Who should be coaching the Habs?

[Toronthab]

And I for one hope he keeps under the radar. It ain't broke don't fix it.

Well said. MT is responsible for the team as a unit and the wonderfully sparky PK is part of that complex thing. Clashes will be inevitable as they are for all management in all circumstances. Look at the terrific play of PK so far in the playoffs... fantastic.

I am literally shocked by Bourque who seems to be becoming "Borky" again, and seems as well to be testifying to the "Playoffs are what you pay me for" approach to the 82 game regular season....something I find not at all unreasonable.

I think Hockeyrealist's post just nails it in that this team ... look at Gallagher.. is playing with phenomenal resolve.

The last few minutes last night showed TB meeting for an impromptu coffee behind their own net discussing strategies for scoring from their own end of the rink.. as they weren't getting out of their end in the forseeable future.

A forseeable future that has a visible horizon.

I simply have to take my hat off to MT and MB because their version of Les Boys is playing with passion and fire in the belly...theirs and ours. God bless'em all.

[Toronthab]

I am no Therrien fan. But at this particular juncture, with the team up 3-0 in Round One and almost every single player playing as well as he can possibly play, you'd have to be crazy to criticize him. Credit where due. He has done a terrific job of getting this team into peak form at just the right time. Now, will we be saying the same thing in Round Two (assuming no epic collapse against Tampa)? Stay tuned. One thing is for sure - barring absolute disaster, he has bought himself more time behind the bench than I ever expected.

I don't know how much of all this we owe to Bishop's injury... perhaps a lot...but even so, I think you're right to cite his terrific job. And the nature of our success (Success has many fathers, failures, none...) is as you say a team where all are playing at 110%. Make that 125%.

Because of this... and perhaps even especially because of the status of superstar PK as also just one of the team.. who knows?... there is an evident buy in manifest in a wave of forechecks and intensity.

Every person can lose their fire. OK...maybe every person except the Rocket... and every team is only human and can go numb... look at TB at times.... so there will be lows for sure.. and who knows what the next round holds.

But there (brave prediction..!) will be a next round and no team collapse sufficient to remove our victories thus far.

We have seen some comparatively listless and directionless play at times during the absurdly stupidly long hockey season of 82 games.....(Ridiculous... but don't take away my 3 games per week) ... but this simply isn't on the agenda for extended periods (unintentional cleverness) this season.

I think MB has put together a team that MT will continue to charge to go down fighting if an when it goes down.

Fatigue is a factor with each series too.

But aren't les glorieux, simply glorieux these days...

Let us rejoice and be glad.

[habs rule]

I am no Therrien fan. But at this particular juncture, with the team up 3-0 in Round One and almost every single player playing as well as he can possibly play, you'd have to be crazy to criticize him. Credit where due. He has done a terrific job of getting this team into peak form at just the right time. Now, will we be saying the same thing in Round Two (assuming no epic collapse against Tampa)? Stay tuned. One thing is for sure - barring absolute disaster, he has bought himself more time behind the bench than I ever expected.

there can be no criticism of the coaching staff at this point. They have done an excellent job. Maybe it works to have players dislike the coach, hell it worked for that Bowman guy. As the players said they only liked him one day of the year. When they had the cup in their hands. So far so good let's keep it rolling guys.

[DON]

there can be no criticism of the coaching staff at this point. They have done an excellent job. Maybe it works to have players dislike the coach, hell it worked for that Bowman guy. As the players said they only liked him one day of the year. When they had the cup in their hands. So far so good let's keep it rolling guys.

Therrien is like Bowman, cool idea.

[JMMR]

Therrien is like Bowman, cool idea.

When the team is winning insane comparable's are made.

We all need to remember when your winning people will tell you you're better than you are.

When your losing people will tell you that you are worse than you are.

[DON]

When the team is winning insane comparable's are made.

We all need to remember when your winning people will tell you you're better than you are.

When your losing people will tell you that you are worse than you are.

Sounds good, however Therrien has been winning for 2 years and still some want him fired and say he is worse than he seems and team is winning despite coaches inadequacies'.

Could be true?, but 1 win from sweep and on to 2nd round cant be by accident and coaches deserve a bit of credit.

[JMMR]

Sounds good, however Therrien has been winning for 2 years and still some want him fired and say he is worse than he seems and team is winning despite coaches inadequacies'.

Could be true?, but 1 win from sweep and on to 2nd round cant be by accident and coaches deserve a bit of credit.

I will admit he has them dominating Tampa.

Also he is using PK properly only game 2 he had less minutes and that's fine because the Habs had that game in the books and could roll 3 pairs.

If the habs lose out in the playoffs and they go down with Therrien not playing his best players I will still be all for getting rid of him at the end of the year. Maybe just maybe him benching PK and punishing Eller was all just Therrien trolling us.

Round 2 I am sure will be a different story but the Habs still have work to do in round 1. The 4th game is the hardest to win.

[habs rule]

When the team is winning insane comparable's are made.

We all need to remember when your winning people will tell you you're better than you are.

When your losing people will tell you that you are worse than you are.

jmmr the comparison was that both were/are hated by their team. I don't think that is insane at all, it's true.

[DON]

jmmr the comparison was that both were/are hated by their team. I don't think that is insane at all, it's true.

Just curious who, is it some, most, or all of Habs that hate the coach?

[hab29RETIRED]

Bowman?? More like Al McNeil. Don't think everyone hated Bowman - Dryden sure didn't!

there can be no criticism of the coaching staff at this point. They have done an excellent job. Maybe it works to have players dislike the coach, hell it worked for that Bowman guy. As the players said they only liked him one day of the year. When they had the cup in their hands. So far so good let's keep it rolling guys.

[habs rule]

Just curious who, is it some, most, or all of Habs that hate the coach?

Well I don't get to go in the dressing room, so I can't be specific, but a lot of the pundits in the know seem to know that he is not well liked in the dressing room. I guess we could start with PK, I don't believe there is any love lost. But the possibility is that having a coach that is disliked can bring the team together in a more unified fashion. They all share (to some degree) a dislike for the coach and will work together to prove that they have what it takes, however it is a fine balancing act, cause at some point the coach can lose the room. I think a lot of the "tough" coaches have this problem and why they have a short shelf life. See Iron Mike. Scotty on the other hand was a master of it.

[habs rule]

Bowman?? More like Al McNeil. Don't think everyone hated Bowman - Dryden sure didn't!

I don't know but almost every player from that time that I have seen interviewed and asked about it said he was not liked. I thought it was very common knowledge. He was the master at getting the players to focus and if that meant not liking him, so be it.

Quote from on line encyclopedia:

Bowman was intense, demanding, unpredictable, and brilliant. He was respected by his players, but not liked. Montreal goalie Ken Dryden , in his excellent 1983 book The Game, wrote this: "Scotty Bowman is not someone who is easy to like…. Abrupt, straightforward, without flair or charm, he seems cold and abrasive, sometimes obnoxious, controversial but never colorful. He is not Vince Lombardi, tough and gruff with a heart of gold. His players don't sit and tell hateful-affectionate stories about him…. He is complex, confusing, misunderstood, unclear in every way but one. He is a brilliant coach, the best of his time." Canadiens star Steve Shutt put it this way: "You hated him 364 days years, and on the 365th day you got your Stanley Cup ring."

[DON]

Well I don't get to go in the dressing room, so I can't be specific, but a lot of the pundits in the know seem to know that he is not well liked in the dressing room. I guess we could start with PK, I don't believe there is any love lost. But the possibility is that having a coach that is disliked can bring the team together in a more unified fashion. They all share (to some degree) a dislike for the coach and will work together to prove that they have what it takes, however it is a fine balancing act, cause at some point the coach can lose the room. I think a lot of the "tough" coaches have this problem and why they have a short shelf life. See Iron Mike. Scotty on the other hand was a master of it.

Sorry, if Bob McKenzie or the like publically stated that, I would tend to agree, but just unnamed pundits I don't buy what they are selling and will remain skeptical.

I think media and fans tend to make wild assumptions and run with em.

Not saying you arnt 100% correct!, but will not likely know for sure till players traded/retire and write memoirs or become media talking heads.

Maybe PK and MT are actually buddies (unlikely, but as far as I know that is almost as likely as Subban hating coach, or no one on team likes Subban).

If team wins Therrien is doing his job and if Subban produces, who really cares if either is an egomaniac or j-ass in real life.

[habs rule]

not disagreeing with anything you said, but aren't you being a little harsh calling MT a j-ass and an egomaniac.

Don this is just for you, it is an article by the Bolts blogger on Eklund the goof site.

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Michael-Stuart/Get-the-Brooms-Ready-Lightning-vs-Canadiens-Game-Four-Preview/173/59576

It says that Mt is eating Coopers lunch when it comes to coaching. I actually think he makes some good points.

[DON]

not disagreeing with anything you said, but aren't you being a little harsh calling MT a j-ass and an egomaniac.

Don this is just for you, it is an article by the Bolts blogger on Eklund the goof site.

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Michael-Stuart/Get-the-Brooms-Ready-Lightning-vs-Canadiens-Game-Four-Preview/173/59576

It says that Mt is eating Coopers lunch when it comes to coaching. I actually think he makes some good points.

Yes, I had saw it.

I don't know if I would pin losses on Cooper. And if switched line-ups and likely he would be winning coach, but it is still nice to see quasi-positive Therrien comments for a change.

And even if Habs lose in 2nd round, most must admit they have done better than all predicted, even GM put the bar quite low in the fall.

And Molson will see a nice influx of extra cash.

So likely big smiles all round in Bell Centre and Habland last evening.

[Habsfan]

Absolutely right DON. Two extra games in the Bell Centre = 4 million$ in profits! Damn Right Molson had better be happy!!

[Habsfan]

I don't know but almost every player from that time that I have seen interviewed and asked about it said he was not liked. I thought it was very common knowledge. He was the master at getting the players to focus and if that meant not liking him, so be it.

Habs Rule is right, almost every player on the 70's Habs despised Scotty Bowman and his antics. Ask Lafleur, Robinson, Shutt, Tremblay, Lapointe, etc,.etc.etc.

They hated his guts!!!

[Machine of Loving Grace]

Cooper got outcoached by a veteran. This used to happen to the Habs all of the time because we kept bringing in rookie coaches (Tremblay, Vigneault, Therrien, Julien, Carbonneau).

[habs rule]

Cooper got outcoached by a veteran. This used to happen to the Habs all of the time because we kept bringing in rookie coaches (Tremblay, Vigneault, Therrien, Julien, Carbonneau).

I liked Carbo as a coach, I think he would be a lot better 2nd time around.

[DON]

I liked Carbo as a coach, I think he would be a lot better 2nd time around.

Didn't they say Carbo really was an egomaniac or something like that?

But, he or Bouche are most common ones who people can see as replacement and maybe versions 2.0 of both would do well?

[habs rule]

Didn't they say Carbo really was an egomaniac or something like that?

But, he or Bouche are most common ones who people can see as replacement and maybe versions 2.0 of both would do well?

The guys on the team said he was a poor communicator. The revolt was lead (I believe) by koivu. There was a serious spit in the room at that time between Kovalev and Koivu. So Big Bob fired his friend, took over coaching and when the results didn't happen he got rid of everyone, koivu kovalev the whole works. The great purge which brought us Gomez Camalari Gionta etc. Prior to MT Carbo was the last winning coach we had. I never thought he got a fair shake and would probably do a lot better this time. All of this is only my opinion.

[Lovett's Magnatones]

Cooper got outcoached by a veteran. This used to happen to the Habs all of the time because we kept bringing in rookie coaches (Tremblay, Vigneault, Therrien, Julien, Carbonneau).

They got out coached, they got out played, their concessions and pregame festivities were lacking...

[alfredoh2009]

I think MB has put together a team that MT will continue to charge to go down fighting if an when it goes down.

Fatigue is a factor with each series too.

But aren't les glorieux, simply glorieux these days...

Let us rejoice and be glad.

yes, there is little to criticize during this first round. I think that MT has brought me back from my disappointment in how he was out-coached by the Walrus last year.

Let's hope MT and the coaching staff continue their magic in the second round. That may turn doubters like myself

[Machine of Loving Grace]

The hilarity of this all is that if Therrien coached the whole season like games two, three and four nobody would be complaining so much about him. That includes his losses in the year. I mean game four was pretty tight but the complaints weren't really for Therrien. I still would prefer Tinordi over Bouillon but veterans are there for a reason.

[KoRP]

Man talk about beating a dead horse......

Therrien himself said in an interview that they tried to learn as much about the team makeup, and the combinations of players all season long, while trying to maintain the playoff position. Trying to determine what works best and when, and including everyone on the team, and trying to make them all contribute in some way. Anyone knocking his game plan should think in terms of, the season is a marathon, and NO team plays the same gameplan, all game long, let alone all season. How do you think other coaches prepare for differing opponents? You guys think that a team that plays one way will excel against every other team by playing the same lines, and the same game plan? Sheesh! The bitching and moaning over the dump and chase stint by the fans was unbearable for instance.....
Therrien deserves a lot of credit for digging into the depths of our players skills and chemistry with each other, and the Habs are certainly able to dictate the pace of a game, as well as adapt to such things as momentum changes, different gameplans, and strategy for differing opposition, and to adapt this team, to be in every game they play, and they weren't out of too many this year or last. Consistant team, a hard working team, and one that shows great character, and a team that plays for each other, how does that not spell "well coached" to you guys?
I think he has a deep understanding of this roster, and I think his plan has worked well so far, in both development and results.

Last year was last year, we had luck like this year's Tampa team, none. The Walrus out lucked Therrien last year, and Anderson stole the show, as injuries depleted the Habs chance of winning that series to Zero! It wasn't that the Walrus was a genius, it was Montreal's injuries, some extremely hard to swallow reffing, basically it was the stars aligning for the Sens....and Anderson being superb, if not super.....

This year is this year, we are waiting for an opponent, and preparing to go deep in playoffs, and I am just enjoying this moment..... and I will criticize when there is actually something wrong....