Habs go Back to the Future

With the hiring of Michel Therrien on Tuesday the Montreal Canadiens are going back to the future and bringing back an old head coach to try and turn around their fortunes. Therrien had a .500 record in his seasons with the Habs, one of only three men to coach them and not have a winning record, but with the lack of French speaking candidates the market is slim at best and so he's back. Now he did have success in Pittsburgh guiding them to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2008 when they lost to the Red Wings, but was replaced the next season by Dan Bylsma who lead them to a Stanley Cup victory over those same wings. Therrien is described as a no nonsense coach who demands respects and obedience from his players and can be short with the media. He is a good coach but many Habs fans are uncertain about how far he can bring this team. Mard Crawford was another strong candidate along with Bob Hartley, but Hartley signed in Calgary, catching many by surprise, and Crawford remains looking for an NHL gig. Both of these men won Stanley Cups as the coach of the Colorado Avalanche and this had many in Montreal wishing they could bring in a proven winner. In the end the Habs got their man, or at least one that speaks their language, and now have to live with it. They are a solid young team who had an off year for numerous reasons, but with the core talent that is there and a good coach like Therrien, the Habs should make a serious push for a playoff spot this year. Though in Montreal the bar is not set at simply making the playoffs.