Are you an NHL coach? Do you still have a job, or have you been fired? We don't really know as you are all in a state of quantum superposition.

Yesterday, the Devils fired their General Manager Tom Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald fired as Devils general manager | NHL.com
New Jersey is 7th in Metropolitan Division, on pace to miss playoffs for 2nd time in 3 seasons
NHL logoNHLMedia

That came after the shock firing of Patrick Roy on Sunday by the New York Islanders, presently battling for a playoff spot and with only four regular season games left, to hire Peter DeBoer, which in-turn came after the Vegas Golden Knights fired head coach Bruce Cassidy and replaced him on an interim basis with John Tortorella.

Is this all the baseball equivalent to bringing out a closer to pitch in the 9th, or is this simply a case where the coaches and GMs are both simultaneously dead and alive. It's Schrödinger's Management out there right now. Anyone could be the living cat, or the dead cat, and when the team owner opens up the box to look we find out.

Toronto Marlies

After a disappointing weekend where the Marlies lost two straight games to the Charlotte Checkers, and other teams in the playoff race won or lost games that adversely affected the Marlies chances, there was a pile-on last night with the Rochester Americans, the team behind the Marlies in the standings winning in a shootout against the Cleveland Monsters, meaning the Amerks got two standings points to close in on the Marlies and the Monsters got one to stay above them, further dimming the hope of the Marlies getting into the playoffs without having to go through the play-in round and opening up the possibility they wind up without home-ice advantage too.

Alex Nylander noted that the Checkers won the board battles consistently because "they just had more of a push than we did," adding "we have to take a page from that book, and we've done it before, and we have to get back to that mentality, we've done it before."

The Marlies next game is tomorrow, a school day event at 10:45 a.m. at the Coliseum against the Utica Comets. A win in that game, or even an OT loss, will clinch the Marlies a playoff spot, but Utica has been on fire lately, and they actually knocked the Belleville Senators back to last place in the division. LOLSNES.

The Marlies also made some moves yesterday, signing two Maple Leafs draft picks to Amateur try-out contracts, Tyler Hopkins from the OHL Guelph Storm, and Harry Nansi from the Owen Sound attack.

Don't expect them to appear in games immediately, as usually players on ATOs take some time to transition. If you want to know more, Brian made a deep dive into Harry Nansi's development last November.

Maple Leafs Prospect Report: Harry Nansi’s Breakout Is Beginning
One of Toronto’s more exciting late round picks has been showing signs of the breakout that I had been expecting/hoping for.
PPP LeafsBrian S

Here's some highlights and further information for you.

LOLOILERS

Draisaitl may not be ready by start of playoffs for Oilers | NHL.com
Forward out since March 15 with lower-body injury; Hyman could play before regular season ends
NHL logoDerek Van Diest

Finally, "you must construct additional pylons."

Capitals call for Protas
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