This Devils season has had two consistent patterns: one, the Devils go out on the ice for a game and lose terribly, and two, we turn to Fire & Ice every morning looking for a post titled “John MacLean Fired” only to get 16 posts with variations of “MacLean Frustrated With Team, Lines Shuffled, Langenbrunner Skips Practice Again”. So it was with low expectations that we checked the headlines today. But in what can only be seen as a shout-out to yesterday’s post, what should before our wondering eyes appear? “Devils Coach John MacLean Fired, Jacques Lemaire Back as Interim Coach”!!! Hockey Gods bless us! Hockey Gods bless us all!
Seriously, it’s like Lou saw the most exciting thing going on for us what the impulse-bought packet of broomcorn and then decided to take us up on that implied challenge. Our future homemade broom was all Lou needed to decide to finish up the last bit of his Monte-Cristo-ian revenge plot against Johnny Mac. Fired two days before Christmas in a season where any other coach failing that badly would be fired in mid-November? Bet he wishes he’d never demanded that trade, eh?
This team is hopeless no matter who the coach is. Last year when the Devils went against their own philosophy of bringing up their own players to build and build and build consistently… they traded for an over-rated Kovalchuk and then resigned him for so much money. Why go against what you have done for years to be successful? This is what has brought the worst team in the NHL to NJ.
Well, Langenbrunner hates Lemaire – so maybe now Jaime will demand to be traded, which should have happened at the trading deadline last year (instead of trading for Kovy). Or, last summer, (instead of re-signing Kovy) and we should have just gotten on with the re-build.
Meh. Not sure changing coaches will make that much of a difference. Apparently they don’t like a disciplinarian (Lemaire) and they don’t like a guy who is less of a disciplinarian (MacLean). My question is, why do this now? If they wanted to save the season, it needed to be done earlier – much earlier. And maybe the best thing that could happen to them is to get the #1 draft pick and dump some of these guys. It’s not working.
And, I have to ask, two days before Christmas? I had to put a cat to sleep two days before Thanksgiving. Did he think he was putting Johnny Mac out of his misery?
I have to ask, two days before Christmas?
Seriously. At the very least, they could have made it effective January 1. What would change for the Devils in the four games between now and then? It’s kind of a dick move to drop him two days before Christmas.
Well I see Lou hasn’t completely lost his touch. I just read that little exchange from the interview he just gave:
Reporter : How did the players take the news?
Lou : I didn’t ask them
That made me laugh.
I think it’s too late to make much of a difference this season honestly, so I just hope for you guys this means Langenbrunner will leave soon… (as long as the Habs say away from him, that is. I hope he’s not friends with Gio and Gomer!)
Well, Langenbrunner hates Lemaire – so maybe now Jaime will demand to be traded
We can only hope! What a great Christmas present that would be!
It’s kind of a dick move to drop him two days before Christmas.
Well, again, he shouldn’t have asked for that trade and he certainly shouldn’t have signed with the Rangers! To paraphrase Jack Vincennes, “Lou will fuck him for that if it takes him the rest of his life.” Heh heh heh.
Lou : I didn’t ask them
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Lou : I didn’t ask them
And, the way they’ve played, not only shouldn’t he have asked them, but if there was a way this all could have been kept from the press and Jacques could have just showed up at practice or, better yet, in the locker room before the game and announced, “I’m back!!!!”, so much the better.
Did he think he was putting Johnny Mac out of his misery?
You gotta figure it’s either “spend the holidays having just been fired” or “spend the holidays wondering how soon after the holidays you’re going to get fired” for Johnny Mac. This actually seems more humane. :P
But seriously, I agree that this is not the answer to all of the team’s problems. It’s the answer to a few of the team’s problems, but certainly can’t make that big of a difference. (If this is the move that gets the Devils up to 10th place at the end of the season, I hope Lou gets fired.) What I find so hilarious about it is what this means for Langer. I’m a petty bitch — I can’t help it. Heh.
Jacques could have just showed up at practice or, better yet, in the locker room before the game and announced, “I’m back!!!!”,
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And, the way they’ve played, not only shouldn’t he have asked them, but if there was a way this all could have been kept from the press and Jacques could have just showed up at practice or, better yet, in the locker room before the game and announced, “I’m back!!!!”, so much the better.
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:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Oh man, if only!
I was saying earlier to Pookie that Langer’s probably going to faint when Jacques appears in the dressing room tonight. He’s going to be all, “OH MY GOD I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!” And everyone will be all, “WTF? Why would you think that?” And Langer’d be all, “Well if he’s not dead, then who the hell were we wearing those patches for?”
If this is the move that gets the Devils up to 10th place at the end of the season, I hope Lou gets fired.
Well, yes and no, because no coach has been able to get them anywhere in the playoffs. But – see my comments about Langer below…
What I find so hilarious about it is what this means for Langer. I’m a petty bitch — I can’t help it. Heh.
If you’re a petty bitch, I’m right there with you. I immediately switched from “Two days before Christmas?” to “So, will Jaime faint? Will he demand to be traded right after the Christmas break? Will he get in touch with a real hitman and not an FBI agent?” In any case, if they do wind up in 10th, I’ll keep wondering if they should have kept Jacques and traded Langenbrunner last summer.
Will he get in touch with a real hitman and not an FBI agent?
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:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: You’re on fire, Sue! Hating Langer brings out the top-notch snark in you, that’s for sure. :D
In any case, if they do wind up in 10th, I’ll keep wondering if they should have kept Jacques and traded Langenbrunner last summer.
I don’t even need them to get to 10th place to believe in my heart of hearts that Lou made the wrong choice between those two. Hell, I feel like Lou made the wrong choice back when he let Sutter declare that this was Langer’s team and not Patty’s. (I mean, not that Patty isn’t theoretically capable of being a grown-up and still playing well [he proved that he is not capable of such in reality, of course], but still.)
Reporter : How did the players take the news?
Lou : I didn’t ask them
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Jacques could have just showed up at practice or, better yet, in the locker room before the game and announced, “I’m back!!!!”, so much the better.
AAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHHAHAH that would have been awesome!
Okay, we just had our Christmas dinner, so now we’re full of stuffin shots, turkey, wine, and good holiday cheer. I’m totally ready for the Devils to ruin my mood!
we just had our Christmas dinner
CRAP. What day is it???
You guys celebrated the firing of the coach with a Christmas Dinner? Hehehehe!
OK, so Tedenby’s out with food poisoning – is this Lemaire’s way of saying he wanted him scratched? Come on, Jacques, you couldn’t have poisoned Jaime’s lunch?
You guys celebrated the firing of the coach with a Christmas Dinner? Hehehehe!
Yup! We figured that was worth cooking the turkey two days early! (Seriously, though, we decided we wanted Christmas Eve and Christmas to involve as little work as possible. So Christmas Eve dinner is going to be hot open-face turkey sandwiches [let's face it -- that's the best part of the turkey dinner], and Christmas is all about grazing on breakfasty appetizers all day, like pigs in blankets and coffee cake and pepper-chive biscuits with bacon jam. That leaves today as the last possible date for the fancy dinner!)
Come on, Jacques, you couldn’t have poisoned Jaime’s lunch?
Maybe he tried to, and it turned out to be the most embarrassing way for the team to finally find out who was the break room refrigerator food thief.
Well, would someone like to tell me exactly how things have changed?
Aw, that’s the Langer we all know and love!
Well, would someone like to tell me exactly how things have changed?
:^::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: So the battle of the wills between Langer and Lemaire begins. :P
Aw, that’s the Langer we all know and love!
Yep. And now, Chico is telling us how upset Langer is, how consciencious he is and how he just doesn’t do this…in other words, Chico’s full of sh*t, as usual. This is completely par for the course for Jaime.
Yeah, I was wondering which Jamie Langenbrunner Chico was talking about. There must be a second, unrelated one who is a really cool guy.
(I also loved Chico’s assessment of MacLean’s coaching tenure during the intro. Where he was all, “What could he have done differently? There were all sorts of things outside his control, like the early debilitating losses.” Um, wait… the coach isn’t supposed to be able to do anything about debilitating early-season losses? Isn’t it his job to keep that from happening? [I'm hoping he meant to say "injuries", but it sounded so delightfully Chico to think that he was like, "There's nothing MacLean can do about his team never showing up with a tenable game plan!"])
I’m just surprised it was Arnott who took the penalty and not Clarkson or Langer. Otherwise, so far, it looks like the old regime:
Bad giveaway by Langer turns into Isles goal
NJ almost immediately takes a penalty
NJ can’t kill the penalty
I wonder what it will take to make these guys actually try to play better. Maybe human sacrifice (of one of the players) between periods?
“What could he have done differently? There were all sorts of things outside his control, like the early debilitating losses.”
I thought Chico was being too kind, but I sort of thought he meant the injuries and the short roster led to debilitating losses…which is sort of what Dano said as well, but Dano was clear that MacLean should have started benching vets who weren’t performing. Of course, that would have meant he couldn’t ice a team. But, maybe it would have been worth forfeiting a game because none of them were worth wearing the uniform on a particular night.
I thought it was refreshing to see the gloves come off with Dano in the pregame. I’m so used to hearing him make excuses for the Devils (which is, of course, what he’s paid to do), so it was kind of surprising to hear him going on about how the kind of shit the veterans on the team have been pulling this year would never have been tolerated back in the day. I hope he really offended Langer by saying that.
I don’t think a timeout will do any good.
Oh, Devils. Words fail me.
I don’t think a timeout will do any good.
:^::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: You clearly don’t subscribe to the theory of timeouts that the Flyers broadcasters do. Man, every time Laviolette calls one, they go on and on about how he’s a TOTAL genius about timeouts, and no one timeouts as well as he does. It makes me laugh every time I see anyone call a timeout in hockey now.
And I love Chico suggesting that the Devils players were just too excited to play well tonight. Yeah, that’s exactly what I thought was wrong with them, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
Chico, please, you didn’t see this coming? Sorry, I know MacLean is taking the fall here, but the players need to be kicked and hard. They are simply terrible. At this point, it doesn’t matter who is coaching.
“The Crowd is pretty surly here”. That’s an understatement.
“The Crowd is pretty surly here”. That’s an understatement.
Heh. Yeah, the crowd here at stately IPB Manor is pretty surly, and we even stopped caring about the Devils many, many weeks ago. I can’t imagine how much more surly I’d be if I’d paid Devils ticket prices to witness this in person.
This is a little uncomfortable to watch.
You clearly don’t subscribe to the theory of timeouts that the Flyers broadcasters do. Man, every time Laviolette calls one, they go on and on about how he’s a TOTAL genius about timeouts, and no one timeouts as well as he does. It makes me laugh every time I see anyone call a timeout in hockey now.
Well, when you have a team that resembles a functioning unit that gives a sh*t, timeouts can actually be an effective coaching tactic. The Flyer broadcasters are, as usual, about up there with Chico in terms of their accuracy in terms of the ‘genius’ of Laviolette.
I dunno, Sue… Bill Clement seems pretty convinced that no one understands the science and art of hockey timeouts quite like Laviolette. :P
“Rolston fired a shot wide”
No shit.
I dunno, Sue… Bill Clement seems pretty convinced that no one understands the science and art of hockey timeouts quite like Laviolette. :P
Well, we know from our experiencs with Chico – and Joe M. across the river – that hockey announcers often seem to lose touch with reality.
That’s one of the fun things about Center Ice — discovering how ridiculous everyone’s color guys sound. Is there a stupider profession than hockey color guy? :D
“Rolston fired a shot wide”
No shit.
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And that was a first period for the ages. Heh.
And that was a first period for the ages.
Sounds like the one in the Sabres game. Both the Devils & Sabres are down 3-0. Go teams!
Way to go, Sabres! It’s nice to hear we’re not the only team sucking today! :P
Is there a stupider profession than hockey color guy? :D
Hockey “between the benches reporter”. But it’s only marginally stupider and only because Pierre McGuire does it for NBC.
But it’s only marginally stupider and only because Pierre McGuire does it for NBC.
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I was all ready at the start of this game to be excited if the Devils managed to score. But then I watched the first period, and now I’m just like, “Oh. A goal.”
But it’s only marginally stupider and only because Pierre McGuire does it for NBC.
Pierre is going to hurt himself next week trying to simultaneously praise both Sid & Ovie.
Surely Pierre will choose Sid. I mean… how could he not? If there’s one thing I can believe in in this confusing, cruel world, it’s that Pierre would choose Sid. :P
Pierre is going to hurt himself next week trying to simultaneously praise both Sid & Ovie.
That could be the most interesting thing about the game.
If he would somehow manage to put his vocal chords out of commission the over-hype would all have been worth it.
It would be helpful if one of these bozos could hit the net.
Is the Devils defense that bad or is Marty getting Modano disease and can’t get excited about playing for a bad team?
Even though won’t be in Dallas until tomorrow, I can watch the Stars tonight which wasn’t expecting, so feels like an early Christmas present.
Holy crap, baby Jamie Benn fought Iginla? And he got me a shorthanded goal earlier this week? I love this kid.
And this is his third fight for the Pieces, which I think is as many as the rest of the team combined. Best third line pickup EVER.
Is the Devils defense that bad or is Marty getting Modano disease and can’t get excited about playing for a bad team?
I think it’s a lot of Column A and a lot of Column B. :D
And you’re not home for Christmas Eve Eve, Dave? That’s a bummer! But I’m glad that you get to watch the Stars. That’s at least a small consolation, right?
(Thanks to the aforementioned turkey dinner, I have no idea what day of the holiday run-up it is.)
baby Jamie Benn fought Iginla? And he got me a shorthanded goal earlier this week? I love this kid.
Stars fans do also. Benn opened a cut by Iginla’s eye, but Iginla never gave up and nearly landed a couple of good ones after Benn was punched out.
I have no idea what day of the holiday run-up it is.
That was me yesterday.
Showing the Benn-Iginla fight for the 2nd time in intermission. I’m guessing that it will soon be on the Hockey interwebs soon.
Sorry too many soon’s.
Sorry state of the Devils = I was more preoccupied with the ridiculously high pitch of the whistle that one of the referees had tonight than actually thinking they had a chance to beat the Islanders!
Ooof. Tough one, Sabres. :(
I was more preoccupied with the ridiculously high pitch of the whistle that one of the referees had tonight
You know what? That is EXACTLY the sort of thing I wish I would notice, so I could spend the game fixating on it. That’s really hilarious! (Not hilarious? The Devils.)
Oh, that’s such a shame, Myra, Dave, & Grace! I hope you have a great post-Christmas Christmas to make up for it.
Come on, Jacques, you couldn’t have poisoned Jaime’s lunch?
Maybe he tried to, and it turned out to be the most embarrassing way for the team to finally find out who was the break room refrigerator food thief.
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It’s just one problem after another for the Devils.
And I love Chico suggesting that the Devils players were just too excited to play well tonight.
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I swear, I love Chico more and more every game. (Okay, I guess it helps that he isn’t ours.)
What the eff is a “five-knuckle meat soother”? Is that some kind of Texas-specific meat tenderizer?
I think it’s just another Razorism, Kathleen.