New Jersey Devils’ head coach John Hynes was fired abruptly from his position after four years on Thursday, December 3, 2019. After the team’s 0-4-2 start, manager Rejean “Ray” Shero knew it was time to pull on the reins in order to rescue the 2019 season.

Currently in last place in the Metropolitan division, the Devils have clearly had a rocky beginning under Hynes’ management. Throughout the month of November, the Devils have experienced several devastating losses.

On November 8, the Edmonton Oilers smoked the Devils 4-0. On November 19, the Boston Bruins defeated them 5-1, and on November 23, the Detroit Red Wings beat them with the same score. Further, on November 22, the Devils lost 4-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins and on November 30, were once more upset by the New York Rangers, 4-0. Their record for the whole month was below .500.

The last game Hynes coached was the team’s worst performance yet. The 7-1 loss against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday, December 2 was surely enough to drive Hynes out without a second thought. Angry fans have been in favor of his severance for months. A new coach has given Devil fans all over hope for their team’s success.

However, giving Hynes the boot hasn’t automatically fixed the season. Replaced by his former assistant Alain Nasreddine, the Devils have lost four consecutive games so far. They suffered a 4-3 beating from the Vegas Golden Knights on December 3, his first day. On December 6, the Devils went into a shootout against the Chicago Blackhawks, but ultimately lost 2-1. Then, on December 7 they were defeated 6-4 by the Nashville Predators; on December 10, it was 2-0 against the Dallas Stars; and on December 13, it was 3-1 against the Colorado Avalanche.

December 14 brought the Devils’ first win against the Arizona Coyotes after a 7-game losing streak. Since then, the Devils have seen 5 wins and 5 losses.

It’s surprising that the Devils are struggling so much. Two years in a row, the team has drafted number one picks. Nico Hischier, the number one pick of the 2018 season, and Jack Hughes, first overall for this year, have scored a combined total of 16 goals so far this season. Taylor Hall, a 2010 first overall pick and 2018 MVP, leads the team with 25 combined goals and assists, with Kyle Palmieri, Blake Coleman, Hischier, Nikita Gusev, Jesper Bratt, Sami Vanaten, and Hughes trailing somewhat behind. It’s a shame with their mixture of young and experienced players that the Devils cannot manage to pull their season together.