The Devils family lost one of their own with the passing of Pat Burns yesterday at the age of 58 after a long bout with cancer.Burns led the Devils to the last Stanley Cup that the team won in the 2002-03 season.
Burns coached the Bruins,Canadiens and Maple Leafs as well as the Devils in a long and distinguished career.
New Jersey was the final stop in Burns coaching career and the Devils enabled him to win his only Stanley Cup.
Burns left the Devils shortly after being diagnosed with cancer and would never coach again,although the teams continued to employ him as a scout and team advisor.
Pat Burns might have been my favorite of the Devils coaches,although Larry Robinson seemed to be a really nice person and easy to play for,Robinson was the type that players could take advantage of and know that Robinson would let some things slide.
There were never any such occasions when Pat Burns was running a club-that is definite.
Burns demanded accountability from his players on both ends of the ice and wasn't afraid to put the hammer down when assignments were missed..
The Devils lost a lot when Burns was struck ill as he seemed to be the one coach that really defined the Devils team mantra and I still think that had Burns avoided his illness that he very well may be still the Devils bench boss today.
Somehow I do not believe that some of the topics that the Devils are going through right now would not be taking place on a Pat Burns coached team.
Our best to the Burns family and rest in peace,coach.
Meanwhile,I finally get to talk about the Devils 3-1 loss in Toronto after a long day yesterday that was spent talking everything but hockey in a fun and enjoyable time with my brother.
Believe or not,I even got a compliment or two,which is always refreshing to hear when you are a jerk like me!
Anyway the Devils continue their less than stellar ways in the defeat that was less than exciting to say the lease.Dainius Zubrus (2) scored the only Devil net burner.
The Devils are in St.Louis tonight,so coverage is unlikely due to the Central time zone start of 8 PM.
Hell Raisers
1) Dull,Dull,Dull-Lots of dump and chase from two teams that are exactly the opposite of high scoring.This might have been the most boring game of many this season.
2) Martin Brodeur left after the second period with pain in his elbow that was injured early in the season.Brodeur allowed two of the Toronto goals with Johan Hedberg finishing up.
Brodeur is not in St.Louis for tonights game and Mike McKenna has been called up from Albany .
Hedberg is the likely starter,although McKenna is a St.Louis native and the Devils could give him the nod to make his NHL debut in his hometown.
3) After another loss,the team held another closed door meeting to address the issues of well,why they are playing so bad.Most meetings are a bunch of "we gonnas" anyway,so short of a roster move,which is inevitable sooner or later,this likely is just another meaningless gesture.
4) Injuries have hurt the team and looking at this list there is no doubt about that.
RW Jamie Langenbrunner (sore neck), LW Zach Parise (torn meniscus right knee), C Jacob Josefson (detached ligament in left hand/thumb), D Matt Taormina (sprained left ankle), D Bryce Salvador (concussion), D Mark Fraser (fractured right hand), D Anssi Salmela (torn ACL, meniscus right knee).
At the same time,can you blame injuries for everything?
Sometimes,one can make a good argument that hard work can cancel some of the issues out a bit and it seems to me that the team has several players that just are lacking the certain unnamed something this season.
We are getting to the point of beginning to name some names,I have been hesitant thus far,but time is running short...
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