HF Habs: The Martin St Louis Thread

Most GMs wouldn't have expected our team to be where they are in the first place.
But we are there so there's no room for excuses now. If it's a fluke or not, make the most of the chance we are given and go out there and play like you want it! Prove the doubters wrong, f*** them all. There is no room for a defeatist attitude! Now is the time to stand up and play for the guy next to you!

God dammit, I would love to get in that dressing room about 20 minutes before puck drop tonight!
 
Pre-season words from management: We want to be in the mix and play meaningful games in the Spring.

They wouldn't have said that, if they didn't expect it.
They didn't expect the playoffs. They expected improvement.

And it's management who miscalculated on Dach's health. That really falls on the GM. Again though, he probably felt like we'd wind up with another decent pick while Dach recovered.

The coach can only play who he's given.
 
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But we are there so there's no room for excuses now. If it's a fluke or not, make the most of the chance we are given and go out there and play like you want it! Prove the doubters wrong, f*** them all. There is no room for a defeatist attitude! Now is the time to stand up and play for the guy next to you!
Oh... totally agree. Who doesn't?
God dammit, I would love to get in that dressing room about 20 minutes before puck drop tonight!
"Grind deez guys! Grind dammit! Griiiiiind!!!!"

Oh wait, that was a few coaches ago.
 
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They didn't expect the playoffs. They expected improvement.

And it's management who miscalculated on Dach's health. That really falls on the GM. Again though, he probably felt like we'd wind up with another decent pick while Dach recovered.

The coach can only play who he's given.
They expected to be "in the mix" and play meaningful games at this time of the year. That's exactly what they are doing and the team response to playing these meaningful game is what matters, not making the playoffs. They also didn't expect that to make WC2 this year, a team would just need 88-90 points.

And yes the coach can only play who he is given, but he doesn't have to continue playing his 11% PP without making any changes for weeks.
 
They didn't expect the playoffs. They expected improvement.

And it's management who miscalculated on Dach's health. That really falls on the GM. Again though, he probably felt like we'd wind up with another decent pick while Dach recovered.

The coach can only play who he's given.
I don’t think they miscalculated Dach’s health. He was a calculated risk the moment they acquired him and it didn’t work out. He played 60 games in his first two seasons and has been oft injured his entire career dating back to juniors so I don’t think they went into this season expecting he would magically be healthy all year.
 
They expected to be "in the mix" and play meaningful games at this time of the year. That's exactly what they are doing and the team response to playing these meaningful game is what matters, not making the playoffs. They also didn't expect that to make WC2 this year, a team would just need 88-90 points.
So you think this team hasn't overachieved? Did you predict us in the playoffs before the year began?

The most optimistic view of the team before the season began was around 85 points. 'In the mix... but not the playoffs.'
And yes the coach can only play who he is given, but he doesn't have to continue playing his 11% PP without making any changes for weeks.
It's one thing to point to specific things that a coach can do or isn't doing... it's a whole other thing to demand his firing.

The other night he went with three guys who've been great in shootouts and people still lost their minds. It's dumb.
 
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I don’t think they miscalculated Dach’s health. He was a calculated risk the moment they acquired him and it didn’t work out. He played 60 games in his first two seasons and has been oft injured his entire career dating back to juniors so I don’t think they went into this season expecting he would magically be healthy all year.
They miscalculated his health this year. He wasn't ready to play. In his first month he wasn't even NHL caliber. He needed more time. That really falls on the GM.
 
So you think this team hasn't overachieved? Did you predict us in the playoffs before the year began?

The most optimistic view of the team before the season began was around 85 points. 'In the mix... but not the playoffs.'
I did believe they would make the playoff at the start of the season and voted as such in the pre-season poll.
I didn't expect them to be that bipolar this season thought.

85 pts is only 2 wins from where they are now, they would have been fighting for WC2 until they lost the Monday Hawks game. Edit: in fact, they wouldn't have been eliminated until yesterday CJB game.
 
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Criticize him all you want. Who says you can't criticize him?

But fire him? That's nonsense.
I must've missed where the person you replied to said he should be fired.

Anyway, I'm done talking about MSL... until the end of the season :)
 
God dammit, I would love to get in that dressing room about 20 minutes before puck drop tonight!
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They miscalculated his health this year. He wasn't ready to play. In his first month he wasn't even NHL caliber. He needed more time. That really falls on the GM.
Coach did not have to put him in the lineup.....I think the entire organization made a huge mistake here...
Dach could have joined them by Christmas, and we could have been good with that.
 
I must've missed where the person you replied to said he should be fired.
Is that why you said the coach can't be criticized? Give this thread a read...
Anyway, I'm done talking about MSL... until the end of the season :)
If we win there will be Jack Adams comments here. If we lose people will scream for him to be fired.

Welcome to HFBoards.
 
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Coach did not have to put him in the lineup.....I think the entire organization made a huge mistake here...
Dach could have joined them by Christmas, and we could have been good with that.
Who does MSL put in his place? Want to be angry about Struble over Xekaj? That's cool, blame the coach. But Dach was a guy we counted on. That one's on the GM.

And btw, Dach was improving. That should've worked out in the end. Problem is that he got hurt again and now we're left with no other option. Next year we'll have better options.
 
Who does MSL put in his place? Want to be angry about Struble over Xekaj? That's cool, blame the coach. But Dach was a guy we counted on. That one's on the GM.

And btw, Dach was improving. That should've worked out in the end. Problem is that he got hurt again and now we're left with no other option. Next year we'll have better options.
You mentioned Dach was not NHL ready............but yet the coach kept using him? Why not tell the guys, he needs more time before he plays?
Just pointing out.......that being in the lineup is on MSL. Dach needed more time....
 
You mentioned Dach was not NHL ready............but yet the coach kept using him? Why not tell the guys, he needs more time before he plays?
Just pointing out.......that being in the lineup is on MSL. Dach needed more time....
He can only play the players he's given. They decided to let him play through it. Again, they probably didn't think we'd make the playoffs anyway.
 
I don't know why Dach is in this conversation.

I had a freak accident and it took me MONTHS to be my normal lazy self. I was conscious of it in everything I did. I don't see how Dach would not be...but then. EVERYBODY reacts differently. You could see him get better as time went by.

Anywho...this thread is about SMartys coaching.
 
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and yet im in there and im notoriously positive 😮‍💨
I grew up at the end of the Rocket era and through Beliveau's. Right through Bowman coaching era so I have history on my side why I'm so critical.

I haven't reached "fire SMarty" level but I'm hyper critical of unforced errors that loses us games...and he keeps repeating. Pezz has no business on the Habs team. Demi turned the goaltender into a pretzel yet we got Laine...those two errors may cost us the post season.

Far more unforced errors as we go back in the season. Glaring one is that everybody and their blind dog could see that Hutson was better then math, but it took far too many games for SMarty to adjust.

Right now...we are winning or losing games by a goal...and there is no room for "yes, but". SMarty has to think through what we need and adjust, not keep doing the same thing. Or worse, word salad excuses.
 
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