Stéphane Waite, former goalkeeper coach of the Montreal Canadiens, never liked Martin St-Louis.
On the airwaves of 98.5 FM, he made us understand again how much he hates the CH coach.
A little more and you would have thought that Waite was calling St. Louis a pee-wee coach! This time, it was the Canadian’s playing system – or rather the lack of a system – that infuriated him.
The power play, a national disaster, caused him to lose his mind on the air.
“I’ve never seen that in 18 years in the National League”he hammered with an indignation that made the walls of the studio shake.
And he’s right. How can we explain that a team in 2024 can finish training camp 0 for 30 on the power play?
Arpon Basu of The Athletic also pointed out the absurdity of the situation: during the last preseason match, the numerical advantage players were not even lined up!
But it was Waite who summed up the madness of it all in one scathing sentence:
“In two weeks, they didn’t have time to work on the numerical advantage. »
Incredible, and yet true. How can Martin St-Louis justify such mental laziness? If he can’t establish structure for one of the most crucial aspects of the game, then what does he do? What is it for?
It wasn’t just the power play that infuriated Waite.
As a former goalie coach, he couldn’t help but comment on the questionable management of Samuel Montembeault, the team’s supposed number one goalie.
Waite denounced the fact that Montembeault only played one full game in preseason, an aberration according to him:
“I’ve never seen that in the National League. »
How can a goalkeeper be ready to take on a number one role with such ridiculous preparation?
Arpon Basu added that Montembeault did not look comfortable in this match, and that is saying something. Waite got straight to the point:
“I don’t think their goaltenders are ready. »
Another arrow shot right at the heart of St. Louis’ strategy – or lack of strategy.
The attackers: the team not ready at all
Waite didn’t stop there. He hit the nail on the head by talking about the general state of the team, particularly the attackers.
It’s been ten days since CH’s best players have played, a situation that leaves Waite in a rage.
“For me, this team is not ready as it should be”he said with frightening frankness
. How can you hope to compete with the best teams in the league when you don’t even give your best players sufficient playing time during the preseason schedule?
The message is clear: this team is simply not ready. And this is not only the opinion of Waite, but also that of Basu, who claims that the CH did not show an attractive version of its workforce.
All this 24 hours before the start of the season. One wonders if Martin St-Louis really has a plan.
Stéphane Waite may not have said the exact words, but everything in his analysis suggested that he saw Martin St-Louis as a coach overwhelmed by events, a pee-wee coach at the helm of a team of the NHL.
The criticism is harsh, but it seems justified. By neglecting fundamental aspects of the game such as the numerical advantage and the management of its number one goalie, St-Louis left the door open to the most virulent criticism.
Waite makes a brutal observation: the CH is not ready.
And if Martin St-Louis does not manage to turn things around quickly, this season could well turn into a disaster.
The question that remains is: Is St. Louis really up to this challenge? If we are to believe Stéphane Waite, the answer is far from positive.
The CH is pitiful, and the coach seems incapable of finding solutions. Or worse, to see them.
Sad…
