Allaire won't be back

[Kin]

But it seems to me that mediocre to terrible players - the ones who are only in professional hockey because of a dedication to fundamental hockey and self-sacrifice - are the ones who make the best coaches.

And Norris winning Defensemen, right? Right?

 

[KW Sluggo]

By the same token though if he's suddenly so out of touch why did Burke stick with him for 3 years?

Burke has come to be convinced otherwise whereas he wasn't before?  These are things that evolve over time, there isn't really a moment where one day one style is dominant and the next another, so it could just be he has come to change his opinion on it.

Maybe so, but Burke was solidly behind Allaire all last season particularly when complaints started to be voiced. Now Burke says Allaire failed to adapt to changes in the game. That failure to adapt obviously must have occurred after the end of the season (and likely in the last 24 hours) because Burke took Allaire's part without qualification all last season.

In any event, our GAA was awful, our defensive coverage was equally bad and changes must be made -- and a lot more than just this one.

 

[Bender]

By the same token though if he's suddenly so out of touch why did Burke stick with him for 3 years?

Burke has come to be convinced otherwise whereas he wasn't before?  These are things that evolve over time, there isn't really a moment where one day one style is dominant and the next another, so it could just be he has come to change his opinion on it.

Maybe so, but Burke was solidly behind Allaire all last season particularly when complaints started to be voiced. Now Burke says Allaire failed to adapt to changes in the game. That failure to adapt obviously must have occurred after the end of the season (and likely in the last 24 hours) because Burke took Allaire's part without qualification all last season.

In any event, our GAA was awful, our defensive coverage was equally bad and changes must be made -- and a lot more than just this one.

Why would you find it surprising for an employer to protect an employee from media scrutiny? I doubt there werent discussions about his perforance between Burke and Allaire, why publicly throw a current employee under the bus?

 

[Leaflifer]

By the same token though if he's suddenly so out of touch why did Burke stick with him for 3 years?

Burke has come to be convinced otherwise whereas he wasn't before?  These are things that evolve over time, there isn't really a moment where one day one style is dominant and the next another, so it could just be he has come to change his opinion on it.

Maybe so, but Burke was solidly behind Allaire all last season particularly when complaints started to be voiced. Now Burke says Allaire failed to adapt to changes in the game. That failure to adapt obviously must have occurred after the end of the season (and likely in the last 24 hours) because Burke took Allaire's part without qualification all last season.

In any event, our GAA was awful, our defensive coverage was equally bad and changes must be made -- and a lot more than just this one.

Why would you find it surprising for an employer to protect an employee from media scrutiny? I doubt there werent discussions about his perforance between Burke and Allaire, why publicly throw a current employee under the bus?

So its better that Burke completely change his previous assessment of Allaire as soon as he is no longer an employee? Either he believed in him or he didn't. 

 

[TML fan]

By the same token though if he's suddenly so out of touch why did Burke stick with him for 3 years?

Burke has come to be convinced otherwise whereas he wasn't before?  These are things that evolve over time, there isn't really a moment where one day one style is dominant and the next another, so it could just be he has come to change his opinion on it.

Maybe so, but Burke was solidly behind Allaire all last season particularly when complaints started to be voiced. Now Burke says Allaire failed to adapt to changes in the game. That failure to adapt obviously must have occurred after the end of the season (and likely in the last 24 hours) because Burke took Allaire's part without qualification all last season.

In any event, our GAA was awful, our defensive coverage was equally bad and changes must be made -- and a lot more than just this one.

Why would you find it surprising for an employer to protect an employee from media scrutiny? I doubt there werent discussions about his perforance between Burke and Allaire, why publicly throw a current employee under the bus?

So its better that Burke completely change his previous assessment of Allaire as soon as he is no longer an employee? Either he believed in him or he didn't.

Better than throwing him under the bus, yes.

 

[Bullfrog]

So its better that Burke completely change his previous assessment of Allaire as soon as he is no longer an employee? Either he believed in him or he didn't.

Life's really that black and white, huh?

 

[Fanatic]

Allaire says he quit, the Leafs say they weren?t going to invite him back, and somewhere in there lies the truth. What seems clear, and this should be the important matter to Leaf fans, is that the rift between Allaire and the rest of the coaching staff at least finally supplies one concrete reason behind the team?s curious late-season swoon that cost it a playoff spot.

That?s not to blame Allaire. But here?s what we do know:

? In late fall, with the team trying to improve its penalty killing, assistant coach Greg Cronin wanted to have Allaire and the goalies sit in on penalty-killing meetings. Allaire didn?t want that. Cronin said he?d already talked to James Reimer.

Allaire warned Cronin not to speak to his goalies. Cronin responded in a most unfriendly way, and unrest within the staff was born.

? Ron Wilson, dismayed with how Jonas Gustavsson and Reimer were playing so passively deep in the crease, asked Allaire in early February to get them to play more aggressively. Allaire said he had no intention of altering the way his goalies were playing.

Wilson, out of sheer frustration, finally went directly to the goalies, bypassing the celebrated goalie guru. Soon, Allaire and the other coaches weren?t even on speaking terms.

? Randy Carlyle, who had worked with Allaire in Anaheim, gave the goalie coach a list of three conditions he would have to meet if he wanted to return for the 2012-13 season. The list included: working a maximum 17 days a month, including six with the Marlies, rather than being around the team every day; apologizing to the coaches on staff he had offended; and a commitment to teaching a more aggressive goaltending style.

Allaire refused to agree to any of the three conditions.


more here

 

[We_Miss_Sundin]

I remember when people in the media were stating the very thing Burke mentioned in the interview yesterday - that is that Allaire's style was outdated and that it he was imposing said style very strictly on both Gus and Reimer.  It was clear to anyone who was watching the games that Gus in particular was playing awkwardly, like a robot... straying away from his natural athletic ability.  I wish this "parting of ways" had happened in time for Gus to benefit from it... I truly believe he has lots of potential and will be exciting to watch in Detroit.

 

[drummond]

Allaire says he quit, the Leafs say they weren?t going to invite him back, and somewhere in there lies the truth. What seems clear, and this should be the important matter to Leaf fans, is that the rift between Allaire and the rest of the coaching staff at least finally supplies one concrete reason behind the team?s curious late-season swoon that cost it a playoff spot.

That?s not to blame Allaire. But here?s what we do know:

? In late fall, with the team trying to improve its penalty killing, assistant coach Greg Cronin wanted to have Allaire and the goalies sit in on penalty-killing meetings. Allaire didn?t want that. Cronin said he?d already talked to James Reimer.

Allaire warned Cronin not to speak to his goalies. Cronin responded in a most unfriendly way, and unrest within the staff was born.

? Ron Wilson, dismayed with how Jonas Gustavsson and Reimer were playing so passively deep in the crease, asked Allaire in early February to get them to play more aggressively. Allaire said he had no intention of altering the way his goalies were playing.

Wilson, out of sheer frustration, finally went directly to the goalies, bypassing the celebrated goalie guru. Soon, Allaire and the other coaches weren?t even on speaking terms.

? Randy Carlyle, who had worked with Allaire in Anaheim, gave the goalie coach a list of three conditions he would have to meet if he wanted to return for the 2012-13 season. The list included: working a maximum 17 days a month, including six with the Marlies, rather than being around the team every day; apologizing to the coaches on staff he had offended; and a commitment to teaching a more aggressive goaltending style.

Allaire refused to agree to any of the three conditions.


more here

The Cronin request seems to be very logical, honestly, I am quite surprised the goalies are not part of those drills as they are the most important element of the PK.

The Wilson request - given the developments on the ice - very logical as well.

The Carlyle request surprised me most - I partially do understand that it was too much for Allaire to swollow, hence he left the organization.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Wow, if that's true from that Star article about Allaire - certainly changes the opinion I've held of him.  Seems like he was outright blocking (his style?) attempts by the rest of the coaching staff to make defensive improvements.  Who knows if they would have made a difference, but still.

 

[Bullfrog]

I feel the same way Potvin. Makes me feel silly for defending him. I find this stubbornness at the NHL level pretty surprising.

I also agree with WMS above. Would Gus have improved given a different style? Given more freedom to develop his own particular talents?

 

[Kin]

I don't know...that sounds a little off. For a team that's supposedly desperate to make the playoffs and a head coach on his last legs...you're not going to take a stand on that sort of thing? You're not going to involve Burke the second that the goalie coach is turning down the head coach? Burke isn't going to straighten that out or make immediate changes?

I mean, that reads like a guy who's looking to get fired.

 

[Zee]

Wow, if that's true from that Star article about Allaire - certainly changes the opinion I've held of him.  Seems like he was outright blocking (his style?) attempts by the rest of the coaching staff to make defensive improvements.  Who knows if they would have made a difference, but still.

Who knows how much of that is true.  It's obvious Allaire had an issue with the other coaches (he said so himself), but these comments sound particularly bad.  I suppose people both externally and internally were pointing the finger at the goalies and he took the brunt of that criticism.  His ego was hurt as he went from "goalie coach guru" before he got here to "scapegoat".  If even half of what Cox wrote is true, it doesn't paint Allaire in a good picture.

 

[Stronger Than All]

I wasn't a fan of Allaire after hearing Gustavsson in a post game comment on how "Frankie wouldn't be happy" with the way he saved a certain chance. Instead of relying on the butterfly he used his athleticism to make a save.  The end result was a save so why would the goalie coach have an issue with that?  There must be some truth to the talk that he was inflexible.

By the same token though if he's suddenly so out of touch why did Burke stick with him for 3 years?

Remember that terrible OT goal Gus let in from beyond the blue line?  I wonder if "Frankie" was ok with that as long as Gus stuck to the butterfly. 

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Wow, if that's true from that Star article about Allaire - certainly changes the opinion I've held of him.  Seems like he was outright blocking (his style?) attempts by the rest of the coaching staff to make defensive improvements.  Who knows if they would have made a difference, but still.

Who knows how much of that is true.  It's obvious Allaire had an issue with the other coaches (he said so himself), but these comments sound particularly bad.  I suppose people both externally and internally were pointing the finger at the goalies and he took the brunt of that criticism.  His ego was hurt as he went from "goalie coach guru" before he got here to "scapegoat".  If even half of what Cox wrote is true, it doesn't paint Allaire in a good picture.

There has to be something there, Burke doesn't rip ex-employees.  Look at Wilson - he took FAR, FAR, FAR more heat and criticism than Allaire, and he's had not a word to say since being fired.  Burke publicly defended both while they were here, and defended Wilson after he was fired - so I imagine Allaire's comments after he was done set him off more than usual.

 

[Fanatic]

My take on this is that Allaire suprised the Leafs by leaving as quickly as he did and going to the media. Once Allaire took it to the media they needed to respond and about a day later they did.

I think the Leafs responded in two ways - one was the public comments of Burke and the second way was to use back door channels to make use of a guy like Cox. The article by Cox doesn't leave a lot of room for "this is my opinion". Cox speaks like it is fact and that makes me think that the back door PR machine at MLSE let this story get out as a means of dealing with Allaire who made his comments public.

I'm not saying I believe every word Cox says, but I do believe that his article represents the story MLSE wanted to get out.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

My take on this is that Allaire suprised the Leafs by leaving as quickly as he did and going to the media. Once Allaire took it to the media they needed to respond and about a day later they did.

I think the Leafs responded in two ways - one was the public comments of Burke and the second way was to use back door channels to make use of a guy like Cox. The article by Cox doesn't leave a lot of room for "this is my opinion". Cox speaks like it is fact and that makes me think that the back door PR machine at MLSE let this story get out as a means of dealing with Allaire who made his comments public.

I'm not saying I believe every word Cox says, but I do believe that his article represents the story MLSE wanted to get out.

I believe this is why Cox has been rather easy on the Leafs since Burke was hired.

 

[Kin]

I believe this is why Cox has been rather easy on the Leafs since Burke was hired.

Huh, you know I never even thought about it but that makes a lot of sense.

Anyways, another question. Supposing all this is true about Allaire, does it strike anyone else as odd that you'd wait until now to make that move?

 

[Corn Flake]

Wow, if that's true from that Star article about Allaire - certainly changes the opinion I've held of him.  Seems like he was outright blocking (his style?) attempts by the rest of the coaching staff to make defensive improvements.  Who knows if they would have made a difference, but still.

Who knows how much of that is true.  It's obvious Allaire had an issue with the other coaches (he said so himself), but these comments sound particularly bad.  I suppose people both externally and internally were pointing the finger at the goalies and he took the brunt of that criticism.  His ego was hurt as he went from "goalie coach guru" before he got here to "scapegoat".  If even half of what Cox wrote is true, it doesn't paint Allaire in a good picture.

We can certainly say that with our own eyes we saw the result of him not adapting any changes to Reimer's or Gus' approach in net despite how bad things got from Feb onward.  The problems both goalies started to have could either be attributed to coaching or to them not being able to execute what the coach was saying. With what is being brought up now sure seems as though the coach was telling them to continue to do things that were not working.  Allaire's comments pretty much confirm that other coaches were telling him to try different things and he didn't want to.

Remier in particular was most certainly playing waaaaay too deep in his net, dropping his glove too soon and letting in waay too many goals from further distances than any goalie past 1985 should be.  Reimer was at his best when he was playing out of his net and challenging shooters... that seemed to regress from his back-to-back shutouts before the All-Star break, to him playing completely under the crossbar by about March 1. 

All that fan criticism of Allaire was certainly warranted it seems, esp. if the guy wasn't willing to budge one bit on what he was coaching when it clearly wasn't working. 

 

[Corn Flake]

Anyways, another question. Supposing all this is true about Allaire, does it strike anyone else as odd that you'd wait until now to make that move?

I agree it is quite odd.  It's almost as though they hoped he would change his mind on the style he coached over the summer, but he came back to camp as defiant about it as ever.  Why they wouldn't force a decision back in April or May is pretty strange.

Possible that their courting of Luongo or other goalies had something to do with it and they felt dumping Allaire would be too much of a negative?