The Capitals had extremely high expectations heading into the season.Early in the year, they failed to live up to them. But they have been playing well recently, and they appear to be poised for the Playoffs; with a more defensive style than the one that failed them in the postseason last year.
↵So does that mean Bruce Boudreau is a candidate for the NHL's Jack Adams Award, given to the Coach who has had the greatest impact on his team's success? ESPN debated the topic today, and Pierre LeBrun thinks that he deserves some serious consideration, via Japers' Rink.
↵↵↵I think you absolutely have to throw Boudreau in with the half dozen or so worthy candidates for the Jack Adams. He's convinced his team to change its colors, adopting a more defensive style that should, in theory, apply itself better come playoff time. That's a coach that learned a valuable lesson from the playoffs last year and applied it this year. Impressive.
↵
I know this is a regular season award, but I don't think Boudreau can be judged for anything other than his team's playoff performance this year. If he really did learn from the playoffs last year and instituted some meaningful changes, that is where it will make the biggest difference.
↵