I'm of the mind that sometimes in life you have a choice, a fork in the
road if you like. Everything you do in life past that moment of choice
is a result of and based on that decision to take road A or road B.
Bergevin chose the Therrien road. Everything that resulted afterwards is
as a result of that choice.
Hiring Therrien put PK Subban on the clock, immediately. Everyone knew
it. The whole contract bridge BS and the bad taste left in people's
mouths never would have happened had Therrien not been coach. He bred
the hatred in for Subban.
Molson intervenes on PKs ensuing long term contract going against
Bergevin's wishes - wishes pushed on him by Therrien no doubt. This only
stoked the burning embers of hatred for Subban in Therrien's eyes.
Therrien's style of play, e.g. let Price stop everything, bench young
players at the first hint of a mistake, yield ice time to veterans even
when its unearned, fire the puck off the boards, dont take risks. All
the moves he made were to appease Therrien's theory of player management
and use. And when Bergevin did add an interesting piece like Vanek, a
guy who scores goals, Therrien was quick to sabotage that move. Vanek
has alluded to this since he left Montreal. Other players have made
similarly disparaging comments since getting out from under Therrien's
abusive thumb.
Trading Subban was to appease Therrien and, hindsight being 20-20, it
turns out it was completely against where the game was going. The game
was a year away from becoming a game that relied on slick puck moving
defencemen. Therrien was stuck in the old game along side his foxhole
buddy. Bergevin is supposed to have the foresight to see where the game
is going and to be able to evaluate the talent he has or needs but he
can't do that if his coach ties his hands.
He should have fired Therrien the year that Subban was traded but that
doubling, tripling down on Therrien doomed this version of the team. Had
he had a coach with vision, tolerance and acceptance, the core would
still be in place. Instead they've become arguably the worst team in the
league and all because of one reason - Therrien and the ensuing
appeasement of him. That young promising core that they both inherited
is now a shambles - completely lacking in leadership, save for Gallagher.
And now we're witnessing Molson make the same mistakes. Its triple down
time on Bergevin now. Sound familiar? By God, Molson is going to show
the hockey world he was right - results be damned. And this is what gets
me most. That refusal to learn from past mistakes. Tremblay/Roy,
Therrien/Subban. Two times where the team picks an entirely replaceable
coach over an all star hockey player. All that was needed was a sit down
with the coach with the GM - "PK/Patrick is here to stay, I suggest you
get used to it and I suggest you 2 figure a way to get along because,
when push comes to shove, I can always find another coach but Patrick
Roy/PK Subban are generational talents. They ain't going anywhere". But
of course that conversation would never be had in Habdom these days.
Nepotism rules the Foxhole. Appearance and looks are what matter most.
Results? Well, if they come, great. If not, well, we'll trot out the
torch, some old players from years gone by, Madame Belliveau. Whatever
it takes to keep the dying embers of what used to be a professionally
run franchise still burning.
Time to admit the obvious. They've turned this team into the pre-Auston
Matthews Leafs and if Molson really thinks that this team is a tweak or
two away from Cup contenders, then he's fooling a lot of people - or at
least trying to. In the end, he's only trying to fool himself.
Is that another fork in the road I see? Surely they'll choose the right
path this time right?