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Post by Tankdriver on Oct 11, 2024 10:06:12 GMT -5
Would Babcock be too dangerous as an assistant coach? I know he has been crucified for his actions as a head coach. What about Joel Quenneville?
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Post by jkr on Oct 11, 2024 10:55:08 GMT -5
From the stuff I read lately - about a Chelios appearance on a poscast- he is just too toxic.
He was abusive in Detroit & apparently rode Johan Franzen really hard. Looking back I am surprised Toronto hired him. How could Shanahan - with his Detroit connections- not known about this behaviour.
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Post by Cranky on Oct 11, 2024 11:50:07 GMT -5
I'm not sure about that. He has a weak point shot. Not that Matheson has a canon, but far better then Hutson. What is driving me mad is that MSL is completely blind to using the point shot as a weapon. Even 5 on 3, he still won't put Guhle on the point. I bet that he wouldn't put Weber on the point either. He's not adapting. He is running the PP like he played it. Meaning pass, pass, pass, look for the open man. The only question is...does Hughes recognize MSL shortcomings? If he doesn't, this team is going NOWHERE. It doesn't have to be a Hutson for Maths switch altho that in itself would improve our PP. Ideally would be to have a another damn with Hutson on the point. One with a great shot who can also help when opponents get puck on rush which will happen on turnovers. Guhle or X with Hutson would be fine with me. MSL wont put Guhle on a 6/4 or 5/3, never mind a 5/4. MSL IS the problem with the PP and it's not getting fixed. HuGo needs to fix it by either having a talk with MSL and bringing in someone to help him...OR replacing MSL. At this point MSL has built enough of a immunity, we will need to lose the season in order to move out MSL. |
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Post by IamCanadiens on Oct 11, 2024 11:52:31 GMT -5
I'm reading a lot of comments on the need for a big point shot and how this will be prohibitive to Hutson being an effective PP QB and I couldn't disagree more. Hutson is so shifty and creative that I think he'll be fine. He'll keep the PK off balance and set up a lot of chances. Additionally he is very very good at getting the puck on net. Any shot on net is more valuable than a howitzer that is blocked or wide of the target. Finally, pairing him with someone with a big shot would solve that problem. The more weapons on the PP the less predictable it is. I'm content to give it time as we're 2 games in and lost a major piece of the PP with Laine's injury.
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Post by Cranky on Oct 11, 2024 11:53:20 GMT -5
Would Babcock be too dangerous as an assistant coach? I know he has been crucified for his actions as a head coach. What about Joel Quenneville? In the current corporate mentality, Quenneville is too much of a threat to Marty. We went from a fool and incompetent in BargainBin to a corporate stru ture and mentality with Hughes. |
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Post by Cranky on Oct 11, 2024 11:59:33 GMT -5
I'm reading a lot of comments on the need for a big point shot and how this will be prohibitive to Hutson being an effective PP QB and I couldn't disagree more. Hutson is so shifty and creative that I think he'll be fine. He'll keep the PK off balance and set up a lot of chances. Additionally he is very very good at getting the puck on net. Any shot on net is more valuable than a howitzer that is blocked or wide of the target. Finally, pairing him with someone with a big shot would solve that problem. The more weapons on the PP the less predictable it is. I'm content to give it time as we're 2 games in and lost a major piece of the PP with Laine's injury. Watch how high Hutson plays so he doesn't get caught. From there, you don't worry about Hutsons shot so you cover his wingers. Hutson is more dangerous playing lower, near the circles and having a canon on the point. He can score from 30 ft, but he's not beating anyone from 50 ft. Putting Ghule on the PP is so clear...but not to MSL. |
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Post by Andrew on Oct 11, 2024 12:55:04 GMT -5
I think we need to give MSL and the team some time to see what they can do as a group before hitting the panic button. It's tough to evaluate this team after the botched preseason followed by back-to-back games against top division opponents to start the year. Game 2 of the season on the road, in Boston with the Habs on a back-to-back? Montreal is losing that game 10 times out of 10.
4 games in 6 days to start the season is also pretty questionable scheduling. It's not until after Monday that there's time to breathe and work on things in practice.
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Post by IamCanadiens on Oct 11, 2024 12:56:29 GMT -5
Would Babcock be too dangerous as an assistant coach? I know he has been crucified for his actions as a head coach. What about Joel Quenneville? Totally counterintuitive to the culture this group has built. |
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Post by folatre on Oct 11, 2024 13:54:54 GMT -5
The 5v3 was shambolic and it is hard to shake that off. But to be honest I do not think the power play has been terrible. For me the eye test and the numbers actually match up -- average middle of the pack. And somehow the penalty kill is holding up thus far. Considering how the special teams bombed in St. Louis' first two seasons (2022-23: PP 29th, PK 29th; 2023-24: PP 27th, PK 24th), I could live with league average.
I know Primeau had a stinker of a game last night, but what is truly alarming in this very young season is how bad the Habs are defending even strength. Both Toronto and Boston had a crazy number of high danger scoring chances. D-men are not maintaining gap control. Forwards are not backchecking. Opponents are unmarked in the slot. St. Louis and the coaches need to get it fixed long before US Thanksgiving. I wonder what Jacques Lemaire thought Wednesday and Thursday if he tuned in to the games. I can appreciate that St. Louis wants players to trust themselves and gives them the latitude to be creative with the puck and make mistakes. But many players are just not going to play reliably enough left to their own device. Many players need clearly defined structure in all three zones in order to operate effectively.
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Post by seventeen on Oct 11, 2024 15:53:01 GMT -5
I still believe Marty is the right coach for this team and where it's going. I think he's a good leader and the players respect him. But he's never coached in the NHL before and he needs someone to fill in the gaps on defense. How is HuGo not getting that? In an English only venue, the points both you and Cranky have made would have resulted in some action by now. In Montreal, Hughes and Gorton also have to deal with political issues, meaning that to make a meaningful addition, such as adding a Carbo or equivalent, it would have to appear that it is Marty's decision. No only appear so, Marty has to recognize that he needs that help. As the pressure mounts (which it will) for the team to improve and be playing meaningful games in March, their structure has to improve. If it doesn't we're picking top 5 again. Seriously. I had us at 90 points, but I foolishly assumed that MSL would now be paying attention to defensive zone coverage and the players would have picked up on it. Maybe the system is there, but requires either practice or smarts on the part of the players to absorb it. Maybe by game 10, they will be reacting better in the defensive zone. Maybe this discussion has already been had by Hughes and Marty, with a deadline set to either have a structure in place or to add a coach who can implement something simpler to complement Marty's strengths. I'm not really sold on the two assistants. Granted, I know little about Letowski. A marginal NHL'r as a player, with 616 games under his belt and a highly undistingished career in coaching. Ten years in the OHL, as a head or associate coach, missed the playoffs twice, and got bounced in the first round 7 other times. His best year was his last, for Windsor, in 2019/20 with no playoff result (Covid?). There's no track record of any success. Robidas had a good NHL career, over 900 games. I always liked him when he was with us. My recollection is that we had a fair number of dmen and lost him on waivers to Atlanta. It was a numbers game and his size worked against him. He went from playing, directly to the assistant coaching role with us. The conclusion I can draw from those two hires is that Marty lacks confidence in his coaching and does not want any potential rivals around. The guy they hired to replace Burrows is a guy who coaches coaches. Duh? Nothing wrong with that. but where's the guy who fills in the weaknesses on the staff...you know, the systems guy? Anyway, Hughes faces that dilemma and it will eventually come down to a choice between a bottom 5 pick, or adding someone that Marty may not be on board with. I'm fine with the latter choice and hoping the systems guy can complement Marty and not worry him. It would make for a good coaching team. |
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Post by Willie Dog on Oct 11, 2024 16:35:45 GMT -5
Or they can bring in a Consultant to work with MSL on systems... What job does Lacavalier have with the team?
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Post by Skilly on Oct 11, 2024 20:14:33 GMT -5
Pascal Vincent
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