Pucks and Pitchforks
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5 Moves New Jersey Devils Can Make To ‘Win Now’

By Charlie Borges Jr.

NEWARK, NJ - JANUARY 12: Tom Fitzgerald looks on after being named interim general manager by New Jersey Devils owner Joshua Harris while he addresses the media prior to the National Hockey League game between the New Jersey Devils and the Tampa Bay Lightning on January 12, 2020 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NEWARK, NJ - JANUARY 12: Tom Fitzgerald looks on after being named interim general manager by New Jersey Devils owner Joshua Harris while he addresses the media prior to the National Hockey League game between the New Jersey Devils and the Tampa Bay Lightning on January 12, 2020 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

1. Hire Gerard Gallant

Why in the world the Vegas Golden Knights fired Gerard Gallant is still a mystery. They weren’t spiraling like the Devils or tanking like the Detroit Red Wings. Gallant was given an expansion team and took it to the Stanley Cup Finals in the first year of its existence. The Jack Adams Award winner then followed it up with another playoff berth and was only knocked out due to that controversial call.

The Golden Knights have never faced adversity until that point. Now, the first time they saw something wrong in the regular season, the scapegoat was Gallant. Much like he was when the Florida Panthers thought it was all his fault and literally left him at the airport. That firing came after a year Gallant led the team to the playoffs in his first full season as a team.

When Gallant is given a team with talented players and a competent goalie, those teams thrive. Mackenzie Blackwood has shown that he can be a competent goalie. The Devils have talented players and it seems like they just need a head coach that can get them over the hump. Gallant seems like the no brainer when it comes to the vacancy. Yes, Alain Nassredine has done an okay job, but the team seems like it really isn’t going to go to that next level Gallant could take them. The only time Gallant had no success with a team he coached was when he was behind the bench for the mid 2000s Columbus Blue Jackets whose starting goalie was Marc Denis and leading scorer was David Vyborny. Yikes.

Most of the fans have called for Gallant’s hiring. A great way to give a reason for fans to even care about the rest of this reason is to hire Gallant and have him show what he can do. Maybe with him behind the bench everything fans thought that this season would be can finally click. The Shero firing press conference left a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths. Time for ownership to step up and atone for the left field move and bring in someone who has proven he has what it takes to succeed.

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