Panthers fire coach Gallant after slow start

Notes: According to social media reports posted following the game, Florida head coach Gerard Gallant was relieved of his coaching duties following the game. While Rowe has coaching experience, he’s relatively unproven leading an National Hockey League team from the bench. Rowe was promoted to general manager before the season and has coached the Panthers’ AHL teams in San Antonio and Portland, Maine in recent years.

Jaromir Jagr enters Tuesday’s action tied with Chris Chelios for fifth place on the NHL’s all-time list with 1651 career games played. The GM who pulled the trigger on Gallant was former Canes assistant coach Tom Rowe, in his first season as Panthers general manager. “There are a few things we need to get moving in a different direction and need to do it quickly”. And when I say fast, it doesn’t just mean skating.

The 60-year old Rowe is largely responsible for putting together a team this offseason that management has deemed as underachieving.

His run under the Panthers’ new analytics-based regime lasted just 22 games.

Chicago has tallied 31 points in its first 23 games to jump atop the Western Conference’s Central Division. “That was disappointing because we played 55 good minutes tonight, but it wasn’t enough”. Unfortunately, you know, Gerard was the end result of that.

“Then once we got skating, we looked a little better”.

President of Hockey Operations Dale Tallon announced the moves in a statement.

Not so much anymore.

Though Rowe rejected the notion that there was any “friction” between Gallant and the front office, he did concede there were differences in opinions.

Timing is everything in sports, and so is lack of timing, as the Florida Panthers showed Sunday night in their firing of coach Gerard Gallant. However, the Jack Adams curse has struck again, with Gallant being fired following Sunday’s loss against the Hurricanes. The Panthers also fired Mike Kelly, Gallant’s top assistant. “Especially the way we played, we felt unfortunate that we didn’t come away with any points in those last two games”.

“Really big believer in the D-zone being more area than man on man”, he said.

It is only November and the Florida Panthers aren’t messing around.

The decision has rekindled the at-times ugly debate on social media between the advanced stats fraternity and the old schoolers who insist heart and hockey sense cannot tangibly be measured by numbers. “He gets the most of his players by getting them to work hard, make sure everybody’s playing the right way”.

Gallant, 53, was hired by Tallon on June 21, 2014 and given a two-year extension last season.

“We just said we would be making a coaching change, didn’t get into a whole lot of detail”.