Logical Progression wrote:
Boudreau's playoff sample size is too big to ignore. He shares equal if not greater culpability with respect to his teams lack of playoff success -- which spans a decade. I still think he will find work as a head coach in the NHL again. Just don't expect him to be the front runner to be head coach for the next stacked team that comes along.
That narrative kinda ignores the fact though that Washington had an EXTREMELY good lineup that had one piss-poor showing in the playoffs, and subsequently panicked (call it St. Louis Blues Syndrome). They purposely became a much worse team over time because of that age-old adage that has ruined so many other promising hockey teams:
We Need to Get Tougher. The only team that did it way worse than the Caps was the Buffalo Sabres.
I won't sit here and say that Boudreau is perfect--even he has admitted he made some terrible mistakes in Washington, but the question needs to be asked whether or not he has been given good enough teams to really win it all, or even win a round. I'd say when it comes to Minny it's an EMPHATIC no. That team is good...but not nearly good enough. I really wish Bruce had held out a little longer and waited for a better deal. I bet he'd have been an awesome coach in St. Louis, though there's another situation there where I think the GM is gonna ruin everything soon.