Avs' Cogliano criticizes Canucks' treatment of Boudreau: 'He's a good coach'
Canucks bench boss Bruce Boudreau garnered sympathy from Colorado Avalanche forward Andrew Cogliano as his coaching career in Vancouver hangs precariously in the balance.
"I don't know what's going on here, but I love Bruce," Cogliano told reporters after his team's 4-1 victory over the Canucks on Friday night, according to The Athletic's Peter Baugh. "I think he's a great man. He cares about players, he cares about his team, and he's a good coach.
"I have my thoughts on what's going on here with him on a personal level, and I don't think it's warranted. He's done a good job throughout the league."
Boudreau coached Cogliano for five seasons with the Anaheim Ducks. Anaheim missed the playoffs only once during Boudreau's tenure and finished first in the Pacific Division four times.
Cogliano potted a career-high 21 goals with Anaheim in 2013-14, Boudreau's second full campaign behind the Ducks' bench.
"We had a lot of success in Anaheim, and I actually attribute a lot of my success in the league to him," Cogliano said. "So I owe him a lot. ... And I think he'll come out on top of all this."
Cogliano, 35, opened the scoring Friday with his seventh goal of the season.
It was a dramatic night for the Canucks, who Boudreau said looked "a little disenchanted at times" during the loss. The off-ice noise surrounding the team has become deafening as Boudreau's firing appears imminent. It's been speculated that Rick Tocchet will replace Boudreau in Vancouver.
As for the Avalanche, they've won four straight games as they continue to fend off the injury bug while staying in the playoff hunt.
Colorado holds the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference with a 24-17-3 record. The Avs are tied with the Calgary Flames with 51 points, but the defending Stanley Cup champions have two games in hand.
The Avalanche will take on the Seattle Kraken Saturday at 10 p.m. ET.