Coaching is a serious problem.

[sampollock]

He needs a curfew, dead serious, before he ends up like Galchenyuk

maybe that is it.
playing to hard away from the rink
wait till he gets the new contract

 

[OldCraig71]

When all your core blows, you'd better be pointing the finger behind the bench. Stop defending the little turd. Demanding franchises fire coaches when they don't like what they see, they don't defend their choices till the end. You can't rebuild with this inexperience running the lines, and the plays, it's stupid. Look at how many good teams traded core players and made coaching changes when they saw things spiral. This franchise is a joke, you can't rebuild when your entire team has given up and stopped playing in all ends of the rink.

You think Slaf is the only problem here? lol

You are twisting this to make it seem like I am defending MSL! You said that Marty would only work with the little guys on the roster and I gave you an example of him working with Slaf last season instead of taking the advice of Hughes to send him down.

The result was that Slaf figured it out and played well for the last 40 games when he could have spent time in the minors. I am the last guy on this board to defend a coach or a GM for that matter but it is clear to me that we don't have the manpower/talent in the middle of the ice to help our wingers produce.

Jake Evans is 29 years old and just celebrated his 100th point in the league. Dvorak is 28 and his career high in the league is 38 points and to break it down even more, he has 17 points in his last 51 games. The 4th line is centered by a 27 year old career AHLer that just played his 11th NHL game with the Habs.

So, coaching is a serious problem? I am in a glass house here as well because I have criticized MSL for his decisions and I own it but Jesus Mary and Joseph, are you watching our guys trying to create offense? They struggle with passing at an NHL level and how exactly is that on the coach? Seriously? Basic ass shit that an NHLer should be good at.

I see no problem in being critical of the defensive structure issues that have plagued this team all season and that, in my opinion, is a coaching issue but Prime Scotty Bowman couldn't change the fortunes of 3 centers that have never done much at the NHL level.

The finger should be pointed at Hughes and Gorton for believing what they had on the ice was competent enough to keep the team "in the mix" which clearly it isn't. I get that we are rebuilding but winning games is also part of that process because the hope is to contend one day and that isn't just a switch that can be flipped. See Buffalo, see Ottawa, teams that haven't figured it out.

The key to a successful rebuild is to surround youth with useful vets who can bridge the gap while young guys are developing and not to throw a bunch of kids to the wolves in the toughest hockey market in the NHL. Coaching is not perfect but at least give the guy something to work with before firing him and starting over. End rant.

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

maybe that is it.
playing to hard away from the rink
wait till he gets the new contract

I'd be doing the same thing in his shoes. He's a kid who came from nothing in Slovakia and just got a guaranteed 50 million. He has already won at life, let's see if he has the drive to win at hockey.

 

[sampollock]

I'd be doing the same thing in his shoes. He's a kid who came from nothing in Slovakia and just got a guaranteed 50 million. He has already won at life, let's see if he has the drive to win at hockey.

hopefully he is ok. I am sure the habs are watching.
dont' want to jump and say he is a booze hound but it could be concerning.

 

[Rapala]

Jake Evans is 29 years old and just celebrated his 100th point

How did I miss that?

 

[salbutera]

Last night was really the first time I was frustrated watching.
It felt like St Louis had lost the point of all of this...a rebuild.
Let's start with Dach. Anyone had major reconstructive knee surgery and have to play with a brace?
He's not there yet and he may not be there this season.
St Louis playing him and Slaf on the 4th line is so dumb.
It reeks of the ego, of a coach who has lost the plot-line of a rebuild and is trying to win at all costs - even though the team is shit, we all know it's shit and they won't beat quality teams on a regular basis.
An amateur like me is aware of this, why isn't the coach?
The in the mix comment was funny and the media chowed down on it, but we all kind of knew they'd be a bottom 5 team again.
I'm afraid St Louis actually believes he can win with this team - Montembeault is a no2 and Primeau may not even be an NHLer.
St Louis playing the shit out of vets instead of the development he was tasked with is egregious and a fireable offence.
Breaking up the slaf / suzuki/ cc line was idiotic.
The yo-yoing of young players has to stop and he has to stop playing the vets as much as he does.
ALL the young guys, for the most part are playing tentative because of his coaching and messaging.
Where is the coach from the 2nd half of last season?
I'm officially unconvinced this guy should be the coach beyond this season if he keeps playing games with most of the young guys.

Rebuild phase is over, rightly or wrongly…. it ended once the owner uttered the words “the plan this year is to be in the mix for the playoffs” to kickoff the golf tournament. After which Gorton & Hughes were left with no choice but to follow suit w the bosses mandate “ in the mix”

 

[Tyson]

Rebuild phase is over, rightly or wrongly…. it ended once the owner uttered the words “the plan this year is to be in the mix for the playoffs” to kickoff the golf tournament. After which Gorton & Hughes were left with no choice but to follow suit w the bosses mandate “ in the mix”

You actually believe that Molson caught them off guard and weren't expecting him to say that?

 

[The Last Red]

Rebuild phase is over, rightly or wrongly…. it ended once the owner uttered the words “the plan this year is to be in the mix for the playoffs” to kickoff the golf tournament. After which Gorton & Hughes were left with no choice but to follow suit w the bosses mandate “ in the mix”

Just replace “. . . for the playoffs” with “. . . for the first overall pick” and it’s accurate.

 

[morhilane]

Max Lapierre knows exactly what has to happen,
Skate drive the net stop up back check get your stick in the lane stop up.
Start with simple plays master them and the rest will cone easy.
I'm not sure what his head is filled with but it ain't this.

I personally think it's very similar to Anderson last season: someone is trying to turn Slaf into a player he is not.

The only constant thing in his game this season is hitting. Slaf has been the most constant hitter with Heineman since the season started.

 

[BLONG7]

Quarter pole and there is no reason as to why MSL shouldn't be called out for poor systems and poor line matchups......
That said, we are opposite this year, of previous years. We are good at special teams, and awful with 5 on 5 play. How did this happen? Previous years, our 5 on 5 was very good....what changed?
A question for the coach or is players??

 

[morhilane]

Quarter pole and there is no reason as to why MSL shouldn't be called out for poor systems and poor line matchups......
That said, we are opposite this year, of previous years. We are good at special teams, and awful with 5 on 5 play. How did this happen? Previous years, our 5 on 5 was very good....what changed?
A question for the coach or is players??

MSL swapped his plan this year. They started with the special teams. Then spent the in-season practices working on team defense. I don't think they even started working on team offense yet...

Last year, it was the opposite order, they only started working on PP/PK in Nov/December, but 5v5 play was before the season started.

The real problem is that players shouldn't forget how to play hockey during the off-season.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

In charge of the Montreal Canadiens organization, we have an agent and an ex-player that coached pee-wee. Supported by a guy who does have experience......at not winning. Also supported by Letowski, Robidas and Roger Grillo who had no coaching NHL experience. At scouting, also supported by Lapointe who had no idea how to do that before he came in. And Bobrov who does have experience.....at being average.

And yet, we are wondering why the hell we are not winning.

Does experience means everything? No...but maybe, just maybe...let say you want to build your house from scratch...what are you looking for when you search for a builder? I hope you look for 2 things...experience and look at their past jobs and how happy people are of what they've done.

We are not there. We are actually picked rookies everywhere but Gorton and Bobrov. And frankly, go back at New York and ask them how both guys did....

Ranked number one in terms of players 23 and younger. We’re still in the early stages of a rebuild.

Disappointing year but we’re still on track in terms of the big picture. I have zero problem with our GM.

The coach? Everyone has a shelf life. MSL may have passed his. We’ll see on that front.

 

[Heffyhoof]

hopefully he is ok. I am sure the habs are watching.
dont' want to jump and say he is a booze hound but it could be concerning.

Nah, just insinuate it like 20 times

 

[salbutera]

You actually believe that Molson caught them off guard and weren't expecting him to say that?

I believe HuGo would’ve preferred erring on the side of conservatism with public messaging while internally pushing for giant next step in the process.

Molson is a businessman first & not one NHL owner is ok with leaving potential $ on the table for numerous years, 3 was more than enough of a sacrifice in Molson’s eyes

 

[sampollock]

so then

is no effort because of this dumb system MSL uses?

Nah, just insinuate it like 20 times

no I did not. they other poster said
I want it on record that I am not saying any of that.

nice try though

 

[The Last Red]

Ranked number one in terms of players 23 and younger. We’re still in the early stages of a rebuild.

Disappointing year but we’re still on track in terms of the big picture. I have zero problem with our GM.

The coach? Everyone has a shelf life. MSL may have passed his. We’ll see on that front.

One qualifier, Max Lapierre keeps making the point that we are a slow team up front and that’s a big issue. He might be right that’s it’s a big issue. We are comparatively slow up front, can’t deny that.

 

[overlords]

Rebuild phase is over, rightly or wrongly…. it ended once the owner uttered the words “the plan this year is to be in the mix for the playoffs” to kickoff the golf tournament. After which Gorton & Hughes were left with no choice but to follow suit w the bosses mandate “ in the mix”

Some of you are as desperate as the media with putting value on that stupid little phrase.

 

[le_sean]

Some of you are as desperate as the media with putting value on that stupid little phrase.

No one is desperate in the media is the problem. It’s just sycophants too afraid to lose their credentials.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

One qualifier, Max Lapierre keeps making the point that we are a slow team up front and that’s a big issue. He might be right that’s it’s a big issue. We are comparatively slow up front, can’t deny that.

Demidov will help with that next year.

 

[OldCraig71]

Demidov will help with that next year.

Who's he going to play with? Evans? If so his impact will be minimal.

 

[The Last Red]

Demidov will help with that next year.

They say he’s not too fast . . . but neither is Michkov, but Flyers have fast forwards in Tippett and Konecny.

 

[salbutera]

They say he’s not too fast . . . but neither is Michkov, but Flyers have fast forwards in Tippett and Konecny.

Replace Dvo with Beck and speed quotient increases without compromising faceoff effectivity

 

[Habano]

Jake Evans is 29 years old and just celebrated his 100th point in the league.

Respectfully, you and I agree on pretty much everything except maybe for Evans. To be fair, he's a very late 7th round pick who has really only been a regular for the last 4 years. He is arguably our best defensive forward and earns 1.7 mill a year. Never complains or pouts and goes out and does what he's paid to do game after game.

He's been unfairly thrust as high as our second line because of injuries and our lack of talent. I don't expect him to get many points because that's not his job. He's there to kill penalties and and play a shut down role which he does just as well as, if not better than, our highly paid prima donnas. If the price is right, I'd re-sign him in a heartbeat. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[OldCraig71]

Replace Dvo with Beck and speed quotient increases without compromising faceoff effectivity

NHL is much tougher than the AHL, thats a lot of pressure for a kid.

 

[The Last Red]

Replace Dvo with Beck and speed quotient increases without compromising faceoff effectivity

Trade deadline.