What Are the Odds Rob Blake is Fired After the Season?

[Rog or Reg?]

After reading Helene Elliott's article about Rob Blake skating on thin ice yesterday in the Times, I got to thinking about possible scenarios in the off-season and the odds of Blake returning under each scenario:

1.) The Kings continue losing and miss the playoffs - 100% chance Blake is gone (before Uncle Phil finishes his breakfast)
2.) The Kings make the playoffs and are ousted in the first round - 50% chance Blake is gone (unless we get swept, which raises the odds to about 75%)
3.) The Kings make the playoffs and advance to the second round - 25% chance Blake is gone (just because)
4.) The Kings win the Stanley Cup - 0% chance Blake is gone (and a new butt-ugly, too-realistic statue is erected outside The Crypt, this one of Blake's giant backside checking an unknown opponent)

I think it's either scenario #1 or #2. Not being pessimistic, just realistic. although you never know. In February of 2012, we didn't look like we'd make the playoffs, much less hoist The Cup. But I think the odds of the Kings having a new GM next season are very high.

 

[Pevsfreedom]

Make the playoffs and lose to the Oilers, again, is somehow worse than #1 to me.

I'd love to see Blake and Luc go.

 

[Rog or Reg?]

Make the playoffs and lose to the Oilers, again, is somehow worse than #1 to me.

I'd love to see Blake and Luc go.

I was thinking the same exact thing.

I'll take #1 over losing to McJesus again. And I'm all-in on new management, too. The PLD trade remains stuck in my craw. And I don't see it being unstuck anytime soon....

 

[Statue4Deano]

If the team makes it to round 2 then his job is safe. If the team flames out in round 1 he’s gone. If the team fails to make the playoffs there’s going to be a house cleaning.

 

[LAKingSteve]

1 and 2 100% chance he's fired. Sadly, those may be the most likely outcomes.

 

[VCRW]

Wow... already? We haven't seen one game under the new regime yet.

Rob has made plenty of blunders, but I'll leave the torch and pitchfork in the barn for the time being.

And, yes, I admit I am hoping Hiller & Co. can become an instrument of change. Positive thinking for the time being.

Plenty of time to run Luc & Rob out of town on a rail if it all collapses instead.

 

[Clif]

I’d argue that if this team turns it around and makes the playoffs Blake may be safe, regardless of first round outcome. Much goes into that hypothetical round also - how long is the series, how close are the games, with better goaltending does that make the difference?

Yes I know they’re still “in,” but they are not currently a playoff team. They reach pts percentage over .600 again to close out the year then it validates Blake’s roster and his coaching change.

 

[Rog or Reg?]

Wow... already? We haven't seen one game under the new regime yet.

Rob has made plenty of blunders, but I'll leave the torch and pitchfork in the barn for the time being.

And, yes, I admit I am hoping Hiller & Co. can become an instrument of change. Positive thinking for the time being.

Plenty of time to run Luc & Rob out of town on a rail if it all collapses instead.

Elliott's article ran yesterday, so I'm a day late posting this. But the power was out yesterday.

I'm hoping beyond hope the team starts winning again and Hiller is the answer to our prayers.

But the fact is Blake admitted in the article he knows he's skatng on thin ice. He said, point blank, it's all about the wins at this point.

Read the article; it speaks for itself. Start winning or be prepared to hit the bricks. The buck stops with him and he's fully aware of it.

 

[JayWells24]

Sadly, here is what likely is to happen if the Kings don't start winning:

--Arvidsson and Roy are both dealt before or at the deadline for draft picks.
--PLD is bought out at the end of the season.
--Flake and Luc are both sent packing at season's end.
--Either Talbot, Rittich, or both are not resigned at season's end and Portillo is our #1 going forward.

I like Jim Hiller and wish him well, but am skeptical this ship can do an about face. I hope I am wrong.

 

[santiclaws]

Helene, as usual, has a firm grasp of the obvious. OF COURSE he's on thin ice, this is his fourth coach and they're gonna pay TMac $5M to not coach this season and next. You think Uncle Phil is happy about paying someone $5M to not work for him? Not many GMs get to name coach No. 5. On top of that, they're spending to the cap, so you would think Phil expects some results for his money. If the team doesn't get the results year after year, the guy who put the team together gets the axe.

 

[jammer06]

Helene, as usual, has a firm grasp of the obvious. OF COURSE he's on thin ice, this is his fourth coach and they're gonna pay TMac $5M to not coach this season and next. You think Uncle Phil is happy about paying someone $5M to not work for him? Not many GMs get to name coach No. 5. On top of that, they're spending to the cap, so you would think Phil expects some results for his money. If the team doesn't get the results year after year, the guy who put the team together gets the axe.

Lou got 15 in NJ! But Lemaire was his 5th choice and got that first cup.

 

[DryKing]

My lean is that he is safe if the Kings both make the playoffs and have a strong showing in the first round (whether or not they advance to the second round).

From what I have seen (just opinion), Blake sold ownership that next year is the year of progress (deep playoff run) and can likely explain himself out of anything other than A) missing the playoffs or B) getting decimated in the first round.

 

[VCRW]

Elliott's article ran yesterday, so I'm a day late posting this. But the power was out yesterday.

I'm hoping beyond hope the team starts winning again and Hiller is the answer to our prayers.

But the fact is Blake admitted in the article he knows he's skatng on thin ice. He said, point blank, it's all about the wins at this point.

Read the article; it speaks for itself. Start winning or be prepared to hit the bricks. The buck stops with him and he's fully aware of it.

I read the article yesterday. Everyone who knows hockey knows that Blake has painted himself into a corner. I just don't understand piling on with all the negative energy before the team has even had a practice under the new coaches.

 

[Rog or Reg?]

I read the article yesterday. Everyone who knows hockey knows that Blake has painted himself into a corner. I just don't understand piling on with all the negative energy before the team has even had a practice under the new coaches.

LOL! No negative energy, and no piling on.

Helene wrote the article after Blake made his first public statement. Quite frankly, I'm just happy the Times had someone cover it. The Kings seem to be an afterthought sometimes here in the local media.

And she was not just stating the obvious, she was reacting to what Blake said. And I applaud her for that. She's telling it like it is, a straight-shooter, unlike Blake himself in that "Todd isn't going anywhere" BS presser a few weeks ago.

And, once again, NO ONE hopes Hiller rightens the ship more than I do. I'm supposed to take my grandson to his first hockey game next month. It would be nice to see a win, which would be my first this season.

 

[VCRW]

LOL! No negative energy, and no piling on.

Helene wrote the article after Blake made his first public statement. Quite frankly, I'm just happy the Times had someone cover it. The Kings seem to be an afterthought sometimes here in the local media.

And she was not just stating the obvious, she was reacting to what Blake said. And I applaud her for that. She's telling it like it is, a straight-shooter, unlike Blake himself in that "Todd isn't going anywhere" BS presser a few weeks ago.

And, once again, NO ONE hopes Hiller rightens the ship more than I do. I'm supposed to take my grandson to his first hockey game next month. It would be nice to see a win, which would be my first this season.

I am not talking about Helene (not Helen) piling on negativity. I am referencing the LGK posters!!!

 

[Rog or Reg?]

I am not talking about Helene (not Helen) piling on negativity. I am referencing the LGK posters!!!

Yes, I spelled her name correctly.

And right or wrong, this message board is the perfect forum for voicing our opinions. Reality is not always a pretty thing, but it is what it is, and there's nothing wrong with calling a spade a spade.

Or we can all play Pollyanna and say:

"Forget about what Blake said and Helene wrote, Rob is doing a wonderful job and his job is secure! DuBois is a wonderful man! Our power play and OT is wonderful! And Drew was only joking: No dissension in the ranks! We hit a little rough patch, but all-in-all, everything is...well....wonderful!"

 

[VCRW]

Yes, I spelled her name correctly.

Helene(not Helen) was always her handle on message boards and Twitter. Please don't take it personally.

 

[Moog]

Gee...how many more coaches does Blake get to hire/fire?
How many more poor roster decisions does Blake get to make?

With Todd fired, this is the perfect opportunity to ride out the interim coach till the end of the season, then Danny B pulls the trigger and cleans out the front office. Hire a new President and GM, and let those guys hire the new coach, and wheel and deal at the draft.

It's been a decade of mediocrity with the Kings.
Time for a change.

 

[symbology]

The biggest question here is at what time does RR setup the VBookie thread for this?

 

[Rog or Reg?]

Helene(not Helen) was always her handle on message boards and Twitter. Please don't take it personally.

It's all god bro. You've always been one of my favorite posters here. No harm, no foul.

I think it's great we have this amicable discord on occasion. It just proves we're passionate fans and we want the team to win. Besides, if we all agreed all the time, what a boring place this would be, eh?