Aim a little off on Capitals

By Brian Hunsicker

Published: April 20, 2008

In this space several months ago, I wondered about the effectiveness of the Washington Capitals’ early-season coaching change, axing Glen Hanlon in favor of Bruce Boudreau.
My aim was a little off.
The move has worked as good as one could have expected. Boudreau inherited a 6-14-1 outfit, which — like the line about new cars — doesn’t sound so bad if you say it fast enough. But with a quarter of the season washed away, Boudreau turned the Capitals around and brought home a Southeast Division championship.
Even if Boudreau and the Caps fell short, the turnaround would have been only slightly reduced. As it was, they were the only team from the Southeast to qualify for the playoffs.
Nor should his accomplishment be diminished after the Caps’ glitzy offense was crumpled by a physical Flyer defense.
When Boudreau was hired, Washington was 14 points behind their closest divisional opponent. Carolina, leading the division on Nov. 22 when Boudreau was hired, had 34 points. Just to catch the Hurricanes, the Caps would have had to win 10 straight while Carolina lost that many.
The process took a lot longer, of course. The Caps needed every last one of their regular-season games before actually clinching a playoff spot. And Boudreau is no longer the “interim” head coach. He deserved getting that label tossed aside.
No matter what happens against Philadelphia, the Caps have found a coach who is situated to lead them into the future. There will need to be a few personnel changes — like finding someone who can deflect attention from Alexander Ovechkin — and Boudreau deserves the chance to rework the roster as he and general manager George McPhee see fit.
Perhaps next year will be a more telling year for Boudreau, as his tendencies get more scrutiny from the rest of the league and the newness of his tenure fades.
But he’s earned the right to see how his sophomore season goes. Even if next year falls flat, the accomplishments of this year will still entitle Boudreau to a grace period.
What he and the Capitals have pulled off is nothing short of miraculous, even if the Flyers prove too bruising.
Brian Hunsicker is a staff writer for the Potomac News & Manassas Journal Messenger. Reach him at 703-878-8048 or via e-mail at .