Dominique Ducharme. Interim head coach of the Habs thread

[1909]

WTF?

5-regulars are missing from the lineup on almost every given night (33% of the regular lineup) - including speed quotient (Tatar, Drouin, Byron) and energy (Gallagher)

25%

 

[Captain Mountain]

There will always be injuries. You can't assume "when everyone is healthy."

That's fine, its still not the same thing. We're not talking about when Desharnais got to play with two of the best Habs wingers of the last 15 years consistently.

Desharnais isn't analogous to Danault, later career Plekanec is more comparable.

 

[salbutera]

25%

Thanks

 

[HalfFull]

We’re all quick to judge the coach and his line changes but what we fail to recognize is that stability of our team’s roster players. With all the injuries/cap restriction Ducharme has his hands tied.

You can’t make apple juice when given a lemon.

 

[Runner77]

Claude is a better coach, but I already knew this.

I maintain my position that coaching seldom matters, only when you have a shitty one that can potentially cost you games/development etc. DD is one of the worst coaches I’ve seen coach the habs in my lifetime. CJ had his pets like every coach, but this guy f***s up every line combo. His system is a complete mess. I wouldn’t fire him mid-season, but when MB is fired in the off-season I hope DD goes with him.

Is it still a “system” when we can’t figure out what lines Dom is throwing out there, game over game?

 

[Habit11]

If we are to put KK on the wing, I'd go all in

KK Suzuki Caufield

The lets be young and fun line.

Ducharme : T'es pas game !

Pair that with the

Perry Staal Frolik

The lets be old and cold line.

Toffoli Suzuki Anderson
xxxxx KK Caufield

Romanov with Weber or Petry on the top pair.

That's all I want to see for the remainder of the season. Anything else is futile short and long term as they've been among the worst teams in the league for the last month or more not doing this. What they've done lineup and deployment wise hasn't worked and won't all of a sudden work. Put the team in the hands of the younger players and go.

 

[Runner77]

When you change coaches in a year that doesn't allow for practices because of the condensed schedule... that is a really smart move too.

Or maybe, when you change your experienced NHL coach for a rookie, the GM can play puppeteer and we get more toxic fallout.

 

[phillytennis]

Fans get upset when lines are not changed and get upset when they are. LOL

Caufield hasn't impressed a whole lot. Caufield with Lehks and Evans may not be that bad. And the lines in a blender can't be much worse than what has been out there lately. Can't fault the coach for at least trying.

Caufield is a finisher...we need a centreman who will feed him the puck.... like Trottier feeding Bossy in the slaught.... Gretzky feeding Kurri...Backstrom feeding Ovekshin...

 

[TannedBum]

Bossy, Kurri, Caufield, Ovechkin. Which one doesn't belong ?

 

[70Stang]

There is no way that DD is back as coach next year. He is out of his element. Not sure who the new guy/gal will be to coach the habs next.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

Is it still a “system” when we can’t figure out what lines Dom is throwing out there, game over game?

Haha, good point. The changes look semi positive the first handful of games, but now that the hangover is over we look like a complete shit show.

 

[Vachon23]

Bossy, Kurri, Caufield, Ovechkin. Which one doesn't belong ?

Armia

 

[Canadiens Ghost]

Bossy, Kurri, Caufield, Ovechkin. Which one doesn't belong ?

Caufield. He'll be a tier above.

 

[swimmer77]

what is this, boy scouts? "Do your best"?

Come on... this is the pro game. You don't get brownie points or credit, as a coach, manager or player, for just "trying".

What he's trying has not worked. I would 100% agree that he was put in a very difficult situation to begin with, and can also acknowledge that the injury run of late makes it even worse.... AND... he's not helping things by the way he managing his lines nor many of the in-game adjustments or lack thereof.

Pretty disappointing audition, not seeing much that would warrant full time promotion even with the external factors considered.

LEHKY SCORED! EVANS WAS GREAT! CAUFIELD BEST GAME!

 

[CHfan1]

The Habs are 15-15-5 since Ducharme has taken over. They have scored 89 goals and have 104 against. Keeping up the Habs tradition under Bergevin (and the last 25 years) of being mediocre.

 

[sandviper]

Is it still a “system” when we can’t figure out what lines Dom is throwing out there, game over game?

Let's just look at the regulars who have been there rather consistently through these injuries:

Danault, KK, Toffoli, Anderson, Suzuki, Armia, Lehkonen, Evans, Staal and Perry

Rather than just blending lines night after night, especially when guys will come back, just freaking pair them up so they can develop chemistry:

Caufield - Suzuki - Anderson
Lehkonen - KK - Toffoli
Armia - Danault - Perry
Staal - Evans - Frolik

The ones in bold are the ones you always keep together. I know these aren't perfect.... Put 62-15-40 together for all I care. What I'm getting at is keep it consistent. A few games ago, Caufield had a good game with Suzuki, so next game DD breaks them up. IIRC, Habs won the game 22 and 14 were together.

Once players start returning, you can re-insert them without disrupting line chemistry as much.

 

[Habs]

We’re all quick to judge the coach and his line changes but what we fail to recognize is that stability of our team’s roster players. With all the injuries/cap restriction Ducharme has his hands tied.

You can’t make apple juice when given a lemon.

True, and I agree a lack of talent is hurting right now.... but why didn't he call a timeout after the 2nd f***ing goal, and you know.. talk to them? He's a complete f***ing idiot, that is why. No balls, can't show the boys who the boss is, and should go back to jr hockey where he can yell at kids. If he at least tries to calm the kid in the net down with a timeout, its a different game. But nope, he just lets the kid stay in there like an idot, facing the wrath of a team that has no idea how to play in their own end.

 

[Miller Time]

contrast his struggles here with Granato's success in Buffalo... while the situation for DD wasn't great, and the team has dealt with injuries and a brutal schedule, overall we're not seeing any strong positive signs from his impact on the team... that doesn't bode well for him getting the full time gig, or getting a HC shot elsewhere in the near future.

i don't doubt that MB has played a negative role in this and limited DD's options, but once he took over, he either had to accept that meddling or be willing to go against his boss as needed to do what he felt was right if he was going to out his stamp on the team.

gives the appearance of a lame duck, not a good look for a guy trying to earn his first HC gig

 

[swimmer77]

I can only conjecture Ducharme is using a blender because there simply is no practice time. In the back of his mind maybe he's looking at what some lines may look like once others return to the lineup. I'm not sure how you can possibly evaluate his coaching ability when he's had a pile of injuries and a COVID schedule to work with. IDK -just a theory.

 

[Deebs]

Let's just look at the regulars who have been there rather consistently through these injuries:

Danault, KK, Toffoli, Anderson, Suzuki, Armia, Lehkonen, Evans, Staal and Perry

Rather than just blending lines night after night, especially when guys will come back, just freaking pair them up so they can develop chemistry:

Caufield - Suzuki - Anderson
Lehkonen - KK - Toffoli
Armia - Danault - Perry
Staal - Evans - Frolik

The ones in bold are the ones you always keep together. I know these aren't perfect.... Put 62-15-40 together for all I care. What I'm getting at is keep it consistent. A few games ago, Caufield had a good game with Suzuki, so next game DD breaks them up. IIRC, Habs won the game 22 and 14 were together.

Once players start returning, you can re-insert them without disrupting line chemistry as much.

Suzy and Tofu seem like the only duo that has had chemistry over the past couple weeks, not sure we should split them up.

 

[yianik]

Bossy, Kurri, Caufield, Ovechkin. Which one doesn't belong ?

Baby Bossy, Baby Kurri, Baby Ovechkin, Baby Caufield

See, I fixed it

 

[WeThreeKings]

He's sucked and I'll never let a junior coach dupe me again.

 

[Miller Time]

I can only conjecture Ducharme is using a blender because there simply is no practice time. In the back of his mind maybe he's looking at what some lines may look like once others return to the lineup. I'm not sure how you can possibly evaluate his coaching ability when he's had a pile of injuries and a COVID schedule to work with. IDK -just a theory.

i'd argue that a coache's ability is best observed when things are tough/going poorly... while the results may suffer if the obstacles are too great, the performance of the team (compete-level, confidence, chemistry et.) can still be there.

habs haven't been performing or competing well for weeks, and he's gotta own a lot of that.

 

[CristianoRonaldo]

This guy just ruined his future NHL career. He won't get a job as a HC anytime soon.

 

[SpeedyPotato]

He's sucked and I'll never let a junior coach dupe me again.

Huge disappointment, immense!! I thought that guy knew what he was doing, I've never hated a coach more, I'm not even being dramatic, the team is boring and sucks since he's taken over, I want him out yesterday. He'll have the playoffs to change our minds I guess.