Boudreau Hopes for a Happy Homecoming

TORONTO, Jan. 22 -- Bruce Boudreau has had many memorable moments since taking over behind the Washington Capitals' bench two months ago, including beating the Philadelphia Flyers in his NHL coaching debut.

But the biggest milestone yet will occur Wednesday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Center, where Boudreau expects upward of 50 friends and family members to be in attendance as he coaches his first NHL game in his home town, against the franchise that drafted him and where he played for parts of seven seasons.

"In fact, this is the first time I've been here since the 1982-83 season, when I was a player for the Maple Leafs," said Boudreau, who spent 15 years as a coach in the minor leagues before replacing Glen Hanlon in Washington on Nov. 22.

"It won't be Maple Leaf Gardens, but it's Toronto," he added, smiling. "I've been in the Air Canada Center briefly, just on a tour a couple of times. I remember sitting there in awe, thinking, 'Wow, this is where the Maple Leafs play now.' "

Boudreau experienced those same emotions when he was the first person to glide onto the ice there for practice on Tuesday afternoon.

"It's something that only a Toronto boy can understand," he added. "Especially a Toronto boy who was a passionate about the Maple Leafs as I was growing up. It's a dream come true."

It will be even better, he added, if Alex Ovechkin (league-leading 38 goals) and his teammates can extend their winning streak to five and continue their surprising surge in the Eastern Conference standings.

Boudreau has been widely credited for turning around a season that appeared lost at 6-14-1, the team's record when Hanlon was fired. Under Boudreau, the Capitals have gone 16-7-4 and, entering Tuesday's games, were three points out of a playoff spot with 34 games remaining. Their 36 points over that span are the second most in the East, behind the Pittsburgh Penguins' 40.

"A lot of it has to do with coaching," General Manager George McPhee said. "It was a little perplexing for all of us early on when we weren't scoring, because we had people who could score. For whatever reason it wasn't happening. It's the way Bruce has adjusted things and brought that out of the players.

"If we can continue to improve defensively, we'll be in good shape."

The Capitals are averaging 3.5 goals per game since Boudreau took over, up from 2.2. But they're also yielding an average 3.2 goals per game under Boudreau.

Boudreau said he plans to start goaltender Olie Kolzig against the Maple Leafs before turning to backup Brent Johnson for Thursday's rematch with Toronto at Verizon Center. Kolzig has been in net for 17 of the Capitals' 22 wins, but he surrendered five goals on 15 shots against the Penguins on Monday and has seen his save percentage dip to .885 with a string of uneven performances.

Defenseman Shaone Morrisonn returned to practice and could be back in the lineup after missing Monday's game with a bruised foot he suffered while blocking a shot.

Boudreau also said center Nicklas Backstrom, who is coming off back-to-back four-assist performances, an NHL record for a rookie, is fine after missing a few shifts in the third period and overtime against the Penguins with a headache.

A few members of the Maple Leafs' organization likely suffered some headaches on Tuesday, when the team fired General Manager John Ferguson Jr. and replaced him on an interim basis with Cliff Fletcher. Toronto is 14th in the East with a 19-22-8 record and has missed the playoffs the past two seasons.

"This is the norm for them," said Boudreau, who is a member of the Maple Leafs alumni association.

But while the Leafs suffered through a tumultuous day, Boudreau enjoyed every minute of it and said he can't wait until the national anthems are performed Wednesday. One person he won't see on his special evening will be his mother, Theresa, who turned down his invitation to attend the game.

"My mom is too nervous to come," he said. "She told me, 'I'll have it on TV, and will not leave the set, but I cannot come down there.' "