Comparing Barry Trotz and Bruce Boudreau’s Numbers With the Caps

(Caps Outsider)

After Barry Trotz finished up his four-year run with the Washington Capitals, I noticed similarities with him and former coach Bruce Boudreau, who spent five seasons with the Caps.

Trotz coached four full seasons, with 205 wins, 89 losses, 34 overtime losses and 444 points. Boudreau had 201 wins, 88 losses, 40 overtime losses and 442 points, so the overall team records ended up nearly identical. Of course, Boudreau coached in the relatively weaker Southeast Division but still had quite a task to turn the Caps around in 2007-08.

Boudreau’s high-flying Caps scored 1074 goals during his tenure, 58 more than Trotz’s teams but also an incredible 318 in 2009-10 which makes up the difference. As for defense and goaltending, Trotz faired better, giving up only 817 goals to Boudreau’s 910.

Of course, Trotz’s Stanley Cup run helped him eclipse anything Boudreau accomplished with the Caps in the playoffs, but the Caps weren’t far off from a first-round loss this year to Columbus, which would’ve made Trotz’s playoff record more similar to Boudreau’s.

There are many other differences between the two and challenges each coach faced, but either way, their overall success was separated by nothing more than an incredible run in 2018, a year the Caps weren’t expected to do much.

If Washington’s next coach has just as much success as either of these guys, Caps fans will have plenty more to cheer about.

Barry Trotz

Bruce Boudreau