Handzus also got a lot of praise for playing in the system. A guy like Dustin Brown, on the other hand, would regularly try to single-handedly deke his way around two or three defenders and inevitably lose control of the puck. I don’t recall Brown ever having once been benched for even a period by Murray. Frolov would make one bad defensive play and not only would he not see the ice again that game, he’d spend the next one in the stands.

It’s these kinds of things that make me thank the Maker Murray finally had his ass canned this year.

I bring this up not only because as you said the leash was shorter, but wonder to what extent the players were bored themselves, frustrated with Murray’s system and famously “gripping their sticks too hard” as a result.

I know DL reportedly called the team out after the firing, but he had to do that. What good would a scapegoat do? I feel like not only was the leash shorter but all the elements of the perfect storm were there and DL had to notice that the “character” team he had built was not rising to occasion, and no matter where he put the blame, there had to be something dulling their productivity, and perhaps their spirit. And given the kinds of guys he assembled into a team, it couldn’t just be character flaws, again despite his public wondering if he had put together the right group, which again I think is more tough love, buck up mind games for the players.

I felt Johnson played a one man “I’ll save poor Nell” game. I imagine Lombardi was relieved when Johnson set that mentality aside when filling in for Doughty (I know I was).

“How often” may be playing out a second time with Bernier.

I don’t think there’s any significance to the timing of Murray’s firing vis-a-vis the Carter/Johnson deal. Howson could hardly have traded Carter earlier, since he had only just dealt for him last summer, AND Carter was injured. Howson was certainly hoping the team would turn things around, or Carter would click with whomever, or Nash would want to stay, or some other magic fairy dust would sprinkle down from above and save him from himself. All of that worked out pretty well for Lombardi, coinciding with Voynov proving himself and Johnson having played great when Doughty was hurt. Johnson was utterly expendable, while also being an A-list trade chip. How often does that happen?

You mention loyalty to Murray, that’s one thing I wondered about, the timing of the change. Of course hindsight makes the move genus but what were the real factors behind the timing?

Could it have been finding someone available? Waiting until the right moment when team hit bottom (in which case Lombardi cut it pretty close)? Related to dumping Johnson and bringing in Carter (too much for Murray to handle)? Or, some other factor(s)?

Thoughts?