It took André Savard long enough, but the axe finally came down on Michel Therrien . And its about time.
The Habs, while maybe not the biggest or most talented team in the NHL, have been consistently out-played, out-hit and out-shot (often by a 2:1 margin) this season. Even in the games that they have won.
If not for the stellar goaltending tandem of Theodore and Hackett, the Habs would most likely be battling for last place in the league.
Some of Therrien’s decisions have been questionable at best:
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Last year in the “melt-down” game against Carolina, not only does Therrien take his infamous bench minor for beaking off at Fraser, he puts only one center on the ice for a face-off in the defensive zone in overtime. Result: Juneau gets tossed and Bill Lindsay (LW) ends up losing the draw, Carolina scores. Game over (leading to series over).
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What on earth is Patrick Traverse even doing in the NHL, let alone logging 15 to 20 minutes a game while Ron Hainsey, a genuine prospect, is riding the pine or playing 5 minutes a game.
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What drills are these guys doing in practice? They certainly aren’t practicing clearing the puck from the defensive zone, they aren’t practicing shooting drills (near the bottom of the league) and they aren’t practicing specialty team. They rank near the bottom of the league in all these categories.
Lets hope that Claude Julien is the answer, get the Habs back on track…its been a long 10 years!