Boucher has to tell kids not to cheer for Penguins
The bond between PITTSBURGH Senators coach Guy Boucher and Penguins star Sidney Crosby goes all the way back to their Quebec Major Junior League days together in Rimouski in 2004-05.
The connection is so strong that Boucher has to remind his three children that they can’t always cheer for Pittsburgh.
“When I was in Tampa, I still remember my kids (cheering) for Pittsburgh,” he said with a laugh on Monday.
“They were so young back then, they didn’t understand. I had to say ‘Daddy doesn’t coach Pittsburgh, we’re playing against Pittsburgh.’
“For them, it’s always going to be special. We’ve got pictures of Sidney with our kids in his arms in our basement. My days of coaching him are very special for my whole family, including my wife.”
In 2004-05, when Boucher was an assistant coach in Rimouski, Crosby scored 66 goals and 102 assists in 62 regular season games. In 13 QMJHL playoff games, he scored 14 goals as Rimouski advanced to the Memorial Cup.
A GOOD, SHORT TIME
Pittsburgh native Andy Warhol once said that “in the future, everybody will be world famous for 15 minutes.”
Senators goaltender Mike Condon beat that by five minutes in Pittsburgh earlier this year.
Before being traded to the Senators, Condon delivered one period of shutout hockey in his only appearance in a Penguins uniform.
“I stopped seven of seven (shots),” said Condon, who backed up Craig Anderson on Monday. “That’s the highest save percentage and the lowest goals against average in Pittsburgh Penguins history. I will always have that in my back pocket, and can tell my grandkids that.”
FOOTBALL FUN
Senators players arrived in Pittsburgh too late Sunday to take part in any pre-game tailgating parties, but they thoroughly enjoyed the Steelers’ victory over the New York Giants.
“You don’t get too many chances like that. It just worked out well with the schedule,” said winger Mike Hoffman.
The passion of the spirited Steelers fans caught a few of the Sens off-guard.
“You get a little bit jaded being a professional athlete, going into different stadiums, but going into an NFL game like that, it gives you chills a little bit,” said defenceman Mark Borowiecki.
WORLD JUNIOR WATCH
The Senators should be well represented at the world junior tournament over the Christmas holidays.
Thomas Chabot is expected to play a pivotal role on the Canadian blueline, and on Monday, both Colin White and Logan Brown were named Monday to the U.S.A.’s preliminary list of 27 players.
White has 10 goals and five assists in 16 games with Boston College this season. Brown, who is currently dealing with a wrist injury, has eight goals and 13 assists in 15 games with the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL.
Another pair of Senators prospects — Filip Ahl and Jonathan Dahlen — were also named to Sweden’s preliminary roster.
Ahl has scored 17 goals and 14 assists in 25 games with the Regina Pats of the WHL, while Dahlen has 11 goals and eight assists in 24 games with Timra, a first division team in Sweden.
Andreas Englund was pleased with his performance in his NHL debut Saturday against Florida. He played only 9:49, but registered a game-high seven hits.
“That’s my game, to play hard and just make sure I stick to my position on the ice,” he said.
“I felt OK. It’s a little bit different game up here (from the AHL), everything is a little bit faster.”