Thursday, April 22, 2004
Game 7 aftermath
There is great public outcry in Ottawa for the Sens to make significant changes after a heartbreaking game 7 defeat at the hands of the hated Toronto Maple Leafs. A lot of people seem to think that change for change sake is an effective method to achieve a goal of winning the Stanley Cup.
I don't see that as a wise method to bringing the Stanley Cup to Ottawa. You can't build a guaranteed winner. You can only improve the odds in your favour but there is never a 100% guarantee for anything. Just look to Sweden against Belarus at the Olympics. Ottawa lost to Toronto but they should have won, luck just wasn't on their side. Making changes now won't change the result of what has already happened.
You don't do things because of what happened in the past, you do things it gives you the best chance in the future. For an example, say you are playing blackjack and have drawn 19 five hands in a row and hold but each time the dealer beats. If you get 19 again do you suddenly decide to hit because you've lost each time you've held in the past? Or do you go with the odds and hold again despite recent history? It seems a lot of people in Ottawa want to take another card.
The most popular proposed changes are getting rid of Patrick Lalime, Jacques Martin, and Radek Bonk.
While Lalime was brutal in game 7, there is no guarantee a similar blowout will happen again and he has been much better in the playoffs then he has been in the regular season. Remember Ed Belfour getting lit up in game 7 against Philadelphia in last year's playoffs? And who are the Sens going to replace Lalime with? If they think that either Martin Prusek or Ray Emery are ready to be better then Lalime then by all means go with them. But who is going to be available on the free agent market that will be better then Lalime? Ed Belfour is the only potential free agent I can think of who has a better track record then Lalime.
And for Jacques, who is a better available coach then he is? He won't be out of work long if he is fired and that alone is an indication that he is a great coach. He upset Jacques Lemaire, who is considered the greatest coach in the NHL right now, in the playoffs in the past. If the Sens could bring in Scotty Bowman by all means do so, but don't take a chance on someone just because they aren't Jacques. There's a better chance of hiring a worse coach then hiring a better one.
I think Radek Bonk gets a bum rap in Ottawa. I think everyone is so quick to point out what he doesn't do that they don't see what he does do. He makes Marian Hossa better. Against Toronto he stood in front of the net and took punishment in order to try and create traffic in front of Ed Belfour. He is reliable in his own end even though he usually plays against the other team's top center. But if the Sens think they'll be better with either Jason Spezza or Mike Fisher as the team's top center then by all means get rid of him but don't get rid of him because you want to make a change.
I don't see that as a wise method to bringing the Stanley Cup to Ottawa. You can't build a guaranteed winner. You can only improve the odds in your favour but there is never a 100% guarantee for anything. Just look to Sweden against Belarus at the Olympics. Ottawa lost to Toronto but they should have won, luck just wasn't on their side. Making changes now won't change the result of what has already happened.
You don't do things because of what happened in the past, you do things it gives you the best chance in the future. For an example, say you are playing blackjack and have drawn 19 five hands in a row and hold but each time the dealer beats. If you get 19 again do you suddenly decide to hit because you've lost each time you've held in the past? Or do you go with the odds and hold again despite recent history? It seems a lot of people in Ottawa want to take another card.
The most popular proposed changes are getting rid of Patrick Lalime, Jacques Martin, and Radek Bonk.
While Lalime was brutal in game 7, there is no guarantee a similar blowout will happen again and he has been much better in the playoffs then he has been in the regular season. Remember Ed Belfour getting lit up in game 7 against Philadelphia in last year's playoffs? And who are the Sens going to replace Lalime with? If they think that either Martin Prusek or Ray Emery are ready to be better then Lalime then by all means go with them. But who is going to be available on the free agent market that will be better then Lalime? Ed Belfour is the only potential free agent I can think of who has a better track record then Lalime.
And for Jacques, who is a better available coach then he is? He won't be out of work long if he is fired and that alone is an indication that he is a great coach. He upset Jacques Lemaire, who is considered the greatest coach in the NHL right now, in the playoffs in the past. If the Sens could bring in Scotty Bowman by all means do so, but don't take a chance on someone just because they aren't Jacques. There's a better chance of hiring a worse coach then hiring a better one.
I think Radek Bonk gets a bum rap in Ottawa. I think everyone is so quick to point out what he doesn't do that they don't see what he does do. He makes Marian Hossa better. Against Toronto he stood in front of the net and took punishment in order to try and create traffic in front of Ed Belfour. He is reliable in his own end even though he usually plays against the other team's top center. But if the Sens think they'll be better with either Jason Spezza or Mike Fisher as the team's top center then by all means get rid of him but don't get rid of him because you want to make a change.
