Coaching is a serious problem.

[Adriatic]

For me it s hard to argue that CAR defense squad is made of great Dmen but they buy in a very efficient system which yields convincing results.

I can see the similarities but that Carolina defense has a lot, and I mean a lot of experience. Habs defense is much too green and expecting that kind of play from them is a little unfair at the moment.

 

[RationalExpectations]

I can see the similarities but that Carolina defense has a lot, and I mean a lot of experience. Habs defense is much too green and expecting that kind of play from them is a little unfair at the moment.

You need to start early if you want them to make any progress : Slavin Pesce Hamilton were 24-25 in 2019

 

[HabsAddict]

Comment elsewhere on Marty changing the game and outlet passes....

.......

As my wife says, no outlet, will cry...wait, she means outlet store...

The BIGGEST problem, the one that SCREAMS failure is that a zone defense traps the one that uses it. MTheads solution that we all love is "off the glass", but it might as well bring up an AHL team because it's impossible to win if you're playing all night in your zone.

What i saw last night was less opposition cycling and several time they carried the puck through the middle.

Did they find a solution? Nope. Just a lot more active then circling the wagons and waiting to execute Custers...err...Martys last stand. It's not going to work against a high compete Booins team. It will get us points against lesser teams, which is important, and eventually, with a lot deadlier offense, let's say an offense that has a Demigod and Laine in it, teams will back off getting caught that deep...and paying the price.

Marty is not reinventing any square wheels, this tight zone defense was a staple in the Jesus Price era and it somewhat worked back then. Remember the small "speedy" teams we had? We got that reputation from breaking out from our defensive shell. We just looked fast because we had to skate out like demonds to even pretend we had an offense.

Now we want a bigger, heavier team.

Maybe the blinding puck skills of a Demidov and Hutson along with the shot of Laine or CC will push back someone like the Booins going deep in our zone snd pinching defenseman.

Let's see...because us walking on the Promised Land depends on it.

 

[salbutera]

Agreed. Anderson has been a surprising (good surprising) revelation on PK

Not really a “revelation” that was his role in Columbus and he did it well - for some reason Habs acquired him and changed his role from 3rd liner w size & speed + PK specialist

I can see the similarities but that Carolina defense has a lot, and I mean a lot of experience. Habs defense is much too green and expecting that kind of play from them is a little unfair at the moment.

Just Slavin has more pro experience than Hutson + Struble + Xhekaj + Mailloux + Guhle combined…

 

[Sorinth]

Since I've mostly defended MSL in this thread I feel I should mention I feel like he should 100% take the fine and criticize the refs and defend Xhekaj in the post game PC. I don't really expect it, but I think it would be huge for Xhekaj confidence for his coach to go to bat for him publicly in this instance.

 

[1909]

Finally, they played two consecutive games with some intensity. Maybe the media and fans pressure had some effects on MSL and the players. But MSL will reject that idea…of course. His bosses though are smelling the coffee, and Mr.Molson, his beer’s sale.

 

[salbutera]

So if Habs “coaching is a serious problem”, what about the rest of the division?

 

[Rapala]

So if Habs “coaching is a serious problem”, what about the rest of the division?

Not one person complained about the standings so using it and other team's performances to try and make your point is lame.
Most people are happy we've shown we have a heart beat but let's not try to pretend these were coaching masterpieces.
Mock much do you?

 

[salbutera]

Not one person complained about the standings so using it and other team's performances to try and make your point is lame.
Most people are happy we've shown we have a heart beat but let's not try to pretend these were coaching masterpieces.
Mock much do you?

“Coaching masterpieces” don’t exist in the NHL… it’s a myth

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Pacing for 82 points. Right around where I think most people had us. I think we finish with a little more. The schedule has more to do with it than anything. A team like the Rangers is going to crush us. But Philly? St Louis? We can beat those clubs.

Also, just great to see Dach coming back.

 

[Rapala]

“Coaching masterpieces” don’t exist in the NHL… it’s a myth

Okay so I exaggerated a tad but there is a reason the term out-coached exists..

The decisions on which personnel to use and how to get them on the ice in any given situation has a huge impact on the outcome.

That is without even getting into game planning for specific opposition and team structure.

So think what you want but solid coaching is not a myth.

 

[JustAHabFan]

The good thing is the Habs played active layered defense. When other team players get through our blue line, there will be Habs player in front of him. When he managed to get through that player there will be another Habs player waiting for him.

 

[Notabaguette]

The movies show Bombay take a bunch of shitty players to beat Iceland. Marty is given a bunch of players who are not as good as the other team. What do you expect? Give it time

 

[CanadienShark]

The movies show Bombay take a bunch of shitty players to beat Iceland. Marty is given a bunch of players who are not as good as the other team. What do you expect? Give it time

We could try the flying V?

 

[RationalExpectations]

The good thing is the Habs played active layered defense. When other team players get through our blue line, there will be Habs player in front of him. When he managed to get through that player there will be another Habs player waiting for him.

I disagree with that.

What I liked was the effort and the better neutral zone coverage.

But has soon as PHI started to move and make quick pass, it ended up with a dangerous situation, see goals 2 and 3 from PHI. They follow the puck way too much which opens high danger chances in the middle of the ice (see PHI 2nd goal). I really want them to look at CAR system, it works and it has the advantage to give you the puck a lot of the time. VAN being my second, I can also tell you the forecheck from Tocchet is fun to look at (but nowhere as structured / efficient than CAR)

 

[RationalExpectations]

So if Habs “coaching is a serious problem”, what about the rest of the division?

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Pointswise, MTL is at 0.5 as many expected. By a lot of metrics they are bottom of the league (e.g. goal differentials, shots against, shots for...). I hope it changes I really do, and I hope they make the playoffs because I am a fan and don't like them to fail but it does not mean we should be blind as to the many failures of the current system.

 

[ReHabs]

Being hard to play against would mean the team is fundamentally a decent team. A bottom-tier team is not a decent team. We aren't there yet so to expect them to be a decent team is asking a little too much.

It depends on your definition of 'decent'. The NHL has parity, the gap between the best team and the worst team isn't so big that the worst team can't be difficult to play against (if morale is high and the players give a shit).

 

[morhilane]

We could try the flying V?

They did to break a 1-3-1 once.

 

[BLONG7]

As we know, MSL has a ways to go in his coaching career, and he says he is fueled by all the noise recently, and to that, I say that's great............he should be held accountable when we expect his performance to develop alongside the kids on the team....

One thing from last night, should he have called a timeout after the 2nd goal? Absolutely.....settle the troops, he did not and seconds later it was a 4-3 game.
It's a process, that he is still trying to figure out, just my 2 cents. Everyone can better.

 

[Gaud]

One weekend and we are right back "in the mix". Just saying.
Just hope it's not toxic on all the channels today.

 

[FerrisRox]

I remember how badly Randy Cunneyworth was treated when they made him interim coach, he never coached again and it was through no fault of his own.

He coached the Rochester Americans after leaving the Habs. He actually became the all-time winningest coach in Amerks history during this stint with the club.

 

[JianYang]

Pacing for 82 points. Right around where I think most people had us. I think we finish with a little more. The schedule has more to do with it than anything. A team like the Rangers is going to crush us. But Philly? St Louis? We can beat those clubs.

Also, just great to see Dach coming back.

Last year, 82 points would rank you in low around 21st, I think.

I think that might be where Habs fans are expecting/hoping, but there seems to be a chasm between what Habs fans think and what the other fans perceive, who are convinced that montreal will be a bottom 5 team.

The difference is really going to be whether they can avoid those massive lulls during the course of an 82 game season where they win like 2 out of 10 games or something.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Last year, 82 points would rank you in low around 21st, I think.

I think that might be where Habs fans are expecting/hoping, but there seems to be a chasm between what Habs fans think and what the other fans perceive, who are convinced that montreal will be a bottom 5 team.

The difference is really going to be whether they can avoid those massive lulls during the course of an 82 game season where they win like 2 out of 10 games or something.

There are going to be peaks and valleys. Some nights we’ll look like world beaters and then there will be stretches where it looks like we won’t ever win again. That’s what .500 teams look like.

We’ll be consistently inconsistent. Just when it looks like we’ve turned the corner, we’ll play a good team and get smoked. Look at the Rangers game. It showed us how we fare against a mature strong team - crushed.

As I said at the start, I think our offense improves and we look terrible defensively this year. You’ll see a lot of games like last night where the game looks in hand and then we make dumb mistakes to put everything at risk.

Transitional/development year.

 

[JianYang]

There are going to be peaks and valleys. Some nights we’ll look like world beaters and then there will be stretches where it looks like we won’t ever win again. That’s what .500 teams look like.

We’ll be consistently inconsistent. Just when it looks like we’ve turned the corner, we’ll play a good team and get smoked. Look at the Rangers game. It showed us how we fare against a mature strong team - crushed.

As I said at the start, I think our offense improves and we look terrible defensively this year. You’ll see a lot of games like last night where the game looks in hand and then we make dumb mistakes to put everything at risk.

Transitional/development year.

We saw it alot last year too where the team would hang on for dear life to a lead.

I'm interested to see how the special teams holds up. If it keeps up this way, it's going to help smooth out those valleys.

Either way, as you implied, it's a team that is not there yet, which is a surprise to nobody.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

We saw it alot last year too where the team would hang on for dear life to a lead.

I'm interested to see how the special teams holds up. If it keeps up this way, it's going to help smooth out those valleys.

Either way, as you implied, it's a team that is not there yet, which is a surprise to nobody.

Hutson will help the PP a lot. CC’s shot being back helps a lot. If Dach is finally back - that helps a lot.

So yeah, I think the PP will be better this year. Maybe not 25 percent but better than it’s been.