Or maybe lack of. The Aints got a coach that doesnt seem to know much about hockey. Took an incredibly gifted offensive team that only needed to be built defensively and ran them into the ground two years in a row now. It is clearly apparent he knows nothing about goaltending. I mean come on, 17 goals in 3 games. You wont get anywhere with that...

GREAT POINT! Just go ask the Dauphin Queens all about giving up a boatload of goals in a division final!

The Saints have actually given up 20 goals in 3 games not 17. Kuhlman and Ruby from the Kings should be able to swing a deal at Fabutan to help protect the sunburn on their necks.

Armour- 14 goals in 3 games
Kuhlman- 16 goals in 3 games

Neither goalie has had much help.

You're blaming Doug Stokes for the loss the other night? Give you empty head a shake. gotta be kidding. How about blaming Ryan Depape for taking the stupid penalty.
Doug Stokes has forgotten more about coaching than you ever knew. Let me guess? he cut you?

actually armour 7 periods- 14 goals
kuhlman 8 periods- 16 goals both goalies average at best so far

on powerplays. A. They got scored on when they took a penalty
B. Their own powerplay was not turned on when they had the man advantage

Common logic says stay out of the penalty box and get some momentum on your own powerplay.

stokes is a selfish ****..... refusing to trade some 20 year olds away at the deadline cause he didnt wanna make other teams better, and now watch as 20 year olds, who have put in their time and have every right to be playing at this point.....sit in the stands...

he was trying to save his own ass by doing this, and he is losing control of his team, no one is happy with him in saints land right now...with better coaching the saints would win this series easisly...stokes is a moron

stokes is the dumbest fuk i've seen coach in a long time. he has no balls at all and has zero class. how could he even be mentioned for coach of the year. he just screws his own players over!!! stokes its time you grow some balls and actually coach a team instead of just jumping into teams that have talented players!!

He tried to coach a team in Flin Flon...

stokes is a ****ing retard, the saints had huge potential and could have easily won the leauge. now after stokes **** show they will be lucky to get past the steel.

He is a class act. I have met and talked to a lot of Coaches and he is a straight shooter. Some of the Coaches can't coach, some of them shouldn't coach and some of them have the people skills of a derelict beer can. Most players feel very respected by this man and he can bring out the best in players because of the trust he invests in them.

He is a rare find in any hockey league: a veteran Coach, knowledgable, personable, trustworthy and really committed to ensuring as many players as possible feel respected and have a chance to develop. I have no clue where you morons are from, but you obviously know nothing about Stokes.

Thanks for everything Stokesy. You are the real deal and time will tell the truth because these morons are obviously out to lunch or just plain tarded.

Notice the Selkirk IP addresses? What do you expect. I would be worried about him too if I were you because he is going to Coach his team right straight past yours.

Go stick your IP address bull$hit up your a$$. The series is 2-2 and the last time I checked you need 4 wins to move on.

to .93 Baaaarrrrfffff! you have been taken.

and I would rather be associated with the Saints organization than any other based on past experience. Not every player can be made happy as a game plan means some are on the in based on what needs to happen. I am a very good judge of character and many former players speak very highly of Stokes, people I know and opinions I value.

You either know nothing or have an axe to grind. The man is a Saint, and that is good enough for me.

Notice that Saints fans have more class than to come on here and bash Cassidy. Combine this post with the behaviour of the Steelers at the end of last game and you can see which team and which coach has class. But if you think you can do better than either of them how 'bout you put your name in for next year. After everybody stops laughing both of these coaches will be right where they belong, behind the bench.

Yeah it takes 4 games to win and that goes both ways.

Class from the Saints???? What about Simchuk throwing a water bottle at the Steelers as they celebrate their game-winning goal in OT? Yeah that is a classy team.

i'm a saints fan and i think stokes is a moron. where does that put me?

Makes you smarter than most.

As a Steeler fan I would take Stokes back over Cassidy in a second.Even though Selkirk is ahead Stokes is a far superior coach.

why the **** is stokes sitting carriere.

Heard Carriere is hurt.

How many goals is that against the Aints with that great goalie they acquired?? And you think Stokes is a good coach. Give me a break. He has totally **** the bed two years ina row with the goaltending. Why was this guy traded for?? They had a good on already!

Bours got 2 (two) 10 minute misconducts in the game Tuesday (according to the gamesheet) - does that give him a one game suspension?

they should definitely have him on the ice, as his numbers suggest.

2 wins with him in the line-up and 3 losses when hes not.

agree 100% stokes let down the saints players once again with his goaltending decisions.Last year he had a more than capable so called backup tender in dreger that was never really given the chance in the playoffs until it was too late. He was stuck on a 20 year old that was horrible in the finals. Now this year in a great trade he acquired another 20 year old tender who was just as awful with a sparkling 6 goals against average in the six games against the steelers. Great move stokes you got what you deserved, it's just too bad the rest of the team had to suffer from you mistake.

agree 100% stokes let down the saints players once again with his goaltending decisions.Last year he had a more than capable so called backup tender in dreger that was never really given the chance in the playoffs until it was too late. He was stuck on a 20 year old that was horrible in the finals. Now this year in a great trade he acquired another 20 year old tender who was just as awful with a sparkling 6 goals against average in the six games against the steelers. Great move stokes you got what you deserved, it's just too bad the rest of the team had to suffer from you mistake.

WHAT HAPPENED I THOUGHT THE SAINTS HAD
THE BEST TEAM WITH ALL THE TWENTY YEAR
OLD'S.
I WONDER WILL STOKES STILL HAVE A JOB.
OR WILL HE GET FIRED LIKE HEDELY DID.

Stokes has a job next year - Mel's hiring him! It will be announced in a week or so along with the move to Steinbach.

WHAT HAPPENED I THOUGHT THE SAINTS HAD
THE BEST TEAM WITH ALL THE TWENTY YEAR
OLD'S.
I WONDER WILL STOKES STILL HAVE A JOB.
OR WILL HE GET FIRED LIKE HEDELY DID.

It's sad when a season ends,but why does the coach take all the blame?Did he take dumb penalties?Did he give a half ass effort?Saints outplayed the Steelers in game 6,and didn't get rewarded for it,thats hockey!Players play the game,players loose the game,good luck Steelers.I guess the only good coach is the one who wins the league?

if stokes would have given a half a$$ed effort,that would be more than he ever gave any team before. the guys a joke.talkes the game but knows nothing.

You cant deny the Aints have the best offensive players. They have two years in a row. All they needed was better defense. Anyone could see that including the parents (dont deny it). Why couldnt the coach see it. What was obvious to so many even all the competition and screws the pooch and trades for more offense and always stuck on the god dam 20 year old goalies who sucked and sucked bad. With a coach who knew anything about hockey this team should have won two years running now with this year having a better team. Too bad!! get over it. It was the coaches fault 100%.

the defensemen were weak in the series because they had their 2 worst playing every game...dont wanna name any names but BUORS and DAVIES, and two much better D man sitting in the stands, MASSICOTTE and KING, and when stokes decided the dress 5 Dman in the last game..and then continued to only play 4 in overtime...well no wonder they got burned... too tired.... dumbass move by a terrible coach

Geezzz .......Stokes does not make the trades
That team will always be a bridesmaid and never a bride
Untill the mighty Wayne in gone.
Any idiot should have been able to coach that team
Managements job to bring in players coaches job to coach but in
this case it was a just open the gate and let them go team
Just too much talent to have to really coach
Too bad Wayne wouldn't find a few better D


Thanks Wayne ..... maybe next year but I doubt it

Last I heard the coach is the one who makes the decision as to what players will play on any given night. If they had that many good players then why play only 2 lines most of the time and leave good dmen in the stands? Sounds like the coach's downfall to me.

Oh no, no

oh no no??? no no what, explain yourself

Was the coaching and scouting staffs decision.

have all of the right ingredients together on one team at one time. Then timing kicks in and luck. The best luck you can have is when your opponent is weaker than your own team.

Once again this year, weakness on D squandered some of the best offence the team has seen. Last year it was glaring too. Only 7 D on the roster? Only 4 you are confident in playing? Some D got tired due to overuse in several games.

Great effort by Saints. Just no finish in a couple of games.

Need one more Coach on the bench and it definitely needs to be a defensive specialist. 2 Coaches, not enough. As well, offence needed more success on the powerplay, and needed to kick in with some backcheck in the dying moments of at least 2 games.

I think the Saints are running out of excuses, as 2 years running they caved in. Last year was definitely tending issues, but with a a weaker goalie they got into the next round.

Saints need some character players who do not cave in along the stretch. Conditioning is a huge factor. You need to be physically ready for war in playoffs and that means you have to have your legs and your heart in it.

Saints have an opportunity to rebuild now with the 20's gone. Build for a few years and then go for it for real this time. Start from the crease first and then out from there. Two years running excellent offence was not able to compensate for weaknesses in net and on D.