Why Are The Montreal Canadiens Struggling? | SDP

28 comments

1. I have been ranting about this as a Habs fan all season . You can't get outshot every game and expect to win . Fire st.louis

2. They are rebuilding. Give them a break. God.

3. Habs fan. You're right. Team struggling. Wrong coach.

4. Year 3 of a rebuild. Everyone needs to settle down.

5. I want to preface this with I love when yall talk habs, as a habs fan, I always appreciate it, I really enjoy when you talk about them. However, I feel like you're a little disconnected from the Habs fan bases actual feelings because you probably only see the tweets that get traction because they're insane.

   Habs fans are upset, yes. Habs suck, yes. But the LARGE majority of Habs fans are not calling for St.Louis head, although they might be nervous about his ability to help this team turn the corner. The large majority of habs fans have no issue with the Habs record so far. The front office said "in the mix" before the season as they're expectations, which is obviously purposely vague. Habs fans thought it was possible they could be in the mix because they thought they had a healthy Laine and they didn't realize it would take Dach some time to get back into the swing of things, and they underestimated how much losing Kovacevic and Harris would hurt their backend in their own zone.

   They've been awful in their own end and are allowing way too many high dangers chances. They haven't been getting bailed out by their goalies so they're getting pounded which is hurting their confidence, which is killing them in the O zone. If the D-zone tightens up a little, the rest of their game will come. Laine is coming back in a monthish, their defense will be more comfortable, Hutson will have more experience, Dach will get more and more comfortable. They will bounce back, but right now they suck. No doubt about that.

   But again, the large majority of Habs fans do not care about the record. The reason Habs fans are upset right now has been how they're losing and how they look. Last season's team was a ton of fun to watch, and was very competitive, most 1 goal games in the league by a mile. The Habs played like 30+ 1 goal games last season. This season, they're getting blown out in their own barn, and look genuinely uninterested. That's why fans are upset. Not because they're losing, but how they're losing. Being bad this year, in terms of the rebuild, is probably a good thing. The top 5 of the draft this year looks stacked, they weren't going to make playoffs this season anyways.

   TLDR: Habs fans just want to see their team TRY and COMPETE in games. They don't care if they lose the games, they just care how they're losing games. They want to be entertained while watching them lose.

6. Yea its tough. The habs haven’t been good for a couple years now and it’s not really getting any better, that’s the big problem imo. By year 3 of a rebuild there should be some improvement, not playoffs or anything but some improvement, it looks like it hasn’t happened.

7. Dear God I agree with Adam wtf is wrong with me

8. The Habs aren't struggling they are meeting expectations. Habs have a toilet seat as their team logo.

9. Habs made the finals because of price. Hes the goat.

10. St. Louis's defensive system is just terrible, has been since he got there and I think it's hurting their young players in the long run. Your job as a coach on a rebuilding team is develop young players into at least decently well-rounded players first and foremost, he can teach offense but defense he's completely lost. Get an assistant to help with the defense, if things improve then great then if not maybe the problems are too deep to be fixed with just bringing on board an assistant.

11. thx for giving some credit to Lukas Dostal finally he is so good

12. I think it's too early to judge rn. They're not expected to make the playoffs so what matters rn is that the core is progressing on an individual level.

13. Defense ceiling is higher this year, but they are younger. It will take two years for those kids to be able to play defense.

14. It's a rebuild, we have one the youngest team in the NHL. Everyone needs to take their pulse and relax

15. To be honest, taking a step meant finishing 11th in the East instead of 15th, not making the playoffs.

    Also, Montembeault was MUCH better than Allen last season.

16. Playing full on attack, with a D core that young and bellow average goaltender is suicidal.

17. The media didn’t hype up the habs , Goeff Molson , Kent Hughes and Gorton came out during pre season claiming the habs would be « in the mix » for a playoff spot .
    That’s why some gullable habs fans want St-Louis’s head . They chose to believe the lie they where told and expect the impossible out of this team .
    It’s going to take two to three more years before they can start thinking about the playoffs .

    Rebuilding through drafting is a long process and they do have a good variety of quality prospects in the minors/NCAA/KHL .
    Demidov , Fowler , Roy , Mailloux , Bech , Dobes , Florian Xhekaj , Tuch , Reinbacher and Hage .
    Laval Rockets are having a great start and seem to be in good hands with a solid coaching staff and player development team .
    If St-Louis steps down , they have Pascal Vincent to take the helm.

    Patience is a virtue …

18. Beggin for Hagens

19. People kept saying Montreal's number one issue they needed to work on was their powerplay being in the worst in the league last year. I feel like St-Louis and the coaching staff have helped fix that issue with a sub par team.

    Not sure why people are so unhappy without thinking and trusting the process.

20. Let's get real and not go crazy…It's year 3 of rebuild and about 80% of it is done…Relax, most fans know and the other don't remember what a rebuilt feels like. We still miss in the line up futur superstar Ivan Demidov and almost if not ready for the league Hague, the futur in defense as Reinbacher, Mailloux and Engstrom and the goalie of the futur Jacob Fowler. One more top 6 forwards and we are ready ! Will it be under St-Louis ? Probably, the plan was for him to develop with the team, he is way to intelligent and adaptative to let go…He could use a good assistant coach for the defensive plays, cause offensively he's got good ideas ! Patience and also there are some positive with Hutson and Caufield…Let's see and at worst, we will add Hagens and be complete 100 % !!

21. I think the Habs just need to sign a pair of defensive defenceman , you guys said it the problem is we're allowing to many goals.our offense is good and once we get Laine and Demidov in the mix watch out. there's gonna be some cap space next year once armia evans and dvorak are off the books.

22. I mean come on… I stopped when you said Allen was a better goalie … Tell us you never watch a Canadiens game.without telling us. Allen costed us games last year while Montembault was stealing games. Now, our goalies are not stealing games except the first one against your team ! So yeah, keep talking about the leafs, I'm going back to QC media

23. Until the Habs get a goalie who can stop pucks outside of the first game, they will never be good again

24. I watched the game last night with Primeau in goals. 3 of the 5 goals are junior goals. He was terrible and his stats are the worst in the league. At one point, you can't just blame the defense if your goalie can't stop a beachball.
    And the country club atmosphere must change. Was nice and all when St Louis got there and there was no expectation. But now, he must put his pants on and get the guys back to work or he's gonna find himself unemployed.

25. You guys might not be wrong in totality but you get so many details wrong because you don’t know enough about the Habs. Nrwhook wasn’t traded for to be 2nd line centre.

26. 200% in agreement that it was media hype … this Canadiens team are not even close to make the playoffs…… everyone out Hughes on a pedestal when he picked up Laine, who cares

27. Says 2 guys that hailed Babcock

28. Adams starting to look like 2011 tim thomas with the mustache