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Michel Therrien Can't Coach With Any Adversity. Throws Montoya Under Bus |
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So last night the 2016-17 Montreal Canadiens who just set a record for their best first ten game start in their storied history, suffered their worse loss since 1944 losing 10-0 to the Columbus Blue Jackets. And in this loss, Michel Therrien kept backup goalie Al Montoya in for the entire game.. All ten goals...
Carey Price was the backup. Expecting to be put in to help his teammate...Twice he went down the runway to stretch...after goal 3 and after goal 7. Neither time did Therrien look to put him in though...And later Therrien would talk of how this was a group decision and that he talked to Montoya and he was fine with it. Price needed a night off and with back to back games he wasn't playing Price at all.
Some will say that makes sense. And some will say that Therrien deserves the benefit of the doubt for being the coach during this fantastic start. Yeh...I am not buying that one.
Let's parse this out for a second.
#1. Last year when Price went down Therrien showed no ability at all to adjust his team and the collapse was epic. Anyone who says that with Price he is the better goalie is stating the obvious. When you have great players doing great things life is good. But that's not when coaching comes into play.
#2. A coach NEVER hangs a player like Therrien did last night to Montoya. The players on the Canadiens are a team and they are pissed. "Everyone is upset for Montoya" was a text I got from more than one person around the team. Star players weren't OK with this treatment. And it isn't an isolated incident. Therrien is the first to throw a player under the bus. It's his "style." No one complains when you are winning...
#3. If Price isn't going to play in game where your backup gives up 10 goals he should have been scratched. Get another backup who can play if needed. That's irresponsible on Therrien's part. His job is to ice the right players for any given situation.
#4. Ok...of course Montoya will say he is fine staying in. He is a hockey player. You, as a coach, know better. If Price goes down now with an injury...then what?
#5. At LEAST take personal responsibility for your actions. Sure, you may have talked it over with other coaches, but this is YOUR decision. Saying it was a GROUP decision to leave a man behind just makes you look even more nervous about the fact the Kirk Muller is on the bench now... This was and is YOUR call.
My point is simple. Therrien has shown over and over that when the going gets tough, his decisions get awful. This is a talented team with the best goalie in the world. They should be good and they will be streaky. Anyone can coach a team playing well...
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