Nashville Predators head coach Peter Laviolette and assistant Kevin McCarthy were fired on Monday after five-and-a-half seasons at the club, the NHL team announced in a statement. Predators president of hockey operations David Poile said Laviolette and McCarthy had been relieved of their duties. The joint dismissal comes with the Predators, who reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 2017, outside the playoff places after 41 games. The surprise sacking also came just four days after Poile said he was "not contemplating" a change of coaching staff. However a defeat to Anaheim on Sunday appears to have prompted a U-turn, even if Poile paid tribute to the transformational reign of Laviolette in Nashville. "Under the leadership of Peter and Kevin, our organization reached unprecedented heights - from our franchise-altering run to the Stanley Cup Final to a Presidents' Trophy and our first two Central Division titles," Poile said. "Their passion for the game, ability to motivate a team and drive to be the best makes this a difficult decision. On behalf of the entire organization, I would like to thank Peter and Kevin for all their contributions to the Nashville Predators over the past five-and-a-half seasons." Laviolette and McCarthy led the Predators to 248 wins following their appointment at the start of the 2014-2015 season to the present date -- the sixth highest wins tally of any NHL franchise over the same period. rcw/bb