Devils (on way to the playoffs) fire Julien; GM Lamoriello to coach

The firing or hockey in general?

 

Fixed

 

As a Devils fan since before they were ever in New Jersey (Colorado Rockies) I have grown used to the fact that the team will always make unpredictable moves. this happened before with Ftorek who is a Ftard and it was justified because he was hated by the team and removing him from the equation and putting Larry Robinson in there eased the problems and he was a "player's coach" and it worked out very well for the team that time.

This time, I sense Lou has a problem in that he senses the Devils are a team that won't look like this next year (I think some guys won't be here next year) and he's doing what he thinks is right for the playoff run. I think the Devils are good enough to go two rounds this year and maybe more if certain things happen, but before people call Lou a control freak and other things because this is an unusual move, think about this:

The Devils are a team that nobody likes to play in the playoffs because they have a system (albeit one everyone cries and moans about) that requires other teams to have the utmost focus and attention to detail to survive and win. That's what makes them great in my book. If I were to compare it to other sports, it would be like having a college football schedule with a lot of high-powered offenses, but also having Air Force on your schedule and you know they'll be an option team. It's the one time all season you have to prepare differently.

I think this move isn't really about the coach and it sucks that Julien gets fired, but let's be honest, Brodeur and the system is why the team is where it is in the standings. Lou's the architect of this team and always has been. That won't change until Lou's gone.

Just my two cents.

 

that's a lot of ifs. if they were prepared to beat the rangers in 94 they wouldn't have lost after leading series 3-2.

and his hiring lemaire significantly helped turn the game to slog-fest it desperately must recover from
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Couldn't agree more. And I think they're a very beatable team in the first round ... any team they potentially face among the lower seeds is either really hot right now, or not afraid of them at all (TB is 3-1 against Devs this season...Rangers would enjoy shoving the Easton up Lou's rear after last year's debacle, too).

 

DN hits it right in the lumberyard.

 

Was this the end of the Devils Decade (plus) of Dominance?

Lou Lamoriello fires Claude Julien with three games remaining in the regular season for reasons only the Devils GM, Julien and the Devils know. Jersey struggles to beat a goaltender-less Lightning squad in six games in the first round. In this round, Jersey is outmatched by Ottawa, a team whose playoff history is littered with collapses and chokes and gutlessness.

Looking at the foreseeable future, the Devils are pretty much capped out. Here is a list of their unrestricted free agents:
Goaltender Scott Clemmensen; Defensemen Brad Lukowich,
Alex Brooks (who?), Brian Rafalski; Forwards Scott Gomez,
Erik Rasmussen, Jim Dowd, Michael Rupp and Jason Wiemer.

Gomez is one of the highly coveted centers in the game today, maybe the prized free agent signing, along with Buffalo's Chris Drury. There's probably no way the Devils can sign him and restock the defense, which is a necessity.

 

This is a Devils fan saying this to you, Lou: Thanks for the memories. Get a real plan to help Brodeur (i.e. get some defensemen in front of him and a solid No. 2 goalie who can play 10-15 games) and bring in someone to coach the team that you won't fire when things are going GOOD/GREAT and let him figure it out. I've stood by this organization through the lean years (before Lou was even affiliated with the Scouts/Rockies/Devils) and I still have Christmas-colored stuff, a shirt from the 2000 Cup year when I got to see the Devils clinch the second round against the Leafs, I have flown cross-country to see your teams provide me thrills on countless occasions.

What I saw tonight, a team down 3-1 to a great Ottawa team, GIVE UP. Don't think Julien could have been coaching that team? I beg to differ. As much as Vanbiesbrouck was almost giddy in his criticism of the Devils tonight as a color guy on Vs. in the third period, I have to agree with many of his points. This is the first time in a LONG time that Brodeur's magic was worth nothing to the Devils. Ray Emery, a guy who seems like a good guy and a decent goaltender (even very good in certain instances tonight) didn't inspire the EGG line or any other line for that matter to get to him and be relentless. Even gamers like John Madden, Pandolfo and Brylin weren't there much. Ottawa certainly wanted to close out this series tonight to avoid any letdown.

The Devils have been resting on their laurels long enough. Sure, I'm happy to tell anyone who'll listen that 3 Cups (3 Finals appearances in 4 years in one stretch) is reason enough to show that Lou knows what he's doing. I've enjoyed the wins, the success and the playoff appearances and the division titles, etc. etc. but I'm also ready to admit that this team needs to be retooled. Please don't bring Pat Burns back. Let him be cancer free and worry free of trying to figure out the Devils mess. Let a new, younger guy have a shot. John MacLean is another guy who perhaps needs a chance, but then again, he was behind the bench with you and I wonder how much he was allowed to do with your controlling personality there at all times.

Please, Lou, please take this extra time you have now to really evaluate what it is the Devils need as they head to Newark to open a new arena. Think about what you are doing and do what is best for the franchise. It needs a shot in the arm and Lou, you aren't it.

To SportsJournalists.com posters, sure this comes right after the Devils lose and are done for the season, but I think this just needed to get out there and off my chest.

 

A Devils fan I work with asked "Julien couldn't get this team to the second round?" with one minute remaining in the third. It's a hell of a question and an even better point. The Devils regular season success and post-season failure isn't directly attributable to Julien. Both are reflections of the moves Lamoriello made and didn't--or couldn't--make.

 

Claws, I see your points and am in no position to argue with a great deal of what you said. But, with Brodeur's magic, what length of time is "a long time"?

Not being antagonistic ... just asking. He was outstanding all year, even moreso considering the emphasis on more open ice, skating, cracking down on hooking, etc.

Ottawa is pretty similar to Carolina, who ate Jersey's lunch last year. While their heart can certainly be questioned for past putrid playoff performances (alliteration not intentional), the Sens have plenty of firepower and I dunno if the Devils have enough defensively to give Marty a fighting chance.

 

Brodeur is like the NHL's Tiger Woods. He's done a lot, accomplished a lot, but the way everyone in the league talks about him, you kind of have to think he has NO flaws. He's looked human the last two years, SM, but it was VERY evident this year. Congratulations, Ottawa, you exposed Brodeur -- shoot low or high on the glove side and you have a chance to make him look very ordinary.

It also didn't help that Colin White missed most of the Tampa series and Richard Matvichuk played only, what, 10 games this season (the regular-season finale and the playoffs). He tired tonight and it was very clear he should retire. Rafalski wasn't much to see and Lukowich and Paul Martin weren't much of a factor either.

Gomez, I think, will either be a Ranger or maybe he'll be in SoCal with the Kings or Ducks next season.

 

And another thing, with the team moving to Newark, this is definitely the offseason to get it together because not only do you need fans to fill the place, but Buffalo and both NYR and NYI made the playoffs. The fans need reasons to get on the Devils' bandwagon and perhaps now is the time to change the philosophy or at least make things interesting.

 

The Devils biggest problem is that they don't have a No. 1 defenseman. During the 1990s and early 2000s, the Devils had Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer and Ken Danyeko as their top three defensemen. It allowed Lamoriello to add a Rafalski to the blueline without worrying about the defense. But with the retirements of Stevens and Danyeko, the free agent loss of Niedermayer and the new cap, Lamoriello was forced to financial decisions that hurt the Devils' depth on the blueline. Now, he has to revamp the defense corps, while knowing he'll almost certainly lose Gomez.