he wasn't perfect by any means but even under an experienced coach like Clode Julien (assisted by Kirk Muller with now 5 years of NHL coaching experience) this team has been very inconsistent... again, not saying that coaching hasn't been an issue at all but I think the problem lies between the players themselves more than anything. individual effort starts there, and once that's established then the coaching staff comes in to break down the finer details
- Pat1993

I don't disagree; the players need to get their heads out of their asses also. My issue is Bergevin went with the convenient coaching option who looks like he was part of the problem from the start instead of looking elsewhere. Julien and Kirk weren't the right coaches either; Julien is a dinosaur and Kirk, I have never seen a more dysfunctional special teams under anyone else.

In his post game comments, Dominique Ducharme looked like a deer in the headlights.

The point percentage has dropped from .579 under Julian to a pitiful .521 under Ducharme. To make matters worse, Ducharme's winning percentage has been an unacceptable .417. No wonder he has nothing wise to say.

The local media share some blame for this mess. Explaining away the losses and not exposing the inherent flaws with Bergevin's failed experiment has led many among us to believe the team is better than its constituents. Were it not for the creation of this season's North division, the season would already be over. The current team is utterly incapable of competing with normal division rivals from Tampa, Florida, Toronto or Boston.

Hopefully Bergevin's replacement decides to hire coaches based on ability rather than language, while choosing to draft and develop elite talent instead of signing other team's unwanted scraps. If change does not come soon the team will continue to flounder and the glory years will be forgotten. I used to mock Leafs fans when they were in the exact same position we now stand.

I think they came across as better communicators, I feel DD is tense in front of the camera
- habs88888

for some reason I kind of enjoy his awkwardness

I don't disagree; the players need to get their heads out of their asses also. My issue is Bergevin went with the convenient coaching option who looks like he was part of the problem from the start instead of looking elsewhere. Julien and Kirk weren't the right coaches either; Julien is a dinosaur and Kirk, I have never seen a more dysfunctional special teams under anyone else.
- apex123

who did he miss out on in your opinion?

who did he miss out on in your opinion?
- Pat1993

Gallant.

for some reason I kind of enjoy his awkwardness
- Pat1993

You do? I can barely watch! Did you see his eyes at the start of the presser tonight? It looked like sheer panic. And I agree with whoever was questioning his communication skills, if it was only in English that he struggled, fine but no, it’s in French as well. So it’s not that he doesn’t understand the questions, he’s just unable to express himself. If he can’t talk to the media, how much of a good job can he do when he’s trying to relay information or instructions to his players?

And I havent seen Diner for Schmucks either, no one can ever come close to François Pignon... C’est juste Leblanc? Mais comment juste Leblanc? Il a pas de prénom? Mais si c’est juste! Puisque vous dites que c’est juste, je vous crois! M. Pignon, vous votre prénom c’est François? Eh ben lui c’est pareil sauf que son prénom c’est Juste! Je le ris encore ce film

for some reason I kind of enjoy his awkwardness
- Pat1993

You are one of a kind

You do? I can barely watch! Did you see his eyes at the start of the presser tonight? It looked like sheer panic. And I agree with whoever was questioning his communication skills, if it was only in English that he struggled, fine but no, it’s in French as well. So it’s not that he doesn’t understand the questions, he’s just unable to express himself. If he can’t talk to the media, how much of a good job can he do when he’s trying to relay information or instructions to his players?

And I havent seen Diner for Schmucks either, no one can ever come close to François Pignon... C’est juste Leblanc? Mais comment juste Leblanc? Il a pas de prénom? Mais si c’est juste! Puisque vous dites que c’est juste, je vous crois! M. Pignon, vous votre prénom c’est François? Eh ben lui c’est pareil sauf que son prénom c’est Juste! Je le ris encore ce film
- Karine Hains

Yeah, that's what I think too Karine. I am trying to imagine him explaining how to run the power play and that explains why it's such a catastrophe on the ice .

You do? I can barely watch! Did you see his eyes at the start of the presser tonight? It looked like sheer panic. And I agree with whoever was questioning his communication skills, if it was only in English that he struggled, fine but no, it’s in French as well. So it’s not that he doesn’t understand the questions, he’s just unable to express himself. If he can’t talk to the media, how much of a good job can he do when he’s trying to relay information or instructions to his players?

And I havent seen Diner for Schmucks either, no one can ever come close to François Pignon... C’est juste Leblanc? Mais comment juste Leblanc? Il a pas de prénom? Mais si c’est juste! Puisque vous dites que c’est juste, je vous crois! M. Pignon, vous votre prénom c’est François? Eh ben lui c’est pareil sauf que son prénom c’est Juste! Je le ris encore ce film
- Karine Hains

those are two very different things.. I would think he's way more natural when he's talking to his players than when talking in front of a bunch of microphones and cameras.


et oui exactement, personne ne pourrait rivaliser avec Pignon

those are two very different things.. I would think he's way more natural when he's talking to his players than when talking in front of a bunch of microphones and cameras.


et oui exactement, personne ne pourrait rivaliser avec Pignon
- Pat1993

there you go.

Yeah, that's what I think too Karine. I am trying to imagine him explaining how to run the power play and that explains why it's such a catastrophe on the ice .
- apex123

Well, Burrows is actually the PP guy and he looked quite eloquent in his own interview with the media but Ducharme is the guy who has to lay the ground work for the whole system he needs the players to play. Appointing a guy who struggles so much to communicate with the media just makes the French speaking requirement even more ridiculous.

those are two very different things.. I would think he's way more natural when he's talking to his players than when talking in front of a bunch of microphones and cameras.


et oui exactement, personne ne pourrait rivaliser avec Pignon
- Pat1993

I don’t think you can completely dissociate the two, I don’t think a good communicator would be phased as much by cameras and microphones... I could have made some allowance for early jitters when this was all new but come on now, it’s been a very good long while...

And I can’t remember who said it was a bigger mistake to appoint Julien than to fire him, but yes, a 1000 times yes. That bloody habit to go by to the same well again and agin and be shocked that it’s dried up...unbelievable

Well, Burrows is actually the PP guy and he looked quite eloquent in his own interview with the media but Ducharme is the guy who has to lay the ground work for the whole system he needs the players to play. Appointing a guy who struggles so much to communicate with the media just makes the French speaking requirement even more ridiculous.
- Karine Hains

I know Burrows runs it, but I'm sure Ducharme has had input into it as well. Maybe Pat is right and he can communicate effectively to the players, but the results on ice would suggest otherwise, unless the players really don't give a (frank).

Yeah, that's what I think too Karine. I am trying to imagine him explaining how to run the power play and that explains why it's such a catastrophe on the ice .
- apex123

Also leadership group is not just the Captains and Assistant Captains, it is Allen, Edmundson, Perry, Staal, Anderson, Price etc. I am sure Allen and Edmundson remember fondly how the Blues came back from being the worse team and won the cup in 2019, step up and say something

for some reason I kind of enjoy his awkwardness
- Pat1993

t'aimes juste ça quand il dit : on a payé cash

I don’t think you can completely dissociate the two, I don’t think a good communicator would be phased as much by cameras and microphones... I could have made some allowance for early jitters when this was all new but come on now, it’s been a very good long while...

And I can’t remember who said it was a bigger mistake to appoint Julien than to fire him, but yes, a 1000 times yes. That bloody habit to go by to the same well again and agin and be shocked that it’s dried up...unbelievable
- Karine Hains

I agree managing his communications with the media is something he definitely could work on, but to me the context of a post-game conference and the one for a meeting with his players aren't even comparable. in the former he needs to figure out politically correct answers for the MTL media, while in the latter he's the one dictating what topics/issues are being addressed.

I agree managing his communications with the media is something he definitely could work on, but to me the context of a post-game conference and the one for a meeting with his players aren't even comparable. in the former he needs to figure out politically correct answers for the MTL media, while in the latter he's the one dictating what topics/issues are being addressed.
- Pat1993

Lol long story short he is not good at either right now

Also leadership group is not just the Captains and Assistant Captains, it is Allen, Edmundson, Perry, Staal, Anderson, Price etc. I am sure Allen and Edmundson remember fondly how the Blues came back from being the worse team and won the cup in 2019, step up and say something
- habs88888

I know but I couldn’t name them all...you guys already complains that blogs are too long lol

t'aimes juste ça quand il dit : on a payé cash
- deadpoulet

entre autre, oui

I don’t think you can completely dissociate the two, I don’t think a good communicator would be phased as much by cameras and microphones... I could have made some allowance for early jitters when this was all new but come on now, it’s been a very good long while...

And I can’t remember who said it was a bigger mistake to appoint Julien than to fire him, but yes, a 1000 times yes. That bloody habit to go by to the same well again and agin and be shocked that it’s dried up...unbelievable
- Karine Hains

Do you mean appoint Ducharme instead of firing him or are you talking about when Julien was first hired?

I know but I couldn’t name them all...you guys already complains that blogs are too long lol
- Karine Hains

Not complaining about your blog it was great as always, I am just saying the leaders need to help the team to get out of this funk...quick

Also leadership group is not just the Captains and Assistant Captains, it is Allen, Edmundson, Perry, Staal, Anderson, Price etc. I am sure Allen and Edmundson remember fondly how the Blues came back from being the worse team and won the cup in 2019, step up and say something
- habs88888

Whether St. Louis wanted to tell themselves they were underdogs or not, they still had a cup caliber roster. Their top 6 was better than the Habs, their top 4, and their goalie. But yes, this team needs to wake the (frank) up.

I know but I couldn’t name them all...you guys already complains that blogs are too long lol
- Karine Hains

those who find they're too long are just lazy, write away as you wish

Do you mean appoint Ducharme instead of firing him or are you talking about when Julien was first hired?
- apex123

I mean Julien when he was first hired....Well, the second time he was hired. He won a cup in Boston in 2011 fine, but what has he done since? I mean since they fired him, they didn’t change their roster that much and Cassidy got those players to win a lot more than Julien did. Don’t hire based on what happened 8 years ago, do it based on where the league is going now.

those who find they're too long are just lazy, write away as you wish
- Pat1993

I only read the English part not the French part except when I want to brush up