Like I said before, Therrien is a solid old school coach but not a great one. At his age, you learn a few tricks and you stick by them. But he lacks foresight, intelligence and he's as stubborn as a mule. Cause of that, he'll never win the cup.
I go back to the whole Gillis-Tortorella talks with the media recently. Gillis went on a tear about the fall of the Nucks being that they forgot who they were and stopped being a puck-possession team. When Torto took the mic he agreed saying that "because the Nucks had injuries, we had to play safe and play a more defensive style but it's my fault. Cause I had them keep playing that way after the return of the injured players". So basically Torto showed how closed minded and stubborn he was, it was easy for him to make them play this way so he did. Nevermind that they were a better team playing the other way. Hell he was stubborn enough to not have them play puck-possession even when it was easy to see that their team couldn't play dump and chase and they kept losing.
So I go back to Therrien and how dominant the players were last year by playing a puck possession game and then they go to the playoffs, they play defensive trapping hockey and they get beat. It didn't work yet MT had them play like all year this year. I don't even understand how they won games this year, it's been a mess. And recently it's been basically the first line saving his butt. The change to play that mess of a style, has cost the season(possibly career) of Diaz, Subban, Eller, Chucky, Bork, Emelin in my opinion. They have seemed completly lost. Even Bork he seemed reenergized playing a puck-possession game last year and he caught the malaise of the new "style" this year. Why would MT do that? Cause like Torto, he's close-minded, stubborn, he's scared to lose. Nevermind that it damaged the developement of key guys. He's like a thug that prefers using a magnum instead of a baretta cause "he knows more about the magnum" even if his gang risk of being blown to bits by guys using higher technology.
It's not brain surgery why the Bell Centre crowd has been mild this year. The fans sees this, they have not liked what they see, it's a mess to watch and they only cheer when goals are scored. Most of the time this year crowds have felt like when Cunneyworth coached. Still, I understand why Bergevin let his coach do what he wants(cause it's the professional way to do it), but I think he would need what Gillis has said to the press, MB needs to go to Therrien and say enough is enough of the monkey business and coach a puck-possession game so that talented players can flourish offensively. Esp. Subban. This style is killing him, it's like they put mines under his chariot and exploded his wheels. You're not gonna pay 8 million for half a machine, right.
Amen. And, to all his critics who said that he couldn't make in-game adjustments, ahem, look at the last two games vs Ottawa, the last Toronto game and tonight's game vs Detroit. Therrien 2.0 is a slightly different coach.
