Dominique Ducharme. Interim head coach of the Habs thread
- Thread starter Canadiens Ghost
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in a very tough spot...
GM is under immense pressure, but likely still has full endorsment/ear of the owner/president (thus another sacrificial lamb will be required unless the playoffs, and maybe even a series win, happens).
Taking over a room with several veterans underperforming and several young players with signs of shaky confidence (but who need to perform at consistent, high level in order for team to have success).
Will have almost no practice time or ability to make significant system/style changes as the team plays basically every other day until the end of the season... and beyond rest/recovery needs in between games, meeting/training time is constricted by COVID protocols.
If we are at all committed to giving Ducharme a fair shot, he needs to keep his job through next year at the minimum, any evaluation of his "work" in these next few weeks would be woefully unrepresentative of his actual capacity.
My hope, is that his ability to connect, empower and leverage skilled/talented players will carry over to the pros and he'll help guys like Drouin, Mete, JKO, Suzuki play with more confidence and less of a noose around their necks.
I doubt we see much more in terms of accountability for guys like Chiarot, Danault, Tatar, as he'll need the veteran buy in to have any shot at salvaging the season
GM is under immense pressure, but likely still has full endorsment/ear of the owner/president (thus another sacrificial lamb will be required unless the playoffs, and maybe even a series win, happens).
Taking over a room with several veterans underperforming and several young players with signs of shaky confidence (but who need to perform at consistent, high level in order for team to have success).
Will have almost no practice time or ability to make significant system/style changes as the team plays basically every other day until the end of the season... and beyond rest/recovery needs in between games, meeting/training time is constricted by COVID protocols.
If we are at all committed to giving Ducharme a fair shot, he needs to keep his job through next year at the minimum, any evaluation of his "work" in these next few weeks would be woefully unrepresentative of his actual capacity.
My hope, is that his ability to connect, empower and leverage skilled/talented players will carry over to the pros and he'll help guys like Drouin, Mete, JKO, Suzuki play with more confidence and less of a noose around their necks.
I doubt we see much more in terms of accountability for guys like Chiarot, Danault, Tatar, as he'll need the veteran buy in to have any shot at salvaging the season
- Jun 22, 2018
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HabsWhiteKnightLOL
Registered User
I don't think Bergevin has another life, he's used all of them. This is his 3rd coach, after inheriting a competent roster at worst, he's been struggling to make the POs. He's made a lot of moves this off season, finally, that gave him a good boost but with that raised the levels of expectations.
If Ducharme doesn't right the ship, and we end up missing the POs (if CGY can get their shit together too), I don't see how Bergevin gets another extension.
As for Ducharme, ya, tough spot. But I expect big changes from tomorrow at least in the lines, deployment, and our special teams formations.
That was the biggest knocks on Julien, it would be very bizarre to see the same lines and usage.
dinodebino
Registered User
- Sep 27, 2017
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OK, I want to be the first to say : fired him! There. Do I win something with this?
Bergevin: Well my friend, I hope this works. It didn’t with Therrien, and it didn’t with Julien. Here’s hoping that third time’s Du-charme.
Ducharme:
Bergevin: Oh, since your first name is Dominique, we’ll call you DD. You know who else was DD? My BFF’s favorite son, David...
Ducharme:
Ducharme:
Bergevin: Oh, since your first name is Dominique, we’ll call you DD. You know who else was DD? My BFF’s favorite son, David...
Ducharme:
dinodebino
Registered User
- Sep 27, 2017
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I think it's going to take more than one game for the changes to operate. I see it gradually in about 2 weeks or so.
i hope you are right... but the extent to which he's leveraged his personal relationship/influence on Molson to keep himself in the job this long, despite the obviously and emphatically poor performance across just about every metric one would use to evaluate a GM, gives me little confidence he won't manage to leverage more excuses to extend his tenure
I don't need to see the changes all clicking at 100%, it can take time for the players to get used to new linemates and strategies, but there's no reason not to see a lot of changes implemented right away.
BigDaddyLurch
Have some PRIDE, Eric...
As long as his first move is to get BrainRot off the Top D Pairing, I'll be happy and give him all kinds of rope...
No doubt about that but everyone has an expiration date. Molson was on the radio talking about how much confidence he has in Bergevin and that he believes he's a great GM, but that was when we were popping 5 goals per game thinking we are finally back on track. If the team keeps struggling and all those changes lead to not even making the POs, well, I'm not sure how he can be backed up further.
That said, wouldn't be the first time I thought there's no way he can survive things.
MXD
Partying Hard
- Oct 27, 2005
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I'm not QUITE sure what you mean here : Are you implying that Ducharme might be relieved of HC duties if the team only makes it to the division finals?
CheldishGamibno
Turtles & Refrigerators
As it stands, he's the interim coach, so who knows. The general assumption though when he and Bouchard were hired was that whoever is the assistant GM here would eventually takeover as Head coach.
Spearmint Rhino
Registered User
- Sep 17, 2013
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At some point you need to break the Einstein Insanity Loop and bring in something different, the only difference between Martin, Therrien, and Julien was, um, err, ah
Line Please?
Line Please?
Hostile Offer
Artist formerly known as Eagle Peninsula
I don't feel like he's going to make a ton of changes on the lines and their usage but I surely hope he and whoever is running the PP have more tricks in their pockets than Julien and Muller when it comes to the systems.
- Jun 24, 2012
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Surprised? How could you be surprised, the news only came out yesterday.
We had 3 threads about him, where all the questions in your OP were hammered to death, including links and analysis provided.
Why not just say you wanted a dedicated thread and do away with the surprise angle. We get it, you wanted to start your own thread about him. The best surprise, as Holiday Inn used to say, is "no surprise."
That said, welcome again and again and again and again, Dom.
Last edited:
- Jun 24, 2012
- 85,261
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Here's a piece that was originally posted by @WeThreeKings and subsequently reprised by @dinodebino and which provides a lot of great insights about Ducharme: An analysis of Dominique Ducharme’s coaching style
Walrus26
Wearing a Habs Toque in England.
Welcome to the best and worst job in all of hockey.
Grate n Colorful Oz
The Hutson Hawk
Surprised? How could you be surprised, the news only came out yesterday.
We had 3 threads about him, where all the questions in your OP were hammered to death, including links and analysis provided.
Why not just say you wanted a dedicated thread and do away with the surprise angle. We get it, you wanted to start your own thread about him. The best surprise, as Holiday Inn used to say, is "no surprise."
That said, welcome again and again and again and again, Dom.
I think he meant no threads prior to his hiring as interim. Like the regular ongoing player and staff threads, like the Timmins thread, Muller thread or Bergevin thread.
- Jun 24, 2012
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- Jun 24, 2012
- 85,261
- 156,159
How Dickensian of you.
You might as well have continued with: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, …”
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