Devils fire head coach Lindy Ruff, Travis Green in charge

Ice Hockey, Featured, New Jersey Devils, Professional

March 4, 2024

Lindy Ruff was relieved of his duties as head coach for the Devils on Monday after New Jersey fell to the Kings, 5-1, on Sunday.

The Devils play the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, where associate coach Travis Green will debut as the Devils' interim head coach. Green was brought onto the coaching staff over the summer to help the forwards and the power play. He has experience coaching in the NHL with the Vancouver Canucks where he had a 133-147-34 record and reached the playoffs.

New Jersey ended last season third overall in the league and second in the Metropolitan division. A season full of breaking records, a 52-22-8 record, long win streaks, and exciting playoff games led to high hopes and expectations for this season.

With 21 games left in the season, the playoffs are almost entirely out of reach for the Devils, as they currently have a 30-27-4 record.

If the Devils want to make a playoff push, they must win most of their remaining games. The Devils have a rough schedule going forward as they take on teams like the Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers, Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights in the next few weeks.

As the record shows, the Devils have not been winning nearly as much as they did last season, but that does not tell the entire story. The Devils have been inconsistent throughout the season, which falls back on the coaching staff.

Another questionable move from Ruff was his misusing the players. Alex Holtz, Timo Meier, and each goalie have been missed. Holtz was demoted to a bottom-six role with minimal playing time. Meier plays on his off-wing and is not used correctly on the powerplay if he is even used. Regarding the goalies, each has been run into the ground, as Ruff would make them start many games in a row.

Although New Jersey have been cursed with injuries all season, there is no reason for a team with this much talent to be stuck in the bottom half of the league.

With a new voice in the locker room, the Devils season is restarting at a crucial time. Will this coaching change make a difference, or is it too late?