Coaching is a serious problem.

[Lafleurs Guy]

Yeah, we get it. He didn't communicate in English well enough for the xenophobic segment of the fanbase.

I am pointing out that the misuse of players he is constantly accused of is factually wrong.

If someone accuses this coach of completely misusing Galchenyuk and Subban and holding them back, you don't need to be Therrien himself to point out this is factually wrong. You just need to live in reality.

I'm still waiting to hear which coach got more out of Subban or Galchenyuk than Therrien did, I am not saying he was without faults, BTW. But a lot of the criticism directed at him seems fueled by ignorance, a bizarre mob effect and a pinch of xenophobia.

You get the last word here.

Therrien’s off topic. Let’s move on.

 

[Rapala]

I think a big part of the problem, which Marty has to take blame for too, is that our captain is a nonchalant player. He doesn't move his feet consistently enough, nor does he get to the dirty areas first, most of the time.

When he's skating our team is completely different. He sets the tone. Right now with dach clearly still recovering his stride from off-season surgery, it's not a good look in the top 6.

The best teams captains and #1 centers are generally 200ft beasts. Very rarely are they nonchalant in their play style. I think Marty has to push him harder, to get him to be more of a high motor guy

I disagree Nick isn't responsible for the runway the neutral zone has become under Marty.
Nor is he responsible for us continually conceding the blue line and backing in.
Trying to pin the structure or lack thereof on a player is rich.

 

[ReHabs]

But overall, Therrien got a lot out of a mentally fragile roster that wasn't exactly filled with natural leaders. It's not his fault if certain fans hallucinated certain qualities in players who were eventually proven to be duds.

Do you know how much of this came from Carey Price?

Team stats without Carey Price were bad. Like not-a-playoff-team bad. Bergevin once even joked about it. For a team spending to the Cap they were below expectations.

 

[Jeune Poulet]

Now, speaking about MSL. I'm not impressed with his stubborn refusal to surround himself with quality, experienced staff. And system-wise he is lacking.

His approach individually, with each player, seems good enough for now. He clearly favours free-wheeling hockey and the development of pure skills and good decision making. Individual growth from individual player, especially our most skilled, is important.

Collectively, the team would benefit from being low in the standings and one more year of top end drafting. So I don't care about results. Especially not with injuries piling up.

Another factor to take into account is that he is appreciated. This is handy for us if/when we go after RFAs, UFAs. and guys with NTCs to take the next step. When this team reaches the point of competing, if then MSL cannot do the job, another kind of coach will have to replace him.

 

[Habano]

MSL is as much of a head coach as Armia is a 2nd liner, complete joke.

 

[Habby4Life]

MSL is as much of a head coach as Armia is a 2nd liner, complete joke.

A PR hire, that’s all it was.

 

[1909]

A PR hire, that’s all it was.

Why were they so much afraid of Patrick Roy ?

 

[Habby4Life]

Why were they so much afraid of Patrick Roy ?

Roy is 10x a coach than MSL but he can be hot headed. MSL is all warm and fuzzies. They are building a home, lol.

Unfortunately, we probably have two more years of Marty driving the tank before anything changes.

 

[1909]

Roy is 10x a coach than MSL but he can be hot headed. MSL is all warm and fuzzies. They are building a home, lol.

He has probably learn to control that. He would not work for Lamoriello if he was still the same. But at least, he is a real NHL level coach with tons of experience with youngsters (at the Q level), and the knowledge of Quebec and Montreal medias and fans base.

 

[Adriatic]

No need to worry, all the younger players are getting better and progressing.

 

[Habby4Life]

He has probably learn to control that. He would not work for Lamoriello if he was still the same. But at least, he is a real NHL level coach with tons of experience with youngsters (at the Q level), and the knowledge of Quebec and Montreal medias and fans base.

Good point.

I think the other reason would be, he simply would not coach to lose which MSL seems perfectly happy doing so.

Not a chance would he allow the train wreck to happen in their own end night after night and smile like MSL.

Roy would bring a ton of intensity and drive which this team is sorely lacking.

 

[Habnot]

So what the naysayers are saying is that if we had a different coach, this team would be better....This youngest team in the league that has added:
- Heinemen
- Kapanen
- Hutson
All rookies playing significant roles.

And lost their most significant add to injury.

What we are saying - just to make sure - you put in Jon Cooper and all of a sudden this young, inexperienced, thin team with largely unproven goaltending would somehow turn into a playoff contending team that has a veteran structure with 30 year old pro's and possibly an elite player or 2.

Marty is the coach we need now and hopefully the coach when this team starts it's window in 2-3 years.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Yeah, Patrick Roy going postal would get us to the playoffs…

 

[Habby4Life]

So what the naysayers are saying is that if we had a different coach, this team would be better....This youngest team in the league that has added:
- Heinemen
- Kapanen
- Hutson
All rookies playing significant roles.

And lost their most significant add to injury.

What we are saying - just to make sure - you put in Jon Cooper and all of a sudden this young, inexperienced, thin team with largely unproven goaltending would somehow turn into a playoff contending team that has a veteran structure with 30 year old pro's and possibly an elite player or 2.

Marty is the coach we need now and hopefully the coach when this team starts it's window in 2-3 years.

No one said that.

Jon Cooper could teach them how not to be a train wreck in their own end, yes.

Coach Bombay is in over his head.

 

[Habby4Life]

Yeah, Patrick Roy going postal would get us to the playoffs…

He would not just smile while his team got schooled in their own end every night.

He’d coach to win, not to lose. He’d still lose most nights but they would not be an unorganized lethargic mess.

MSL was and is still a PR move.

 

[morhilane]

So what the naysayers are saying is that if we had a different coach, this team would be better....This youngest team in the league that has added:
- Heinemen
- Kapanen
- Hutson
All rookies playing significant roles.

And lost their most significant add to injury.

What we are saying - just to make sure - you put in Jon Cooper and all of a sudden this young, inexperienced, thin team with largely unproven goaltending would somehow turn into a playoff contending team that has a veteran structure with 30 year old pro's and possibly an elite player or 2.

Marty is the coach we need now and hopefully the coach when this team starts it's window in 2-3 years.

Another coach might squeeze more juice out of a few players coasting right now, but they wouldn't magically turn the young defense and the old man into a top 10 one in the league.

 

[Habnot]

No one said that.

Jon Cooper could teach them how not to be a train wreck in their own end, yes.

Bombay is in over his head.

That's where you are wrong. I have coached at elite levels and defensive zone play/coverage is probably the most difficult system to team and requires strength, toughness but most importantly maturity - especially from your d-men.

It is just not possible to have such a young team and play a top end in zone system no matter who is coaching. That's why the Habs went to the SC finals in 2021 with a backed oh Weber, Edmudsun, Petry, Chiarot and guys like Perry & Stall to play big minutes in the D zone.

 

[dcyhabs]

Roy is 10x a coach than MSL but he can be hot headed. MSL is all warm and fuzzies. They are building a home, lol.

Unfortunately, we probably have two more years of Marty driving the tank before anything changes.

Roy was exactly what the team didn't need. A guy who would go for the wins and grouch about the losses. The team isn't going to win until the last of the old guys leave and they sign a couple of vets who won't necessarily play better than the young guys, but who will be chosen to show the young guys what they have to do to win close games and to be able to compete in the second game of a back to back. Savard is somewhat in that mold, but he's more effort than systems and preparation.

Roy was unstable in less pressured roles already. No need to bring him in with tons of media and pressure and encourage him to lose it again.

If St-Louis has the team disorganized with bad special teams once it is time to win then he'll have to go, or, more likely, get a promotion that amounts to an assistant coach role. As long as the team isn't ready he can keep developing the young guys and the habs can keep drafting high. If they aren't going to make the playoffs this year they might as well get one of the several good forwards available.

Three consecutive years of significant injuries is starting to be more than bad luck. Are they accumulating fragile players? Are they playing a style that gets players hit hard? Are the new trainers as bad as the previous ones? They aren't going anywhere until they can have a healthy year or two. Some of the guys who got hurt, like Caufield, took a while to come back, and some, like Dach and Xhekaj, don't seem to be back yet.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

He would not just smile while his team got schooled in their own end

Right. He’d throw chairs and bench rookies and ruin their confidence.

We’ve been there done that. It doesn’t work. He’s a tire fire.

I have zero problem with someone who thinks MSL isn’t the right guy. I disagree but so be it. But Roy is just like what we just had. He may be more competent than some of the coaches we had but he’s still a high dram volatile personality who’s going to f*** up young players. No thanks.