Lamoriello Pulls Another Riley

Despite his team's first-place standing in the NHL's Atlantic Division, New Jersey Devils GM Lou Lamoriello has summarily dismissed coach Claude Julien and will coach the team himself for the remainder of the season, which consists of a week and then the playoffs.  This is the second time in as many years the perfectionistic Lamoriello has taken his own coach's job.

Despite what must be an intense degree of negative karma, this very maneuver was a success for Pat Riley's Heat inthe NBA last year. Having brazenly usurped a hapless Stan Van Gundy, Riley went on to coach Dwyane Wade and friends to the championship.  For his part, Lamoriello has already won three championships in eleven years.  Karma:  a myth. (More NHL stories.)