On the heels of a shocking change in Vegas, where the Golden Knights have fired Bruce Cassidy with just 8 games remaining, one can’t help but draw parallels and reminisce to that of the 2000 New Jersey Devils.
Just over 26 years ago, it was the New Jersey Devils and GM Lou Lamoriello who gave the axe to then coach Robbie Ftorek with just over a two weeks to go in the regular season. At the time the Devils led the entire Eastern Conference with a 41-20-8-5 record. With 10 losses in their last 16 contests, Lamoriello sprung to action.
At the time New Jersey had a team built that was ready to win. With two future HOF defensemen in Scott Stevens and Scott Niedermayer, the arguable best goaltender of all time in Martin Brodeur, the franchise’s most electric line ever in Arnott-Elias-Sykora, a solid influx of rookies playing major roles in Scott Gomez, John Madden, Brian Rafalski and Colin White, and with several playoff failures in their recent history, Lamoriello was on a mission to maximize his results.
Much like Bruce Cassidy, Ftorek was a great leader and mentor to younger players, but his stern approach would begin to wear on some veterans, who were not in need of such micro management. In the eyes of Lou Lamoriello, the only way out of this Devils slump was a bit more relaxed style that would rejuvenate a spiraling squasd. At that time Lamoriello turned to the player friendly assistant coach, Larry Robinson to right the ship, and right the ship he did.
Robinson was able to command the room when needed but could be somewhat laissez-faire as the Devils roster was chock full of veteran leaders. Players like Ken Daneyko and Claude Lemieux along with the aforementioned vets above would keep the young guys accountable when needed as the constant, almost nit-picky, pressure Ftorek brought was lifted from the room.
The refreshed and relieved Devils would go just 4-4 to finish the season under Robinson, when the playoffs began they were ready to go.
The journey to the team’s second Stanley Cup was not without bumps in the road. In a near fatal 3-1 hole against Philadelphia in the Conference finals, a rare Robinson tirade shook the team to the core. “They wanted to do it their way” Robinson quipped angrily to media post game. According to Devils players a few things were thrown, perhaps a training table as well as some profanities, as Robinson pleaded for the team to adhere to his game plan.
From there New Jersey won seven of their next nine games en route to the franchise’s second Stanley Cup.
With what also can be seen as a ready to win Vegas roster, can the Golden Knights mirror the success of this Devils team from a quarter century ago? Cassidy’s replacement in John Tortorella often yields early success when called to duty. Any added spark that this change may trigger could lead Vegas on a legendary run towards attaining hockey’s biggest prize, eerily similar to that of Robinson and New Jersey.