The days of “In Dean We Trust” feel like a distant memory right now.
Team USA lost their third, and final, round robin game to the Czech Republic yesterday. They finished the 2016 World Cup of Hockey with an 0-3 record. They were outscored 11-5. They were easily the worst team in the weaker of the two tournament groups. It was under Dean Lombardi’s watch. It was, in every respect, a failure.
And somehow, that’s both the best and the worst thing you can say about Lombardi’s role in this debacle. John Tortorella was the wrong coach.