Anaheim Ducks fire former head coach Bruce Boudreau after five seasons

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The Anaheim Ducks have fired former head coach Bruce Boudreau, the team announced on Friday. The team was two days removed from another disappointing exit from the playoffs. Boudreau has had much success during the regular season, but the reason he was fired was because of his inability to win in the playoffs. 

Bob Murray, Ducks general manager exclaimed, "I just think the last four years, the way they've ended, all very similar, that I didn't think it would be a good situation to go forward in," Murray said. "In no way, shape or form is this pointing a gun at Bruce's head. 

Let's make that perfectly clear. But you've got to start somewhere." Boudreau has had outstanding success in the regular season with Anaheim, he went 208-104-40 during five seasons. But, what got Boudreau the pink slip was the playoffs. 

The Ducks have lost four straight game sevens, and they’ve blown 3-2 series leads in all of them.

"Regular-season success is OK," Murray said. "Making the playoffs is the most important thing, and then anything can happen. ... I just felt it wasn't going to work going forward." "It's the way we went out," Murray said. "Let's face it: I'd like to know where the heck they were in Games 1 and 2. The players are going to have to answer that the next four or five days. Where were they? They showed up in Game 7, but where was that passion, the controlled emotion? Where the heck was that? They're going to have to be held accountable, too." 

Anaheim just lost to the Nashville Predators in Game 7 of the first round, after blowing the 3-2 series lead. Anaheim got off to just a 1-7-2 start, but they would end up winning the Pacific Division. Not all can be put on Boudreau, as a core containing Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, and Ryan Kesler was unable to get the job done. Boudreau will probably not be out of a job for long, as the Minnesota Wild and Ottawa Senators both have coaching vacancies.