NHL-Devils fire coach DeBoer

Dec 26 (Reuters) - The slumping New Jersey Devils fired coach Peter DeBoer on Friday, the NHL team said. The Devils, with a 12-17-7 record, are seventh in the Metropolitan Division with 31 points after losing their last two games. DeBoer, 46, took over in July 2011 and had a 114-93-41 record for three-plus seasons. He is the third NHL coach to be fired this season. Paul MacLean of the Ottawa Senators was dismissed on Dec. 8 and Dallas Eakins of the Edmonton Oilers was let go a week later. DeBoer led the Devils to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2012 but they have not made the postseason since. The Devils play the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Saturday. (Reporting by Gene Cherry, editing by Tony Jimenez)