Tatar: 'You try to absorb as much information as you can'

WINNIPEG - Interim head coach Dominique Ducharme is taking a step-by-step approach to making key changes in the Canadiens' game.

The fact that he's going slow, however, won't necessarily facilitate things because the schedule is so condensed that practice days are rather scarce.
That means that Ducharme's players must process the tactics being communicated by him and the rest of the coaching staff as quickly as possible.
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Following Friday afternoon's practice at Bell MTS Place, Tomas Tatar was asked about internalizing brand new methods with 19 contests already in the books.
Admittedly, the 30-year-old left-winger isn't fazed by what's being asked of the group right now, referring to the situation as a "good challenge" for everyone.
"You try to absorb as much information as you can. There's a lot of new stuff with what's been presented to us. You just have to be sharp and try to absorb like a sponge to get everything so you don't think on the ice as much and you just do it," said Tatar, who scored his fifth goal of the season in Thursday night's 6-3 loss to the Jets. "You have a talk with the coach. You know what he would like to do. It's a fresh start, and I think we're all excited."

Tatar is hopeful that under Ducharme's guidance the Canadiens will soon resemble the contingent that stormed out of the gates in mid-January and proved far too much for opponents to handle again and again.
The 10-year NHL veteran knows everyone must play to their potential to move the squad forward.
"We win as a team, we lose as a team. I think the stuff we have to be better at, we all know it, we just have to work on it. We just have to be more clear. These are the days when we can catch up on all this stuff," explained Tatar. "We want to look fast and be dangerous as a team, as a whole group together. It's on us and it's time to work."
Captain Shea Weber is certainly in agreement there.
He insists there aren't any shortcuts when it comes to getting up to speed under these conditions.
"We don't have the reps and we don't have the training camp to implement a lot of things that he wants to do. We're doing a lot more video and trying to sort those things out, but guys are asking questions and are engaged. It's going to have to happen quickly," stressed Weber. "Guys are going to have to be responsible, do their jobs and get this thing turned around."

Ducharme and company are trying to make the modifications digestable, of course, noting that he wants to ensure "when we go to bed tonight, we're going to be a better team than when we got up."
He doesn't know how long it'll be before the changes take hold and become second nature, but he believes it's worth the wait.
"We've got to be good at controlling what we can control. Our focus is on that. We can talk standings all day. We can talk about how much we want to win the next game. But if we don't do it the right way, if we don't take the right path to success, then it won't happen as often as we want," said Ducharme. "We want to build that so that at one point we're becoming consistent in the way we play and do things. Then our results are going to be consistent on the positive side."
Besting the Jets in the road trip finale on Saturday night would undoubtedly give the Canadiens a huge boost as their re-education continues.
Ducharme is turning to goaltender Jake Allen to help snap a winless skid that currently stands at four games, while Carey Price will watch from the bench after surrendering five goals on 29 shots.
"Carey will have the time to practice and work with Stephane over the next few days before playing again. I wanted to use Jake in the right way, too," said Ducharme. "Carey had a good day today, and he'll have another good day tomorrow, and we'll keep moving forward."

Even though Price's numbers haven't been as stellar as usual, the new man at the helm is adamant that the seven-time All-Star remains an all-important piece of the puzzle.
Plenty of assignments await both Price and Allen, respectively, according to Ducharme.
"We're going to need both of our goaltenders to play good hockey. You look at our schedule and you see the games. It would be impossible for one goaltender alone to be a part of the solution," he indicated. "We're going to need all of our players and we're going to need both of our goaltenders."
Tatar's own words suggest the Canadiens' forwards and defensemen alike are primed to deliver a solid performance in front of Allen to close out their week-long trek.
The Jets have rattled off three straight wins and are 7-3-1 on home ice, so everything will have to click to come away victorious.
"If we all stick together, work hard and show the emotion for the game, and win the game, I think it's going to push us in the right direction. The earlier we do it, the better we'll be. I'm really highly optimistic. I think we will play well," said Tatar. "I believe we'll bring it all and have a good game."

The Habs could be deprived of right-winger Josh Anderson for the rematch, though.
He's day-to-day with a lower-body injury sustained on Thursday night.