Stan and Scotty Bowman won.



The Blackhawks fired the second-winningest coach in NHL history on Tuesday, jettisoning Joel Quenneville after the best 10-year stretch in the history of the franchise. It’s as unthinkable as it was inevitable, the end of a power struggle that has lasted more than six years. And if you have any doubt about that, just look at whom the Blackhawks have named an assistant coach in the wake of the firing of Quenneville and his top two lieutenants, Kevin Dineen and Ulf Samuelsson: Barry Smith.



It was Smith, you might remember, who was foisted upon Quenneville during the 2011-12 season against his wishes, ordered by Bowman to join Quenneville on the ice to work with the anemic power play. Multiple sources said Quenneville was furious and angrily confronted Bowman about it. Smith was reporting back to Bowman directly, and Quenneville strongly resented his presence.



Quenneville was closer to being fired after that season than most...