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Post by seventeen on Mar 10, 2014 23:51:28 GMT -5
There's a website called "Last word on Sports" and they interviewed Christian Thomas and Sylvain Lefebvre after the loss on Sunday. I hadn't read any responses by Lefebvre, so thought I'd try and learn something about him. Here's the transcript: lastwordonsports.com/2014/03/10/lwos-talks-christian-thomas-sylvain-lefebvre-hamilton-bulldogs/Home / Hockey / LWOS Talks With Christian Thomas and Sylvain Lefebvre of the Hamilton Bulldogs
LWOS Talks With Christian Thomas and Sylvain Lefebvre of the Hamilton Bulldogs
By Ben Kerr, Admin
I also had the opportunity to speak with Bulldogs head coach Sylvain Lefebvre to get his thoughts on the team’s performance in Sunday’s game. Needless to say, he wasn’t pleased with the weekend.
Lefebvre acknowledged that a lack of offence continues to be the Bulldogs biggest issues. “Its something that we have worked on all year and I think its better than last year,” he said. “But tonight our powerplay didn’t come up big. And if Andrighetto scored on his penalty shot (in the second period) it could have been 2-0. They came back and tied it up on the powerplay and then they scored another goal.”
“Our second periods have been nowhere to be found this year. We gave it our all in the first period, and then we came out in the second and we were totally flat. I don’t know what it is. We work on scoring every day, and I wish we could score more goals. We have to play well defensively (to stay in games). I think last night the empty-net goal was the 13th we’ve given up this season, so it just goes to show we’re in games but we just can’t find a way to win games when we have to come from behind and scoring is a part of it.”
Lefebvre also acknowledged that effort has been an issue this weekend. When asked if he felt satisfied in the team’s effort this weekend, he replied, “not for the whole time. We obviously need to play for 60 minutes every game. We had three games in three nights and that’s tough, but Lake Erie was in the same situation, as they had two hard fought battles against Toronto. Maybe we thought they were out of gas, out of juice when we took the lead 1-0. We have to find a way to win hockey games.”
Lefebvre was also asked about the team’s confidence, and how things seem to spiral out of control after the first goal against lately. He replied, “I don’t know if its confidence. At this point in the year if you don’t battle, you don’t compete, and if you don’t do it with desperate energy, then you don’t deserve to make the playoffs. We’ve dug ourselves a big hole. If we stop believing and we quit then no one is going to benefit from that.”
“Its our job as coaches and our job as players not to quit and to battle ’til the end. The players are playing for their livelihoods and playing for their jobs, and its the plain and simple truth. Its not a threat, but that’s the way it is; that’s the reality.”
Lefebvre spoke about the tough road schedule ahead and took it as a positive due to the fact that the team seems to play better away from home this season. “Its not just a matter of effort, but it seems that we play better on the road this season. Maybe its a good thing that we are going on the road right now. We are not going to quit. I’m not going to allow that to happen and we’re going to battle til the end. If you put your arms down, and put your head down you are in trouble. Times like this builds character for everyone involved and builds character for the team.”
Lefebvre was also asked about the fact that captain and leading scorer Martin St. Pierre was scratched for Sunday’s game. He indicated that St. Pierre was a healthy scratch, and that the issue was performance related despite St. Pierre’s two assists in Saturday night’s game.
“He was a healthy scratch tonight. I’m not happy with his game. I’ve been talking with him a few times, sending him messages here and there. Sometimes as a coach you have ways to get guys going. Hopefully he will rebound to play the way he can play. He’s our captain, he’s the guy that sets the tone, and that is what we are looking for.”
He also indicated that the rest of the team should look at the scratch. When asked if this was a statement to the rest of the team that no one was safe, Lefebvre answered, “Its a statement that you have to come here and compete every night, and not just when you feel like it.”
It's hard to make much out of this, but I had some  ? thoughts over "the power play not coming up big and then they tied it up on the power play and then they scored another goal". Really? That's....insightful. I can see that he's sharing a whole bunch of critical analyses with us. My worry is that he doesn't know why they scored on the PP and then how they scored another goal. He may simply be spouting Media speak, but if he said that some players got caught up in the moment and forgot their assignments, at least I'd know the players had assignments. Has he given me any confidence he knows what he's doing? Not really. I see where he made his captain a health scratch on Sunday. The guy who got 2 points the night before. I bet that impressed his players. "Sometimes as a coach, you have ways to get guys going." What does he want, 4 points each game? It really seems this guy has no clue. He spouts cliches, but his system for getting out of his end sucks. Berg, I haven't seen or heard anything to change my opinion about your coaching choices. |
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Post by duster on Mar 11, 2014 10:33:17 GMT -5
Based on what I saw in the two recent games against the Heat, he had them playing the trap when they were down 4-0. Is it that important to play defensively when you're getting blown out? You'd think he'd have nothing to lose and it might even be beneficial to release the hounds so to speak. The team simply didn't show up for both games and St-Pierre was one the few that was really trying out there. Yet scratching him is part of the solution? I'm baffled. Judging by the cliches in the interview, I suspect Lefebvre is too. He's simply out of his league, imo.
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Post by frozone on Mar 11, 2014 11:47:19 GMT -5
I've been a pretty big supporter of Marc Bergevin's decisions since his arrival.
But I must admit, he has a lot to prove when it comes to hiring his staff. You can argue that MT turned out to be the right hire given the time and situation, but I think its pretty clear now that SL was simply the wrong choice. Personally, I'm worried that MB's patience will give Lefebvre (and MT) too long of a leash.
This coming offseason will tell us a lot about whether MB is capable of making the right decision when his buddy's job is on the line.
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Post by blny on Mar 11, 2014 12:36:47 GMT -5
I think it's getting increasingly difficult to fill the AHL coaching roles with quality people. The cream of the CHL crop want to jump right to the NHL. I'd also wager that the best coaches in the CHL are likely making as much as most AHL coaches. Some probably view the AHL as a sort of purgatory.
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Post by seventeen on Mar 11, 2014 13:53:16 GMT -5
I suspect a lot of coaches realize it helps to have AHL experience before coaching in the NHL. I also think the language issue is a bigger one for the Habs if we look on it as a developmental role.
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Post by BadCompany on Mar 11, 2014 14:53:53 GMT -5
It's so hard to say what makes a good AHL coach. People look at Lefebvre's record in Hamilton, and the style of game he has his team playing and think that he's a lousy coach. And they may be right. But on the other hand who was the last player to come up from Hamilton who looked bad? They all seem to come up and fit right in. It's only after a few games of Therrien coaching that they seem to falter.
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Post by seventeen on Mar 11, 2014 19:46:07 GMT -5
Which begs the question, why do those guys that come up look so bad in Hamilton? I mentioned a while ago that while they don't score tons when they first come up, they usually post better or similar numbers than they did in the minors, playing in a much easier AHL. No one scores more in the majors than in the minors, unless you're a Hab prospect. What's the connection?
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Mar 14, 2014 9:41:57 GMT -5
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Post by seventeen on Mar 14, 2014 10:48:40 GMT -5
I wonder if Lefebvre has "Improving young players" as a strength on his resume, too? Chortle.
I didn't know that Breezer and Lapointe both spent a lot of time down on the farm. If I was Berg, I'd be sending an independent party to interview the players both in Hamilton and Montreal as to what is bothering them. Why not ask the horse?
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Post by halihab on Mar 14, 2014 11:09:11 GMT -5
I wonder if Lefebvre has "Improving young players" as a strength on his resume, too? Chortle. I didn't know that Breezer and Lapointe both spent a lot of time down on the farm. If I was Berg, I'd be sending an independent party to interview the players both in Hamilton and Montreal as to what is bothering them. Why not ask the horse? Sounds like a good Management move Seventeen. Why not ? |
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Post by seventeen on Mar 14, 2014 12:38:45 GMT -5
I could call myself a consultant, charge big bucks and handle a couple of dozen interviews. I'm in. Hear that Marc? (We're on a first name basis now).
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Post by seventeen on Mar 14, 2014 23:31:19 GMT -5
I have some bad news for anyone keeping their fingers crossed that Devan Dubnyk fooled all those teams who had him earlier and has turned into the second coming of Jacques Plante. Hamilton outshot Wilkes Barrie today, 27-19 and lost 5-1. Dubnyk let in 4 goals on 14 shots before Mayer replaced him. I could have told Lefebvre that Dubnyk was a warm body, but barely. Just another day at the office in Hamilton. What a disgrace of a team, two years in a row.
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Post by duster on Mar 15, 2014 9:44:01 GMT -5
One could argue that Lefebvre is doing a great job getting the baby habs ready to play for MT. Should any of them make it to the big club, they'll feel right at home e.g the coach playing favourites, heavy reliance on the goalie's performance to win, baffling lineup and on ice decisions, inability to adapt to game changes or the opposing team's tactics, promising players regressing or being played out of position, playing head games with the team's best player etc...
What do Lapointe and Breezy actually do, I wonder? I'm not seeing much development that's for sure
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Mar 16, 2014 12:54:24 GMT -5
Dogs on Sportsnet 360 at 3:00 pm EDT today against the Marlies.
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Post by seventeen on Mar 16, 2014 16:23:45 GMT -5
3-1 Marlies. Saw the first, Hamilton with a big edge, but comes out tied 1-1. Sound familiar?
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Mar 20, 2014 17:51:18 GMT -5
Some third quarter ratings of the Bulldogs forwards. Not surprising to see Andrighetto with a strong rating and a Leblanc with a sliding poor rating. They are headed in opposite directions this season. www.habsworld.net/article.php?id=3350 |
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Post by blny on Mar 20, 2014 18:19:42 GMT -5
If it wasn't already official, Leblanc is a bust. That said, pickings were on the slim side after him. There are few real stand outs from the late first and beyond. Defender Simon Despres would be one. Ryan O'Reilly another.
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Post by Anardil1 on Mar 20, 2014 22:50:57 GMT -5
If it wasn't already official, Leblanc is a bust. That said, pickings were on the slim side after him. There are few real stand outs from the late first and beyond. Defender Simon Despres would be one. Ryan O'Reilly another. I was really undecided on who I preferred for that draft, Leblanc or Kreider. I liked that the scouting reports on Leblanc generally said that he could develop into an elite 3rd line grinder. He was often compared style-wise, as a Mike Richards-lite. I didn't like that the reports said that he needed to improve his skating and add muscle to his small frame. In Kreider, I was very intrigued about his size and skating ability, however he was a total wild card since he was a dominant player in a weak level of competition. Scouts were concerned if his skills could translate to the NHL. I was ok with the pick and understand the special circumstances at the time, that probably influenced the pick, being that that draft was in Montreal, and everyone in the crowd was chanting Louis' name. If anyone else would have been picked, the poor kid would have probably been booed. What a fiasco that would have been, and a black eye on the city's and the team's reputation. I prefer that the draft stays away from Montreal as much as possible, unless it's a down year for local prospects, like this year. There are just too many "fans" of this team who are more concerned with the name on the back, instead of the crest on the front of the jersey. |
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Post by blny on Mar 21, 2014 5:51:26 GMT -5
If it wasn't already official, Leblanc is a bust. That said, pickings were on the slim side after him. There are few real stand outs from the late first and beyond. Defender Simon Despres would be one. Ryan O'Reilly another. I was really undecided on who I preferred for that draft, Leblanc or Kreider. I liked that the scouting reports on Leblanc generally said that he could develop into an elite 3rd line grinder. He was often compared style-wise, as a Mike Richards-lite. I didn't like that the reports said that he needed to improve his skating and add muscle to his small frame. In Kreider, I was very intrigued about his size and skating ability, however he was a total wild card since he was a dominant player in a weak level of competition. Scouts were concerned if his skills could translate to the NHL. I was ok with the pick and understand the special circumstances at the time, that probably influenced the pick, being that that draft was in Montreal, and everyone in the crowd was chanting Louis' name. If anyone else would have been picked, the poor kid would have probably been booed. What a fiasco that would have been, and a black eye on the city's and the team's reputation. I prefer that the draft stays away from Montreal as much as possible, unless it's a down year for local prospects, like this year. There are just too many "fans" of this team who are more concerned with the name on the back, instead of the crest on the front of the jersey. Totally agree wrt Leblanc pick. The name on the back, and where he's from, had a huge impact on his selection. I can't profess to having known a lot about Kreider at the time of the draft. Size, speed, and the willingness to use both always have a place in the league. You can't coach 6'3 230lbs into someone with speed. Either they have it or they don't. You can improve technique, anticipation, and efficiency, but speed is a natural ability and you're either born to be that big or you're not. This is Chris' first full year in the league. He's got 17 goals and 36 points in 63 games. Pretty good complimentary numbers. He's actually got more points than Nash (all be it in ten more games). |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Mar 25, 2014 10:35:51 GMT -5
If it wasn't already official, Leblanc is a bust. That said, pickings were on the slim side after him. There are few real stand outs from the late first and beyond. Defender Simon Despres would be one. Ryan O'Reilly another. I was really undecided on who I preferred for that draft, Leblanc or Kreider. I liked that the scouting reports on Leblanc generally said that he could develop into an elite 3rd line grinder. He was often compared style-wise, as a Mike Richards-lite. I didn't like that the reports said that he needed to improve his skating and add muscle to his small frame. In Kreider, I was very intrigued about his size and skating ability, however he was a total wild card since he was a dominant player in a weak level of competition. Scouts were concerned if his skills could translate to the NHL. I was ok with the pick and understand the special circumstances at the time, that probably influenced the pick, being that that draft was in Montreal, and everyone in the crowd was chanting Louis' name. If anyone else would have been picked, the poor kid would have probably been booed. What a fiasco that would have been, and a black eye on the city's and the team's reputation. I prefer that the draft stays away from Montreal as much as possible, unless it's a down year for local prospects, like this year. There are just too many "fans" of this team who are more concerned with the name on the back, instead of the crest on the front of the jersey. I had very similar thoughts re: Kreider and Leblanc that draft. I really wanted Kreider for his potential given his size and skating ability, but acknowledged that he was coming from a more unproven background. In the end, I had a strong feeling they would pick LL for all the reasons mentioned. It was, and has proven to be, a very weak first round draft class. Given LL's real lack of development the last two seasons, this ship has sailed. He keeps getting passed by prospect after prospect in the depth chart. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Mar 25, 2014 10:38:50 GMT -5
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Post by blny on Mar 25, 2014 11:13:07 GMT -5
Nice find NWT. Good on Andlauer for piping up. It IS a problem. You can tell he feels as though his hands are tied. He can't exactly fire the coach. All he can do is exert some pressure. There's obviously a contract limit that the Canadiens are tied to (50?). NHL roster players, signed prospects, two-way contracts, etc. www.capgeek.com/canadiens/depth-chart/That link shows all the contracts associated with the Canadiens. There are some contracts associated with the Canadiens limit that will have to be addressed. Do they give up on Leblanc? If they do it could open a Bulldogs roster spot to bring in a veteran minor leaguer who can score and teach. Nattinen is another. 6 goals in 62 games? In 150 or so AHL games Joonas has fewer than 25 goals. Not good enough. He's an RFA come July. Let him go I say. Bring in someone that can produce. Czarnik is another one. I don't think you waste NHL contracts on guys that will never be more than 4th liners at the NHL level. Use them for guys you think can produce at the NHL level with some development. Free up Hamilton roster spots for AHL contracts to guys that can score. Guys like Holland, Bozon and Hudon are going to go through Hamilton before making the NHL (if they do). Let's get some people in there that they can learn from. That goes for Thomas too. Andrighetto is a bright spot. Holland scored more than 100pts in his last junior year. What has he done in two years of the AHL? 15 goals in 110 games. Lefebvre isn't going to teach offense. He doesn't know a thing about it. Creative players playing with creative players. It's what's needed. Is there a list somewhere of guys who are eligible AHL ufa players? When I think of players like this, I think of a guy like Mark Greig. A high pick by the Whalers in 1990, he never amounted to much as an NHLer. As a minor leaguer he was a perennial scoring leader. Closer to home, a modern day Craig Darby would fit the bill. Hamilton desperately needs that kind of infusion. |
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Mar 25, 2014 22:13:09 GMT -5
If it wasn't already official, Leblanc is a bust. That said, pickings were on the slim side after him. There are few real stand outs from the late first and beyond. Defender Simon Despres would be one. Ryan O'Reilly another. It's too bad because he did have a pretty good training camp. I thought he might have warranted a roster spot, but there was just no room. Mind you, I thought he could have provided what Briere did and at a huge discount. Maybe we would have seen a different player had he stuck around after training camp. Dunno ... Cheers. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Apr 1, 2014 8:42:11 GMT -5
Brady Vail and Connor Crisp have both been signed to PTOs with the Dogs. Their junior seasons are over, so they can now get a little taste of AHL. Vail has to be signed to his entry level deal this by June and Crisp has an extra year, but given that the Habs drafted him as a 19 year old they can also decide to get him under contract too and playing next season in the pros.
Vail put up good numbers this season and projects to be a two way forward. Crisp is one of the bigger and tougher prospects, so it will be interesting to see his adjustment to the pros.
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Post by blny on Apr 1, 2014 9:41:37 GMT -5
Crisp may just well be a real late bloomer. 4th in team scoring and goes from a -31 to a +11.
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Post by Skilly on Apr 8, 2014 20:31:05 GMT -5
Brady Vail and Connor Crisp have both been signed to PTOs with the Dogs. Their junior seasons are over, so they can now get a little taste of AHL. Vail has to be signed to his entry level deal this by June and Crisp has an extra year, but given that the Habs drafted him as a 19 year old they can also decide to get him under contract too and playing next season in the pros. Vail put up good numbers this season and projects to be a two way forward. Crisp is one of the bigger and tougher prospects, so it will be interesting to see his adjustment to the pros. I was at the Bulldogs vs Ice Caps game tonight. The Ice a Caps won 3-1, and the Bulldogs were never really in it. A nice moment occurred late in the third period, with the Ice Caps leading 3-0, Louis Leblanc made a nice cut to the centre slot got a shot off and Connor Crisp got the rebound and scored. Leblanc didn't even pause, he went and corralled the puck right away, and tossed it to the trainer; it was after all, Crisp's first professional goal ... A little bit of leadership from the guy. One guy I was definitely unimpressed by was Sven Andrighetti (sp?). Too small, too weak, too blah |
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Apr 8, 2014 21:59:55 GMT -5
If it wasn't already official, Leblanc is a bust. That said, pickings were on the slim side after him. There are few real stand outs from the late first and beyond. Defender Simon Despres would be one. Ryan O'Reilly another. Even his girlfriend must agree by now! |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Apr 8, 2014 23:20:08 GMT -5
Brady Vail and Connor Crisp have both been signed to PTOs with the Dogs. Their junior seasons are over, so they can now get a little taste of AHL. Vail has to be signed to his entry level deal this by June and Crisp has an extra year, but given that the Habs drafted him as a 19 year old they can also decide to get him under contract too and playing next season in the pros. Vail put up good numbers this season and projects to be a two way forward. Crisp is one of the bigger and tougher prospects, so it will be interesting to see his adjustment to the pros. I was at the Bulldogs vs Ice Caps game tonight. The Ice a Caps won 3-1, and the Bulldogs were never really in it. A nice moment occurred late in the third period, with the Ice Caps leading 3-0, Louis Leblanc made a nice cut to the centre slot got a shot off and Connor Crisp got the rebound and scored. Leblanc didn't even pause, he went and corralled the puck right away, and tossed it to the trainer; it was after all, Crisp's first professional goal ... A little bit of leadership from the guy. One guy I was definitely unimpressed by was Sven Andrighetti (sp?). Too small, too weak, too blah And it was Crisp's birthday today, so quite a present for him getting his first pro goal. |
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Post by The Habitual Fan on Apr 9, 2014 21:03:23 GMT -5
I saw the Dog's play live tonight and think Crisp has a real future. He skates hard and is a big guy with good hands and hard to try and move around. LeBlanc however was non existent most of the night and probably about 4-5 forwards better than him in my opinion. I also think Dubnyk may never get back to the NHL and has a lot of holes for such a big guy. Pucks hit him but he gave up a lot of rebounds and not a lot of mobility. I understand in Edmonton with a soft defense they were able to fill the net behind him.
I hadn't realized how big Blunden is but was probably the best Dog of the night along with Sorkin who I know nothing about but is another big guy that can move pretty well.
The Dogs have some pretty big guys on the defense like Ellis, Pateryn and Drewiske that looked decent and should offer some depth and toughness to the Habs when they need them.
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Post by BadCompany on Apr 10, 2014 7:36:37 GMT -5
6'4, 225lbs.
I'm just sayin'...
I don't know what happened to Leblanc. He is good enough to be an NHL player. We've seen it, he's played in the NHL, he's been effective in the NHL. Talent and ability were not the issue. He was great in the preseason. So what happened to him? Confidence completely shot?
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? thoughts over "the power play not coming up big and then they tied it up on the power play and then they scored another goal". 
