Posted by  peter szetela, tampa on 11/14  at  06:29 PM

I guess getting rid of Dan Boyle was still a good move, no? By the way, who are the defensemen for the Lightning, these days??

Posted by  HockeyFLA, Tampa on 11/14  at  06:24 PM

This organization as it stands is a big joke. How can a coach be blamed 16 games into the season when he never had a chance to develop chemistry, continuity & trust amongst the players on him & themselves? He worked w/ what was given to him.  No D to speak of, a Captain that seem to be overwhelmed with the game, the team & the responsibilities that came along w/ it. A veteran in #26 who looks so lost out there. Melrose I believe did everything he can to get this team to wake up & play to the level by w/c they were getting paid.  But if you get new players every 5 days, what are you to do?

Posted by  Lou C, Largo on 11/14  at  06:23 PM

Sarah, if it isn’t broke don’t fix it!!! The team was dead last year in the league, it that isn’t something that needs fixed then what does. You mark my words, it will NOT GET any better the rest of the year, You have to have PRIDE in what YOU do and that goes a long way, I didn’t see that in ANY of the players so far this year. Since game one they look like the walking dead!!!!!

Posted by  Steve,  on 11/14  at  06:22 PM

It sounds as though the players had no respect for Melrose. He was a bad decision (by Koules) just like getting Matt Carle in the Boyle deal, so I’m glad we at least cut our losses. Wonder what they’ll screw up next?

Posted by  Kevin The Mule, New Coach on 11/14  at  06:18 PM

I would like to offer these possible replacements.

John McCain
Steve Ludzik
or perhaps
Ted Nolan

Good riddance to the Mullet. Its funny now that Matt Barnaby took his job at ESPN he wont be working there either. Hope that severance package was a good one. whooo whooo.

Posted by  Sarah, Tampa, FL on 11/14  at  06:16 PM

This team was completely dismantled.  Only 3 or 4 players remain from the Stanley Cup group.  All the new faces &  no time for chemistry leads to disfunction.  Throw in new owners & coaches & the older players are now in the midst of unsettling chaos.  Owners made these decisions to try to bring flash to a solid team.  It failed for now, but don’t fault the players.  They were thrown into this mess by new owners who wanted instant gratification via poor decision making.  Brad Richards = first mistake.  Keeping Feaster as long as they did = second.  Firing Torts = third.  Hiring Melrose b/c he is a friend of the owner, final straw.  Good job “CLUELESS”.  You managed to RUIN years of building.  If it isn’t broke, why mess with it?

Posted by  Jason Harlow, Springfield, MO USA on 11/14  at  06:14 PM

Ding dong the witch is dead! This is the best news I have seen all day!

I say bring Torts back.. at least he had passion for the game and wasn’t afraid to stand up to bad officiating, not to mention his press conferences were much more entertaining!

Posted by  chris curran, tampa palms on 11/14  at  06:11 PM

Barry,
Grow your mullet back out, and go find your teleprompter.. I hear Telemundo is hiring!

Posted by  Joe Clay, Tampa on 11/14  at  06:05 PM

Have any of you people watched the games? It’s obvious the players no longer respected Melrose. He didn’t respect them. He constantly called out the star players, who were doing their jobs, and they got tired of it and gave up.

Melrose didn’t even argue any of the calls in the games. He always just stood there looking nervous like he didn’t belong. He never showed any passion, why should the players?

Tocchet and the other assistants always talked to the players on the bench. He might as well have had the job from the start. At least now he’ll have the authority too.

Good riddance. Melrose’s system was outdated—where was the “puck possession?” He should have stayed at ESPN, where he, somewhat, knew what he was talking about.

Posted by  Kathleen, Brooksville, FL on 11/14  at  06:04 PM

Two words: whoo hoo!

Interesting, by the way, how all of these folks from other places poop on the Lightning but seem to pay follow them in the news.  Must not be too much happening in their own catastroph***ing states.

Posted by  R. H. Powers, Tampa on 11/14  at  05:50 PM

Bring back Torts !

Posted by  Rich, St Pete on 11/14  at  05:50 PM

This ownership group is obviously a joke as suspected from the getgo when they couldn’t come up with the coin to sit at the table. Somewhere Torts is laughing his pucks off.

Posted by  david brown, Tampa, FL on 11/14  at  05:44 PM

if you watched the game last night you would have seen no backing from melrose on some of the outlandous calls made against his players,im sorry but hes not a playerfriendly coach,you cant have support from your players if you dont support them,good ridance and yes like most ppl said why the ^%(^ didthey hire him in the first place

Posted by  Joe Black, Clearwater on 11/14  at  05:43 PM

Wow, this is not a good sign.  This summer when they should have trimmed branches they took out 75% of the tree an expected it to flourish.  When it didn’t they chopped the top, and now it’s left for dead.

Changes that deep require a full season, it’s ridiculous to expect better results in this situation.  Too bad Barry got suckered into leaving a fantastic job for a clusterf#$@.  Where’s my refund!

Posted by  Terry Herbert, Eastpointe,Mich. on 11/14  at  05:40 PM

What kind of an orgination is this? How can you judge someone after 16 games? How can Tocchet be any better? It’s amazing this franchise won a Stanley Cup.

Posted by  Lou C, Largo on 11/14  at  05:40 PM

So fire Barry, do you really think he is the trouble. I see a bunch of players that don’t show me much. They don’t have any fire under them. I don’t think anyone can get this bunch of losers to play good. They just don’t seem to give a damn. That is how I SEE IT!! Two coaches and same old bunch of low class players!!!

Posted by  Hardhat0038, 337118 on 11/14  at  05:38 PM

Bad Move… seriously.

Posted by  Mike, Brandon on 11/14  at  05:37 PM

To all complaining that it was “too fast”, please look at the Caps last year.

Posted by  peter szetela, tampa on 11/14  at  05:33 PM

So…what’s Torterella up to these days? Guess it wasn’t his fault, after all, eh?

Posted by  Randall Buschmann, Panama City Beach, Florida on 11/14  at  05:33 PM

If the Lightning play with passion and intensity and turn their season around, this will prove to be the right move. If they continue playing as they have been for most of this season, than it will prove to be a mistake. I’m hoping for the former not the latter. I want to be able to honestly say, goodbye and good riddance Melrose…not think our management just fired him for the sake of firing him. maybe we’ll actually see some inspired play from Radim Vrbata..what an awful signing that has been so far. 10 games, 2 assists.

Posted by  hockeyWA,  on 11/14  at  05:30 PM

The CATASTRO**CK known as the Tampa Bay Lightning…..continues.  This team is like a train wreck. Nothing but former players, coaches and fans strewn about.

Posted by  Mike, Brandon on 11/14  at  05:22 PM

THANK GOD!

Posted by  Big-B, Lakeland on 11/14  at  05:09 PM

Hah…I just said to my friend last night “I wonder if Melrose will be fired before mid-season”.  The team just looks out of sorts and without direction.  They don’t move the puck well and always seem to be chasing.  There’s alot of talent on this team, they just need to be told what to do instead of “Play Harder”.  Oh, and get some decent defensemen to help your goalie!

Posted by  Kevin, Tampa on 11/14  at  05:06 PM

Take a clue from the Rays about how to develop a team and what a little patience can do.  I’m a big hockey fan but could never get into the Lightning in four years of living here, and now am turned off for good.  Their ownership clearly don’t know anything about running a team.

Posted by  James gorman, Atlanta, Ga on 11/14  at  05:05 PM

My goodness. To fire a guy so quickly leads me to wonder what is going on?
How do you judge a guy after just 12 games?