A month ago, New Jersey Devils fans wanted Lindy Ruff out as the team’s head coach. Following consecutive losses against the Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings to start the season, fans booed the bench boss as he was introduced to the home crowd and chanted “Fire Lindy” at Prudential Center.
On Saturday, the fan base changed its tune and made up for the mistake by chanting “Sorry, Lindy” during the Devils’ 4-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes that pushed the team’s record to 12-3-0.
Last week, Ruff had mentioned in an interview with NJ Advance Media how he “didn’t need an apology” because he sympathized with “how passionate” Devils fans are. Fans believed he deserved one anyways.
After Saturday’s game, Ruff couldn’t help but smile, saying: “I accept the apology and maybe one day we can all sit down and have a beer and laugh about it.”
Ruff was brought in to take over the Devils in 2020 in order to get the franchise back on track, but New Jersey finished in seventh place in the Metropolitan Division in each of his first two seasons at the helm.
It’s been a different story so far in 2022-23. The 62-year-old has lifted the Devils to the top of the Metropolitan Division standings with 24 points — four points better than the second-place New York Islanders. The team is currently riding a nine-game winning streak, the third-longest in franchise history.
Young players like Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes are leading the way and have become the top three point scorers on the team. Underlying metrics show the hot start is not a fluke, either.
The Devils will try to extend their winning streak to 10 games on Tuesday when they travel to Montreal to take on the Canadiens.
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