Month: February 2021

On Canadiens: Bergevin sacks Julien to salvage the season and his job

After only eighteen games played this season, the Montreal Canadiens announced this morning that they have fired head coach Claude Julien and his beleaguered powerplay guru, Kirk Muller.

In the hours that have passed, a debate roiling around this decision is whether this is a surprise, and whether the Canadiens have been too reactionary to their latest string of poor results and have been unfair to Julien, who has been the coach for the Canadiens since February 2017.

It is hard to evaluate this decision without the appropriate context. Given the situation that the Canadiens find themselves in, a period in which they have lost six of their last eight games, and have careened down the North Division standings, I cannot say that I am too surprised. In fact, in discussions with other friends that support the Canadiens in recent days, this very situation was discussed. Ultimately, the decision arose from the fact that this slump is not an isolated event, and harkens back to similar happenings that Julien could not resolve a year ago.

This season, the Canadiens started the first ten games of the season 7-1-2, obtaining 16 points and keeping pace with the Toronto Maple Leafs for first place in the North Division. During that time, they played a swashbuckling brand of hockey; rolling all four forward lines, receiving balanced scoring (scoring 44 goals in that span) from all parts of the lineup, and completely suffocating their opposition with an aggressive forecheck and pace through the neutral zone.

The Canadiens have played with this pulsating, high tempo system on and off since the start of the 2018/19 season, and I wrote a post to share my excitement for how the team may finally sustain this physically taxing style over the shortened 56 game schedule.

As is often the case, the first ten games provided us with only a limited sample of what the Canadiens could accomplish. In those ten games in particular, the problem is that the Canadiens played the Vancouver Canucks five times.

The Canucks were unable to matchup against the Canadiens, and in many of those games, were completely overwhelmed, unable to deal with the Habs’ forechecking pressure. The Canadiens went 4-0-1 and outscored the Canucks 28-15. Through the sheer mental attrition of facing the same opponent so frequently in a short period of time, the Canucks were clearly worn out and demoralized.

The grandiosity that came from beating up the Canucks in such a manner, came to a crashing halt over the subsequent eight games, as the Canadiens have gone 2-4-2 (6 points), a span that has seen them lose three times to the lowly Ottawa Senators. Most concerning of all is that the Canadiens dominant style of play, where they play with pace, balance, an aggressive forecheck, and on the front foot has given way to a more reactive, less aggressive (shooting more from the point) and more mistake prone game (2nd most penalized team in the league), that has been compounded by subpar special teams (20th ranked powerplay, 22nd ranked penalty kill) and below average goaltending from Carey Price.

In the end, Marc Bergevin was forced into making this decision today. Bergevin has been at the helm of the Canadiens since the end of the 2012 season, and during that span, has made the playoffs outright only four times. If the Canadiens miss the playoffs this season, it will represent four straight season that the team has failed to meet this minimum expectation (NOTE: last season’s bubble playoff is hard to count as a playoff appearance, considering the Canadiens were considerably behind the 8th seed in the East when the season was suspended). Although Bergevin has earned plaudits for his trades over the last few seasons, this abject record is a difficult one to justify, especially in a market that was once accustomed to winning and celebrates how high the standards are.

Given the overall level of mediocrity, it is conceivable that if the Canadiens miss the playoffs this season, that Geoff Molson will finally fire Bergevin in the end (of note, Bergevin is signed until the summer of 2022).

Since the disastrous season of 2017-18, Bergevin has led the Canadiens down a great “reset,” restocking the club with young players and draft picks, and the Canadiens once again have the highest number of draft picks of any team, in the upcoming 2021 NHL Draft. Yet, while restocking his cupboard has been a priority, Bergevin is also in the precarious position of having to “win now”, as both Carey Price and Shea Weber, his two highest priced players, are rapidly nearing the end of their peak performance years (though many skeptics contend that both are well past their expiration date already).

After last summer’s performance in the bubble, where the Canadiens defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins to advance to the playoffs, and where they put up a strong six game struggle against the Philadelphia Flyers, Bergevin strengthened a team that looked capable of competing. He added pieces to reinforce the team, in bringing in scorers Josh Anderson and Tyler Toffoli, depth on defense in Joel Edmundson, and a goaltender that could truly give Carey Price some rest, in Jake Allen. It was also expected that centres Nick Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkaniemi were ready to build on their strong performances in the bubble.

Reasonably, the expectations for the Canadiens were raised, and many prognosticators projected that the team would compete with the Maple Leafs for the top spot in the North Division. It all started well enough, the pomposity was in full force, but that has all but since deflated over the last three weeks.

Bergevin’s decision to fire Julien needs to be understood in the context of what happened last season. After barely missing out on the playoffs in the final weekend of the regular season in 2019, the Canadiens started the 2019-20 season reasonably well, posting a record of 11-5-3 in their first 19 games. On the night of their 19th game however, they lost both Jonathan Drouin and Paul Byron to long term injuries, and the Canadiens promptly lost their next eight games in succession.

The team would lose eight games in a row for a second time, in a period just after Christmas, and it derailed any aspirations that the team would make the playoffs. Of note, the team lost all four games last season to the worst team in the league, the Detroit Red Wings.

Those eight game stretches were difficult, and it seemed that the team played well in parts, but not well enough. Aside from replacing injured players in the lineup, Julien made very little changes, and was unable to conjure a response in any manner that could have salvaged the season. The play became static, bereft of the speed and control that marked the team’s high point, and the special teams continued to lag. By the time he did, the Canadiens were lapped by their rivals in the Atlantic Division, and could never recover.

Fast forward to this season, and the same “negative energy” (as labelled by captain Shea Weber) and lack of response has been spiraling around the Canadiens. Last night, with the Canadiens having lost five of their last seven games, and needing a more urgent performance against an objectively inferior and inexperienced opponent, found themselves dominated by the Ottawa Senators for the first 15 minutes, and trailing 2-0 (before Shea Weber scored in the 16th minute).

It was in sports’ parlance a “statement game,” and after being outshot 19-9 in the second period, to their credit, the Canadiens responded in the third, outshooting the Sens 12-4, and ending regulation with a 4-4 tie.

Ultimately the Canadiens controversially lost (a last second winner by Brendan Gallagher was ruled out due to a dubious goaltender interference review), and as they have been passed in the standings by the Oilers and the Jets in recent days, the pressure has been mounting. The system that they surprised and overwhelmed their opponents with is no longer novel, and the trend of taking more shots from the opposition blue line is alarmingly similar to how the Canadiens played during their eight game losing streaks a year ago.

The urgency feels even more intense this season, in a divisional format in which every game feels part of a zero-sum game, and every loss is doubly felt. Given the level of expectation at the start of the season, Bergevin truly felt this was an opportunity to conquer the Canadian division with a deep team, get a place in the NHL’s “final four” and mount a serious challenge for the Stanley Cup. Sitting on his hands any longer would have jeopardized that opportunity.

In the end, it is sad to see Claude Julien leave again (he was fired in 2006 by Bob Gainey, the general manager of the Canadiens at the time). Although over four years with the Canadiens, in this tenure, his teams were mostly mediocre in the standings, they performed well on 5 v 5 metrics, appeared to have some structure, but were sunk by atrocious special teams (26th in the powerplay and 29th on the penalty kill during his time) and the lack of an elite offensive star finisher.

In comes, Dominique Ducharme, a young coach who has been an assistant to Julien for the last two seasons, who has an excellent track record coaching in Canadian major junior hockey (with Halifax and Drummondville) and the Canadian World Junior team. Of course, without NHL head coaching experience, it will be a tall order replace a veteran like Julien, who brought structure to the Canadiens over his four years. Ducharme also inherits the same plagued special teams and struggling Carey Price that finally felled Julien.

If Ducharme can bring the Canadiens out of the struggle that they are currently mired in, he can salvage the season and we can all carry on. If he cannot, then almost assuredly, Marc Bergevin will be joining Claude Julien as another casualty of 2021, for his repeated failures in leading the Canadiens to prominence.

Jaideep Kanungo

An ode to Kristian Jack

The news came across my Twitter feed last night as an absolute shock.

We learned that Bell Media in its typical, corporate rapacious manner eliminated more than 200 jobs yesterday, and that chief among those that were laid off included TSN’s lead soccer analyst, Kristian Jack. Kristian was an integral part of the soccer coverage at TSN over the last eight years, providing insightful analysis of MLS and Premier League matches and being a constant fixture on our screens during the summer tournaments that aired on the network.

Myself and the rest of the Canadian public was first introduced to Kristian in the mid 2000s, when he joined The Score, a network that ultimately turned into an indie-like creative hub for Canadian sports media. As his on screen duties increased, Kristian provided sterling soccer analysis with the always affable and jovial host, James Sharman. His rise in that role represented a coming of age moment for Canadian soccer coverage.

Until then, for the extremely avid fan, we were too frequently forced to locate a dodgy stream from the nether regions of the internet to watch every match, and relied on various European podcasts to provide the analysis that we craved (Football Ramble and The Guardian: Football Weekly, chief amongst them). Finally with Kristian and James, the sport was made accessible for the masses, with multiple games on television every week from the various European leagues, and Canadian based commentary that was smart, funny and relatable. It was an enjoyable and formative experience to watch the matches at local pubs (who did not require an expensive cable package or foreign satellite service) and then collectively listen to Canadians (though both Kristian and James are Brits, they in essence identify as Canadian) who provided such keen analysis.

Eventually, James and Kristian started their own podcast, and along with Brendan Dunlop and producer Thomas Dobby, they participated in a reverential weekly podcast entitled The Footy Show. Much like other football podcasts around at the time, the show based its discussions around matches that were played in the previous weekend, and about what to look forward to in the week ahead. However, the program eventually became more than that. For many, the banter, the quips, the lingo, all helped to establish and foster a football culture in this country. Perhaps its greatest legacy is that it contributed to making us “football literate,” and a step closer to the obsessed fans in other parts of the world, that we aspired to emulate.

Though The Footy Show did not exist in the mainstream of Canadian sports media, it created a shared community, language and love of the game for those that took the time to listen.

In particular, it was Kristian’s knowledge of the game that shone through the course of the program. While the other contributors were knowledgeable, passionate and provided their own brand of smart and acerbic humour, Kristian brought the show a particular gravitas and depth that allowed the podcast to be enjoyed by even the most sophisticated and discerning football fan. He was clearly a student of the game, spoke authoritatively about its history and introduced Canadian listeners to some of the brightest minds around the game. The podcast had esteemed guests, such as the excellent Nicky Bandini and Andy Brassell, and introduced us to outstanding and avant-garde publications like The Blizzard and books like Soccernomics.

Kristian’s depth of knowledge was also exemplified every year when he compiled the Christmas Quiz, an annual review of sorts of the year, which included an exploration of the minutiae and lighter aspects of the sport. He culled information from the heavily marked notebooks that he scrawled facts and stats in over the years (as an aside, this is a practice that yours truly has been inspired to partake in, since Kristian first described his methods many years ago). It truly was a highly anticipated episode every year, and the listener felt like they were immersed in a cozy pub, seated next to the fireplace, as they too attempted the questions put together by the expert quizmaster.

When Kristian moved to TSN, and the other members of The Footy Show moved into new roles in their careers (Sharman as a television host at Sportsnet, Brendan Dunlop as an anchor on Sportsnet Central, and Thomas Dobby as a producer on Tim and Sid) it abruptly marked the end of the podcast. However, Kristian’s move to TSN was the next step in his development as a savvy football pundit, one that could bring his array of talent and expertise to the mainstream.

In the beginning, TSN shared Premier League rights with Sportsnet and aired multiple games each weekend (over its five channels). The Canadian soccer fan truly never had this degree of choice, and all the matches were made to feel highly relevant with Kristian providing tactical analysis at half time and after the games. It came at a time when tactical analysis became a de rigueur aspect of our day to day football experience, especially after the publication of Inverting the Pyramid by Jonathan Wilson in 2008, and the popularization of the Zonal Marking blog by Michael Cox in 2009. Managers and their tactics became more of a talking point than the actions of any individual player, and suddenly, being a “knowledgeable fan” meant having to be an expert on the formations, shape and strategies being employed.

For a Canadian viewer, Kristian Jack absolutely excelled at this. Unlike with Wilson and Cox, who we had to wait until the next day to read, Kristian’s tactical analysis was at half-time or immediately post match. His use of the tactical camera angles, and his concise descriptions helped communicate seemingly complex patterns to the viewer (either casual or football-literate) in a manner that was understandable and made wholly evident. His knowledge and how he communicated it helped encourage a dedicated group of followers to seek an understanding of football at a more detailed level. This made the coverage even more enjoyable, whether it was an early season MLS match or a World Cup semi-final.

The news of Kristian’s layoff was devastating for Canadian soccer fans and it gave the impression that Bell Media (and TSN) had a blithe disregard for the sport and the analyst that continually brought an extra level of quality to the broadcast.

The news is yet another harbinger of dark clouds for soccer coverage from the mainstream media in this country. In recent years, both Rogers and Bell have gutted their soccer divisions (over the last two years, after losing Premier League, Rogers laid off Sharman, Craig Forrest and John Molinaro). These malevolent and monolithic corporations control the mainstream sports media in Canada, and as of right now, neither possess an analyst that can talk about soccer with any degree of authority or expertise.

This comes across as surprising, as soccer has enjoyed a true upturn in popularity over the last decade, as Canada hosted the 2015 Women’s World Cup, Toronto FC rose to become an MLS powerhouse and Alphonso Davies became a worldwide phenom. Additionally, the Canadian Premier League was launched to complement the three MLS clubs, and oh yes, Canada was awarded hosting duties for the 2026 FIFA World Cup (alongside the United States and Mexico, of course).

Yet in spite of these advances, elite football has become less mainstream over the last several years. The Premier League and the Champions League have both moved behind a paywall streaming service, DAZN. While it is nice to have access to every match of these competitions at our fingertips, in the past, when these matches aired on TSN or Sportsnet, should something incredible happen, you could alert your “casual” friends, and tell them to tune in. Now, behind a paywall, the casual fan who may have a passing interest in soccer, is completely shut out. Subsequently, these leagues get little to no coverage on TSN or Sportsnet highlight programs, and have truly been pushed to the fringes for the casual fan.

Furthermore, the sense of local community that was created around these leagues has been eroding. The analysis provided by Kristian and his most recent partner, Steven Caldwell, gave the impression that the matches, although distant and foreign, were still important for a Canadian audience. It helped assuage your feelings of isolation and the sense that your interests were too niche. There is indeed a community of like minded individuals around you that also watched these matches, and enjoyed the commentary.

Having lived previously in Toronto, I experienced this sense of community frequently. The Footy Talks events brought together Canadian football experts, where you could expect a night of terrific banter, incisive football analysis and genuine audience interaction. I always envied the fans in England could gather with the top journalists at similar events, put on by The Guardian or The Totally Football Show, and ask questions and interact in a casual setting. To experience that here in Canada was quite surreal and liberating.

Nowadays, Premier League matches on DAZN provide us with a “world feed” that have a cadre of former players that provide generic, if inoffensive punditry. It also feels anti-septic, cold and foreign. Even worse, there is no half time analysis for the Champions or Europa League matches on the streaming service. While it is true that as paying subscribers we receive unprecedented access to all the matches, the lack of trappings that we were accustomed to previously with Kristian and his colleagues, makes the experience less grand and gratifying.

It remains puzzling that both nefarious and distant telecoms would axe its soccer divisions, in a time where they continue to hold rights to big soccer properties. TSN still has the rights for MLS and the upcoming Euro 2020 tournament. Who do they anticipate will cover these broadcasts, when they have axed all the best people? Why have they invested in these properties, without investing in the people that help make it all matter?

Kristian was a massive credit to the Canadian soccer community. On top of his exceptional broadcasting, he is a true community builder, as he hosts an annual charity tournament, and he remains a true class act on social media. I have no doubt that his knowledge base, passion and sterling reputation will certainly allow him to find work again in another big platform (OneSoccer perhaps?). However, by pushing him out of the mainstream, Bell Media has delivered a destructive blow to the sport and the rising number of fans that Kristian helped inspire.

Jaideep Kanungo