The Montreal Canadiens hired Derek Lalonde this offseason for a reason, and it's already paying off.
At the golf tournament last week, new Montreal Canadiens associate coach Derek Lalonde explained that his role would be focused on the team’s penalty kill and defensive structure, two areas in which the Habs definitely need to improve. Last season, their penalty kill was 18th in the league, with a 78.2% success rate in the regular season and 78.1% in the playoffs. The year before, they were at 76.9% in the playoffs and 80.9% in the regular season. That drop was worrying, and it’s hardly surprising that Kent Hughes and co. decided to take steps to address that by hiring Lalonde.
On Sunday, in Brossard, Phillip Danault spoke to the media about the new associate coach:
You can see the details from the start, the little things, and he explains the steps we have to take on the ice well; he’s a really good addition for us. I imagine Gorts [Jeff Gorton] and Kent [Hughes] did their homework as well, and in their search, they came across Newsy [Lalonde]. When he arrived in Tampa Bay, he changed their PK’s whole philosophy, and they ended up top of the league in that department. They went from 30th to first, so it’s easy to see the small details he brings and the difference they make.
In fact, the season before Lalonde’s arrival, the Tampa Bay Lightning ranked 28th on the penalty kill with a 76.1% success rate. The following season, they were indeed top of the class, as three teams had an 85% success rate in the regular season, including the Bolts. Given how important special teams are in the playoffs, especially for a team that aspires to win a Stanley Cup.
Speaking about what Lalonde changed in the Habs PK and the fact that they had plenty of opportunities to practice it last Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, Danault explained:
It was good; we have a new system, and it was natural to get some cohesion. I was with Andy, so we must get to know each other in that new system. It was good, and it was coming naturally to us; there were no gray areas. I imagine teams will adapt. It’s a bit more work for the forwards, but overall, it was good.
As for the Canadiens’ struggle on the defensive side of the puck and the fact that they have allowed a lot of goals last season, the veteran ventured an explanation:
I’d say it’s our DNA, it’s not something that you can… I mean, look at Carolina- the details, the stick battles. They’re not the biggest team, but they win all their battles; whether it’s in the defensive, neutral or offensive zone, they’re always in your face. That’s the kind of detail we’re talking about.
So far this preseason, the Canadiens have allowed 3 goals when they were short a man in 14 opportunities, for a 78.6% success rate, which puts them 23rd in the league. The success rate is already an improvement on last year’s numbers, even though the Habs haven’t been playing with their full NHL roster yet. One can suppose that when they do, the numbers will improve.
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