Breaking News: Melrose Fired in Tampa

From TSN:

The Tampa Bay Lightning have relieved head coach Barry Melrose of his duties and named associate coach Rick Tocchet interim head coach.

”This was a tough decision to make,” Executive Vice President & General Manager Brian Lawton said. ”Barry is a good man and we have a great deal of respect for him. We wish him nothing but success.  However, the results were unacceptable and the players have to understand that we need to be better. Hopefully this change helps push them.

Tampa Bay’s organization is demonstrating tremendous patience this season!  I mean, they spent a long time waiting for Matt Carle to develop and now they gave Barry Melrose a significant amount of time to coach for the first time in over a decade (SARCASM DETECTOR). 

I don’t understand this move in the least.  You bring back Melrose from television and give him less than 20 games to prove himself?  With a roster that has hardly played together and was mostly signed in the off-season?  Am I missing something?  What did the Bolts’ management expect? 

Melrose never got a fair shake in Tampa Bay and he is probably excited to get back into television work after this short experience. 

How long do we give Rick Tocchet before he’s on the firing line?  Two months?