When he was named Bruins head coach in early February of last year, Bruce Cassidy had some big shoes to fill. After all, the departed Claude Julien had won Boston’s first Stanley Cup in decades, led the team to another and reestablished the Bruins as an NHL power.
Cassidy was looking for redemption, having flamed out in his first go-round as a head coach. He inherited a team that was floundering and in danger of missing the playoffs again.
He led that Bruins team to a 18-8-1 finish and a playoff berth. While that first-round series against Ottawa may not have ended well, Cassidy certainly proved he belonged behind the bench.