Moribund Thrashers cripple Panthers' hopes -- Field Hockey, Ban...

Martin has gone from ineffective to being a punk. He's trying to save his job now by pinning blame on Jokinen, and how he's got to be better. this is Martin's team GM 2 years/ Coach for 4 he should be held accountable for not making the playoffs.. THIS WAS THE YEAR! all he had was excuses. If you're a real GM and you're decimated by injuries you make moves. you change your teams playing style, you adjust. FIRE MARTIN! Don't wait till the offseason, send the message now. don't let him coach the last 4 games. so that's it's fresh in the player's minds. FIRE MARTIN, and when you're done Firing him, do it again.

Saw a poster that said it best, au revoir Jacques. Stop blaming our position on Olli - he is one of the few reasons we even had a chance to fight for a playoff spot. Do you remember the first half of the season? We could compete if our team had even an adequate coaching staff.. bring in someone who can communicate with the players -, lose JM and his band of merry men. PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF HOCKEY FIRE THIS ********!!

Un-friggen-believable. Blaming Jokinen really takes the cake. Sure Jokinen has slumped since the Zednik injury, but to build this losing franchise entirely on what most teams would use only as a 2nd line center is the REAL insanity. Martin truly has sunk to new lows. Instead of admitting his failures and total mismanagement of this team, he's looking for a scapegoat to save his job and Jokinen is his prime target. Why on Earth did this clown make Jokinen a captain if he didn't think Ollie was up to it? How can someone bereft of leadership skills make someone else a leader? I'm sorry Martin fans, but this moron is long overdue to be canned. This is exactly why this organization sucks. They alienate and eventually let go of the real talent and they inexpicably hold on to (and often reward) garbage and incompetence. Why? No one seems to have an answer. It's just insane and it just keeps happening over and over again. Now we are likely to lose Bouwmeester this summer, we have no decent draft picks, and our joke of GM is scouting colleges for walk-ons. The nightmare never ends. This franchise is so pathetic I am out of words to describe it.

is sanyone that stupid to blame a 40 goal scorer instead of an inept coach who didnt even show up for practice wed.? This p/t coach is gone in 4 games... I dont pay to see him I pay to see ollie...GM Jacque had 3 years to take some pressure off of ollie and pick up another star...GET THIS JOKER COACH OFF THE TEAM!!!!!!!!!!

A tough loss last night, no doubt about it. I admire Olli for his honesty and ability to criticize himself. That is the mark of a true man. I say the Panthers should keep Coach Martin, get a new GM, and start building and planning for next season. This team has a lot of potential with Booth, Weiss and others. I won't quit on the Panthers and I hope the Panthers won't quit on me. And I'll be out there watching the Panthers on Saturday night. Go Cats, we are still behind you.

And who's choice was it to play Vokoun again after all the soft goals he's let in lately? Why is Anderson on the bench?! I guess that is Oli's fault too? Maybe it was, cause it is obvious JM isn't really doing the job coaching and maybe Oli has just stepped up so someone would do it?

Just rediculous.

Add to this the fact that tomorrow is the final home game. I have tickets to it and wanted to find out if anything special was planned before or after the game. I could not find anything about it, not even a preview. Only a spot to buy tickets. As far as I can see, ownership is already golfing and wrote this season off long ago! So much for us fans that way back in 92 we were estatic to hear ice hockey would be in our location.

Bring back the maimi arena atmosphere, bring back that attitude. The players had it for a while, but lost it. Why would they lose it? hmmm

Extremely low class move JM, to ONLY NOW, when it can have absolutely NO IMPACT on the fortunes of this team, start calling out your players publicly. Only now, because you know your job is on the line. If Olli didn't perform, that is YOUR FAULT. Did you teach him; to strengthen the weak parts of his game; give him any kind of game plan at all? Did you provide him consistency in line mates? Did you surround him in talent to better take advantage of his efforts? No on all counts.

In fact, who was yet again, in spite of the culture of Apathy you have continued and strengthened, by far the team leader in both Goals and Assists? That's right, the guy you called out for under performing.

These comments of yours at this time are pointless and disgusting, JM, and I sure hope this team realizes in the end that blame lies with YOU.

Fire Martin!!

I agree that Olli isn't playing with a whole lot of heart right now. As a captain, you need to man-up to that fact, as he did, but now he should go out there for the last several games and make amends for it.

However, this season isn't the fault of Olli Jokinen. He was again the team leader in points, and that is indicitive of some form of consistent effort. I believe we need to remove Martin from the coaching job and get someone in who can light some fires under this team and it's underachievers.

Also, it sucks we won't be able to see the last two games on TV :(

So apparently this franchise's problem is the all time leader in Goals, assists, and points... nice! JM is a joke. I was even starting to cut him a little slack if they kept him at the GM postition but it is now clear that he truly only cares about his paycheck and has no passion for the game. If he is the coach and GM and has no respect and need to back up his leaders, what do you think the culture of the organization is going to be? Every man for himself. Martin needs to get fired 8 years, no playoffs... out of the 8 years he's been coaching for 3 and GM for 2,(with the team for four)... if he, Allen, Yormark, and Sexton aren't responsible for this than no one is. Every player goes through a slump, Ollie carried this team on many nights, he didn't have his best season, but look at his linemates too. McLean? a third or fourth liner, Olesz, a prospect with potential? earlier in the season Peltonen, Zednik, who went through a MAJOR slump, and Ollie was still producing. and the plus minus is a reflection on the team not just him. He was always on the ice, many times against the other team's top lines. JM should publicly apologize, resigned, get fired, get fired again, given a tricicle and start heading norht.. what a jerk!

Martin has to go. It's that simple. Putting the blame on Ollie is beyond low class, it's disgusting. We have some real talent on this team we just need someone who know's how to motivate them.
Ollie, Bou, Vokoun, Booth, Horton, Weiss, Campbell, Anderson, Olesz, all of them deserve a REAL coach. If they had one who knows what could happen.

Here's a better question for Martin - why after the success they had over a nice winning streak with Kreps centering the 3rd line (and winning the majority of his faceoffs), does he stick Kreps back on the 4th line, give him only 10 minutes of ice time (which amount is inflated due to his taking Ollie's spot in the second period) and instead give Stumpel a whopping 18 minutes of ice time? The team had a winning formula that worked and after Peltonen got injured he changes things up if only to insert Stumpel in the lineup. Why not put Stumpel on the wing in Peltonen's place and keep Kreps in his previous spot. The kid was playing with heart and intensity.

Wait a Minute wrote:

Here's a better question for Martin - why after the success they had over a nice winning streak with Kreps centering the 3rd line (and winning the majority of his faceoffs), does he stick Kreps back on the 4th line, give him only 10 minutes of ice time (which amount is inflated due to his taking Ollie's spot in the second period) and instead give Stumpel a whopping 18 minutes of ice time? The team had a winning formula that worked and after Peltonen got injured he changes things up if only to insert Stumpel in the lineup. Why not put Stumpel on the wing in Peltonen's place and keep Kreps in his previous spot. The kid was playing with heart and intensity.

Martin is a trainwreck... great point... it's the same as asking why did he shoot 2nd in the Carolina shootout when the team that scores first wins 80% of the games? The first year Martin was here everyone in the NHL was saying that they thought the game had past him by... I think that holds more tru now than ever

Send Dumbo Home wrote:

<quoted text> Martin is a trainwreck... great point... it's the same as asking why did he shoot 2nd in the Carolina shootout when the team that scores first wins 80% of the games? The first year Martin was here everyone in the NHL was saying that they thought the game had past him by... I think that holds more tru now than ever

Oh, and I also should point out that Kreps is a solid +11 and Stumpel a dismal -12, as well as Kreps having better point production this year (7 goals, 17 assists) versus Stumpel (7 goals, 12 assists) with Kreps holding only a small TOI advantage (928 minutes to 841 minutes) but getting far less on a per game average (12:53 versus Stumpel's 17.31). Clearly Stumpel produces more when he's given ice time and clearly he's a more responsible player when he's on the ice. Gee, is it any surprise that the 2 games they lose after a nice run of wins comes once Martin inserts Stumpel into the lineup and shuffles the lines?

ooops!

This should read: "Clearly KREPS produces more when he's given ice time and clearly he's a more responsible player when he's on the ice."

IS IT ME OR DID ANYONE WHO KNOWS HOCKEY WONDER WHY JACQUES DIDN'T PULL THE GOALIE IMMEDIATELY AFTER THEY FACED OFF DOWN 3-1?????? HOW STUPID CAN YOU BE TO LEAVE VOKOUN IN THERE WITH MINUTE TO GO --WHAT THE HELL IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LOSING 3-1 OR 4-1 WHEN YOU'RE AT THE NEAR PLAYOFF DEATH???? MARTIN--YOU FLAT-OUT STINK!! GO COACH SOMEWHERE ELSE....scouting during a playoff run---how many people were laughing at that knowing he won't be here next year anyway

MUST READ THIS wrote:

IS IT ME OR DID ANYONE WHO KNOWS HOCKEY WONDER WHY JACQUES DIDN'T PULL THE GOALIE IMMEDIATELY AFTER THEY FACED OFF DOWN 3-1?????? HOW STUPID CAN YOU BE TO LEAVE VOKOUN IN THERE WITH MINUTE TO GO --WHAT THE HELL IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LOSING 3-1 OR 4-1 WHEN YOU'RE AT THE NEAR PLAYOFF DEATH???? MARTIN--YOU FLAT-OUT STINK!! GO COACH SOMEWHERE ELSE....scouting during a playoff run---how many people were laughing at that knowing he won't be here next year anyway

He did this in our last two meaningful losses last year as well. This guy is a quitter, and a backstabber.

This team lacks leadership from the top down. Our young on-ice talent is here for experience and the pay-check, our veteran on-ice talent is here to paly out their careers stress-free and pad their retirement fund in the sun.

This ENTIRE organization is a joke.

The scary part is that they think we too stupid to notice it.

Do NOT buy season-tickets, do not go to any more games (this last game or next season) until you see some drastic changes. Only through his purse will Cohen "get" that we see through his shenanigans.

RED BARON wrote:

Un-friggen-believable. Blaming Jokinen really takes the cake. Sure Jokinen has slumped since the Zednik injury, but to build this losing franchise entirely on what most teams would use only as a 2nd line center is the REAL insanity. Martin truly has sunk to new lows. Instead of admitting his failures and total mismanagement of this team, he's looking for a scapegoat to save his job and Jokinen is his prime target. Why on Earth did this clown make Jokinen a captain if he didn't think Ollie was up to it? How can someone bereft of leadership skills make someone else a leader? I'm sorry Martin fans, but this moron is long overdue to be canned. This is exactly why this organization sucks. They alienate and eventually let go of the real talent and they inexpicably hold on to (and often reward) garbage and incompetence. Why? No one seems to have an answer. It's just insane and it just keeps happening over and over again. Now we are likely to lose Bouwmeester this summer, we have no decent draft picks, and our joke of GM is scouting colleges for walk-ons. The nightmare never ends. This franchise is so pathetic I am out of words to describe it.

As much as I agree with all of you on Martin ridiculous coaching... Jokinen is a bum and an absolute disgrace to this franchise yes he racks some points..( when he is not pressured by the way.. put a man on him and he is as good as Stephan Meyer) he cost us about 30 % of our goals against. He is a floating bum in the defensive zone... no heart. Just like stumpel..get rid of those 2 and MMartin and I will see you guys in the playoffs next season. We can get good stuff for Olli... so come on. Stop being a pussy and pull the trigger. Lets get Bob hartley and a north american captain next season and I promise you the playoffs are ours. I am so tired of Martin and Jokinen's excuses night after night " Well we just didnt deliver..." Do you think Skrudland wouldve let that happened... or Iginla, or Smyth or Sakic....ect... The Olli era needs to be done if not ....we ... you know the rest

Matt wrote:

<quoted text>
As much as I agree with all of you on Martin ridiculous coaching... Jokinen is a bum and an absolute disgrace to this franchise yes he racks some points..( when he is not pressured by the way.. put a man on him and he is as good as Stephan Meyer) he cost us about 30 % of our goals against. He is a floating bum in the defensive zone... no heart. Just like stumpel..get rid of those 2 and MMartin and I will see you guys in the playoffs next season. We can get good stuff for Olli... so come on. Stop being a pussy and pull the trigger. Lets get Bob hartley and a north american captain next season and I promise you the playoffs are ours. I am so tired of Martin and Jokinen's excuses night after night " Well we just didnt deliver..." Do you think Skrudland wouldve let that happened... or Iginla, or Smyth or Sakic....ect... The Olli era needs to be done if not ....we ... you know the rest

The reality is that 30 - 40 goal scorers don't grow on trees. Bure was non - existent defensively, but he wasn't here to play defense. Jokinen is a solid second line player. Not a captain, he is a piece of the puzzle, not the main ingredient. The problem with trading Jokinen is we don't have a real GM, and judging from Martin's trade for Kilger, what would he get for him? I don't trust anyone in charge to make the right decision. Martin got lucky with Mathias, the reality was that Mathias literally broke through a few days after the trade, before that he was a player with unrealized potential. now he is a true prospect. I say keep Ollie, give him actual legitamate 2nd line players, Get a real first line center, shore up the defense, but us not making the playoffs is a function of knee-jerk trades and giving up on people too quickly. Martin's philosophy on how to build a winner is completely right. He's just terrible at executing it. He's a terribly soft coach, that has never fully adapted to the post-lockout NHL, and he is not a real GM... so get some people that know what they're doing that aren't goint to "re-build", but build upon what we have. Ollie's been adequate this year, he would have been better with a coach he at least respected...

Matt wrote:

<quoted text>
As much as I agree with all of you on Martin ridiculous coaching... Jokinen is a bum and an absolute disgrace to this franchise yes he racks some points..( when he is not pressured by the way.. put a man on him and he is as good as Stephan Meyer) he cost us about 30 % of our goals against. He is a floating bum in the defensive zone... no heart. Just like stumpel..get rid of those 2 and MMartin and I will see you guys in the playoffs next season. We can get good stuff for Olli... so come on. Stop being a pussy and pull the trigger. Lets get Bob hartley and a north american captain next season and I promise you the playoffs are ours. I am so tired of Martin and Jokinen's excuses night after night " Well we just didnt deliver..." Do you think Skrudland wouldve let that happened... or Iginla, or Smyth or Sakic....ect... The Olli era needs to be done if not ....we ... you know the rest

I wouldn't call Jokinen a "floating bum". That seems a little extreme. Keep in mind that he's been clutch for this team during many games we would have easily lost without him. He's also been one of the few players we have that actually stay healthy for most games. Moreover, he's been the scoring leader in all categories every season and has a solid plus\minus when his confidence and intensity are up. My theory is that Martin basically sucked the life out of Jokinen by forcing him into a role he wasn't fit for. He basically set him up for failure and now uses him as a scapegoat. This is a classic management technique when a manager doesn't like a subordinate and wants to create reasons to get rid of him. I also agree that Jokinen doesn't belong on a 1st line and he shouldn't have a "C" on his chest. This was a foolish decision from day one. Most teams would use Jokinen on a second or third line to provide supplementary scoring when top lines are being shutdown by a strong opposing forecheck or the team just needs depth. They also would use Jokinen on a second or third PP unit to provide that extra punch when top lines get tired or need help. The fact that Martin made Jokinen a Captain and expected him to carry the entire team on his back shows just how incompetent this guy really is. Trading Jokinen would be an even bigger mistake because Martin would definitely botch the trade and end up with much less in return. Since Cohen is cheap, we could look forward to 1st line of Booth, Horton and Weiss next season followed by all non-scoring checking lines. Talk about being easy to beat! In addition, it would be a public relations nightmare. It's not worth it for this team to lose Jokinen, but we can definitely afford to dump the Stump and other players like him.