Going to the finals means nothing when the subsequent seasons are sub-par. Ron Wilson took the Caps to the finals in '98 (and suffered like the Canes in the finals) but took a nosedive the following 2-3 seasons. Gone as quick as he came. The Caps just fired their next coach Cassidy a few days ago as well.
I'm surprised Maurice lasted this long. Youngest coach in the NHL... now the youngest fired coach in the NHL. 😉 Cassidy, ironically, was the 2nd youngest.