BOSTON -- Despite their claim the suspension of Coach Jim Schoenfeld made no difference, the New Jersey Devils are glad it's over.
'At this point we're looking forward to the next game because we're going home and our coach is coming back,' defenseman Joe Cirella said after the Devils lost 7-1 to Boston in Game 5 of the Wales Conference finals.
'I didn't think it affected us. But if it did, it's all behind us now. We just weren't ready.'
An hour before Game 5, New Jersey learned Schoenfeld received a one-game suspension by NHL President John Ziegler for his run-in with referee Don Koharski after Friday night's Game 3. The Devils say their early mistakes, not Ziegler's decision, decided the contest.
'We found out (about Schoenfeld's suspension) just before we went out for warmups,' wing John MacLean said. 'I don't think it should have been a factor in how we played -- coaches don't go out and play. We had too many penalties in the first period.'
And, defenseman Bruce Driver said, the suspension shouldn't have come as a surprise.
'He was going to get the suspension two days ago anyway,' Driver said. 'The bottom line was the league suspended him. I don't know how many times an appeal is overturned. I thought he'd get a game anyway.'
General Manager Lou Lamoriello took over as coach. He worked with assistant coaches Bob Hoffmeyer and Doug McKay .
'I felt it was too much pressure to put out guys (Hoffmeyer and McKay) who have not coached,' Lamoriello said. 'I thought it was where I should take the responsibility and do the best I could.'
New Jersey, making its first trip to the NHL's conference finals, returns home Thursday for Game 6.
'We keep putting ourselves in must-win situations,' Cirella said. 'We've done it before and gotten away with it. We're young enough to do it again. We're strong enough to come back. They outplayed us tonight. We played badly. Schoenfeld's no excuse.'
And finally, after 48 hours of uncertainty, the Devils can concentrate on hockey again.
'We had a capable man behind the bench and we have no excuses for the way we played tonight,' defenseman Tom Kurvers said. 'We have to get back to a disciplined game Thursday and not take any foolish penalties.'
