Charlie Jacobs Needs To Shit Or Get Off The Pot
What would finishing out of the playoffs represent?
“Incredible failure,” said Charlie Jacobs, whose team is a point out of the playoff structure right now. “When you think about what has been put in this team in terms of…let’s discount all the drafting, all of the scouting, all of the money spent on the player personnel. For us to be a team that’s out of the playoffs is absolutely unacceptable. And everybody in these executive offices is aware of how I feel and they feel the same way, which brings us to to this evaluation process, which is fluid right now. I can’t say at any moment we have a final decision other than to say that it’s an utter disappointment and failure. Complete failure.”
So, what now, Chaz? The “absolutely unacceptable…complete failure” is right on your doorstep. What are you going to do it about it?
If you’re going to fire Claude and Pete, just do it and get it over so they can move on and begin looking for other jobs ASAP. Considering the season played out in painful slow-motion for everyone involved and the problems were glaring, there’s really no need for a multi-day evaluation period.
If you’re going to keep them, then tell your fans and season ticket holders soon so we can move on as well. There’s an obvious groundswell that wants them out (which, at the end of the day, really doesn’t mean shit). If that’s not happening, then release a statement and have their backs. Sure, many won’t like it. But it’ll at least provide a semblance of closure on the schma-schmortion that was the 2014-15 Boston Bruins season.
(Am I absolving Cam Neely here? I don’t think so. I originally had his name in the headline. But any front office firings/hirings are ultimately approved by the owner, not Neely. Also, Neely is not the one who called an impromptu January press conference to make the above blustery comments about his struggling and injured team that probably need to hear those comments at that time about as much as they needed a concussion.)
This team, even with key injuries, just looked stale on way too many night this year and the blame can be spread around. The failure to even make the playoffs was a combination of piss-poor efforts (on too many players), an inability to motivate when most needed/late-season panic moves (on the coach), and no help (i.e. a RW1) from upstairs because a series of prior blunders wouldn’t let them (on the GM).
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After 2013’s nightmarish Cup loss, the team bowed out in the second round of the 2014 playoffs due to a lack of scoring and simply being outplayed. This season ended with no playoffs but the same goal-scoring issues and the team not matching its opponents’ intensity way too many nights. Not sure if two seasons is a pattern. But it tells me that things weren’t fixed in the last year.
Whether it happens or not, I wouldn’t mind if the team opted to go in a new direction. While I think Claude has earned more rope than Chiarelli, I also believe some new eyes, a new approach, and a new system may be in order for the Bruins. This is no longer the NHL of 2011 so the team needs to adapt. And when the cornerstone of your system is getting older and slower before your eyes and your team isn’t quite as “heavy” as it was a few years ago, it might be time to consider a new game plan going forward.
Having said that, I think Claude has earned the right to start another season here. He’s the all-time winningest coach in team history and got the team to the Cup twice (with one win). So I don’t think he should take the fall after his first season of not making the playoffs, in part due to the roster he was given was not up to previous years (and his GM traded one of top-four D just before the season rather than waiting until the deadline when the player’s trade value would increase exponentially). Additionally, there are none of the usual whispers about a coach “losing the room” or players “tuning him out” because I really don’t that happened. But if he does return, he’s gonna need to adjust his style, loosen the reins a bit, stop relying on calcified vets when there are better options, and let kids learn from their mistakes instead of stapling to the bench when they do err.
And if they do keep Claude, it’s safe to assume they’ll give Chiarelli a do-over for this disastrous year as well. Besides, you think Jacobs want to pay for both guys’ remaining term if he shitcans them both?
Whatever the Bruins are going to do or not do, Jacobs needs to tell their paying customers so we can move on (especially after yet another ticket price increase). No need to drag this shit out.
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