H YNES IS NEW HEAD COACH OF PREDATORS

John Hynes went just over one month without an NHL coaching gig, a run that ended when he was named to the Nashville Predators’ top spot on Tuesday. Hynes takes over for Peter Laviolette, who was fired Monday. Hynes was dismissed by the New Jersey Devils on Dec. 3 after the team got off to a 9-13- 4 start. “This is a tremendous opportunity to join an organization with a history of success, a team with immense talent and a phenomenal fan base,” Hynes said in a statement. “I’m excited to come in and try to maximize this team’s abilities.” The Predators were off to their own underachieving start this season, going 19-15-7 before Laviolette was dismissed. The final straw was a 5- 4 shootout defeat to the struggling Anaheim Ducks on the road Sunday night. Hynes, 44, was 150-159-45 in five seasons with the Devils, taking them to the first round of the 2017-18 playoffs, where they were defeated in five games by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Nashville was in sixth place in the Central Division heading into Tuesday’s action.