ForumGhost

People are forgetting Huet and Price already? They are both excellent goalies that can carry a team. Just because they have bad nights...

Well, tonight was pretty much a losing effort by everyone, but can some please explain why Smolinski saw so much PP time? When will Carbo understand that he is not an offensive player?

Why is it that whenever anything at all happens, people think there is going to be a trade? I don't get it.

Kovalev is the obvious answer, but there are a handful. I would have to say Sergei Kostitsyn. Usually, it takes much longer for younger players to click so well offensively. Time will make him even better.

I support this fully. It's something new!

Also, don't forget, we were short benched on top of that, missing one of our most consistent offensive threats. Let me ask: what do you see here?

Lol, you guys are priceless. 5 of a possible 6 points returning after the break? I'll take that any day. Great game, entertained throughout. Higgins was a machine tonight, probably the best player on the ice. That goal is Hamrlik's fault, but I won't hold it against him. Everyone makes mistakes, and last I checked, he doesn't make many.

This goon talk annoys me. I wouldn't sacrifice actual offense for someone who can barely skate, especially with almost all of our roster spots being occupied by young players who need ice time.

I'd like to see Higgins play with more offensive players though. Pleks + Higgins = offense

I think that's only because they had a comfortable lead that the young players got more icetime.

It's not an automatic loss with Huet, he just hasn't been lucky thus far.

Am I the only one this is bugging? Here is the official spelling I keep seeing on nhl.com's scoresheets: "Siarhei Kastsitsyn".

Hmm... People always say Kovalev can't play with Koivu, but with both of their ability to dangle the puck, it should make for some consistent offensive zone presence. When that line is on the ice, they should try to set up a box as quickly as possible rather than dumping right away. Also, I like the two brothers getting some solid ice time together. But why were the lines even changed anyways? Last time I checked, Sergei, Chris and Saku weren't doing so bad... Not like Carbo won't change the lines after 2 shifts anways.

On paper, it seems smart but think about the impact it could have. First off, what would it say to Huet if he busts his ass to get the team into the shootouts and then all the glory goes to Price if he wins the shootout? Also, what happens in Price doesn't preform well in the shootout due to being cold? Obviously being thrown into a high-pressure situation with no warming up puts him at a disadvantage, and it could hurt his confidence big time if he drops the ball. I'm not a big fan of protecting out prospects, but doing this is like daring Price to fail.

Koivu. I hate the Leafs, but I have a lot of respect for Sundin. He's a consistent point-getter, even in his old age. That being said, Koivu represents the fighting spirit of the Habs. A true ice warrior. Just his run-and-gun, underdog style is fun to watch while Sundin is more steady and composed. I especially love how Koivu looks like he never has control of the puck when being pressured, falling all over the place and whatnot, but how he always seems to come up with it at the end. Also, his lateral movement is excellent and makes for thrilling goals. Plus, battling back from cancer and competing in the playoffs adds ti the whole emotional element of his character. On top of that, he's a true leader. I'm not sure exactly what goes on in that locker room, but he always says the right things to the press and leads by example on the ice. Plus, it's not like Koivu can't put up points either.

I've lurked these forums long enough, I can't hold it in anymore. We have a good team, and we will have an even better one in a couple years. The fact is, we have a young team, but people expect them to play like a fully-matured one immediately. The whole plan all along was to start young and let them grow, and I think that's exactly what's happened thus far. If you ask me, everything's going along with Bob's plan. Just look at our young players that have been here a couple years: Higgins, Pleks and Komi? Are they good? Yes. Higgins in a goal-scoring machine waiting to happen, anyone can see it. If he could finish the majority of his good chances, he would easily be on pace to a 40 goal season at least. The more experience he gets, the better he will become at finishing his chances. On top of that, he's got tons of energy. Pleks is the same deal, an energetic centre straight out of the Koivu mould. His feet are always moving, he can create some great plays and he has a decent shot on top of that. And, as always, time will make him bettet and wiser. Komi is going to be wrestling with Markov and Hamrlik for the top D spot, and that's saying a lot. He has intensity and skill, and is still maturing. He may not put up the number of Markov or play as steady as Hamrlik, but he's often been our overall best defender in many games this season. Now look at who's going to be coming up. The Kostitsyn brothers are the obvious place to start. Both of them have shown offensive flair but their consistency is going to be the question. But look at Pleks and Higgins. Were they the most consistent offensive threats of the team when they started? Heck no. It took time. I have no doubt that the brothers are going to be the Sedins of our team in a couple years. Lapierre's role is clear. He can get under the skin of almost any player in the league, and that's what we need him to do. Once he learns to handle the puck a little better, he could fit very nicely on an offensive line if we need him to. Chipchura? Can you complain about him? No one expects him to be a score-sheet hog, but holy cow, is he years ahead of himself. His composure on the ice is that of someone at least 5 years older than him. He always on the puck, and when he has it, he knows what to do with it. He has all the tools to dish out assists on a constant basis with a good winger or two. Latendresse has had some rocky points, but I believe a lot of people still don't realize how young he is. Everything people expect of him are things learned in time. However, recently has been one of our best forwards on more than one night, so I think we will start to see his growth sooner than later. These are just a couple examples. Obviously, I don't need to mention Price. Every possible good thing about his has already been said, and that easily outweighs the bad. If you ask me, this team has a bright future. Bob has drafted smart, and that's all I ask him to do. Remember, it's not always a GM's fault for not being able to pull off a big trade. I'm not in favor of trading out future core away for a quick fix, so who's left to trade? Ryder? What value does he have at this point? Sure, there are many teams that would like to have him, but not for much of a return. He's a gamble, and I'm sure there will be drafts picks coming for him from teams looking for a little playoff help. Just don't expect teams to part with their big guns for him. Huet? A great goaltender, often overlooked as one of the best in the east. But right now, the market for goalies is on life support. Personally, I would like to see him around for longer than he probably will be, but if he's not traded, I wouldn't be surprised if he walks this summer. Despite there being little demand for goalies, I think he's our most realistic trade bait. Saku? C'mon, you would really have to be daft to want him gone. One of our top point producers, our best two-way player, fan favourite, captain and team spirit just because he hasn't had a 10 game point streak? This simply does not compute. How can people argue that he's not top-line material? Just because he's not big? What else is he missing? The ability to score? Nope, he has that. Rack up assists? Got that. Puck handling skills? Especially good at that. The ability to be a game-breaker/clutch player? We see that fairly often, even if it doesn't show up on the score sheet. 70+ point season? Check. Not every team can have a Joe Thornton. Saku does his job just fine. Plus, trading him would destroy the team's spirit and break the hearts of the fans. I hope his retirement from the blue, blanc et rouge is still a good couple years off. Kovalev is earning back his spot this team as we speake. Assuming he can keep it up, he's a definate keeper. However, on the other hand, I can think of roughly 29 other teams in the NHL that would love to have him. He's getting on in years, and it might be wise to trade him for someone young, someone who can fill his shoes as a top offensive player. Aside from Price and Koivu (definate trade no-no's), he might be the only single player who would fetch a star in a trade. On top of that, despite his brilliance with the puck, he never really fit into the Montreal system that well. With that being said, he's pushing us to a playoff season, so I would at least let him stick around until the end of it. The problem with trades at this point is that there are no sellers yet, considering how tight each conference is. No one is going to give us their playoff hopes unless we give them ours.