As far as this (from the 4th Period) is concerned: "Maurice on the hot seat (Jan. 30th) Carolina coach Paul Maurice is on the hot seat in Carolina. A solid effort tonight in Tampa is the only thing that will save him from becoming the next NHL head coaching casualty. The Canes are 1-10-1 in their last 12 games. Word out of Carolina is that Maurice could be gone over the All-Star break." Personally, I don't see it happening 'cause Pete Karmanos and Jimmy Rutherford seem to be loyal to a fault. If they were going to get rid of the Boy Wonder, they would've done it a few seasons ago. Also, Jim Rutherford makes a weekly appearance on the local sports radio station and he hasn't dropped one single hint about canning the Boy Wonder. In the past, he's made threats, in public, about firing him if the team didn't step up and play like they can. Just my 2 pennies, and if it turns out that he does indeed get fired, I'll eat my hat.
A coaching change can be just thing to light a fire under a team. For example, see Atlanta's play lately, which includes a thrashing of the aforementioned Rangers (which I was lucky enought to attend). The Rangers looked totally lifeless for most of the game. It would have appeared as if the two teams had switched jerseys to someone who hadn't been following the league very closely.
Speaking for all Ranger fans let me say that we are ready for this new season. We're embracing our new coach and all of these awesome players. We're ready for that play-off run... ahhh, who am I kidding? Screw it. When does football start? Trox, clearly this is a "light a fire" firing, but it's also the last chance for Sather to save his job. It should be interesting to see how the Blue Shirts come out tonight against the Avs.
Literally two seconds after posting that last comment, SportsCenter goes to the story of Glen Sather stating that the Rangers, "will make the playoffs". While there are a lot of people out there in the sports world making predictions and guarantees, most don't have to face the music when their predictions go sour. Not so here. Ranger fans will mock Sather without mercy if the team fails. I'll give him this, he has cojones.
The Ranger's pregame show is reporting that Jim Schoenfeld was offered the job before Sather decided to take the reins. I'm pretty sure Schoenfeld was undefeated in the handful of games he coached in place of Tottier this year, and he used to be a respectacle coach in Washington, Phoenix, New Jersey, and Buffalo. I would have liked to see what he could have done. In the end it just wonn't matter, I'm guessing. The only good reason anyone could have for "lighting a fire" under this team would be if the whole roster was doused in kerosene and the Rangers had insurance on them all.
Schoenfeld was a okay coach, but never more than that. After all, his career highlight came in a post-game shouting match with referee Don Koharski in which he bellowed, "YOU FELL, YOU FAT PIG--HAVE ANOTHER DOUGHNUT!" I feel bad for Trottier, who was in a tough situation from the start. But happy in that I no longer have to hate him for being a Ranger. Where on earth is former Sabre coach Ted Nolan these days?
Schoenfeld: After a loss during the playoffs, the Devils coach waited for the referee, Don Koharski, in the tunnel leading to the dressing rooms. When the referee arrived, Schoenfeld had to be restrained by league officials and Koharski accused him of pushing him. "You're crazy, I didn't push you. Get another doughnut, you fat fucking pig."
Mookieproof, this is from a Yahoo.com article from December of 2002 "Nolan, who recently moved to this Niagara-region city, has kept busy in corporate leadership conferences and First Nations programs. He's of Ojibway background and was raised on the Garden River reservation near Sault Ste. Marie, Ont."
