MONTREAL -- The wild fans, the history and the weight of expectations make the Montreal Canadiens a demanding team for any hockey coach, especially those with no NHL experience. Dwight Howard Jersey . But three who were in that position in the late 1990s and early 2000s -- Alain Vigneault, Michel Therrien and Claude Julien -- have gone on to do some impressive things in the NHL. A victory in the Eastern Conference final between Vigneaults New York Rangers and Therrien, in his second stint with Montreal, will put one of them in a Stanley Cup final. Between the three men, they will have been to the final five times. In 2008, Therrien reached the final with the Pittsburgh Penguins, losing in six games to the Detroit Red Wings. In 2011, Juliens Boston Bruins defeated Vigneaults Vancouver Canucks to claim the Stanley Cup. And in 2013, Julien had the Bruins back in the final only to lose to the Chicago Blackhawks. All three have credited the chance they got to coach middling-to-weak Montreal teams with their later success, even if their head coaching prospects were in doubt when they were eventually let go by the Canadiens. "You never know about the future," said the 50-year-old Therrien, whose team is coming off a second-round win over Juliens Bruins. "We learned a lot when we were young and that goes with experience. "Having to deal a lot with you (reporters) is a big part of our job. But it goes through a process. It goes with experience. Myself, Alain, Claude, we were young coaches at the time and we learned a lot. We started in Montreal and, Alain and me, we almost took the same route. We went back to the minors and went back to junior and the American League. "So Im glad for the success (Vigneault) had in Vancouver and New York. That was a great learning experience as a young coach to start in Montreal." There were actually four inexperienced coaches in a row, as Mario Tremblay got it started when he replaced Jacques Demers in 1995. But while Tremblay later worked as an assistant, he never got another head coaching job. In 1997, Tremblay was replaced by Vigneault, a former Ottawa Senators assistant who had been coaching in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Vigneault was replaced midway through the 2000-01 campaign by Therrien, who in turn lost his job to Julien in 2003. Vigneault was out of coaching for two seasons but returned with the junior P.E.I. Rocket before being named head coach of the Manitoba Moose, the Canucks AHL affiliate at the time. He was promoted to the Vancouver job to start the 2006-07 season and promptly took the Canucks to a division title and got the Jack Adams Trophy as NHL coach of the year, beating out Therrien and Buffalos Lindy Ruff. The Quebec City natives Canucks finished first overall in the NHL twice. But a drop-off last season saw Vancouver opt for former Rangers coach John Tortorella while Vigneault signed a five-year deal with New York. Now Vigneaults looking for another trip to the final. "My first NHL gig as a head coach was in a beautiful place, a Canadian city where hockey is passionate, hockey is demanding," the 53-year-old said. "Expectations were always very high, so I learned a lot. "I worked with some great people. It took me six years to get another kick at the can and obviously when I got my other chance, I used my experience in Montreal and my experience of going back to junior and also going to the American League and tried to help my new NHL team the best way I could. Now, this year, the Rangers have given me another opportunity and thats what Im trying to do." When Therrien left Montreal, he got a job coaching the Penguins farm club in Wilkes-Barre and was promoted to the NHL club on Dec. 15, 2005. He was fired suddenly on Feb. 15, 2009, one season after going to the final, in favour of Dan Bylsma. The new coach got Pittsburgh back to the final and avenged the defeat of Therriens team the year before by beating the Red Wings for the Cup. Therrien worked in television while waiting for his next chance, which came when new general manager Marc Bergevin hired him to return to the Canadiens at the start of last season. After Montreal, Julien was hired by the New Jersey Devils, but he also fell victim to a surprise firing late in the 2006-07 season despite a 47-24-8 record. The Bruins snapped him up the following season. Custom Charlotte Hornets Jerseys . -- Los Angeles Angels outfielder Josh Hamilton will be sidelined for at least two weeks because of a strained calf muscle, and pitcher C. Charlotte Hornets Jerseys . The 31-year-old Russian dominated the No. 3-ranked Ferrer throughout, breaking the defending champion and local favourite four times on the indoor hard court.MILAN, Italy -- Fiorentina was held to a 1-1 draw at home Sunday after a late Cagliari equalizer ended its perfect start to the Serie A season. Vincenzo Montellas team dominated but failed to make the most of its opportunities. It eventually took the lead in the 71st minute when Giuseppe Rossi nodded Alberto Aquilanis cross on for Borja Valero to head home. Fiorentina looked set to clinch a third straight victory but Mauricio Pinilla headed Victor Ibarbos cross in off the inside of the post in the final minute. Matters grew worse for Fiorentina when David Pizarro was sent off in stoppage time for a comment he made to the referee after Rossi was denied a penalty. "Since Ive been in management I have tried not to comment on refereeing decisions, but I feel the need to say something now," Montella said. "Ill accept a mistake on the pitch, but I dont accept the fact that theres no consistency in judging incidents, you see pictures of players clearly insulting the referee and they dont get punished. "There needs to be uniformity, or you lose credibility. Lets not talk about conspiracies because Im not saying or thinking that, but we cant accept certain situations after going through them last season too." Fiorentina also had star players Mario Gomez and Juan Cuadrado forced off with injuries. Gomez, who was signed from Bayern Munich in the off-season, has sprained his knee with ligament damage and could be out for up to six weeks. Fiorentina is two points behind Napoli, which still has a perfect record after a 2-0 victory over Atalanta on Saturday. Roma could join last years runner up at the top of the standings if it wins at Parma Monday. Genoa picked up its first points of the season with a 3-0 win at city rival Sampdoria in the Derby della Lanterna on Sunday night. There had been a bizarre buildup to the match with Sampdoria catching a Genoa youth team coach in full camouflage gear hiding in the bushes to spy on a training session. Luca Antonini was making his debut after signing from Milan and he got his Genoa career off to the perfect start by volleyingg home Davide Biondinis cross from 15 yards in the ninth minute. Cody Zeller Jersey. It was the defenders fifth goal in 149 Serie A appearances. Emanuele Calaio also scored on his debut, doubling Genoas lead five minutes after halftime when he fired in Sime Vrsaljkos cross. It was another new signing who sealed the points as Francesco Lodi curled one of his trademark free kicks into the top left corner in the 66th minute. That goal sparked scenes of jubilation on the Genoa bench and coach Fabio Liverani raced onto the pitch to hug the players. "After two straight defeats, many difficulties and then a derby like this, at the 3-0 we all released some of that pent up tension," Liverani said after his first ever Serie A win. "I dont think these scenes will be repeated ever again." In the afternoon matches, a clinical Lazio cruised to a 3-0 victory over Chievo Verona, with all its goals coming in the first half. Antonio Candreva got the home side off to the perfect start when his effort was deflected past Chievo goalkeeper Christian Puggioni in the eighth minute following a counter. Lazio doubled its lead against the run of play in the 38th minute. Puggioni flapped at Cristian Ledesmas cross and Luis Pedro Cavanda volleyed it in from a tight angle for his first Serie A goal. Senad Lulic all but sealed the result three minutes later, drilling home Eddy Onazis through ball. Udinese captain Antonio Di Natale snatched a point for his side as a late goal on his 300th appearance for the club secured a 1-1 draw against Bologna. Alessandro Diamanti had given Bologna the lead in the 71st minute with a stunning free kick into the top corner but Di Natale volleyed home Luis Muriels pass five minutes from time. Sassuolo remains pointless after wasting an astonishing number of chances in a 2-0 loss at fellow promoted side Hellas Verona. Raphael Martinho and Romulo scored for Verona, which beat AC Milan on the opening day of the season. The other promoted side, Livorno, beat Catania 2-0 with a second-half brace from Paulinho. Catania is also still to pick up a point. Cheap Hawks Jerseys Cheap Celtics Jerseys Cheap Nets Jerseys Cheap Hornets Jerseys Cheap Bulls Jerseys Cheap Cavaliers Jerseys Cheap Mavericks Jerseys Cheap Nuggets Jerseys Cheap Pistons Jerseys Cheap Warriors Jerseys Cheap Rockets Jerseys Cheap Pacers Jerseys Cheap Clippers Jerseys Cheap Lakers Jerseys Cheap Grizzlies Jerseys ' ' '