Dominique Ducharme. Interim head coach of the Habs thread

[Just Linda]

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.

In the history of the NHL no team has played more in a 30 day span than the Habs have. That's what happened to his system, the team has no legs to play it. DD's style is hard to play at if you aren't skating hard.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

People on this site are so dense......it is impossible to have an opinion on a coach who has taken over a team in a historically dense schedule with the core of his team injured. No practice time to fully implement a system and no time for players to heal lost confidence.

I am not necessarily defending Ducharme but the hot takes are the musings of mindless Baboons.

 

[Favster]

I just don't unserstand how our coaching staff think Armia is a better option than Caufield on PP1. What are they thinking?

 

[Doc McKenna]

People on this site are so dense......it is impossible to have an opinion on a coach who has taken over a team in a historically dense schedule with the core of his team injured. No practice time to fully implement a system and no time for players to heal lost confidence.

I am not necessarily defending Ducharme but the hot takes are the musings of mindless Baboons.

Haven't watched too many game this season have you. You call us mindless baboons while the coach is using staal like he is 25 again. WTF are you talking about! He took over a team that had no injuries of significance. Just another fake excuse when DD is failing hard. How about those awesome 3v3 with Byron Danault and Weber? The line blender each game? Maybe try using a timeout(ever) when your rookie goalie is struggling, no why not? Do you think those were great ideas or more mindless baboons?

Instead of hurling insults at posters why not try squeezing a few braincells together for some logic from these coaching decisions. Is he the worst coach ever, no. Has he been good, hardly. Should he be kept on, definitely not.

 

[Scaryprice]

Couldn’t agree more. The comment about using Staal like he’s 25 again is dead on. How can he watch Staal game after game be horrible and continue to play him like he’s about to break out. Eric Staal isn’t a nhl player at this point.

 

[Habs Icing]

Torts isn't returning to CBJ. Would love to have him in MTL!

Why you wanna turn KK's "mint" smile to tears on the bench?

 

[Habs Icing]

He prefers playing Staal than KK. We are likely not winning anything with this team, he should play KK big shifts till the end of the season. We should call Poehling as well.

Poehling is out for the season. Injured.
As for your other misinformation.
Last night our future #1 center played 15:48 of which 2:43 were on the PP and he accomplished diddley squat.
Staal 15:36.
Maybe you should check the scoreboard before you post.

 

[Habs Icing]

People on this site are so dense......it is impossible to have an opinion on a coach who has taken over a team in a historically dense schedule with the core of his team injured. No practice time to fully implement a system and no time for players to heal lost confidence.

I am not necessarily defending Ducharme but the hot takes are the musings of mindless Baboons.

I partly agree with you. The Habs are going to have a week between their last season game and the start of the playoffs. They'll be able to rest up and implement any new strategies they want. DD won't have any excuses then especially since he'll have his whole roster back.

 

[Doc5]

Couldn’t agree more. The comment about using Staal like he’s 25 again is dead on. How can he watch Staal game after game be horrible and continue to play him like he’s about to break out. Eric Staal isn’t a nhl player at this point.

The only explanation I can think of is that he received instructions from Bergevin to use him as much as possible so that it eventually looks like another good trade for him.
Apart from Staal and KK, Ducharme has been pretty fair with his promotions and demotions I find.

 

[morhilane]

I just don't unserstand how our coaching staff think Armia is a better option then Caufield on PP1. What are they thinking?

The coaching staff are using Caufield and KK in the wrong posts on the PP (KK since the start of the year) to allow them to be shooters and kept Weber there despite him being a net negative.

Sometimes I wonder if certain vets aren't running the PP and the coaches have zero power to make changes.

 

[swimmer77]

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.

True and some folks compare him to Julien. His record is close to Julien's at this point with a lot less to work with due to injuries and scheduling. And of course he is a rookie NHL coach. Just don't know how you can assess him accurately. This schedule is unprecedented for healthy teams let alone one decimated with injuries. I think coming back in 3 straight games says something. I think I'll save my harsher assessment for the playoffs if they make it. LOL

 

[Spearmint Rhino]

True and some folks compare him to Julien. His record is close to Julien's at this point with a lot less to work with due to injuries and scheduling. And of course he is a rookie NHL coach. Just don't know how you can assess him accurately. This schedule is unprecedented for healthy teams let alone one decimated with injuries. I think coming back in 3 straight games says something. I think I'll save my harsher assessment for the playoffs if they make it. LOL

He’s compared to Julien cause he has a lot of the same brain farts, either that or MB pulls strings on the line up.

 

[Miller Time]

True and some folks compare him to Julien. His record is close to Julien's at this point with a lot less to work with due to injuries and scheduling. And of course he is a rookie NHL coach. Just don't know how you can assess him accurately. This schedule is unprecedented for healthy teams let alone one decimated with injuries. I think coming back in 3 straight games says something. I think I'll save my harsher assessment for the playoffs if they make it. LOL

Indeed... If he finds a way to rally the group an gets them to play well enough to pull an upset over the better & more rested Laffs (or Oilers), that would be quite an impressive piece of coaching work...

 

[Milhouse40]

People on this site are so dense......it is impossible to have an opinion on a coach who has taken over a team in a historically dense schedule with the core of his team injured. No practice time to fully implement a system and no time for players to heal lost confidence.

I am not necessarily defending Ducharme but the hot takes are the musings of mindless Baboons.

There's things that can be excuse because of schedule and injuries.....but not all of them.

Still, when the team was more healthy when he started, they won 4 games in his first 12 games and the schedule wasn't crazy.
Unlike a real new coach, he knew the team and players perfectly well on his first day.

His constant juggling of lines, that's terrible. Look a lot like a coach panicking in-game more than anything.
Players don't have time to build some chemistry and it's not something the players appreciate. Yes injuries could explain a part of it but at some point there should be stable duos at least, it's even hard to follow as a fan.

I don't like either how he's using the kids.
Primeau against the Leafs and not taking him out at the right time was a terrible decision all around.
Caufield....this kid is an offensive weapon, that's the only thing he is. Yet he's been used with our least offensive centers and only get the 2nd wave on the PP. Benching Romanov for Merrill, Gustaffson.

For me, Ducharme is showing a lot signs of a coach who's simply not ready to be an NHL head-coach.....like we say for players, he's still young, might get there, but he lack experience.

 

[Kimota]

Poehling is out for the season. Injured.
As for your other misinformation.
Last night our future #1 center played 15:48 of which 2:43 were on the PP and he accomplished diddley squat.
Staal 15:36.
Maybe you should check the scoreboard before you post.

But KK is supposed to be a top two center and Staal is a fourth liner and they have similar time.

So you should check your brain before you post.

I'm not saying KK plays great, I'm saying play him a lot for the rest of the season and playoffs for him to get experience. .

 

[Habsawce]

I really tried with Ducharme, wanted him to be successful. However, what I see and how this team is played in my mind is due to 1 of 2 things and if either are true than he should be demoted or fired.

1. He has no real say and Bergevin is calling all the shots. That case, he has no spine and I don't want him as the Montreal Canadiens head coach.
2. He truly thinks this deployment is how you coach in 2021, in which case might be worse than #1. I wouldn't even want him on the bench at all if this is true.

That being said, they might win some games in the playoffs or even beat Toronto (more likely they get swept). But if they do, it's because the rules change in the playoffs and these big, slow veterans will be able to get away with murder and take Toronto right out of their game.

 

[Runner77]

He’s compared to Julien cause he has a lot of the same brain farts, either that or MB pulls strings on the line up.

I would tend toward the idea that MB is calling the shots given that as a rookie, interim coach, he’s probably very vulnerable. Of course, just speculating.

 

[sandviper]

I would tend toward the idea that MB is calling the shots given that as a rookie, interim coach, he’s probably very vulnerable. Of course, just speculating.

What’s done is done, but I would had just fired CJ, move Muller to HC and add Burrows to handle the coach/player relationship and PP. I get the need for the coach to speak French, but this is an unusual season. Just finish the year and decide whether to promote DD or hire a new HC in the summer.

 

[Apoplectic Habs Fan]

What’s done is done, but I would had just fired CJ, move Muller to HC and add Burrows to handle the coach/player relationship and PP. I get the need for the coach to speak French, but this is an unusual season. Just finish the year and decide whether to promote DD or hire a new HC in the summer.

I wouldnt of even added Burrows. An inexperienced coach who proved nothing.

You also have a veteran team, many who played against Burrows. Many who likely didnt even respect his antics on the ice

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

Positive side is that he's playing his last 2 regular season games.

 

[Runner77]

Positive side is that he's playing his last 2 regular season games.

And we know this, how? If MB has a future with the team, so can Ducharme. Logic and common sense don’t work with this ownership group.

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

And we know this, how? If MB has a future with the team, so can Ducharme. Logic and common sense don’t work with this ownership group.

Ducharme is a terrible coach with the same ideal as Julien , this or Bergevin uses Ducharme as a puppet.

But going forward , Joel Bouchard coaching in the nhl with the young players in our team would make a great situation or a brand new coach whos not Alain Vigneault Mike Therrien or f***ign Claude Julien

 

[Runner77]

Ducharme is a terrible coach with the same ideal as Julien , this or Bergevin uses Ducharme as a puppet.

But going forward , Joel Bouchard coaching in the nhl with the young players in our team would make a great situation or a brand new coach whos not Alain Vigneault Mike Therrien or f***ign Claude Julien

Again, you’re making sense. I don’t think this ownership group is capable of making the right decision. Would love to be proven wrong.

How they handle MB will give us all the cues we need about Ducharme.

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

Again, you’re making sense. I don’t think this ownership group is capable of making the right decision. Would love to be proven wrong.

How they handle MB will give us all the cues we need about Ducharme.

100% agree with this

 

[Habs Icing]

But KK is supposed to be a top two center and Staal is a fourth liner and they have similar time.

So you should check your brain before you post.

I'm not saying KK plays great, I'm saying play him a lot for the rest of the season and playoffs for him to get experience. .

That's not what you said. You claimed DD preferred playing Staal over KK. The TOIs demonstrate that's not the case.