Reinvention of Boucher propels Senators resurgence

ottAWA

There’s a persistent sneer on Guy Boucher’s face, but the Ottawa Senators head coach doesn’t lose his cool like he might have in the past after a disappointing overtime loss.

“When you’re younger you either say too much or you let the emotion take over,” Boucher said. “But I also knew that if I gave myself an hour or two after that (loss), watching some video and figuring out what’s what then you put things in perspective and they fall into place.”

Boucher’s evolution behind the bench has helped propel the Senators to their finest season, potentially, in a decade and one that captain Erik Karlsson describes as perhaps “the most consistent and best season that I’ve ever been (apart of) here playing for the Ottawa Senators”.

Ottawa has made huge leaps defensively, becoming an unexpected contender for the Atlantic Division crown. But for Boucher personally, progress from a failed first NHL coaching experience with the Lightning has nothing to do with Xs and Os.

“People ask me what I’m doing differently (from) Tampa. On the ice: nothing,” Boucher said. “It’s not about hockey.”

Instead, it’s about a vastly different approach to handling a hockey team.

Boucher has unclenched his grip over the coaching operation in Ottawa and learned to manage his energies in a more effective manner. That means, for one, delegating more responsibility to his coaching staff – which includes experienced former NHL head coach Marc Crawford.

Boucher even hired each member of the staff with specific duties to delegate in mind.

Known for being overly harsh at times with the Lightning, Boucher has tried to pull back with the Senators, too. There are days he won’t even take the ice.

“I come in, I inject what I need to inject, but I pull away more than I used to,” Boucher said.

He’s also tried to develop a more direct relationship with the general manager – Pierre Dorion in this case, who hired Boucher shortly after taking over for Bryan Murray – “because really he’s the one that goes and gets the players.”