In case you missed the news over Christmas weekend 2014, the Devils made a coaching change and created a unique coaching situation. Out is head coach Peter DeBoer and assistant (and ex-Devil player) Dave Barr. Back in are Hall of Fame GM and former interim Devils head coach Lou Lamoriello to oversee things behind the bench (technically, interim head coach) and former Devils assistant coaches (from the DeBoer era) and Hall of Fame players Adam Oates (to run the forwards) and Scott Stevens (to run the defense).
It creates a unique situation because Lou isn't going to be behind the bench forever, and he's really observing more than he is running things. Oates is the offensive coordinator and Stevens is the defensive coordinator, with it basically known that the two are co-coaches (rather than what they were under DeBoer or in any other conventional coaching situation). Lou doesn't want to commit to one over the other...yet (Oates left the Devils in 2012 to become head coach in Washington, where he lasted 2 seasons and Stevens wants to be a head coach come day, and left the Devils in 2014 over philosophical differences with DeBoer). Lou has gone so far as to say that this situation isn't guaranteed past the end of this season.
It's thinking outside the box, which is something Lou is somewhat known for. I'll use the term "that's so Lou". Heck, the original hiring of Lou in 1987 was "so Lou". He's an outside the box thinker. After the initial firing of DeBoer was announced, it really shouldn't have surprised anyone that Lou would create this unique situation. Lou might have been asleep at the wheel since, well, (at least) since DeBoer was hired in 2011. But Lou's back, and probably for a final big bang with this organization which he built into a winner.
So back to this situation. I will preface this by saying that I've been calling for DeBoer to be fired for almost 2 years. Lou's fired coaches of Devils teams going to the playoffs. He fired MacLean, an ex-Devils player, after almost half a season in 2010-11. I don't know how he let DeBoer get away with missing the playoffs in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. And then again in the full 2013-14 season. So bringing in not one but two coaches to fix things shows just how bad of a situation DeBoer created in New Jersey. And I don't disagree with that statement, that two coaches were needed to fix this. I don't think either of these guys, as a singular head coach, could have done the job alone.
I used the terms "offensive coordinator" and "defensive coordinator" earlier. That's a football analogy, for those that don't follow that sport. And employing that in hockey is a bit different, it's not a new concept to coaching, just something outside the box for hockey. But I think it's the right thing. First, they have problems in both areas. Second, in football, sometimes, an offensive or defensive coordinator makes a good head coach, and sometimes they don't, finding themselves back in the familiar role with another club. Adam Oates had his first chance as head coach in Washington, and it didn't work out, and Scott Stevens is looking for that chance somewhere, and after seeing another ex-Devil who was groomed for the job here not work out (John MacLean), I'd be a little gun shy about doing that with Stevens too. Maybe one of them will make a great Devils head coach, and maybe they won't. Trying to salvage the season isn't exactly the place to find that out. But these are the two coaches who can try to fix the Devils enough to make a run with the players they have in just over half a season.
I think this situation could even work long-term. But, they would need someone other than Lou to tie it together (nothing against Lou, he's clearly an interim in that role). Maybe that falls on Oates. Maybe that falls on Stevens. Maybe that falls on assistant coach Mike Foligno, or on someone from outside of the organization. But someone needs to be in charge, on the bench, even if it's just a figure head.
Heck, maybe this is even a new paradigm in hockey coaching. Maybe a lasting legacy of Lou. Because that would be "so Lou".
Leave a comment or drop me a line at DyHrdMET [at] gmail [dot] com. Your comments will fall into a moderation queue.
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Saturday, December 27, 2014
My Devils Fandom is at a Crossroads
Fridays's news got me thinking...differently...about my Devils fandom. Let me put this out there - I am NOT thinking of jumping ship or even dropping my season tickets - but for the first time in my time as Devils fan (which dates back to somewhere between 1987 and 1995), the Devils have pretty much hit rock bottom.
After Lou Lamoriello took over as GM (among other roles) in the summer of 1987, the Devils made the playoffs for the first time in their history (which dates back to the 1982-83 season) in 1988, after which the Devils had only missed twice before the summer of 2011. They've missed the playoffs 3 times in 4 seasons since then, with the chance of making it 4 in 5 if they can't turn things around in the next 3 1/2 months. I never knew the days of struggle. And I really didn't know much of the Devils life before their first Stanley Cup. This is foreign territory to me.
For the first time since I was even aware of the New Jersey Devils, people are saying that Lou Lamoriello's time has come and gone. He's a Hall of Fame GM whose time to leave was maybe as much as 10 years ago. So there's the potential for a new era in my Devils fandom. For the first time since I became a full-on Devils fan, Martin Brodeur isn't with the club, which is certainly a new era in my Devils fandom.
And another first in my time...and maybe it will never be publically admitted...it's time for rebuilding the franchise in New Jersey. We got new owners in 2013. Lou's closer to the end than the beginning. And one thing we've learned by the firing of a bad coach was that there's a lot of player problems too (too old, young kids not developing, lost talent).
It's definitely a crossroads for my Devils fandom. Time for the team to take this coaching change, and maybe this season, and turn the corner.
Leave a comment or drop me a line at DyHrdMET [at] gmail [dot] com. Your comments will fall into a moderation queue.
After Lou Lamoriello took over as GM (among other roles) in the summer of 1987, the Devils made the playoffs for the first time in their history (which dates back to the 1982-83 season) in 1988, after which the Devils had only missed twice before the summer of 2011. They've missed the playoffs 3 times in 4 seasons since then, with the chance of making it 4 in 5 if they can't turn things around in the next 3 1/2 months. I never knew the days of struggle. And I really didn't know much of the Devils life before their first Stanley Cup. This is foreign territory to me.
For the first time since I was even aware of the New Jersey Devils, people are saying that Lou Lamoriello's time has come and gone. He's a Hall of Fame GM whose time to leave was maybe as much as 10 years ago. So there's the potential for a new era in my Devils fandom. For the first time since I became a full-on Devils fan, Martin Brodeur isn't with the club, which is certainly a new era in my Devils fandom.
And another first in my time...and maybe it will never be publically admitted...it's time for rebuilding the franchise in New Jersey. We got new owners in 2013. Lou's closer to the end than the beginning. And one thing we've learned by the firing of a bad coach was that there's a lot of player problems too (too old, young kids not developing, lost talent).
It's definitely a crossroads for my Devils fandom. Time for the team to take this coaching change, and maybe this season, and turn the corner.
Leave a comment or drop me a line at DyHrdMET [at] gmail [dot] com. Your comments will fall into a moderation queue.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Say it ain't so, Marty
You are now a St. Louis Blue. I don't really know how to feel about this. There is a small part of me happy for you because you seem to have gotten what you wanted...another game to test out that competitive fire. A chance at going for 700 wins.
But Marty, you have committed treason. Okay, treason in a hockey sense (nobody will actually die because of this and no government is being overthrown). I won't use the word "traitor"...that one is reserved for you if you join the Rags. But this still isn't right. Seeing you play in an NHL game for anyone besides the New Jersey Devils is a betrayal.
It hurts me to say this, Marty, but I've thought you should hang up your goalie pads and mask since last season ended. You received a nice sendoff from Devils fans, many of whom knew it was your last game as a New Jersey Devil, even if we were a bit unsure exactly what was going on. But you didn't end last season well. Your skills diminished late in the season. It started with that outdoor game. Why tarnish your career stat sheet after 21 years by sticking a team that isn't the New Jersey Devils on it, if just for a few games? Why risk a little bit of ego trying to play when you just might not have it anymore?
But on Saturday afternoon, I'm going to head out to Long Island to see this act of treason in person. Maybe it's like wanting to slow down as you pass an accident scene. Maybe there's some unfinished business on my end because there is some on your end. And maybe it's to raise a charge of "TreasoNJ" (a bad attempt to blend the word "treason" with "NJ") in person. I don't know. But I have to go see it.
Why all this over Brodeur? He's the Franchise. Now in another uniform.
Say it ain't so, Marty.
Leave a comment or drop me a line at DyHrdMET [at] gmail [dot] com. Your comments will fall into a moderation queue.
But Marty, you have committed treason. Okay, treason in a hockey sense (nobody will actually die because of this and no government is being overthrown). I won't use the word "traitor"...that one is reserved for you if you join the Rags. But this still isn't right. Seeing you play in an NHL game for anyone besides the New Jersey Devils is a betrayal.
It hurts me to say this, Marty, but I've thought you should hang up your goalie pads and mask since last season ended. You received a nice sendoff from Devils fans, many of whom knew it was your last game as a New Jersey Devil, even if we were a bit unsure exactly what was going on. But you didn't end last season well. Your skills diminished late in the season. It started with that outdoor game. Why tarnish your career stat sheet after 21 years by sticking a team that isn't the New Jersey Devils on it, if just for a few games? Why risk a little bit of ego trying to play when you just might not have it anymore?
But on Saturday afternoon, I'm going to head out to Long Island to see this act of treason in person. Maybe it's like wanting to slow down as you pass an accident scene. Maybe there's some unfinished business on my end because there is some on your end. And maybe it's to raise a charge of "TreasoNJ" (a bad attempt to blend the word "treason" with "NJ") in person. I don't know. But I have to go see it.
Why all this over Brodeur? He's the Franchise. Now in another uniform.
Say it ain't so, Marty.
Leave a comment or drop me a line at DyHrdMET [at] gmail [dot] com. Your comments will fall into a moderation queue.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)