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Spacek talks


Habsy

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On hockeyInsideout.com, Spacek gives a candid interview, basically supporting what many of us believe about Jacques Martin. I can't seem to include a link with this IPad. Wrong coach, wrong GM for this team going forward. His 2 or 3 supporters on this website won't like it, but I do find it telling. Considering he enjoyed his time here, and still lives in the city. Further to the article, Chris Nilan revealed the team removed cookies and chocolate bars from team flights. Pathetic.

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Very interesting interview. And I noticed what he said about Gomez and Cammalleri. Cammy is gone, but I would not be surprised if the new coach gave a last chance to Gomer to redeem himself. We'll see.

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Well, I still think the team was demonstrably and highly successful whenever it played the kind of close puck-support and slot-protecting game JM wanted it to play; and statistically the team was actually performing at an elite level in all statistical categories except the PP when JM was fired; but no question that Spacek is confirming the diagnosis of the anti-JM crowd. Unfortunately, we'll never really know how that team would have done under a different system, because key cogs Gill and Cammelleri (as well as that idiot Kostitsyn) have been shipped out, and Gomez is gonzo, despite JC's fanciful hopes for a third chance for that deadweight.

Reading about Gauthier's bizarre, control-freakish and classless behaviour - mostly elaborated 'off the record' by Spacek, it was apparently so bad - I find myself puzzled by one thing above all:

What was Bob Gainey thinking?

He hand-picked this guy as his successor. How could Gainey, universally viewed as one of the great leaders of men of all time in hockey, have been so cataclysmically errant in his judgement about who Gauthier was and how he would manage things? Isn't being a 'leader' all about understanding and evaluating the people around you?

Criticizing Bob's hockey moves is one thing. GMs operate amidst radical uncertainty and under all sorts of pressures. But what I cannot fathom is how Gainey could work shoulder to shoulder with this guy, on a daily basis, and yet be so wildly wrong about what kind of person Gauthier was.

Was Gainey's acumen overrated all along? Is his legendary leadership just a myth? Was Gauthier pulling one of the great con jobs of all time, fooling Bob into thinking he was solid successor material? Was Bob so anxious to leave that he just foisted Goat on Molson as the path of least resistance? I'm almost chary of bringing it up, but - well - did the death of his daughter, surely as shattering an event as any man can endure, leave him fundamentally damaged and cloud his judgement?

It really is baffling, because of all Gainey's mistakes, this one is perhaps the most important, since it had the potential to destroy the franchise, returning us to the Great Darkness of the Houle years.

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Maybe we saw like a Putin kinda thing here where really Gainey was still in control over most the decisions. He knew he'd be let go, so he swapped it around giving his assistant gm the rains while sitting next to him as his "advisor".

Not to throw out conspiracy theories or nothing!

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Maybe we saw like a Putin kinda thing here where really Gainey was still in control over most the decisions. He knew he'd be let go, so he swapped it around giving his assistant gm the rains while sitting next to him as his "advisor".

Not to throw out conspiracy theories or nothing!

Maybe, but I'm pretty sure Gainey wasn't the one removing cookies from team flights, forcing Cammy to pay for his game jersey, etc., etc....unless he REALLY went off the deep end!

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Maybe, but I'm pretty sure Gainey wasn't the one removing cookies from team flights, forcing Cammy to pay for his game jersey, etc., etc....unless he REALLY went off the deep end!

I know you didn't mean it, but probably not the best phrase to describe a Gainey...

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I know you didn't mean it, but probably not the best phrase to describe a Gainey...

F*ck. Especially in light of my previous post. Well, choose your preferred metaphor. The last thing I want to do is to take cheap shots at the great man. Fortunately, it's a safe bet he doesn't read this site!

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I think Spacek validates everything I've been saying for the last two years:

- the final four appearance was in spite of Martin, not because of him.

- Martin is a dinasour who doesn't relate to today's players.

- the habs did a lousy job coaching Subban - yes he became a more complete player, but you only have to look at Karlson and have to wonder how much better Subban could have been by now with the right coach - thank you Gainey for ignoring and insulting Robinson.

-Martin did a lousy job making in game adjustments.

I wont even bother getting into my issues with that idiot gauthier.

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Yes, because everything a disgruntled player says is right.

Oh also when a disgruntled player disagrees with a coaches strategy, he's also a better coach than the coach.

Maybe we should also listen to what Mikhail Grabovski, Georges Laraque, and Sergei Kostitsyn have to say about the organization.

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Yes, because everything a disgruntled player says is right.

Oh also when a disgruntled player disagrees with a coaches strategy, he's also a better coach than the coach.

Maybe we should also listen to what Mikhail Grabovski, Georges Laraque, and Sergei Kostitsyn have to say about the organization.

But Spacek wasn't a "disgruntled" player. He loves the city, he loved the team, and all that. Those guys (especially SK) really really had issues with the whole team and city and fanbase and well... honestly anything to do with the organization. None would come back. Spacek probably would love to!

And its not like he caused problems, he was a favorite in the room my all accounts.

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But Spacek wasn't a "disgruntled" player. He loves the city, he loved the team, and all that. Those guys (especially SK) really really had issues with the whole team and city and fanbase and well... honestly anything to do with the organization. None would come back. Spacek probably would love to!

And its not like he caused problems, he was a favorite in the room my all accounts.

He's disgruntled with the people he spoke out about.

A coach who put him on the wrong side nearly his entire time here.

A GM who traded him (and wouldnt tell him where)... that was wrong by Goat.

Still even if not disgruntled the fact he doesn't agree with the coach's strategy is not conclusive proof that the strategy devised by the coach was wrong.

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He's disgruntled with the people he spoke out about.

A coach who put him on the wrong side nearly his entire time here.

A GM who traded him (and wouldnt tell him where)... that was wrong by Goat.

Still even if not disgruntled the fact he doesn't agree with the coach's strategy is not conclusive proof that the strategy devised by the coach was wrong.

It gives more insight into the room. Which is always interesting to have!

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It gives more insight into the room. Which is always interesting to have!

Oh sure I don't mind hearing the interview, and seeing what he has to say.

I just don't believe it to be 100% the gospel truth and proof of anything we've speculated on before, as some here seem to want to do.

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He's disgruntled with the people he spoke out about.

A coach who put him on the wrong side nearly his entire time here.

A GM who traded him (and wouldnt tell him where)... that was wrong by Goat.

Still even if not disgruntled the fact he doesn't agree with the coach's strategy is not conclusive proof that the strategy devised by the coach was wrong.

You'll never find conclusive proof, it's impossible. That was never the point. What he said is further proof that coaching is not only about x's and o's. At some point, Martin became the wrong coach for this team. Happens all the time.
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When you bring up Laraque's name, it is interesting that Gainey obviously thought there was a need for such a player. Martin of course was of a different school of thought when it come to pugilists as evident when he was in Florida and dispatched MacIntyre as well as giving Laraque no ice time. Laraque was never going top be a fit with Martin here. It leads me to believe that Gainey messed up here.

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You'll never find conclusive proof, it's impossible. That was never the point. What he said is further proof that coaching is not only about x's and o's. At some point, Martin became the wrong coach for this team. Happens all the time.

Yet the team was only 2 pts out of a playoff spot, and was 1 game above 500 when he was fired. This despite a 1-8-2 start.

Then we fell to 28th place with his replacement.

The numbers speak for themselves.

When you bring up Laraque's name, it is interesting that Gainey obviously thought there was a need for such a player. Martin of course was of a different school of thought when it come to pugilists as evident when he was in Florida and dispatched MacIntyre as well as giving Laraque no ice time. Laraque was never going top be a fit with Martin here. It leads me to believe that Gainey messed up here.

Laraque made his own bed with his "code" that made him completely ineffective at the job he was brought in to do.

Remember that when Laraque was brought in... it was the summer of 2008 and Carbo was still coach.

He was completely in effective in that role, even with a coach who played him.

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Yet the team was only 2 pts out of a playoff spot, and was 1 game above 500 when he was fired. This despite a 1-8-2 start.

Then we fell to 28th place with his replacement.

The numbers speak for themselves.

Laraque made his own bed with his "code" that made him completely ineffective at the job he was brought in to do.

Remember that when Laraque was brought in... it was the summer of 2008 and Carbo was still coach.

He was completely in effective in that role, even with a coach who played him.

Yet the team was only 2 pts out of a playoff spot, and was 1 game above 500 when he was fired. This despite a 1-8-2 start.

Then we fell to 28th place with his replacement.

The numbers speak for themselves.

Laraque made his own bed with his "code" that made him completely ineffective at the job he was brought in to do.

Remember that when Laraque was brought in... it was the summer of 2008 and Carbo was still coach.

He was completely in effective in that role, even with a coach who played him.

I think Laraque was hurt that first year. I don't agree with your assessment on Laraque. I pointed out that .500 hockey is a misnomer in an earlier thread. To be a middle of the pack club, you need to be 5-6 games over .500. You can conclude from that that Martin was producing a failing grade. Martin was fired from Ottawa, was not successful in Florida as a coach or Gm and other than speaking French, I have never understood that hiring. I think it was a mistake on Gainey.

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I think Laraque was hurt that first year. I don't agree with your assessment on Laraque. I pointed out that .500 hockey is a misnomer in an earlier thread. To be a middle of the pack club, you need to be 5-6 games over .500. You can conclude from that that Martin was producing a failing grade. Martin was fired from Ottawa, was not successful in Florida as a coach or Gm and other than speaking French, I have never understood that hiring. I think it was a mistake on Gainey.

5-6 games over at the end of the season.... the team had played about 30 games... so 1 game over is already 3 games over when you pro rate that over the full season. Add to that, the team had a slow start and was playing better when he was hired and I believe we would have remained in the playoff hun right to the end (and maybe even made it), with JM at the helm.

As for not understanding the hiring because Martin was fired in Ottawa, after leading the team for a decade and amassing over 500 wins. If the criteria for not hiring a coach is that he was fired from his last job, then none of the three coaches remaining in the playoffs would have been hired.

As for his hiring being a mistake, he overachieved for 2 years with this roster... I'm glad we've just swept that under the rug.

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A GM who traded him (and wouldnt tell him where)... that was wrong by Goat.

Just so everyone knows, this isn't something that only Gauthier did. When Geoffrion was dealt to the Habs, Poile didn't want to tell him where until the deal was formalized. I'm not defending it but it seems to be more of a common practice than most realize.

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5-6 games over at the end of the season.... the team had played about 30 games... so 1 game over is already 3 games over when you pro rate that over the full season. Add to that, the team had a slow start and was playing better when he was hired and I believe we would have remained in the playoff hun right to the end (and maybe even made it), with JM at the helm.

As for not understanding the hiring because Martin was fired in Ottawa, after leading the team for a decade and amassing over 500 wins. If the criteria for not hiring a coach is that he was fired from his last job, then none of the three coaches remaining in the playoffs would have been hired.

As for his hiring being a mistake, he overachieved for 2 years with this roster... I'm glad we've just swept that under the rug.

I agree with your preception of how early it was in season and can deal with .500 recalculation. Martin in Ottawa had a pretty good team and was fired because he couldn't get them over the top with a very talented team. Your statement that here he had overachieved is a matter of opinion, one that I don't share with you. Speaking about under the rug, I noticed you mentioned nothing about his tenure in Florida. But alas, fear not, because if he is such a hot commodity, we will soon see him with another venue.

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As for the cookies, it is possible that neither Spacek or AK needed any more cookies. :)

Based on the number of chins that Spacek has, I think it's fair to say he doesn't need anymore cookies.

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