Poison Ivy
01-28-2002, 09:15 AM
Devils fire coach Robinson
WEST ORANGE, N.J. (AP) -- Larry Robinson was fired as coach of the struggling New Jersey Devils on Monday despite leading them to the 2000 Stanley Cup and within a victory of another title last year.
The Devils did not immediately announce a successor but said the new coach would run practice Monday. (*Note: I actually heard he would be replaced by Pens reject Kevin Constantine...blech)
Ken Hitchcock, another coach who led his team to two straight Stanley Cup finals, was fired three days earlier by the Dallas Stars.
Robinson's dismissal comes after a 1-2-1 road trip that included losses to Atlanta and Tampa Bay. The Devils tied Minnesota 2-2 on Saturday and next play Tuesday night at the New York Islanders.
The Devils, perennially one of the NHL's strongest teams, are fourth in the Atlantic Division with a record of 21-20-7-3 and are 16 points behind first-place Philadelphia.
They are in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, one spot out of a playoff position with 31 games left. The Devils have not won consecutive games since Jan. 1.
The team has made a habit in recent weeks of taking early leads and then giving them away. On Jan. 19, the Carolina Hurricanes rallied from a two-goal deficit to tie New Jersey 3-3 at home.
Robinson, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, was hired by the Devils on March 23, 2000, replacing Robbie Ftorek with eight games left in the regular season.
Robinson split those four games before guiding the Devils to their second Stanley Cup championship, beating the Stars in six games. Last season, the Devils also made the Stanley Cup final but lost to the Colorado Avalanche.
The team has since been sold by John McMullen to YankeeNets, which also owns the New Jersey Nets. The company has been trying to move both teams from their home in East Rutherford to a new arena in Newark.
<img src=http://spirit515.50megs.com/ivysig.jpg width="300" height="100"> <br><marquee><font face=comicsansms color=purple> Oh my god, like there goes another lemming</font></marquee>
WEST ORANGE, N.J. (AP) -- Larry Robinson was fired as coach of the struggling New Jersey Devils on Monday despite leading them to the 2000 Stanley Cup and within a victory of another title last year.
The Devils did not immediately announce a successor but said the new coach would run practice Monday. (*Note: I actually heard he would be replaced by Pens reject Kevin Constantine...blech)
Ken Hitchcock, another coach who led his team to two straight Stanley Cup finals, was fired three days earlier by the Dallas Stars.
Robinson's dismissal comes after a 1-2-1 road trip that included losses to Atlanta and Tampa Bay. The Devils tied Minnesota 2-2 on Saturday and next play Tuesday night at the New York Islanders.
The Devils, perennially one of the NHL's strongest teams, are fourth in the Atlantic Division with a record of 21-20-7-3 and are 16 points behind first-place Philadelphia.
They are in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, one spot out of a playoff position with 31 games left. The Devils have not won consecutive games since Jan. 1.
The team has made a habit in recent weeks of taking early leads and then giving them away. On Jan. 19, the Carolina Hurricanes rallied from a two-goal deficit to tie New Jersey 3-3 at home.
Robinson, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, was hired by the Devils on March 23, 2000, replacing Robbie Ftorek with eight games left in the regular season.
Robinson split those four games before guiding the Devils to their second Stanley Cup championship, beating the Stars in six games. Last season, the Devils also made the Stanley Cup final but lost to the Colorado Avalanche.
The team has since been sold by John McMullen to YankeeNets, which also owns the New Jersey Nets. The company has been trying to move both teams from their home in East Rutherford to a new arena in Newark.
<img src=http://spirit515.50megs.com/ivysig.jpg width="300" height="100"> <br><marquee><font face=comicsansms color=purple> Oh my god, like there goes another lemming</font></marquee>