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MONTREAL - Just about every move Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau has made has paid off in the Eastern Conference quarterfinal against the Montreal Canadiens.
When it comes to the coaching matchup between Boudreau and Canadiens coach Jacques Martin, Boudreau is on top, like his team with a 2-1 series lead, and he wants to stay there.
If that means cutting a drill short because of what he perceives as prying eyes, he’ll do it.
About the only thing that hasn’t worked for the Caps so far has been their power play - it’s 0-for-14 in the series - and Boudreau suspended work on it during practice Tuesday in preparation for Game 4 at the Bell Centre Wednesday when it was brought to his attention Martin was looking on.
Boudreau seemed put off that Martin was there, but admitted he didn’t know if Martin was paying close attention to what the Caps were doing.
When asked if Martin was breaking any kind of code, Boudreau said: “You’re looking for stories.
“I haven’t talked to Jacques about it. I’m sure he was out there talking to someone else, not paying much attention to us at all. But it was brought to my attention that he was out there, then I stopped ...”
Martin said he just stepped out from his office to see if the Caps were practising.
“I don’t think it’s a big issue. If I wanted to watch practice, it’s easy to go incognito in our building,” he said, adding he thought it might be a tactic to deflect attention away from the game.
“Often in the playoffs, coaches use different schemes to deflect attention. It’s an incident that happened that has no relevance on the series or the game.”
Another coach contacted by QMI Agency said there is no NHL policy regarding coaches watching other teams practice.
“It’s not the NFL with closed practices,” said the coach. “Maybe it’s just that Bruce is new to the league.”
Boudreau, with his breezy personality, seems to have gotten his team past the nervous start which saw them lose Game 1 in overtime. Boudreau clearly has the more talented team in this series, but the coach’s job is to make sure that talent can win out (Martin knows what the challenge is like from his days with the Ottawa Senators, who lost to less-talented teams).
Boudreau pulled goaltender Jose Theodore after he gave up two goals on two shots in Game 2 and with Semyon Varlamov in goal, the Caps rallied for a 6-5 overtime win.
For Game 3 Monday night, he came back with Varlamov and juggled his lines (only the big line of Alex Ovechkin-Nicklas Backstrom-Mike Knuble stayed intact), inserting centre Boyd Gordon, who had been a healthy scratch for Game 2, between Jason Chimera and Matt Bradley. He moved Eric Fehr into Alexander Semin’s spot with Brooks Laich and Brendan Morrison.
Varlamov, now 3-0-0 in his career in Montreal with a 1.63 goals against average and a .940 save percentage, responded with a strong game, making several big saves in the first period which ended scoreless.
Gordon then turned the game with a short-handed goal 66 seconds into the second period, quieting the crowd. Fehr, Laich and Bradley all scored goals and Boudreau looked smart.
Now Martin has to respond. His biggest decision is which goaltender to start Wednesday night after pulling Jaroslav Halak 8:33 into the second period after the Caps scored their third goal.
It’s not all his fault, but Halak has given up eight goals on the last 30 shots he’s faced.
It’s a big ask, but the Habs need more than what Halak has been able to give so far.
Martin should start Carey Price and see if he’s got something better.
chris.stevenson@sunmedia.ca