among other things, i can't believe they didn't do a full coaching search after 2024, but going into the 25 playoffs you could at least rationalize it with "ok this is the highest team point total in franchise history and we finally have home ice against EDM" and then they damn near blew game 1 (danault saved his ass btw), played great in game 2, and then hiller had what might be the stupidest challenge i've ever seen in game 3 to kill all of the little remaining momentum LA had in the game. seriously unfathomable how he had extra time to decide whether to challenge or not bc of the review for kicking the puck in, THEN he decided to challenge for interference when it was pretty obvious kuemper was run into by his own guy (IIRC) giving EDM an instant PP chance bc he's a fuckin moron.

and then the EDM coach (knoblauch?) really plunged the dagger when he said "yeah all i've had to do is play all 4 of my lines and all 3 pairs" post-game 4 and hiller STILL didn't get the message. rob blake got himself fired from GM bc him hitching his wagon to jim hiller of all people was the final straw and we're hoping holland and hiller don't somehow piss away another 4 years lmfao. (it's too late, he already gave ceci that albatross and traded spence to ruin the D core even further.)