Ottawa Senators Fire Guy Boucher After Sixth Straight Loss
With 18 games left in the season, the Ottawa Senators have decided to make a change at head coach.
After a 4-2 defeat to the Edmonton Oilers, their sixth consecutive loss, the Ottawa Senators have announced the dismissal of head coach Guy Boucher. Marc Crawford will serve as interim head coach in his place.
The firing comes as the Senators (22-37-5) have the worst record in the NHL and just traded away three of their best offensive weapons (Mark Stone, Matt Duchene, and Ryan Dzingel). It also comes mere hours after GM Pierre Dorion said a decision about Boucher will be made after the season is over.
With this news, it will make others wonder if Dorion or anyone else on the Senators will receive their pink slips as the season reaches its final stretch.
Guy’s Luck Runs Out
Named head coach prior to the 2016-17 season, Boucher led the Senators to a 44-28-10 record in his first season, coaching them to game seven of the 2017 Eastern Conference Finals. After that magical run, the team slid down the standings quickly, finishing 28-43-11 in 2017-18 and have had a just as poor season this year.
Boucher’s tenure in Ottawa is almost identical to his time with the Tampa Bay Lightning. In Tampa, his first season with the team saw the Lightning reach game seven of the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals, only for the Lightning to miss the playoffs in his next two seasons. He was fired 32 games into the lockout shortened 2012-13 season.
What Does This Mean For The Ottawa Senators?
Boucher’s firing could mean wholesale changes for the Senators. Questions will now be raised about the job security of Pierre Dorion and other members of management. With all of the trades and constant mentioning of the rebuild, anyone that can be replaced could be on the chopping block. Unfortunately, the owner can’t be fired with them.
Next. New Arena in Jeopardy. dark
This was a move a lot of people saw coming. It wasn’t Boucher’s fault that the Ottawa Senators were depleted of talent this season (A few players aside) but his tactics were clearly not working. The next hire for head coach needs to be a voice that can mold the young prospects the team has into solid NHL players. This was the first of likely many moves to come. Hopefully the Senators don’t screw it up.