The Montreal Canadiens started the 2021 season with a 7-1-2 record. Their big-ticket offseason acquisitions meshed well with a returning core of talents. It appeared that coach Claude Julien had a North Division juggernaut on his hands.
Three weeks later, Julien was handed his pink slip.
In the pressure cooker of a 56-game sprint to the playoffs, the fortunes of teams shift dramatically. The Calgary Flames had won five of their last seven games on Feb. 11. Three weeks later, head coach Geoff Ward was fired from a .