmitigated disaster this season. Other teams are laughing at us. Major shake up in route.

  • Your Mom says:
    November 2, 2009 at 12:58 pm

    Seems like one win and one “near” win is enough to bring the Coaches “supporters” out of the wash…

    Face it, the Ducks poor play has been going on for well over a year with occasional (albeit well-timed) moments of sucess. Carlyle is stuck in his system and has shown little capability to adjust, even when opponetnts exploit it. Or players acknowlege it! Since the players have been changed and the results still look similar we should recognize a caoching change has a greater chance of improving the Ducks play.

    Further, I think Kevin Dineen would be a complimentary fit. He is familiar with a lot of the players. He also could probably be able to “tweek” Carlyle’s system to work, avoiding a wholesale change and resulting confusion. (Like Blysma and the Pens.)

    • GARBAGEMAN says:
      November 2, 2009 at 1:50 pm

      All I have to say is Michel Therrien. Nuff said

      • erikshunn says:
        November 2, 2009 at 4:05 pm

        You’re just kidding, right? The same Michel Therrien that got canned in Pittsburgh for losing control over his players and having his team quit on him? I would rather have Barry Melrose.

    • Marc says:
      November 2, 2009 at 2:08 pm

      Dino, IMO, is the most logical. I don’t think the Ducks need to throw the system out completely. But Carlyle has steadfastly refused to make necessary modifications and even moderate concessions to the facts that:

      1) the league has adjusted to the style of play that won the Ducks the Cup in 2007;

      2) the roster has evolved;

      3) certain rules are being interpreted differently.

      Back on Dineen, he has a good rapport with players on this team (unlike Carlyle), which would serve him well.

      For those who are arguing to change the players - only Giguere, Niedermayer and Selanne are still here from the day Randy took over. Add in Parros, Marchant, Perry and Getzlaf and that’s it from the Cup-winning squad.

      I think Burke and Murray have done plenty to adjust the roster - with basically nothing to show for it.

  • ASeg says:
    November 2, 2009 at 1:55 pm

    Like most of us in the private sector, Carlyle will be given plenty of time to turn things around (within reason). Players that don’t perform is one thing. But in time it might happen. While I don’t want it to happen this season, it may be an option depending on the results from this year.

  • Alisa says:
    November 2, 2009 at 2:35 pm

    Kevin Dineen has always been someone I’ve suggested to anyone who would listen for any NHL headcoaching vacancy. But my question is this: you all say that the Ducks players have a good report with Kevin Dineen; how many players on our current team actually played under Dineen in Portland?

    Getzlaf and Perry briefly.
    Bobby Ryan for one season
    No one on the 2nd line.
    No one on the 3rd line.
    Ryan Carter for a season.
    Brenden Mikkelson on D did.
    None of the other dmen have.
    Jonas Hiller very very briefly.

    Basically, to me, the argument of Dineen having rapport with our players is a little far fetched. In this case, he doesn’t really know the players as he’s not familiar with most of them. He hasn’t used our system in 2 seasons now.

  • czhokej says:
    November 2, 2009 at 5:32 pm

    Alisa, as much as I value your opinion and understanding of the game, I must disagree with you and other Randy’s supporters. Let’s start with his poor communication skills and poor motivational skills.
    Next I would like to mention his predictable strategy and focus on “grinding game”, which was effective during our Cup-winning season, but since that largely unproductive. Other teams found advantageous counter systems.
    Another thing is his inability to design a good passing plays with smart positioning. Our players were so often in the corners and nobody in front of the net. This applies to both offensive and defensive strategies.
    What about his constant changes of the line-up. Another thing is his preferential treatment of some players.
    Carlyle is paid to recognize skills, and he often failed to make the team better.
    He failed to stop certain trades, which did not make any sense and damaged the morale of the team, and impaired our scoring potential.
    I could continue… Unfortunately, most of our games this year were ugly, the team looked confused, frustrated.

  • backcheck says:
    November 2, 2009 at 5:58 pm

    SI picked up on something we’ve chatted about for a couple weeks now? Coincidence? Probably. Still, it shows what we know about our Ducks and we’re ahead of the media curve.

    Anyway I’m against handing out report cards or pink slips before the 20 game mark. The conversation leans negative but that’s to be expected on a team that is 4-6-2 with a team +/- of minus -8.

    I was more for it last December when John Tortarella was available. I like both Dineen’s but they coached the same system as Carlyle. Can either adapt?

    At the same time could I and other posters be wrong? We did win a Cup with this system. Okay, so it took two Norris Trophy winning dmen to overcome the flaws, lol.

    TGO once said, “Hockey is a game of triangles.” I dissent. Hockey is game of geometry. It is triangles but it’s also squares and circles and rectangles.

    My main problem with the “pressure the puck carrier” defensive scheme is that it reduces the geometry or support the puck and each other, outnumber the opposition at the puck, maintain inside position and box out hockey and replaces it with a one on one game of chase.

    I totally agree with Coach Carlyle on defense first hockey. Just not crazy about the way he executes it. Ever notice we need lights out goaltending so often?

    Still, too soon for me sip from the dump Carlyle punch bowl.

  • Ducks Fan says:
    November 2, 2009 at 11:02 pm

    Great exchange on this post. Thanks to all of you contributors for a great read.