Montreal Canadiens: Defending Michel Therrien

May 27, 2014; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens head coach Michel Therrien during a press conference after the game five against New York Rangers of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports

Montreal Canadiens: Defending Michel Therrien

The Montreal Canadiens – once again – are facing coaching woes. But not according to the organization itself; this is squarely coming from the fans, and many analysts.

The reason? Michel Therrien, hired in 2012 to rescue a team that had come in last in the East and missed playoffs, has not gotten the Canadiens to a Cup final yet.

Social media lit up this season (and last, I might add) with the call to fire Therrien. After the Habs lost their bid for the ECF this week, calls to sports talk radio took up the same cry.

To add to the fervor, Detroit Red Wings‘ coach Mike Babcock is on the market, and talking to other teams. Teams more beleaguered than the Canadiens. And fans want the Habs organization to at least talk to Babcock.

I have a problem with this – and have never jumped on the “fire the coach” bandwagon. Here’s why:

When Therrien came in, the NHL was experiencing a lockout. The team had already been changed; a new GM was hired and Marc Bergevin brought Therrien on board – to mixed reviews.

Therrien had previously coached the Habs; in 2000, he was brought in when the team fell to 5-13-2 after 20 games. That year, the Habs missed playoffs. The following year he brought them to the 2nd round of post-season, and was fired the 3rd year when they slipped in standings again.

Many who heard his name from Bergevin’s lips groaned; they did not believe in this coach. But in the first – albeit shortened – season, the Habs finished 1st in the Northeast Division, eliminated in the first round to the Ottawa Senators.

In the second season with Therrien – 2013-14 – the Habs went to the Eastern Conference Finals; due to Carey Price‘s injury in Game 1 against the New York Rangers, they lost in 6 games. They had finished 3rd in the division, just 1 point behind 2nd-place Tampa Bay (whom they swept in the first round). And then, this year – we all know what happened.

I don’t believe Therrien is at fault for the team’s inability to make the SCF. First of all, he has taken them from last place to first. He has coached them successfully in terms of statistics.

And for a team which finished last, to come back the following 3 years and show continued improvement, it shows keen guidance.

Therrien got skewered on Twitter, and on radio, for his post-game comments in Tampa Bay as the season ended for the Canadiens. He mentioned the physical and mental exhaustion of his players and said he was disappointed. Twitter exploded – how could he throw his players under the bus that way? How could he say he was disappointed in a team that had seen such success?

Well, as usual, the hysteria was due to misinterpretation, and perhaps misreporting. Here was what he actually said:

And that is an entirely different tone. He wasn’t disappointed in his players – the loss was disappointing. And how is that statement wrong?

Then came the uproar. How could he put this on the players? How could he say they were drained? Tampa Bay had gone 7 games against Detroit, and had no rest before starting Round 2 – how is it they weren’t physically drained?

Very simple: the Habs found themselves in an alarming situation: losing the first 2 games at home, losing the 3rd in Tampa. They fought every game, and for at least 2 of those, the losses could easily have been wins. The lucky bounces and questionable officiating just did not go their way. This isn’t an excuse – objectively speaking, Games 1 and 3 were (as one reader aptly put it) “haunting losses” because they were that close to going the Canadiens’ way.

But close is not a win, and the Habs were now in a 0-3 hole.

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