Martin St-Louis’ press briefing after the 5-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils revealed obvious tension between the head coach and the Montreal media.
Especially when the coach once again affirmed that he was happy with his players.
“People ask me if I’m concerned or if I’m worried. Honestly, the way we play, I’m not worried, it will turn out.”
“I’m a little worried about the confidence of the team, of certain players, but that’s OK, we’ll work on that. But on the collective side, I’m not worried. »
If the majority of journalists are often content to question the coach on the performance of his team, Eric Engels of Sportsnet dared to ask the question that was burning on everyone’s lips: is St-Louis minimizing his team’s problems? out of necessity, so as not to break the confidence of his players?
“Are you saying that because you need to say it to keep the mentality of this team in the right place?”
The coach’s response was quick and scathing: “Go watch the video of the game again and you’ll see,” retorted St-Louis, visibly irritated.
“No, I mean, go watch the game again. You can watch the match again if you want. I feel good about the way we played tonight. »
This reply, heavy with innuendo, raises questions about the vision of St-Louis and its ability to objectively assess the Canadian’s difficulties.
His insistence on saying that he is “not worried” and that he is “satisfied with the team” is enough to leave supporters and analysts perplexed who note, week after week, the structural weaknesses of the team, particularly in defensive.
For many observers, the hybrid man-to-man system put in place by St-Louis simply does not work.
Defenders appear disoriented, unable to follow the play or adapt to opponents’ rapid changes.
Mike Matheson, one of the veterans of this brigade, struggles to find his bearings and makes costly mistakes while trying to imitate head feints worthy of Lane Hutson, but without the same success.
Confusion sets in, and the defense shows alarming signs of disorganization.
Despite these obvious shortcomings, St. Louis continues to rely on Matheson by giving him excessive ice time, averaging around 30 minutes per game.
Meanwhile, young talents like Lane Hutson remain underutilized, particularly on the power play, where they could bring renewed energy.
Worse still, the decisions of St-Louis, such as that of making Christian Dvorak play better, add to the general incomprehension and reinforce doubts about its strategic choices.
Faced with growing criticism, Martin St-Louis seems to take refuge behind the concept of “reconstruction” to justify his team’s poor performances.
However, this pretext collapsed as the Canadians continued to lose. Reconstruction is meant to be a process of progression; However, the team seems to be going backwards, unable to take a step forward.
If patience is required for a long-term project, the coach’s decisions and his attitude towards the media make the path even more difficult.
The tense exchange with Eric Engels could well be a sign of growing frustration at St-Louis, which is struggling to maintain the balance between protecting its players and the need to meet the high expectations of the Montreal market.
This perceived arrogance, when he refuses to acknowledge his team’s shortcomings, irritates more and more. Journalists like Engels no longer hesitate to point out inconsistencies in his speech, and supporters themselves are beginning to wonder if St. Louis is still the man for the job.
For Martin St-Louis, the pressure is at its peak. As Canadians continue to struggle, the expectations of the media and fans will only increase.
His stubbornness in defending a questionable system and personnel choices could cost him dearly if results do not improve quickly.
The Montreal Canadiens, like the city that supports them, can no longer be satisfied with reassuring speeches without tangible proof of progress.
St. Louis will need to quickly adjust its approach, otherwise its relationship with the media and public trust risk further deterioration.
His apology becomes “past date. Do you want them? Here they are:
“I liked our first shift, our second shift. Then we lose a stick. It’s a bit of bad luck, for sure, it’s boring to lose 2-0, but I still liked our first half.”
“I liked how we fought in the second. Our goal was to win that second period, to get two big goals. Collectively, I think we had a lot of good times in the match there.”
“In the offensive zone, the things we talk about happen. Of course, the result is flat and disappointing, but we will watch the video and we will continue. »
“Yes, it’s not an easy league. We’re going to stay calculated, work on the things we’ve been working on, but there are many, many things that I see that I really like, that are going to help us freak this out, and then when we freak it out, we’re going to be dangerous, I think. »
“As I said, we are doing very good things, we are lacking a little bit of finishing at the moment. »
“It’s a league that brings heavy moments, sometimes, for the players, that’s for sure, but you’re one game away from pinning that, you’re one goal away from pinning that, you’ve seen a good match again tonight, you know, so, you know, this is a match which will give confidence, and gradually, we will continue to help the players find their confidence. »
“I’m not with them all the time, but what do I see, I think we’re still in a good place. »
Martin St-Louis is delirious. It’s time for Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton to step up. The coach no longer makes sense when he speaks.
