HF Habs: The Martin St Louis Thread

[Habaneros]

He was never in rebuild mode and always in winning mode and always wanted to win for us and always believed in us," said Guhle. "It’s what you need in your head coach. He can’t have any doubt. If he had any doubt, it would creep into the room, and he didn’t have any. So I think that’s the biggest thing. He’s our No. 1 fan, our No. 1 believer, and without him we wouldn’t be here. He’s for sure a huge piece of our success."

St. Louis made playoff-bound Canadiens believers against all odds

It’s a coach’s job to sell, and Martin St. Louis did that job as well as any coach this season.

www.sportsnet.ca

 

[Vachon23]

does he get credit when the team wins or?

only when they lose?

He gonna get credit with a Jack Adams nomination.

 

[windycity]

But St. Louis' greatest success was selling hope to the Canadiens. Especially at times when hope was beyond fleeting.
"We talked about it just after the game," said Mike Matheson. "(Canadiens assistant coach Trevor Letowski) got up and reiterated that at the 4 Nations break there was a two per-cent chance that we were going to make the playoffs, and I don’t even know what the percentage was going into the season, but at no point did Marty ever stop believing. And I think during those times when it was maybe a little bit harder to believe, he picked us back up and kept that belief and drive and focus. So the word that comes to mind is 'instrumental.'
"What Marty did was instrumental and, without it, I don’t know where we’d be at."

St. Louis made playoff-bound Canadiens believers against all odds

It’s a coach’s job to sell, and Martin St. Louis did that job as well as any coach this season.

www.sportsnet.ca

Yeah the players may feel that but I read on HF he's a terrible coach so who ya gonna believe?

 

[ahmedou]

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

He was never in rebuild mode and always in winning mode and always wanted to win for us and always believed in us," said Guhle. "It’s what you need in your head coach. He can’t have any doubt. If he had any doubt, it would creep into the room, and he didn’t have any. So I think that’s the biggest thing. He’s our No. 1 fan, our No. 1 believer, and without him we wouldn’t be here. He’s for sure a huge piece of our success."

St. Louis made playoff-bound Canadiens believers against all odds

It’s a coach’s job to sell, and Martin St. Louis did that job as well as any coach this season.

www.sportsnet.ca

My man Guhle!

 

[RationalExpectations]

One day we're gonna win the cup. It's gonna be the same posters who will be complaining every step of the way there. Every regular season. Every playoff series. Until we win, and then they'll pretend that they were fans all along.

I find this kind of attitude is detrimental to the whole fan base. I think it is a good think that we have different opinions and can express them. We are all Fans here, we are cheering for MTL, it does not mean we have to be convinced in everything the GM or coach does.
May I remind you that Ducharme led MTL to a SC Final? Was he a fantastic coach ?

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

I find this kind of attitude is detrimental to the whole fan base. I think it is a good think that we have different opinions and can express them. We are all Fans here, we are cheering for MTL, it does not mean we have to be convinced in everything the GM or coach does.
May I remind you that Ducharme led MTL to a SC Final? Was he a fantastic coach ?

Ducharme had a whole bunch of vets, some of whom were known to be great leaders, like Price and Weber. This present team doesn't, except for St-Louis.

Stop acting like most of his critics are objective and reasonable. The great majority of them spout inane drivels and use infantile derogatory name callling. Most of them are driven by emotion, not reason.

IF ONLY they were actually objective and used critical thinking. Most of them don't. Most of them act like their school of thought on coaching is the only functioning one and proven without a doubt.

Most of us who support Marty are well aware he's not perfect and still has much to learn, but we're also aware that the results speak for themselves. Aware that Marty has one of the most critical attributes a coach can have, leadership, and has that in spades.

Like I said a few weeks ago, most of his critics are missing the forest for the trees. And f*** yeah they'll get drown out and shamed the day he brings them to the promised land. It will be their just dessert.

 

[tazsub3]

Ducharme had a whole bunch of vets, some of whom were known to be great leaders, like Price and Weber. This present team doesn't, except for St-Louis.

Stop acting like most of his critics are objective and reasonable. The great majority of them spout inane drivels and use infantile derogatory name callling. Most of them are driven by emotion, not reason.

IF ONLY they were actually objective and used critical thinking. Most of them don't. Most of them act like their school of thought on coaching is the only functioning one and proven without a doubt.

Most of us who support Marty are well aware he's not perfect and still has much to learn, but we're also aware that the results speak for themselves. Aware that Marty has one of the most critical attributes a coach can have, leadership, and has that in spades.

Like I said a few weeks ago, most of his critics are missing the forest for the trees. And f*** yeah they'll get drown out and shamed the day he brings them to the promised land. It will be their just dessert.

Thank you very well said .
It’s the new generation that expect perfection as they did it on their ps5 lol.
Nom of us is perfect , even in our jobs , so how can we expect anyone else to be.
Msl is the best coach in decades of this team on both hockey teaching and human being side

 

[Pat Riot]

MSL best coach in the business

 

[WinterLion]

The whole team has really surprised and impressed me. That was an amazing season and everyone deserves credit.

NOW BRING ON THE CAPS!

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

I still wish we didn't go with a complete rookie as a coach when we did, but MSL did show an ability to learn on the job very fast. Props to him and his staff, they found a way to rise to the challenge in the end. He's still far from a perfect coach, but he's getting a bit better every season and that's really promising.

 

[Justin11]

Another thing that we don’t mention often here is that free agents will be attracted to the idea of playing under MSL.

 

[Rapala]

People can complain about MSL all they want but the proof is in the pudding - - took a young team and improved by 15 pts and made the playoffs after finishing 5th worst last season. I mean, what do people think another coach could have accomplished with this team? He's still learning too, he'll improve. Needs some more tactical development

The thing about being tactical is you need resources to be successful at it. We are getting there!

 

[RationalExpectations]

Ducharme had a whole bunch of vets, some of whom were known to be great leaders, like Price and Weber. This present team doesn't, except for St-Louis.

Stop acting like most of his critics are objective and reasonable. The great majority of them spout inane drivels and use infantile derogatory name callling. Most of them are driven by emotion, not reason.

IF ONLY they were actually objective and used critical thinking. Most of them don't. Most of them act like their school of thought on coaching is the only functioning one and proven without a doubt.

Most of us who support Marty are well aware he's not perfect and still has much to learn, but we're also aware that the results speak for themselves. Aware that Marty has one of the most critical attributes a coach can have, leadership, and has that in spades.

Like I said a few weeks ago, most of his critics are missing the forest for the trees. And f*** yeah they'll get drown out and shamed the day he brings them to the promised land. It will be their just dessert.

I would argue MSL also has some vets. Anderson, Dvorak, Gallagher, Evans, Armia is a good bottom 6, it s just paid way too much for a bottom 6. He also has a better 1st line than Ducharme ever had. And better Puck movers (Hutson, Matheson) than Ducharme did. He also has had Monty and Dobes stealing games what Allen did not do in 2022. It is so hard to know what comes from Coaching what comes from the players. And I am not saying I prefer Ducharme over MSL.

I have not changed my opinion of him since November, I believe he is a good leader and Player Coach but the way they play is not really in line with their Ambition to play an offense first (few shots, little puck possession) Style of hockey. The PP is also subpar given the Talent they have. Does that make me a hater ? I don t think so and I don t think many people are.

 

[Rapala]

I still wish we didn't go with a complete rookie as a coach when we did, but MSL did show an ability to learn on the job very fast. Props to him and his staff, they found a way to rise to the challenge in the end. He's still far from a perfect coach, but he's getting a bit better every season and that's really promising.

Good point he's no longer a rookie coach and it doesn't even merit mention.
Kent Hughes said Marty's greatest trait was that he was emotionally mature.
That seems like a good thing to be when in a complete rebuild.
I expect MSL to coach differently next season we have new goals.

 

[bcv]

Alright. I never wanted him fired, but I was vocal in my criticism (some valid, some probably less so).

Who's got my crow serving?

 

[salbutera]

 

[sampollock]

ok MSL enjoy this as well.
you made it

 

[The Real Timo]

I find this kind of attitude is detrimental to the whole fan base. I think it is a good think that we have different opinions and can express them. We are all Fans here, we are cheering for MTL, it does not mean we have to be convinced in everything the GM or coach does.
May I remind you that Ducharme led MTL to a SC Final? Was he a fantastic coach ?

Technically Richardson did... They were winning all the way up to the SCF and then Ducharme came back and they lost

 

[TRG]

 

[morhilane]

So MSL said he learned a lot in the last 4 games, I hope what he learned is how to manage the coaches and players's nervousness. Among other things.

Also, I never understand the "never watch luck gear" stuff from hockey players...including taking other people stuff it seems. You know you will never get it back Brad...

 

[RandR]

I find this kind of attitude is detrimental to the whole fan base. I think it is a good think that we have different opinions and can express them. We are all Fans here, we are cheering for MTL, it does not mean we have to be convinced in everything the GM or coach does.
May I remind you that Ducharme led MTL to a SC Final? Was he a fantastic coach ?

Ducharme is a good example of what so many on this board miss: coaches (and GMs), like players, have strengths and weaknesses. They can be good for some things and some situations, while not so good in others. Ducharme may have actually been the perfect kind of coach for that SCF run because he didn’t get in the way of the key players, including Price, Weber and the 5 or 6 players with Stanley Cup rings that GM Bergevin had added to the team before and during that season to take advantage of the Habs being in an easier division for that one year. The next season was a very different situation and Ducharme wasn’t the right guy for it, neither was Bergevin, and thankfully both of them got the boot.

There is nothing inherently wrong with criticism and different points of view. I agree with most fans and media analysts saying that in Monday’s game St-Louis made a mistake not picking Demidov, his most dangerous forward in that game, as one of the first 3 shooters in the shootout. Legitimate criticism was due there beyond simply agreeing or disagreeing with such decisions.

However the bigger picture is that St-Louis has some obvious (plus not so obvious) strengths that explain how he was able to guide this team into the playoffs, exceeding expectations of basically everyone on this planet this season. That context goes AWOL from what drives the comments of quite a few here. So I find it both ridiculous and often very annoying to come into Pre-game threads hoping to find out who is in and out of the lineup and have to scroll through page after page littered with people calling St-Louis a dummy or an idiot, and questioning his motivations because he had the nerve to make a lineup decision they didn’t like. I know I don’t have to mention GDTs when things aren’t going well. And post-game threads are often as bad as pre-game threads for so much criticism and sometimes hate about whatever went wrong even after games where the Habs won or got a valuable point in a game almost nobody expected them to get.

Simply stated, some fans on this board will almost never be satisfied. That includes this specific case of a coach who will likely get an Adams nomination in recognition of what he has accomplished with this team this year.

 

[JoelWarlord]

I find this kind of attitude is detrimental to the whole fan base. I think it is a good think that we have different opinions and can express them. We are all Fans here, we are cheering for MTL, it does not mean we have to be convinced in everything the GM or coach does.
May I remind you that Ducharme led MTL to a SC Final? Was he a fantastic coach ?

Idk man, it's been really dumb this year. I've cut back on posting a lot since around November because it's just endless crisis mode about stupid shit. We're a big fanbase so there's always somebody talking about every individual topic which means everything gets treated as if it's actually important. The Kovacevic trade became a months-long crisis on this board. All summer we were apparently going to finish below Chicago because we didn't sign Yakov Trenin or TJ Brodie or whoever the hell, as if Chicago signing 5 geriatrics was going to vault them past us in the standings. Marty is "stubborn" for not breaking up the top line four f***ing periods into Demidov's career and crickets after Slafkovsky had a big game and set up what ended up being the playoff clinching goal.

Xhekaj doesn't kill penalties and shoots left so they've kept PK mainstay and right shot D Savard in the lineup for a 3rd pair role and that's apparently because Marty just irrationally hates Xhekaj now after dressing him for 70 games. Pezzetta dressed for 25 total games all year and 8 during the last couple weeks when we had injuries and because Roy doesn't fit the fourth line. Then when Pezzetta stayed in the lineup a little longer than expected, somehow the "rational" critique is that he all of a sudden became Marty's special boy who he's too stubborn to take out and not "oh, maybe Heineman isn't 100% yet."

That's what I mean. All season long, the coach demonstrated with actions that he very clearly thinks Pezzetta is a 14th forward who can only really crash and bang as a short-term injury replacement and that Heineman is an important piece for the team. But the second Pezzetta dresses for one more game than expected we're supposed to throw out five months of evidence showing the organization loves Heineman's game and assume that the coach has a crush on Michael Pezzetta but it took him 70 games to reveal it. Someone mentioned missing the forest for the trees and that's exactly it. All the good stuff is just treated as automatic and minor 3rd pair/4th line decisions get blown totally out of proportion.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Youngest team to ever make the playoffs.

That’s damn impressive for both MSL and Hugo. Especially considering it’s been MSL developming these guys for the past few seasons.

 

[sampollock]

Youngest team to ever make the playoffs.

That’s damn impressive for both MSL and Hugo. Especially considering it’s been MSL developming these guys for the past few seasons.

I never heard that so they broke a record