Philadelphia Flyers Might Fire Craig Berube

Philadelphia Flyers head coach Craig Berube opened up about the possibility of being fired in light of the team’s second non-playoff appearance in the last three seasons.

Philadelphia Flyers head coach Craig Berube knows his job isn’t safe anymore. 

CSNPhilly.com Flyers Insider Tim Panaccio says the team has “little patience for losers” and Berube did not get general manager Ron Hextall’s vote for the head coaching position. Berube told Panaccio his fate is no longer is his hands:

“I don’t approach it at all and I can’t control that. I do what I do. I like what I do. 

“It comes down to managing games at certain times, especially on the road. We’ve lost I don’t know how many games on the road where we didn’t manage them properly and ended up losing it. You’ve got to be smart on the road. You’ve got to manage the game on the road in another team’s building. 

“I don’t think there’s an effort problem on this hockey team. These guys work hard and they want to win. We’ve got good players and good guys. 

Mighty Thin Ice for Craig Berube. @MikeSielski: http://t.co/dlazBDuoGx #Flyers pic.twitter.com/ajlpx2f57a— T.J. Furman (@tj_furman) March 25, 2015

“The time of the game. Like I go back to the San Jose (Sharks) game, and I’m not gonna talk about all the games on the road, but it’s 1-0 with how much time left in that game?

“We’re up 1-0 with maybe less than [a minute left] and we ended up turning the puck over, making a bad decision on a defenseman stepping up and they get a break and go the other way and end up tying the game. Stuff like that. We weren’t smart at times. That’s the way it goes.”

The Flyers are just 9-20-10 on the road through March 26, per ESPN. 

Berube told Panaccio the Flyers’ dismal performance away from Wells Fargo Center is getting to him:

“It does eat at you. And what happens is that later on in the season, you think you can’t win on the road. And that any little mistake might cost you the game. They can’t play hockey that way.”

The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Mike Sielski argues Berube’s biggest mistake this season is how he’s dealt with goaltender Steve Mason, specifically the way he rushed Mason back on the ice after he underwent knee surgery last month.

Philadelphia Flyers owner Ed Snider on Stanley Cup patience: ‘[Bleep] that.’ http://t.co/NLCXGFJqcv pic.twitter.com/87Ka3tdAN8— Hockey Central (@SNHockeyCentral) March 25, 2015

According to PennLive.com’s Tom Flynn, Berube’s decision to rush Mason’s return resulted in the resignation of goalies coach Jeff Reese on March 6. 

Another questionable decision Berube made was pulling Mason out–and eventually embarrassing him– during a 4-1 loss to the Calgary Flames last week, per Sielski. 

After that defeat, Philadelphia right wing and alternate captain Wayne Simmonds was visibly upset. “If we’re not going to have pride and come out and compete every game, for me, I don’t think there’s any point,” he told Flynn. 

Sielski also stresses Berube has been able to get minimal production from Vincent LeCavalier, a natural center who is playing the right-wing position. LeCavalier has registered a career-low 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) through March 26, per ESPN. 

In terms of Berube’s relationship with each of these two Flyers players, Sielski says he “has damaged his relationship with each of them, and you’re kidding yourself if you think the other players in that locker room haven’t noticed.”

Berube is 71-56-26 in two seasons as head coach of the Flyers as of March 26, per Hockey-Reference.com. 

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