Brad Marchand and Torey Krug (yes, after his benching) attest: Cassidy pushing right buttons

BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- There’s a pattern.

Before Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan won back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, he served a total of seven seasons as an assistant in Tampa, New York and Vancouver. He preceded those stints as the head coach in Boston from 2003 to 2006.

Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville has won three Stanley Cup championships, but before he did so, he spent eight seasons as the coach of the St. Louis Blues (1996-2004) and three with the Colorado Avalanche (2005-08).

Before Darryl Sutter won two championships with the Los Angeles Kings, he coached the Blackhawks, San Jose Sharks and Calgary Flames. Claude Julien coached the Montreal Canadiens and the New Jersey Devils before he helped the Bruins win the Stanley Cup in 2011.

Current Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy posted a 47-47-9-7 record during his 110-game stint with the Washington Capitals from 2002-2004. Now, the Bruins are 40-18-7 in 65 games since he’s been behind the bench, beginning last February.

It seems the second, third or fourth time is a charm. Maybe Cassidy will soon join that elite company of coaches who have won later in their careers after dealing with adversity. One thing is certain in Boston: Cassidy has the attention of the players.

“He’s an awesome coach,” Brad Marchand told BostonSportsJournal.com “He’s a very good speaker. He’s very good at getting guys to respond and he’s really good at creating game plans – X’s and O’s. He knows the game very well and he can express what he puts on paper and makes it very understandable how he wants guys to play.

“It’s very plain and he’s very straightforward with how he wants guys to play and what he wants them to do and how we need to play to win. When you understand the game plan and what he wants from you, it’s very easy to go out there and play that way. He doesn’t ask guys to do more than what they’re capable of and he’s very good at understanding what each player brings to the table and how to get them to play that way.”

Cassidy has created a winning culture to this point and the players have responded.

“He’s creating a culture where we’re allowed to and expected to play as a group,” Marchand said. “Everyone is expected to come and play every night and hold their own and that’s how you win in this league – you need that whole team and you need that depth and he gives everybody the opportunity to produce and to play to their capabilities, so he’s a great coach and it’s been a lot of fun playing for him.”

Just ask Torey Krug.

He was so upset recently he was smiling. The veteran defenseman knew the cause and effect of his recent benching by Cassidy. By no means was it a punishment. Cassidy was sending a message because he knew how Krug would respond.

It worked.

The two have a working relationship that began in Providence and has grown over the years. It wasn’t a perfect situation last Thursday in Washington that forced Cassidy to bench Krug in the waning minutes of regulation and into overtime before Boston lost 4-3 in a shootout to the Capitals. But, it was a true indication that Cassidy will do what is best for the team.

As much as it hurt at the moment, Krug can’t argue with the result.

“It’s important for me to have a coach who knows how to push your buttons,” Krug told BostonSportsJournal.com. “I absolutely hate the fact that I respond every time he pushes me hard, because he knows that’s what gets me going, but it’s important to have a relationship with a guy because he can push me and I can also push back and he knows I’m engaged emotionally. It’s important for anyone on a team for sure.”

The two had a conversation the following day and all was good.

“Bruce is a guy that the next day isn’t an issue,” Krug said. “You say your words and maybe you don’t always see eye-to-eye, you don’t always agree with each other, but the next day it’s not an issue. You just go right back to work and that’s a sign of a good leader. It’s definitely important to have. You respect it.”

Cassidy understands the hockey DNA of each of his players. He knew by benching Krug, albeit a tough decision since that game against the Capitals went into overtime, the veteran defenseman would respond in a big way. Krug was solid in the next game and helped the Bruins to a 5-0 win over the Senators.

Cassidy’s decision worked two ways. Not only did Krug rebound, it also served as a learning tool for the younger players how to react and bounce back from a difficult situation.

“Yeah, absolutely,” Krug said. “I’m one of the very few middle-aged guys on this team. We have a large group of younger kids and a large group of older guys and I fall in the select few of the in-betweens, so I can bridge that gap. If I’ve got to respond to the coach in a certain way, professionally and as a teammate to make sure it sets the tone for how the younger guys should handle it. If you’re disrespectful, or you don’t respond, then it will set the bar for the younger guys to do the same thing. You’ve got to make sure you’re leading the way in the right way.”

In the big picture, Cassidy received the response he was looking for from everyone.

The biggest thing coaches learn along their respective paths is how to manage personalities off the ice. If a coach is able to piece the puzzle together, keep everyone happy and honest, it has the potential to lead to good things. Talk to any player and they’ll tell you all they want is honesty from the coach.

Cassidy provides that in Boston.

“It’s about holding everyone accountable and making sure your level of play is where it needs to be,” Krug said. “Obviously, everyone has a resume and they’ve done things in this league for a long time. Whether you’re a first-year guy, or you’ve been in the league for five, or six years like myself, he’s making decisions that are important for the team and you’ve got to respect a guy that does that.”

Krug’s not the first player Cassidy has benched this season. Sean Kuraly felt that pinch earlier in the season and he responded in a positive manner too. The coach decided both rookie forwards Jake DeBrusk and Anders Bjork weren’t playing to their potential, so they served as healthy scratches at different times and both responded well.

Veteran Matt Beleskey wasn’t pulling his weight, so he was placed on waivers and sent to Providence.

When Tuukka Rask struggled to start the season, Cassidy had no issues starting backup Anton Khudobin four consecutive games. That decision worked because it allowed Rask to hit the reset button and also gave Khudobin confidence because won every one of those games. Since, Rask is 10-1-1.

So far, Cassidy has pushed all the right buttons and the team is responding.

“We’ve tried to get the best lineup possible without losing a player (mentally),” he said. “We’ve done it at all positions where it’s a healthy competition.”

In today’s game, coaches need to have a strong understanding of analytics. That doesn’t mean they base their lineup decisions solely on numbers. Sometimes the best stats are the two on each side of your nose.

“I go with my gut at certain times,” Cassidy said. “Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.”

He’s had some difficult decisions this season. He’s the type of coach that rewards players for their contributions with ice time. If a player earns a spot in the lineup, he’ll stay in the lineup. There’s a current situation with Adam McQuaid that no doubt has been weighing on Cassidy.

No one appreciates McQuaid’s style of play more than Cassidy. After all, McQuaid broke his right fibula after sacrificing his body and blocking two shots on the same shift in October. However, since the veteran defenseman has been cleared to resume game action, he hasn’t been back in the lineup because the team’s defensive core is playing its best hockey of the season, including rookie Matt Grzelcyk. Cassidy admitted recently it’s been a very difficult decision, but everyone understands it’s in the best interest of the team at this point.

“Yes. Very difficult,” Cassidy said. “I’ve had Adam for a long time. We talked about ‘why.’ We want the right time for him, but it’s a little tougher because our lineup is going well. The (defensive) pairs seem to be meshing, but that’s the competition we talk about. When Adam gets in there you’re going to see, hopefully, an extra push to because ‘I don’t want to be the guy that going out.’ We’ve seen it up front with a couple of positions and now you’re seeing it on defense.”

Even though McQuaid is ready, he understands the situation. It also helps that he’s known Cassidy since the two worked together in Providence.

“It helps,” McQuaid said. “We can have honest conversations and it goes a long way. . . It’s better to have that line of communication than to be sitting in the wings not really sure. We all understand the situation with the team and with me. We’re continuing to keep that line of communication open.”

There's nothing secretive about Cassidy. He's open and honest and the players have responded well to his message. Everyone in the room is on the same page and it's translated onto the ice and the results are evident. The Bruins are playing confident hockey and it starts with the coach.

"When you have a group that's united the way we are, it normally carries out onto the ice," admitted Marchand. "All the best teams, all the teams that win every year are so close off the ice and it translates into your game and that's the way it is in this room right now. It's a lot of fun to see and be part of and it's enjoyable to come to the rink every day."