Wiggles1213 Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thelastonealive Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 For the next bunch of years, probably his inability as a coach. But in the long run, his success on the ice over his career in New Jersey outweighs three terrible months as a head coach, especially considering the revolving door of coaches we've had in the last few years. He'll be one of a bunch of coaches in time (a bad one, but still just a coach in a long line of them), but he'll always be the one who put the Devils in the playoffs for the first time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jagknife Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Due to the revolving door that is our coaching staff, I'll forever remember him for the '88 goal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 (edited) Even though we've had a "revolving door" as you put it, I think Johnny Mac will be remembered for his poor coaching *because* he was fired with such a horrific record. I don't think there's a Devils fan on the planet who doesn't blame Mac for the fact we didn't make the playoffs. Sure there have been other coaches fired, but when was the last time a coach got canned because he was coaching the Devils into the dumps? Larry Robinson "stepped down" after he was doing a pretty poor job coaching the 05-06 bunch, but at least he had a Stanley Cup to his name. The only other time in the past ~2 decades that a Devils coach missed the playoffs was Jacques Lemaire, and again -- he gets a pardon. What Johnny Mac did as a player (before he signed with the Rangers the year after we traded him) is awesome. 3 straight 40-goal seasons, 2nd most points in team history, stanley cup in 95. But, for me at least, he'll always be remembered as the coach who fvcked us royally. Maybe that's not fair, but hey, it's my opinion. i can't imagine that you ever saw him play, or would have any distinct memories of it. this will likely be a generational divide - those that saw him play will remember him as a player, those that didn't will remember the coaching. in a few years, this season is a distant, bad memory ('remember when stephen gionta played for NJ? etc.), but 88 is always 88. Edited June 1, 2011 by Triumph Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devs4LIFE Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 It'd be nice if he took over as the Albany coach again. I'd assume his coaching career at any professional level is over though, unless another franchise has him come in as the assistant coach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SterioDesign Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 So will i remember the guy who scored an overtime goal on a flucky rebound which could have been score by anyone on the ice really... and made the team making the playoffs for the first time after 6 years of existence or the guy who made the team crash and burn after like 14 straight seasons of making them... though call... lol but seriously im not taking anything away from his play, he was great and all but you know... im still kinda pissed at him so i have that little grudge talking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devilsfan118 Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 (edited) i can't imagine that you ever saw him play, or would have any distinct memories of it. this will likely be a generational divide - those that saw him play will remember him as a player, those that didn't will remember the coaching. in a few years, this season is a distant, bad memory ('remember when stephen gionta played for NJ? etc.), but 88 is always 88. Yeah pretty much. I wasn't alive when he scored said goal (though I obviously know of its significance to this organization in its early years), but to me I'll remember him as the tremendous failure of a coach that he was. It'll probably switch over time though Edited June 1, 2011 by Devilsfan118 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baggy Spandex Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 MacLean giveth, MacLean taketh away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharifijanov2099 Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 (edited) Let's be real. He badly wanted to be the head coach. Waited his turn (passed over more than once). And when he finally got the job, no, he didn't just step aside and quit. I don't think anyone would in his position. It's not as if he'd already been some established coach. This was his gateway into that profession. You don't just drop it when things don't go right. Yes, he seemed remarkably bad at it, and it was coupled with several unfortunate factors (Parise's injury, the emotional remnants of the Kovalchuk signing fiasco/league punishment, possible Langenbrunner attitude issues, etc.). But it was Lou's fault ultimately for not firing the guy. We didn't make the playoffs cuz Lou Lams was too chickensh!t/"loyal" to do what we all knew had to be done (months before it happened). Johnny Mac didn't intentionally screw over his career. And yeah, he'll be remembered for being one of NJ's most prolific goal scorers in history. Not for those seasons he played on the Rags or Stars. And not for his epic coaching fail. I don't think anyone will be talking about that after a few successful seasons. Heck, probably after only 1. Edited June 1, 2011 by bekim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam85491 Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Failure. Younger fanbase that is coming up has no idea about the 88 goal. Casual fans don't care about it. All they remembered is how bad we were under Mac last year and how amazing we were under Lemaire, making the failure at the beginning that much more memorable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoopscj Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 His goal, no question. It's pretty clear after watching the playoffs that the Devil's needed more scoring and a bit better defense. We weren't really going anywhere without Parise and the lack of scoring. This year was really a blessing in disguise. Our Devils had a great second half which generated some excitement. We got very lucky with the draft lottery and hopefully get a real good player from that. We are primed for a good run in the next few years with a nice combination of youth and experience. We still have holes and questions like many teams but I feel good about our chances. Sometimes you have to lay down and bleed a while and get back up to continue the battle. This year was our year to bleed. Next year we come back stronger and make a solid run. Scoops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteyNice Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 (edited) I will always remember the goal...and wearing my Devils jersey to school and talking sh!t to the Rangers fans the next day. But that's me. If you aren't a Devils fan you don't remember or care. If you are a younger Devils fan, it doesn't mean as much (And if you are a younger Devils fan, you should look up 1988. After the three Cups, it was the best season. Not only did they go on a tear at the end of the season to make the playoffs. They did it at the expense of the Rangers. And to top it off, they beat the Islanders in round 1. When the Islanders were a dominant team). Those two groups are the majority of people and to them MacLean was the awful coach who killed the Devils season. I would say this will be devastating to his coaching career. He would have to start at a lower level and work his way up. I think it is more likely that he goes into a less visible hockey operations role. Or maybe broadcasting. Edited June 1, 2011 by PeteyNice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldon Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 I'll always remember '88 more. I still get goosebumps watching the live replay of that game on 4/3/88, 2:21 of OT capping off a startling 10-1-1 stretch. Also for who we knocked out, made it more memorable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZeroGravityFat Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 i still remember the 80 second goals like it was yesterday, i will remember what a fvck up maclean was, not his goal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRASHER Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 There's also a bunch of fans who remember his demanding a trade, then signing with the Rangers the next season (I get it he wanted to keep his team local, doesn't make it sit any better)..... and there's a reason Lou was quickly giving the number 15 to other players soon after he was traded.....it's almost ironic how much of the highs AND lows MacLean's been through with this franchise...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepperkorn Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 (edited) I hope the goal..... Oh hell lets be honest - of course it will be the goal. The people that actually only remember him as a coach will say goal to commiserate with lifelong Devil fans like their brother/dad/cousin etc. I always remember him for thinking I curtsied at him when he let me run after my daughter in front of him. He stopped and gave the biggest smile to me and I was so relieved but in a hurry chasing the Beckster so I nodded and... I guess curtsied and he scrunched up his face like "wtf?" when I asked my husband why he'd be that way it was him who clued me into the fact I had just curtsied like he was royalty. Ahhhh I DO crack myself up...... yeah -- after I hit the POST button here I always imagine that face reading..... "WTF?" scrunchy icky face Scott Stevens reads and thinks "oh no... if she'd only know when to stop typing " (oh I left off the "what? oh...I'm not doing anything -- I'll be right there, dear!" ) Marty thinks "hah - she's at it again--- nothing about me?" Dano thinks "Yeah I can't read those -- but Marty said they only write like that when they're hot so she's cool I guess HAAHAAHAA" boom crash slam as he waves his arms around hither and thither (John maclean thinks what the fvck is hither thither? Who talks like that " all the bad players think Oh I HATE that bitch! -- then they get traded -- like Gomez Holik says "I don read de internet" then proceeds to quote everyone's posts verbatim and say why it's stupid or brilliant (aka what Bob thinks). Edited June 1, 2011 by Pepperkorn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepperkorn Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Seriously -- no one else amuses themselves this way? Are we just not supposed to talk about it or do you guys not just let the imagination wander insanely.... and then write about it... as you're thinking it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MantaRay Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Perhaps the biggest goal in Devils franchise history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteyNice Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Perhaps the biggest goal in Devils franchise history. Really? Jason Arnott disagrees. So does Jeff Friesen. If they had won the Cup in 88 you might have a point. Remember, they did not make the playoffs in 89. And after that they would sneak in with a low seed and get blitzed by Mario and the Pens. There was no sustained success for another six years. It was a lot of fun but I don't think it even gets in the conversation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 (edited) He was a huge reason for the fact that we missed the playoffs for the first time since I was in kindergarten. I don't think he's disasterous stretch as a head coach will just "fade" in a year. It would have been SO much different if Lemaire didn't come in and turn the season around almost instantly (there were growing paints in the beginning, but you get my point). The MacLean-Devils could barely even dream about winning a string of games, the Lemaire-Devils had the ability to beat anyone on any given night. The only difference between the two teams was the coach. there were way more differences between the two teams. the maclean coaching stretch will merely be a bad memory. bad seasons are all the same, but memorable goals are all different. so when the devils have won some playoff rounds over the next 3 years, this will just feel like a bad dream - especially if whoever the devils draft at #4 turns out to be an excellent player. and if you as a fan dwell on the negative, why are you bothering to watch sports at all? do you think flyers fans are sitting around remembering 2006-07 right now? i wasn't a fan in 88 either, fwiw. Edited June 1, 2011 by Triumph Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteyNice Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 there were way more differences between the two teams. the maclean coaching stretch will merely be a bad memory. bad seasons are all the same, but memorable goals are all different. so when the devils have won some playoff rounds over the next 3 years, this will just feel like a bad dream - especially if whoever the devils draft at #4 turns out to be an excellent player. and if you as a fan dwell on the negative, why are you bothering to watch sports at all? do you think flyers fans are sitting around remembering 2006-07 right now? i wasn't a fan in 88 either, fwiw. No, but if you asked them what they think of Ken Hitchcock I am sure you would get a negative response. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MantaRay Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Really? Jason Arnott disagrees. So does Jeff Friesen. If they had won the Cup in 88 you might have a point. Remember, they did not make the playoffs in 89. And after that they would sneak in with a low seed and get blitzed by Mario and the Pens. There was no sustained success for another six years. It was a lot of fun but I don't think it even gets in the conversation. No Maclean goal, it is possible there is no Arnott, Friesen or even Marshall goals. Johnny Mac's goal broke us away from the Mickey Mouse organization label and into a competitive organization. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quinn01 Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 For the "older" fans that were around for the goal or any near season after it, theyll remember him for that. The younger fans will know him for this past season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteyNice Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 No Maclean goal, it is possible there is no Arnott, Friesen or even Marshall goals. Johnny Mac's goal broke us away from the Mickey Mouse organization label and into a competitive organization. How do you figure that? The 88-89 they were 27-41-12. That isn't competitive. After that they hovered around .500 until Lemaire came. Bringing in Lemaire is what made this a competitive organization. It isn't like they stayed in NJ because of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
95Crash Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Watch and learn. (j/k) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS3XIYEunZQ&feature=feedlik Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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