With the Flyers falling further and further out of the playoff picture, general manager Paul Holmgren gave his head coach, Peter Laviolette, a vote of confidence today.
When asked if Laviolette was on the hot seat -- a notion that only gained momentum with Philadelphia’s lackluster performance and loss last night in New Jersey -- Holmgren replied he didn’t think so.
“The coaches have done a good job,” said Holmgren, per CSNPhilly.com. “Right now, our team needs to play better. We’re making a lot of mistakes. A lot from our lack of competitiveness. Our team needs to compete better. I don’t like the way we’re playing right now, but I don’t necessarily blame that on the coach.”
Holmgren added that he hadn’t “even thought about” firing Laviolette -- “You guys keep asking these questions about the coach and it hasn’t even entered my mind.”
If Holmgren blames anyone for the team’s win-loss record, it’s the players -- “They’re the ones on the ice.”
The Flyers are on the ice again tomorrow at home to New Jersey. With just 20 games to go and a whole lot of ground to make up, they can’t afford another stinker.