Montreal Canadiens

A lack of confidence

The Canadiens 5 to 1 loss in Buffalo, once again evoked the common theme to this years under achieving team: a lack of confidence. After dominating the opening 15 minutes of the game, the Sabres opened the scoring on a late first period power play goal. Despite being down only a goal, with over 40 minutes to play, the Habs in essence packed it in. As has been the case all season long, at the first sign of adversity, the Canadiens wilt. The lack of mental fortitude has been a significant flaw in the teams make up for an extended period of time. At present, the Canadiens show no inclination to becoming a legitimate post season threat. The crisis of confidence stems from a lack of leadership. There is substantial blame to go around.

Leadership starts in the front office and flows down through the coach to the captain and onto the veteran players and onward to the younger veterans and rookies. To that end, Gainey, Carbonneau, Koivu and Kovalev are the key individuals to setting the tone for the entire team.

Gainey added to what appeared to be a solid foundation in the off season by adding what appeared on surface to be the missing parts, additional complementary scoring (Tanguay), depth and size at the center position (Lang) and toughness (Laraque). A late season pickup in Schneider was made to bolster a flagging powerplay, and Metropolit was added to give some depth at center to offset the Lang injury. When the team went into a near fatal death spiral in January/February compounded by rumours and revelations concerning disturbing off ice antics by certain players, it was Gainey stepping into the breach to provide stability. His decisions to inactivate Kovalev, send Sergi Kostitsyn to the AHL provided necessary guidance. Unfortunately, his measured decisions have not worked their way to the coach or the players.

Carbonneau has constantly shown a very quick panic point. Lines are shuffled at the first sign of ineffectiveness. Instead of allowing line combinations to grow and develop chemistry, Carbo starts manically changing lines at the first sign of adversity. Chemistry in team sports takes extended periods of time to develop. A coach with a quick panic point degrades player confidence.

Team style and identity is definded by the coach. The Habs playing style has very little definable structure. Basic hockey techniques in breakouts from the defensive zone are lacking. The gap control between forwards and the defense is a constant problem. The gap is too wide, and thus the Canadiens do not play as a cohesive 5 man unit on the ice. The forechecking system is helter skelter. From one period to the next it might be a 2-1-2 forecheck system, which then changes to a passive 1-4 trapping system, followed by a more severe 0-5 trap system. Certainly in game adjustments are required, however, there needs to be one constant over riding system in place. Players need to know what the basic structure is, and repeat it over and over so that even if execution degrades, at least there is confidence in the system, and basic on ice cohesion will carry the team through rough patches. With the Canadiens, there is such an inconsistent system, players do not have defined roles and responsibilites.

The lack of a system/tactics and a basic over riding structure is evident in every aspect of the Habs game. There is no effective breakout system out of the defensive zone. No consistent forecheck system that forces turnovers in the offensive zone. A lack of adaption in tactics for a morbid powerplay. A lack of corrective action to adjust a passive defense to easily giving up the blueline to opposition puck carriers. These persistent problems are due in part to an ineffective leadrship at the coaching level.

A constant theme of this season, is players making the same mistakes over and over. Komisarek lacks proper technique in body checking, and pulls himself out of the play, and ineffectively does not separate the player from the puck. In the defensive zone the initial defender chasing the opposition puck carrier gets beaten on the one on one battle, which then forces the other defenders to over compensate, allowing for passing and shooting lanes to open up. The same mistakes happen over and over. There is no proper teaching to eradicate these errors, nor are the players held accountable for their mistakes. There is a lack of leadership from the coach, and as such a lack of confidence the players have in the coach, which leads to poor on ice performance. Florida, Boston have coaches in place that have those teams playing sound fundamental hockey. There is a definite coaching imprint on those teams, that enable the Bruins and Panther players to excel, that is not happening at present with the Habs.

Leadership and confidence is also instilled from the captain and the veteran core of a team. The Koivu/Kovalev leadership is not providing dividends. Both players are on the down slope of their careers, and neither can consistently give transcendent on ice performances, that often provide an impetus for elevated team play. Both players have lost a step, neither player can intimidate the opposition, or for that matter their own teammates the way an Iginla or a Messier, have taken hold of their lockerrooms. The sloppy, at times disinterested play of the team as a whole, fairly or unfairly takes its lead from the at times selfish play of Kovalev, and the yearly prolonged scoring slumps of Koivu. Unfortunately, no one from the youth core has been able to take over the on ice leadership mantle, and make all the players accountable for their on ice and off ice behaviour and performance. The players themselves need to hold themselves accountable. There is no excuse for an inability to put forth a strong 60 minute work ethic on a game to game basis.

In a press conference, following the trade deadline, Gainey said he had confidence in the team, and that the Canadiens had the necessary component parts to be succesful. At this point, amongst the leadership group of the team, Gainey is the only one displaying confidence. Certainly, the reactivation from injury of Tanguay and Latendresse will help. However, there are so many players underperforming so consistently, it is hard to imagine the team firing on all cylinders down the stretch, particularly when the coach does not seem to know what levers to push to get the team to play in a confident cohesive manner. The loss in Buffalo, may have illustrated that Gainey’s confidence in the team that he has assembled may be misplaced. As such, Gainey is not totally blameless in what is becoming a dissatisfying centennial season.