Really Habs fans trust me on this, I am not trying to be controversial. So before you send me an angry response (and I am expecting a lot of them) or tweets please just read what I have to say and then you can give me your respectful two cents. Michel Therrien is a good coach. Yes I said it and he does have his supporters even if they are few and far between.

For a lot of Habs fans MT did not stand a chance. When he was introduced as head coach on June 5, 2012 it was received quite negatively by a large pocket of Habs fans. They remembered MT as the fiery, sometimes unstable and unproven 37 year old coach. Habs fans were right back then, but it was more a case of MT not being ready (thanks André Savard) for the job than anything else. Fast forward 15 years later and here are the top 3 reasons Michel Therrien is a good coach.

1) Marc Bergevin

If MT is the most hated member of the Habs management team, then MB is probably the most liked (he has received some recent backlash for not acquiring a top 6 forward) but most Habs fans believe he is doing a good job. He has also earned respect around the league as being one of the GMs that others listen to for guidance and was recently added to Canada’s management team for the World Cup of hockey. So why would this guy, who is widely respected, hire and stick with a bad coach? It’s quite simple. He would not. If MB thinks MT is a good coach (and he clearly does), then that speaks volumes on its own.

2) His record

Does MT like players who are defensively responsible? Of course, all coaches do. Does MT hate scoring? Of course not. A good coach, coaches to the strengths of his team and right now the strengths of the Habs are goaltending and keeping the puck out of the net. If anyone thinks MT would not like to add some more scoring, they are fooling themselves. Because of this, his system is defensive and there are many 2-1 games. The Habs, as they are built now, are simply not a team that can open it up and be successful. That being said the key to all sports, especially in coaching, is you are judged by wins and losses. As we all remember in the last season before MT, the Habs drafted Alex Galchenyuk with the 3rd overall pick. The reason they were able to do that is because they finished with the 3rd worst record in the league. Enter MT and since then the Habs have put up 107pts (pro-rated), 100pts and 110pts in his three seasons as coach. They have also played in 6 post season series during the last three years. Argue what you want MT haters, but he has put together three solid seasons in a row. The numbers don’t lie.

3) Accountability and Hard Work

When the NHL went to the salary cap system, the league was hoping and got parity. 30 teams that could spend equal money and thus create and even playing field. On any given night, any team can beat any team. What’s my point? What really separates great teams from good teams is having players accountable for their play each game. The teams that work harder on a any given night is usually the team that wins. You can say what you want about MT, but he holds his players accountable and the Habs over the last three seasons have been a hard working team. The team also has one of the tightest locker rooms in the league. Two of the few players that have called MT out were Rene Bourque and PA Parenteau and if you look in the dictionary under “players who don’t give it there all” those two would be at the top of the page. The reason they don’t like MT is simple, he expected them to give 100% each time they were out there.

Conclusion

Is MT a Scotty Bowman or Toe Blake? Certainly not. But he is also not a Mario Tremblay or Michel Therrien from 2000. Like everyone, life experience has made him better at his job and with three 100-point seasons under his belt, Michel Therrien is a good coach and he is not going anywhere anytime soon. So Habs fans, it is time to get over it, give credit where it is due and get ready for the 2015-2016 season.

Go Habs Go!

Follow me on Twitter @scottobrien99.