The speeches of different players seem constant, and despite themselves, they can't help but draw parallels between the pre-Martin St-Louis and now.
The most telling example is that of Jeff Petry, who provoked many reactions, because he went too far, but even a player like Nick Suzuki says a lot, without really wanting it.
Yesterday, during the post-game press conference after the loss to the Buffalo Sabres, Canadiens star forward Nick Suzuki said:
«The arrival of St-Louis brings another approach and solutions that give us hope... Before, we had trouble motivating ourselves and recovering from bad bounces or bad goals." - Nick Suzuki
He then adds:
«We try to break old habits. We work harder and we play better. - Nick Suzuki
Asked about the bad old habits in question, the forward did not want to go too deep, but he spoke of better positioning, in particular.
Obviously, Ducharme is not pointed directly here, and obviously, Suzuki has no bad intentions, but that still says a lot. The players talk a lot about the "before", the pre-Martin St-Louis.
The fact remains that Ducharme was an excellent coach, but it seems to prove that the team really needed a change of scenery, and that the change of head coach had become necessary. (to break bad habits and provide solutions)
To view the full press conference:
Source: Fanadiens.com