Boudreau chasing history as Canucks return from 13-day layoff
It’s game day for the Vancouver Canucks for the first time in a while, and head coach Bruce Boudreau has the chance to chase history.
Boudreau can become just the sixth coach in NHL to start 7-0-0 with a new team after a near two-week layoff.
The Canucks will return to action today against the Anaheim Ducks — Vancouver’s first game since a 5-2 win against the San Jose Sharks on December 16 — and Boudreau extended his franchise-best mark to begin a head coaching stint with the Canucks in the affair, pushing his winning streak to six straight with the victorious result.
With the @Canucks defeating the Sharks 5-2 on Thursday night to give them a 6th consecutive win since making a head coaching change, here is a look at the stark contrast in their per game numbers over 6 contests under Bruce Boudreau (as opposed to the first 25 under Travis Green) pic.twitter.com/YtNkGVh62H
— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) December 17, 2021
Boudreau is the sixth NHL head coach to win his first six games with a team, after Geoff Ward (7-0-0, 2019-20 Calgary Flames; Jacques Lemaire (7-0-0, 1993-94 New Jersey Devils), Patrick Roy (6-0-0, 2013-14 Colorado Avalanche), Bryan Murray (6-0-0, 2005-06 Ottawa Senators) and Mario Tremblay (6-0-0, 1995-96 Montreal Canadiens).
Not bad.
He can tie Ward and Lemaire for most wins to start with a new team, and can also tie Roger Nielson (5-0-2) for most games earning at least a point to start a Canucks’ coaching tenure.
Even better.
Boudreau signed on as Canucks coachĀ on December 5, and has been a fan favourite ever since. Heās got hisĀ own song,Ā t-shirt, and most importantly, that 6-0 record behind the bench that has seen his team outscore opponents 22-10 during that span,
Oh. He also became a Cameo star over that break, too.
The lengthy layoff, Vancouver fans hope, won’t slow Boudreau’s effect.
Losing Brock Boeser might, though. Boeser, Phillip Di Guiseppe, and a team staff member were placed in COVID-19 protocol earlier Wednesday.
The Canucks were originally scheduled to return Monday against the Seattle Kraken, but that game was postponed among a host of games within Canada’s borders that are to be rescheduled.
Ready for tonight?
cc: @ska1946 pic.twitter.com/EFV7GPhLp3
— Vancouver #Canucks (@Canucks) December 29, 2021
In all, five Canucks games were postponed and are to be rescheduled.Ā
Vancouver will also be at 50% capacity when the team returns to Rogers Arena.