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Hot Corner: Does Melrose's Canning Solve Problems?

The Hot Corner

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By Eric Horchy | The Suncoast News

Published: November 16, 2008

Sixteen games is apparently all it takes nowadays to thoroughly assess a coaches' prowess or lack thereof.

That's exactly 20 percent of the 82-game NHL hockey season - similar to booting an NFL coach after about Week 3.

The Tampa Bay Lightning's Friday afternoon firing of Barry Melrose came as a surprise to most because of its wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am feel and appearance.

Granted the Bolts are currently bumbling about their schedule and showing little sign of near-future promise, but 16 and the door?

Tampa owned a 5-7-4 record as of Friday (14 points) and have been displaying a trifecta of anemic offensive production, poor defense and shaky goaltending. Since his June hiring up until the November firing, Melrose had been talking the talk about things taking a turn for the better. Apparently the problem was that his players didn't, well, skate the skate.

Melrose hadn't stood behind an NHL bench since 1993 prior to coming to Tampa and the speculation of bringing aboard a big name rather than big ability rained down immediately. Placing a big, fat question mark next to the move from the onset was valid, but so can placing the same punctuation aside the axing.

I have lamented in previous columns about my nerve-wracking disgust with the "Show Me Now" attitude that is so pervasive in the sports world today and this move seems to fall right in line. This is a team coming off a 31-42-9, 71-point 2007-2008 campaign that had it tied with the Los Angeles Kings for the worst point total in all of hockey. That was a team that allowed 267 goals - second worst in the NHL.

Among Lightning front-office leaders, it was time for former coach John Tortorella to go. A fresh direction and attitude was needed and that is what would right the ship. Pitiful defense and goaltending aside, that was the key move of immediate necessity.

Anyone who subscribes to this theory probably believes that Phil Jackson could instantly transform into a contender that other team that shares the Staples Center with the Lakers, that Bill Belichick could walk into Arrowhead Stadium and immediately add a shiny, new Chiefs ring to his bejeweled fingers, and that I don't think they're a total sucker for thinking in this manner.

Situationally, Melrose was nearly destined to fail right when he inked his name to his multi-million dollar contract. The questions about his long absence from the bench combined with inheriting a below-average squad with a fan base grasping to above-average expectations had bad news written all over it from the start.

As stated previously, are the Lightning floundering? Yes, they are. Is it markedly worse than last year? Actually, no. In fact, at least statistically, Tampa is performing better now than the Lightning of last season.

After 16 games in 2007-2008, the Bolts were 7-8-1 (11 points). Over that span, Tampa scored 37 goals and allowed a pathetic 64.

This season, Tampa is three points better (14) and has "improved" its defense by surrendering 18 less red-lighters. The current Lightning have scored three fewer goals, but the statistical betterment when the puck is in their zone seems to make up for it.

From the outside, it appears there had to be something going on inside the organization. Pulling the trigger this early is completely unprecedented.

The move begs one question: What needs to be done?

What's the fix?

Where's that answer come from? Conceptually, a coach.

Good luck Rick Tocchet, you've got your work cut out for you.

Eric Horchy can be reached at 727-815-1071 or ehorchy@suncoastnews.com

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