NEW YORK -- Game 1 under the New Jersey Devils' coaching triumvirate is in the books, and it yielded similar results to the previous 36 games played under former coach Peter DeBoer.
One day after firing DeBoer, Devils president and general manager Lou Lamoriello unveiled his three-man operation Saturday against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Adam Oates and Scott Stevens were added to the coaching staff to work behind the bench with Lamoriello, who is in a supervisory role for an undetermined about of time.
Although the tune was familiar, a 3-1 loss that dropped the Devils (12-18-7) to second-to-last in the Eastern Conference and 11 points out of the second wild-card spot, the vibe on the bench was positive.
"First of all, it was interesting watching and listening and seeing what was transpiring," Lamoriello said. "I thought it was extremely positive. The bench was extremely alive. We never got overly frustrated at any given time."