Bruce Boudreau pulled Alex Ovechkin off the ice last night with a chance to tie the game against the Anaheim Ducks, and it has become a pretty big National story. The Capitals ended up winning the game 5-4, but everyone wants to talk about Boudreau's decision, whether it was the right choice and how it might affect the psyche of the team moving forward. Pierre LeBrun and Scott Burnside held a little chat on ESPN about the subject this morning, and it includes a quote from Bruce Boudreau about the decision he made.
“I know what people are saying, first time in history that I didn’t put him out in the last minute and they’re making a big stink about it,” Boudreau told ESPN.com. “But it was really nothing. I just thought that the Laich line was going and deserved to be out there.”
For Boudreau, it wasn't about teaching Alex Ovechkin a lesson or trying to send a message to the team, it was simply the coach trying to put the players on the ice that had the most success that evening. And it seemed to work out for them because they scored the tying goal and won the game in overtime. I expect there to be more made of this decision, but for Boudreau, it was just about winning the game.