GDT: Habs vs Maple Leafs, December 11

[illWill]

It would be nice to have one of those powerplay things that I have heard so much about

[brobin]

Same ref from last night that never noticed a Detroit penalty in the 3rd period. Now he apparently is blind to a high stick, about 6 interference calls, and more hooks then I can count. I don't expect him to call everything, but there is no way he can call the ones against montreal and not call anything against the wings or leafs, when they are making infractions.

and they finally call one as I type.. if he didn't call that I would have turned off the Tv.

[Habsy]

PK looks out of sorts. Just looks like a different player. I suppose it could be blamed on the week off. But I won't question coach Martin around here.

[Toronthab]

Way to go Cammy.. and good hard work by Pleks (I guess he heard me).

Gomez is under rated. Yes he is over paid. yes he is snake bit, but the controls the puck and gives us more time in the offensive zone by working the boards. It is very clear we don't have anyone else to take his place right now.

wow.. how do the leafs get away with the holding, hooking, and interference.. call something you pricks

Quite agree it would be interesting to know how puck posession in the opponent's zone is affected by Gomer. I love the way he gains posession so often and naturally.

[illWill]

PK looks out of sorts. Just looks like a different player. I suppose it could be blamed on the week off. But I won't question coach Martin around here.

Yeah I hardly noticed him all game, it seems like he is playing more cautiously. Although in these last few minutes he is taking more offensive chances. Look for him to generate some scoring chances to try to tie the game.

[Habsfan]

I can't believe we're gonna lose to the Leafies. How embarassing!

Edited December 12, 2010 by Habsfan

[Toronthab]

PK looks out of sorts. Just looks like a different player. I suppose it could be blamed on the week off. But I won't question coach Martin around here.

HAhaha! Smart. No doubt some changes will affect his spontaneity a bit for a while, but no big deal. The issues , including it was suggested with teammates were for the long term. I don't think we very often have a better handle on what's goin on with the team than the coach or GM.

Most of our opinions a lot of the time say more about us than they do about what's actually happening at the rink.

[Toronthab]

I can't believe we're gonna lose to the Leafies. How embarassing!

Uggghhh.. Oh well my leafy friends .. those who didn't turn to suicide or drugs... the tiny remnant... needed a reason to hope.. and what better way to get it..... OUCH.. empty netter.

[brobin]

and there it is... 2nd game in a row they wait lose with the empty net goal..

If that was the big push in the 3rd, that was pathetic. I expected a period like we saw last night in the 3rd.. but nope...

I hope we are not heading into the old December slump...

[brobin]

The goals were not great, but hard to blame Auld when he gave up 2 goals with the teaming playing that crappy in front of him and this being his 3rd game of the year. Our offense looks anemic lately. the PP still sucks.

We desperately need another top 6 forward if we are going to compete with Philly, Pens, Boston, Washington.

[ForumGhost]

Subban's big wind up habit cost us a shot at a comeback. The sooner he drops that habit, the sooner he will start scoring goals.

[illWill]

What a brutal game to lose. The Leafs barely had any scoring chances at all and the goals they got were gifts from the rusty Bald Auld. These are games that have to be won. Just a lack of effort all around really.

[lazy26]

Subban's big wind up habit cost us a shot at a comeback. The sooner he drops that habit, the sooner he will start scoring goals.

That's something he definitely needs to work on. I only caught a bit of the game at work, but it looks like a collective fail from all the Habs. The leafs looked bad, but the habs were that much worse.

I have faith in the boys rebounding for what will be a tough week ahead.

[bar]

Subban's big wind up habit cost us a shot at a comeback. The sooner he drops that habit, the sooner he will start scoring goals.

This is what bugs me, we want Subban to be the rookie, play within the system, and yet we place the blame of the game on him. You're seriously blaming Subban? How about the other 59:10 seconds of the game that Gionta could have scored, Plek, AK, any of them could have scored. You win as a team, you lose as a team, this scapegoating is just foul ball.

[jrhabs]

Thanks JM for putting PK in his place. He's so much in his place now that's it's no longer the same PK with the fire in his eyes.

BTW the jinx continues as every time we play the laffs in TO we lose a player

Thanks JM for calling up desharnais and pulling a 180

Edited December 12, 2010 by jrhabs

[dlbalr]

Thanks JM for calling up desharnais and pulling a 180

The callup was in case someone who played yesterday couldn't go today. The player could so he sat, and was/will be (not sure if they've filed the papers already) demoted. Not the end of the world here. Probably wasn't Martin's decision either to be fair.

As for Subban, he looks out of sorts at both ends. Certainly not the bounce back I hoped for or expected. A few days off I think will do him some good actually, try and get back in the groove at practice. With Spacek out, my worst fear is coming true - Subban, Picard, and Weber all in the lineup together. Might be worth considering splitting up Gill/Gorges and having 1 veteran with 1 youngster.

[bar]

To be honest, Gill played a pretty bad game tonight I counted at least 4 giveaways by Gill in his own end. I worry about them overplaying Gill at 5 on 5.

[kaos]

Nothing like losing 1 game to a powerhouse team and then a period in the next game to change people's perceptions. So short-minded.

Thanks for your quick witt and awesome hockey knowledge and adding so much to the conversation. Playing .500 hockey over the last 10 games and Price being ridden into the ground and now another defenseman hurt. Just at a time when this team is known to take a huge nosedive. Your the shortminded one

[kaos]

The goals were not great, but hard to blame Auld when he gave up 2 goals with the teaming playing that crappy in front of him and this being his 3rd game of the year. Our offense looks anemic lately. the PP still sucks.

We desperately need another top 6 forward if we are going to compete with Philly, Pens, Boston, Washington.

I disagree. I think we need a backup goalie more than a top 6 forward. This team needs a backup it can have confidence in when Price is on the bench. What happens if Price gets hurt for any length of time.

This team has plenty of top 6 forwards. They just need to start playing like it

[Habsy]

I disagree. I think we need a backup goalie more than a top 6 forward. This team needs a backup it can have confidence in when Price is on the bench. What happens if Price gets hurt for any length of time.

This team has plenty of top 6 forwards. They just need to start playing like it

Kaos! you're not happy, and you have every right to be that way. But Auld let in two goals. Yes, one was weak, but that wasn't the issue tonight.

[ForumGhost]

This is what bugs me, we want Subban to be the rookie, play within the system, and yet we place the blame of the game on him. You're seriously blaming Subban? How about the other 59:10 seconds of the game that Gionta could have scored, Plek, AK, any of them could have scored. You win as a team, you lose as a team, this scapegoating is just foul ball.

I think you didn't read my post properly. I didn't say he cost us the game, I said he cost us a chance to come back in the last minute. He took a big wind up, had his shot easily blocked which led to the empty-netter.

koas, why do you keep pining on about Price being over-used and 'ridden into the gournd'? Last I checked, he wasn't showing signs of fatigue. He's playing the best hockey of his career, so where is the problem?

Edited December 12, 2010 by ForumGhost

[illWill]

Thanks for your quick witt and awesome hockey knowledge and adding so much to the conversation. Playing .500 hockey over the last 10 games and Price being ridden into the ground and now another defenseman hurt. Just at a time when this team is known to take a huge nosedive. Your the shortminded one

Eeeaaasy buddy, the world is over because we lost two in a row but yet still lead the division. We are playing a team game and are off to a way better start than last year despite everything you were whining about. I bet my left nut that you were one of the "fans" who were booing Price last year and jumped on the Halak, the-only-reason-we-won-anything-bandwagon. I have watched 95% of every Habs game in the last 10 years and I would gladly destroy you in any conversation relating to "hockey knowledge". There is NO question your post wouldn't have existed if the Habs won in Detroit and won the first period against the Leafs. 1 and1/3 of a game isn't an indication of a downward spiral by any means, talk to me after 20 more. Even if they play ".500" hockey the rest of the way, they will still more than likely make the playoffs, so settle down Sally.

[BTH]

I disagree. I think we need a backup goalie more than a top 6 forward. This team needs a backup it can have confidence in when Price is on the bench. What happens if Price gets hurt for any length of time.

This team has plenty of top 6 forwards. They just need to start playing like it

A back-up goalie is our greatest need?? When we have the most used and (according to Todd MacLellan and Mike Babcock) best goalie of this season on our team?

Do you think that Buffalo's greatest need is a back up goalie they can have confidence in when Ryan Miller is on the bench? Or that the Rangers badly need a back up goalie to support Lundqvist? ...Or that Pittsburgh should pick up a center in case Crosby or Malkin gets injured?

Logically you add to your weakness, not to your strength.

Only in Montreal do people complain about the back up goalie that plays 3 out of 30 games and plays typical back up goalie quality hockey. Not to mention that Auld was almost perfect in his first game, a 3-1 win, made something like 44 saves in his second start and then stopped 22 of 24 last night. Price probably would have saved both goals but that's the cost of giving your elite goalie a rest if you don't want to "ride him into the ground."

After one game, people said Auld was impressive. After two games, he was still solid. After three games, the league's #2 D needs a back up goalie more than they need an upgrade on Moen on the 2nd line.

[Easy Ryder]

Injuries are beginning to wear down the team.

Anybody who saw the hit from Rafalski know that Plek is skating with

a charley horse, add this to Gomez not able to play was the reason Desharnais

was recalled. Plek, played and should have rest, he could have aggraved the injury.

Gomez, is a big part of this team success. Offensively he doen't

put numbers he should with a contract like that but, carrying the puck, pass acurracy and

playing very strictly JM system helps the team more than we thought.

Markov injury = More ice time to old players than they should = more possibility injuries

and less energy down the road.

Solutions, trade or youth from the Dogs.

MaxPAc is the evident call but JM is not going to give him what he asked for because he publicly

ask to play a top six role.

Top six winger on a team that is going down the drain that is a good old player and doesn't have

problem playing a sytem. Langenbrunner, UFA at years end and clearly doesn't mix around with

Kovalchuk very well. And he is an american.

Top 4 D with a mean streak, slow, not to many mistakes Regehr. Not fast enough for fast paced

western style hockey but much like Pronger would be a good fit in the East.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

Injuries are beginning to wear down the team.

Anybody who saw the hit from Rafalski know that Plek is skating with

a charley horse, add this to Gomez not able to play was the reason Desharnais

was recalled. Plek, played and should have rest, he could have aggraved the injury.

Gomez, is a big part of this team success. Offensively he doen't

put numbers he should with a contract like that but, carrying the puck, pass acurracy and

playing very strictly JM system helps the team more than we thought.

Markov injury = More ice time to old players than they should = more possibility injuries

and less energy down the road.

Solutions, trade or youth from the Dogs.

MaxPAc is the evident call but JM is not going to give him what he asked for because he publicly

ask to play a top six role.

Top six winger on a team that is going down the drain that is a good old player and doesn't have

problem playing a sytem. Langenbrunner, UFA at years end and clearly doesn't mix around with

Kovalchuk very well. And he is an american.

Top 4 D with a mean streak, slow, not to many mistakes Regehr. Not fast enough for fast paced

western style hockey but much like Pronger would be a good fit in the East.

I like this analysis. In fact I lobbied (impotently natch) for Regher when Markov went down. Of course it all depends on what goes back the other way. Then again, this game was obviously a 'let down' game by a team that had been psyched up for a major test against a great team and had trouble being motivated for a back-to-back against bottom-feeding suction eels. Not a surprise, really.

In the bigger picture: this team is good enough to survive an injury to Markov, but it leaves less wiggle room for other players to struggle or be injured. Talent is talent, and no matter how great the system, sooner or later its absence will tell.

As long as we remain well-positioned in the standings, though, there is no need to make a bold move. At this stage I would be seriously investigating options, but no more than that. Gomez will eventually come back, Spacek and Pleks will heal, etc.. And this supposedly battered team did outshoot Detroit 19-3 in the third period three nights ago. People will say we're only .500 without Markov, but things looked lots better before the last two games. No need to panic.

For this team to contend, though - and I suspect we CAN contend if everyone is healthy and playing the system - we will need a Markov replacement. So it'll be interesting to see whether PG uncharacteristically rolls the dice at the deadline, which Gainey likely would do under these circumstances.

Incidentally, I find it amusing to note that the fans who until a few games ago were making suggestions like 'send Gomez down and eat his contract' are now acting as though his absence is a key factor Even slumping horribly, he's still a big cog for this team's transition game.