Barry Melrose fired from Lightning head coaching position

[Lee.]

16 games. How in the hell is a team supposed to adapt to a new coach in only 16 games? I'm not a big hockey fan, but this is ridiculous, no matter what sport it is. (Except football, of course, where the season's ONLY 16 games.)

Word is, the problem lies in that there was nothing to adapt to. Melrose had no game plan for breakouts, for the power play, for odd-man rushes, anything. The players essentially went out there and skated around for their shift, hoping something would happen for them.

Again, don't take this as gospel, but this is what "They" are saying.

[Brendan]

I see you're still a little bitter about that Game 7 defeat in Toronto! What happened here? Well, the fact of the matter that this team isn't and has never been on the same page is obvious. Can Melrose coach? Yes. Is he the greatest coach? I don't know. Has hockey changed since he last coached? Debatable. Have salaries increased and players gotten full of themselves. Yes. Should he have a chance to coach the team his way and not have the GM telling him what to do? Yes. If there was that much of a difference between the coach and the GM, then he shouldn't have been hired in the first place. 5-7-2 is not a bad record for the team that had the worst record in the NHL last year. Stamkos isn't playing that much? Maybe Stamkos was overrated. Maybe he's Brian Lawton, Patrik Stefan, or Alexandre Daigle. Maybe that's what Melrose is telling us that this supposed superstar is at best a 3rd liner. Ever think about that? Maybe this kid has horrible work ethics, and a horrible attitude and is a moron and just acted like he was a good person to get the money. I don't blame Melrose as much as I blame the Lightning organization. If you think he was this bad, then why'd you hire him in the first place? And to top it off you replace him with Rick Tocchet a guy who just got back from a one year suspension for is part in a gambling ring? Oh that's intelligent. That'd be like giving Pete Rose a GM job with Major League Baseball! BAD, BAD organization!

That is where I just shook my head. Firing Melrose early in the season is something that I can live with and understand, but replacing him with Tocchet? You mean, there isn't someone else out there that is capable of running the bench? I'll bet Tocchet doesn't last the rest of season (yes, pardon the pun)

It seems like the Lightning owners wanna be in the news.

[Jigga]

I don't get all the animosity...when he was the Worldwide Leader's hockey mouthpiece, he was beloved here....

Silly puckheads.

A good analyst does not necessarily a good head coach make. Consider the phrase "Head Coach Charles Barkley" in your head for a few seconds and you'll see what I mean.

Someone PLEASE make this happen!

[Jigga]

I don't get all the animosity...when he was the Worldwide Leader's hockey mouthpiece, he was beloved here....

Silly puckheads.

A good analyst does not necessarily a good head coach make. Consider the phrase "Head Coach Charles Barkley" in your head for a few seconds and you'll see what I mean.

What about "Governor Charles Barkley"?

I thought he said he was running as a Republican, so you should love him.

[NJTank]

Charles Barkley is too good on TNT to get a Coaching job, I think he should be the highest paid basketball analyst.

[ninersdd]

I don't get all the animosity...when he was the Worldwide Leader's hockey mouthpiece, he was beloved here....

Silly puckheads.

A good analyst does not necessarily a good head coach make. Consider the phrase "Head Coach Charles Barkley" in your head for a few seconds and you'll see what I mean.

What about "Governor Charles Barkley"?

I thought he said he was running as a Republican, so you should love him.

I think he's an independent, but he endorsed Obama this year

[jkrdevil]

Is there more to this story besides not getting off to a good start? This just doesn't seem right.

Not really sure, it came as a blindside to me. This team has talent, but just isn't performing. I'm sure the new ownership signed Barry as a splash to bring attention to them, as all hockey fans know The Mullet. Wonder if this was their plan all along, but who knows.

They don't have talent where it counts and that is on the blueline. Coming into tonight they were last in the league in shots against with 571. If it wasn't for Mike Smith playing brilliant in goal the Lightning would be wore than what they were. That defensive core is one of the worst in league, which also affects the offensive because they have trouble moving the puck up the forwards. The Dan Boyle trade was a beyond awful trade. They traded away their best defensemen (who the previous front office people had just signed to a nice extension) over a petty personal dispute that goes back to when Boyle and Len Barrie were teammates in Florida. What makes the trade worse is they gave up on Carle, the center piece coming back in the deal, after just a dozen games. That trade is a total bust.

I agree the hiring of Melrose was a marketing move, one the team didn't need and has probably caused more harm because of the circus reputation the team has acquired. And from what I have read today he deserved to be fired. Apparently he was getting into a dispute with Lecavalier and didn't show up to practice earlier in the week, which is unprofessional. That said I'm not gong to say hiring Melrose and then firing him early in the season to make room for Tocchet was the master plan. It's clear that the ownership does not have a plan. First they trade away their top defensemen who was just re-signed at the deadline, then they trade what they got back after a dozen games, then fire the coach 16 games in. It's a mess and if the ownership continues to act that way that team will never again have success.

Jay Feaster mishandled the Lightning after their cup win with the big 3 signings. But before he left he did take steps to correct it by trading Richards for Mike Smith, and locking up Boyle. However the new ownership undid most of that with the Boyle trade. While Melrose probable deserved to get fired I don't think any coach could have success with that team. It just isn't well built.

[BrySmalls]

At this rate, can Lecavalier stomach Tampa for the next 11yrs?

[Cujo]

Of course I don't like the move because I was a fan of Melrose's work from ESPN, and of course the haircut. But still, the season is still very young and Tampa Bay is only TWO wins out of a playoff spot with SIXTY-SIX games remaining on the schedule.

Doesn't seem all that fair, but that's just the nature of the sport these days -- coaches come and go all the damn time.

[Don]

he said on espn its harder to get players to play for you, however, this is the same coach who was so sick of his team he took a day off while the rest of them practiced. 16 games into the season and you already need a day off? that sealed his fate right there. i wouldnt play for him either.

[njmeadowlanders]

And you thought Bryan Trottier with the Rangers was a bad match...

[BBTV]

I don't get all the animosity...when he was the Worldwide Leader's hockey mouthpiece, he was beloved here....

Silly puckheads.

A good analyst does not necessarily a good head coach make. Consider the phrase "Head Coach Charles Barkley" in your head for a few seconds and you'll see what I mean.

What about "Governor Charles Barkley"?

I thought he said he was running as a Republican, so you should love him.

I think he's an independent, but he endorsed Obama this year

I didn't hear him during this election cycle, but in the past he has stated definitively that he will run as a Republican if / when he runs.

[Jamikel]

I don't get all the animosity...when he was the Worldwide Leader's hockey mouthpiece, he was beloved here....

Silly puckheads.

A good analyst does not necessarily a good head coach make. Consider the phrase "Head Coach Charles Barkley" in your head for a few seconds and you'll see what I mean.

Or General Manager Matt Millen.

[HedleyLamarr]

Coaching's not that easy when you don't have Gretzky, is it Barry?

[twi]

There's more to this than the losing record. Comments in the local papers/blogs from the GM and owners say how the players respect Tocchet. Not an odd comment, but how it is juxtaposed with discussion with Melrose certaintly leads you to believe these guys are saying he wasn't respected. Personally, I think he was out too long and didn't have the credibility needed. He was Barry Melrose the TV analyst, not Barry Melrose the head coach who took a team to the Finals.

I love and hate these owners. Love their passion for the game and willingness to spend to win, hate their "hands in all the pies" approach.

Larry Robinson and Pat Burns both live in Florida, Robinson near Tampa. Just sayin'.

[BrianVlietDesign]

Even though Melrose has never been my most favorite analyst, I've got respect for what the guy achieved during his early years. Despite what happened in the years after the finals in '93. I just think 16 games is too few to determine whether or not you're heading in the right direction. Because, lets face it the Lightning were heading in the wrong direction when they fired Tortorella.

[Gothamite]

I don't get all the animosity...when he was the Worldwide Leader's hockey mouthpiece, he was beloved here....

Silly puckheads.

A good analyst does not necessarily a good head coach make. Consider the phrase "Head Coach Charles Barkley" in your head for a few seconds and you'll see what I mean.

What about "Governor Charles Barkley"?

I thought he said he was running as a Republican, so you should love him.

I think he's an independent, but he endorsed Obama this year

I didn't hear him during this election cycle, but in the past he has stated definitively that he will run as a Republican if / when he runs.

Not to take this too far off-topic, but he left the Republican Party a couple years ago.

Charles Barkley: ?I Was a Republican Until They Lost Their Minds? Rolling Stone.com, 7/20/06

[jtthasportfreak]

Of course remember they had to fire him twice, once for him and second for his slick hair (due to recycle this post if Pat Riley coaches again)