Written by Graeme Nichols | 02 February 2009

When it's suggested his team is starting to get a reputation as coach killers, Hartsburg winces.

"I'm not going to say that," he replies. "You can use that but I am not going to say it." ~ Doug Fischer, The Ottawa Citizen

Tim, you want to bet that Hartsburg won't have any problems saying that today? For the fourth time in less than a calendar year, the Ottawa Senators will have yet another Head Coach's voice to preach the message of accountability. A novel concept that has otherwise been lost on the inmates in the dressing room.

A novel concept indeed, I think the book is called "We've Got 99 Problems and a Coach Ain't One". I don't think it would matter if they had Stalin coaching the team right now, discipline is for contract years. When does the core come up again for renewal? We won't be seeing any results until then. And as for inmates, I don't doubt for a second that had Emery been yanked after allowing 4 Washington goals, he would have taken a swipe at Hartsburg too.

"It's difficult to understand," Hartsburg says, choosing his words
carefully. "When you build a team, your aim is to put together a group that
takes pride in being part of a team. That just hasn't been happening here
enough. If we're to get serious about getting better, it has to happen every
game."

What I liked about Hartsburg was that he said the right things. I'm not saying that Hartsburg would have been the Coach to lead this team to a Championship but I don't understand the loyalties to the players. They've won just as much as Hartsburg and they've been here longer. At some point, management needs to recognize the fact that the only thing the players do in unison is tune out the coach when they don't like the message. Some fans will choose to shit on Hartsburg for encouraging a style that didn't mesh with the personnel here. Frankly, I think that's a pile of garbage. This team can't play a run-and-gun style because of the personnel on the backend. Besides, he tried to get the players to work hard and play responsibly. They didn't. Who's fault is that? If Cito Gaston went to the mound and told a pitcher to throw strikes and he didn't, it's not Cito's fault. He'd just go back out to the mound and make a pitching change. At some point, this organization needs to make personnel changes.

"To be successful this team has to rely more on its work habits than it has
in the past," he says. "The players say they understand, but I don't believe
enough people have taken pride in the team concept."

They seem to do a pretty good job of shitting the bed together. I was beginning to think that the Sens were going to be content to let him ride out the season. His firing strikes me as a decision handed down by the two-headed monster of Mlakar and Melnyk. Hartsburg's the 4th coach in the last year. These performances are nothing new. I really thought that they were giving him enough rope to finish respectably before getting re-evaluated in the offseason. I guess I was wrong. It looks like he'll be the first of many to leave the organization as we approach the deadline.

Yeah, I don't get the timing of the deal as well. It's not like the performances have gotten worse. Are they trying to salvage the season? Are they sending a message to the season ticket holders? I just don't get the optics of doing this now. By bringing in Cory Clouston to as "the temp", maybe his promotion will signify that many of the Binghamton players will get an extended look.

I completely agree, I think a lot of Baby Sens will be getting some looks -- guys like Karlsson, Zack Smith, and Zubov. More importantly though, Clouston has no relationships or loyalties to the current veterans. He's reportedly a hard-assed guy who will bring accountability. In fact, his character assessment reminds me of Hartsburg's. I think the season is only salvageable by reassuring the season ticket holders and the fan base at large that next year will be different. Maybe Melnyk is just taking an Obama cue and playing the hope card for now. Give us reason to believe that next year will be different as the winds of change start to blow now.

If Clouston was brought in because he has no veteran loyalties, isn't that a strike against the veteran core of this team? How many more strikes do they need before their heads start to roll? I'm just looking at the Ottawa Sun poll whether Cory Clouston will reverse the team's fortunes. Currently, 85% don't think he will. I think that's a telling stat. If the bleeding heart fans aren't inspired by the change, the educated won't be either.

I think it's quite evident that no coach, regardless of calibre or style is going to be able to change the way these old dogs are playing. It's up to Melnyk to take a solid look at this team's structure and personnel and realize that his loyalties to his favourites is going to start hurting his bottom line. I think that will be the only thing that prompts him to make serious changes. Firing Hartsburg now is a step backwards because it just gives more reason for prospective coaches to stay away from this train wreck.

That's a good point. What kind of Coach or Free Agent Player is going to want to come into this situation? Bringing in Clouston is a lateral move that delays the inevitable blow up of this team. The players have no accountability, every Head Coach has been a lame duck, Melnyk can't keep his face out of the paper or his voice off of Toronto radio. Everything about the structure of management from Melnyk to Mlakar to Murray supports the notion that they believe that Ottawa will only support a winning club. For whatever reason, Melnyk believes that this overvalued, underachieving core can get this team back into contention. And it's bullshit. Sens fans are more well read than ever. Quit treating us like we're fucking village idiots that will support the status quo.

"I'm certainly here, as a coach, to motivate the players to follow my plan," he told reporters. "If the plan is not followed, there certainly will be some accountability. Players will know it's black and white. They will know what's right and wrong. They will know the line not to cross."

By his own measure, Hartsburg has fallen short of his promise. He developed a plan that is probably right for the players he has to work with. But he has been unable to get enough players to buy in consistently. And, in the eyes of many fans, he has not been tough enough with offenders.

Hartsburg accepts some of the blame for the players' refusal to listen. "I'm not ducking it. You can't keep finding excuses or saying it's someone else's fault."

Even so, he suggests the team's leaders -- again, he doesn't name names -- have let him down. No coach can succeed if his best players aren't pushing the message to their teammates, he says.

Everything from that Fischer piece in the Citizen gives me the impression that Hartsburg knew he was on the outs. His answers are honest and give us some insight into the Ottawa dressing room dynamic that we would otherwise never see. After hearing what he had to say, I can't help but be disappointed in players like Alfie or Phillips -- you know, the vets who have been here a long time. If their teammates won't listen to their voices or follow their lead, then what the hell is this team supposed to do?

Graeme, isn't this the part of analog media scum where we talk about girls or what Garrioch is having for lunch? I had some high fibre cereal and too much coffee, I'm typing my responses while sitting on the can. What are you doing right now?

Tim, good idea, let's try to replicate the Sun feature as best as we can. I can actually envision those guys texting back and forth while they're lined up in the stalls of a public washroom. The shit that gets published from those things is hilarious.

I think now that the Senators are in this situation we need to start looking forward to what this means from the top down. Is this a last ditch effort to make the playoffs or a sign that this is only the beginning?

Tim, that's true but what I find disconcerting is the fact that Euge won't admit that this team fucking stinks. Or maybe he just wants to delay that announcement for another press conference. He's such a publicity hound, he's turned into a cross between George Steinbrenner and Mark Cuban. He wants to win but he's caught up in being a media darling. At least Cuban's antics involve making fun of referees for their inability to run a Dairy Queen. Melnyk's too busy telling fans to blow themselves up. Maybe he should watch the product and realize that the players are fucking the dog (according to Jan Hedja). Will Melnyk tell the players to blow themselves up for tanking? And if so, if the players went to heaven and are met by 72 virgins, do you think that they would still have trouble scoring? I say yes.

Why is that though? If this is the guy who is really calling the shots we're in deep shit. If he can't even recognize a sinking ship, how on earth can he hope to right it?

No kidding. We're a model organization. Come to Ottawa, the City where the media and fans are fickle and our owner is a delusional publicity hound. Someone get PK Subban, we Sens fans could use a hug.

This team looks like I could use a drink.

The fans sound they could use a hug.

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