Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Hockey, IS a game of hits!




Lou Lamoriello must surely be a fan of The Soprano's television show. The Hockey boss of the Devils has certainly developed a certain style of management that might be of value to Tony Soprano himself.

Lamoriello relieved head coach Claude Julien of his job Monday, with but three games to go in the regular season and with a rather impressive record in the won loss column, but like Tony S, it's all about the family, and from Lou's sudden and unexpected move things apparently weren't right with the Devils Family.

They say that coaches are hired to be fired, but it's rare that a coach with as good a record as Julien has compiled this year has to finds the Unemployment office three games before before the playoffs have started, let alone before they are over.

This is not the first time that Lou has taken care of business as the season has been winding down and like that other boss of a Jersey based crew, there's not much in the way of conversation about what steps have been made and why they had to be made.

There's a code of silence it seems in the New Jersey operation, Lamoriello isn't talking, neither are the players in that Jersey dressing room. Though it is believed that the Devils seem completely in synch with Lamoriello whatever he seems to do with his "team", so it will be interesting to see how they react to the change once the playoffs get under way.

The new and final season of The Soprano's gets underway this weekend, while the playoff season will start for the Devils early next week. Perhaps we should watch Tony, to see what Lou has planned next!

Below, some of the theories and examinations of the New Jersey way...

Globe and Mail-Lamoriello lowers the boom on another coach
Newsday-Julien fired by Devils
New York Times-Devils, perched in first, dismiss another coach
Sports Illustrated-Devils' advocate
Fox Sports-Lamoriello puts Devils fortune in his hands again
Toronto Star-Lou's Devil may care attitude
Ottawa Sun-Devils drinking Lou's Kool Aid?
Ottawa Sun- Devil of a sacking
CBC Sports- Lou Lamoriello: crazy or genius
Montreal Gazette-Head Coach deserved a better fate
Globe and Mail- Business as abnormal in New Jersey
New York Post- Claude canned
New York Post-Lamoriello fires Julien, rehires himself
Newark Star Ledger-Devils: Coaching for Lou an occupational hazard at times

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