UPDATE/ 1:50 p.m.: We just got done talking to the players, GM George McPhee and Bruce Boudreau. McPhee said he started to think about a change after the second period of Monday's game but wanted to see if the team responded last night. The players talked about Boudreau's reputation as an aggressive, offensive-minded guy.
Toward the end of practice the team was working on the power play, and there were some interesting new combinations. Alex Ovechkin was working up front with Michael Nylander and Nicklas Backstrom on one unit. Viktor Kolzov and Chris Clark were working with the second group, while Matt Pettinger and Tomas Fleischmann rotated. Some combination of Tom Poti, Mike Green and Brian Pothier was manning the points. It should be noted that Alexander Semin had left the ice by that point.
UPDATE/ 12:10 p.m.: Bruce Boudreau's first practice as Caps head coach is underway. A quick observation is that I hear Boudreau's voice during these drills more than I use to hear Hanlon's. For what it is worth, the lines look pretty similar to yesterday's game, though Matt Pettinger is back with Boyd Gordon and David Steckel and Nicklas Backstrom is centering Brooks Laich and Donald Brashear.
8-25-17
43-92-28
18-39-15
87-19-21/10
Glen Hanlon has been fired and will be replaced on an interim basis by former Hershey coach Bruce Boudreau. Jay Leach and Dean Evanson will stay on as assistants.
Hanlon replaced Bruce Cassidy, who was fired on Dec. 10, 2003. He was 78-123-9-29 in his tenure. Boudreau was in his third season with the Bears. He led them to a Calder Cup in 2005-06 and a Cup finals appearance last season. Seven current Caps (John Erskine, Boyd Gordon, Brooks Laich, David Steckel, Tomas Fleischmann, Steve Eminger and Jeff Schultz) have played for Boudreau in Hershey. He also won the Kelly Cup in 1999 with the Mississippi Sea Wolves.
More to come, obviously.
