Michel Therrien Robbed Of Jack Adams Candidacy

Therrien Left Off Of The Jack Adams Ballot



With Michel Therrien not in the running, expect Paul Maclean
of the Ottawa Senators to take home the Jack adams Trophy.

With P.K. Subban named as a finalist for the Norris Trophy, Brendan Gallagher being considered for the Calder as the league's top rookie and Marc Bergevin being what should be a shoe in for the GM of the year it was expected that Michel Therrien would round up the list of Habs nominees as the coach of the year.

Apparently not.

Bruce Boudreau of the Anaheim Ducks, Joel Quenneville of the Chicago Blackhawks and Paul "I am the walrus" MacLean of the Ottawa Senators were named as the finalists on Friday for the Jack Adams Trophy as the leagues top coach.

This article is not meant to take away from any of thess bench bosses as they are all deserving of having their work behind the bench recognized.

And Here Are Your Nominees...


Bruce Boudreau, who won the award in 2007-08 with the Washingotn Capitals, worked wonders in Anaheim as he lead the Ducks to the number two seed in the Western conference after having missed the playoffs in 2013. Again, not to take away from his accomplishment but Boudreau had some help along the way from the likes of Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan to name a few. Having one of the top lines in the NHL goes a long way in finishing on top and a more than capable one-two punch in goal with Jonas Hiller and Viktor Fasth wouldn't hurt anybody's chances.

It's hard to argue against Joel Quenneville's nomination after watching his troops start the season by earning points in their first 24 games. That's half of the shortened 2013 season. If the Ducks roster shares Boudreau's credit for his success it's hard to imagine the Hawks finishing anywhere other than first overall even if it was a monkey, Rob Ford or Jacques Martin calling the shots.

Quenneville won the award in 1999-2000 with the St. Louis Blues, so there is no argument that he is a capable coach. I just feel that with a team boasting the likes of Jonathan Toewes, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp, Brent Seasbrook and Duncan Keith as well as Corey Crawford and Ray Emery between the pipes it would be more of a challenge not to finish on top of the league.

Paul Maclean is more than worth of his nomination and will more than likely take home the award. In fact, if Therrien were to be named as a finalist it wouldn't come as a shock if he lost it to MacLean.

The Senators played the majority of their season without their top defenceman in Erik Karlsson, their first line center Jason Spezza and one of the league's top goalies Craig Anderson. The absence of Milan Michalek for 25 games sure didn't help. MacLean however managed to shock the hockey world by leading his injury riddled team to the playoffs as the seventh seed in the Eastern conference.

The Therrien Argument

While it takes more than a stacked roster to find success in the NHL, it seems that finding the success that Therrien managed to get out of his troops with much less to work with than two of the three candidates should've at least earned him a nomination.

The goal here is not to make the Canadiens out to be a group of imcompetant players that would make up the first half of a Mighty Ducks movie before coach Bombay works his magic. The Habs after all do boast one of the league's top defenseman in P.K. Subban. Carey Price played very well in the first three quarters of the season and while Montreal doesn't have the firepower up front to match Chicago or Anaheim, they do have depth and could provide scoring from any line on any given night.

My argument is that Therrien simply had less to work with and with less time. Due to the lockout Therrien was thrown behind the bench of a team that finished 15th in their conference and 28th overall without even having the luxury of a training camp. The lockout came to an end on January sixth and thirteen days later the Habs played their first game.

Therrien had just under two weeks, with no pre-season games, to work with a team that he hadn't coached in ten years. while the lockout effected every player and every coach in the league, MacLean, Boudreau and Quenneville were at least familiar with the teams that were playing for them.

Lars Eller

The most impressive turnaround on the Habs was that of Lars Eller. Before the season was underway, Therrien stated that he was a fan of Lars Eller's and was expecting this year to be a breakout season for the young Dane. After one game, Therrien was not getting the results he wanted and sat Eller for the following two contests. When Eller returned to the ice he never looked back and enjoyed his best season in his young career.

Eller's 30 points were a career high surpassing his previous best of 28 in 2011-12. It should be noted that he reached the 30 point mark despite playing 33 fewer games than he did in the previous year. Eller also brought his +/- from -5 in 2011-12 to a +8 showing that he didn't limit his improvements to only one end of the ice.

The Gally's

While the limited minutes given to the Canadien's top prospects infuriated many fans in Habs nation it didn't seem to stunt their growth as players. Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk each finished third and fifth respectively in rookie scoring, second and sixth in goals scored, fifth and fourth in +/- and yet their average ice time of 13:51 and 12:19 placed them 12th and 24th among rookie forwards with at least ten games played.

In a city that applies too much pressure on any promising prospect and an organization that has mishandled their fair share, Therrien found a way to get the most out of the young stud's without putting the pressure of top line minutes on them. Placing them on a line with a character player and well respected leader in the dressing room in Brandon Prust in the beginning of the season seemed to pay dividends as they gained confidence early on and never looked back.


And The Winner Is...

Paul MacLean.

I will not change my mind in my argument that Therrien was unfairly snubbed of a nomination he deserved. However, even if he was a candidate I wouldn't be too upset if he lost to Paul MacLean after what the Ottawa bench boss managed to pull of this season in the nation's capital.

If the choice was yours, who would be your top three finalists and who would take home the hardware?


(Photo from http://wildlifeanimalz.blogspot.ca/2012/12/Walrus-Wild-Animal.html)

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Gally/Kristo Play for Bronze As Diaz Goes For Gold, Nygren Officially Signs With Habs And More...

Good Morning Addicts!



Habs defenseman Raphael Diaz (left) goes for gold today at
the WHC as his Swiss team takes on Sweden.

 Alex Galchenyuk and Danny Kristo may not have finished the World Hockey Championships with gold medals as they ould have liked, but the two Montreal Canadiens are on their way to bronze medals as the Americans are currently up 2-0 over the Finns with less than five minutes to go in the second period.

Galchenyuk, who joined the tournament after the Habs were eliminated from the NHL playoffs, has so far notched one goal in four games and a -2 rating. Danny Kristo played in all nine games for the Americans and came into the bronze medal game with one goal, two assists and a -1 rating.

Raphael Diaz, who also joined the tournament late has one game left this afternoon as his undefeated Swiss team will take on Sweden for the gold medal. Switzerland beat Sweden 3-2 earlier in the tournament on their way to a 9-0 record leading up to this afternoon's final.

Diaz has an even plus/minus rating in his three games played and one assist.

Habs And Hockey News

- With year one in the books as the Habs new GM, Marc Bergevin looks forward to continuing his mission of turning the Montreal Canadiens into a winning team.

- Here are Eldon MacDonald of The Hockey Writers 2013 NHL Draft rankings for picks 31 through 60.

- Magnus Nygren has officially signed with the Montreal Canadiens.


(Photo by Petr David Josek/Associated Press)

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Habs at the Worlds, Prospects At The Memorial Cup, Gallagher For The Calder And More...

Good Morning Addicts!



Alex Galchenyuk celebrates his goal against
Russia in USA's 8-3 win on Thursday.

 The Montreal Canadiens may have started their off season earlier than they had hoped but there are still a few Habs who have yet to hang up their skates for the summer.

Alex Galchenyuk scored what provd to be the game winner for Team USA in the World Hockey Championships on Thursday as the Americans rolled over Russia 8-3.

Raphael Diaz notched an assist on Switzerlands game winner in their 2-1 win over the Czech Republic that same day. Tomas Plekanec had an assist on the Czech's only goal.

Galchenyuk and the Americans will face Diaz and the Swiss this afternoon at 1:00 pm with the winner advancing to the final against Sweden as the Swedes shutout Finland 2-0 this morning. The loser of today's match up will play Finland for Bronze.

Habs And Hockey News

- A pair of Habs defensive prospects lost in their 2013 Memorial Cup debut. Dalton Thrower and Darren Dietz of the Saskatoon Blades fell 3-2 to the London Knights in the tournament opener.

- While it may be a shock that Habs coach Michel Therrien was left off the ballot for the Jack Adams Trophy, here's a reminder as to why Brendan Gallagher should come home with the Calder Trophy.

- Pat Hickey of the Gazette writes up on something that has been true for too long now as he points out that the Habs need to get bigger.


(Photo by Martti Kainulainen/Associated Press)

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Canadiens "Have Faith In Carey Price", But...

During his post-mortem press conference, Canadiens' General Manager Marc Bergevin expressed the organization's "faith" in the professionalism and ability of their 2005 fifth overall pick, goaltender Carey Price. However, is Bergevin really expressing the team's feelings, or are they genuinely concerned about the future of their number one goaltender?

The latter may be closer to the truth than meets the eye. While the lockout that threatened this season kept many players off the ice, Price was in Tri-Cities, working out with his former Western Hockey League junior team, the Americans. While we can all assume that Carey's father, and Americans' assistant coach, Dan Price, kept a close eye on his son's work ethic, the workouts pale in comparison to the National Hockey League's workout regiment.

The groin injury sustained by Price (hidden by the team, but not to the fans) in the scrimmage at the Bell Centre on January 17th leads us to believe he was nowhere near the shape he was in going into the 2011-2012 season, where he gained 15 pounds of muscle and looked as limber as ever.

Many question why Price didn't choose to go the Europe and play with any number of teams who were interested in his services. Wouldn't he have been better served playing at a more competitive level than simply working out with a junior team? The skill may not be anywhere near that of the NHL, but it is certainly better than anything a junior team could offer.

That concerns the Canadiens, who will be monitoring Price's off-season workout regiment much more closely than the previous year, where the expiration of the NHL collective bargaining agreement restricted the interaction they could have with the players under contract to the organization.

This off-season will be telling as to the commitment to excellence Price has, and whether it falls within the expectations of the Montreal Canadiens. Marc Bergevin must assess his team and make many difficult but necessary decisions, including the plight of Tomas Kaberle, Tomas Plekanec and others.

Bergevin, although he has resigned Petr Budaj for another two seasons in Montreal, may look for an experienced backup, much like Pittsburgh did in signing Tomas Vokoun to insulate Marc-Andre Fleury. Although Budaj definitely deserved an extension, the team's need for veteran mentoring for Price may just make Budaj expendable in the grand scheme of things.

At the end of it all, everything falls into Carey Price's lap once again. Can he be the consummate professional and deliver elite-level goaltending performances, or will he force the Habs to rethink the goaltending position?

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Gregson To Blame For Officiating Issues

Officiating has become a focal point in this NHL season. From terrible calls to referees putting away their whistles, media and fans alike have clamored that there are significant issues that are affecting the overall quality of the product on the ice.

We can point fingers at individual officials, such as Tim Peel and Chris Lee, who time and time again have demonstrated levels of competency that one can find at the bottom of a commode. Others, like Paul Devorski and Dan O'Hallaran, have shown an innate inability to keep control of overly physical contests, often resembling zebras frozen stiff as they wait to be pounced on by a hungry lion.

Gone are the likes of Bruce Hood, Brian Lewis, Kerry Fraser, Andy Van Hellemond and Don Koharski, whose ability to get along with players and coaches was among their strongest assets.

Van Hellemond's reputation earned him the position of NHL Director of Officiating from 2000-2004, a position he took over from Lewis. Van Hellemond resigned in 2004 to pursue other interests when the year-long NHL lockout seemed inevitable. During his tenure, the NHL was rich with referees who thought themselves smaller than the game (although one could argue that Mick McGough was the exception).

After the lockout ended, the NHL introduced a new set of rules and a new Director of Officiating, that being Stephen Walkom. Walkom was another well-respected official, who decided to move his career in another direction. Walkom did an admirable job in extremely volatile circumstances. His overseeing of the new obstruction rules introduced after the lockout was a daunting task, and he did a good job making sure they were enforced.

However, as scrutiny began to grow as officials began changing their modus operandi in the playoffs, Walkom decided in 2009 it was in his best interest to return to the ice as an official.

That opened the door to the crux of the current officiating dilemma, the hiring of former NHL referee Terry Gregson on September 9th, 2009.

Gregson served as an NHL referee from 1981 to 2004. He officiated over 8 Stanley Cup finals in his career, as well as an All-Star Game, and the World Cup of Hockey in 1996. He built a reputation of being a no-nonsense official, who called the game HIS way.

His way, however, mimicked the inconsistency we currently see in the league. Gregson was notorious of putting away his whistle very often at the end of games. Further, he was loathed by some NHL coaches because of an obvious bias he had towards certain organizations, including the Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres.

That became evident during the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals, when Gregson didn't show the intestinal fortitude to disallow the now infamous toe-in-the-crease, Stanley Cup winning goal by Dallas Stars' sniper Brett Hull.

Gregson retired before the new set of rules, designed to speed up the game and increase flow, were implemented by the National Hockey League. Often viewed as a stubborn coot as an on-ice official, that is evident in his current disregard for rule enforcement. He has allowed his wards to run their assigned games their way, in turn soiling the product on the ice and confusing those closest to the game.

In four years, Terry Gregson has certainly left an in-admirable stench over the National Hockey League. Hopefully, the NHL Board of Directors, Gary Bettman and the league office will see the light, and do what Gregson couldn't...

Make the right call!!!

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Can Habs Afford Players With Too Much Edge?

On Thursday night, after the Canadiens were eliminated by the Ottawa Senators, I took up my customary spot in the production booth for the final post-game show on MontrealHockeyTalk.com.

During that show, Simon Tsalikis of TSN 690 questioned why the Habs didn't go after a play like Raffi Torres at the trade deadline to bolster their physical game. I took exception during the show, and voiced my displeasure of entertaining the notion of having Torres wearing the Bleu, Blanc et Rouge.

I don't have anything against tough players. I loved former Habs like Chris "Knuckles" Nilan, Lyle Odelein and Todd Ewen (to name a few) who could be physical, yet brought some game along with their truculence. They are the type of players this team needs moving forward, in order to compete in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and possibly make a run at hockey's Holy Grail.

However, players in the mold of Torres, along with Matt Cooke and to a certain extent Ryan White, are example of players who have not distinguished the fine line between physicality and borderline recklessness.

Last night was a prime example, where in the second round opener between the Los Angeles Kings and the San Jose Sharks, Torres took a run at Kings' forward Jared Stoll. Torres hit Stoll from the blind side, making the head to principle point of contact, while Stoll was reaching for a puck.

 

 

I don't have an issue with the play itself, but like the Erik Gryba hit on Canadiens' forward Lars Eller, there was no need to cut to the front of the player, and take an unnecessary risk of putting your team on the penalty kill. If Torres, like Gryba, would have hit Stoll on his lead shoulder (the one facing the direction Torres was coming from), my point would be moot.

Hitting was introduced to hockey as a way to separate an opposing player from the puck, not his head from his body. Players are taught at a young age that body checking should target the lead shoulder, the middle of an opposing player's chest or the hip.

Of course, in the professional ranks, selling the game has become more important than protecting its assets. Fans love a good open ice hit, that not only rattles the receiving player, but those watching from the stands as well.

Players like Torres and Cooke have deprived fans of talents like the Penguins' Sidney Crosby, Chicago's Marion Hossa and Bruins' forward Marc Savard, because they believe their jobs are to remove a player from competition, not simply make them pay physically for having the puck.

 



 

 

As a team in the process of reestablishing its franchise identity, am I certain that, to a man, the Canadiens' brass most certainly wants to address the need for more size and physicality on their current roster. However, I find it disconcerting that fans clamor for players that play with reckless abandon, without any concern for their opponents or the repercussions for their respective organizations.

 

Sure, we all love the acquisition of a player like Brandon Prust, who not only bring character and a physical game, but he has above-average hockey sense for a player whose primary role has always been to bring energy and help with special teams. That said, there is a point that I, and I believe the Canadiens, simply do not want to cross.

 

Ask yourselves: Would you prefer the Canadiens draft a young, physical player, that can mold into the type of player the organization needs, or would you prefer dealing with the track record of the aforementioned perennial judgmentally challenged?

 

I think you can all guess what my answer would be...

 



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Now That The Bitterness Has Subsided... (Season Review)

Greetings Habs Addicts!

Its been a few weeks since I was last able to write here, aside from some comments on other posts.  The series against the Ottawa Senators did not go as we all would have hoped. Instead of moving on to the next round, we were soundly beaten in five games, including two 6-1 defeats.  In a season that started strongly, it ended on sour notes. Seemingly from the moment the Habs clinched a playoff berth, they eased off the gas peddle and rolled into the playoffs in neutral.  When they had to hit the gas again, they stalled. And now the magical 2013 season has come to a close.

Today, Marc Bergevin had his season-closing press conference.  Bergevin spoke highly of Brendan Gallagher and PK Subban, voiced his satisfaction in the job Michel Therrien and the rest of the coaching staff did and also backed his struggling goaltender 150%. Bergevin was very impressive, answering all the questions candidly without resorting to notes.  A very engaging press conference to say the least.

Now that the bitterness of the playoff exit has subsided, its time to begin the analysis of what went right and wrong for the Habs.  I will not spend too much time on the playoff exit, as its fresh on our minds and we know what went wrong:  We were drastically outplayed in goal by Craig Anderson.  The Habs managed to out-shoot and out-perform the Senators, only to face a brick wall in the form of Anderson. 


What Went Right?

- The rookies provided a spark.  Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk were not guaranteed roster spots at the start of the season.  Not only did both players stick with the team, they both provided consistent energy and a spark.  Paired up with new acquisition Brandon Prust, the Gally-Gally-Prusty trio helped the team to the fast start they enjoyed at the beginning of the season.  For the year, Gallagher finished with 15 goals, 28 points and a +10 rating in 44 games.  Gallagher was also nominated for the Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year. Galchenyuk slumped briefly in the middle of the season before finishing strong. His final total was 9 goals, 27 points and a +14 rating in the full 48 games.

- Defenceman P.K. Subban was a contract holdout at the start of the season.  After signing a two-year pact, he went out and scored 11 goals, 38 points and finished with a +12 rating, while manning the point on the power-play.  He played solid and bought into Therrien's system very quickly.  His performance this year has earned him a nomination for the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenceman.  It also ensures his next contract will put him amongst the highest paid at the position.

- After playing in the KHL during the lockout, veteran Andrei Markov was able to return to playing at a high level.  He managed to play in all 48 games, tallying 10 goals and 30 points.  His defensive play slipped towards the end of the year.  Various reasons could be behind that: age, conditioning after two lost seasons, nagging injuries or the condensed schedule. Losing defensive partner Alexei Emelin seemed to trigger the decline in Markov's performance.

- Backup goaltender Petr Budaj was outstanding in his role.  Budaj filled in admirably when Price missed a few games after a bout with the flu and gave the Habs a spark and a fighting chance to win each game he played in.  His highlight performance was in relief of Carey Price against the Boston Bruins on March 27th. Budaj stopped every shot he faced in overtime and the shootout as the Habs came back to stun the Bruins 6-5 in a battle for first place in the division. Budaj finished the season with an 8-1-1 record, to go along with a 2.21 Goals-Against-Average (GAA) and a .908 save percentage (SV%).  His season earned him a two-year contract extension.

- Also of note, forward Brandon Prust proved to be a bargain after signing with the Habs during the off-season.  Prust brought leadership, grit and an unexpected scoring punch to go along with his actual punch. Something the Habs sorely lacked up from.  Prusty finished the year with 5 goals, 14 points, 100 penalty minutes and a very surprising +11 rating. I posted about Prust earlier this season as being exactly what the Habs needed.  Prust also received the Jacques Beauchamp/Molson Cup trophy as the Habs unheralded MVP.  Forward Lars Eller had a breakout season, continuing his trend of improving his points-per-game ratio.  Until he had his face smashed in during the playoffs, Eller was a force as the second-line center and finished the regular season with 8 goals, 30 points and a +8 rating in 46 games. Youngsters Jarred Tinordi, Nathan Beaulieu and Greg Pateryn all held their own as call-ups following the injuries to Rafael Diaz and Emelin.  Tinordi was especially solid providing a physical presence in the playoff series against the Ottawa Senators.


What Went Wrong?

- Up front, Max Pacioretty and David Desharnais failed to carry on the success they had in 2011/12.  Linemate Eric Cole underperformed and was eventually dumped on the Dallas Stars in a trade that reunited Michael Ryder with the team he broke into the NHL with. While the traded can be viewed as a success (Ryder had 10 goals, 21 points in 27 games as a Hab) and also helped by freeing up salary-cap room for next season, Desharnais failed to perform after signing a 4-year contract extension.  Desharnais followed up his 60-point breakout season with a lousy 10 goals, 28 points in 48 games.  He was seemingly invisible most nights, both on the ice and on the score sheet.  One might consider that extension the first bad move of Bergevin's tenure.  Pacioretty did lead the team in scoring, with 15 goals, 39 points in 44 games but did not have the same crease-crashing ability he displayed last year, instead developed into a perimeter player.

- In goal, Carey Price started off the season very strong and was in the early talk for the Vezina Trophy before tailing off towards the end.  He was pulled in back to back games late in the season and while he did have a stellar 21-13-4 record, his 2.59 GAA and .905 SV% did not rank in the top-25 at the position.  Price did nothing to silence his critics in the playoffs, finishing the Ottawa series with a 1-2 record to go along with a 3.26 GAA and .894 SV%.  Price was also injured late in game 4, leaving a tied game that Ottawa eventually won. After signing a 6-year, 39 million dollar extension, more was expected from the franchise netminder.  Price also opened up the debate as to whether or not he wishes to remain a Hab in his post-season remarks about the pressure of the Montreal market.

- Injuries to key contributors were a challenge the Habs faced this season.  Both Rene Bourque and Rafael Diaz missed significant time with concussions and forced the Habs to juggle the lineup.  Bourque contributed 7 goals, 13 pts in 27 games and Diaz added 1 goal and 14 points in his 23 games played. Defenceman Alexei Emelin was leading the team in hits and providing a solid physical presence on the blue-line before suffering a horrible knee injury in an April game against the Boston Bruins.  Emelin suffered a torn ACL and his status for the start of the 2013/14 season is in question.

- Forwards Travis Moen, Colby Armstrong and Ryan White were supposed to provide a physical presence and bring some size to the lineup.  Both Moen and Armstrong were disappointments, contributing 6 and 5 points, respectively. Moen did so in 45 games; Armstrong 37 games.  White did provide a physical presence, but poor decision making and an inability early on to keep his emotions in check earned him a spot in Therrien's doghouse and costly penalties hurt the Habs games against the Ottawa Senators and the Buffalo Sabres.  Tomas Kaberle and Yannick Weber spent most of their seasons in the press-box as healthy scratches and neither seems to have a future with the organization.  Kaberle should be the Habs second amnesty buy-out after Scott Gomez was waived-goodbye prior to the start of the season.


Overall, the Canadiens as a team finished second in the Eastern Conference and won the North-East division with a 29-14-5 record, good for 63 points.  Coming off a dismal 15th play finish in the East last year and expected only to challenge for a playoff spot by most critics and hockey experts leading up to the season, the Habs surprised everyone.  Marc Bergevin's regime reignited the passion that was lacking, both on the ice and in the stands after last season and the 'No Excuses' motto came to define the squad.  With all the positives to build on, and a strong farm system to feed off of, Bergevin has the team in a good position to become a force in the NHL.  With 6 draft picks in the first 3 rounds of what is expected to be a very deep NHL entry draft, the future looks even brighter.  Even after losing in the first round to the 'underdog' Ottawa Senators, the 2013 season can only be looked at as a success.

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