ST. PAUL, Minn. _ Wild coach Bruce Boudreau was fired Friday morning and will be replaced, on an interim basis, by assistant Dean Evason.
Boudreau, in his fourth season, got the word he was being dismissed at Tria Rink from first year general manager Bill Guerin.
"The most important thing is the players are going into this stretch run on a high, and I felt like they just needed a different voice right now," Guerin said at a news conference.
"I expect this team to compete for a playoff spot. I think maybe some adjustments or a different voice that Dean will bring will help the guys."
The Wild, who have points in eight of their past 11 games, blew a 3-1 third period lead Thursday night at Xcel Energy Center and lost 4-3 to the New York Rangers in a shootout. They are 27-23-7 this season and have 61 points, three short of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
"Last night was a game we should have won," Guerin said.
"It's not one win, one loss, one week, it's a series of things. I just felt the timing was right. ... If players are hurt by this, then maybe they're players we shouldn't have here.
"There has to be accountability, and people are going to be held accountable."
