Questions about Jacques Lemaire tenure as Canadiens head coach

[Normand Lacombe]

I'm curious about Lemaire's short tenure as Montreal's coach. Did his teams play the trap like he deployed later in New Jersey and Minnesota? Or was it a different variation? In Lemaire's only full season as coach in 1984-85, the Canadiens ranked 4th in goals against, while being 10th in goals for, which indicates that Montreal was a defense first team.

And I have been searching for an answer to this question, but can't find the answer. Was Lemaire forced out as Montreal's coach? If so, was it because of the Quebec playoff loss and the fallout, if any, from Lafleur's retirement? Lemaire became a special assistant to Serge Savard in the front office when Jean Perron was named head coach. Or was it Lemaire's decision to step down?

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[Canadiens1958]

I'm curious about Lemaire's short tenure as Montreal's coach. Did his teams play the trap like he deployed later in New Jersey and Minnesota? Or was it a different variation? In Lemaire's only full season as coach in 1984-85, the Canadiens ranked 4th in goals against, while being 10th in goals for, which indicates that Montreal was a defense first team.

And I have been searching for an answer to this question, but can't find the answer. Was Lemaire forced out as Montreal's coach? If so, was it because of the Quebec playoff loss and the fallout, if any, from Lafleur's retirement? Lemaire became a special assistant to Serge Savard in the front office when Jean Perron was named head coach. Or was it Lemaire's decision to step down?

Lemaire played the traditional Canations version of the trap dating back to Toe Blake in 1955 and adapted thru Bowman's tenure, tweaked to his team's strengths and weaknesses.

New Jersey / Wild trap was the neutral zone or simplified version.

Basically Lemaire left, having no interest dealing with the Montreal media circus.

 

[barbu]

The consensus was that he did very well considering the roster he had.

He just couldn't stand the medias.

 

[Marc the Habs Fan]

Yep. The media was a big factor, he hated having to justify and explain every decision.

A Habs history book I have claims he also apparently hated the stress that came with the job, the fact you can't ever relax, always got to prepare for the next team on your schedule. Also hated being the public face of the team (which was never the case as a player) and he loathed not having any kind of space in his private life as a result.

 

[Normand Lacombe]

Yep. The media was a big factor, he hated having to justify and explain every decision.

A Habs history book I have claims he also apparently hated the stress that came with the job, the fact you can't ever relax, always got to prepare for the next team on your schedule. Also hated being the public face of the team (which was never the case as a player) and he loathed not having any kind of space in his private life as a result.

I don't doubt that Lemaire and his successors as Habs head coaches were constantly under the microscope from the media and fans. But doesn't the bolded apply to every coach in the NHL? And, since I am a history buff, what is the title of that book?

 

[Nerowoy nora tolad]

Lemaire played the traditional Canations version of the trap dating back to Toe Blake in 1955 and adapted thru Bowman's tenure, tweaked to his team's strengths and weaknesses.

New Jersey / Wild trap was the neutral zone or simplified version.

Could you elaborate on this, specifically the differences between what Bowman ran with the 70s Canadiens, and what Lemaires later teams did?

 

[Canadiens1958]

Could you elaborate on this, specifically the differences between what Bowman ran with the 70s Canadiens, and what Lemaires later teams did?

Neutral zone trap combined with the Red Line offside mades it very difficult for the opposition transitioning onto the attack to get thru the neutral zone. It was passive, not requiring speed or strong transition defencemen for the defensive team to execute. The Red Line offside slowed exit speed from the defensive zone in the transition. Effectively the trapping team was provided with an extra man(the Red Line) in the neutral zone. Since the transitioning team had to keep one or two skaters in the defensive zone, there was always a significant mismatch in numbers favouring the trapping team.

1955 thru 1979 Canadiens' trap was based on speed and spacing all over the ice. They had a surplus of speed especially at center and upwards of three excellent transition defencemen so they could tilt the ice while using the Red Line.

 

[ahmedou]

I'm curious about Lemaire's short tenure as Montreal's coach. Did his teams play the trap like he deployed later in New Jersey and Minnesota? Or was it a different variation? In Lemaire's only full season as coach in 1984-85, the Canadiens ranked 4th in goals against, while being 10th in goals for, which indicates that Montreal was a defense first team.

And I have been searching for an answer to this question, but can't find the answer. Was Lemaire forced out as Montreal's coach? If so, was it because of the Quebec playoff loss and the fallout, if any, from Lafleur's retirement? Lemaire became a special assistant to Serge Savard in the front office when Jean Perron was named head coach. Or was it Lemaire's decision to step down?

Lemaire looked for a relaxed job. He forced out himself. Nobody forced out him. It was a different conservative style. Than his famous style. Like elsewhere as a coach in the NHL.