“Bruce would love to go through a summer without having the same questions asked about him. We’ll do everything we can to prepare the team. And hopefully we’ll succeed.”
Forgive Bruce Boudreau for referring to himself in the third person, but so many people are talking about the Ducks coach ahead of Thursday's Stanley Cup playoff series opener that it's hard to think of him otherwise.
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As the Orange County Register notes, those discussions focus on Boudreau and a singular topic — whether he can convert regular-season success into an NHL championship.
Boudreau's Ducks secured home-ice advantage with the Western Conference's best record. Now they are out to take advantage as the Jets land at The Pond.
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While the Ducks are the clear favorites in the series, their nest is not secure. Anaheim's power play is lackluster at best, and its penalty kill needs big saves from goalie Fredrik Andersen.
Dismissing the Jets would be foolish, because they have grit to go with their forward depth and volatile Dustin Byfuglien.
So will Boudreau get outcoached by the Jets' Paul Maurice? While his teams won nearly two-thirds of their regular-season games, Boudreau is below .500 in the playoffs and dead even at 10-10 with the Ducks.
Fact is, no Boudreau team in Anaheim or Washington got past the playoffs' second round.
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Is it now or never for Boudreau? Here's what GM Bob Murray told the Los Angeles Times this week:
"This is our third year with this group making the playoffs where there's some sort of expectations. I am going to watch very carefully not only the coaching staff, but how certain players play in the playoffs this year. This is the third year and it's time.
"It's not just Bruce. The guys that have been here, it's time for some of them to step to the plate. I'm watching everybody. There's guys that haven't had good playoffs. It's time. They've got experience now. They've been there. It's time to step up."
There's a disturbance in The Pond. Watch the ripples closely.