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Subban's use dominates post-game conversation after Habs 3rd straight loss

November 6, 2013, 2:04 AM ET [2457 Comments]
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You can't say the Canadiens didn't compete against the St. Louis Blues in what turned out to be a 3-2 shootout loss at the Bell Centre on Tuesday.

Montreal blocked an NHL regular season record-38 shots to add to what was a sensational 32-save performance for Carey Price. The Blues missed the net with another nine shots, and you don't have to be a statistician to perceive that the Canadiens spent the majority of the night hemmed into their own zone despite 27 shots for, and a 2-1 lead through the first half of the third period.

The St. Louis Blues are fast, physically imposing, and punishing on the forecheck--this is what makes Ken Hithcock's team amongst the toughest to beat in the NHL. With the top-end talent and depth of their defense core, and the reliability of their goaltenders, they are, without a doubt, Stanley Cup contenders.

It wasn't all because Doug Murray and Francis Bouillon are inferior defensemen in comparison to what was on the other side of the ice; the pair had a particularly difficult time in clearing the zone, especially when combined with the Canadiens' fourth line, albeit in a match up with St. Louis' fourth line (the five players combined for 13 blocked shots and a collective -4). The Blues are good enough to do this to teams.

But Michel Therrien didn't make life easier on himself. Bouillon played 19:57, and Murray played 16:16 compared to Subban's 20:52. Subban didn't see the ice for the last four minutes of the third period, with the score even, and he only saw two shifts in overtime.

When all was said and done, Subban and Bouillon had each had 26 shifts in the game, and Murray was low man on the defensive totem poll with 23. Gorges and Diaz each played 36 shifts, and Markov played 35.

To the rest of the league, Subban's a Norris winner. To Michel Therrien, he's a bottom-three defenseman against one of the best teams in hockey, unworthy of a shift with the game on the line; with a three-game losing streak in the balance.

Maybe this shouldn't be the focal point of a 3-2 loss in which the Canadiens' Tomas Plekanec had the game on his stick for a penalty shot with less than two minutes remaining on the clock and couldn't convert; they failed to generate a shot in overtime; and they couldn't muster a goal on three shootout attempts.

But I got in the car after attending Therrien's press conference, and I tuned into the post-game show on TSN 690 as I customarily do, and 95% of the calls that came into the show revolved around the absence of logic behind the coach's use (under-use) of his best player. The questions didn't require answers from hosts Conor McKenna and Tony Marinaro, they were certainly rhetorical.

I know why fans are frustrated. Their team is 8-7-1, and they are justified to believe that a team must rely on their best players to win. They want a reason as to why that's not being adhered to. And until Marc Bergervin (if he so chooses) puts pen to paper on a new contract that will make Subban a part of this team's long-term plan (Francois Gagnon of RDS reported Tuesday that Bergevin intends to start negotiations with agent Don Meehan in the coming weeks), the Canadiens are seemingly unwilling to change the perception that there's a major rift between Therrien and his superstar (regardless of whether or not that rift actually exists).

I have to wonder why so many fans call in to lambaste the press for not attacking Therrien on the issue. It's not as if he wasn't asked--as recently as this morning--about the tough love model he's adopted in his relationship with Subban. He answered: "Our relationship? Coaching is coaching. Coaching is about drawing the maximum out of players, and it’s all part of that. I’m quite aware of his talent, I know exactly how far he can go. We’re going to do what it takes to get there, that’s where he wants to go too. It’s a challenge any coach would want."

It's not as if Therrien wasn't asked less than a week ago about whether or not he'd endorse Subban for Canada's Olympic squad (he chose diplomacy over that option).

I can't deny that it's tempting to put up my hand after a game like Tuesday's and ask Therrien point blank if he's able to trust Subban when the game's on the line. I can't speak for anyone else in the room, but I believe many of them (reporters who attend every press conference over 41 home games; the majority of them attending every Brossard practice) thought about doing the same. The question didn't get asked, and I'm not sure it would've been answered. And if it were answered, I don't think it would satisfy the callers on 690.

After the Canadiens beat the Dallas Stars last week, I took a chance on asking about the elevated ice-time for David Desharnais. Therrien said Desharnais earned the ice-time. And then I got into my car and listened to the callers slam the media for refusing to ask "the hard questions"-- the theme of the night being not about the big win for the Canadiens, but rather the use of the much-maligned $3.5 million, French-Canadien centreman who hadn't recorded more than a goal in his last 30 games but played more than any forward through the first two periods of the game.

Make no mistake, it is hard to ask a coach a question that essentially second-guesses a decision he's made. I don't think it's anyone's job in the media to do that in an attacking manner, but there are ways to do it. I asked Therrien if Desharnais' elevated ice-time was a function of it being the second game of a back-to-back, or more to do with recognizing that the line was going. It was a softer approach, because I didn't intend to arm him with the opportunity to question my experience as an NHL coach.

On Tuesday, I could've asked Therrien why he chose to go with Galchenyuk, Gallagher and Pacioretty in the shootout, or why he selected Tomas Plekanec out of the five players eligible to take that penalty shot in the third period. Instead, I framed it by asking him what his process is for selection, and whether or not it's based on gut feeling or statistics. There's a subtle difference, but a difference nonetheless.

I digress. This isn't about being clever with the question. There are many people in that room that ask hard questions on a daily basis. But the fans don't just expect hard questions to be asked, they expect those that riff on the Canadiens on a daily basis to attack and second-guess.

If Therrien answered honestly to the question "What's your problem with P.K. Subban?" he'd get destroyed for it, or accused of lying. If he answered dishonestly, he'd be destroyed for it or accused of lying. If he deflected it to accuse a reporter of fabricating controversy, he'd be mocked. And if he didn't answer it at all, he'd be destroyed for being evasive over a subject that no one else in Montreal is willing to ignore. And you know what? None of it would have the effect of changing perception.

I don't know the reason. I don't think this is just about Therrien "guiding Subban" towards the path that makes him even better than he already is. We'd all like to know why, but I'm fairly certain everyone would only be satisfied with things changing.

And they do need to change, because there's no way for Subban to earn Therrien's trust if he isn't given the opportunity to do so. And there's no way the Canadiens are going to win games against great teams like the Blues with Subban as their fourth defenseman; relegated to a reputation of being a defensive liability when there's no concrete evidence to support that notion.

They came close. They had a 2-1 lead with almost 10 minutes left in the third period. They had every opportunity to win the game after that, and they fell just short. Who would blame the fans lighting up the phone lines to air their frustrations about the coach's decision to not rely on his best player more to help them win?
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