G beat me to it when it comes to discussing Mike Richards’ captaincy, but I’d still like to offer a counterpoint if I may.
I’ve been listening to fans gripe about Richards as captain for years. Typically, the Flyers get into the playoffs, have a bad game or two, and then the brilliant suggestions for how to fix the team start being thrown around (whether they’ve lost the series or not).
“Strip Richards of the ‘C’ !!!”
“Trade Danny Briere!”
“Trade Jeff Carter!”
“Fire Ed Snider!”
The 2nd round of the 2011 NHL Playoffs was about as bad as this team has performed in awhile, and certainly there were higher expectations from Richards. This is amid rumors that he was playing through a hand/wrist injury that may have been a factor in his low offensive output. However, both fans and the media alike (myself included) have a tendency to overanalyze how the players react to one another and so we blame the terrible efforts on a perceived inability by Richards to motivate his teammates.
A recent post on Yahoo’s Puck Daddy blog by Justin Bourne comes to mind when I think about this type of analysis. Basically, Bourne was annoyed that Chris Pronger took undisciplined penalties in Game 1 against the Bruins and then was trying to direct James Van Riemsdyk to not take a penalty later in the game. He argued that the hypocritical behavior is confusing for his teammates who are trying to look up to him.
JVR isn’t a wide-eyed youth in awe of Pronger, though. He’s old enough and smart enough (college boy!) to read Pronger’s actions and understand when he’s trying to get under the skin of his opponents versus when he’s trying to get the team refocused.
Similarly, arguing that Richards is not a good captain because he’s not as vocal as Pronger is when in front of the cameras is disingenuous. Richards’ style may be more personal and less prone to caring what the media has to say, but there isn’t a set of stone commandments that define how he is supposed to act when there are microphones in his face.
His leadership on the ice is what the team looks up to, and more often than not it is just as valuable as anything Pronger has done.
I’ve also heard the argument that Richards is ripe for a demotion because his captaincy was a carryover of the John Stevens era. He and Stevens were close after winning the Calder Cup together in the AHL and naming young studs to the position seemed like the thing to do in Pennsylvania.
This may not be John Stevens’ team anymore, but I’m not so sure it is Peter Laviolette’s either. Only the team knows what went wrong in the locker room, if anything, but I would place more blame on the shoulders of Lavi if I were looking to find excuses for why the team couldn’t solve the Bruins’ defense… or offense… or goaltending.
If there really is a leadership vacuum in the locker room, then the organization shouldn’t give the ‘C’ to anybody. Let this team recapture its identity and allow the players to figure out among themselves who is deserving of it, rather than the fan base or the organization.
Good points Josh,
IN the end, this Team underachieved from it’s coaching staff, it’s defense and Goaltending and were simply an average team over the last 2 months of the Season and in these Playoffs.. Whoever the Captain is kinf of irrelevant for they should have plenty of veteran players to step up and fill the void for those who feel Richards is inadeqaute.. Bottom line, this FLyer team is just not that good along the back line and Goaltending where Playoff Series and Championshiops are won.. Not having Pronger 100% really hurt, but having one of th ehighest payrolls in the NHL, the good teams overcome injuries and adversity and what it the Captain’s (Richard’s) fault.. I highly doubt it and put more on Coach Lav and his staff for this team wasn’t playing well or confident over the last 20-25 games of the regular season and this is the team that showed itself in these Playoffs..Losing 4-0 to any team in a 7 game Series is embarrasing and unacceptable and expecially for a veteran highly paid team like the FLyers are.. Changes need and will be made
When I was a kid (in the early 70’s) what made th eFlyers so fun to love and root for was that they have the most talent, but they were tough,tight and played as a team.. Ever since the Lindros Era, this is no longer the case. As an Organization, they have become arrogant (following Clark’s GM T enure and even’s Ed Snnider style of management) y have one of the highest payrolls years after year with very little to show for it and in many cases, they have become the NY Yankees of the NHL which is another reason many fans of the Sport don’t like them and relish in thei rfailures.. They have a talented squad, a good Coaching staff and even GM Holmgreem has made some good moves (as well as bad) but why is it ,year after year, they cannot seem to find,stick with or develop any #1 Goalies.. It’s been like this since B Hextall’s days sinec they really had a True #1,which is going back a ways..
This team will get 95-100 points a season, sell out games, overpay underperforming players and get bounced out in the 1st or 2nd ROunds and maybe every 5 years have a serious Stanly Cup run… They and the Eagles seem to be similar in this regard except that the Flyers don’t manage their Salary Cap well where the Eagles are one of the best Franchises in all of Sports in managing their Team Payroll.. .It is what it is, but I just wish that the local Philly Media and thei rfans would expect more and demand more and hold the FLyers Organization feet to the fire like they do with the Eagles and even the Phils.. Why do they continue to get a “Free-Pass” as an Organization…
the biggest problem is the lack of a #1 goalie…. we have been saying this since Hextall last wore a Flyers jersey between the pipes…
Last year, we got lucky with a hot goalie, but knew he wouldnt hold up….this year, we all said they needed a #1 goalie and they had a chance to land Niemi and Loungo who are both leading their teams to their conference finals….yet, we added for offense and ignored the position…. we didnt need to trade for Veesteg…what has he done? nothing!!! and we gave up too much…
I blame Holmgren and the front office
I think your just defending incumbency rather than looking at it from scratch. If the flyers didn’t have a captain and you had to pick someone after listening to them speak and watching them play, your choice would still be Mike Richards? mine wouldn’t be for sure. I think you are reacting towards the stripping of his captaincy rather than who would actually make the best captain. A quiet good to above average player whose play is not outstanding and who is not a difference maker , a REAL difference maker, is just another guy.
Finally! Someone agrees with me on Lavi. It’s GOT to fall on his shoulders that we couldn’t figure out how to solve the Bruins D in four freaking games. It’s not the players job to come up with that strategy, it’s Lavi’s. He got outcoached and that happens by being lazy.
Rastadoc,
I understand what you’re saying. It’s not a bad position. My personal opinion, though, is that Mike Richards is not just a “good to above average player who is not outstanding and who is not a REAL difference maker.” I would argue that he is. I would argue that his career-to-date performance in Philadelphia versus his play in the 2011 playoffs, where he was playing through a wrist injury, would justify that opinion.
As far as who the best captain would be? As I said at the end of my post, I would let the players work that out if Richards really isn’t getting it done. Its not unprecedented to start a season without a captain while the team waits for someone to stand out above the rest. You could make arguments for Briere, Pronger, Timonen, and Giroux, but again I think only the players would really know who’s best versus who the fans, the media, or the organization itself would think.