This just in: Barry Melrose is canned just 16 games into the season as head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning. I definitely did not see this coming. As much of a rebuilding project that might be down in Tampa, I did not think that management would give up on someone like Barry so quickly. But hey, at least he lasted longer than Denis Savard in Chicago with that talent-laden squad, eh?
Now, I know Barry didn't have the best relationship with the players, often ripping into them about their sub-par performance and underachieving. I don't know if there's a link, but he did not attend practice yesterday. Could this have been the deal breaker, or was he just getting his stuff packed? It might not be exactly the same, but I do see some parallels to the move made by the Caps last Thanksgiving, firing Glen Hanlon and bringing in Bruce Boudreau. They have a good team, a little rough around the edges, a possible rookie of the year candidate, and some very solid forwards in St. Louis and Lecavalier. And they have Olie in goal as well, so he knows exactly what it's like. Maybe it's a move to try to shake things up in the organization hoping to turn a sour start into a playoff push. Since many people are looking to the Caps as the model for rebuilding, I don't blame them from mimicking our style. In any event, best luck to Barry Melrose. I have a feeling we'll all be seeing plenty of him soon enough.
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