Bruce Boudreau has a shot at NHL history against the Maple Leafs.

In spite of the fact that coaches can play a pivotal role in the success, or lack thereof, of a National Hockey League franchise, I don't believe anyone could have predicted the impact that veteran head coach Bruce Boudreau would have on the Vancouver Canucks as a midseason replacement.

Boudreau has taken the team from a group that quite frankly looked like one of the worst teams in the entire league to one of the hottest teams in the league since his arrival with 6 consecutive wins. In spite of that run of form the Canucks still sit near the bottom of the Pacific Division, having put themselves in a deep hole with their early season performance, but Boudreau himself now has the opportunity to become a part of NHL history.

3 other coaches in NHL history have managed to lead their team to 6 wins in a row after debuting on those teams, Mario Tremblay did it in 1995 - 1996 with the Montreal Canadiens, Bryan Murray did it in 2005 - 2006 with the Ottawa Senators and Patrick Roy did it in 2013 - 2014 with the Colorado Avalanche but 2 other coaches have managed to do 1 better.

During the 1993 - 1994 season Jacques Lemaire led the New Jersey Devils to 7 consecutive wins, and just recently Geoff Ward led the Calgary Flames to 7 straight wins during the 2019 - 2020 season, an elite group that Boudreau is now threatening to join.

On Saturday night the Vancouver Canucks will face off against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Hockey Night in Canada, and isn't it fitting that this is where Toronto, Ontario's own Bruce Boudreau will now have his chance to become a part of NHL history. A win over his hometown team would move him into that elite club with 7 consecutive wins after debuting as head coach, and of course would put him in position to claim the record for himself.

The Canucks face off against the Arizona Coyotes on Sunday, a team with just 6 wins over 29 games this season, so if Boudreau and the Canucks do triumph on Saturday night, you have to believe he has a legitimate shot at the record.