REV-G Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 I don't have the answer to this question because I don't follow teams like Minnesota very closely. So I'm asking, how in the world has Guillaume Latendresse done so well after he was traded from his native province, where you'd think he had lots of motivation to play well and look good in front of family and friends? My guess is that he probably grew up dreaming of playing for Montreal, so what happened? Before the trade he played 23 games for Montreal and had 2 goals and 1 assist for 3 points. Since the trade he's played 47 games with Minnesota and has 24 goals and 10 assists for 34 points. This season he's played roughly double the games for Minnesota than he did for Montreal, so if his goal production had doubled we wouldn't be surprised. But his goal production since the trade hasn't doubled. He has scored 12 times more goals and ten times more assists and 11 times more points in Minnesota than he did in Montreal this season. So what in the world is up?? And that hasn't happened to other guys on Montreal. Injuries aside, Gionta is having a close to a career year. Mike Cammelari would be around 35-40 goals without injuries. Andre Kostitsyn was playing great. Thomas Plekanek is having a career year. Benoit Pouliot has played so much better in Montreal that he did in Minnesota, and he's resurrected his career almost from the first game he played here. So what in the world has happened. New guys come in and flourish, but a guy who grew up here and played hockey here has to be moved to Minnesota before he blossoms! Doesn't make sense to me. Can anyone explain it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fanpuck33 Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 The answer to that question is the same answer to the question of why Benoit Pouliot has had a nearly identical transformation - sometimes guys just need a change of scenery. Lats had the pressure of being the favored son of French-Quebec. Pouliot had the pressure of being a big time prospect. Latendresse struggled to produce the kind of offense that people expected out of him. Pouliot chafed in a defensive system in Minnesota. Both fell out of favor with the coaching staffs. Neither was a complainer, but neither was trusted with a more significant role on their respective team. Both were given important roles right away with their new teams and have flourished under the new-found confidence being placed in them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REV-G Posted March 22, 2010 Author Share Posted March 22, 2010 But Latendresse had played on top lines in Montreal and had important roles at times, skated on the same size ice surface, played against the same teams and goalies but as soon as he arrives on a different team, he blossoms almost immediately! I can understand Pouliot better bacause as you pointed out, he played in a very defensive system and couldn't be free to do his thing. But it seems different with Latendresse. Something's strange! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fanpuck33 Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 But Latendresse had played on top lines in Montreal and had important roles at times, skated on the same size ice surface, played against the same teams and goalies but as soon as he arrives on a different team, he blossoms almost immediately! I can understand Pouliot better bacause as you pointed out, he played in a very defensive system and couldn't be free to do his thing. But it seems different with Latendresse. Something's strange! But when was Lats truly given the kind of freedom he got immediately in Minny? He'd get a couple games here and a couple games there on a top line, but he was on the 3rd or 4th lines almost the entire time in Montreal. He was one of our best players last season and didn't get much of a shot on an offensive line this year. Add in the pressure of being Quebec's favored son and any mistake is magnified tenfold. In Minnesota, people are just glad they have someone other than a "bust" in Pouliot. Now, this can be taken one of two ways. It could be used as an indictment against fans who clamor for more of a Quebecois presence on the team or it can be used an evidence the team needs more Quebecois players. Either the fans are too much for almost any Quebecois player to really succeed long term or the fact that there are so few that all the pressure gets placed on one or two guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saskhab Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 Gui clashed with Jacques right from the start. That probably had a lot to do with everything. Remember, both were on teams that had new coaches come in and try and impose their will/style. Sometimes, there are victims of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athlétique.Canadien Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 (edited) There's some suggestion from the media and whisper news that has made its way to mainstream media that Lapierre and Latendresse had a close relationship. It has been suggested that their friendship led to a clique in the room. Play suffered for both. Lapierre has not been salvaged by the Lats trade - Gainey had hoped he would be. Maybe he has to play with more passion!!! Lapierre's play makes me want MAB back on the fourth more than him. Lapierre is getting rubbed out of the play at a 99% rate right now IMO! Anyway, this thread isn't about Lapierrre. Latendresse was always shifted from line 1 to 3 on a regular basis. It's a (IMO/suspect) combination of "rockstar" Quebecois status (similar to Phaneuf in Calgary) coupled with being bounced around from line to line. And, another great potential player leaves the Habs and achieves. We've never heard that before. Thank goodness so far Pouliot seems like a far better marriage than Lats ever was. Both the player and the braintrust are equally to blame. I have no ill feelings towards Latendresse. Sure he was a rockstar but the fans and the team encouraged that didn't we? We wanted it! The fact he failed at that isn't his fault! Edited March 22, 2010 by Athlétique.Canadien Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueKross Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 But Latendresse had played on top lines in Montreal and had important roles at times, skated on the same size ice surface, played against the same teams and goalies but as soon as he arrives on a different team, he blossoms almost immediately! I can understand Pouliot better bacause as you pointed out, he played in a very defensive system and couldn't be free to do his thing. But it seems different with Latendresse. Something's strange! How many times have you seen this work in reverse; where a guy will go into a new system, possibly for more money, and stink the place out. If you get into a system, that you have success in, you should think long and hard about changing venus. Conversely if teams have players such as Latendresse and Pouliot who are not meeting expectations you have nothing to lose by making a switch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JacksonJ Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 (edited) It could just be that in Montreal, an in the East in general speed is very important. While in the West size and strength are more important. It could just be a coincidence, but it seems most of the players who have success out West are big, gritty players. Lats never played up to his size in Montreal, but that could be because we always tried to make him play a system he couldn't keep up with. Edited March 22, 2010 by JacksonJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KEEP26 Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 when your trade, its a wake up call...in montreal everything was give to him now he got to show up or he wont last long in the nhl...i have always heard that he had a bad attitude even back in the junior canada team..I think attitude as been the biggest problem with Latendresse.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 I think he's listening to his coach. He never went to the net here. He's doing that there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Chicoutimi Cucumber Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 Lats also stated that he 'knew' his time was up when Gainey refused to give him a longer-term contract. That, coupled with his conflict with Martin, likely led to him being unmotivated in his last weeks in Montreal; and I'm sure the general summer purge compounded his impression that it was only a matter of time. He seemed to quit on the organization, in short, as much as it quit on him. I never had any beef with him, but I wasn't too impressed with his parting shots to the Habs - those comments that (in effect) he was entitled to top-6 ice-time struck me as *exactly* the kind of attitude that motivated Gainey to demolish the 2008-09 squad. Pouliot also seems to have more potential, to my eye at least, to become a genuinely dangerous offensive forward. So fare ye well, Lats. Nobody's missing you as far as I can tell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeLassister Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 It could just be that in Montreal, an in the East in general speed is very important. While in the West size and strength are more important. It could just be a coincidence, but it seems most of the players who have success out West are big, gritty players. Lats never played up to his size in Montreal, but that could be because we always tried to make him play a system he couldn't keep up with. Dunno. Everytime I watch a Western game, I always find it faster. Could be me though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KoZed Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 In Minny he's not asked to come back down so low in his zone, so he he's always a good 7-8 steps closer to the offensive zone. For a guy like him with no acceleration it makes a difference between being one of the first forwards in the crease or on the puck in the offensive zone. That and, oh, his coach likes him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saskhab Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 Dunno. Everytime I watch a Western game, I always find it faster. Could be me though. Tough to say. There's less free skating, as the teams seem to challenge every inch of the ice. They're quick on the puck, that's for sure. More aggressive on the forecheck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafikz Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 (edited) I think he's listening to his coach. He never went to the net here. He's doing that there. Ugh He has scored most of his goals with Minny by skating, deking and shooting The Habs in general really failed with his development And I don't understand why JM was obsessed with his "parque ton char devant le net a la Holstrom pi ce tout " Edited March 23, 2010 by rafikz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 Who cares. I'm glad to have Pouliot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wamsley01 Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 Ugh He has scored most of his goals with Minny by skating, deking and shooting The Habs in general really failed with his development And I don't understand why JM was obsessed with his "parque ton char devant le net a la Holstrom pi ce tout " His shooting % is absurdly high with the Wild. If it was at 15% he would have 7 goals less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 His shooting % is absurdly high with the Wild. If it was at 15% he would have 7 goals less. Well, he does play Edmonton more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habitforming Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 Well, he does play Edmonton more. 7-8 minutes more ice time helps too. I prefer Benny Chicken over Tenderness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saskhab Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 His shooting % is absurdly high with the Wild. If it was at 15% he would have 7 goals less. So is Pouliot's, though. Heck, he's already started to cool off a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hab29RETIRED Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 7-8 minutes more ice time helps too. I prefer Benny Chicken over Tenderness. I wouldn't call him tenderness anymore. He is finally throwing around his weight now and driving hard to the net, while Benny is starting to look like the Benny fro Minny. Hopefully it is just a blip. Pouliot has WAY more talent then Lats, but the habs could really use Lats size. The last two games they have really been pushed around and haven't been able to repond physically. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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