Can Bob Murray Lead the Anaheim Ducks to Victory Over the Vancouver Canucks?

The Anaheim Ducks enter the faceoff circle tonight with a new coach behind the bench. Can Bob Murray lead the Ducks to a victory over the Vancouver Canucks?

The Vancouver Canucks are in town tonight and the Anaheim Ducks are looking to win their first game after falling short in their last seven contests. There are several motivating factors for the team tonight. The first being the Silver Anniversary Celebration which includes a commemorative puck drop to honor the original cast of the Mighty Ducks.

However, the biggest motivating factor is going to be the new “big cheese” behind the bench, Bob Murray. Transitioning from the front office to his new position as interim head coach, he’s going to be keeping a close eye on the roster he has built over the past few years.

It’s Game Time

Game 57: Anaheim Ducks vs Vancouver Canucks

Season Record: 21-26-9

Location: Honda Center — Anaheim, California

Time: 7:30 pm PST

TV: Fox Sports West

Radio: AM 830

Anaheim Ducks Injuries: Patrick Eaves (Illness), John Gibson (Upper Body), Korbinian Holzer (Personal), Chad Johnson (Upper Body), Ondrej Kase (Shoulder)

Vancouver Cancucks Injuries: Sven Baertschi (Concussion), Thatcher Demko (Knee), Alexander Edler (Concussion), Jacob Markstrom (Lower Body), Brandon Sutter (Lower Body)

Will Bob Murray Lead His Team To Their First Win in Seven Games?

The tactics Bob Murray has enforced during practice this week will either inspire the team or serve no purpose at all. It still remains to be seen whether or not having him behind the bench is the right move for the organization. Only time will tell if there are any benefits to having a General Manager step in after the coach is fired.

However, the likelihood that the Anaheim Ducks win tonight is small. The team is still suffering the repercussions of being under the dictatorship of Randy Carlyle. Less than a week with Bob Murray at the helm is not enough time to break the Ducks of their bad habits.

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What makes a win tonight even less likely is the fact that Bob Murray has never coached an NHL game in his entire career. While he may offer a fresh perspective to the team, he’s likely to draw inspiration from Carlyle when he was behind the bench. This is to no fault of his own, but Carlyle style coaching is all Murray and the players have known for the past few years.

It would make sense that GMHCBM lean on his assistant coaches during a time like this, looking to them for guidance. Many of us are of the opinion that Murray took this position to get an even closer look at the roster he has built and use his new position to his advantage.

If he wants to make a big trade, this is his chance to elevate the players he deems most moveable and attempts to make them look good. This also gives him the chance to not only hold himself accountable but the players too. Bob Murray seems like the kind of person who isn’t afraid to send a message to his team.

From the looks of it too, Murray is using this as his chance to examine his AHL talents. Ryan Miller came off of Injured Reserve at the perfect time. Both John Gibson and Chad Johnson are out to injury. However, Bob has given Kevin Boyle the nod for the start tonight against Vancouver. This is a great opportunity for the goaltender but it’s also a sign that Murray wants to see what he can offer the team. Is this a sign that he’s possibly considering Boyle as Gibson’s backup next season?

Max Jones has also been called up from the San Diego Gulls to join the Anaheim Ducks again. The young forward is chalked full of talent and Bob Murray would have to be blind not to see that. Nevertheless, his talent is not what is in question. It seems like Murray is taking a close look at Jones to see if he has what it takes to keep up in the NHL. Could we possibly see Murray make a trade that would propel Jones onto the Anaheim Ducks roster full time?

Don’t Be Too Quick To Judge Him

It’s very easy to jump the gun and judge someone when you don’t get the results you want, but please be mindful of one thing. This is Bob Murray’s first game behind the bench. He has never, not once, coached at an NHL level. So, if the Anaheim Ducks don’t win tonight, please refrain from pulling out the pitchforks and torches too prematurely.

Allow him to coach a few games before you make harsh judgments about him. He’s new at this and it’s going to take him a while to get his sea legs. We are free to make any and all generalizations about him and his skills as General Manager, he’s been doing that job for years. But, please be patient with him as he learns how to navigate being the Anaheim Ducks new interim head coach.

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