Rumor blog to come...
It doesn't get much more clear than this.
At 4:30 pm the Montreal Canadiens fire coach Therrien and few hours later the Toronto Maple Leafs dominate the Islanders in what was supposed to be a "showdown for the playoffs."
On Montreal...
This was overdue and came as a relief to the players I spoke to. There is no questioning the fact that the Habs had their share of success under Therrien, but his tenure was better defined by the wild swings from highs to lows. This, along with the fact the success seemed to be more tied to the raw talent itself, especially with Carey Price...
When the Habs struggled Therrien never seemed to find the answers. When coaching mattered the most he was unable to adjust and any injury would send the Canadiens reeling.
Players would often call Therrien "a gambler, who went with his gut all the time..." and that would often lead to players not knowing where they stood. Therrien's favorite method of coaching was to get the team pissed off at him. Try to get them to rally against him. It's a common trick, but it can't work for long and constant negativity wears on a team.
I will never forget a player describing to me his exit interview in Montreal at the end a season. Marc Bergeron would be sitting across the desk and talking to players, while Therrien would sit across the room, not making eye contact, looking at his iPad and saying things to Marc like, "Oh don't forget to mention..." instead of just saying this to the player sitting in the room.
On the Leafs...
While for years the Canadiens have sat at or near the top of the NHL, the Maple Leafs have sat near the bottom...So it is noteworthy that on this day where the Habs were trying to save their season, the Maple Leafs made a statement with a rout of the Islanders...
How good are these Leafs?
There is a schedule here, right? They aren't allowed to be this good yet, right? What about the years of pain???
The answer may be these Leafs are fast and young and don't know they aren't supposed to be good yet. But they are THIS good. And maybe better. There have been many questions as to whether or not the Leafs are a playoff team? Right now they are honestly one more win streak away from people KNOWING they are a playoff team.
more to come..Chart update, rumors, what's next?
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— Michael Augello (@MikeInBuffalo) December 12, 2016