Are the Blues players trying to get Monty fired?

[DawgDad]

The contrast between the Oilers game and the Caps is striking and disheartening. It's not a talent issue, it's a motivation (mental) issue. It only takes a player or two to break down to disrupt the whole apple cart Team gets penned in their own zone, opponents get wide open point-blank shots, very little effective checking, passes become too long or untimely and get intercepted, o-zone becomes an erratic scramble to maintain control with no pressure on the net. Also, the players mired in scoring slumps continue to hurt the team. Pretty much everything they did well as connected units Monday broke down, consistently.

It's not like the players can't fix this. We've seen them do it before, and aside from Mailloux the new guys are not the problem.

.

[Harry S Deals]

The contrast between the Oilers game and the Caps is striking and disheartening. It's not a talent issue, it's a motivation (mental) issue. It only takes a player or two to break down to disrupt the whole apple cart Team gets penned in their own zone, opponents get wide open point-blank shots, very little effective checking, passes become too long or untimely and get intercepted, o-zone becomes an erratic scramble to maintain control with no pressure on the net. Also, the players mired in scoring slumps continue to hurt the team. Pretty much everything they did well as connected units Monday broke down, consistently.

It's not like the players can't fix this. We've seen them do it before, and aside from Mailloux the new guys are not the problem.

.

This team seems to not want to play hard consistently either they are overpaid and lazy or they think they can win on skill and finesse, esp last night vs a big, veteran, good defensive team like Caps.
The top 9 of this team esp without Neighbours is pretty soft granted this includes a couple of very young kids who are adapting and an aging Schenn.
The 4th line without Faksa does not have much of an effect also has zero chemistry, pretty much same can be said throughout the line up.
They play like a bunch of players who were thrown together in a hat and lines shaken out randomly.
Idk i am always optimistic but this looks bad, like a really bad team and on several fronts. its not just goaltending, its not one bad line its not the 6th or 7th dman its just a bad mix perhaps.

[SameOldBlues]

I think Monty’s trying to get Monty fired.

[93]

Good thing for Monty that he signed that long deal where I think he's safe and should be imo!

This team last season had an identity from the 4th line.. The hitting and work ethic and relentless effort and played in all sorts of situations.. That line would pull the other lines and guys into the fight just from their play. This season just seems like they are going through the motions.

[callitwhatyouwant]

how is this being blamed on Monty? He has done nothing but win his entire career. What has this group of players had in common the last 3 years? They have had bad starts and gotten a coach fired. Army already said it last year, it aint the coaches fault if this continues.

Schenn's not going to have knuckles in a few weeks if he has to keep fighting. If you ask me, this is on the backs of Kyrou/Buchy/Hollywood (tho at least hollywood is skating hard every night)

You can tell in the first 2 shifts if Kyrou is going to play hard. It's actually disgusting how easy it is.

[Pierre McGuire]

Monty is not getting fired nor should he. Some player movement is coming though

[carl racki]

I think Monty’s trying to get Monty fired.

More truth here than you realize.

[SameOldBlues]

I think Monty’s trying to get Monty fired.

More truth here than you realize.

I only said it half tongue in cheek too. He seems disinterested, distracted or something to some degree, in my opinion.

Id still like to know if there’s more to the story as to how he coached the Bruins to a record setting season, then a huge collapse the next year with the same players. Im rooting for him bigtime, but I wont put my head in the sand and pretend he’s doing a fantastic job either.

[MiamiLaw]

I think Monty’s trying to get Monty fired.

More truth here than you realize.

Do you have some kind of inside information? Because that is what your post seems to imply...

[BluesDom]

There is no option to fire the coach. Hes here. Hes getting paid. New answers will emerge. Firing coach isnt an option.
Once Buch, Kyrou and Holloway wake up--we will be just fine.
Love Holloway with Schenn And Suter.

Get these guys going--return Jake--and we will roll.
Alos--figure out how to fix Tucker Kessel or Mailloux

[BalotelliMassive]

Firing Montgomery isn't an option because Armstrong gave him a lengthy contract for whatever reason...

[callitwhatyouwant]

I think Monty’s trying to get Monty fired.

More truth here than you realize.

I only said it half tongue in cheek too. He seems disinterested, distracted or something to some degree, in my opinion.

Id still like to know if there’s more to the story as to how he coached the Bruins to a record setting season, then a huge collapse the next year with the same players. Im rooting for him bigtime, but I wont put my head in the sand and pretend he’s doing a fantastic job either.

Monty has done nothing but win. Won in Dallas, Won in Boston, helped turn our offense into a dynamo when in STL. Won in STL. Won in Denver. He was fired at 8-9-3 in Boston. Boston thought they had a better team than they did. Maybe they do. They are 9-7 tho, it's not like they are tearing it up.

Monty likes STL, has STL ties and wouldn't have signed a 5 year contract that fast if he didn't want to be here. Most coaches would have just sat out the season. But he wanted the job, so he took it. That alone should tell you enough. He has as much rope as any coach in the league. He got to bench a star player on the team. I think I'm going to trust the guy that has figured it out at every level and stop he's been at. When history shows that this group of Thomas/Kyrou/Schenn/Buchy/CP55/Faulk/Binner whoever else you want to add have done the same thing 3 years in a row, I stop looking at the coaches.

It's clear this is a player issue, and Monty is trying to figure it out in his own way. Last night was a big step in figuring it out. Kyrou while being a star level goal scorer. Is an enigma. He is scoring goals this year at a career low, and decided to not show up for a week of games when things got hard. His old issue was that he would not show up back to back games more often than any player in his caliber does by almost double. I made a very long post about this where I pulled back to back games for a full season and how many times about 10 players of his pay scale and under put up 0's. Kyrou was far and away the highest guy to put up 0-0 back to back games and he would have runs of 3 or 4 of those. Kyrou pops off in individual games. What does that tell you? He plays well when he feels good. When things aren't going well, he just calls it a day. He's not willing to compete or battle like the Schenns and Vitale's keep saying.

The real question is if it's an isolated problem unique to him, or are there 3-4 guys doing it too. If that's the case, the team is doomed long term.