Confirmed with Link: Boucher fired

[GrantLemons]

Tbh I think Melnyk watched a game, snapped, and ordered Boucher to be fired. Considering Pierre's demeanor when asked about it the day before, I just dont think Pierre had any intention of doing it until the season was over.

I think that's Eugene's personality in a nut shell. Completely unpredictable and irrational. He also may have been extra volatile after the Lebreton deal officially died.

The whole "it's a distraction from Lebreton" thing feels like a reach to me. I truly dont think that much planning goes into the decisions the front office makes. Eugene has so much control, the org is literally at the mercy of how he feels on any given day.

 

[Mingus Dew]

Tbh I think Melnyk watched a game, snapped, and ordered Boucher to be fired. Considering Pierre's demeanor when asked about it the day before, I just dont think Pierre had any intention of doing it until the season was over.

I think that's Eugene's personality in a nut shell. Completely unpredictable and irrational.

The whole "it's a distraction from Lebreton" thing feels like a reach to me. I truly dont think that much planning goes into the decisions the front office makes. Eugene has so much control, the org is literally at the mercy of how he feels on any given day.

This sounds correct to me as well.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

The guy made the worst plays and the other teams ate him alive. He wanted Spezza playing to win, not blind pass throw it away and go for a change.

Other teams ate him alive?

 

[supsens]

Other teams ate him alive?

Spezza? Yes

 

[solidprospect]

He's been doing this all year to an extent though.

The Melnyk theory makes the most sense given the story Doug Maclean told about Melnyk calling Bryan Murray 7 teams in what must have been a 10 minute span after a game trying to instruct him to fire Paul Maclean.

That, and Dorion coming out only a few days before the firing saying that he has made Boucher's job difficult and will support him to the end of the season. It seems strange for Dorion to set himself up to look that foolish. It also makes no sense for Dorion to give Boucher a public vote of confidence like that if there were enough problems behind the scenes that might lead to Boucher's dismissal.

Either Melnyk told Dorion to fire Boucher, or Melnyk told Dorion that if the Avalanche get a top pick in the draft, Dorion's fired. Something had to change to motivate Dorion to fire Boucher.

Maybe Melnyk or Ruzskowksi hatched the idea to fire Boucher in order to distract from the Lebreton story?

What's the alternative? Did the leadership group of players go to Dorion and say they needed a chance in coaching? They did not sound upset in the least bit about the change (The ones who spoke, Anderson and Borowiecki). If this is the case, it's still a black eye on management as it shows they were out of touch enough to endorse Boucher when it was bad enough for the players to want him gone.

Not sure what happened, but something had to change this week. My bet would be on it being Melnyk related, but we'll never know....

Some ice time changes , Gibbons and Lindberg both played over 10 minutes against Tampa but less the game prior. All forwards basically played 12-18 minutes a balanced approach against the best team in the NHL.

Not sure what happened either but thought it would something interesting to try and figure out.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

So Melnyk waits till after the trade deadline; Calls Dorion in and says .. Why isn't this team doing better? Is it the coach? Is it the players? Both fall under your responsibility Pierre and I think we should be better. You said we'd be better.

Next day Boucher was gone and the players got a blast from Pesky Pierre.

All conjecture for the source nazis.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

The Dynamic Duo .. Our leaders ... Trust them

 

[AchtzehnBaby]

Tbh I think Melnyk watched a game, snapped, and ordered Boucher to be fired. Considering Pierre's demeanor when asked about it the day before, I just dont think Pierre had any intention of doing it until the season was over.

I think that's Eugene's personality in a nut shell. Completely unpredictable and irrational. He also may have been extra volatile after the Lebreton deal officially died.

The whole "it's a distraction from Lebreton" thing feels like a reach to me. I truly dont think that much planning goes into the decisions the front office makes. Eugene has so much control, the org is literally at the mercy of how he feels on any given day.

I think it was a argument/fight between PD and GB the night after the loss. I honestly think GB told PD to get stuffed after he told the kids to stop making excuses.

 

[RAFI BOMB]

I think it was a argument/fight between PD and GB the night after the loss. I honestly think GB told PD to get stuffed after he told the kids to stop making excuses.

I doubt that. The comments by Borowiecki and Anderson seem inconsistent with that. If Boucher got fired for sticking up for the players then the players would likely say something positive about him in their interviews. Anderson pretty much said he was a bad coach and that his tactics weren't working and that he and other players would get yelled at for trying to do something different.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

The real reason Melnyk wanted Boucher gone

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Lack of clear direction; waffling on supporting Boucher , then a day later firing him.
https://www.tsn.ca/radio/ottawa-1200/ferraro-odd-timing-for-boucher-firing-1.1267786

 

[solidprospect]

Ferraro also believes something must have happened between the game and next morning skate.

 

[PatrikBerglund]

Only Ottawa could blame their coach for how badly they are playing, when the owner/GM has gotten rid of pretty much all good NHL:ers on the team.

 

[aragorn]

GB was a bad coach the last two yrs & clearly PD finally got the green light from EM to fire him when he did, especially after saying that he was giving him the rest of the yr. This wasn't a GM call, this was clearly an ownership call IMO. GB may be a great guy but he wasn't a very good coach as even some of the players have indicated how stubborn this coaching staff was in the light that things weren't working & wouldn't change. It's the very definition of insane, continue to do the same thing over & over again, hoping each time for a different result.

 

[RaMai]

GB was a bad coach the last two yrs & clearly PD finally got the green light from EM to fire him when he did, especially after saying that he was giving him the rest of the yr. This wasn't a GM call, this was clearly an ownership call IMO. GB may be a great guy but he wasn't a very good coach as even some of the players have indicated how stubborn this coaching staff was in the light that things weren't working & wouldn't change. It's the very definition of insane, continue to do the same thing over & over again, hoping each time for a different result.

That's exactly what scares me. Our GM, who thinks of himself as the inventor of hockey, failed to see where his team was and he failed as well with his assessment of the coach he signed to a 3 year contract.
As many pointed out during the duration of GB's stint in Ottawa, EM didn't allow him to be fired as he doesn't want to pay a coach for not coaching.
Burke said in the piece he did with Doug MacLean, if they even find a halfway established coach he absolutely has to demand a 5 year contract as it will take at least that long to right the ship.
PD will hire this 5 year coach, the last 3 years are unprecedented...what will happen the next 5 in this shitshow?

 

[aragorn]

Only Ottawa could blame their coach for how badly they are playing, when the owner/GM has gotten rid of pretty much all good NHL:ers on the team.

They have been one of the worse teams in the NHL for the past two yrs even with those players in the lineup, this isn't just since the trade deadline. And we all know he isn't the only one to blame, the GM deserves a lot of blame & the owner deserves the vast majority of it IMO.