SBR Top-Rated Sportsbooks
Bruce Boudreau Fired
CAPITALS FIRE HEAD COACH BOUDREAU, NAME HUNTER REPLACEMENT
The Canadian Press
11/28/2011 9:13:04 AM
Text Size
ARLINGTON, Va. -- The Washington Capitals have fired coach Bruce Boudreau, who won 200 games faster than any coach in modern NHL history but stumbled regularly in the playoffs despite a talented lineup featuring two-time league MVP Alex*Ovechkin.
Boudreau was replaced by former Capitals captain Dale Hunter, who was scheduled to lead Monday's practice and make his debut behind the bench Tuesday night when Washington hosts the St. Louis Blues to begin a three-game homestand.
Hired four years ago, Boudreau went 201-88-40 in the regular season with the Capitals but just 17-20 in the playoffs. This season he tried a new approach, emphasizing accountability and the willingness to bench his star players -- team captain Ovechkin included -- as punishment for subpar performances.
The Capitals started 7-0 -- a franchise record for consecutive wins to begin a season -- but have since slumped badly. They have lost six of eight, including a 5-1 beatdown Saturday night to a Buffalo Sabres team missing nine regular players. Ovechkin has only one goal in the last eight games.
The 51-year-old Hunter played for the Capitals from 1987 to 1999, the last five seasons as team captain, and is one of four players to have his jersey (No. 32) retired by the franchise. He played 19 NHL seasons and is the only player in league history with 1,000 points and 3,000 penalty minutes. His career total of 3,563 penalty minutes ranks second all-time.
Hunter has coached the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League for 11 seasons, compiling a 451-189-23-24 record. He became the fastest coach in OHL history to reach 300 and 400 career wins. Dale's brother Mark Hunter -*who is also*the Knights co-owner - will assume the general manager and coaching duties in London as per a team release.
Boudreau turned around a moribund franchise when he was hired in 2007, leading the Capitals to the first of four consecutive Southeast Division titles and winning the league's coach of the year award in 2008. Nicknamed "Gabby," he bought an offensive philosophy that meshed well with Ovechkin and the team's other "young guns" such as Alexander*Semin and Mike*Green, but he was never able to get Washington beyond the second round of the playoffs.
Boudreau had the team adopt a more defensive mindset during a losing streak last season, but it failed to pay dividends in the spring. The Capitals were swept by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round of the post-season.
Boudreau's assistant coaches -- Dean Evason, Bob Woods and Blaine Forsythe -- will remain in their posts under Hunter.
I really expected this to happen in the summer after Tampa swept them but it has finally happened. It was pretty clear watching the 24/7 documentary last year that the players had lost respect for him so the writing was on the wall. Ovie will probably go berserk now that Bruce is gonzo. Hopefully the Caps resort to their old school offensive, cram the puck down your opponents throats style of hockey
Reply With Quote
see ya Boobow
Originally Posted by DennisGreen
