Julien: A year behind the bench

WESTMINSTER -- On the eve of his one-year anniversary behind the Canadiens bench, Claude Julien remains focused on the future -- beginning with Wednesday's game in Colorado.

"I haven't really taken a look back yet [at my first year back in Montreal]," admitted Julien, who returned to helm the Canadiens for a second time on February 14, 2017. "I'm more concerned right now with turning our good performances into wins."
In terms of good performances, the Canadiens are 2-2-1 so far in February, and are coming off an exciting shootout decision to the Predators most recently on Saturday, earning a point against Nashville courtesy of a late goal from Jonathan Drouin.
They've also scored six power play goals in the last five games, and have seen positive contributions from the likes of Nikita Scherbak since the latter was called up from the AHL's Laval Rocket on Feb. 2.
Indeed, the Canadiens coach has plenty to build on in the present, but beyond a Valentine's Day date with the Avalanche, Julien also insists he has a longer-term plan in place.
"All I can say, in terms of this year especially, is that we wanted to give some younger guys a chance to integrate themselves into the team, which we've done," explained the Habs bench boss, whose current roster counts seven players below the age of 25. "Obviously there are always going to be some growing pains along the way, but what I see at the moment are young players who are moving in the right direction.

Whether it's Scherbak, [Charles] Hudon, or [Victor] Mete -- I could name plenty of young players who keep improving," continued Julien. "Even [Artturi] Lehkonen, since coming back from injury, has shown us what he can bring. We obviously have some things to work on along the way, but what I like about this year is that a lot of players have improved since the start of the season, and that figures well for the future."
One young player in particular who has been a hot topic of discussion during Julien's tenure notably counts himself among that group of ameliorated Habs.
And while the debate whether Alex Galchenyuk belongs at center or on the wing will likely continue, Julien for his part likes what he sees from the 24-year-old overall.
"It's obvious to me that he's become a much better player today than from the day I arrived," underlined the 57-year-old. "He skates better, and is confident with the puck. He's still young and continues to work on the parts of his game that he needs to improve. He has a good attitude and wants to get better. I have nothing bad to say about Alex. He's someone who wants success for himself, but wants it even more so for the team."

It turns out Julien and Galchenyuk share that quality in common, because even after 15 years in the NHL, with a Stanley Cup and Olympic gold medal to his name, the veteran coach continues to look for ways to improve.
"It's not the first time I've said this, but I've always believed that I can continue getting better every year. I've never been satisfied with my coaching, and it's during the hard times that you can improve yourself most," explained Julien, as the Habs currently sit 10 points out of a playoff spot with 27 games left to play. "Those are the moments when you have to make the tough decisions. You have to stay positive and work even harder to help your team win."
Which is why a win on Wednesday would be the anniversary gift Julien would love most.
"We haven't closed the book on this season. Right now we're taking things game by game. Things might become more clear on February 26, and we might have some decisions to make then, but as of right now we'll continue to manage our team to give ourselves a chance to win every night."