Martin St-Louis is once again in hot water after another frustrating loss to the Montreal Canadiens, this time by a score of 3-0 in Minnesota.
What particularly makes fans and observers cringe is the coach’s incomprehensible stubbornness in ignoring the obvious talent of Lane Hutson on the first power play unit.
St. Louis continues to rely on Mike Matheson, despite the fact that he is horrible on the ice, while Kirby Dach inexplicably remains settled on this crucial unit, despite the fact that he is a nuisance.
Lane Hutson, the team’s rising sensation, was entitled to… 13 seconds of play on the power play. When we know that the Canadiens badly needed to score, seeing Hutson benched for most of the power play is absolute nonsense in the eyes of many fans.
Once again, St-Louis’ choices seem dictated by excessive caution, or even by the fear of giving too much responsibility to young players.
This cautious management caused a real storm on social networks.
For many, it is time for St. Louis to answer for its decisions. The frustration grows, and each game where Matheson and Dach are preferred to Hutson adds a little more incomprehension.
The acidic comments are multiplying: Internet users point out the absence of logic ronise on the famous “hard coaching” of St-Louis, while everyone treats Martij St-Louis as a clown!
Best skater in CH. Most talented player. And he plays 13 seconds with Joel Armia and Brendan Gallagher.
St-Louis gets outcoached game after game after game… » For fans, there is no doubt that Martin St-Louis is constantly outclassed by his opponents.
What was supposed to be a season of progression and learning for the team turned out to be an exercise in frustration, punctuated by incomprehensible choices.
The maintenance of Mike Matheson in the window, according to some fans, is not the result of chance.
It is speculated that management may seek to maximize Matheson’s value in a trade. “
Orders could come from above! Matheson is in the window. But this strategy, if it is real, is to the detriment of the team and the development of young players like Hutson.
By favoring veterans, even if they are harmful, Martin St-Louis seems to lose sight of the essential: reconstruction requires the integration and development of young talents.
By persisting in conservative choices, he harms not only the team’s results, but also his own reputation with fans, who are becoming increasingly impatient with decisions that slow down the CH’s progress.
St-Louis has truly lost the love of an entire province.
Today, the Canadiens and their coach are at a crossroads.
Either Martin St-Louis revises his strategy to allow players like Hutson to establish themselves, or he continues on this path and risks permanently losing the confidence of the fans.
Quebec does not have a handle on its back. And St. Louis really takes us for cellars.
Martin St-Louis, the so-called modern coach, is in fact a scared coach. He prefers to hang on to his veterans, even when they underperform, rather than give a chance to a young prodigy like Hutson who could transform this team. »
The criticisms don’t stop there. Internet users are unleashed on social networks, denouncing the stubbornness of St-Louis and its questionable choices.
The idea of a radical change in the approach to the power play seems obvious to everyone… except St. Louis.
Hutson accelerates the puck movement so much against Matheson, which is too predictable. Does St. Louis have such a big ego, does he want to be THE STAR of his team so much that he doesn’t want Hutson to win the Calder?
It’s made pathetic.
And what about Kirby Dach who plays like a veteran on the verge of retirement. Why is he protected by the coach?
Even in the face of criticism, St-Louis remains frozen in its choices, preferring to play the safety card. This coach acts with fear in his stomach.
It’s becoming obvious.
At a time when Canadians are seeking to develop a new identity around their young talents, Martin St-Louis’ conservative attitude no longer applies.
The plumbers Gallagher, Armia, Newhook and Heineman are not capable of completing Hutson’s games. The only ones who are capable of keeping up with him are Caufield and Suzuki.
So it’s time to put Matheson on the 2nd unit for up to 30 seconds with his shots in the bay window.
The message is clear: if Martin St-Louis does not want to go down in history as the most fearful coach of all time, he will have to review his approach and stop coaching with fear in his stomach.
Because at this rate, it is not only the team that is regressing, but the entire reconstruction that risks getting bogged down.
A modern and innovative coach? My eye.
