Comments on: LAVIOLETTE PROVIDES A REFERENCEEx-coach raved to Gordon about his LI experience

By: Mike

Mike — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 20:53:47 +0000

Over the last 25 years other then getting rid of that ASSHOLE Mildew when has this organization gotten anything else right?
I bet the players in Carolina didn’t have a problem with Peter as they sipped from the cup?

By: Rick

Rick — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 12:44:44 +0000

In my opinion, Lavi got run out of town because of prima donnas like Yashin, Peca & Parrish. If Milbury’s ego was a contributing factor I wouldn’t be surprised, but I don’t think it was the primary reason he got bounced.

Good call on Brad Shaw – I liked him also and it’s too bad he never really got a fair shot to coach this team.

By: Darren

Darren — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 12:43:22 +0000

He should still be our coach! I always thought this team would win a cup with him.

By: beatlebailey

beatlebailey — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 12:01:15 +0000

What is Brad Shaw doing now? Totlly forgot about him

By: Ryan

Ryan — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 06:38:37 +0000

Chris TMC, I liked Brad Shaw a lot too.

By: Chris TMC

Chris TMC — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 05:11:10 +0000

It seems like a contributing factor in why Peter was able to find success elsewhere is that he learned from what happened here. He would not have become a winner if he continued to think it was OK to watch and even contribute (as inadvertently as it likely was) to divisiveness and personal jealousies developing in his lockerroom. A successful coach doesnt lose chunks of his team.

I was and still am glad for him in his success, though- because he, and believe it or not Brad Shaw, were the only coaches throughout the entire MM era who I watched and from my POV genuinely liked what they did.

By: Travelchic59

Travelchic59 — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 04:15:03 +0000

JKP – 3 points for the record –

1. No where did I say that we would have won the Cup in 2006. Maybe I should have clarified my statement by saying I felt we would have eventually won a Cup with Laviolette as coach.

2. Where in my post did I assert Yashin “hated” Laviolette? I did not speculate or make any such claim. I wrote Yashin was moody. How does that translate into “hated” Laviolette? (your words not mine)

3. I did not write hiring Laviolette made Milbury look BAD. I said Milbury was jealous of Laviolette’s popularity.

By: admin

admin — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 03:57:11 +0000

Joe Strummer: please call me Chris, and feel free to use your real name. We’re all mostly friends here, right?

Tampa Bay never offered Vin to the Islanders for Hammer or anything else. Pure fiction.

As for the toughness issue, I don’t think the GM has turned a blind eye to it as much as he has been unable to acquire the kind of heavyweight who could also play ten minutes. Right now he has a long-range, maybe long-shot project in Rechlicz, plus Fritz in the arsenal in Bport.

Pretty sure he would love to have Georges Laraque here, but that’s not happening. If he was anti-fighting, he wouldn’t have anyone in the system or given Sugden a shot. Right now, I don’t think he wants to give up a regular spot to a Fritz while he’s trying to see what he’s got with his forwards. Best I can come up with, Strum…take care…CB

By: Strummer's Army

Strummer's Army — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 03:11:11 +0000

I too would have liked Lavy to stay. Who were these players that Milbury backed over him? Garbage like Yashin and Peca. Yashin was never a man or a leader the way the coddled him made me sick. The little baby even dated a woman who was old enough to be his Mom that is clue #1 he is not a leader. Remember Cairns yelling at him accross the dressing room “SHOW ME YOU CARE!!!” No response from Yashin. Remember Milbury getting rid of Aucoin, Scatchard, Cairns and a million other guys in order to make Yashin feel more comfy? Then importing more lazy Russians? Milbury was the worst and Wang held on way too long.

Niinimma sucked and so did Hamrlik and a few other of those d-men who were from the era. Aucoin, Cairns and Jonsson were good.

I like the Gordon hire.

Hey Botta now that your free here is something I have wondered. Remember years ago Newsday reported Tampa badly wanted Hamrlik back and were offering Lecav? At the time Torts hated him and Lecav didn’t look so good but everyone still saw the potential. Any truth to the rumor that Milbury turned them down?

Also, A DIRECT QUESITON TO BOTTA: WHY DO YOU THINK GARTH SNOW HAS TURNED SUCH A BLIND EYE TO TOUGHNESS?

By: JKP

JKP — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 02:31:30 +0000

Travelchic59, do you REALLY think we’d have been a champion in 2006 if Laviolette stayed? Considering the contracts that ended before that season and the team was built around Yashin, whom you speculate without evidence hated Laviolette, that seems like a pretty wild assertion.

Don’t get me wrong: I wish we kept him, too, but there really isn’t any evidence for anything else. The Milbury theory is pretty wild: how is it that Milbury looks BAD for hiring a popular coach? Milbury never came off better than he did during the Laviolette years.

By: admin

admin — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 02:28:12 +0000

Travelchic: What I wrote was there was player backlash. Didn’t say it was right. Didn’t say it should have been listened to. But I was standing right there.

And thanks, Beatle…CB

By: Travelchic59

Travelchic59 — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 02:17:14 +0000

Sorry, CB. I will NEVER buy into that whole “players sold Lavy out” BS. To this day I still believe that Milbury was jealous of Laviolette’s popularity and that together with Yashin’s moodiness about not being named captain when he signed here is what cost Peter his job.

When Carolina won the Cup, I was so happy for Laviolette, but at the same time I was so ANGRY because I felt that should have been OUR Cup. It probably would have been if Peter had still be around.

I loved the guys on that 01-02 team, and I felt that they had something really special going on. Too bad it had to end so soon.

Well onward and upward. We still have 76 games to go in this very YOUNG season.