Don't know if Briere is a good goalie coach or not but I know for sure he isn't instructing Mrazek to not hug his post and lose his crease on every single play.
Fire Steve Briere (Goalie Coach)
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HamiltonNHL
Resigning Marner == Running it back
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david999
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- Jan 21, 2011
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Something has to change, and getting a much more experienced NHL caliber goalie coach, may help with
improving their confidence and mindset. There is no way, based on history, that these are sub .900 goalies.
improving their confidence and mindset. There is no way, based on history, that these are sub .900 goalies.
123offtheglass
Registered User
If his goalies don't turn it around he should be gone. I have no clue what he's been working on with Mrazek but between the two of them it's not working.
Don't see why a goalie coach couldn't be on the hot seat even if the team has done quite well.
Don't see why a goalie coach couldn't be on the hot seat even if the team has done quite well.
leafsfan2point0
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- Jun 8, 2011
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That video is so cringey.. It’s obvious he doesn’t know crap about goaltending.
Stephen
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- Feb 28, 2002
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The common denominator seems to be that almost every Leafs goalie has unraveled here along some predictable lines. Failure to track the puck, play with structure and it turns into a horrible guessing game compounded by a mutual mistrust between team and goalie. Sparks, injured Andersen, injured Campbell, Mrazek, Hutchinson. To the extent that Briere draws up “anything” he’s certainly not helping his goalies with any of the technical aspects of the game.
SeaOfBlue
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It didn't stop the Leafs from bringing in Spencer Carbury and moving Malhotra into another position (likely faceoff and defensive specialist) after only one (shortened) season.
That worked out well for us.
And Briere has been our goalie coach for 7 years. Since the management purge. He has had two HC's and two GM's.
The issues seem to be the same among a lot of our goalies. They let in some weak goals and can't handle the pressure. Maybe that is the market, and not Briere directly, but then Briere is not exactly a solution to that problem either. Maybe nobody can, but I think you at least try someone else before we make that conclusion.
It is interesting because Briere is not even Dubas' guy. He was brought in around the same time Dubas was. Maybe he is a Shanny guy?
SeaOfBlue
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Bernier and Reimer too, but only for one year. McElhinney. Rittich, but once again not for that long.
123offtheglass
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Stephen
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Oh god. Bernier had some funny things to say about Rick St. Croix. The dinosaur that Briere replaced. Leafs may as well bring in Denis Lemieux at this point.
I've worked with both Bernier and St. Croix, they're both Winnipeg guys. As f***ing horrendous as St Croix is, he's miles better than Briere and its not even close.
Stephen
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Wrong Wilson
Hanta Yo!
If you need a goalie coach to teach you things like don’t slide 6ft out of your crease or don’t send rebounds directly into the slot to an opposing player or to hug your post; you’re an idiot and a shit goalie. Two things that Mrazek seems to be and one which Campbell is becoming.
It’s not the f***ing goalie coach people give me a break lol.
It’s not the f***ing goalie coach people give me a break lol.
Stephen
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That’s like saying why do MLB pitchers need a pitching coach to tell them to throw a ball. It’s reductive and not really helpful when understanding how a very specialized position that has been a long term organizational weakness should be improved.
SeaOfBlue
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I think it is their job to get rebound control and the mental game together. Same with positioning. A lot of stuff our goalies seem to be struggling with under Briere, and seem to figure out elsewhere.
Otherwise, why are we paying him? What does he do? If goalies are what they are once they get to the NHL, it seems like the Leafs can spend that money elsewhere.
Not saying a new coach wouldn’t make things better but we’re talking absolute fundamentals here. Neither guy is some rook, they should know this by now.
Stephen
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They’re obviously not rooks but if a professional goalie coach isn’t able to convey basic game adjustments to multi million dollar athletes, or motivate them or give them confidence. Well, to quote Office Space, what is it that you do around here?
SeaOfBlue
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Problem is, with who?
Toivonen has just started with the Marlies. I like him there for at least a few years because he has only been a coach for 3 or so years. The Marlies are his first professional gig, but he has been a professional goalie for a long time and was invited to the Bruins camp as a goalie coach before.
Jon Elkin has some experience in the NHL and has been the Marlies goalie coach for the three years since Greco left for NYI, but I think we should just keep him as the goalie evaluator and developer. That is the spot that Brian Daccord held before he left, so he effectively is responsible for scouting goalies and is just another voice for developing goalies (although I imagine more in the offseason and in training camp than right now). We will see if he can do well there.
If we are looking externally: Marko Torenius has been the main guy for developing Finnish goalies right now (he is now the Finnish director for goaltending) and is currently SKA St. Petersburg's goalie coach. He actually followed Mikko Koskinen most places until Koskinen left for North America, and is credited for getting Koskinen drafted in the 2nd round and getting his game to the point where he has been able to be an NHL goalie again. Torenius has mostly spent time in Russia the past 7 or 8 years, and has been goalie coach for the likes of Shestyerkin, Bobrovsky, Koskinen, and now Askarov there, and also coaches guys like Georgiev (who played in Finland for a little bit), Lankinen, and Husso. His track record is very impressive, but Finland has also not been nearly as dominant at developing goalies as they once were. Not sure he is interested in an NHL job, but with the Russian invasion going on, there has been a mass exodus of non-Russian players leaving the KHL... That could extend to coaches. He may just take up a job in the Liiga again, but an opportunity to coach for the Leafs is one of the few which can probably top SKA for him.
There are a lot of other guys in Europe with a lot of European experience if that is of any value. Curtis Joseph is a community figure with the Leafs, although who knows how he does as goalie coach.
SeaOfBlue
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If it is absolute fundamentals, it shouldn't be that hard for an NHL goalie coach to fix it fast, right?
And why is it with all of the goalies? Andersen was making a lot of fundamental mistakes. He seems to have cut those down a fair bit with Carolina. Campbell was good before Covid and now he is the absolute worst. It is one thing if it was a cold stretch, but we are talking about 3 months now.
Fogelhund
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- Sep 15, 2007
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Not gonna disagree completely but I will still disagree that changing the goalie coach will somehow prevent these common sense mistakes being made by vet goalies. It just seems like way too convenient of an excuse when things are never that black and white. Not opposed to firing this guy though. It can’t get much worse sadly.
SeaOfBlue
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Fogelhund
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No disagreement there, but that's not fast as in... going to save the season fast. That's basically the season is screwed, sell off UFA's, and move on.
We know Campbell can perform when he's on and confident. If Briere can't figure out how to help him get his confidence back, then perhaps it's best that they let someone else give it a try. Coaching isn't only about technique and x's & o's......really good coaches know how to motivate and inspire, they don't rely on 4 pillars to fit every situation.
