Martin St Louis Hired as Interim Coach

[habsorbed]

Wonder if Molson resents Carey's strong play over the years. It's caused Molson lots off $$$ to extend MB 5 years ago and then give Dom the highest paid contract for a coach in the NHL history: $5.1 million contract for 4 months work. Wow MB was a dumb hockey guy who became rich as a result of an even dumber owner.

[Skilly]

Mar 1, 2022 0:43:58 GMT -5 habsorbed said:

Wonder if Molson resents Carey's strong play over the years. It's caused Molson lots off $$$ to extend MB 5 years ago and then give Dom the highest paid contract for a coach in the NHL history: $5.1 million contract for 4 months work. Wow MB was a dumb hockey guy who became rich as a result of an even dumber owner.

Bergevin should never have been hired. He was more concerned with fashion statements than he ever was with hockey , and that always a red flag to me. I hate when NFLers do it, and NHLers do it, and certainly when GMs do it.

But the choice was Bergevin or McGuire , and everyone bought into the perception that McGuire, ironically, built for himself on TV … that he was no more than a mouth piece .

[seventeen]

McGuire would have been just as bad, in a different way. The real issue was that the short list ended up with those 2 guys (both little fish in a little pond) and the Habs went ahead and hired one of them. They should have asked Serge to act as interim GM for a year and then go through the process again.

[Willie Dog]

After the Flames game, below is what Slick Nick had to say about Chiarot's first goal...

“We’ve talked about that as a team,” Suzuki said. “That’s something that Marty’s been preaching is if you’re by yourself, just try to bide your time for your linemates to come help you. And I knew guys would be coming hard off the bench and I just had to find a way to manage my time there and make a play.”

Puck possession... This is why old school coaching doesnt work anymore... MTHead, Clod and 'because Dom' would insist they dump the puck in...

[The Habitual Fan]

Mar 1, 2022 13:11:38 GMT -5 Skilly said:

Mar 1, 2022 0:43:58 GMT -5 habsorbed said:

Wonder if Molson resents Carey's strong play over the years. It's caused Molson lots off $$$ to extend MB 5 years ago and then give Dom the highest paid contract for a coach in the NHL history: $5.1 million contract for 4 months work. Wow MB was a dumb hockey guy who became rich as a result of an even dumber owner.

Bergevin should never have been hired. He was more concerned with fashion statements than he ever was with hockey , and that always a red flag to me. I hate when NFLers do it, and NHLers do it, and certainly when GMs do it.

But the choice was Bergevin or McGuire , and everyone bought into the perception that McGuire, ironically, built for himself on TV … that he was no more than a mouth piece .

Say what you like but MSL isn't having this success without the players and prospects that Bergevin put together, this is still very much his team. Bergevin's showed he was a better judge if player skill than he was in picking coaches. I firmly believe Montreal had the pieces to win a cup in the early years of his tenure but Therrien was not a good coach for that team. Julien I liked but having an old school coach on a rebuilding team wasn't going to win anyway and Dom was horrible when he took over the team for the last 30-40 games. The team barely squeaked into two playoff rounds where they shouldn't have. The cup run was on the inspiration of Price, Weber, Petry, and others, not on Dom's expertise behind the bench.

The group of players that the new management team took over is pretty talented and balanced between young and old. When MB took the job a lot of posters pointed to the fact he had good players that he inherited, but that team finished in the bottom of the standings. The same needs to be said of the current situation.

Don't get me wrong, Bergevin deserved to be fired and I think the future looks bright going forward but facts are facts.

[Skilly]

Mar 4, 2022 13:06:08 GMT -5 The Habitual Fan said:

Mar 1, 2022 13:11:38 GMT -5 Skilly said:

Bergevin should never have been hired. He was more concerned with fashion statements than he ever was with hockey , and that always a red flag to me. I hate when NFLers do it, and NHLers do it, and certainly when GMs do it.

But the choice was Bergevin or McGuire , and everyone bought into the perception that McGuire, ironically, built for himself on TV … that he was no more than a mouth piece .

Say what you like but MSL isn't having this success without the players and prospects that Bergevin put together, this is still very much his team. Bergevin's showed he was a better judge if player skill than he was in picking coaches. I firmly believe Montreal had the pieces to win a cup in the early years of his tenure but Therrien was not a good coach for that team. Julien I liked but having an old school coach on a rebuilding team wasn't going to win anyway and Dom was horrible when he took over the team for the last 30-40 games. The team barely squeaked into two playoff rounds where they shouldn't have. The cup run was on the inspiration of Price, Weber, Petry, and others, not on Dom's expertise behind the bench.

The group of players that the new management team took over is pretty talented and balanced between young and old. When MB took the job a lot of posters pointed to the fact he had good players that he inherited, but that team finished in the bottom of the standings. The same needs to be said of the current situation.

Don't get me wrong, Bergevin deserved to be fired and I think the future looks bright going forward but facts are facts.

The part you and I seemingly will always disagree on is Bergevin’s part in player development. He totally ignored it. In fact he 100% ignored it.

When a GM says publicly TWICE, after drafting a third overall pick that he has selected the first line center of the future then he better get his coach on the same damn page. But Bergevin let coach after coach play non first liners, as first liners, to the detriment of the team.

So yes, Bergevin inherited a good team, had an eye for talent (on times) but continually let the coaching staff screw it up and DID NOTHING.

He should not have been hired . Bergevin was more concerned in how they won , than in just winning, IMO

[mikeg]

I think what we are all forgetting is that whenever we would have bad years Price was always injured. Everything was about Price with this team.

MSL is showing what a modern coach can do for your team when the guy you rely on isn't there. Dom, Julien, Therrien... none of them could figure out what to do when Carey got hurt. MSL has the benefit of a lost season and can take some chances, but whose to say he would not have made those same decisions from the onset?

This team was built on a foundation of Carey Price; we need to move away from that. If Carey does come back and plays like he can AND MSL can/has put a team in front of him that doesn't need him to win every game, then great!!

[Disgruntled70sHab]

Didn't want to open another thread for this one ...

[habsorbed]

It's not a bit better. It's a lot better. Marty has twice as many wins, way more goals and he's been doing it all with 4, sometimes 5, rookie dmen.

[Willie Dog]

You have to love Marty... he says it like it is.... he said this after the Preds game

“As a team, we’re a young team because we haven’t played together for five, six years,” he said. “I’m not even a year into coaching. We’re still in the infant stage. I’ve said it before, it’s like a puppy; you potty train a puppy and he’s doing well for two weeks and I know he’s (still) going to piss on the carpet. It doesn’t mean you don’t like the puppy. I know they’re going to pee on the rug sometimes, but as coaches we have to help them to get them to where they can be productive so they can hold their pee, sit, give paw, lay down. You know you’re going to get times where there’s accidents, but still, you need to have a plan and thoughts that are about our culture.”

[Boston_Habs]

Jan 13, 2023 9:20:53 GMT -5 Willie Dog said:

You have to love Marty... he says it like it is.... he said this after the Preds game

“As a team, we’re a young team because we haven’t played together for five, six years,” he said. “I’m not even a year into coaching. We’re still in the infant stage. I’ve said it before, it’s like a puppy; you potty train a puppy and he’s doing well for two weeks and I know he’s (still) going to piss on the carpet. It doesn’t mean you don’t like the puppy. I know they’re going to pee on the rug sometimes, but as coaches we have to help them to get them to where they can be productive so they can hold their pee, sit, give paw, lay down. You know you’re going to get times where there’s accidents, but still, you need to have a plan and thoughts that are about our culture.”

I get that and don't disagree. At the same time, I was at the Garden last night for the Bruins/Kraken game and was blown away by how fast, smart, and disciplined the Kraken are. Seattle is a 2nd year expansion team on pace for >100 points, and in the middle of a 7 game win streak including 6 straight road wins. Seattle went up early and I kept waiting for the Bruins to take the game back but it never happened because Seattle was just in their face all night, taking the initiative on offense, and getting back and killing plays on defense. Very cohesive unit. Vegas had similar success in their early expansion years as well.

No huge point other than why is it that a team like Seattle, without a ton of talent, look so good so fast and with everyone on the same page while the Habs are stuck in the mud and inconsistent in terms of focus?

I love Marty and believe he's the answer behind the bench, but I honestly thought he would get these guys playing with more focus, passion, cohesion, and discipline this year but that hasn't happened. Maybe it's the roster issues - Seattle has an identity because they assembled this roster in full while the Habs are chock full of legacy players from the prior regime - we don't really know what this team is supposed to look like in the eyes of Gorto/Hughes/Marty.

As much as I want the top 5 pick and as much as I like the Marty and the new management.... watching Seattle give full measure in a 3-0 shutout made me depressed walking out of TD Garden. Or maybe I should be hopeful that things can change really fast with the right mix of players and culture.

[Willie Dog]

Jan 13, 2023 10:08:37 GMT -5 Boston_Habs said:

Jan 13, 2023 9:20:53 GMT -5 Willie Dog said:

You have to love Marty... he says it like it is.... he said this after the Preds game

I get that and don't disagree. At the same time, I was at the Garden last night for the Bruins/Kraken game and was blown away by how fast, smart, and disciplined the Kraken are. Seattle is a 2nd year expansion team on pace for >100 points, and in the middle of a 7 game win streak including 6 straight road wins. Seattle went up early and I kept waiting for the Bruins to take the game back but it never happened because Seattle was just in their face all night, taking the initiative on offense, and getting back and killing plays on defense. Very cohesive unit. Vegas had similar success in their early expansion years as well.

No huge point other than why is it that a team like Seattle, without a ton of talent, look so good so fast and with everyone on the same page while the Habs are stuck in the mud and inconsistent in terms of focus?

I love Marty and believe he's the answer behind the bench, but I honestly thought he would get these guys playing with more focus, passion, cohesion, and discipline this year but that hasn't happened. Maybe it's the roster issues - Seattle has an identity because they assembled this roster in full while the Habs are chock full of legacy players from the prior regime - we don't really know what this team is supposed to look like in the eyes of Gorto/Hughes/Marty.

As much as I want the top 5 pick and as much as I like the Marty and the new management.... watching Seattle give full measure in a 3-0 shutout made me depressed walking out of TD Garden. Or maybe I should be hopeful that things can change really fast with the right mix of players and culture.

Put some of the vets we have on Seattle and see how they do... Seattle is full of guys who feel rejected and want to prove themselves... Hoffman, dvo, drouin, Dads, Savard, Edmunson don't think they have anything to prove... after what PK said I expected a monster night from Drouin... I was disappointed

[madhabber]

Ha! After what PK said, I expected nothing from Drouin. I was pleasantly surprised he finished up with 3 points.

I still like Savard and Edmundson. We need a couple of decent vets on D. Their problem is that neither are first pair D even though that is where we have them playing. Those other names can all go and take Armia too.

[Willie Dog]

Jan 13, 2023 12:19:55 GMT -5 madhabber said:

Ha! After what PK said, I expected nothing from Drouin. I was pleasantly surprised he finished up with 3 points.

I still like Savard and Edmundson. We need a couple of decent vets on D. Their problem is that neither are first pair D even though that is where we have them playing. Those other names can all go and take Armia too.

He finished up with 3 points? WTF... the quietest 3 points in habs history

[folatre]

Three points is a good night's work. But it probably seemed somewhat quiet because all of them were secondary assists (two of which were on power play goals). However, I thought Drouin looked pretty good against Nashville.

[halihab]

Jan 13, 2023 20:18:03 GMT -5 folatre said:

Three points is a good night's work. But it probably seemed somewhat quiet because all of them were secondary assists (two of which were on power play goals). However, I thought Drouin looked pretty good against Nashville.

With the exception on Nashville's first goal. He was very weak on that check. He does not seem to give that extra physical push on opponents.

[folatre]

Hali, you are right. Drouin's compete level in the defensive zone leaves a lot to be desired.

I am not sure how blunt agents are with their clients, but this offseason could be a real eye-opener for Drouin. I think he can certainly stay in the league as a power play specialist; however, the contract Bergevin gave him is going to seem like something from a parallel universe. The new reality for Drouin is probably along the lines of 2 years/$1.75 AAV or maybe he bets on himself and goes to a contender for 1 year/$1 million with the hope that a good year of offensive production gets him a solid contract somewhere in 2024-25.

[Willie Dog]

Or he goes to Europe

[habsorbed]

Jan 14, 2023 12:26:01 GMT -5 Willie Dog said:

Or he goes to Europe

Or he goes the PK route and retire with his millions. But he should not expect to get a ceremony at the Bell Centre. If he did then he would hear the chants "LAYYY ZEEEEE, LAYYYY ZEEEEE".

[seventeen]

Jan 13, 2023 10:08:37 GMT -5 Boston_Habs said:

Jan 13, 2023 9:20:53 GMT -5 Willie Dog said:

You have to love Marty... he says it like it is.... he said this after the Preds game

I get that and don't disagree. At the same time, I was at the Garden last night for the Bruins/Kraken game and was blown away by how fast, smart, and disciplined the Kraken are. Seattle is a 2nd year expansion team on pace for >100 points, and in the middle of a 7 game win streak including 6 straight road wins. Seattle went up early and I kept waiting for the Bruins to take the game back but it never happened because Seattle was just in their face all night, taking the initiative on offense, and getting back and killing plays on defense. Very cohesive unit. Vegas had similar success in their early expansion years as well.

No huge point other than why is it that a team like Seattle, without a ton of talent, look so good so fast and with everyone on the same page while the Habs are stuck in the mud and inconsistent in terms of focus?

I love Marty and believe he's the answer behind the bench, but I honestly thought he would get these guys playing with more focus, passion, cohesion, and discipline this year but that hasn't happened. Maybe it's the roster issues - Seattle has an identity because they assembled this roster in full while the Habs are chock full of legacy players from the prior regime - we don't really know what this team is supposed to look like in the eyes of Gorto/Hughes/Marty.

As much as I want the top 5 pick and as much as I like the Marty and the new management.... watching Seattle give full measure in a 3-0 shutout made me depressed walking out of TD Garden. Or maybe I should be hopeful that things can change really fast with the right mix of players and culture.

I have waited for Seattle to fall back and they haven't. In hindsight, there are likely some factors at play, like Vegas, but it's happening in year 2 instead of year 1. Overall, I think it's unsustainable, but they might keep it up this whole year.

You have a large number of guys rejected by their teams, usually not because of a lack of talent, but a contract. Jamie Oleksiak...Jordan Eberle, Yanni Gourde, Vince Dunn, etc., etc. No stars though Beniers will be one, but a lot of 2/3 line, 2nd pair types. I liked Oleksiak a lot with Dallas, but they had a surplus of dmen, so what do you do? There is also a lot of incentive for these guy, a la Vegas. Reject me, will you?! I'll show you!. Ok, but that kind of adrenaline fueled performance is not long lived.

Francis' drafting record with the Canes wasn't bad, but I'm not sure how Hakstol will handle a younger team. Right now, he's leading a group of relative veterans with more than a few in their primes. Eight players are 29 or older and only 4 are under 25.

The other factor is goaltending. Put up your hands, anyone who had Martin Jones with a 20-5-3 record. None of their goalies is over a .900 save percentage, but they're scoring their way to wins. I'm not sure you can keep that up either. I'm referring to next season as I think there are a lot of guys having good years on that team. Also, I just noticed that there are a lot of players who have played 40 and 41 games, which means they've had a lot of good luck injury wise. Same as Calgary last year. It helps when you're not juggling lines and pairings and rotating goalies.

There, Boston, I've just skewered Seattle for you.

[Willie Dog]

Jan 14, 2023 13:22:00 GMT -5 habsorbed said:

Jan 14, 2023 12:26:01 GMT -5 Willie Dog said:

Or he goes to Europe

Or he goes the PK route and retire with his millions. But he should not expect to get a ceremony at the Bell Centre. If he did then he would hear the chants "LAYYY ZEEEEE, LAYYYY ZEEEEE".

Lmao

"LAYYY ZEEEEE, JAYYYY DEEEEE"

[Disgruntled70sHab]