Devils’ coach merry-go-round continues

SamPWoo.com – Who will be the next coach of the New Jersey Devils?

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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Vote for our hockey mascot: NJ Devil

SamPWoo.com – Devils fans. Times like these, we need to stick together and support for our beloved mascot, NJ Devil.



I came across a Facebook news feed that NJ Devil needs our help. Apparently, ESPN Radio is running a March Madness type bracket called, “Doug Gottlieb’s Mascot Madness” and NJ Devil has made it to the Sweet 16 thus far.

#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!

Devils beat “other” team 6-3

SamPWoo.com – Interesting game. The Devils never trailed. But after the third time of not maintaining the lead, they took over the game. It maybe too early to start chanting “Golf in April” for the visitors, but sure seem like they are heading that way.

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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Setting the record straight on the “hit”

SamPWoo.com – I’ve received a pretty large response to my latest blog, regarding Jeff Carter’s hit on Anssi Salmela in Monday’s game, so here’s my response to all of you who were gracious enough to write in. You can read the e-mails HERE:

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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Add Salmela to the latest Flyers’ list of victims

SamPWoo.com – When are these types of
hits ever going to stop?

I am not going to question if the hit on Anssi Salmela was premeditated because it appears it wasn’t. Flyer and Devil fans can all agree that we do not want to ever see a player laid out on the ice motionless. But why does it keep happening?

Since the lockout, Philadelphia Flyers have developed a reputation for dangerous hits that would warrant a lengthy suspension. Jeff Carter’s hit should be reviewed and whatever punishment Colin Campbell dishes out should be more than what the referees gave out last night, which was nothing.

In late 2007, NHL brass warned the Flyers’ GM about cleaning up their act. They did for awhile, but now they returned back to their old ways. I am sure Carter was remorseful, but that is not enough to stop these hits. Campbell should finally take a firm stand once and for all. These violent hits are not good for the game.

Here is the list of high profile dangerous hits by Flyers’ players since 2007:

Anssi Salmela –hit by Jeff Carter
David Booth – hit by Mike Richards
Dean McAmmond – Hit by Steve Downie
Patrice Bergeron – Hit by Randy Jones
Ryan Kesler – Hit by Jesse Boulerice
Andrew Alberts – Hit by Scott Hartnell
Matt Niskanen – Hit by Riley Cote

Here is a good article by J.P. Hoornstra. It is titled: Anatomy of a winning streak

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Unthinkable: Would Lamoriello trade Devils’ captain?

SAMPWOO.com – This definitely caught my eye this morning. I read this on fannation.com.

Jacques Lemaire is sending a message to his team by demoting Jamie Langenbrunner to the fifth line. Lemaire, no stranger to proper discipline, is the sheriff in town and he wants to shake up the environment. He wants leadership and maybe he is sending a message to Langenbrunner, who is coming off a career year last season, to not get too comfortable. Was there something to the fact that Brendan Shanahan was wearing the “C” during the last preseason game?

Langenbrunner does have a clause in his contract which would limit the Devils in having him dealt. He has two years left and with a cap hit of $2.8M per year. After having 69 points with a plus/minus +25, his stock value is high and Lamoriello could get a lot in return with the right deal. The Devils do have a glut of young talented right wingers in the system, but are they willing to rush them up in case the Devils’ captain goes elsewhere?

My opinion: this is a coaching decision rather than a personnel change. However, it does look intriguing because of the rumors swirling around in the past month of the Devils looking for a center. For now, Lemaire wants to test his players mentally and focus on winning the Stanley Cup.

e-mail: sampwoo@hockeyprimetime.com