BOSTON — On the first Monday of April 2007, the Devils had a 47-24-8 record. They were in first place in the Atlantic Division with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. They had won four of their past five games and appeared well positioned for a deep playoff run.

That’s what their coach thought. As Claude Julien prepared for a late-morning meeting with his boss, the Devils’ president, Lou Lamoriello, he had playoffs on his mind. How would the Devils deal with certain personnel issues? What kind of travel contingencies did they need to address? Julien knew the ever-meticulous Lamoriello liked to have all his bases covered.

What Julien did not know, nor could he reasonably have been expected to know, was that April 2, 2007, would be his last day as the coach of the Devils. Lamoriello abruptly fired Julien, saying he thought the team, despite its record, was nowhere near being ready for the playoffs. There were three games remaining in the regular season.

The stunned coach called his wife, Karen, from his car on the way home. She noted the time and said she thought he was coming home unusually early. He told her the news.