Paul Maurice Fired as Head Coach, Kirk Muller In

Well, can’t say I didn’t see this coming.  Speculation surrounding the firing of head coach Paul Maurice has filled the media waves over the past few weeks, as the ‘Canes continue to spiral downward in the standings.  Maurice’s second run as head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes has come to an end, with former Habs assistant coach Kirk Muller named as his replacement.  Muller had been coaching the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League over the past two months prior to the hiring.

Paul Maurice has been relieved of his second round of duties as the Hurricanes' head coach.

ANALYSIS: Absolutely brilliant is one way to put it.  As much as I respect Maurice for all the good things he’s done, which I will focus later, it was time.  As the saying goes, when things goes bad, it’s much easier to fire one person than the entire team.  A brief glimpse of hope after back-to-back wins against the Leafs and Flyers faded away fast, and yesterday’s loss ultimately sealed Paul Maurice’s fate.

One problem was that Maurice’s system just didn’t work.  The offense has been extremely inconsistent, and Jeff Skinner has really been the team’s only threat thus far this season.  Oh, and don’t forget about the powerplay.  If you’re one of the teams that consistently draws penalties, you should be capitalizing on them… right?  Don’t tell the Hurricanes’ 12.2% PP efficiency that.  Dump and chase was a favourite tactic of Maurice’s, and 9 times out of 10 it just resulted in the defending team bringing the puck out.

So while the offense has been average at best, the defense has been downright atrocious.  It is no wonder that this team has allowed the most goals so far this season, and while Cam Ward hasn’t exactly been stellar of late, it’s really hard for any goaltender to perform at his best when he is forced to fend for himself game in and game out.

Which brings me to my next point: accountability.  As a coach, you have to hold your players responsible when they are not performing at a level that they should be.  Exhibit A: Tomas Kaberle.  A dismal 5 points, all assists, and a -10 to boot.  It took Maurice 24 games to finally address Kaberle’s poor play, with a good ol’ benching.  Okay, great.  Now what?  I guess we’ll never find out, but chances are that Maurice would’ve played the line juggling game that he so enjoys playing.

But enough of Maurice.  Let’s talk about the newest man in town, Kirk Muller.  Praise poured in from all around the league upon news of his hiring.  Here’s a couple quotes from Montreal Canadiens players, taken from this article:

“He’s a very personable guy. He knows the game. He’s knowledgeable about the game and he relates well with the players.” – Brian Gionta

“I wasn’t expecting that to happen so quickly, but I’m happy for him. He’s a really good guy. He’s got a lot of experience dealing with hockey players. He had a pretty good hand in things here. … I think Kirky is exactly what they needed. He’s an optimistic guy. He demands a lot from players, but he’s an approachable guy so I think he’s going to fit in there well.” – Carey Price

Kirk Muller has been introduced as the new Head Coach of the Carolina Hurricanes.

Now that’s what I like to hear.  A player’s coach, yet one who “demands a lot,” as Price himself said.  Sorry Paul Maurice, but line juggling can only do so much.  Not to mention letting players such as Zach Boychuk and Zac Dalpe rot on the 4th line.

More importantly, Muller will bring to the team a brand-new spanking system.  He’s been known to bring a defense-first, trap-style system, but also will not shy from offense.  After all, you can’t win games without scoring goals.

It will definitely be interesting to see the results come April, and only time will tell if the ‘Canes can climb out of the cellar in the Eastern Conference and fight their way back into playoff contention.

Best of luck to Paul Maurice, though.  I will never forget the 2009 Cup run that saw the 6th seeded Hurricanes take out #3 New Jersey and #1 Boston in two fantastic seven-game series.  Those playoffs will hold a spot in my heart as a ‘Canes fan forever.  But the books have closed on the Paul Maurice era.  Out with the old, in with the new.  Welcome aboard, Captain Kirk.