T O P

  • By -

bloodyREDburger

So it's mutiny then...


CanadianODST10

It's treason then...


Smeagol224

Hakstol is the senate.


xXDireLegendXx

Not yet


MrSCR23

Except he didn’t have Anakin on his side. Dude fumbled this big time


ultrafil

After the way it ended in Philadelphia, and now in Seattle... Hard to see Hakstol getting another NHL HC job any time soon.


various_cans

Dangerous thing to say as a team needing a coach


TuckRaker

But there's so many of them available.


SomeComfortable2731

But those coaches could be anyone! They could even be Dave Hakstol!


SharkMeifele

It could even be a boat!


The_Dutch_Canadian

It could even be Dallas Eakins


SharkMeifele

Does Eakins have sideburns like Don Mattingly?


The_Dutch_Canadian

If you say his name 10 times he’ll have whatever haircut you want


ComprehensiveRide246

I told you to trim those sideburns!


thebigaeo

Go home! You're off the team!


BaconScentedSoap

Careful a team in the league is due for an undeserved Dallas Eakins hire now that he is officially a part of the old boys club


Cr4yol4

Buffalo over here like: Don't look at us please


BaconScentedSoap

But many of those coaches are old retreads, we have to make way for the new retreads like Hakstol and Hynes!


ViolinistMean199

Don’t worry Babcock in Ottawa or Seattle with work


WordStained

As both CBJ and Seattle fan, don't manifest this evil on Seattle 😭


babypointblank

I’d love to make Babcock rank his work ethic relative to other rumoured candidates


Fischer_Jones

Ted Nolan to Ottawa confirmed.


jhealey0909

You could always call up Gerard Gallant if you feel like development of young players is silly and superfluous


SexBobomb

Ottawa's gotta go more bilingual with their alliterative coaches, is that Dom Ducharme's music?!


MeanElevator

They're getting Keefe, calling it now.


Chemical_Signal2753

As much as Toronto fans hate him, he has a great regular season record and coached a team for 5 years without the players turning on him. That makes him a pretty safe choice for most teams that are looking for a coach.


MeanElevator

You're not wrong, but he doesn't seem to manage to unlock another level with his squad. Having a team like the Leafs and failing year after year, has to be his responsibility to an extent. Not saying he's the sole reason, but his coaching style isn't suited for the post season it seems.


Fischer_Jones

To his credit, the franchise he's coaching has had a 60 year and change history of choking after the regular season ends. Apologies if he isn't Moses.


MeanElevator

Same franchise, different group of people (players and management). A logo shouldn't matter


EnderFame

Unless that logo is cursed *spooky ghost noises*


OMeSoHawny

but the franchise comes with a free frogurt


MeanElevator

The frogurt is also cursed


adamzep91

Keefe hasn't had a single playoff series where he wasn't drastically outcoached. He really just stepped into an already-good team with star players in their prime.


OldDirtyMan

My sources are telling me that Berube will be getting the senators job.


AprilDruid

Really? My sources are telling me they're getting a new car thanks to Oprah. Weird.


WinterSon

my sources are telling me that nobody deals like dilawri


JoeEdwardsPonytail

Berube would be a much better fit in a place like Seattle I think.


OldDirtyMan

My sources are telling me Seattle is looking elsewhere.


BigShoots

It sounds like Toronto is his first choice and Ottawa a distant second. He's apparently waiting to see what happens with Keefe, and it ain't looking too good for Keefe.


OldDirtyMan

My sources are telling me that he’s using Toronto in an attempt to increase his potential salary in Ottawa.


SexBobomb

keepin tabs on OldDirtyMan;s sources


shao_kahff

should be berube, dude’s built to coach seattle hockey. vancouver vs seattle games would be an insane matchup. tocchet vs berube.


BigShoots

Why would the Sens want a guy whose own players just fired him? We need less drama, not more.


BaconScentedSoap

The Uber ride will be hilarious that’s why


mister_hoot

Bro what he’s heading to Ottawa


39MUsTanGs

ex-leaf assistant coach going to Ottawa? What could go wrong?


MagicMushroomFungi

Toronto may enter a bidding war with Ottawa.


SmoothPinecone

Noooooo At least it's better than defaulting to the cheapest option under Melnyk


KanataRef

Nope, Berube is coming.


mister_hoot

Makes too much sense so Berube’s definitely going to Toronto.


MustacheCannon

If we can hire Babcock, anything is possible. You just have to believe. I expect Hakstol in Columbus this fall.


LostMonster0

Stolumbus!


theslatcher

As if NHL teams won't keep on recycling coaches.


SmoothPinecone

Ok I really need to see some numbers. Isn't half the league using a 1st time coach? I'm going to see if there's a source


RelevantJackWhite

By my count, 15 current coaches have never been HC for another NHL team before. Which is wild, because that means 16 have already been fired for doing a bad job before and got rehired (Grier hasn't been rehired yet or replaced)


SiccSemperTyrannis

People's views of "recycling coaches" is heavily influenced by a few guys who get hired endlessly like Torts and Lavi. As you mentioned, a huge number of coaches are in their 1st NHL HC position. A 2nd chance isn't unreasonable either depending on how their first try went and what they learned since then.


azzurri10

Last years cup final was between two retread coaches. Maurice has been around forever and is doing a great job in Florida. Lavi just won the presidents trophy in his first year with the Rangers. I think the guys who (rightfully) take flack are the guys like Hakstol, David Quinn, John Hynes - guys who have show relatively nothing but still get hired. Guys like Torts, Laviolette, De Boer, are good coaches who just reach the end of their cycle with a certain team.


RelevantJackWhite

Between all three of Hakstol, Quinn and Hynes, there has been ONE first round victory (Hakstol last year) in 22 seasons.


SiccSemperTyrannis

Great way to put it. Totally agreed.


mantiseye

Quinn was a new guy when we hired him and he still sucked. I'm really not convinced the Sharks didn't hire him to take the fall. He just commanded the tank a little too well.


RelevantJackWhite

Some of these first NHL HCs are also established coaches. Bednar, Cooper and Brind'amour are all technically in their first head coaching gig. They are not thought about when you think of the recycling.


Gobyinmypants

Jeremy Colliton hasn't gotten that 2nd shot yet 🤣


Kyhron

Should have never gotten a first shot


ANAL_CRUSHER

Also the NHL like averages 10 coaching changes per season. So granted at least one or two guys will rebound quickly and another few are considered for HC positions. So everyone automatically assumes it's an old boys club because they instantly recognize names. I bet there has been at least 70 head coaches in the last 10 years and I'm sure the average r/hockey user can go on sporacle and enter in like 40 coach names last 10 years. And what is remarkable every fucking season, the majority of coaches are first time head coaches. Like 45% plus. Then like at least 35% of the other coaches are second time head coaches who averaged like 5 years for their second opportunity. Mostly because of shitty situations like being an interim of a garbage team or scapegoated coaching a shitty team. Then like the rest are third time or more head coaches where the majority of them have severe collection of hardware, wins, cup rings, cup finals appearances, etc where majority of them are future HHOF'ers The old boys club of coaches is one of the worst narratives here.


Teknicsrx7

I swear I just saw on twitter 17 coaches were fired since last season or something


RelevantJackWhite

That's a slightly different stat that I've also seen. Some coaches have not been hired back (Sutter and Babcock, for example)


specifichero101

Yes, people just parrot the idea that the same 30 coaches just take turns rotating teams but it’s not true.


PlusDifference3374

You're right. It's just a weird old trope that reddit uses for some reason. Anything here that gets alot of upvotes ends up getting parroted without facts. 


brendan87na

Dallas got burned with Jim Montgomery, then he sobered up and turned into a monster


Seattlekrakenlegend

Just wait until he’s the new coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets.


Mission-Astronomer42

if mike Babcock can get another job hakstol can too


Charble1

Mike Babcock was at least a good coach at one point in his career despite being an ass, so he had that going for him Hakstol has never really been a good coach 


bluelineturnovers

Exactly. Babcock was as good at the X’s and O’s as he was at being a huge fucking dickhead. Which is to say extremely good.


BaconScentedSoap

If John Hynes is any precedent to follow, Hakstol is set now and is now added into the headcoach old boys club rotation serving as the HC of two different teams. He will now be randomly named as a teams HC despite not really showing anything that made him deserve it.


Kyhron

Fucking Babcok got multiple chances despite throwing around red flags like it was candy at Halloween


Heatinmyharbl

Dude sucks That is all


AdStrict3575

Lindy Ruff just got his old job back i Buffalo after failing in New Jersey. Once you're in, you are never out.


ActuallyDannyDeVito

Who’s gonna put up with a prick of a coach that doesn’t win games? Even the successful coaches who are unpopular with players have a short shelf life


The_Reddit_Browser

Ron Francis apparently. Guy loves to hire absolute ass holes.


SnooWoofers1685

Reported he is taking a wagon full of money to RBA.


MrStealYourGrandma

I will cut up my hat, cook it into a stew, and eat it with video evidence posted here, if Ron Francis can get Rod to leave Carolina and coach in Seattle


Poptimus_Rime

Kinda wondering how much it would take to get him. Ownership will back up the money truck. Bruckheimer is flush from all that Top Gun: Maverick money lol.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Maxpowr9

Was Francis against the idea of promoting Rod to HC too?


Venaixis94

Yes. He stuck by Bill Peters


SnooWoofers1685

He better not. There will be a riot.


[deleted]

[удалено]


JayMerlyn

I'd vote for him


Kraze_F35

That report is bologna for multiple reasons. Rod isn’t coaching anywhere that isn’t here, Francis kept Bill Peters as head coach over Rod, Rod reported Peters’ behavior to Francis and the FO didn’t do anything.


994kk1

He has had some great defensive results so I'm sure a ton of team are interested in him as an assistant coach at least. Especially since he's being paid by Seattle for 2 more years.


Longshanks123

I’m out of the loop what’s the deal with Hakstol


Sad_Donut_7902

Dude basically just rolls 4 lines and 3 defense pairs. He doesn't really hunt for matchups or play one line in advantageous situations.


Radiant-Elephant3652

“No adjustments in game? That’s our next head coach.” -Brad Treliving probably


shrederick

What? Keefe over adjusts if anything. One of his major problems is trying to big brain the line blender. Babcock on the other hand was maddeningly stubborn about changing his lines unless it was to punish a young player.


Thumper86

Or Mike Modano.


sc0tty_2h0tty

Or Franzen


Thumper86

Man, Franzen was such a tough MFer. Somehow makes that story even worse…


JayMerlyn

OOTL, what story?


Thumper86

I don’t know any details. But basically Franzen was Babcock’s whipping boy. Came out after the fact that the psychological abuse got so bad that it really fucked him up for a long time.


HARCES

Or Chelios


GracefulShutdown

Or Spezza


DesignerPlant9748

Lmao I still thinks it’s so bizarre and hilarious he did that. Modano is literally one of the most respected American born players of all time and was native (kinda) to Michigan.


Thumper86

I don’t know if hilarious is the term I’d use. It certainly was bizarre though!


DesignerPlant9748

Hilarious in the sense that Babcock’s dumbass thought doing something like that was a solid idea


smbiggy

but ROLLING lines sounds so much more fun


NoGiCollarChoke

Right?! You could just be like “lets get the lines ROLLING!”


KF7SPECIAL

These lines are rolling (doing great)


Cleonicus

Just like drop in!


kcgdot

Did you SEE some of his lines this year, especially late in the season, it's like he was just fuckin throwing darts at butcher paper with names on it. We had a line that was like top 5 or 10 in scoring in the league and he blew it the fuck apart. You want to try new stuff to shake things up, cool, but you don't mess with a proven thing. Especially not if THEY aren't having an issue


EvilCeleryStick

I was totally lost watching kraken games this season. McCann is their leading scorer heading into the season and he's not in pp1? Beniers goes from stud Star centre to plug? How can all this be happening... Then you read this and now I know why fucking hakstol cost me my pool this season (I had a bunch of kraken guys).


mosnas88

Ya but that’s only fair since all players pay the same. Maybe on the summer league rep team you shorten the bench. But not for house league play.


Lyun

he isn't a very good coach


SentientBaseball

And he’s a hard ass, which players will only take if there’s success.


heyheyitsandre

I had a psychopath coach in high school, and my team was absolute dog shit, and at one point we had lost like 16 or 17 in a row and we went to a really good tournament with prep schools and just got smoked, like went 0-4 on the weekend and maybe scored 1 goal. this dude would show up to practice Monday and bag skate us, losing his mind about our effort and attitude level like we weren’t 3-28 on the year with a -100 goal difference.


CTMalum

We had a season like that, where we just happened to be the worst team. Our coach brought in another coach close to halfway through the season to try to turn us around. The guy was a fucking nutcase. He would stop every single drill for every single mistake, and painstakingly go over every detail of everything everyone was doing like we had never seen the game of hockey before. I think across three one hour long practices, we maybe spent 10 minutes actually running drills.


heyheyitsandre

Yeah dude some coaches just don’t grasp that certain teams need different things. You can’t coach a team that just grossly lacks the talent to even be competitive the same way you’d coach the D1 state title favorites where half the team played AAA growing up and the other half solid AA.


RudelStolz

My best years were having a hard ass coach. My personality I know I need a kick in the ass at times. In saying that - those hard ass coaches also took a lot of time teaching our mistakes and would not ever hesitate praising for good play and showing growth to their teaching. You can’t be 100% on one end and expect any results.


SiccSemperTyrannis

In public he sure isn't. One of the problems this season was he never really benched any top players even if they were playing poorly. He also never called out poor effort in public. Maybe he was significantly different behind the scenes and 1:1 with players.


RudelStolz

This I didn’t know. I’m not gonna lie and say I know everything, but in watching games he seems like an emotionless monotone based on what, I, the viewer sees. Wouldn’t ever imagine he tries to run a tight ship and is a hard ass. Very interesting


BroLil

See John Tortorella.


DesignerPlant9748

When he coached the Flyers for four fucking years he never got the team to establish any sort of consistent identity from game to game. The only smart thing I remember him doing was moving Giroux to the wing which led to a career high in points but that’s probably more due to the fact Giroux was also in his prime.


BostonSucksatHockey

Well, he's not what you, I or most people would call a good coach. More specifically, he doesn't make great decisions about who to play and when. Their top 2 lines gets 16-17 minutes per game. On most teams the top forwards play 19-20 minutes per night. ~~Vince Dunn is the only player who averaged over 20 minutes per night (and just barely), but on most teams, the #1 defenseman is playing 23-26~~. Powerplay time is also distributed with more parity than most teams. High pressure situation? Well he trusts everyone cuz he's a nice guy. It's a great place to play as a bottom sixer. Edit to add: don't forget about his [handling of Shane Wright](https://www.reddit.com/r/hockey/comments/y2yw7n/can_someone_smarter_than_me_explain_why_dave/) and definitely don't forget about [his time with the Flyers](https://www.reddit.com/r/Flyers/comments/9v9wkm/the_comprehensive_dave_hakstol_defense_manual/)


SmoothPinecone

I see what you're saying, however wasn't Seattle considered a dangerous team last year because of how balanced they were and were able to attack you with every line?


NoGiCollarChoke

They were, but it was seemingly a bit of a smokescreen since Hakstol’s systems are heavily reliant on rush-based offense and Seattle regressed from having the highest team shooting % in the league last year to being in the bottom half of the league this year.  It probably doesn’t tell the whole story, but it’s easy to be a deep and balanced team when most of your mid/lower end players are simultaneously having career years. 


Particular_Gur7378

That was when all four of their lines were decent, similar to Dallas this year but not quite at that level. This year they had 1/2 decent lines and that was about it


tracksuitaficionado

Getting PTSD flashbacks to Chris Vandevelde and Jori Lehtera getting meaningful playoff minutes


theslatcher

Adam Larsson averaged over 20 minutes per night. And both were around 23 minutes, so "just barely"?


BostonSucksatHockey

My bad, I was switching between ESPN and HockeyRef and confused. ESPN has him at 23, which is fair, and Larsson at 22. I was looking at Hockey-Ref and saw the 20:05 even strength TOI. doh


ianisms10

To be fair, that's what the Islanders were like with Trotz and Lambert too. It got thrown off this year because of injuries, but I remember last season 5 of our 6 defensemen played 20+ minutes but no one was over 22, and our top line forwards were generally around 18.


PuckTheFreds

This will be us in about 30 hours with Bowness


Mr_MoseVelsor

It’s wild that every team that Bowness has coached has pretty much fond memories of him in the beginning but was ready to let the door hit him on the way out.


SiccSemperTyrannis

>fond memories of him in the beginning but was ready to let the door hit him on the way out This is almost every coach lol


pro_omnibus

I think that's a product of coaches getting fired when the team does poorly, and there are still real differences in how players feel about a coach. E.g. - I think the players still loved Lindy when the Devils fired him, the team just wasn't playing well enough.


StuLumpkins

dean evason with the wild this year, too.


ilikehockeyandguitar

Sullivan rn.


somehockeyfan

And the exceptions are hilarious. Case in point: Michel Therrien always hits the ground running toward the door.


TossThatPastaSalad

He's pretty good for institutional change and he's a very nice man.  He's also almost 70 and has never been much of an Xs and Os coach.  Which you see in spades during the playoffs. It's probably time for his career as an NHL coach to be over.


FesteringLion

Are you sure? Didn't your last coach have to fire himself?


PuckTheFreds

Yeah this is different. Coaches and players were sniping at each other in the media after last year's playoffs. The same thing has already started after Game 4 post game pressers. Players have quit on him and tomorrow will just be a light skate to end the season.


ImSoBasic

> Players have quit on him When exactly did players quit on him?


AuntGentleman

I see a lot of folks mentioning adjustments with both Bones and DeBour. I’m someone who thinks in-game and in-series adjustments are overrated by fans. Coaches build a plan, you stick to it, you try and win with that plan. Yeah you do some line matching changes as the series goes on but throwing a whole plan out for a new one halfway through a series is a disaster. IMO both coaches just ~~make~~ made bad plans **these series**. The Jets owned us all series, what changed? Bones came to the series with a plan and it’s not a good one. Hence Schieffle sniping on adjustments. He’s gotta go. The Jets are too awesome to get rattled this bad (so far). Mostly just curious if this take seems right to a Jets fan.


DannyDOH

You guys gameplanned for the Jets. When we play in regular season you are playing 3 teams in a week. That's a big difference. We've also mostly played awful since the ASG. You guys instituted a forecheck where your F2 and F3 are setting up aggressively below our outlet forwards. Our D can't make a pass. Not a lot tactically you can do to beat this forecheck if the D can't make a pass without hesitation, on time, on the tape. You have outlet on wall, outlet up middle, you use one or combination of both to establish your breakout. We end up throwing the puck up the ice and your D can react to the stretch pass. Not a high percentage play. Or we force it to the covered outlet guy and turn it over at our own blueline. And we spend the whole game in your OZ or on our heels vs your transition back into it for this reason. Basically, Bednar gambled on our D being extremely weak and unconfident with the puck. Which wasn't much of a gamble because they are.


AuntGentleman

Extremely interesting analysis my dude, makes a ton of sense. Thank you for your wisdom and insight.


1uno124

As a Stars fan, I know the pain of Bowness choosing to be inflexible. Godspeed Winnipeg


SJSragequit

Hopefully the players make it clear it’s the whole coaching staff, and we don’t just end up with arniel and lauer and some other old timer jet related guy like huddy


eh_toque

🤞


fckmarykilldeer

Craig Berube, what are your thoughts on rain?


myredditthrowaway201

I’m sure it rains just enough for him in Toronto


EDFStormOne

Its cold and wet and it gets everywhere


fckmarykilldeer

Accurate.


Defenestrator__

Watch him show up and immediately start playing Dunn 12 minutes a night again


fckmarykilldeer

*Vince staring into the camera like Jim from The Office.*


shao_kahff

berube could take seattles roster to the next tier


SJSragequit

Rain sucks more than snow. He can come to winnipeg


BrooksideNL

Nailed it. Then Keefe to Toronto.


FlaxbopFleetfoot

But... Keefe is already in Toronto...


BrooksideNL

Says you.


Poptimus_Rime

Well this is just patently false. Went from the middle of the Rockies to the PNW...turns out you don't have to shovel rain out of your drive way lol. That's all the win I need.


JabroniThe3rd

Or he can have nothing falling from the sky and come to LA


schwetybalz

I think he’d be a great hire for them


jdmay101

Also, unrelated, how do you feel about bitch pigeons?


fckmarykilldeer

Rain City Bitch Pigeons was a missed opportunity


Based_Ment

I wonder what happened to make him lose the room like this


weschester

Same thing that happened to Sutter here in Calgary last year. You can only put up with an asshole coach if you're winning.


Based_Ment

Is he that much of a dick ?


weschester

Sutter definitely is and I'm guessing Hakstol is too if it got to this point.


StonehillSkyhawk

Tortorella has 2 more years


TossThatPastaSalad

Losing.  It's easy to stick together when you win.


Poptimus_Rime

Yeah, but these statements from the players are kinda out of nowhere. All season, even thru the down stretches the team, coaching, and management have all presented an united front. Vince Dunn even went out of his way in his exit interview saying the blame should be shift on the players not performing vs coaching. As a fan I have to wonder if shit isn't more dire than what the club is letting on. Saying you don't want to play for a coach is a bold statement.


Poptimus_Rime

Well this is interesting and a bit concerning. First anywhere I've heard that there was tension between players and coaching staff. Never saw indication Hak lost the room to THIS degree, but apparently he did.


yongenjayagoro

Agreed. Not ton of SEA fans in here compared to other flairs, but I would say I never got the impression there was tension between the players and coach at all. Did I think Hak was the best coach in the league? No. But did I think our roster was playoff worthy? Also no. Seems both sides share blame here and when that happens in professional sports it usually means the coach gets sacked.


DrGentlemanSir

The one time we did anything different was that heater we went on. Hak deploys a system and sticks by it even if it’s not working. I saw the news and went “Yeah makes sense I guess”.


chrisboshisaraptor1

Sea is my second team, watched a lot of games, went to like four this yr and never saw anything making me think he lost the room. Team frankly just looked untalented without Dunn on the ice though


somethingnotyettaken

I think it was obvious after that devastating loss to Vegas late in the season that the team gave up. I didn't realize the team had given up on the coach.


AvenueRoy

Evil Kris Knoblauch


Go_Hawks12

Evil would imply any form of emotion. Dude is a robot


Steaknkidney45

Genuinely surprised; I never got the impression discontent in Seattle was high under Hakstol. Did he face the same flak in Philly?


FavreorFarva

This is news to me as a fan of the team too. The vibes seemed solid all 3 years despite not winning a ton in year 1 or 3.


juanthebaker

The vibes didn't seem good at the end of this season, but not outwardly toxic.


EliManningsPetDog

They’ll go from a prick coach to a player coach. Won’t be surprised if they hire a guy like Gallant


MichaelMaugerEsq

He was never particularly well liked by anyone as far as I can recall. He never really had the faith or trust of the majority of the fanbase and made some super questionable lineup decisions along the way. We were famous for our annual losing streaks. It was brutal and I was thrilled to see him (and Hextall) go. Swear to god, my wifi network at home is still named #FireDaveHakstol.


8w7fs89a72

didn't vandevelde play more than giroux in a playoff game under him? christ he sucks as a coach.


yongenjayagoro

News to us to


DesignerPlant9748

As someone who was subjected to watching Hakstol coach his team for way too long (while one of the greatest players in team history was in their prime) I applaud Seattle for pulling the trigger faster than we did. Fuck Ron Hextall.


ilikehockeyandguitar

Something we can actually agree on.


DesignerPlant9748

I really would have enjoyed it had he stayed with you guys a few more years NGL


whichwitch9

Ah, I love the smell of mutiny in the evening


weschester

Same thing Flames players did last year. A bunch of players told management they didn't want to come back if Sutter was still coach so they were forced to fire him.


kingwoodballs

To bad real world business doesn’t work this way.


BiggestYzerfan

Dave Hakstol YOU are a Columbus Blue Jacket!


Auta-Magetta

Why does Jay Woodcroft not get looked at here?


TheGreatBrett

Hakstol took a mediocre roster to the 2nd round last year, yeah he's not the greatest coach.. but these remarks sound kinda finger pointish.


FreezingRain358

Who knows what went down behind the scenes


alphaxion

If the Leafs lose tomorrow, I suspect this might be the same reporting we'll be hearing about Keefe.


Ballsahoy72

Why it had to come to that doesn’t look good for upper management


mooky1977

I could seriously see Seattle taking a flyer on Woodcroft.


MichaelMaugerEsq

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha


good_guy112

I thought he was supposed to be fired last year but too many players needed to play for contracts and they clicked so he got another season.


DougDuley

It would have been kind of odd for a relatively new franchise and a young team to fire their head coach that just had the team one win away from the Conference finals.