Some light reading about the firing of Ftorek yesterday...Courtesy of the Boston Globe
Indecisiveness plagues GM
The No. 1 question is, why now?
Six weeks ago, it would have made sense. Even a month ago, or a couple of weeks ago, telling Robbie Ftorek to hit the bricks certainly would have been the logical end result to what's gone on in the Bruins' befuddling 2002-03 season. Three bad months like the Bruins had, starting in early December, easily and logically could have added up to Ftorek getting drop-kicked by Boston management.
Others, in fact many others here in the Hub of Hockey, have been fired amid far less humbling stretches (and a good day to you, Fred Creighton).
But now? The math in the Eastern Conference suggests that, unless the team bus gets trampled by a renegade herd of albino rhinoceroses amid a wrong turn at the Franklin Park Zoo, the Bruins will make the playoffs. They had picked up 11 of 16 points in their last eight games, and had bought some distance between themselves and the sad-sack Islanders and Rangers. Just when the trend is looking better, not magnificent, but better, they whack the guy?
The move, frankly, sheds more light on how upper management operates than on how good, or bad, Ftorek handles NHL head coaching duties. To wit: If this is the right decision -- and at least we'll find that answer quickly -- then O'Connell should not have allowed the 2002-03 free fall to reach March 19.
O'Connell said last night, in a teleconference, that it was his squad's inconsistency and lack of accountability that made him kick Ftorek to the curb. All that was on full, agonizing display in Tuesday night's lackluster 2-1 loss to Phoenix. But it was also on display for three-quarters of December, and then all of January and February. If this is the right move now, then it had to be the right move, I don't know, Jan. 9 or 29, Feb. 6 or 22.
If this is right, then the wrong lasted far too long.
But getting out there ahead of the curve clearly is not O'Connell's modus operandi. Proactive he is not. He was quick to ditch Mike Keenan, after Iron Mike's very brief tenure under Harry Sinden's last hurrah as GM, and no one makes players accountable like Keenan (let's not forget who was the most profound influence upon Jumbo Joe Thornton). Other than the Keenan heave-ho, however, O'Connell has been ploddingly patient and passive. We saw that again just last Tuesday, weeks into the meltdown, when it took until the last 90 minutes before the trade deadline for O'Connell to find substantive answers to the massive blue line woes.
At some point -- and perhaps we're witnessing it now -- O'Connell has to figure out what his team needs, identify who or what that is, and then go out and get it. He has suffered far too long, and his team along with him, from the HE-WHO-HESITATES syndrome. Too much good talent has packed up and left town, awaiting market-based offers that never came. Too much hemming and hawing over a coach he clearly didn't feel fit his club's needs.
The end for Ftorek came one week, virtually to the hour, after O'Connell said in a Globe interview last Wednesday that Ftorek had ''weathered the storm'' and that the team had ''righted the ship'' -- the GM adding that he was prepared to go with Ftorek as head coach for the rest of the year.
From calm waters and job security to Bermuda Triangle and out on the street, all in seven days.
So, what happened?
A few things, beginning with last week's practice in Wilmington in which Ftorek skated newcomer Ian Moran at wing. According to one Bruins insider, O'Connell was irate that Moran, who can play both defense and forward, was not so much as asked to practice as a blue liner. The day before, in some deft 11th-hour deadline dealing, the GM swapped for Moran and Dan McGillis, bringing what looked like immediate and badly-needed help to the backline. But there that first day was Moran in winger's garb, with the club's defensive corps hemorrhaging goals for the better part of three weeks.
Then came Tuesday night's mesmerizing roster decisions and line combinations. When O'Connell saw what Ftorek rolled out against the Desert Dogs, he had to be mystified. Among the oddities:
P.J. Axelsson, playing extremely well of late with longtime partner Brian Rolston, was moved up to first-line left wing with Thornton and Glen Murray.
Bryan Berard, a colossal disappointment on defense the last month-plus, suited up for the first time in his career as a left wing, parked on the No. 2 line with Jozef Stumpel and Mike Knuble, who had been bumped out of his first-line job by Axelsson.
The offensively-challenged Marty McInnis held Axelsson's old job at left wing with Rolston and Martin Lapointe.
Rob Zamuner, a guy with a little touch, worked on a trio with P.J. Stock and Krzysztof Oliwa -- two guys bereft of touch.
With McGillis getting his first game in Black `n' Gold, someone had to sit on defense. But did it have to be Nick Boynton, arguably the Bruins' best blue liner in last year's playoffs? The far more logical picks would have been either Jonathan Girard, sputtering badly back there for weeks, or perhaps aging veteran Don Sweeney.
As cockeyed as it looked on paper, it played even worse on the ice. Within hours, O'Connell had made up his mind.
''I think I know what's wrong with this team,'' said O'Connell, who now believes a simplified, disciplined approach will get his club back on register. ''I'll try my damnedest to fix it.''
Well, it's about time.
If it all works as O'Connell hopes, yesterday's firing no doubt will embolden him to be faster-acting and more decisive. Whenever the season ends, he'll then have to pick a new head coach, and no doubt Mike Sullivan, summoned from Providence, already is the leader in the clubhouse. It also wouldn't be a shock if O'Connell took another run at Boston University's Jack Parker. The time will come soon enough to make that choice. How soon and how decisive O'Connell is this spring/summer will go a long way in telling us if yesterday, while pointing Ftorek to the door, he pointed out the obvious to himself. He can change the coach all he wants, but perhaps more important, O'Connell has to change, too.
Indecisiveness plagues GM
The No. 1 question is, why now?
Six weeks ago, it would have made sense. Even a month ago, or a couple of weeks ago, telling Robbie Ftorek to hit the bricks certainly would have been the logical end result to what's gone on in the Bruins' befuddling 2002-03 season. Three bad months like the Bruins had, starting in early December, easily and logically could have added up to Ftorek getting drop-kicked by Boston management.
Others, in fact many others here in the Hub of Hockey, have been fired amid far less humbling stretches (and a good day to you, Fred Creighton).
But now? The math in the Eastern Conference suggests that, unless the team bus gets trampled by a renegade herd of albino rhinoceroses amid a wrong turn at the Franklin Park Zoo, the Bruins will make the playoffs. They had picked up 11 of 16 points in their last eight games, and had bought some distance between themselves and the sad-sack Islanders and Rangers. Just when the trend is looking better, not magnificent, but better, they whack the guy?
The move, frankly, sheds more light on how upper management operates than on how good, or bad, Ftorek handles NHL head coaching duties. To wit: If this is the right decision -- and at least we'll find that answer quickly -- then O'Connell should not have allowed the 2002-03 free fall to reach March 19.
O'Connell said last night, in a teleconference, that it was his squad's inconsistency and lack of accountability that made him kick Ftorek to the curb. All that was on full, agonizing display in Tuesday night's lackluster 2-1 loss to Phoenix. But it was also on display for three-quarters of December, and then all of January and February. If this is the right move now, then it had to be the right move, I don't know, Jan. 9 or 29, Feb. 6 or 22.
If this is right, then the wrong lasted far too long.
But getting out there ahead of the curve clearly is not O'Connell's modus operandi. Proactive he is not. He was quick to ditch Mike Keenan, after Iron Mike's very brief tenure under Harry Sinden's last hurrah as GM, and no one makes players accountable like Keenan (let's not forget who was the most profound influence upon Jumbo Joe Thornton). Other than the Keenan heave-ho, however, O'Connell has been ploddingly patient and passive. We saw that again just last Tuesday, weeks into the meltdown, when it took until the last 90 minutes before the trade deadline for O'Connell to find substantive answers to the massive blue line woes.
At some point -- and perhaps we're witnessing it now -- O'Connell has to figure out what his team needs, identify who or what that is, and then go out and get it. He has suffered far too long, and his team along with him, from the HE-WHO-HESITATES syndrome. Too much good talent has packed up and left town, awaiting market-based offers that never came. Too much hemming and hawing over a coach he clearly didn't feel fit his club's needs.
The end for Ftorek came one week, virtually to the hour, after O'Connell said in a Globe interview last Wednesday that Ftorek had ''weathered the storm'' and that the team had ''righted the ship'' -- the GM adding that he was prepared to go with Ftorek as head coach for the rest of the year.
From calm waters and job security to Bermuda Triangle and out on the street, all in seven days.
So, what happened?
A few things, beginning with last week's practice in Wilmington in which Ftorek skated newcomer Ian Moran at wing. According to one Bruins insider, O'Connell was irate that Moran, who can play both defense and forward, was not so much as asked to practice as a blue liner. The day before, in some deft 11th-hour deadline dealing, the GM swapped for Moran and Dan McGillis, bringing what looked like immediate and badly-needed help to the backline. But there that first day was Moran in winger's garb, with the club's defensive corps hemorrhaging goals for the better part of three weeks.
Then came Tuesday night's mesmerizing roster decisions and line combinations. When O'Connell saw what Ftorek rolled out against the Desert Dogs, he had to be mystified. Among the oddities:
P.J. Axelsson, playing extremely well of late with longtime partner Brian Rolston, was moved up to first-line left wing with Thornton and Glen Murray.
Bryan Berard, a colossal disappointment on defense the last month-plus, suited up for the first time in his career as a left wing, parked on the No. 2 line with Jozef Stumpel and Mike Knuble, who had been bumped out of his first-line job by Axelsson.
The offensively-challenged Marty McInnis held Axelsson's old job at left wing with Rolston and Martin Lapointe.
Rob Zamuner, a guy with a little touch, worked on a trio with P.J. Stock and Krzysztof Oliwa -- two guys bereft of touch.
With McGillis getting his first game in Black `n' Gold, someone had to sit on defense. But did it have to be Nick Boynton, arguably the Bruins' best blue liner in last year's playoffs? The far more logical picks would have been either Jonathan Girard, sputtering badly back there for weeks, or perhaps aging veteran Don Sweeney.
As cockeyed as it looked on paper, it played even worse on the ice. Within hours, O'Connell had made up his mind.
''I think I know what's wrong with this team,'' said O'Connell, who now believes a simplified, disciplined approach will get his club back on register. ''I'll try my damnedest to fix it.''
Well, it's about time.
If it all works as O'Connell hopes, yesterday's firing no doubt will embolden him to be faster-acting and more decisive. Whenever the season ends, he'll then have to pick a new head coach, and no doubt Mike Sullivan, summoned from Providence, already is the leader in the clubhouse. It also wouldn't be a shock if O'Connell took another run at Boston University's Jack Parker. The time will come soon enough to make that choice. How soon and how decisive O'Connell is this spring/summer will go a long way in telling us if yesterday, while pointing Ftorek to the door, he pointed out the obvious to himself. He can change the coach all he wants, but perhaps more important, O'Connell has to change, too.
