After yet another disappointing end in the playoffs, which followed another successful regular season, the Anaheim Ducks fired head coach Bruce Boudreau, announced on Friday. Ducks general manager Bob Murray revealed the decision, but claimed he was angry at the players more than his coach for the early first-round exit.
The Ducks dropped three games at home in the series, including Game 7 to the Nashville Predators on Wednesday night. They lost the first two games of the series, but rallied from that early deficit to make it competitive. They would go on to suffer a home loss in Game 7 for the fourth consecutive season.
Boudreau has a history of this in his coaching career with Anaheim and Washington, recording 409 regular-season wins and eight division titles, but just five playoff round wins. He lead the Ducks to four consecutive Pacific Division championships in his five seasons with the team.
The coach went 208-104-40 with the Ducks, and 201-88-40 with the Capitals from 2007-2011, where he won just two playoff series. He got the Ducks' job two days after losing the Caps' gig. The struggles in the postseason continued, and following the embarrassing streak in Game 7s, he now holds a record of 1-7 in win-or-go-home games, including six consecutive losses in that situation since 2009.
What's worse about this year's collapse in the decisive game is that the team blew a 3-2 series lead. They've also dropped Game 7s to the Red Wings, Blackhawks, and Kings recently, and won just three playoff series under Boudreau.
The team got off to a struggling 1-7-2 start to their season, but went an NHL best 34-10-5 after the holiday break. That would lead to another division crown, which was followed by another painful playoff exit.
The Ducks dropped three games at home in the series, including Game 7 to the Nashville Predators on Wednesday night. They lost the first two games of the series, but rallied from that early deficit to make it competitive. They would go on to suffer a home loss in Game 7 for the fourth consecutive season.
Boudreau has a history of this in his coaching career with Anaheim and Washington, recording 409 regular-season wins and eight division titles, but just five playoff round wins. He lead the Ducks to four consecutive Pacific Division championships in his five seasons with the team.
The coach went 208-104-40 with the Ducks, and 201-88-40 with the Capitals from 2007-2011, where he won just two playoff series. He got the Ducks' job two days after losing the Caps' gig. The struggles in the postseason continued, and following the embarrassing streak in Game 7s, he now holds a record of 1-7 in win-or-go-home games, including six consecutive losses in that situation since 2009.
What's worse about this year's collapse in the decisive game is that the team blew a 3-2 series lead. They've also dropped Game 7s to the Red Wings, Blackhawks, and Kings recently, and won just three playoff series under Boudreau.
The team got off to a struggling 1-7-2 start to their season, but went an NHL best 34-10-5 after the holiday break. That would lead to another division crown, which was followed by another painful playoff exit.
