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5 reasons our future is bright for years to come


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If memory serves, Lefebvre had solid assistant coaching credentials that suggested he might be able to develop into a successful head coach. Keeping in mind the unfortunate requirement that Habs' coaches be francophones, MB probably made a sensible calculation that this was a guy who could hone his chops in Hamilton and eventually become a candidate for duties with the big club.

That it was a reasonable decision doesn't mean it was a correct one, though. We learned from the Gainey years how disastrous it can be to have problems with your developmental pipeline. If Lefebvre is as inept as nearly everyone appears to think, then he should be canned without delay and some other qualified francophone be given the job under the Canadiens' Affirmative Action Coaching Program.

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I don't think Bergevin and company are telling Lefebvre to regularly play guys on minor league deals or tryouts ahead of actual Montreal prospects (as we've seen happen with Leblanc, Nattinen, Ellis, Dietz, etc in recent years). That would simply be devaluing their own prospects which is something a GM wouldn't want.

Is just my dumb take on it; (just maybe crappy results arnt all/mostly due to Hamilton coaching; but what do I really know.... maybe it is and am out to lunch?)

but, Ellis, Leblanc, Nattinen are not in NHL (nor likely to ever be) and was unlikely due to a Tarnasty-Maxime M. -Finley-Chouinard playing over them, nor who is coaching?

Devaluing happens, as it has with Bourque, if prospect simply not cutting it, go to plan B at begrudging blessing of Bergy? Maybe?

And Dietz is basically still pretty much a AHL-rookie with lots to learn and has played in 13 of their 14 games I think.

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Is just my dumb take on it; (just maybe crappy results arnt all/mostly due to Hamilton coaching; but what do I really know.... maybe it is and am out to lunch?)

but, Ellis, Leblanc, Nattinen are not in NHL (nor likely to ever be) and was unlikely due to a Tarnasty-Maxime M. -Finley-Chouinard playing over them, nor who is coaching?

Devaluing happens, as it has with Bourque, if prospect simply not cutting it, go to plan B at begrudging blessing of Bergy? Maybe?

And Dietz is basically still pretty much a AHL-rookie with lots to learn and has played in 13 of their 14 games I think.

Leblanc was in the doghouse the second Lefebvre took over (and that was coming off a season where he played more NHL games than AHL ones and didn't look half bad). I'm pretty sure the Habs would have preferred that he play meaningful minutes to see if their first round prospect had some potential rather than playing with a goon and Stephane Chaput. He also has played better with Norfolk this season, producing at a level better than either year with Sly at the helm. Heck, Tokarski was inexplicably in the doghouse last year...and he was the team MVP.

As for Dietz, the benchings I was referring to was from last year where after he recovered from injury, he didn't play for a while as a healthy scratch while guys like Schiestel, Chouinard, and McIver stayed in the lineup.

Not all of Hamilton's shortcomings can be blamed on the coaching though, Montreal management hasn't set them up to succeed a whole lot. But in-game mismanagement has cost this team a lot in Lefebvre's tenure and he doesn't seem to be changing his ways. That's not good and that's why a lot are hoping for a change.

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Leblanc was in the doghouse the second Lefebvre took over (and that was coming off a season where he played more NHL games than AHL ones and didn't look half bad). I'm pretty sure the Habs would have preferred that he play meaningful minutes to see if their first round prospect had some potential rather than playing with a goon and Stephane Chaput. He also has played better with Norfolk this season, producing at a level better than either year with Sly at the helm. Heck, Tokarski was inexplicably in the doghouse last year...and he was the team MVP.

As for Dietz, the benchings I was referring to was from last year where after he recovered from injury, he didn't play for a while as a healthy scratch while guys like Schiestel, Chouinard, and McIver stayed in the lineup.

Not all of Hamilton's shortcomings can be blamed on the coaching though, Montreal management hasn't set them up to succeed a whole lot. But in-game mismanagement has cost this team a lot in Lefebvre's tenure and he doesn't seem to be changing his ways. That's not good and that's why a lot are hoping for a change.

I think 100% are hoping for change of fortune and 99.9% would start with coachs, I get that.

I am just putting forth that might be darn near same result with 3 new coaches (say from the Q), who are specifically directed to do this or that and simply don't worry about wins/losses? Maybe is some fancy motivational strategy is to not boost ego (tough love of some sort?) of youngsters :blush: ....or something other than mostly Lefebvre incompetence?

I don't really disagree with you, just wonder.

(5 positives, always are prospects we can hope are future All-stars, relatively skilled young core, solid/committed ownership, GM seems unafraid of internal competition and has assembled a good looking group around him and absolutely crazy fanbase. :thumbs_up:)

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I ain't schmart enough to judge GM's but as they say, I know what I like and I think I'm seeing quite a bit of that.

I want to put in a word for MT as well, not because I have any idea what I'm talking about, but when a new player comments on the Habs dressing room being one of the best he's ever walked in to, I can't imagine this excellent characteristic existing if there isn't a solid relationship with the management man in the room.

I like the way the team is being run. I like the changes while respecting Jorges and Gionta for instance, and I'd say our excellent core has a couple of keen contenders for that status. The acquisition of Gonchar struck me as brave. Bravery is good. He's said to be one of the finest men in the NHL. That's a good thing.

Barring the unforseeable...like the St Lawrence taking out Montreal... I see a team we'll all enjoy watching for years to come.

And I'm especially glad we've got a "room" you want to walk into.

Go Habs Go!!

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Really? So no longer is it shitty coaching overall, Gilbert & Weaver being crap players, line scrambling, nor Bergevin's idiotic player development holding them back anymore?

So negative of the week is small centres, OK thanks for update. :popcorn:

Dont like the coach no. Stated it enough times on a thread titled "When Does Therrien Get Fired" ( Obviously i am not alone on that one) Never used the word "idiotic" and Bergevin in the same sentence. Have been nothing but positive on Beuilue and Tinordi, also have bee nothing but positive when it comes to Eller, Prust, Manny, Markov, PK, Pacs, Price, Tokarski, Emeilin, Sekac, Gallagher, Chucky, Weiss. PAP. Did not want Gonchar playing ahead of kids, but have commented on how smooth he has been.

Of course I have stated the weaknesses i see as well. ie. Lack of serious No 1 center. Gilbert and Weaver, Moen, ( bourque i held out hope for longer than most) dont like Therrien. Team is still on the small and soft side. All problematic come play off time.

more positives than negatives here.

"ok thanks for the update" :thumbs_up:

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Every team has weaknesses. We may not have a "#1 center" or might be a little soft but our strengths definitely out weigh our weaknesses. No team is perfect, so i just don't understand the mentality of harping on these things. This team made the final four out of 30 teams last year, are leading the NHL in points so far this year, and it is still being criticized? We were one Price injury away from potentially reaching the finals. I don't know about everyone else, but this is the happiest I've been as a Habs fan since I can remember.

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Every team has weaknesses. We may not have a "#1 center" or might be a little soft but our strengths definitely out weigh our weaknesses. No team is perfect, so i just don't understand the mentality of harping on these things. This team made the final four out of 30 teams last year, are leading the NHL in points so far this year, and it is still being criticized? We were one Price injury away from potentially reaching the finals. I don't know about everyone else, but this is the happiest I've been as a Habs fan since I can remember.

Totally agree!

This is the happiest I've been since I can remember.... 1993, right between the births of my two kids in '92, and '94 was arguably the most surprise cup for the Habs....

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This team is excellent - the most fundamentally strong Habs' team since 1994. Any "negativity" has to be based on the question of whether we are high-end contenders, along with Chicago, LA, and a couple of other teams. Other than that there is really no serious cause for complaint. After 15 years of futility, I find it slightly sad that some fans can't see the forest for the trees and dwell on the negative, but what are you gonna do.

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Dont like the coach no. Stated it enough times on a thread titled "When Does Therrien Get Fired" ( Obviously i am not alone on that one) Never used the word "idiotic" and Bergevin in the same sentence. Have been nothing but positive on Beuilue and Tinordi, also have bee nothing but positive when it comes to Eller, Prust, Manny, Markov, PK, Pacs, Price, Tokarski, Emeilin, Sekac, Gallagher, Chucky, Weiss. PAP. Did not want Gonchar playing ahead of kids, but have commented on how smooth he has been.

Of course I have stated the weaknesses i see as well. ie. Lack of serious No 1 center. Gilbert and Weaver, Moen, ( bourque i held out hope for longer than most) dont like Therrien. Team is still on the small and soft side. All problematic come play off time.

more positives than negatives here.

"ok thanks for the update" :thumbs_up:

You do realize you might not come off as most positive 'booster' of Habs; again, not that is anything wrong with that...just saying.

You seem to have a neverending laundry list why they arnt a contender, so assume you would almost prefer to tank for McDavid as go for cup. No?

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You do realize you might not come off as most positive 'booster' of Habs; again, not that is anything wrong with that...just saying.

You seem to have a neverending laundry list why they arnt a contender, so assume you would almost prefer to tank for McDavid as go for cup. No?

and you make a lot of assumptions ................ getting the first pick over all is not a one way ticket to contention ...... ash the oilers about that

"never ending laundry list" lol .... nah. mentioned it and was challenged on it repeatedly....... so I responded rather than ignoring. that ok boss?

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I honestly think the 96 team, if they never made the Philly and Colorado trades or made Tremblay, could have won the Cup that year.

You would have had a forward core including Damphousse, Turgeon, Koivu, Bure and Leclair while Desjardins would be leading at the backend and Roy in net. They were a pretty high offence team with good organizational defence but kept stripping their blueliners. Leclair replaces what Rucinsky brought easily. Patrick Roy just needed a coach that believed in him and that he didn't hate.

The whole reason we lost to the Rangers was we let them drop us four straight. Wouldn't have happened with Roy in net. We would have went the distance with the Penguins but there's no way the Panthers would have taken us out. That leaves probably a Red Wings vs. Habs finale that could go either way if Roy is in net.

Instead that club made so many terrible decisions post 93.

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Every team has weaknesses. We may not have a "#1 center" or might be a little soft but our strengths definitely out weigh our weaknesses. No team is perfect, so i just don't understand the mentality of harping on these things. This team made the final four out of 30 teams last year, are leading the NHL in points so far this year, and it is still being criticized? We were one Price injury away from potentially reaching the finals. I don't know about everyone else, but this is the happiest I've been as a Habs fan since I can remember.

i hear ya there. It is the best team they have had in sometime. Nobody is harping. The topicis "future for years to come" some think the team is a stanley cup contender for the first time since 94...............some still think they need a little more. Geez, ya think some one was cutting up your grandmothers on here. The way some fans react to "room for improvement" comments. ha! I am not a sold as some of you is all. No resting on laurels is my attitude. Seen better teams than this not get a sniff come Cup time.

I honestly think the 96 team, if they never made the Philly and Colorado trades or made Tremblay, could have won the Cup that year.

You would have had a forward core including Damphousse, Turgeon, Koivu, Bure and Leclair while Desjardins would be leading at the backend and Roy in net. They were a pretty high offence team with good organizational defence but kept stripping their blueliners. Leclair replaces what Rucinsky brought easily. Patrick Roy just needed a coach that believed in him and that he didn't hate.

The whole reason we lost to the Rangers was we let them drop us four straight. Wouldn't have happened with Roy in net. We would have went the distance with the Penguins but there's no way the Panthers would have taken us out. That leaves probably a Red Wings vs. Habs finale that could go either way if Roy is in net.

Instead that club made so many terrible decisions post 93.

Wont argue with that. It did all come apart so quickly.

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and you make a lot of assumptions ................ getting the first pick over all is not a one way ticket to contention ...... ash the oilers about that

"never ending laundry list" lol .... nah. mentioned it and was challenged on it repeatedly....... so I responded rather than ignoring. that ok boss?

'Boss'..ugg, creepy, anyways

ya i make assumptions, accusations, flip-flop on stuff, cheerlead a bit too much (perhaps) and sphew BS, but thread is "Postive future' type stuff and i see lots of + stuff to get excited about.

cheers :gohabsgo::wavetowel::1gohabs::scared:

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'Boss'..ugg, creepy, anyways

ya i make assumptions, accusations, flip-flop on stuff, cheerlead a bit too much (perhaps) and sphew BS, but thread is "Postive future' type stuff and i see lots of + stuff to get excited about.

cheers :gohabsgo::wavetowel::1gohabs::scared:

cheers

boss remark was regarding your remark "you want to tank to get McDavid" that came outta left field, without merit and sounded a tad "bossy"

cheers

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cheers

boss remark was regarding your remark "you want to tank to get McDavid" that came outta left field, without merit and sounded a tad "bossy"

cheers

ahh, take it all with grain a salt, but If you aint on-bandwagon, I assume you wouldn't mind (or must see as way out) tossing tis year; due to Therrien still at helm and cant win with him coaching I have heard, cant win with 14-51 at centre, Weaver/Gilbert juts not good enough to be on Habs, etc.

So the only way to change all that; is simply to tank bad enough and reshuffle the deck for further down the road for maybe 2016-17.

Unless you think that possibly, they might just have a legit chance to win a cup as they are (with possible add-on/two in Feb)?

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I wonder what the team would even add in February, if in a situation where the team is healthy. Especially with Bork in the AHL if we ever wanted to pull up a temporary forward.

Buffalo: Stewart will cost too much and he's just a younger Bourque. No interest in Stafford or Mitchell. Meszaros will get a first rounder from a Western conference club.

Carolina: Meh on Tlusty. Meh on Sekara.

Columbus: If a guy like Weise went down I'd love to grab up Foligno.

Dallas: If they are indeed just a bad team this season, they got Spezza, Horcoff and Cole as UFAs.

Philly and Edmonton: Doing poorly and have nobody as UFA

If they stumble out of a playoff spot I'd maybe take a flyer out on Curtis Glenncross. Don't see anything else I'd want to spend on. Ain't like when we needed a top six forward and got Vanek.

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I wonder what the team would even add in February, if in a situation where the team is healthy. Especially with Bork in the AHL if we ever wanted to pull up a temporary forward.

Buffalo: Stewart will cost too much and he's just a younger Bourque. No interest in Stafford or Mitchell. Meszaros will get a first rounder from a Western conference club.

Carolina: Meh on Tlusty. Meh on Sekara.

Columbus: If a guy like Weise went down I'd love to grab up Foligno.

Dallas: If they are indeed just a bad team this season, they got Spezza, Horcoff and Cole as UFAs.

Philly and Edmonton: Doing poorly and have nobody as UFA

If they stumble out of a playoff spot I'd maybe take a flyer out on Curtis Glenncross. Don't see anything else I'd want to spend on. Ain't like when we needed a top six forward and got Vanek.

I agree with all that, particularly the Foligno thing... guy is a gamer. Interesting question, but early... :hyper:

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Every team has weaknesses. We may not have a "#1 center" or might be a little soft but our strengths definitely out weigh our weaknesses. No team is perfect, so i just don't understand the mentality of harping on these things. This team made the final four out of 30 teams last year, are leading the NHL in points so far this year, and it is still being criticized? We were one Price injury away from potentially reaching the finals. I don't know about everyone else, but this is the happiest I've been as a Habs fan since I can remember.

Hey exactly. I mentioned those "weaknesses" (center,average coaching,shallow d) and was raked over the coals by some. ha! sensitive or what!, Iget it. But I am not "harping" as much as am responding to those who "harp" on my comments simply because i dont believe the habs are as good as their record says they are. We agree to disagree. cheers

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ahh, take it all with grain a salt, but If you aint on-bandwagon, I assume you wouldn't mind (or must see as way out) tossing tis year; due to Therrien still at helm and cant win with him coaching I have heard, cant win with 14-51 at centre, Weaver/Gilbert juts not good enough to be on Habs, etc.

So the only way to change all that; is simply to tank bad enough and reshuffle the deck for further down the road for maybe 2016-17.

Unless you think that possibly, they might just have a legit chance to win a cup as they are (with possible add-on/two in Feb)?

"only way to change that" is to tank? lol....Tanking is for teams that are doing a complete rebuild around said player ( Mario, Lindros, Sid , Macdavid) Pitt, Quebec, Buffalo....the record shows those teams suspected of tanking, were all bottom feeding non play off teams. No, "the only way to change" not having a no 1 center is to develop one, trade for one, or free agency. Shallow D? "Build through the draft and player development" MB's words the day he was hired. Average coaching?.............well because of the bi lingual thing the Canadians have restricted themselves to the smallest sample size in all of sports to chose a coach from. They handy cap themselves with that policy.

"tanking" ! tabarnac ....bite your tongue

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"only way to change that" is to tank? lol....Tanking is for teams that are doing a complete rebuild around said player ( Mario, Lindros, Sid , Macdavid) Pitt, Quebec, Buffalo....the record shows those teams suspected of tanking, were all bottom feeding non play off teams. No, "the only way to change" not having a no 1 center is to develop one, trade for one, or free agency. Shallow D? "Build through the draft and player development" MB's words the day he was hired. Average coaching?.............well because of the bi lingual thing the Canadians have restricted themselves to the smallest sample size in all of sports to chose a coach from. They handy cap themselves with that policy.

"tanking" ! tabarnac ....bite your tongue

So this weak pretender team, just needs a tweek or two to be a Cup-contender?

Hmm.

And which Anglo coach(s) are available that would be upgrade?

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I can't believe Therrien is getting this much crap. He has .700 record this season and has averaged a .635 winning record since joining the habs. Not many other coaches can boast those kind of numbers over the past 2 years.

Therrien is NOT the problem!

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