HockeyThe Habs' hockey whisperer & 30 thoughts

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If Guy Boucher is offered an NHL coaching job this summer, the Canadiens will not stand in his way.

"Our organizational philosophy is the same as everyone else's," Montreal GM Pierre Gauthier said this week. "Never get in the way of someone moving up in his career."

Boucher is a hot property among teams with coaching vacancies. Last season, he led Drummondville to the QMJHL championship and a Memorial Cup berth. This year, he was the AHL's Coach of the Year in Hamilton. (The Bulldogs lead Abbotsford 2-1 in the North Division final, with Game 4 on Thursday night.)

PK Subban's excellent post-season may increase Boucher's chances, with the Canadiens feeling very strongly that spending a season under the coach's tutelage would benefit Subban's NHL adjustment. Clearly, that's been the case.

"He wants you moving forward, being aggressive," says Ben Maxwell, currently with the Canadiens after playing 57 games in Hamilton. "But he also wants to simplify your game ... He got me to stop doing things that wouldn't work at this level."

As an example, Maxwell cited delay moves at the opponents' blueline. Subban is still a spectacular player (attempting,it seems, about seven spin-o-ramas on every shift), but there is a newfound level of control in his game.

In addition to the on-ice results, several players credit Boucher for recognizing how to deal with different individuals. He knows whom to push and whom to soothe, when to yell and when to back off.

This doesn't necessarily mean that Boucher will leave. He's still got to determine if a potential fit is the right one, and/or if he's ready to take the biggest step in coaching (maybe he wants to wait until Jacques Martin's had enough). However, it's clear that there's interest. And now we know that, if he wants to move on, the Canadiens will accept his decision.

30 thoughts

1. Really thought Daniel Sedin nailed it when he said Wednesday night, "We worry too much about [the Blackhawks]." Sedin was probably criticizing himself for being overly preoccupied with David Bolland.

2. Meanwhile, Dustin Byfuglien, asked by a Vancouver Sun reporter if any Canuck can move him once he establishes position, said, "No, I don't think so."

3. I loved how, in the first round, referees refused to call penalties when Jarkko Ruutu and Patrick Kaleta took mild hits from behind and sprawled out on the ice. Cry wolf and eventually you get burned. So, someone tell me why Daniel Carcillo gets anything close to a call right now.

4. After Game 2 of the Pittsburgh-Montreal series, the Penguins complained about Hal Gill's tactics on Sidney Crosby. This was humorous to the NHL, considering the Red Wings made the same complaints about Gill during the 2009 Stanley Cup final. Even Gill laughed at it Wednesday.

5. After Game 1, the Canadiens refused to let Jaroslav Halak skate on the off-day Saturday, even though he wanted to. Goaltender coach Pierre Groulx also told Halak he was too far back in the net, and wanted him to be more aggressive.

6. Groulx added something that I've learned is consistent among many of his peers: be positive after bad games. "You try not to say, 'This is what you did wrong.' You say, 'Here is how we can fix the problem.'"

7. How secret did Jacques Martin keep his goaltending decision for Sunday's Game 2? Two hours before puck drop, owner Geoff Molson emailed a staffer, asking, "Who's in net?"

8. To me, that's a positive about Molson's ownership. Ted Leonsis learned that the hard way with his blog post the morning after Washington's Game 7 defeat. I recognize that he wanted to let the fans know he felt their pain. Instead, he threw Bruce Boudreau into a fiery pit. Even if unintentional, not a good idea.

9. Roman Hamrlik made a good point about Subban. He said that he's seen rookie forwards and goaltenders who were ridiculously confident, but not defencemen. The only guy anywhere close: Dion Phaneuf.

10. Former Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau said that when the Canadiens drafted Subban, the defenceman walked up to then GM Bob Gainey and told him he wouldn't regret it.

11. Lindy Ruff said Jacques Lemaire hinted at retirement during the Olympic Games.

12. One thing in John MacLean's favour: He got New Jersey's AHL team into the playoffs for the first time in a decade.

13. Garry Galley told a phenomenal Rob Blake story last week: Both were with the Kings when Colorado acquired Theo Fleury. That night, L.A. coach Larry Robinson decided to pair Galley (who was 35 then) with Dave Babych (37). The Avalanche threw Fleury on the ice against them every chance they could; just preyed on them. On one shift, Galley said, they couldn't get the puck out of their zone for three minutes, so Blake jumped on the ice to try to get a whistle for a too-many-men penalty. Galley asked: "What are you doing?" Blake: "I felt bad for you guys."

14. The kicker: Colorado still scored before L.A. could touch the puck.

15. The best hockey Joe Thornton ever played was as the No. 3 centre at the 2004 World Cup. He should have been tournament MVP. Joe Pavelski's development is crucial for the Sharks. He's taking some of the heat off Jumbo Joe, who is better when out of the spotlight.

16. Another NHL coach really praised Marc-Andre Bergeron for accepting his role is Montreal. "I wish everyone was as team-oriented."

17. Bergeron, by the way, had a hilarious quote about his second junior coach, Denis Francoeur. Then in Shawinigan, Francoeur had a tremendous influence in improving Bergeron's game. "If you think I'm bad defensively now, you should have seen me then."

18. Bruins goalie coach Bob Essensa on Tuukka Rask: "He's got great feet and a great head. If you're athletic and think the game well ... In my mind, those are the two most important things for a goalie."

19. Credit to Cassie Campbell for this one: Sabres forward Mike Grier wrote the word "Mom" on his sticks in honour of his mother, Wendy, who died in December after a battle with kidney disease. Grier said she stressed to him the importance of being a good husband, father and person. Numerous players will tell you Grier is an awesome teammate.

20. Chris Botta of NHL Fanhouse reported Tuesday that Logan Couture's bad-angle tying goal in Game 3 happened after Sharks assistant coach Jay Woodcroft told him Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard likes to cheat towards the slot. Woodcroft was the Red Wings' video coach under Mike Babcock and Todd McLellan.

21. Remember how many defencemen the Buffalo Sabres lost during their 2006 Eastern Conference final defeat to Carolina? Lindy Ruff once reflected on that series by saying the Sabres' biggest loss was Tim Connolly, who suffered a concussion the previous round against Ottawa. Sounds like the Sabres have changed their tone.

22. The Red Wings pulled a class move earlier this year when Couture scored his first NHL goal in Detroit. They announced it over the public address system; a rare thing in a visiting arena. It was a huge thrill for Couture's family, in attendance that night.

23. Dan Bylsma was concerned the Montreal-born Penguins would be overly excited to play a playoff game at the Bell Centre. Kris Letang told him, "Don't worry, we don't want to come home and hear it all summer if we lose."

24. Mike Cammalleri told reporters the other day that Bruce Boudreau was one of his favourite coaches. (Cammalleri played for him with the AHL's Manchester Monarchs.) Asked if he'd consoled his old coach after the first-round upset, Cammalleri said, "No. He needs time. I know he's dying inside."

25. If The Edmonton Journal's Jim Matheson is right and Zbynek Michalek is willing to go to Ottawa, that could be a pretty good replacement for Anton Volchenkov. Word is, however, Michalek is asking for about $4 million US per year.

26. There have been reports that Marek Svatos will go to the KHL next year, but he wants to stay in North America.

27. With apologies to Dean Lombardi and Mike Gillis, the NHL's inaugural GM Award should go to Don Maloney. Doesn't even need a vote.

28. Apropos of Nothing Funny Story of the Week: Scott Gomez told a great one about a time he elbowed Ed Jovanovski to the ice several years ago. Jovanovski didn't actually see who did it and came up with fire in his eyes. But when he charged at Gomez, the current Canadien pointed at teammate Claude Lemieux, since he knew Jovanovski would probably believe it. Gomez escaped unscathed, while Lemieux wondered why he was being attacked. (Knowing Lemieux, he probably deserved it for something else, anyway.)

29. If an NHL coach was the White House press secretary on Nov. 22, 1963, he would announce John F. Kennedy as "day-to-day with an upper body injury."

30. That said, Dan Bylsma was telling the truth about Jordan Staal. (He called me on it, since I laughed at the announcement on twitter.)

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