You cant blame a season on one person. Its a TEAM sport, the team as a whole sucked and couldnt win big games vs bottom of the league teams. Coaches are also to blame as they are responsible for the on ice product.
Anyone whose ever played a team sport knows this simple saying, "you win as a team, you lose as a team". Every person on the team,the coaches, and even lou are to blame for the season. Even with that if we only went 3/11in the shootouts we would at.least still be in the race.
With that said this is only the first time theyve missed the playoffs 2 years in a row since 1987 (27yrs). THERE ARE 28 other teams that would love to say that. (Redwings are the only ones more consistant then