100 Games - rate Guy Boucher

[Puikiou]

The biggest problem with Boucher is that he's so firmly set in his ways that he doesn't seem to believe in adaptation or god forbid... change. Everything is always perfect the way he drew it and simply wasn't executed properly.

''Why would you start Pageau - Pyatt - Ceci in OT?''
''We did it before to great results.''

''Why are we defending 3 vs 3 instead of going for it?''
''We're trying to get the game to the shootouts because we're a great shootout team, so we have a better chance to win there.''

''Why is the PP consistently shit?''
''We are creating and getting chances. We're doing everything except for putting the puck in the back of the net right now.''

''Why is the team playing like shit and embarrassingly losing to the likes of Montreal and Arizona?''
''We didn't give them much, bad bounces, nothing we can do to defend against that, we have 1 more point than we did at this time last year, blah, blah, blah.''

''Why are the lines consistently in a blender, barely given any time to set and talentless grinders often find themselves slotted in the top 6?''
''Players have to be able to play any position, with anybody, at anytime during the game.''

''Why are we so often trapping when we're down on the score board or as soon as we go up by a goal?''
''That's our system, our identity, we know who we are, blah, blah, blah.''

''Why aren't talented young players given a chance and why are they given 5mins/game when they do make it in?''
''You don't feed steak to a baby.''

Etc. Etc. Etc.

 

[BondraTime]

I hope this isn't his usual M.O of completely losing the team in his second year.

He's a great coach, he needs to learn to adapt.

 

[Tuna99]

I hope this isn't his usual M.O of completely losing the team in his second year.

He's a great coach, he needs to learn to adapt.

You wonder how deeply the Turris trade, the Phaneuf trade talk, the Neil words on the way out, Methot
Seemed to have some words for management - you wonder how much it’s effected the psyche of the team.

When as a team your told you and you and you don’t belong, you can’t have the same bond. The players will still like each other as much, but the trust between coach and GM gets frayed.

Maybe, maybe not. But that heart Ottawa had last season hasn’t shown itself this season

 

[Agent Zub]

I hope this isn't his usual M.O of completely losing the team in his second year.

He's a great coach, he needs to learn to adapt.

This is the most concerning thing.

I think it might also be the reason that boucher is so obsessed with "character" veterans like Burrows, Boro and Oduya over guys like Chabot and White.

 

[Pierre from Orleans]

He needs to adjust in game. He always talks about the lack of preparation from the team but rarely does he ever adjust in game when trailing. Curious to see how many come back wins we had last + this year

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

You wonder how deeply the Turris trade, the Phaneuf trade talk, the Neil words on the way out, Methot
Seemed to have some words for management - you wonder how much it’s effected the psyche of the team.

When as a team your told you and you and you don’t belong, you can’t have the same bond. The players will still like each other as much, but the trust between coach and GM gets frayed.

Maybe, maybe not. But that heart Ottawa had last season hasn’t shown itself this season

Not only that, but the guys on the ice can only sacrifice personal stats so much....you have a limited amount of years to make money in the NHL, and a lot of contracts look at G-A-Pts numbers as a big art of your next deal. You're asking guys to walk away from a few million on their next contract to play a hard, grindy game for entire season and into the playoffs. There's a reason why this type of system has a short shelf life.

 

[NyQuil]

You're asking guys to walk away from a few million on their next contract to play a hard, grindy game for entire season and into the playoffs. There's a reason why this type of system has a short shelf life.

This team really hasn't had any trouble scoring goals this year (NYR game excepted).

No one complained about Martin's counter-attack style until it failed in the playoffs a bunch of times. We certainly scored enough goals.

I think most coaches nowadays have a short shelf life.

I get this "tune out the system" argument that floats around but I question how much of it is about "the system" and how much of it is about results.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

This team really hasn't had any trouble scoring goals this year (NYR game excepted).

No one complained about Martin's counter-attack style until it failed in the playoffs a bunch of times. We certainly scored enough goals.

I think most coaches nowadays have a short shelf life.

I get this "tune out the system" argument that floats around but I question how much of it is about "the system" and how much of it is about results.

I think it depends on both the system (and the results). Bouchers system doesn't look (from the outside) to be fun to play. It doesn't give guys big point totals, and it wears down the body pretty fast. Of course, winning is fun, and that changes a lot of things.

 

[megalomania]

B. I thought the playoff run last season was in part a result of Bouchers coaching (structured play, players believing in themselves and not giving up) while at the same time kinda happening in spite of it (mostly bad PP, sitting back on leads, shortening the bench). I was hoping that he would adjust on the negatives and build on the positives, but I haven't yet seen much of that this season. I believe Boucher can be a very good coach for an above average length of time if he adapts to his players and to how other coaches are countering his system, but if he stubbornly sticks to his system and to his veterans and favourites the Sens' play and results will stagnate and regress like they did with Tampa and in Switzerland. He clearly has Dorions trust and support for the moment so it's really up to him if he goes the way of MacLean and of himself in Tampa or if he proves to be more than a one-trick pony.

 

[UnHappyDude]

Here is my astute observation:

Every coach we have had since Paddock has had a very similar effect on the team. When the new coach comes in the players come together and play very well for the first year and the team has success. The following year the team regresses and inevitably observers blame the system, or the coach has lost the room or some other coach related reason. It will be interesting to see if this trend continues with Boucher or whether he can build on last year. What I find interesting is that the players have changed significantly since Clouston but the pattern I just described repeats itself. Is Ottawa unique? Do other teams follow this one and done pattern?

I certainly have not given up on this coach but let's not pretend like the sens have played well this season. Thier standing is misleading because of the loser point @ 8-12. 8 wins and 12 losses is horrible.

Ultimately my assessment is that my assessment of Boucher hinges on what happens from this point forward. The honeymoon phase is over. Now let's see what he can do.

 

[Sensfanatic]

Here is my astute observation:

Every coach we have had since Paddock has had a very similar effect on the team. When the new coach comes in the players come together and play very well for the first year and the team has success. The following year the team regresses and inevitably observers blame the system, or the coach has lost the room or some other coach related reason. It will be interesting to see if this trend continues with Boucher or whether he can build on last year. What I find interesting is that the players have changed significantly since Clouston but the pattern I just described repeats itself. Is Ottawa unique? Do other teams follow this one and done pattern?

I certainly have not given up on this coach but let's not pretend like the sens have played well this season. Thier standing is misleading because of the loser point @ 8-12. 8 wins and 12 losses is horrible.

Ultimately my assessment is that my assessment of Boucher hinges on what happens from this point forward. The honeymoon phase is over. Now let's see what he can do.

Only a matter of time until Boucher is fired.
Last year was an anomaly and will not be repeated again this year.
His coaching style/decision making is bizarre and not suitable for NHL.
His tendency to go 7/11 and preoccupation with stifling, soul crushing trap-like defence is unsustainable.
His unwillingness to employ highly skilled young players and over-reliance on error-prone vets is also a fatal mistake.
He was mostly saved last year by excellent goaltending and a lucky run in the playoffs.
He has no answer for the power play and frankly it doesn’t look like he’s even addressing it.
After last night’s game, he makes a point of criticizing Chabot’s game even though he may have been the best defenceman out there.
Either he’s an idiot, or he’s resorting to mind games. Both are problematic.
Finally, the media are starting to question his ridiculous decision making and I think the player’s are starting to tune him out.
My hope is that Crawford takes over and we can actually have an “established” NHL coach for the first time since Bryan Murray.

 

[jbeck5]

I'd give him a B. Similar to paul maclean he's gotten a lot out of the sens over the first calendar year, but seems to be losing the room in the second year.

 

[Pinto Bean]

I think we need to calm down a bit on the "Boucher is losing the room" claim. Just a week or two ago everything was amazing and everyone was happy. We're on a small losing streak where we've been in the majority of those games but have come up on the losing side of things. It happens. We're in a slump and we'll hopefully get out of it on Friday.

Big picture here.. We're coming off a fantastic season and playoffs last year and we're still pacing to be a playoff team this year (I believe) while getting very poor goaltending, having a not 100% Karlsson, and making a big trade early on which surely hurt some systematic team chemistry.

I agree Boucher says and does some questionable things but as a whole, I think he's done a wonderful job and I have faith that he'll continue to get the most out of the team going forward.

 

[Zorf]

I'm fine with the system. I'm less fine with the non-stop line juggling. I'm annoyed to no end at the special teams.

Instead of spending $600K on waiver claims like Dumont, why not go out and hire a PP specialist coach?



Perhaps my biggest concern with Boucher is his inability to admit his own faults. The PP is a complete joke. Possibly the worst I have ever seen. Yet the team keeps doing the same thing. Change it up. Admit that you're concept is flawed. come up with a new one or bring in someone else to do it.


As far as being a head coach, I don't think he's lost the room. I think the players respect him as a communicator. I think he's developed strong bonds with a lot of the guys, and importantly, he's got a strong relationship with the GM. Whether or not he exerts influence over the GM (I think he does) is another story, but it does seem that the moves Boucher wants Dorion to make are moves that address weaknesses on the roster, so it's not the worst thing....I guess.

 

[Uchiha]

He's arrogant.