It hasn't been a fun start to the season, which is clear as day to see, but that doesn't mean that the Montreal Canadiens need to clean house.
Head coach Martin St. Louis is aware that things aren't working and is obviously none too pleased about it. But the overreactions, whether warranted or not seem a little premature, at least based on St. Louis's answer about whether he is proactive about the issues or not. Sure he knows there is an issue, and the next step is to address the problem at the root and get back to winning games.
Reporter: “Where do you establish the line if ‘my message is not getting through to these guys & I have to do something about it.’ Are you proactive about it…?”
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) October 18, 2024
Coach Marty St. Louis: “No no, I’m proactive about it. We’re 5 games into the season? It’s 5 games into the season.… pic.twitter.com/4PCymundg9
It is just five games, and while frustrating it isn't a problem that the Canadiens should freak out about. So St. Louis's calm, collected response is exactly what you should expect from a guy who has gone through frustrating stretches before. It's a part of the process and to expect the Canadiens to never deal with adversity would be silly though.
There will be adjustments and changes and that is fairly obvious, so it's not fun right now, but the season is young. With plenty of time to turn things around, certainly, St. Louis is confident in the group he has to do so. The message will surely be clear, and I don't expect that words will be minced, the club needs to play better.
They will be better
If you remember what the team looked like before St. Louis and the way he turned the ship around upon his arrival, you know he is the right man for the job. It is never easy to deliver the hard news, but Marty has a job to do, and so do the players. Accepting mediocrity isn't going to happen, and Suzuki has been transparent about the team's effort against the Los Angeles Kings, it was unacceptable.
It starts with the players wanting to make a change, and the captain has fully accepted the issue, so that is a necessary step. Parts of the core know what it takes to grind to the Stanley Cup championship. But more importantly, they felt the sting of being so close and missing out.
The group might be young, but they are battle-tested for the most part. With high internal expectations, things aren't likely to remain the same. It's concerning to see poor efforts and a below -500 record, but it will turn around.
Losing stings and it's fresh in the organizations memories, seeing Carey Price and Shea Weber give it. all they have to the point of being forced into retirement.