Kirk Muller expects Claude Julien to be watching Canadiens on TV

"I wouldn’t be surprised to get a text from him or a phone call between periods," Muller says about coach recovering from heart surgery.

Stu Cowan • Montreal Gazette

Aug 14, 2020 • August 14, 2020 • 3 minute read

Montreal Canadiens head coach Claude Julien, centre, flanked by assistant coaches Kirk Muller, left, and Domenic Ducharme, right, keep an eye on practice as support staff wearing protective equipment look on as they hold their first team practice on July 13, 2020, in Brossard. Photo by Ryan Remiorz /The Canadian Press

TORONTO — Kirk Muller said he wouldn’t be surprised if Claude Julien called or texted him between periods of Game 2 between the Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers Friday afternoon at the Scotiabank Arena.

That’s very good news.

Julien, the Canadiens’ head coach, was taken to hospital by ambulance late Wednesday night following his team’s 2-1 loss to the Flyers in Game 1 of their first-round best-of-severn playoff series. On Thursday afternoon, the 60-year-old had surgery for the stenting of a coronary artery at Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital. Julien was expected to return home to Montreal on Friday and doctors expect a full recovery.

Muller, the Canadiens’ associate coach, takes over the head-coaching duties during Julien’s absence.

When asked during a video conference Friday morning if he thought Julien would be watching Game 2 on TV, Muller said with a chuckle: “Oh, yeah. I’m sure if he can, for sure. I wouldn’t be surprised to get a text from him or a phone call between periods, even. Listen, from the tone of his voice last night he seemed good and I think he’s probably going to have enough energy today to, obviously, focus in.”

Muller spoke with Julien on the phone Thursday night and he said most of the conversation was about hockey.

“He’s fired up,” Muller said. “A lot of fun things going on right now, so if he’s physically able to you know that he’ll be tuning in today’s game.”

When asked if he might make any changes to the Canadiens’ lineup, Muller said: “You know what, we’re in the playoffs and we’re here to win. I think, first off, we’re really focusing on what we do well as a team, X and Os wise. I said before, before we came to Toronto, I thought we did our work in the summer in Montreal, working at practices before we got here as far as preparing the team. You always have to make adjustments when you’re playing the same team in a playoff round and we had to do a little bit of that during Game 1 and I’m sure we’ll have to do it in-house during Game 2.

“As far as personnel, that’s my job … that’s my job is to put the best 20 guys on the ice, no matter who it is, what’s your name. My job is to get this team to win. So I have to make those moves and those adjustments and I’ll work with my staff to make those calls.”

Muller will be helped behind the bench by assistant coaches Dominique Ducharme and Luke Richardson.

“We’re going to try and keep it as consistent as we can so it’s not much changes for the players,” Muller said. “We’re right in the playoffs here, so it’s not like starting the season up or anything. So same thing. Luke’s doing a great job running the D, he’ll continue to work on the PK. Dom and I will work together. I’ll be doing, obviously, the decisions during the game five-on-five and I’ll talk to Dom a lot about scenarios that happen. So he’ll give me information on faceoffs, who’s doing well, who’s not. Nothing that’s any different in terms of when Claude’s there.

“So, again, we want to keep it as consistent for the players as we can. Keep the roles the same and because we’ve been working together collectively for a while and Claude does a great job delegating to us different things, I don’t see much of a change that way.”

scowan@postmedia.com

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