The Martin St Louis Thread

[salbutera]

Excerpt from The Athletic:

Montreal Canadiens ​

2.07 expected goals against per 60 at five-on-five: That is the Canadiens’ expected goals against per 60 minutes of five-on-five ice time in eight games in November. In 11 games in October, that number was at 3.79, easily the worst in the league. Had the Canadiens continued playing such porous defense, they would be so far out of the picture by now that any hope of being relevant in December — let alone February or March — would already be long gone. But shoring up their defensive game this month has led to their goaltenders’ playing better and the team’s being more competitive in general, to the point where the Canadiens remain on the cusp of relevancy. It’s a significant step forward from how bad the first three weeks of the season went for them. — Arpon Basu

 

[teamfirst]

Excerpt from The Athletic:

I liked the part where he says

''But shoring up their defensive game this month has led to their goaltenders’ playing better and the team’s being more competitive in general''

Who would of tought.

Let's hope it continues this way.

 

[salbutera]

I liked the part where he says

''But shoring up their defensive game this month has led to their goaltenders’ playing better and the team’s being more competitive in general''

Who would of tought.

Let's hope it continues this way

As I tell my boys furiously, I can’t crawl into your head and force you to work hard on the ice to win the puck battles….

 

[le_sean]

Promising first steps the team has shown lately but has a switched flipped or this a blip

Hopefully they figured some things out

lol nope, clearly a blip

 

[Canad13ns]

Had to work till 9. PVR'ed the game to watch after. But wtf 5-0? I guess I'll watch a murder show instead (wait, I can watch the Habs get murdered, why choose)

 

[Vachon23]

Imagine with Montgomery available if we didn’t won against Columbus and Edmonton what would be the reaction

 

[HabzSauce]

Imagine with Montgomery available if we didn’t won against Columbus and Edmonton what would be the reaction

Would Hugo actually fire MSL though? Right now?

I wonder how committed they are to him. But Let's say they go on another 3-4 losing skid. With Montgomery available idk how you don't jump all over that.

 

[Habby4Life]

Would Hugo actually fire MSL though? Right now?

I wonder how committed they are to him. But Let's say they go on another 3-4 losing skid. With Montgomery available idk how you don't jump all over that.

I’m afraid they think Bombay is doing a good job.

 

[le_sean]

Imagine not calling timeout in a game like this. Inexcusable. After the 3rd goal which was less than a minute after the 2nd.

No, let’s watch this team drown and not react. He’s just not a smart coach.

 

[ryan callahan]

Imagine not calling timeout in a game like this. Inexcusable. After the 3rd goal which was less than a minute after the 2nd.

No, let’s watch this team drown and not react. He’s just not a smart coach.

Man hell no. Players need to responsibilize themselves. They let Montembeault down. A time out doesn't affect bad players with bad attitudes with 0 care or willingness to win

 

[Twisted Sinister]

Has Napoleon lost the room?

 

[Rapala]

Kirby Dach is a much better transporter of the puck through the zones and gaining entry into the offensive zone. Those primary puck carrying duties are not what makes Slafkovsky effective at this point in time, nor has Slafkovsky taken any meaningful reps at center in many, many years.

This board has an obsession with turning centers into wingers, wingers into centers and defenseman into wingers.

Not right now he isn't.
Kirby Dach can't skate it's so obvious and It's f***ing his head up.
I don't know where he fits in until he finds his speed again if he ever does.

 

[Naslundforever]

Not right now he isn't.
Kirby Dach can't skate it's so obvious and It's f***ing his head up.
I don't know where he fits in until he finds his speed again if he ever does.

I always thought that’s what the farm team was for. So weird what they are doing.

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

Man hell no. Players need to responsibilize themselves. They let Montembeault down. A time out doesn't affect bad players with bad attitudes with 0 care or willingness to win

I think that's what a coach is for

 

[Hannibal]

Montgomery already gone

 

[RationalExpectations]

Montgomery already gone

Who needs Montgomery when you have MSL the Great ?

 

[eklund the clown]

If Marty fails with the chance to lock up Montgomery this will fall on Hugo.It didn't take long for the Blues to sign him to a 5 year contract did it?

 

[Catanddogguitarrr]

Who needs Montgomery when you have MSL the Great ?

Who needs an NHL experienced coach when your actual coach makes look your rosterm looks like an AHL team? When your system is having wingers stay at the blue line, static, just waiting to deflect a pass into the offensive zone and nobody to run for the lost puck?

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

Who needs an NHL experienced coach when your actual coach makes look your rosterm looks like an AHL team? When your system is having wingers stay at the blue line, static, just waiting to deflect a pass into the offensive zone and nobody to run for the lost puck?

I would even bring Guy Boucher in as an assistant at this point.

Sell it as Marty reuniting with an old friend so we don't hurt his ego

 

[Catanddogguitarrr]

I would even bring Guy Boucher in as an assistant at this point.

Sell it as Marty reuniting with an old friend so we don't hurt his ego

Excellent post. Boucher is an intellectual in hockey system (not sure he's that good tho) and you bring the perfect excuse to save his image. At this point, as you say.

 

[le_sean]

Man hell no. Players need to responsibilize themselves. They let Montembeault down. A time out doesn't affect bad players with bad attitudes with 0 care or willingness to win

It does if you hold them accountable, but this coach doesn’t. He’s running a country club.

 

[Habs4Life]

our system sucks, straight from 5 vs 5 to powerplay, only thing is decent this year is the PK

 

[The Real Timo]

If Marty fails with the chance to lock up Montgomery this will fall on Hugo.It didn't take long for the Blues to sign him to a 5 year contract did it?

Hugo is no good. I don't see any reason for optimism anymore.

 

[Habs]

Hugo is no good. I don't see any reason for optimism anymore.

if he hires that douche Boucher, I'm done

 

[ryan callahan]

It does if you hold them accountable, but this coach doesn’t. He’s running a country club.

It's one thing if it's a couple of guys, but half the team has mentally checked out, including some of our best players. I'm tired of acting like it's the coaches fault if some of our guys can't play.

If accountability was a thing, Slaf, Hutson and Heineman would all be in the AHL, Savard, Matheson, Dach and Newhook cut or eating hot dogs, Kovacevic would still be on the team and guys from the AHL team that actually give a f (Beck and Davidson) would be up.