A Sad Day For the Tampa Bay Lightning

After just 16 games, the Lightning have fired coach Barry Melrose. A horrible move that shows the incompetence of owners who are willing to do anything for short-term success at the expense of the long term. Their lack of patience led them on a spending spree this last summer that brought them in some mid-range talent for top-dollar price. A bad equation that has not paid any dividends to the team that finished in the NHL basement last season.

Melrose, who coached Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings in the early '90s, was brought in last season under difficult circumstances. The above-mentioned owners, Oren Koules and Len Barrie, proved themselves to be the biggest free wheelers in the NHL by drastically overpaying hard-working yet middle-of-the-road players like Ryan Malone and the aging vets Mark Recchi and Gary Roberts. They ignored building any type of defensive core in their focus on offense, and basically forced GM Jay Feaster to resign. The team had no team captain, was demoralized, and more than half the players on the roster were entering their first year with the team.

All in all, not a good situation for ANY coach, much less one who was 15 years removed from the league. Melrose came in and did his best, but COME ON, how do you expect to go out and have a perfect record when you have a brand new team that basically sucks as bad as it did last season? In the end, it comes down to one simple fact: Losing is a group effort. The Lightning don't suck because of Barry Melrose. The Lightning suck simply because the Lightning suck. It's too bad Barry had to be held accountable for that.

I wish him the best with whatever he chooses to do now. I personally hope he gets back on with ESPN. I love having Matthew Barnaby there, and it would be awesome to see the two of them together.

And the ode to the Great Mullet continues...

Barry! Barry! Barry!