(Seattle) Now that his players have got rid of the heavy burden that was attached to their skates by crushing the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night, Dominique Ducharme hopes this is the start of a streak that will allow them, as quickly as possible, to make people forget their difficult start to the season.
Just over 24 hours before a first outing at the Climate Pledge Arena, the castle of the Kraken in Seattle, the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens also recalled that the job has only just begun.
“We talked about the fact that we needed a victory. There, we want to start from that and build on it because we want to be even better, ”noted Ducharme, who met the media after the team’s training on Monday.
“The victory was good, but at the same time, we know we have work to do,” added Ducharme, who liked the dynamism of his attack on Saturday night.
“We put ourselves in a situation, there we have to catch up with this situation and then continue to move forward. We want to have a good trip. We have a good group, these are guys who want to do well and be successful. But it took that to get us to something else, ”Ducharme also said of his players’ 6-1 victory.
Holder of the worst record in the Eastern Conference (1-5-0), the Canadian begins Tuesday night a series of four games in six days in the American West.
After his stopover in Seattle, the Habs will visit the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday and the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday. These last two games will be played at 4 p.m.
Afterwards, the Canadian will return to the Bell Center to play five straight games, starting with another visit to the Red Wings on November 2.
Perhaps by then, Nick Suzuki will have regained his touch in the offensive zone, he who has only one assist in his first six outings. When asked about him, Ducharme did not seem too worried, however.
“I think he had a good game. The only thing, and this is a bit normal, he is one of those who is looking for his first goal, ”he said.
Moreover, Ducharme does not seem to believe that the lucrative contract extension he signed two weeks ago is the source of his difficulties.
“He’s a guy who wants to do well, who wants to contribute. Sometimes it’s not necessarily the contract, it’s the hockey player who wants to help his teammates and his team, who knows that he can have an impact, who puts pressure on himself, precisely, to be able to contribute. “, Considers the head coach of the Habs.
“Then when things don’t happen you push harder, you try harder, and sometimes it’s not the right way.” In his case, it’s not a lack of effort. His last games have been better. But I find he tries one more feint. We have the impression that he wants to put the puck in the net. He has to trust himself. ”