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Post by CentreHice on Jun 5, 2012 23:15:09 GMT -5
Understandably, a polarizing hire by Bergevin at this point. Are you bold enough to predict a definite YES or NO? I'm going with #2. I think he's gotta be ecstatic about getting another shot with the Habs..and he'll try his best to not blow it. Bergevin said today in an interview that they will meet every day...and work very closely towards the success of the team. Lip service at this point. We shall see....and hope.
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Post by Forum Ghost on Jun 5, 2012 23:38:25 GMT -5
I voted for option #2. I'm not a Therrien fan, but I will see how he does before I pass judgement on this hire.
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Post by seventeen on Jun 6, 2012 0:03:41 GMT -5
I thought we had slayed this dragon years ago and now we find out George was the guy who lost. Yeesh. I hope he has learned something since his Pittsburgh days, but having seen many leopards in the past and never having seen one change their spots, I am discouraged.
I voted that he will be fired before his contract is up. I like those odds for any coach, but especially for MT.
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Post by habsorbed on Jun 6, 2012 0:52:06 GMT -5
I give him 2 years max. There should be little room permitted for getting acquainted. He's an experienced NHL coach, coached in Mtl before and knows the players given his RDS work. No need for a lot of time to acclimatize.
I believe he's something like 73-73 as coach of Mtl. So if he goes one game over .500 this year, he and his supporters will say he's improved. We'll still be out of the playoffs and he should be fired.
As you can see, I've got him on a very short leash. I want results and i want them soon. And MB's leash ain't much longer at this point. A GM should be allowed 2 coaches (3 at most) to become a legit contender. If MB wants to use one of his 3 strikes on an incompetent like MT that's his call, but he's not getting a pass from me.
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Post by UberCranky on Jun 6, 2012 2:31:01 GMT -5
To say that he knows more now is to forget that he knew nothign before. So a bit more then nothing is nothing plus.
This is a bad joke.
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Post by Rhiessan on Jun 6, 2012 4:55:57 GMT -5
The only good thing I can say is that his bar is starting so low with me that anything good he does with this team will be a surprise.
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Post by franko on Jun 6, 2012 6:09:40 GMT -5
#4 isn't really an option but a reality, so I threw that one out -- he may make it a month into the third season -- then again, what kind of players will he have to work with? That's on the GM.
I went with "a chance, a slight chance" . . . with a side of not much hope. Prove me wrong, boy!
From the stoic to the demonstrative . . . should be interesting.
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Post by jkr on Jun 6, 2012 6:33:11 GMT -5
I took option 3. I was hoping for a fresh start, not a trip down memory lane. Saw Dreger on TSN last night. He said it was incredibly close between Therrien & Crawford & in the end he chose Therrien because he coached in MTL before. Hmm - does that mean Bergevin sees Therrien's flame out in 2003 as a positive
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jun 6, 2012 6:40:01 GMT -5
I honestly don't know what to expect, guys. I'm more guided by what Douper left on the boards yesterday when he was talking with Rollie the Goalie.
Can't blame people for not wanting to put up with the pressures associated with playing in Montreal. And I think it's not like the pressures that we've seen in the past with being coach of the Canadiens. Things have been magnified over the last year. The pressure to get out of the basement and into the playoffs is enormous. The fan base simply won't tollerate a losing product.
I heard on TSN that Therrien is good with this veterans but tough on his younger players and role players. Hopefully, it's a well-thought-out kind of toughness.
But, how to answer the poll ... it's tough for me. I think Coach Therrien will do fine and get us into the playoffs. But, I'm not so sure just how well we'll do given the parity in the conference right now.
Tough days ahead.
Cheers.
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Post by Polarice on Jun 6, 2012 6:46:19 GMT -5
I went with # 3.....really I'm just hoping he's a better coach than I'm giving him credit for!!
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Post by Forum Ghost on Jun 6, 2012 7:30:40 GMT -5
For all the people upset at this hiring... look at the bright side... if he gets fired, at least we know he won't be coming back for a THIRD time.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jun 6, 2012 7:40:17 GMT -5
I had to vote for the first selection because it's accurate. I have little doubt that Coach Therrien has learned quite a bit over the years. I just hope he applies it well in Montreal.
Cheers.
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Post by blny on Jun 6, 2012 7:51:54 GMT -5
I do believe he's learned a lot since his first go round. Do I think he's a good coach? Good enough, I guess. Do I think he's the best coach available? Of the ones interviewed, and of public knowledge, he's on par with them I believe.
I was always in the court that stated you limit yourself when you require a head coach to be bilingual right off the hop, but I understand the desire to have one. It's certainly a lot harder to work and study a language at the same time. That said, hiring the best coach available - and who meshes with the GMs ideology - and surrounding him with assistants who understand the market and are fluent in French makes more sense to me.
Speaking of ideology, if there's one message Bergevin is clearly sending with this hire it's that there's going to be considerably more accountability placed on players. Therrien may not be a tyrant, but he's a lot more vocal and a lot more demanding than Martin was. Players are either going to get it, and step up, or they're going to be history. I also think you'll see a tougher team assembled as a result. It won't be devoid of skill, but it will be tougher.
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Jun 6, 2012 7:52:32 GMT -5
I'm doubtful, but mostly because the talent is not there. MaxPac, Cole and Desharnais all had an excellent year last year but they aren't really a premiere #1 NHL line. Will they have a better year this year or did the stars align for them last year. Pleks did what was expected after his one great contract year. He didn't have much support from his line. Gomez will have a very good year in Hamilton (if he makes the team) and Gionta's best years are behind him. Our defense is young and talented offensively but need Robinsons' help. Price is a very good positional goaltender who doesn't handle the puck well, chokes on shootouts and needs bigger shoulder pads over his glove side. Not a big Therrien fan but he doesn't have an easy job getting to the playoffs. Drinking from the cup will be from a jockstrap.
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Post by Forum Ghost on Jun 6, 2012 7:54:25 GMT -5
I had to vote for the first selection because it's accurate. I have little doubt that Coach Therrien has learned quite a bit over the years. I just hope he applies it well in Montreal. Cheers. I got my fingers crossed that this happens Dis. We have to keep in mind that the teams Therrien had in Montreal were pretty bad. Also, he was a rookie coach and recent history has shown that Montreal is not a place where rookie NHL coaches should cut their teeth. With the intense passion of the fans and the high scrutiny of the media, Montreal is a different beast when compared to any other NHL market. To judge him solely based on that body of work would be unfair. He's ten years more experienced and wiser and let's see if he can use that to win Hab fans back in his second kick at the can. Also, the decision to hire him was a group decision. It would be one thing if Therrien managed to pull the wool over just Bergevin's eyes, but to do it to him, Dudley, Carriere and Mellanby is something else. People can criticize the move, but this management team is not made up of dummies. I'm going to have faith that they know what they're doing.
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Post by CentreHice on Jun 6, 2012 7:54:26 GMT -5
For all the people upset at this hiring... look at the bright side... if he gets fired, at least we know he won't be coming back for a THIRD time. If he's to be fired, I hope it's this year.....so we don't waste another 2+ seasons of spinning our wheels and not reaching our potential. I "cautiously optimistic" that he'll be better. FWIW....here's an excert from a post I made in 2007.... most people lambasted Therrien for having Bill Lindsay on to take that fateful faceoff instead of Yanic Perreault....but I've heard Paul Maurice say since that Therrien made the right call there because Lindsay had been hot that game. In fact, Maurice thought he had been outcoached by MT on that one.
Law of averages I guess.....Lindsay lost it. Then again, where's Paul Maurice? Twice fired by the Canes....will Therrien suffer the same fate in Montreal? Never a dull moment with the Habs...
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Post by BadCompany on Jun 6, 2012 7:54:35 GMT -5
I voted "highly doubtful but there is a chance."
Therrien may indeed have learned a lot... doesn't mean he's a good coach. Law of averages states that about 15 current NHL coaches are either average, or below average. If not outright bad compared to their peers. I don't see Therrien cracking that top 15, nevermind the top 10 or top 5. At best he becomes mediocre, in my opinion.
But there is a chance, I suppose. I'm not going to crucify him just yet, as the decision has been made so let's at least give him some rope. If he hangs himself with it, then so be it I suppose. Next year is supposed to be a really good draft.
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Post by CentreHice on Jun 6, 2012 8:15:13 GMT -5
Here are a few of our thoughts from Feb. 2007, when ESPN ran a blog saying Therrien deserved consideration for the Jack Adams. Thread ;D I'd forgotten that Mr. Bozo called him "The Man in the Yellow Suit". I miss Bozo's contribution here. Always clever food for thought.
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Post by HABSINFL on Jun 6, 2012 8:17:33 GMT -5
I voted 2, because I noticed a lot of maturity at the press conference, and will be guided by the good management staff wee have in place.
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Post by Doc Holliday on Jun 6, 2012 8:25:42 GMT -5
While he wasn’t my “favorite candidate” I am more than willing to get behind Michel 100% and see the positives. The more I read about Therrien, the more I listen to him, the more I think he can provide something. Deep down I feel what this team has been lacking a lot of, is a sense of pride, a sense of urgency, a hunger to be the best. Through the years a complacent feeling hit this team and ego talk have prevailed (player X not liking player Y, clique A doesn’t like clique B, or player Z is not contributing but let’s play him anyway because he makes x amount of dollars or players being allowed to go through season long slumps…). Lots of stories, lots of excuses, lots of talks, not much result. We did have a “cerebral” coach in Martin, famous for being a strategic full-proof system coach and all but at the end of the day it only produced a bland team with no identity and no guts. My expectations of Michel is that he will work at another level, beyond the Xs and Os and line construction, I believe this team badly needs a restored pride, accountability and a got shot of testosterone. I don’t expect it to be pretty every night, but I’d like for it to be exciting and for us to shake off that “easiest team in the league to play against” tag. Those are my realistic expectations… …on AC last night Therrien said we need to get bigger, we need to get tougher and we need commitment. Talk is cheap. Sure. But while Therrien might be a lot of things, a bullSaperlipopetteter he isn’t. …oh…and 25th coach for the 25th cup, that sounds just about right doesn’t it.
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Post by blny on Jun 6, 2012 8:25:49 GMT -5
I'm doubtful, but mostly because the talent is not there. MaxPac, Cole and Desharnais all had an excellent year last year but they aren't really a premiere #1 NHL line. Will they have a better year this year or did the stars align for them last year. Pleks did what was expected after his one great contract year. He didn't have much support from his line. Gomez will have a very good year in Hamilton (if he makes the team) and Gionta's best years are behind him. Our defense is young and talented offensively but need Robinsons' help. Price is a very good positional goaltender who doesn't handle the puck well, chokes on shootouts and needs bigger shoulder pads over his glove side. Not a big Therrien fan but he doesn't have an easy job getting to the playoffs. Drinking from the cup will be from a jockstrap. I don't think there's any reason to think Cole and Pacioretty can't maintain the pace they set last year. That line is NOT driven by Desharnais. Plekanec slotted in there for a game, and the line didn't miss a beat. It's all about getting someone to help Pleks on his own line. To that end, I don't see Gionta falling off dramatically. Provided the tendon injury recovers fully, I expect him to return to the 25g plus like he did in his first two seasons.
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Post by blny on Jun 6, 2012 8:55:36 GMT -5
Here are a few of our thoughts from Feb. 2007, when ESPN ran a blog saying Therrien deserved consideration for the Jack Adams. Thread ;D I'd forgotten that Mr. Bozo called him "The Man in the Yellow Suit". I miss Bozo's contribution here. Always clever food for thought.
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Post by Marvin on Jun 6, 2012 9:54:51 GMT -5
Dave Stubbs' column today speaks volumes. In a conversation he had with a free agent whose style of play would fit Mtl (he doesn't mention who the player is), he tossed the idea of Therrien coaching. The player paused, and then replied, "well there are 29 other teams I can play for."
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Post by blny on Jun 6, 2012 10:35:11 GMT -5
Dave Stubbs' column today speaks volumes. In a conversation he had with a free agent whose style of play would fit Mtl (he doesn't mention who the player is), he tossed the idea of Therrien coaching. The player paused, and then replied, "well there are 29 other teams I can play for." All due respect to Stubbs, if you look for a negative comment to support your idea, you'll find it. One of the best players in the world, Crosby, liked him enough to be the first to reach out and congratulate him.
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Post by CentreHice on Jun 6, 2012 10:49:52 GMT -5
Dave Stubbs' column today speaks volumes. In a conversation he had with a free agent whose style of play would fit Mtl (he doesn't mention who the player is), he tossed the idea of Therrien coaching. The player paused, and then replied, "well there are 29 other teams I can play for." All due respect to Stubbs, if you look for a negative comment to support your idea, you'll find it. One of the best players in the world, Crosby, liked him enough to be the first to reach out and congratulate him. And for Crosby, I doubt is was as easy as, "I'm a star so he treated me well and let me play my game.". To me, it's more likely he liked the philosophy and direction MT brought from Wilkes-Barre. In Ken Dryden's book, "The Game", he wrote that many players hated Bowman all season long. But in May, when they were lifting the Cup, they loved him. Not equating MT to Bowman at all....just the fact that not all players may "like" a certain coach, even if they're champions.
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Post by blny on Jun 6, 2012 10:58:34 GMT -5
All due respect to Stubbs, if you look for a negative comment to support your idea, you'll find it. One of the best players in the world, Crosby, liked him enough to be the first to reach out and congratulate him. And for Crosby, I doubt is was as easy as, "I'm a star so he treated me well and let me play my game.". To me, it's more likely he liked the philosophy and direction MT brought from Wilkes-Barre. In Ken Dryden's book, "The Game", he wrote that many players hated Bowman all season long. But in May, when they were lifting the Cup, they loved him. Not equating MT to Bowman at all....just the fact that not all players may "like" a certain coach, even if they're champions. Agreed. It's about respect. If you respect the guy enough to play your guts out for him, that's all that matters. He's a demanding coach compared to what some of the players are used to. If nothing else, he'll weed out anyone that doesn't want to sacrifice. I do have some concerns about how he'll work with the young guys. In particular, PK, whom he didn't mention at all during the press conference yesterday. I'm hoping that the relationship is a good one. PK is far more important to the future of the franchise than MT is.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jun 6, 2012 11:06:18 GMT -5
Dave Stubbs' column today speaks volumes. In a conversation he had with a free agent whose style of play would fit Mtl (he doesn't mention who the player is), he tossed the idea of Therrien coaching. The player paused, and then replied, "well there are 29 other teams I can play for." All due respect to Stubbs, if you look for a negative comment to support your idea, you'll find it. One of the best players in the world, Crosby, liked him enough to be the first to reach out and congratulate him. I like the respect Stubbs seems to command from players. They'll tell him anything and they know it won't go anywhere. A very creditable journalist, at least from my viewpoint anyway. Cheers.
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Post by Marvin on Jun 6, 2012 11:06:29 GMT -5
And for Crosby, I doubt is was as easy as, "I'm a star so he treated me well and let me play my game.". To me, it's more likely he liked the philosophy and direction MT brought from Wilkes-Barre. In Ken Dryden's book, "The Game", he wrote that many players hated Bowman all season long. But in May, when they were lifting the Cup, they loved him. Not equating MT to Bowman at all....just the fact that not all players may "like" a certain coach, even if they're champions. Agreed. It's about respect. If you respect the guy enough to play your guts out for him, that's all that matters. He's a demanding coach compared to what some of the players are used to. If nothing else, he'll weed out anyone that doesn't want to sacrifice. I do have some concerns about how he'll work with the young guys. In particular, PK, whom he didn't mention at all during the press conference yesterday. I'm hoping that the relationship is a good one. PK is far more important to the future of the franchise than MT is. He did mention PK - called him a "thoroughbred", and said "you win races with thoroughbreds."
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jun 6, 2012 11:17:11 GMT -5
…oh…and 25th coach for the 25th cup, that sounds just about right doesn’t it. As I was saying earlier, I really think Coach Therrien will make an immediate impact on our club. I don't know how long that will last for, but I'm looking forward to seeing how our team comes out of the blocks this year. Everyone has something to prove; the players, the coaching staff AND management. I think this, alone, gives our club a pair of positives; an entirely new start and an entirely new attitude. Looking forward to the start of the season big time. Cheers.
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Post by CentreHice on Jun 6, 2012 11:23:31 GMT -5
One thing's for sure....he wants a bigger, tougher team.
If Bergevin works as closely with his coach as he says he will...we should see that toughness evolve THIS year through acquisitions.
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