Panthers fire Mike Keenan

Panthers fire Mike Keenan... Source - WFAN 66AM

Seems like a weird time to can him. Wouldn't the off-season have been the time to make a coaching change? Were Florida really supposed to have been any better than 5-8-2 15 games in? :dunno: Any chance a guy like Peter Laviolette gets the job?

Seems like a weird time to can him. Wouldn't the off-season have been the time to make a coaching change? Were Florida really supposed to have been any better than 5-8-2 15 games in? :dunno: Any chance a guy like Peter Laviolette gets the job?

A lot of hockey analysts thought he'd lose his job at the end of last season when the rumblings were focusing in on him jumping back to the New York Rangers. Last nights game against the Blues was a 2-0 shutout which wasn't anywhere near as surprising or embarassing as the Tampa Bay Lightning blowout against the Pens. My guess is that the GM in Florida finally tired of all Keenan's mind games and told him in the offseason you will need to prove to me early you have a .500 team or better with the additions of Horton upfront to an offense that already includes impressive players like Jokinen, Huselius, and Kozlov.

I'm skeptical on Laviolette getting the job after all the hand grenades tossed by various Islander players after he was let go and the team just barely managed to back into the playoffs at seasons end. Their locker room was completely divided and thats the last thing the Panthers would want to get into with all that promising youth.

Honestly, Keenan is the scapegoat in this situation. It doesn't matter if God is coaching that team, they just aren't going to win much right now. They are so young, and euro laden. In time, this team could be really dangerous, but were talking 3-4 years down the road. It will be interesting to see who replaces him, I don't have any educated guesses on this one.

http://will.relocate.anywhere.forfood.org/

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/index.jsp

Puck Poll
Where will Mike Keenan coach next? [616 votes total]

Colorado (21) 3%
New York Rangers (118) 19%
Washington (142) 23%
Detroit (23) 4%
Team Canada (13) 2%
Nowhere, it is over! (299) 49%

Seems like a weird time to can him. Wouldn't the off-season have been the time to make a coaching change? Were Florida really supposed to have been any better than 5-8-2 15 games in? :dunno: Any chance a guy like Peter Laviolette gets the job?

I hope it doesn't happen, but I think that Larry Robinson is pretty high on the short list for Florida coaches. Lou hired Jacques Lapperier for just such an emergency situation, but I'd love to have them both working with our young defensemen. Larry wants to work with young kids, and Florida would be a great fit for him with all the youth in that organization.

Link to the story:

http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxMzMmZmdi ZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTY0NTA0MzYmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZU VFeXk2