Wild relieve head coach Bruce Boudreau of duties

[OccamsRazor]

 

 

Edited February 15, 2020 by OccamsRazor

[ruxpin]

On 2/14/2020 at 11:28 AM, lynxrattle said:

https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/bruce-boudreau-wild-make-coaching-change/

 

Why? I'm waiting for a pretty good explanation for this one. Not unexpected, but what is the point? 

Can't help you with the timing.  But I have never been a fan of Bruce and thought the Wild hiring him was a horrible mistake.   [EDIT:   Probably more to the point, I thought it was a mistake for him.  But a mistake for the Wild, as well]

 

He's had good teams in Washington and Anaheim with explosive offensive talent and couldn't seal the deal.  He had money, tons of booze, and a room full of hookers and in both instances remained faithful to his hand. 

 

He never had any of that in Minnesota, so management hires him expecting what, exactly? 

 

Sorry, a handful of decent players (but not one remotely great player) and a goalie who played well under a system that got changed. 

 

Bruce may very well be the most overrated coach of the last 20 years and it's amazing to me that even hockey people seem to miss that. 

 

People will refuse to blame him. And, honestly, there's a lot of merit to that in Minnesota.  It was a badly mismatched hire and I was frankly shocked he accepted there. It just seemed so very different from what his previous teams looked like (maybe that was the attraction). So, he'll land another job somewhere. And fail.  

 

Rinse. Repeat. 

 

What I don't get is "why now?"  Then again, given the timing of the GM change (the change itself was merited, IMO) maybe weird timing is the new norm for the Wild. 

 

Sorry, I know I'm on a board with a lot of Bruce fans. Even at previous stops, I've just never understood that. 

Edited February 15, 2020 by ruxpin

[lynxrattle]

Ruxpin, we're pissed because the Wild can't get anywhere as long as our locker room is able to oust any coach they want the moment the coach wants them to do something they don't want to. This has now been going on from the start of the Suter/Parise era, and will probably go on until their contracts end. Boudreau gone is not the big deal, it's the way and timing of this that indicates once more that yes, the players really do have control over things they definitely should not be controlling. It makes no difference whatsoever who the coach is as long as the coach does not have authority over some players. When Guerin came, there was hope that maybe Guerin would be able to correct the power relations, but Guerin's behaviour here makes it seem that either he doesn't get the big picture, or that he's joined the player bandwagon. If either of these fears is close to truth, the Wild is doomed to its mediocrity until the end of the Guerin/Suter/Parise era.

[ruxpin]

12 minutes ago, lynxrattle said:

Ruxpin, we're pissed because the Wild can't get anywhere as long as our locker room is able to oust any coach they want the moment the coach wants them to do something they don't want to. This has now been going on from the start of the Suter/Parise era, and will probably go on until their contracts end. Boudreau gone is not the big deal, it's the way and timing of this that indicates once more that yes, the players really do have control over things they definitely should not be controlling. It makes no difference whatsoever who the coach is as long as the coach does not have authority over some players. When Guerin came, there was hope that maybe Guerin would be able to correct the power relations, but Guerin's behaviour here makes it seem that either he doesn't get the big picture, or that he's joined the player bandwagon. If either of these fears is close to truth, the Wild is doomed to its mediocrity until the end of the Guerin/Suter/Parise era.

 

Yeah, I completely get the locker room thing.    I'm separating out Boudreau just to comment I don't think he's what everyone thinks, though I'm aware I'm in the minority on that one. 

 

But yeah, the bigger-picture for the Wild is, like you said, until the locker room thing is fixed, it's not going to matter much.  It also seems to me that if the goal is simply to make the playoffs, this season may have just been sacrificed and I don't get that.  When your GM was fired in September (August?), there either some delusion or Kool Aid pouring on the part of the owner like the Wild could still go for a championship.   Between the timing of that and the firing of Bruce in mid-February while 3 points out, it just seems like organizational self-sabotage.   Everyone on this thread likely knows more about the Wild than I do, but casually from the outside, that's what it looks like.

 

Is the thought that "yeah, Bruce might get us there, but let's make the change now so we can do something once we get there?"  Or is it a white flag when it's starting to look likely--or at least plausbile--that they'll get in?   Or are we waiting to hear some social misconduct thing like Bruce forgot to say, "God Bless You," when Parise sneezed?

[4Check]

47 minutes ago, lynxrattle said:

Ruxpin, we're pissed because the Wild can't get anywhere as long as our locker room is able to oust any coach they want the moment the coach wants them to do something they don't want to. This has now been going on from the start of the Suter/Parise era, and will probably go on until their contracts end. Boudreau gone is not the big deal, it's the way and timing of this that indicates once more that yes, the players really do have control over things they definitely should not be controlling. It makes no difference whatsoever who the coach is as long as the coach does not have authority over some players. When Guerin came, there was hope that maybe Guerin would be able to correct the power relations, but Guerin's behaviour here makes it seem that either he doesn't get the big picture, or that he's joined the player bandwagon. If either of these fears is close to truth, the Wild is doomed to its mediocrity until the end of the Guerin/Suter/Parise era.

So, you're suggesting that Guerin is taking orders from Parise and Suter?   

[CreaseAndAssist]

27 minutes ago, ruxpin said:

 

Yeah, I completely get the locker room thing.    I'm separating out Boudreau just to comment I don't think he's what everyone thinks, though I'm aware I'm in the minority on that one. 

 

But yeah, the bigger-picture for the Wild is, like you said, until the locker room thing is fixed, it's not going to matter much.  It also seems to me that if the goal is simply to make the playoffs, this season may have just been sacrificed and I don't get that.  When your GM was fired in September (August?), there either some delusion or Kool Aid pouring on the part of the owner like the Wild could still go for a championship.   Between the timing of that and the firing of Bruce in mid-February while 3 points out, it just seems like organizational self-sabotage.   Everyone on this thread likely knows more about the Wild than I do, but casually from the outside, that's what it looks like.

 

Is the thought that "yeah, Bruce might get us there, but let's make the change now so we can do something once we get there?"  Or is it a white flag when it's starting to look likely--or at least plausbile--that they'll get in?   Or are we waiting to hear some social misconduct thing like Bruce forgot to say, "God Bless You," when Parise sneezed?

 

Nah, Boudreau was making a pretty crappy Wild team into a club that was probably closer to the playoffs than it should've been considering how terrible their goaltending has been.  He wasn't the problem, but as per usual, the vets can't own their mistakes so the coach gets the axe, again.  

 

Its just scapegoating...plain and simple.  Vets don't want to be second fiddle and too much praise was being pushed on the younger players like Fiala, Eriksson Ek, Greenway...and true leader Foligno.  The vets started to coast, they whined to either Leipold or Guerin...and the switch was made with all of this bullschitt about a 'new voice.'  We were never going to be an offensive juggernaut, but it wasn't like this team couldn't score at all.  Boudreau embraced offense more than any coach the Wild have ever had.  But the vets aren't going to let Boudreau, or Torchetti and Yeo before them tell them when and when they can't play.  So Guerin gave them what they wanted.  

 

Parise had been taking pot shots at Bruce throughout the season.  Suter probably wasn't as annoyed by Boudreau as Parise was because his ice time and opportunity wasn't as effected.  

[CreaseAndAssist]

3 minutes ago, 4Check said:

So, you're suggesting that Guerin is taking orders from Parise and Suter?   

 

Maybe not directly, but I think the call probably went to Craig...who then called Guerin who thought it over and then fired Bruce the next day.  

[Alexandron]

IMO, It seems explanation is more simple - Parise wanted to celebrate his 1000th NHL game ceremony without a Bruce Boudreau, which is suppose to happen tonight after the game. 

[CreaseAndAssist]

I think Boudreau's record in Minnesota demonstrates he actually is a pretty good coach than to say it proves he isn't.  The Wild are a terribly flawed team (old and slow no matter how you look at it) and the team wasn't at a 'we give up' type of mood as it was when we axed Yeo.  A fair portion of the team was still working hard most nights, but it still is the Wild and sub-par goaltending / inconsistent effort from portions of the team led to some disappointing losses.  

 

As I saw on Twitter.  Is it Boudreau's fault Stalock doesn't make that save on Zibanejad?  He had Koivu out there taking the draw, El Kapitan couldn't win the faceoff the puck stays in the offensive zone and the Rangers' tie it up.  Is that really coaching?  

 

So Guerin threatens the players, so now he fires Boudreau to get their attention after trading away a well-liked player a few days before.  Raise your hand if you think the ENTIRE team starts working hard each game?  Yea...I didn't think so.  

[CreaseAndAssist]

3 minutes ago, Alexandron said:

IMO, It seems explanation is more simple - Parise wanted to celebrate his 1000th NHL game ceremony without a Bruce Boudreau, which is suppose to happen tonight after the game. 

 

(shrugs)  Maybe...never really thought of it that way.  I don't think Parise liked Boudreau very much and I'm sure he wasn't heartbroken to hear of his firing if he wasn't the one who made the phone call to get it done.  

[Alexandron]

7 minutes ago, CreaseAndAssist said:

 

Maybe not directly, but I think the call probably went to Craig...who then called Guerin who thought it over and then fired Bruce the next day.  

It is a normal common practice in a league. Same scenario happened between Bruce  Boudreau and Alex Ovechkin at the Washington Capitals team. The battle between the player and the coach won the player then. 

[4Check]

36 minutes ago, CreaseAndAssist said:

 

Maybe not directly, but I think the call probably went to Craig...who then called Guerin who thought it over and then fired Bruce the next day.  

Interesting speculation.

[Alexandron]

Here is a video of Washington Caps Boudreau Motivational Speech, published in December of 2010:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQyEJpPSLdQ

 

And here is a video of Bruce Boudreau: A Legacy of Failure, which was published in April of 2018:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP_-7OxYzKw

 

I think many players did not like that talk to them. Probably, it happened in our locker room too. We do not know. And Yeo did the same  things with our players too. I watched the Yeo's video before. Those are the "small" hidden things certainly affecting coaches firing too.

 

 

[Tomdog]

I think the handwriting will be on the wall as to Bruce’s firing if Suter’s minutes suddenly jump back up to the near 30 minute mark, or Koivu suddenly gets back to the 2nd line. 
I’m not sure about parise yet. 
But I don’t think there is anyone who is going to do much with this club’s mediocre at best goaltending and lack of speed and skill. 

[EmptyShelf]

19 minutes ago, Tomdog said:

I think the handwriting will be on the wall as to Bruce’s firing if Suter’s minutes suddenly jump back up to the near 30 minute mark, or Koivu suddenly gets back to the 2nd line. 
I’m not sure about parise yet. 
But I don’t think there is anyone who is going to do much with this club’s mediocre at best goaltending and lack of speed and skill. 

That's EXACTLY what I will be looking for, and EXACTLY why I think the decision was made now.  LIG is also spot on with others, as the request was a mangina influenced whine from 9, 11, and 20 to BG or CL, back through BG to fire BB. 

 

This team has SOME hockey players (beginning with Foligno and a few of the youngsters and newbies).  However, Parise, Suter and Koivu are just a bunch of mouthy ****$ who cannot stand having their TOI being reduced or being called out by their coach or other players.  They disgust me, and they should ALL be considered for healthy scratches for the balance of the season for the good of the franchise (and Dubnyk should just take the rest of the year off, while Koivu takes off the rest of his career - he skates like a 60 year old and just sucks at all elements of the game, while Parise and Suter are lazy entitled prima donna's the rest of the league laughs at).  We garner NO benefit when any of them play - ADDITION BY SUBTRACTION.  Thank God I dumped my tix before this year.

[Tomdog]

I guess I won’t go that far. 
I’ll have to watch and see. 
I don’t see a lack of effort from parise as much as I see the mentality of this is how “I” score, so this is how we should score. 

[4Check]

8 hours ago, Tomdog said:

I guess I won’t go that far. 
I’ll have to watch and see. 
I don’t see a lack of effort from parise as much as I see the mentality of this is how “I” score, so this is how we should score. 

I'm with you in the "I won't go that far" department!

[lynxrattle]

Who knows what happens in the locker room. Maybe someone will spill the beans post-career. I'm sure I will be surprised by the facts if and when they one day come out.

 

It certainly has been miserable to follow in the past. The culmination point perhaps being Scott Stevens's sudden departure after only a year as an assistant coach. If Stevens is not tough enough to survive our locker room, no-one is.

[Lonkkis]

Can't really say for sure that Koivu had anything to do with the firing, barely over 9 minutes of playtime last game, of which 2 minutes from PK. 

Edited February 16, 2020 by Lonkkis

[lynxrattle]

3 minutes ago, Lonkkis said:

Can't really say for sure that Koivu had anything to do with the firing, barely over 9 minutes of playtime las game, of which 2 minutes from PK. 

I was thinking along those lines as well. Coaches change, players change, roles and TOI change. At least one thing does not change. Suter on the PP and playing all the time. Is he really that good and that constant, always the same, always the best d-man on ice? Never hurt, never playing badly, never in need of lesser TOI or role.

[CreaseAndAssist]

3 hours ago, Lonkkis said:

Can't really say for sure that Koivu had anything to do with the firing, barely over 9 minutes of playtime last game, of which 2 minutes from PK. 

 

I don't think Koivu is in the Country Club group anymore.  He's dead man skating on the 4th line.  His career with the Wild is nearing a conclusion.  But #11, #20...still proving they run the show.  I noticed that Parise didn't really have too many guests at the game the way Koivu did for his 1,000th game ceremony.  Anyone notice the lack of cheers for Bill Guerin when his name was announced?  

[lynxrattle]

Booing as well. I think there's a real risk of alienating the fan base. Hard to imagine that, so quickly after the excellent Zucker trade, but it seems they need to make another trade just to make us forget the bs they keep on feeding us around the Boudreau firing. 

[EmptyShelf]

If BG makes a 'friend' hire like Doug Weight (and it works out similarly to Weight's last efforts), the pitchforks and tar should be out at Xcel if the sheeple see the hire for what it is.  Additionally, if BG continues to parrot the comments of the Country Club in his decision making (defense of Interim coach, trades, or hire of new coach - like if he brought in an Adam Oates as a friend of 11 and 20), it had better become a five alarm fire of boos and negative commentary - as it should be for BG.  Thereafter, CL may be looking at many empty seats in the Xcel, as our rubes are easy to fool for awhile, but may not be so forgiving once they catch on to the abyss they have to look forward to with 5 more years of 11 and 20 calling the shots and BG willing to oblige.

[IllaZilla]

Some thoughts on Boudreau's time with the Wild...

 

Bruce Boudreau: Victim of Changes

 

I did find it interesting that during the time-out, Evason seemed more interested in trying to find Nordy in the crowd and allowed Parise and Suter to dictate what to do with the extra man...

 

Who knows. Maybe this is Guerin's way of dumping everything on the players. Maybe he told Evason to just let the players do their thing. But I'm not sure what message he's trying to send to players that sandbag it but then can't be moved...

[Tomdog]

I think the only way for a new coach to have success with this team will be to solve these large problems.

No true starting goalie.

No true 1st line center.

Not enough right handed forwards.

Too much 3rd line talent.

This is all on the owner and GM, not the coach.