I wasn’t too surprised over the firing. The Flyers being serious Stanley Cup contenders before the season started was the bigger one.
Once again, I think the “leadership” in the front office is being too hasty. Admittedly, the Flyers have dropped six of their last seven games and they’ve been inconsistent all season. How much of this is the head coach’s fault remains doubtful to me. The problem lies more in the players Stevens was given. Some have been frequently injured, Gagne and Briere come to mind immediately; others just aren’t any damned good, E-M-E-R-Y and LaPerriere (a resident of the penalty box). However, it’s easier to fire the coach than trade off all the troublemakers. Holmgren saddled Stevens with these players, not the other way around.
How well will Laviolette do? He got Carolina a Cup. Hmm. Once again, the Flyers have hired a coach who won somebody else a title. Does Ken Hitchcock ring a bell? Can this US-born coach turn them around? Maybe. The season hasn’t hit the half-way point. I doubt it. If I didn’t think they were Cup bound in September thanks to Bettman stacking the deck for his girlfriend Crosby the previous season, I will continue to consider this a rebuilding year getting Pronger to gel with the younger guys as the Flyers try to trade off Gagne, Briere and inevitably Emery.