Despite the terrible performances by the Montreal Canadiens over the past 10 games and a vent of frustration on my end two days ago, there are certain things that I overhear or read about that I simply cannot accept.

While I was very critical of the output of nearly all of the players and questioned the tactics employed by the Habs organization, I specifically mentioned that I am not calling for head coach Michel Therrien’s dismissal. I reminded my readers that he has far surpassed expectations since taking the helm of this team in 2012, although I was not sold on the idea of continuously making changes to the attacking trios and defensive pairings.
In fact, as I’ve always maintained from the beginning of my writing career, it’s of my opinion that players should be given the opportunity and the time necessary to build upon and/or improve their chemistry with their line mates. Evidently, Therrien’s coaching style requires him to move players around in the lineup in order to light a fire under them. At this point in time, it’s on the players to throw their coach a bone and perform up to the professional standards that are expected of them. Sadly, and as we’ve all seen, this is not the case.

A few questions arise when a team struggles as badly as the current edition of the Canadiens is, and one of them is surrounding the leadership. Lately, the captaincy that was awarded to leading goal-scorer Max Pacioretty during the offseason has been grossly criticized, and I believe that this is highly unjust. He has not completed half a season while wearing the “C” on his jersey, and already experts and talk show hosts are pointing fingers at him. They’re calling him out for his reaction to the team’s loss against the Los Angeles Kings in which he dropped an F-bomb while being interviewed, and do not think he was ready or deserved to be named captain.

In their defense, and as some of you may recall, my candidate of choice was Brendan Gallagher. While he might not necessarily be as well-spoken as Pacioretty, he has evidenced his leadership and character in how he performs on the ice shift after shift. His presence is sorely missed, and slapping the “C” on his chest would’ve changed absolutely nothing in terms of the pressure that he has on his shoulders. When a player with his demeanor doesn’t score for a couple of games, we let it slide because we know that he’ll pick it back up in time and because his non-stop work ethic is an example for all to follow.

I’m not saying he should be captain nor that Pacioretty should be stripped of his duty. I want to make that clear.

What I’m saying is that critics need to slow their roll when it comes to #67. He’s not the only one struggling to provide offense, and the atmosphere in the dressing room is clearly tense due to a lack of global self-confidence. Being captain of the Montreal Canadiens, the most storied franchise in the NHL, comes with great responsibility. I’m sure someone sat him down and told him that behaving the way he did last week does not reflect the values of the Habs organization.

In short, neither Michel Therrien nor Max Pacioretty deserve the negative criticism they’ve been receiving. Therrien is here for at least another four years, and you can expect Pacioretty to be signed on a long-term contract with a pay increase soon enough.

I would tell you all to be careful on the roads out there, but on this 2015 Christmas Eve, there isn’t a single snowflake on the ground.

With my warmest and sincerest wishes to the entire Hockeybuzz community, happy holidays to you all!

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