RIP Pat Burns

Former Canadiens' head coach 88-02 Pat Burns died today after a long battle with cancer. 

I remember when he was our coach, started off badly 4-7-1 and people were calling for him to be canned(gee I guess things never change in Montreal, lose and the coach has to be fired) but he wasn't fired and the team turned it around that year after picking up Russ Courtnall.  Then went on a tear and finished 2nd overall to the Flames.

They made the Finals only to lose to the Flames thanks in part to the worst travel scheduler on the planet (our scheduler decided they should travel over night instead of during the day like the Flames so by the end of the series, we were dead and they were flying|) and the fact Patrick Roy soiled himself whenever Al MacInnis wound up for a shot.

It was downhill after that for Burns in Montreal as he lost to the Bruins in the 2nd round three straight years including an embarrassing sweep in 1992 despite our having home ice advantage.  He was not rehired and he bolted to Toronto which seemed like a slap in our face.  We won the cup the next year so no one really cared.

He had a great career as a coach and ended up with one Cup victory with the Devils.

His tenure as our coach will not be remembered all that much given he didn't win a Cup and the fact he lost to the Bruins three straight years (remember we have only lost to the them in the playoffs eight times in history), but he had a great career.

RIP Pat Burns.