Scott Pellerin Should Not Be Back In 2013-14

New York Islander Fan Central | 4/12/2013 03:19:00 AM |

Scott Pellerin signed a two year contract with an option when he was hired by Garth Snow. He explained his job terms quite well last summer here. 


“It’s a perfect fit for me,” said Pellerin. “I mean I’m familiar with many people on the staff at Bridgeport. My coaching style is in line with what Garth was looking for to fill the post. My role is going to develop players on the minor league level, win as many games as we can and, to help our players reach their goals.”


Anyone who reads New York Islander Fan Central, knows I'm loyal to coaches, staff likely more than most. A minor league coach in the best of circumstances during a normal season has to work with many roster changes to the degree what happens is completely out of his control.

Scott Pellerin, unlike his predecessor in 29th place at the end of 2011, has had the most favorable of circumstances.

Based on what I have seen/read, or listened to since October, I do not believe Scott Pellerin should be retained for 2013-14 by Islander management to coach the Bridgeport Sound Tigers beyond this season.


Worst goals allowed in the AHL on a team with only a few NHL callups during a lockout season that had Hamonic, Donovan, Ness, Wishart into December with Cizikas, Ullstrom (sometimes injured) most of the time?  Over sixteen hundred penalty minutes, which again leads most teams by several hundred, dead last in AHL. Two seven game losing streaks, a franchise record pp slump?

Granted Pellerin's had bad luck with deHaan, Kabanov, and Anders Nilsson but this team should have been better defensively all year, these injuries are well within the norm for many teams which include Persson, Sundstrom missing time. Not sure where Jason Clark's struggles should be credited to or Colin McDonald's rise but naming a captain, and changing it did not fix much on the ice.   

The Islanders owned man games lost to injury for many years. and did not struggle in Bridgeport to this degree with a taxi roster of players when games were in the balance.  Kevin Poulin allowing three or more goals in 11/15 games? 

Absolutely Pellerin deserves some credit for individual performances like Niederreiter (first half) he seems far less engaged around the puck in second half (perhaps injuries on his line or a full season wear) Brock Nelson, John Persson, and Johan Sundstrom with Matt Donovan, Aaron Ness.


Too many times this team did not seem ready or play like a unit, despite it's talent, on a team during a lockout until mid-January, that did not recall many players. The critical moment breakdowns, or games other teams just outplayed them with two points in balance, or important games this team simply did not show, and a little too much complaining over some bad calls do not reflect well at all on Scott Pellerin.   

That includes the trade of Jack Combs to another AHL team, and sending of Chad Costello to the ECHL (so defender Jordan Hill can play forward?) with Costello pulling no punches in calling out Pellerin, which seems another first for a Bridgeport coach to be criticized by a player like that.

Garth Snow is accountable for this as general manager.

Mark Cantin and Mike Halmo seemed to be no success story. 

There are five games left in Bridgeport's season, playoffs are highly unlikely given math, but this is about talent that did not grow into a team, under circumstances far better than many past Sound Tigers coaches have been given.

I did not even advocate for a change from Dan Marshall. This was Pellerin's first chance coaching after being an assistant in Manchester for six seasons, it was not an off the radar selection to pick an AHL assistant with one team for a long time, that made five playoffs in six years under Mark Morris.

Regardless what happens from here with Islander prospects down the stretch, I believe this team needs a coaching change for 2013-14.