Coaching is a serious problem.

[BLONG7]

If they rip it down and start over, the entire Ds will be even more green... Unless you mean, rip whatever "system" they are trying to use and go back to basic. Then yes, I agree.

I'm even thinking they might want to play the trap at this point.

Absolutely got to dumb it down on our side of centre........sweet mother of god. No one is playing well right now.
Why? Let's ask the guy in charge, and start to put some expectations on him, and his staff.
I love the guy and in most cases seems like the right guy, but man, he can also show how green and stupid he is at times....last night was on full display.

 

[417]

The reality is that you need luck to successfully rebuild your team from scratch. You basically need to draft a generational talent to get out of the "infinite rebuild loop". Slaf ain't that guy. Reinbacher ain't that guy either. Demidov? We'll see.

We have to understand that even the best teams get to also draft in the 1st round. So unless you draft a generational talent you are always a few steps behind the other already competitive teams.

A rebuild is like relegation. It's really tough to get out of it.

Not necessarily...does it help? Sure but it's not a pre-requisite.

More than anything you need time and patience, which fans always talk about but they don't really want to experience it.

One quick look at the age of the Montreal Canadiens defense heading into this season should have clued into folks that it was going to be a difficult start.

They moved 2 Dmen (Harris and Kovacevic) who weren't anything special but brought a lot more stability to the back end of their Dmen than what we currently have. I'm not saying they'd be the entire difference but what we're seeing is the direct result of a very green D corps.

They're going to need time.

 

[dauv]

Can only imagine what kind of BS wisdom pearl he uttered after this game:

Journaliste: Martin, as-tu l'impression que l'équipe recule au lieu de faire du progrès?

MSL: Reculer, c'est se déplacer ! Donc on avance quelque pars, mais à notre façon!

don't forget about the re-routing by waze and not going back home because we missed the exit.

 

[zzoo]

More than 2 years of struggling, I haven't a doubt about MSL till now. Yes, I just start to lose faith in MSL, just a bit.

 

[Rapala]

If they rip it down and start over, the entire Ds will be even more green... Unless you mean, rip whatever "system" they are trying to use and go back to basic. Then yes, I agree.

I'm even thinking they might want to play the trap at this point.

It's exactly what I mean. How about standing up at the line and slowing the runway that the neutral zone has become for starters.
The funny thing is a team that is struggling in a standard configuration is looked at as lost when they start "Running Around" in their own end.
We start the running around before the struggle even begins.

 

[morhilane]

It's exactly what I mean. How about standing up at the line and slowing the runway that the neutral zone has become for starters.
The funny thing is a team that is struggling in a standard configuration is looked at as lost when they start "Running Around" in their own end.
We start the running around before the struggle even happens.

They were supposed to play higher at the blue line last year (and this year too I think, well I've seen Matheson try it a few times, without much success). But the team just isn't very good at it.

It's like they lack basic skills they should have acquired years ago. Like tying sticks near the net, I've seen Slaf do it better than any of the D on the team. Makes no sense.

 

[Habano]

It is simply a lousy executed system and it's entirely, without a shred of an excuse, it's Marty's level of stupidity where he can't recognize the failure of his system. concept

fify

 

[sampollock]

MSL is just as much as a rookie as his very young team.

 

[Habano]

The egregious simple coaching errors today were not benching the two defencemen that stopped skating before the 2nd goal thinking it was an auto icing. No accountability. Also not pulling Montembeault after the 3rd goal, which should never go in. At the very least, call a f***ing timeout. No, nothing. Just sit on my hands and pretend everything is okay thinking of my next proverb for the media.

If that was X who had stopped skating thinking it was icing, he would have been stapled to the bench for the rest of the game. MSL is not consistent and his bias against and dislike for X is obvious.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Honest question. Which prospect is progressing in our NHL club right now? And why the so called progression would be attributable to MSL and not just to normal maturing that comes with experience ?

Right now? As in the last seven games?

Or are we looking at the overall? Because almost all our picks and prospects have progressed pretty well.

A fair question would be to ask if those prospects would’ve developed anyway. That’s certainly possible but it’s also possible that some might not have progressed at all.

I'm not a MSL hater and I don't want him fired just yet because, let's be honest, the team ain't good. But our play in our zone has to improve. It's not NHL level right now.

I agree. But you can’t ignore the roster.

I think most of us had the team outside the playoffs but improving on last year and that hasn’t happened. But at least part of that can be blamed on a green roster and part of it on injuries.

What I like about MSL is the culture he’s instilled and that our young players are developing nicely. But there’s no denying the season’s tough start. I think a trade for a vet RD would help. I’m not sure that a coaching change would help us at all. It worries me to switch so early when we’ve seen him have success with younger players.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

In fairness to me, i never screamed for rebuild. I am a firm believe that you can improve and make a contending team by diligently adding the right piece through combination or trades, free agency and draft and you don't need to put your fanbase through 5-10 years of misery after they've already endured 10 years of misery.

Okay fair enough.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

It was probably just about as dumb as your initial post, and less so than the idiocy that is your reply.

Yes, your post was dumb. If you want a debate don’t come back with snarky stuff like that. Attack what’s being argued and don’t misinterpret what a poster is saying. i have several posts in here and you jump on that short one as though I’m attributing everything to Dach… and that’s dumb.

It should’ve been obvious that what I wrote was an attack on MSL and this entire team in general.

In that post? No. What was obvious was you coming in with strawman snark suggesting that I was saying “all we need is Kirby Dach.”

We haven’t had a single game where we’ve outshot our opponents, and you’re trying to absolve the coach of any mismanagement. Another coach might not get more from Dach, but they probably would get more out of the team in general.

It’s hilarious that you have the audacity to call another person’s post dumb. Especially after the bullshit you were spewing.

Zero issues with criticizing the coach. Brutal start to the year and of course he’s going to take heat. But you can’t lay it all at his feet and some posters are bashing the shit out of him on plays that fall to the payers. Dach’s been worse than we could’ve imagined and we’re already getting crushed by injury. A new coach may offer different perspectives and maybe we do improve. But I strongly disagree with the idea that the coach is the leading cause of our issues. Any coach is going to have problems with that roster.

 

[HankyZetts]

Right
"I think a big part of the problem, which Marty has to take blame for too, is that our captain is a nonchalant player."

Captains work rate being a big part of the problem doesn't mean everything is Suzukis fault..?

 

[calder candidate]

When we were considering being in the mix we had Laine and everyone was healthy… Everyone was very positive and clearly there a bunch of players that took thing for granted I don’t care that much about X and O but it the staff job to set a environment right now I kinda feel like we have a bunch of spoil brat that aren’t listening because they get so much validation outside…

 

[sampollock]

MSL needs to get respect
so bench or put a guy in the press box, who is the coach?

 

[The Real Timo]

MSL needs to get respect
so bench or put a guy in the press box, who is the coach?

Respek?

 

[Frankenheimer]

Ken Dryden said something like "we want to win playing the Canadien way" prior to rangers game last night, which I unfortunately attended. For sure, the Habs would get more points playing a defensive system, but I think Marty is trying to build and maintain a system that will only work once he has the right personnel. So I see that as the trade off. We could get short term gains with a Terrien system, but in the long term, nobody wants to see that kind of hockey. I guess I'm still willing to wait a bit more, and draft high this year if possible.

What stood out last night, above all else, was the performance of an undrafted player, who signed as an FA with Rangers. When you have a player like Panarin on the team, it is unreal the options it opens. Nobody could touch him.

 

[sampollock]

KH needs to shake this up. MSL will not coach them out of this crap. MSL is not tough enough

 

[Tyson]

KH needs to shake this up. MSL will not coach them out of this crap. MSL is not tough enough

Having head coaching experience at various levels and working up the ranks is usually the best way to develop coaching skills. MSL may have skipped too may steps.

 

[HabsAddict]

The biggest question of all...who is defines and demands management outcomes?

Molson?

Hughes?

Or is everything ok and life goes on as long as the money machine keeps printing.

 

[Adriatic]

All I care about is that our most important young players and prospects are all getting better and progressing, which they are. The rest will all sort itself out later on.

 

[morhilane]

MSL needs to get respect
so bench or put a guy in the press box, who is the coach?

Habs have 18 healthy players right now and didn't put anyone on IR to open a slot for a call-up.

Saturday/Sunday will probably have the same line-up as last night, but with Xhekaj over Barron in it (so a leftie is playing on the right).

 

[Tyson]

Listening to Marty's press conference he sounds like a defeated guy.

 

[Captain Mountain]

Right now? As in the last seven games?

Or are we looking at the overall? Because almost all our picks and prospects have progressed pretty well.

A fair question would be to ask if those prospects would’ve developed anyway. That’s certainly possible but it’s also possible that some might not have progressed at all.

I agree. But you can’t ignore the roster.

I think most of us had the team outside the playoffs but improving on last year and that hasn’t happened. But at least part of that can be blamed on a green roster and part of it on injuries.

What I like about MSL is the culture he’s instilled and that our young players are developing nicely. But there’s no denying the season’s tough start. I think a trade for a vet RD would help. I’m not sure that a coaching change would help us at all. It worries me to switch so early when we’ve seen him have success with younger players.

I wouldn't advocate firing MSL, especially since the plan is to somewhat develop him at HC and there isn't a clear good NHL fit that's bilingual, but he's the 5th longest tenured HC in the NHL, and the only one around for longer who hasn't won a cup is Brind'Amour. Montreal (and fans) have been patient, especially considering extenuating circumstances.

Its not just on the personnel, the way the team defends under MSL has always been questionable. Examining and changing the way the team defends or bringing in a more experienced assistant/associate coach is not unreasonable.

 

[Habs]

Worst coach they have had in a long time.

He had never coached to begin with was an odd choice from the start