Montreal Canadiens Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Jeff Gorton is on record as saying that Dominique Ducharme, in the first of a 3 year deal, paying him 1.7 million annually will coach the team for the entire season.
Meanwhile, Claude Julien is still being paid 5 million dollars not to come to the Bell Centre this year. These Canadiens are in first place in the NHL in only one category: number of bad contracts. However, the Habs current record dictates that the coaches as well as the players are all skating on very thin ice.
At the midway point of this season with an 8-29-7 record, these Montreal Canadiens are headed towards the worst overall record ever in the history of this storied franchise. Clearly, not much has gone right since early July 2021.
It is safe to say circumstance has played a part in the Habs fall from grace this year. With almost 400 man games lost to injury, and a Covid outbreak that saw a roster comprised of mostly AHL players some nights, Dominique Ducharme has not had a consistent roster to play with. Lines and D pairings are thrown in a blender almost nightly according to who is available. However, Ducharme has had plenty of time to implement systems.
In the defensive zone the Canadiens set up in a tight, static 5 man box in attempt to protect the slot area. Opposing teams enact movement in the offensive zone circling the box, causing confusion in defensive coverage, eventually finding open ice and screens in front with multiple scoring opportunities in a single shift.
High danger scoring chances against the Habs young goaltenders Sam Montembault and Cayden Primeau have been so frequent, it’s no wonder both goalies have had a difficult time finishing games. The Habs -261 shot attempt differential is alarming. There is not a goalie in the world, including Carey Price, who could save the volume of high danger chances against the Habs this year.
In the offensive zone, too much of the Canadiens game comes from the perimeter. They don’t get the puck to the crease area frequently enough with traffic in front, or often swarm the net in attempt to force the puck across the line. Too many shots from typically good shooting areas are not taken. Poor pass choices are made, causing turnovers, as the Habs sit near the bottom of the league in shot and goal differentials.
The power play is far too predictable. A defenseman, often Jeff Petry, starts the rush. We know he will get to the neutral zone and pass the puck backwards, even when there is open ice in front of him. Often the pass goes astray, to a dangerous area, and the intended recipient is put in a precarious position in the Habs end of the ice. This obvious set play robs talented players of creativity and contributes to scoring chances for the opposing penalty killers. Now Jeff Petry, mired in one of the worst seasons of his career, wants out of Montreal and questions abound as to why, and who might be next to ask for a trade.
There is such parity in the NHL right now the difference between winning and losing games sometimes comes down to luck, or circumstance, or coaching. This year’s Montreal Canadiens players are better than their team record this year would indicate. The systems appear flawed, and the same script gets repeated game after game, loss after loss.
The coaches must bear some responsibility for the Canadiens sitting at the bottom of the entire NHL. The All Star break is upon us and the season is already lost. There is a small window of opportunity for management to shake things up behind the bench in Montreal and give the players and fans a new perspective for the 2nd half of this season.