Habs vs. Flyers | Game Thread | Game 5

[maxamillion]

Including any player that suited up for MTL this year (and is still with the team), we're at 36.043, with Ryder, Smoke, Breezer and Streit UFA, and A. Kostitsyn, Grabs, Laps, Locke, Gorges, OB and Halak as RFAs.

I hope Streit makes the UFA market, because he'd look good in a Flyers jersey .

Who do you think gets resigned. I've been back and forth with school, and I didn't get to see many games. Ryder seems like he might be out, right?

Again, a great series guys, and I hope this isn't the last we see of each other in the playoffs, and I wish the Habsnation the best in the offseason.

[Fat Tony]

As Tony Marinaro said on Team 990, what the hell has Huet done? How many games has he truly played lights out?

Oh well... I guess when people have an agenda.

B.I.N.G.O. :clap:

[jackp]

Price's play in this series was very worrying. Rarely in my 45 years of watching the Habs have I seen such a consistently poor performance by a goalie. Starting from game 5 against the Bruins, he had ONE good game the rest of the playoffs. That was the 7th against the Bruins. Overall, in the entire playoffs: 5 good games, 6 bad ones (but the 6 bad ones were really bad - we looked like the old Flyers with Cermanchek (sp?).

I hope next year, the job isn't just given to him as if by divine right. Let him battle it out with Halak, and let the job be decided by MERIT. If there was one thing I didn't like about this year, it's about how Halak had the best pre-season of the 3 goalies, yet he was the one sent down. That just isn't right.

All in all though, I have no complaints. It was a great year and really fun to watch. Finally, after 15 years of mediocrity, we have a good team, and lets hope Bob can make it even better during the off-season. (I'm sure it'll be easier to attract free agents, after the year we've had.)

- Jack

[MMPL]

Hard to believe we are done, finshed, over, out, golfers :wacko:

Edited May 4, 2008 by MMPL

[sbhatt]

what the hell has Huet done? How many games has he truly played lights out?

It's not about being 'lights-out', it's about being good enough to give your team a chance to win.

Huet posted a .909 save percentage against Philadelphia...he gave them a solid chance to win in a tough series decided in game 7 overtime.

Price? I think it was .865?? 15 goals on 104 Flyers shots against. The Habs managed to win just one game.

Huet was mediocre, but hsi numbers were good enough to give a team like the Habs a chance.

Price was atrocious, and didn't give them a snowball's chance in hell.

And when blame is to be laid, much of it has to fall on Bob Gainey. As pissed as I am at how badly Price played, he is a 20 year rookie....while Bob is a veteran GM who should have known better than to trade away a solid 'insurance policy' for a friggin' second round draft pick. Price fell flat on his face, but it was Bob Gainey's decision to force him to work without a safety net.

Hard to believe we are done, finshed, over, out, golfers :wacko:

It's depressing...my new home theatre is being installed on Monday...I didn't even get a chance to see the Habs play on it.

On a related note...I'll have to make a note reminding myself to cancel the french language package off of my cable, as I now have no use for RDS until next fall.

[sbhatt]

I hope Streit makes the UFA market, because he'd look good in a Flyers jersey .

I'm sure a lot of teams will be interested. I hope the Habs re-sign him, because he's an important part of the power play.

Ryder seems like he might be out, right?

He's gone...guaranteed. And good riddance, after the way he tanked this year.

[meazza]

It's not about being 'lights-out', it's about being good enough to give your team a chance to win.

Huet posted a .909 save percentage against Philadelphia...he gave them a solid chance to win in a tough series decided in game 7 overtime.

Price? I think it was .865?? 15 goals on 104 Flyers shots against. The Habs managed to win just one game.

Huet was mediocre, but hsi numbers were good enough to give a team like the Habs a chance.

Prices numbers in the first round were good. I believe something like 925 to finish off Boston? Better than Huet's. Now let's say Huet was good enough to make his team reach the second round then you could compare the second round to the second round

There is no such thing as being good enough to give a team a chance to win. Without a star goalie, rarely do teams get anywhere in the playoffs.

I do agree that Price played pretty bad this round, I think this was a great learning experience and will have a positive effect on his future as the starting goalie of the montreal canadiens.

[Trizzak]

I wrote this on another forum a few days ago, and I'll write it here:

"To out-shoot, out-chance, and out-skill a team so much and still manage to out-lose them is painful.

I'm fine with losing to Pittsburgh, NYR or a team from the West, but Philly? That's not how you end a season."

The big picture of the overall season is wonderful... the small picture leaves me heavily unfulfilled right now.

[BCHabnut]

A disapointing end to the season, but I am still proud of the boys. I really believe that Marky and Komi were playing hurt. They weren't themselves this series. Komi never crushed one guy that I saw. Our D need to work on stopping forwards when they cut to the middle acroos our blueline.

I just hope Price doesn't turn into another Fleury. Brought up too fast and hurt his developement for a couple years. I really hope we can add some SKILLED toughness up front this offseason. They don't have to be Canadian, but they have to play like canadians. |Fineese is fun to watch, but we all saw what skill and toughness can accomplish. Those big Flyer forwards were just driving to the net steady.

How's Fisher doing? I thought he was gonna be good, but I don't hear much about him.

[Habsfan84]

I just hope Price doesn't turn into another Fleury. Brought up too fast and hurt his developement for a couple years.

I dont think we did that. We werent constantly sending him down and calling him up like in fleurys case and all that Price learned was how to play playoff hockey in the harest city to play in. That is great experience and he will be a great goalie in the future. Sure he is only 20 years old but you have to remeber that this guy is as cool as a cucumber(usually). You have to remeber that he played amaing at the start of the playoffs but he looked tired and that is why i fell he struggled in the second round. Great season by Price.

[tokyohabs]

Easy on Price.

He was far from stellar, and quickly dispelled any Dryden / Roy comparaisons in the Bruins series. But let's not forget: give a goalie a lead, and it is a whole different ballgame mentally. Constantly being down or tied 0-0- increases the pressure every minute, every second, every stop, every rush.

Overall, I didn't see anything physically to make me sweat: no flopping, desperation lunges, out-of-position-miracle stops; just fine-tune stuff that can, and I firmly believe will, be overcome.

Bob probably made a big gaffe not getting a vet backup, letting Halak play it out in Hamilton. Lesson learned.

There are some guys who, in my opinion, have played their way out of the team this playoffs. Not thinking of expected losses like Ryder and Dandy, but guys like Streit and Gorges have no place here.

F it, flyers were so much better organised than us, all three areas of the ice. They bought into Stevens' plan big-time, used their veteran guile, and are through, where they will be anhilalated by the Pens. Good for them. At least Briere showed some class in the series with his comments. Carbo really couldn't instill it early or strongly enough, go to the net, keep the puck on the ice, traffic and rebounds.

It felt great to care and be entertained again. More next year.

[TheAussiePosse]

How's Fisher doing? I thought he was gonna be good, but I don't hear much about him.

That's what I thought, but apparently he'll be a 3rd/4th D at best. MacDonald is the real stud on D, but will take a few years to get there.

I wonder if we'll bring in someone to replace Ryder, or if Patches will make it.

Aaaargh, less than 24 hours after the game and already guessing for the future - this will be the longest summer ever.

[MMPL]

I'll have to make a note reminding myself to cancel the french language package off of my cable, as I now have no use for RDS until next fall.

Thanks for reminding me.

[InsaneHABSfan]

Hard to believe we are done, finshed, over, out, golfers :wacko:

Yup and the Leafs are going to kick Montreals A$$ on the golf course as they have a long tradition of little playoff success since 1967.

[Wamsley01]

Just read the Thread and I can't say I am surprised that Price got the share of the blame.

Huet has absolutely nothing to do with this for one thing. Gainey made a decision 2 months ago and that was that.

You cannot rewrite history, who is to say that with the two of them that they win the Conference? Gainey made the

deal because the chemistry was not working with both of them together.

Halak was the saviour for half the board after Game 3 and he was not the second coming either. He let in a weak goal

to Umberger and his recovery was atrocious on the Briere GWG.

Their goaltending let them down in the series but so did a hell of a lot of other players. Streit, Higgins, Markov, Komisarek,

Hamrlik. What happened to the best PP in the league? If they stepped up how would things have changed?

Price let in a couple of soft goals but also stopped 2 breakaways and had numerous other big saves. The Flyers dominated

the Habs in the second period. Umberger stepped up for Philly, who did for Montreal?

The expectations on a 20 year old kid and a team who 95% of the board thought would be fighting life and death to make the playoffs

are unbelievable. Blame, Blame, Blame.

The reality is that it was always a long shot to win the Cup this season and they proved that with their performance in round 1.

Look back at 86 and 93 and this team possesed none of the elements that made those teams Cup winners.

In 86 the Habs went 7 with one team and buried all the other teams. Unbelievable goaltending, rookies step up with huge goals (Lemieux, Richer),

their pluggers were huge (McPhee, Skrudland), their veterans lead the way (Smith, Naslund, Robinson) and every opportunity

they had to put the nail in the coffin they essentially did closing out the Bruins in 3, Rangers in 5 and Flames in 5.

The story was the same in 93. Unbelievable goaltending, Dipietro and Leclair scored a ton of big goals, Keane, Brunet and Carbo contributed at the right time,

Muller, Damphousse and Bellows produced like a top line should, the D was rock solid and they buried opponents when they had the opportunity.

Came back in 4 straight to snuff out the Nords, 4 straight over the Sabres, 5 and 5 in the Semis and Finals.

If you removed a couple of those elements who knows if they win either Cup. Yet here we are hammering a 20 year old when barely anybody on the team

raised their level of play in the playoffs. Who exactly raised their level in April? Brisebois? Smolinski? Kostopolous? Begin?

It is ridiculous the blame and nonsensical ramblings going on in this specific thread.

I am glad that Gainey has his sights set on tomorrow and not today. I am glad he wanted to get Price experience for next season and change the culture

of the team down the stretch. Nothing has changed in his philosophy. Huet would not have made this team a Cup champion. With their level of inexperience

they were destined to this fate. What difference would it have made if they snuck another couple games or round out of this spring in the long run?

Go watch a Dallas or Wings game and tell me the Habs have what it takes to persevere and win against those two teams.

Gainey did not lower expectations, but he also didn't buy into the hype that most of the fan base believed. I look forward to another summer of smart moves

that are slammed all summer by the geniuses on this board and then the 180 that the majority will do come January.

[lazy26]

Well stated Wamsley. I'm sure a lot more people will agree with you now that the sting of being eliminated isn't as fresh. I personally couldn't agree with you anymore.

[tokyohabs]

Good post by Wamsley. Let's not hear anymore of Huet.

[Fat Tony]

Excellent post Wamsley...sums up many of my sentiments

I think a lot of posters really do get it Wammer, it's just the ones that don't are so adamant and repetitive.

I find the clowns with agendas the funniest. I mean what kind of lame-o needs to constantly push their agenda on an anonymous forum for crying out loud!

Thanks for bringing a touch of sanity back to the board!!!