Time to replace Jeff Reese

by FlyGuy1337 on Jan 22, 2012 7:15 PM EST

The goal tending problems we hoped were solved with the signing of Bryzgalov are clearly still present. The common denominator with the goalie carousel in Philly is Jeff Reese. I think that his message or methods are flawed in some way that results in good goalies underperforming. Mental toughness being the number one issue. He was a mediocre goalie and an even less effective coach. It is time for a new voice. Agree or Disagree?

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Disagree

What about Boucher and Leighton overperforming, does Reese not get any credit for that? What about the vast improvements Bob seems to have made in puck handling and rebound control?

The “goalie carousel” last year was the result of Lavy freaking out after ONE bad game, not a consistent goaltending deficiency.

Sure, Bryz hasn’t lived up to expectations this year, but I don’t think any coach can teach “mental toughness.” I’m no expert on goaltending technique, but it looks to me like whatever issues Bryz is having he will have to work through on his own.

Bottom line, I don’t see a need to axe the goalie coach just because one guy is having a slump. Bryz’s track record suggests that he will eventually get back to being a solid number one goalie again.

The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.

by Phaninsanfran on Jan 22, 2012 7:46 PM EST reply actions

To clarify one thing-
I’m not saying Reese was responsible for Leighton’s playoff run two years ago or Boucher outperforming his career SV% last year, I’m just saying you need to be consistent. Either the goalie coach is responsible for hot AND cold streaks, or they’re both random variation that will even out over time. You can’t blame Reese for the slumps while ignoring the good runs just because they don’t fit in with the point you’re trying to make.

The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.

by Phaninsanfran on Jan 22, 2012 8:14 PM EST up reply actions

This.

Maxime Talbot - in the Orange and Black ... better than chocolate and peanut butter!

by MaximumTalbot on Jan 23, 2012 10:14 AM EST up reply actions

He was a mediocre goalie and an even less effective coach.

In addition to all of the points Phaninsanfran made above, I’d like to add that you really shot your argument in the foot with the above comment.

Wayne Gretzky was one of the greatest players that the NHL will ever see. By the logic of your comment, he should have been a great coach, too. Was he? Nope.

How about Rick Tocchet, one of the top power forwards of the late 1980s-early 1990s? He knew what he was doing on the ice. How about behind the bench? Nope.

You know who must really suck as a coach? Peter Laviolette. Look at this playing record of his. God, he sucked. No wonder he’s such a lousy…

Oh, wait…

Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?

by mikefive on Jan 22, 2012 10:01 PM EST reply actions

It’s a good thing you quoted him saying that his ineffective goalie career was the cause of his ineffective coaching career.

Oh wait.

"Because wives and girlfriends aren’t on the road."

by BannedStreetBully on Jan 23, 2012 12:23 PM EST up reply actions

Lots of people say the same thing in different ways. In this case it was “He was a bad player and a worse coach.” The implication is that there is some connection between the two; i.e., bad player = bad coach.

Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?

by mikefive on Jan 23, 2012 8:12 PM EST up reply actions

And the same is true: “He’s a good GM. He played the game, he understands it.” I’m sorry, but do you want Dan Lacroix as the Flyers GM? No, you don’t.

Man-crushin' on Boucher since 1999 and Matt Calvert since May 2010
Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.
SB Nation Philly - Associate Editor

by Geoff Detweiler on Jan 24, 2012 12:48 PM EST up reply actions

Are you sure you wouldn’t want Dan Lacroix as GM?

Salute the Jagr

by DannyMcG on Jan 24, 2012 2:58 PM EST up reply actions

Positive.

Man-crushin' on Boucher since 1999 and Matt Calvert since May 2010
Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.
SB Nation Philly - Associate Editor

by Geoff Detweiler on Jan 25, 2012 8:12 AM EST up reply actions

Can he add? He might be an upgrade….

Formerly... "You don't have to be sweet, to be good"

by Ed Van Chimp on Jan 25, 2012 10:18 PM EST up reply actions

Bill Barber. Great player. Not-so-great coach.

Bob Clarke. One of the greatest players of all time. Not a great GM. Though I will say that Bob Clarke from 1993-2005 >>>>>>>> Bob Clarke from 1984-1992. He was competent, starting with his duty as Panthers GM. But he took the great Flyers team that Keith Allen had built prior to 1984 and ran it into the ground – though he made a couple of good trades first.

My point is that I hate when people say, “He sucked as a player, how could he be any good as a coach?” There isn’t necessarily a correlation between the two.

Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?

by mikefive on Jan 24, 2012 11:13 PM EST up reply actions

Billy IS a great coach – just not at the NHL level. He was fine for developing younger players – so AHL or lower is where he belongs. It was just in dealing with fully mature adults that he lost control.

Maxime Talbot - in the Orange and Black ... better than chocolate and peanut butter!

by MaximumTalbot on Jan 25, 2012 8:29 AM EST up reply actions

Whoa..lots of love for Reese. I wasn’t trying to say that he is a bad coach because he was a bad goalie. I get that there have been lots of bad players/good coaches and vice versa. Mostly a rage post because Bryz is driving me crazy (0-5 in shootout shots this year really???). Philly has invested a lot in Bryz and he needs to find his game and its Reese’s job to help make that happen. Boucher and Leighton performed ok at times but I dont think they played above their pay grade and right now Bryz is no where near that. I agree that Lavi hasn’t helped with the quick yanks.

by FlyGuy1337 on Jan 23, 2012 2:48 PM EST reply actions

It’s basically what Phaninsanfran said. If you are going to blame Reese for the bad of the last few years, you also have to credit him with the good in the last few years. As far as your point about shootouts go, shootouts are very much subject to random variance that faulting or crediting a goalie with results is not something that should be done. A goalie’s/player’s percentage in a shootout is in no way indicative of his true skill level. And when it comes time for the playoffs, the shootout magically goes away.

Brian Boucher absolutely out-performed his career average save percentage in his last two seasons with the Flyers. Same with Michael Leighton in 2010.

Editor at SB Nation's Philadelphia Union blog, The Brotherly Game. Follow me on Twitter.

by Justin F. on Jan 23, 2012 6:16 PM EST up reply actions

His career save percentage (last two years with Flyers included) is .901. In his latest two years with the Flyers, Brian Boucher compiled a .908 overall save percentage.

Michael Leighton’s career overall save percentage is .902. However, in 2009-2010 with the Flyers, his save percentage was .918.

Now whether or not this has everything to do with Jeff Reese, little to do with Jeff Reese, or absolutely nothing to do with Jeff Reese is something with which I am not qualified to say as it would be pure conjecture on my part. However, if you are going to attribute these things to Jeff Reese, then you have to reasonably evaluate the good performances with the bad performances. You can’t isolate one goalie like you did with Bryzgalov and brush Leighton, Boucher, Bobrovsky, and Emery aside without giving them much thought while concluding that Bryz’s struggles are Jeff Reese’s fault and Jeff Reese needs to take the fall.

Editor at SB Nation's Philadelphia Union blog, The Brotherly Game. Follow me on Twitter.

by Justin F. on Jan 23, 2012 6:33 PM EST up reply actions

Aw geez, that first paragraph is what I get for switching around sentence order. It should read:

Brian Boucher’s career save percentage (last two years with Flyers included) is .901. In his latest two years with the Flyers, Boucher compiled a .908 overall save percentage.

Editor at SB Nation's Philadelphia Union blog, The Brotherly Game. Follow me on Twitter.

by Justin F. on Jan 23, 2012 6:34 PM EST up reply actions

Bryz is 1/18th of the way through his contract. Why can’t everyone just settle down??? We don’t need to fire Reese or Lavy. Snider doesn’t need to sell the team. Bryz shouldn’t be shitcanned, and we all don’t need to jump off the roof of the Comcast Center in some deranged protest.

It’s going to be okay.

by alaskalovestheflyers on Jan 24, 2012 12:30 PM EST reply actions

Occupy the Spectacor?

OMB!
Flyers writer at hockeytracker.net
Follow me @HTJohnMoritz (BSH is doing it, why aren't you)

by FlyerFan139 on Jan 24, 2012 4:04 PM EST up reply actions

Bryz shouldn’t be shitcanned,

That does not automatically follow … but I accept your premise as a personal opinion. I’ll even qualify it by saying once they made the mistake of signing him to that ridiculous contract, it makes it more imperative to give him the full benefit of doubt. But posting a sub-0.900 save percentage for over $5 million a season? Them’s shitcanning numbers.

Maxime Talbot - in the Orange and Black ... better than chocolate and peanut butter!

by MaximumTalbot on Jan 25, 2012 8:31 AM EST up reply actions

I’d agree that he’s putting up some “shitcanning numbers.” His career marks though, show that he merits additional consideration.

Take JvR. Another player I like who has a less than stellar (from the Flyers perspective) contract. JvR oozes potential and has shown flashes of brilliance, no doubt. However, he doesn’t have a strong multi-year NHL career track record to look back at. Bryz, OTOH, does.

Bryz certainly needs to get his head out of the universe, or perhaps drink some tigers blood. He’s stinking it up right now, and Bob is doing what he can to earn more playing time. In the end, the law of averages kicks in.

Ilya Bryzgalov is a great goalie.

by alaskalovestheflyers on Jan 25, 2012 12:33 PM EST up reply actions

Here’s where I channel my inner Bill Clinton:

Bryzglov is not a great goalie. His current numbers show that. Bryzgalov was a great goalie in Phoenix. In Anaheim, he was an inconsistently average-good goalie.

All that matters, however, is what Bryzgalov will be.

He once was great, he is not great now, but what will he be? That’s the question.

Man-crushin' on Boucher since 1999 and Matt Calvert since May 2010
Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.
SB Nation Philly - Associate Editor

by Geoff Detweiler on Jan 25, 2012 1:57 PM EST up reply actions