![]() Adam Pro-d'oh says it's nobody's fault but the team's that the New Jersey Devils have underperformed this season, and a coaching change will send a message to the players.
The New Jersey Devils have been a disappointment thus far this season. With a little less than one-third of the season still to play, they’re out of a Stanley Cup playoff position, and the heat is now squarely on coach Lindy Ruff.
Unfortunately, Ruff came out late last week and said reporters were putting excess pressure on Devils players about the power play. Ruff could’ve taken the high road and kept the blame in-house, but it speaks to his desperation that he went after reporters. To his credit, Ruff later came out and clarified that, ultimately, he was responsible for the state of the team. However, we’re reaching the point of no return for the Devils’ season, and New Jersey GM Tom Fitzgerald is facing a tough decision – keep Ruff employed the rest of the season or change coaches now and attempt to jump-start a team that needs a long stretch of excellent hockey just to keep pace in the lower middle of the competitive Metropolitan Division. But let’s be frank – it’s not the media's or the fans’ fault the Devils haven’t put together even a modest three-game winning streak since late December. It’s not the fault of anyone but the organisation that it currently sits as the seventh-worst defensive team in the entire league, nor is it anyone else’s fault New Jersey’s special teams are mediocre at best. Similarly, while the Devils have had their share of injuries – and while goaltending has hurt them greatly this year – New Jersey’s all-around depth was supposed to be a strength, at least in the minds of observers who pegged them as an elite team in the Metro. It just hasn’t happened, and the ensuing letdown has been real and painful. No, the fault is Ruff’s – and that’s why it's time for a change behind the bench. Whether Fitzgerald brings in a new face – say, veteran Gerard Gallant – or turns the reins over to a current Devils assistant coach like Travis Green, the point is that a different voice is now a must. Ruff’s experience has amounted to not enough positive play from his Devils this season, and even in the few moments most of their talent was healthy and playing, New Jersey was a study in inconsistency. Changing coaches wouldn't be a panacea for the Devils, but it would send a message to the players that the onus is now on them to correct course. If they hope to usurp a divisional rival and earn a wild-card playoff berth, they need a fresh take and a new start. And the best way to do that is by changing coaches. It’s a hockey tale as old as time – the coach has to be the first to fall after extended struggles, and after that, maybe this summer, bigger roster changes will be necessary. For the moment, though, Fitzgerald’s best move would be to dismiss Ruff. He isn’t the first bench boss to wear the blame for his players, and he won’t be the last. The time has arrived to bring in a new coach in New Jersey, and the power to avoid that fate is basically out of Ruff’s hands. He needed a massive win/loss turnaround weeks ago, and because it hasn’t materialised, it’s now time to pay the price.
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