The Anaheim Ducks have relieved Bruce Boudreau of his head coaching duties after the team's playoffs exit.
The Ducks began the season by falling far behind in the standings, but eventually found their footing before a Game 7 defeat in the first round against the Nashville Predators.
They won their fourth consecutive Pacific Division title with a spectacular second half of the season, going 34-10-5 after the holiday break in their third straight 100-point performance. They had the NHL's best power play and its best penalty kill, while goalies Frederik Andersen and John Gibson won the franchise's first Jennings Trophy behind the league's stingiest defense.
But NHL success is conventionally defined by the postseason, and the Ducks again came up wanting in a seven-game series.
"I would like to thank Bruce for his hard work and dedication to the franchise," said the team's executive vice president and general manager Bob Murray. "This was a very difficult decision to make."
Anaheim's season ended in a Game 7 on home ice for the fourth consecutive year, erasing most of the good feelings from four months of progress in Boudreau's fifth season with the team.
The team kept its coaching staff intact and did not make big trades after the Ducks' 1-7-2 start. They were rewarded with a spectacular second half by his team.
Sports
Get today's sports news out of Los Angeles. Here's the latest on the Dodgers, Lakers, Angels, Kings, Galaxy, LAFC, USC, UCLA and more LA teams.
Boudreau has won eight division titles in nine seasons with Washington and Anaheim, never allowing his teams to finish anywhere but first place while coaching a full season. The Ducks lead the NHL in regular-season points over the past four seasons, which all ended with division banners.
But the Ducks have won just three playoff rounds in four postseasons under Boudreau, twice taking the eventual Stanley Cup champion to seven games before falling at home.
Boudreau's biggest problem was that the Ducks' best skaters didn't get results against Nashville. Corey Perry and Jakob Silfverberg were held without a goal in the seven-game series. Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler couldn't coax any even-strength goals out of their lines in the final two games.
Those four veterans are all signed to long-term contracts, leaving the Ducks' next coach with a strong core from which to build.
