Reply To: Articles

[hockeygod]

Coaching continuity keys success in pro sports

PAT HICKEY, The Montreal Gazette, December 2, 2011

It's open season on National Hockey League coaches, and that provided the backdrop as the Canadiens met the Anaheim Ducks Wednesday night.

It was a showdown between two teams desperate for a win, and speculation swirled around both head coaches. Anaheim's Randy Carlyle tried to slough off a suggestion he needed a win to save his job, but he had to be concerned after receiving a vote of confidence from his longtime friend, general manager Bob Murray.

The Ducks emerged 4-1 winners, but that didn't save Carlyle's job. Shortly after the final siren, Murray fired Carlyle.

Murray said it was important to have a new voice in the room, and announced Bruce Boudreau would be taking over. Boudreau was the head coach in Washington until Monday, when Capitals GM George McPhee decided a new voice was needed in the room and he replaced Boudreau with Dale Hunter.

As for the Canadiens' Jacques Martin, we'll never know whether he has received a vote of confidence, because general manager Pierre Gauthier is up there with the Sphinx when it comes to keeping his counsel. What we do know is that Wednesday's loss sparked a new chorus of howls from disgruntled fans who have a coaching change in Montreal at the top of their Christmas wish lists.

Longtime readers will know I'm no fan of coaching changes. I believe if an organization has hired the right person, it should stay the course. That has been the key to success for teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Los Angeles Dodgers and any National Basketball Association team coached by Phil Jackson. Barry Trotz in Nashville and Lindy Ruff in Buffalo provide good examples of that theory in the National Hockey League.

Teams aren't going to win every year. There are down cycles created by injuries, free agency, aging players or, quite often, a lack of talent. But the lamest excuse in sports is to say that a coach has "lost the room" or "a new voice is needed." Comments like these say more about the character of the players than they do about the ability of the coach.

I happen to believe Martin is a pretty good coach. In his first season with the Canadiens, he took the team to the Eastern Conference final. Last season, the Canadiens lost to the Stanley Cupchampion Boston Bruins in seven games, and three losses – including Game 7 – were in overtime. As Boston general manager Peter Chiarelli told me: "Montreal probably gave us our toughest series."

The most common complaint about Martin is that his style is boring. Of course, many of the fans who offer this opinion also believe the Canadiens would be better off with Jacques Lemaire, whose New Jersey teams provided an instant cure for insomnia.

Martin has put together high-scoring teams in Ottawa, and the Canadiens' power play was among the best in the NHL in each of the past two seasons.

The Canadiens are struggling this season, but they are not alone, which is why Montreal is within a short winning streak of a playoff spot.

How much of the Canadiens' woes can be traced to Martin?

I don't know, but here are things you can't blame on the coach:

You can't blame Martin for the Canadiens' lack of size. When Bob Gainey blew this team up in 2009, he had a chance to add some size, but instead opted for Scott Gomez, Michael Cammalleri and Brian Gionta. Gainey took on a bad contract Glen Sather gave to Gomez, and compounded the error by sending defence prospect Ryan McDonagh to the Rangers as a throw-in.

You can't blame Martin for the injuries that have plagued this team, especially the lingering absence of defenceman Andrei Markov.

You can't blame Martin for Gomez's lack of production, or the growing pains experienced by P.K. Subban.

You can't blame Martin for the fact the Canadiens have the least-experienced defence corps in the NHL

You can't blame Martin for the Canadiens' being up against the cap and for the long-term contracts that could prove problematic in the future.

There are signs that some players have tuned Martin out, but there are two encouraging signs in the NHL statistics. The Canadiens rank third on the penalty-kill and lead the NHL in blocked shots.

Those categories are not about skill. They are a reflection of hard work, determination, a willingness to sacrifice yourself for the team. The key is to bring that commitment to the other facets of the game and combine that commitment with a few more healthy bodies.

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."