I talked with Guy Dupuis after Friday's 8-5 loss to Muskegon, and it reminded me that he has been through a start like this twice before with the Komets, in 1994 and 1996. Each time the team seemed to continue to get worse, just as is happening now.
In each of those times, Komets management fired the coach, first Bruce Boudreau and then Dave Farrish. I don't think there's any way that will happen again, in large part because it didn't work either of those first two times. Even when the Komets hired John Torchetti to replace Farrish, he couldn't do anything, and the next year he was the IHL Coach of the Year and eventually an NHL coach. Torchetti had coaching magic, and if he couldn't come in and turn things around, no one can.
Firing the coach would mean the Komets are giving up on the season, and the Frankes are a long, long way from that. They still have faith in Puhalaski, and he's more determined than ever to turn this around.
It also strikes me as interesting that this situation is a distant replay of what happened in 1994. The Komets brought back most of a team that had played in the Turner Cup Finals the season before. They felt the veterans had earned one more shot, but injuries and age wiped them out.
It took the Komets a few years to rebuild. This time management will try to do it a little quicker by keeping the coach and probably dumping some players.
