A great radio moment took place on the airwaves of 98.5 Sports, as Dany Dubé took a scathing stance on the work of Martin St-Louis as head coach of the Montreal Canadiens.
During his conversation with host Mario Langlois, Dubé reacted vigorously to recent comments from St-Louis, who attributes the Canadian’s offensive difficulties to an increased effort on the defensive level.
Dubé bluntly expressed his disagreement.
“I don’t buy that”he declared bluntly.
For him, the St. Louis explanation simply does not hold water.
“When a team is looking for itself, all these phrases come up. Playing better defensively costs you offense. I don’t buy that. »
Dubé went on to lay out the essential fundamentals of hockey, emphasizing that defense should never be an excuse for offensive ineffectiveness.
According to Dubé, the reality is simple:
“When you don’t have the puck, you defend yourself. Then you try to defend yourself as effectively as possible to have the puck as long as possible and as often as possible. »
In other words, playing well defensively allows a team to gain more possession and control the pace of the game, which should actually benefit the offense.
Dubé’s observations did not stop there. He questioned the Canadian’s entire defensive structure, emphasizing that the club does not master the marking of the disc carrier, a crucial element in a sport that is always in motion like hockey.
According to him, if the player responsible for defending the puck carrier does not execute his role to perfection, it prevents all other players from moving effectively and maintaining adequate defensive coverage.
“It’s not like football,” he added, emphasizing the importance of every movement in the on-ice game.
It looks like Dubé is talking to Martin St-Louis as if he were a 10 year old child.
Dubé also didn’t spare Kirby Dach, indicating that the young center is “behind the others” in terms of progression and that the Canadian remains below average at five-on-five.
He also pointed out the glaring imbalance between the team’s attack and defense, specifying that the Habs “are not good enough in their zone” to hope to stabilize in the league.
“If you’re not good in your zone, you don’t have a chance.”he concluded, a strong message which resonates as a warning towards St-Louis and the security of his job.
Dubé offered a powerful analysis which suggests that the Canadian coach is struggling to find a coherent strategy to stabilize his team.
The players don’t understand St-Louis. And will never understand it.
This radio moment only fueled questions about St. Louis’ approach and choices, and suggests that influential voices in the media are starting to lose patience with the coach’s justifications.
Dany Dubé has just finished it.
