Canadiens: In Other News… Ducharme Axed, Rocket Fight for Playoffs

Realistically, what is there left to talk about regarding the Montreal Canadiens? I mean, seriously. You know it, I know it, the Montreal Canadiens are the worst team in the NHL this season. Actually, scratch that, the Montreal Canadiens might be the worst team in the NHL this decade.

Actually, scratch that scratch that, as this might be the worst Montreal Canadiens team in franchise history, and I’m talking about all of those glorious, highlight filled 112 years. All gone completely to waste and left to the birds who frankly have better things to eat. As a writer, I often try to abstain from taking such a direct and at times divisive opinion on things, but how can anyone be divisive about the state the Canadiens are currently in.

An 8-31-7 record, a paltry .256 winning percentage, an eye-watering -82 goal differential, a horrendous 1-7-2 record over their last 10 games, and a current six game losing streak that has seen them get outscored 37-14. Any way you slice it, anything you slice it with, and any thing you decide to slice, the 2021-22 Montreal Canadiens are one of the worst teams in NHL history. Finally, it seems as though management has caught wind of this debacle, as head coach Dominique Ducharme was given the axe on Wednesday, replaced by former perennial all-star Martin St. Louis, who did little to right the ship in a 5-2 loss to the Washington Capitals on Thursday.

So, the operative question is, what’s left? Well, after a month that saw myself go in and out of a posting schedule as I have juggled both my studies and personal artistic projects, I thought it was about time for another In Other News… piece as I had been known to do at times over the course of last season. With the Trois Rivieres Lions and Laval Rocket continuing to bring exciting hockey to the table night after night, there’s still some little nuggets of gold left here in what is largely a collapsing mine. So, with that being said, here’s yet another long overdue look at what’s been going on recently, in other news… for the Montreal Canadiens.

Ducharme Gets the Axe, Martin St. Louis Enters as Canadiens Free-Fall Continues

Going into the 2021-22 season, expectations were high for head coach Dominique Ducharme after taking the Canadiens all the way to the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals the year before, in a magical Cinderella run helmed by a vintage Carey Price and timely, youthful offense. With a fresh three-year deal in hand and a familiar staff around him, it seemed as though the Canadiens would at least be able to put up a fight if not compete for a playoff spot directly, with an initially promising lineup.

That hasn’t happened.

Instead, every cliché you can name to describe a bad or struggling sports franchise can be applied to the Canadiens, and Ducharme and the few members of his staff who remain have seen just about everything a coaching staff can see over the course of a professional hockey season, including well, being laid off, replaced by a former longtime NHL star in St. Louis. From fringe AHLers like Brandon Baddock and Cameron Hillis finding their way into the Canadiens lineup as Covid and injuries wracked the team, to basically every new addition made by former GM Marc Bergevin during free agency, not working out, Ducharme leaves the Canadiens with a less than ideal 23-46-14 record over his short tenure.

Even with Ducharme gone, the Canadiens are in absolute free-fall right now and it doesn’t seem as though there’s much to stop them from slipping farther. Heading into last Tuesday nights matchup against the New Jersey Devils, the Habs were fresh off their bye-week and icing a mostly healthy roster for the first time in months. The Devils had been struggling heavily after a solid start to the season and had an unproven journeyman in goal in 29-year-old Jon Gillies.

Yet, in spite of peppering Gillies with 27 shots, Montreal only managed one by him as they were crushed 7-1. Going into Thursday’s match against the Capitals, there was little to suggest the Habs weren’t destined for a similar fate against a potent and star-studded Capitals lineup, and well, they ultimately played up to those odds. Going forward, it remains to be seen whether St. Louis can ultimately right what has long been a rapidly sinking ship in Montreal.

Laval Rocket Continue Unlikely Push for Playoff Spot

In reality, both the ECHL’s Trois Rivieres Lions and the AHL’s Laval Rocket should’ve been destined for a similar fate to the Canadiens this season. The trickle-down effect that most injury plagued NHL teams suffer from is something the Habs and their affiliates are no stranger to, and it’s resulted in some less-than-ideal campaigns from what were once promising teams. The 2017-18 Canadiens weren’t a fantastic team by any stretch of the imagination, finishing with a paltry 29-40-13 record in spite of a breakout campaign from Brendan Gallagher and backup goalie Antti Niemi.

Compared to the Rocket, however, they looked like a Stanley Cup contender. In what was their first season after the move from the St. John’s IceCaps, an initially promising start for Laval quickly gave way into a season ending 12-game losing streak (yes really) and a ridiculous 51 different players seeing the ice. In the following seasons, former Habs GM Marc Bergevin continued his reputation for lack of affiliate support before former head coach Joel Bouchard finally brought the Rocket into a somewhat competitive state.

After jumping ship to coach the San Diego Gulls, new head coach Jean-Francois Houle has picked up where Bouchard left off, as the Rocket have continued to bring exciting hockey to the table in spite of all the complications from their parent club. In a notable change of pace from season’s prior, Bergevin inked 15 or so players to AHL-only contracts, an unheard-of number in the league as we know it today. Ultimately though, this has benefited Laval greatly, as they’ve still been able to ice a competitive roster, behind the likes of Kevin Poulin, Gabriel Bourque, Danick Martel, and Kevin Roy.

With a 18-13-3 record this season, the Rocket sit 8th in the Eastern Conference with the fewest games played in the AHL, having eight games in hand on the 9th place Charlotte Checkers. While it seems like top scorers in Laurent Dauphin and Ryan Poehling will be with the Canadiens for the foreseeable future, the Rocket should continue to put up a fight and potentially sneak into the AHL playoffs for the first time in team history.

Trois Rivieres Lions off to Solid Start in Inaugural Season

Head coach Eric Belanger ad GM Marc Andre Bergeron certainly had their work cut out for them when assembling what would become the Trois Rivieres Lions, the Canadiens first ECHL affiliate since the now defunct Brampton Beast changed affiliates to the Ottawa Senators after the 2017-18 season. The Beast had managed a few solid campaigns behind a potent offense comprised of the likes of David Vallorani, David Pacan, and Brandon Marino, as well as continually solid play from Zach Fucale in goal. In spite of continued roster issues stemming from call-ups to the Laval Rocket, the Lions currently sit fourth in the Eastern Conference and second in the North Division with an 18-12-2 record, benefiting from a talented and potent roster comprised of ECHL regulars.

Free agent acquisitions in Olivier Archambault, Alexis D’Aoust, and Shawn St. Amant have picked up where they left off after mostly missing last season due to the Covid-19 pandemic and have continued to establish themselves as top scoring options who can be relied upon night after night. Phillipe Desrosiers has stepped up massively in goal with a 12-3-0 record and 2.77 GAA, and overall the Lions have given the city of Trois Rivieres the hockey team they’ve long been waiting for, and the city has embraced them quickly and passionately. Going forward, it seems as though the sky is the limit for the Lions as they look to build on what has been a largely successful start to their inaugural season.