Devils dump coach despite recent success
Having the New Jersey Devils in first place in the Atlantic Division with a week to go in the regular season got coach Claude Julien fired Monday.
Sound strange?
When you work for general manager Lou Lamoriello, it’s all about winning Stanley Cups.
Feeling that Julien didn’t have the team ready to make a Cup run with the playoffs scheduled to start next week, Lamoriello fired him and took over behind the bench for the second straight year.
“I don’t think we’re at a point of being ready both mentally and (physically) to play the way that is necessary going into the playoffs,” Lamoriello said outside an empty Devils locker room at the Continental Airlines Arena. “I am not saying that is going to change. But I think there has to be better focus going forward.”
The stunning move came less than a day after the Devils beat Boston for their fourth win in five games. New Jersey’s 102 points is tied for the second most in the Eastern Conference.
Julien, who was informed of his dismissal Monday morning by Lamoriello, was not immediately available for comment. He posted a 47-24-8 mark in his first season in New Jersey.
Lamoriello refused to say how long he has been considering the move, noting that Julien did nothing off the ice to get him fired.
A practice scheduled for Monday was called off after Lamoriello discussed the move with the team.
“Our job is to listen to what has been said and why the decision was made,” Devils captain Patrik Elias said. “Management said it gives us the best chance to accomplish what we want to accomplish and that is to win the (Stanley) Cup.”
Julien previously coached the Montreal Canadiens from January 2003 until January 2006.
On the ice
Blues 4, Stars 2: At Dallas, Glen Metropolit and Doug Weight scored in a 17-second span in the second period to help St. Louis stop Dallas’s four-game winning streak.
With the game tied at 1, Metropolit put the Blues in front with his 14th goal from the right circle at 13:44 after a turnover by Stars defenseman Stephane Robidas. Weight’s deflection for his 15th of the season at 14:01 extended St. Louis’ lead to 3-1.
Lee Stempniak scored two goals, including an empty-netter with 24 seconds left, and Curtis Sanford stopped 28 shots for the Blues, who won three of their four meetings this season.
Mike Ribeiro and Brenden Morrow scored for the Stars, who remain at 102 points, four behind the Pacific Division-leading Anaheim Ducks.
Dallas had gone 10-1-1 over its previous 12 games to put the pressure on Anaheim, but the Stars have only three games left to overtake the Ducks.