Out of all of the coaches that have coached in the NHL, he was my most favorite one and for good reason.

As I write this blog, I’ll admit that I am biased, but either way, Pat Burns deserves to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame. He has all of the traits that previous inductees had: courage, determination, and leadership.

When the HHOF selection committee announced the 2010 HHOF inductees, it was shocking to believe that Pat Burns would not be joining this class. His resume included winning the Jack Adams Award three times and winning one Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils. And it could have easily been three or four cups if luck was on his side.

“Pat’s record is wonderful,” said Bill Torrey, a longtime Hall of Fame selection committee member in a phone interview with NHL FanHouse. “Everyone knows what he means to the game of hockey.”

That is an understatement.

I tell this story all the time and it still gives me chills. During the final ten minutes of the 2003 Stanley Cup finals, I’ll never forget sitting in Section 217 at the old CAA and the “PAT BURNS! (Clap clap)” chants came raining down from the nosebleed section. That was the respect that Pat Burns commanded amongst the Devils fans. It goes deeper than winning a Stanley Cup. How many first year coaches do you know that would get this type of ovation during a hockey game? Burns was everything anyone could ask for in a coach and as a human being.

“For anyone to think that our thoughts were not with Pat Burns is unfair,” said Torrey. “Committee members are not allowed to speak about the process and give specific details on the voting, but I want to make clear that Pat was certainly on our minds.”

What more could you ask for?

This is not to discredit Jim Devellano and Darryl “Doc” Seaman. Absolutely, they deserve to be inducted. But so does Pat Burns. His record stood on its own, without any pity and his coaching career was cut short. God only knows how many more Stanley Cups and Jack Adams he would have won.

We all love Pat Burns for his loyalty and his contributions to the game. With all due respect to the selection committee, they should have given more thought about Pat Burns and what he meant to his fans. His character and integrity made Lou Lamoriello teary eyed when speaking about him. I mean, the guy beat two different types of cancers for crying out loud. Whatever the reason, I’ll take the committee word that they gave him every consideration, but it still does not sit well in my stomach.

But you know what? Who really cares what this HHOF committee thinks and their reasoning. The most important thing is we, hockey fans around the world, know Pat Burns belongs in the HHOF and he will one day. Think about the Facebook group page urging Pat Burns be inducted. Last I checked, it was over 70,000 people united for this movement. A few years back, I even remembered a Devils message board raising a few thousand dollars in Burns’ name for Hockey Fights Cancer. Again, how many coaches in the modern era do we know that would command this much respect from the fans?

Only Pat Burns and he is in a league of his own.

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Jacques Lemaire’s second tour of duty did not go as planned when the New Jersey got knocked out by a surging Philadelphia Flyers team. As the jar of jelly is being cleaned up and a new serving of Lou’s Kool Aid is being made, Devils’ GM Lou Lamoriello is going to need to assess which direction this team needs to take to win the Stanley Cup.

What went well this season?

When many of the Devils’ veterans were injured during the early part of the regular season, the rookies played well as a team and had success. With Lemaire being their mentor and coach, they overachieved. The young blood were interchangeable parts but gave New Jersey the hunger and energy they lacked during the playoffs. On paper during the post season, New Jersey were stacked with playoff tested veterans but lacked the youth that gave them success during the regular season. Lamoriello should continue and bring the youth movement but be cautious who he brings in as coach. Moreover, New Jersey needs someone that can handle a group of veterans, yet let the kids play and teach them the “Jersey way” of winning.

Systems are overrated. It doesn’t matter what system a coach brings to team. As long as the players believe in it, it will work. Lemaire’s system did not fail in the playoffs. It was the players’ lack of effort and execution that failed his system. Who should be the candidates that Lamoriello should consider?

1. Tom Renney:

Renney has coaching experience on the big stage before with the New York Rangers and runs a solid boring defensive style that helped bring his team to the playoffs after experiencing years of disappointment. He handled veterans, yet knew how to use his youth and integrate them in the lineup.

2. John Stevens

Stevens was fired this season by the Philadelphia Flyers. His team always played with an edge, which usually led to suspensions for questionable hits. But he got his team ready for big games and leading them as far as the Eastern Conference finals during his tenure. His roster had a good mix of free agents signings by Paul Holmgren and some players coming up through the draft and system. He may be a good fit in New Jersey.

3. Mike Keenan

I want to see stability at the coaching position in New Jersey. However, Iron Mike would fit right in with Brent Sutter, Jacques Lemaire, Claude Julien, Larry Robinson, and even Lou Lamoriello. They do not last long. However, he would provide a no-nonsense attitude and shape up the Devils’ roster with players that want to win, not take a vacation during the playoffs. The Devils’ locker room of veterans are a tight knit group and may dictate when Iron Mike would get a pink slip. But they haven’t shown anything since 2003 other than blowing leads or not showing up.

4. Ken Hitchcock (Captain Kangaroo)

Hitchcock would be a great coach. But only if Lamoriello decides to shake up the roster with younger players and decides to trade the core veterans. I like his style but I think he will rub the veterans the wrong way and will see the unemployment line quickly.

5. John Maclean

Johnny Mac did a nice job in Lowell getting his team to the playoffs. However, they ended up like their big brother and out in five games. He needs more time down in the AHL and could be ready in the near future (after another Devils coaching change).

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The next three games will be a Game 7 for the New Jersey Devils and I feel that history will repeat itself. It is a matter of time where the “boring” left wing locking Philadelphia Divers, I mean Flyers, will be exposed.

As for the referees, you cannot rely on them to call the game correctly because they have been terrible throughout the series. They haven’t been biased, which is somewhat fair, but have been extremely inconsistent to both teams. As Don Cherry pointed out, Dan Carcillo knows how to embellish and his acting has been somewhat effective.

With Jeff Carter and Simon Gagne out, the Flyers’ roster is weakening upfront and Chris Pronger and Kimmo Timonen are logging a ton of minutes. They look slower and more fatigued since Game 1 and the Devils need to exploit this early on Game 5. The Devils forwards need to stop playing the perimeter game and take the puck to the net every time. Boucher is looking like a Vezina winner out there because he is seeing the puck well. Moreover, New Jersey needs to cause havoc if they want to put up 5 or more goals.

When asked if Game 5 is his last game as a New Jersey Devil.

“No. Because we’re going to win tomorrow,” Kovalchuk said.

Is this a Kovalchuk guarantee?

I think so and after Game 4, he called on the Kovalchuk Army and the rest of the New Jersey Devils fans to come out and help support the Devils’ comeback. Kovalchuk plays better with an edge and Devils fans have proven before they can come through when it mattered the most. Expect a loud sold out building on Red Alert.

Woo Rant of the Day

There is a parallel between Kovalchuk and Stevens.

The Devils finally have their leader, Ilya Kovalchuk. He reminds me a lot like Scott Stevens when he first came to New Jersey. If you remember, Scott Stevens felt he was going to stay in New Jersey for one year and then bolt. But after starting a family and realizing New Jersey is the best place to raise kids, he resigned with New Jersey and the rest is history. I feel the same way about Kovalchuk. With a newborn and being an unrestricted free agent, you figure that he would want to be part of a winning organization, unlike his previous team, and raise his kids in a place like the Garden State.

To me, Kovalchuk is a leader and he plays with an edge. The same edge and mean streak that Scott Stevens played with and it is a killer instinct to get things done. It will not happen over night, but Kovalchuk is exactly what New Jersey needs if they want to be brought back to the elite Stanley Cup contenders every year. When Stevens came to New Jersey, the Devils had issues getting past the first round. But then, a dynasty was born and the rest is history. If the Devils resign Kovalchuk, make him captain.

The only Devils’ forward other than Kovalchuk that has played with the same amount of intensity is Dainus Zubrus. Zach Parise, as talented and hard worker he is, needs to step up his game and the post game cliches are getting old. Stop playing the hockey game like a cub scout and become a nasty beast in front of Boucher’s net. And I hope the Devils’ current captain gets the same memo.

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#6 NJ Devil Vs. #7 Ragnar Viking

After upsetting the #3 ranked, Rally Monkey, we, as Devils fans, need to ante up all of our online poker chips and go all in. Let’s win this Mascot Madness tournament and bring some good karma before the Stanley Cup playoffs. You think I am crazy?

I’ve always lived by the mentality that it has been “Devils fans against the world.” Getting NJ Devil to win the ESPN Radio award will show the entire Devils players, management, and the entire hockey community that we are committed to winning. After all, that is the fabric and foundation of the New Jersey Devils’ winning culture in the first place. All of us, whether you are a ticket representative, janitor, scout, season ticket holder, or even the owner, winning the Stanley Cup is our first priority every year.

For every rail slide, prank, chest bump, t-shirt toss, or even asking the loud Devils fans to politely quiet down at the New Jersey state capital building during Martin Brodeur Day, NJ Devil has always been there for us. He is that trusted friend you always wanted to be at your wedding and can count on at every Devils game. It is time we pay homage to the mascot that has kept us smiling and cheering for our New Jersey Devils.

Are you interested in helping NJ Devil?

Let’s organize and vote. Get anyone, whether they like hockey or not, to vote for NJ Devil throughout Mascot Madness. Cut and paste this link on your Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, post on websites, or even send it VIA e-mail. Keep checking my blog for updates and let’s win one for New Jersey!

Here is the Facebook Fan Page and pass it along:

Facebook Group

Primetime Radio Group

VOTE FOR NJ DEVIL!

I applauded Henrik Lundqvist before the game. For the first time, I saw him take off his goalie helmet and stood for the national anthem. I was pretty happy about that because I could not understand why for years, he never did so. Kudos to him. Maybe he didn’t know and finally got the memo.

It was a very lively crowd at the Rock. I met some great fans last night and it was a spirited affair. After yelling “Long Live Denis Potvin” chants, tons of confetti was raining down and the Devils have an offensive team, yet are struggling defensively. Jacques Lemaire’s teams have traditionally been great defensively, but I think this team may be more geared towards a high tempo game. Still about 5 more weeks of regular season hockey to fine tune the well oiled winning machine.

And I thought my 19-0 victory over the New York Rangers was bad. Checkout this “other” fan’s prediction:

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NHL Headshots

Reality Glitch

No rest for Bergeron, B’s Olympians

Kovalchuk off to slow start in Newark

Devils still ranked #5

Friday’s trade deadline roundup

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Look. I’m not trying to be “homerific,” as I was called by one kind Flyers fan.

I’m not saying that the hit wasn’t clean or, for that matter, that there was any part of the hit that was illegal. There wasn’t. It was a clean hit on a player that was, unfortunately, in a vulnerable position.

But that’s just it. The player was in a vulnerable position making the hit, no matter how clean, a dangerous hit.

Unfortunately, a lot of these hits happen to occur when the Flyers are involved. Physical play is engrained in the fabric of this team and with physical play sometimes comes reckless play and that’s exactly what this hit was — reckless.

I don’t think that it was pre-meditated. I don’t think that Carter’s intent was to injure Salmela and I honestly do believe that he feels remorseful about the hit.

But here’s where the recklessness comes into play.

One of the justifications for the hit was “If there is a rebound and Salmela puts it in, it’s Carter’s fault for not hitting him.”

That just isn’t true.

If there’s a rebound and Salmela puts it in, it isn’t Carter’s fault for not hitting him; it’s Richards’ fault for not tying up his stick and allowing him a second chance. It was Richard’s man.

This hit was so reckless because of the fact that Carter didn’t need to hit him to prevent him from scoring. Richards was right there with him and could have easily tied him up to prevent the rebound from coming home.

My point in all of this is that it wasn’t an illegal hit. By the letter of the law, it was 100% legal. But that doesn’t mean it was a clean hit.

After the puck was in the net, Salmela was in a dangerous position, with his back to Carter, with another player draped on him.

There was absolutely no reason to hit him — especially not that viciously.

That was my point. Not that the Flyers suck or that the Flyers are a dirty team or even that Jeff Carter should be drawn, quartered, and suspended for life.

My point was that the league needs to come down on these types of hits firmly. They need to do away with headshots or dangerous hits like these. Trust me, I am all for a physical brand of hockey, but only if it is done responsibly. Where is the respect for the player and the game?

Unfortunately, it’s likely going to take someone getting seriously injured, or even death, before the league decides to take any sort of action on anything like this, especially when a star player involved.

Hockey Primetime’s Three Stars of the Night (2.10.2010)

NY Daily News should be informed that the Devils don’t play at the Izod Center

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I have an idea. If Animal Planet wants to gain some market share in ratings next season, they should have the Puppy Bowl, Hosted by Michael Vick.

The program should also help raise money for animal shelters or organizations to help stop dog fighting.

What do you think?