Coaching is a serious problem.

[Tyson]

Sounding humble and playing/acting humble day in and day out at practices and game is different. If MSL was satisfied by Xhekaj's drive and will to get better he wouldn't make these comments I think.

You nor I have a source either way but for some reason he singles this kid out too much. Hughes needs to figure out why. If they can't coexist then Hughes needs to move Xhekaj. Look, Arber has not played very well but none of the young D not named Guhle have looked good in recent games.

 

[ryan callahan]

source?

Read between the lines and when there's smoke there is fire. I refuse to believe MSL would comment on Xhekaj publicly like this for no reason when no other players get the same treatment. Trying to light a fire under him.

You nor I have a source either way but for some reason he singles this kid out too much. Hughes needs to figure out why. If they can't coexist then Hughes needs to move Xhekaj. Look, Arber has not played very well but none of the young D not named Guhle have looked good in recent games.

I agree with every point in this post. But I think both need to coexist. We don't like to talk about it but fear factor is a thing and X can be an elite bottom pair D if he can round out his game and be the best at his style. We can't give him god status yet if we want him to hit his ceiling. He's just not an elite PMD but 25 pts with good D and elite physicality is possible.

Most don't want to talk about it but the main factor our team needs to fix is our top 6 forwards. They have been getting outplayed at ES for the past 3 years and need to show by example for the rest of the team. Matheson, Suzuki, Caufield and Slaf can all give much better 200 ft efforts. A bottom pairing D like X shouldn't be the main focus or the scapegoat I agree. At the end of the day, our leaders need to be leaders if we want to be good. MSL and/or X or not.

 

[Tyson]

Read between the lines and when there's smoke there is fire. I refuse to believe MSL would comment on Xhekaj publicly like this for no reason when no other players get the same treatment. Trying to light a fire under him.


I agree with every point in this post. But I think both need to coexist. We don't like to talk about it but fear factor is a thing and X can be an elite bottom pair D if he can round out his game and be the best at his style. We can't give him god status yet if we want him to hit his ceiling. He's just not an elite PMD but 25 pts with good D and physicality is possible.

Trust me Xhekaj needs to work on his game, he is a rare breed and I would hate to see him become a force elsewhere. I think MSL has basically an expansion team level team to coach which has injuries to key guys. He has the greenest D possibly in NHL history but a mature coach does not single out one of the young D when no one is playing well. I don't understand why he had to do that.

 

[1909]

Trust me Xhekaj needs to work on his game, he is a rare breed and I would hate to see him become a force elsewhere. I think MSL has basically an expansion team level team to coach which has injuries to key guys. He has the greenest D possibly in NHL history but a mature coach does not single out one of the young D when no one is playing well. I don't understand why he had to do that.

Because the press questions were about Xhekaj and not the others.

 

[morhilane]

A great point. Laval seems to be clicking pretty well in every zone.

Lots more of efforts over 200 feets. You can easily see what the Habs are executing wrong watching Laval's match today. The way they pressure the puck carrier in the dzone is what MSL wants and few Habs forwards are doing.

They also move around in a 3-men units, well a 2-1-2 system, keeping almost always the same distance between the 3-men units to cover the zones. The Habs aren't doing that (well they didn't two games ago, I barely whatched the last two).

Maybe MSL should show some video review of the Laval Rocket.

 

[Tyson]

Because the press questions were about Xhekaj and not the others.

I get that but he could have answered it much differently. "Arber is a young player who is still learning, we spend time with him reviewing videos and on occasion it does a young player some good to watch from the press box. I am confident he will rebound."

He never criticizes vets, why single out a young player, wasn't necessary.

Lots more of efforts over 200 feets. You can easily see what the Habs are executing wrong watching Laval's match today. The way they pressure the puck carrier in the dzone is what MSL wants and few Habs forwards are doing.

They also move around in a 3-men units, well a 2-1-2 system, keeping almost always the same distance between the 3-men units to cover the zones. The Habs aren't doing that (well they didn't two games ago, I barely whatched the last two).

Maybe MSL should show some video review of the Laval Rocket.

I think the Habs don't have enough great skaters to play that system.

 

[GrandmaCookie]

nevermind.

 

[Adriatic]

This thread is golden!! The amount of nonsense is off the charts.

 

[1909]

I get that but he could have answered it much differently. "Arber is a young player who is still learning, we spend time with him reviewing videos and on occasion it does a young player some good to watch from the press box. I am confident he will rebound."

He never criticizes vets, why single out a young player, wasn't necessary.


I think the Habs don't have enough great skaters to play that system.

Maybe he is sick and tired by Xhekaj attitude and lack of improvement since he is coaching him ???? All MSL wants from him is 1st, playing a sound and solid defensive game, 2nd, defend his teamates IF needed. 3rd: no bad stupid penalties.

Lots more of efforts over 200 feets. You can easily see what the Habs are executing wrong watching Laval's match today. The way they pressure the puck carrier in the dzone is what MSL wants and few Habs forwards are doing.

They also move around in a 3-men units, well a 2-1-2 system, keeping almost always the same distance between the 3-men units to cover the zones. The Habs aren't doing that (well they didn't two games ago, I barely whatched the last two).

Maybe MSL should show some video review of the Laval Rocket.

Maybe MSL should watch Laval’s games and learn himself...

 

[Tyson]

Maybe he is sick and tired by Xhekaj attitude and lack of improvement since he is coaching him ???? All MSL wants from him is 1st, playing a sound and solid defensive game, 2nd, defend his teamates IF needed. 3rd: no bad stupid penalties.

Has he taken a penalty this year? I don't remember him taking one. Has any young D played any better? Guhle yes. Well we will have to disagree on how MSL answered that question today, I say he needed to use a different tactic.

 

[ryan callahan]

Another point I want to make is this : I've been watching alot of STL and COL in the past weeks for fantasy hockey fun. It's incredibly clear how Suzuki and Caufield aren't on the level of Makar and MacKinnon or even Thomas and Kyrou. It's amazing how automatic the former 2 are in zone entries. It's like they skate at a different speed. Often, I also saw Makar literally take D plays off and MacK give subpar efforts. But for them, it's literally worth it as saving up for their auto zone entries is worth the occasionnal goals against at times. I love 22 and 14 as much as anyone else, but they aren't like that. Coach MSL needs to put them in their places. CC is closer to Dcat and Suzuki is close to prime Plek than Thomas. Can't take plays off unless you are truly in the elite of the elite. Bottom 6 players and young players then start acting like this and start copying their example and now boom you've lost the room.

 

[morhilane]

I think the Habs don't have enough great skaters to play that system.

if Kidney can play it, anyone on the Habs should be able to...

 

[Hacketts]

Trust me Xhekaj needs to work on his game, he is a rare breed and I would hate to see him become a force elsewhere. I think MSL has basically an expansion team level team to coach which has injuries to key guys. He has the greenest D possibly in NHL history but a mature coach does not single out one of the young D when no one is playing well. I don't understand why he had to do that.

I agree completely regarding that first bit, and probably needs to be said a bit more often then just taking about MSL's... x's & o's.

It's going to be very interesting to see how Arber responds, and I got to think this was a calculated decision on MSL's part. Arber's an old school type of player, and I think he's the type to respond well to the tough love treatment. Hopefully we see a pretty fired up and pissed off Xhekaj this weekend.

I don't think he would of made those comments if he didn't think he could handle it.

 

[Paddyjack]

This thread is golden!! The amount of nonsense is off the charts.

One's nonsense can be pure genius for others

 

[Habano]

Read between the lines and when there's smoke there is fire. I refuse to believe MSL would comment on Xhekaj publicly like this for no reason when no other players get the same treatment. Trying to light a fire under him.

Maybe you're right but man oh man this kid is the one to pay all the time. I mean our D sucks with or without him and our forwards (with possibly the exception of our 1st line) are a joke but the only one who gets singled out is X.

 

[River Meadow]

Another point I want to make is this : I've been watching alot of STL and COL in the past weeks for fantasy hockey fun. It's incredibly clear how Suzuki and Caufield aren't on the level of Makar and MacKinnon or even Thomas and Kyrou. It's amazing how automatic the former 2 are in zone entries. It's like they skate at a different speed. Often, I also saw Makar literally take D plays off and MacK give subpar efforts. But for them, it's literally worth it as saving up for their auto zone entries is worth the occasionnal goals against at times. I love 22 and 14 as much as anyone else, but they aren't like that. Coach MSL needs to put them in their places. CC is closer to Dcat and Suzuki is close to prime Plek than Thomas. Can't take plays off unless you are truly in the elite of the elite. Bottom 6 players and young players then start acting like this and start copying their example and now boom you've lost the room.

I was told Suzuki and Caufield were elite.

 

[ReHabs]

There is probably nothing wrong with MSL’s escalatory language with regard to Xhekaj. It’s clearly an escalation from MSL and clearly MSL feels it is necessary. It’s not something MSL is prone to doing so maybe that’s a sign he feels there’s more to come from Xhekaj, eh?

 

[River Meadow]

I agree but, to jump from peewee to the NHL ?

tbf,

He's been in the NHL forever and is a hockey fall of famer.

He's been through a ton of coaches, so he has definite on the job training.

 

[Habano]

tbf,

He's been in the NHL forever and is a hockey fall of famer.

He's been through a ton of coaches, so he has definite on the job training.

Gretzky is also a HOFer and had more credentials than MSL. How did his coaching career turn out? I'm just saying that just because you're in the HOF and have been through a lot of coaches doesn't mean you know how to coach.

 

[HabzSauce]

MSL thanks you for this thread

https://x.com/i/web/status/1849864004677796323

What a bomb at the end there I love it.

Definitely 10/10 motivator

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Not asking him to make this squad great, can't be done, but improve the shit show so they at least look like an NHL club. They play in their end like an expansion team.

This D structure was a problem last yr and its worse this year. If he knew how to fix it, then do it.

I'm asking they don't get outshot 2 to 1, and spend most of the game chasing the cycle in their own end.

A decent coach can teach under skilled guys how to play without the puck. In fact, that is an important part of their development. Unfortunately, the Habs hired a Pee Wee coach and surrounded him with inexperienced assistants.

Can we get a head coach or an assistant that doesn't need training wheels and/or has more experience than handing out orange slices?

You are taking the failures of an inexperienced club who haven’t executed on simple plays and dumping it all on the coach. It’s lazy and unsupported.

 

[Habby4Life]

You are taking the failures of an inexperienced club who haven’t executed on simple plays and dumping it all on the coach. It’s lazy and unsupported.

Oh please.
Bombay needs to do a MUCH better job.

 

[River Meadow]

Gretzky is also a HOFer and had more credentials than MSL. How did his coaching career turn out? I'm just saying that just because you're in the HOF and have been through a lot o coaches doesn't mean you know ow to coach.

Gretzky is one example, and he only coached the lowly Phoenix Coyotes.

There are countless others who show favorable results of an ex-NHLer turning coach.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Oh please.
Bombay needs to do a MUCH better job.

How? Be specific.

 

[Habby4Life]

How? Be specific.

They are last or near last in every defensive category. They have been badly outplayed 6 of 7 games. Have you watched them play?

Every talking head from Nilan, Green, McGuire, Corrado, and on have ripped their defensive play apart. Yeah, Bombay is doing just fine. No coaching improvement is needed.

How about: have the team ready to play, adapt D structure so they aren’t pinned in their zone forever, reduce the high quality chances, dont get badly out shot every night, look interested. To name a few of the many.

Lots of areas to improve. Once again, not expecting him to turn team into powerhouse, just improve a little so they don’t play like an expansion team.

Losing right now is ok but not competing, not being ready, and getting steamrolled almost every night isn’t.