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May 1 ~ Game One: Montreal v.s. Tampa Bay


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I'd like to add my input to the "Desharnais sucks" point of view. TSN had the following about his game last night:

David Desharnais - The Montreal centre started 69% of his even-strength shifts in the offensive zone, yet was on the wrong end of the possession game (11 shot attempts for, 28 against, 28.2%) in the Game One Double-OT loss to Tampa Bay.

It seemed like he was getting his ass kicked on faceoffs more often than not last night, so I looked that up. When you eliminate his 3 easy wins when taking draws against wingers, he was 7/16 (44%) overall. The killer was that he was 0/4 against Brian Boyle in the offensive zone, which if memory serves, twice got our already struggling powerplay off to a bad start.

He's contrbuting nothing out there. For God's sake, MT...cut this bum's icetime and consider leaving him on the bench for the PP!

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I'd like to add my input to the "Desharnais sucks" point of view. TSN had the following about his game last night:

David Desharnais - The Montreal centre started 69% of his even-strength shifts in the offensive zone, yet was on the wrong end of the possession game (11 shot attempts for, 28 against, 28.2%) in the Game One Double-OT loss to Tampa Bay.

It seemed like he was getting his ass kicked on faceoffs more often than not last night, so I looked that up. When you eliminate his 3 easy wins when taking draws against wingers, he was 7/16 (44%) overall. The killer was that he was 0/4 against Brian Boyle in the offensive zone, which if memory serves, often got our already struggling powerplay off to a bad start on more than one occasion.

He's contrbuting nothing out there. For God's sake, MT...cut this bum's icetime and consider leaving him on the bench for the PP!

That's George Parros Corsi.

I think it's almost comical. DD goes into the corner to get the puck, retrieves it, and then gets pushed off it.

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On DD: while he gives his all and does make some good plays, it's pretty clear that he hits the wall in the playoffs. The game just becomes too physical for his small stature. Habs 30/31 is correct that the team has a structural weakness in using him as a top-6 C.

As far as all the b**hing about the coach goes, I come back to this simple truth: any other coach will make different lineup ice-time decisions that fans will disagree with too. So of all the criticisms of Therrien, that is the most useless. Anyway, didn't Eller get PP time this game? What is he, the saviour? He's played strong, but 2 points in 7 games is your saviour for what ails the offence? Please.

Supposedly Mr. Inflexible, Therrien tried different 'looks' on the power-play in Game One. It yielded nothing, because, first, for some reason we kept losing the faceoffs on the PP, and second, because every player on the Habs is only trying to do one thing: get it to PK for the point-shot. Maybe that's Therrien's fault. Maybe it's the players' fault, eh? What a concept.

Also, I thought Therrien hated young players and refused to play them under any circumstances? Wait a minute, isn't that Pateryn getting a regular shift instead of Gonchar? And hold on, what's with De La Rose over Malholtra? DAMN that Therrien and his obsession with washed-up veterans.

As for Galchenyuk, why is his uselessness axiomatically Therrien's fault? Why isn't it Galchenyuk's fault? The guy has had three years of ALWAYS going for the deke and having it hardly ever amount to anything. His learning curve seems to be a flat line. Maybe, just maybe, that isn't Therrien's fault. (Personally, I suspect MT has been too soft on Galy; he should have been benching him until he learns to use his teammates on the ice, instead of, it seems, just letting him do his thing like some gifted prodigy. But it's all speculation. All we know for sure is that Alex Galchenyuk has been given heaps of ice time and opportunity over three NHL seasons and three playoffs and still looks like a rank, bewildered rookie out there).

The Habs had lots of great scoring chances in Game One. Therrien had his team prepared to outplay and out-chance the Lightning (which they did). That's all you can ask for; he can't go out there and put the damned puck in the net for them.

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The other side of the coin is that the Habs are shooting like 3% and should break out by the end of the series.

Yeah. There's really not much to criticize here. Bishop stoned them. It happens. We need to have our players get rewarded for their good play next game; otherwise we're in deep trouble. But if we keep playing like that, we will likely win the series.

On another note, is someone else going to take the Game-Day Thread for Game Two? I'm happy to do another one, but isn't the tradition that you do 'em until the team loses?

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They won't break out of a scoring slump. They were bottom of the league all year. The same players who can't score in the playoffs, still can't score in the playoffs. That's not going to change until they get new players. They are all about Price winning 1-0.

They have scored 3 goals in the last 4 games minus an empty netter. Hard to believe they made it to the second round. They have lost 3 out of the last 4.

It's like watching a J Martin team trying to win 1-0 every night.

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Fun game, should be a very entertaining series.

Nice to see Plekanec & Eller go 36-54 on faceoffs.

Both goalies played very well, 13 shots in 1st OT by Habs, but just couldn't solve Bishop.

#77 just happened to be on for all three goals and Mitchell managed to be on for both TB goals and only Hab -2 and had off-night on faceoffs also.

Nice to see two powerhouse PPs matched up against one another, combined 0-7 and 3 for like last 100. Cooper just cant figure out how to fix it.

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On another note, is someone else going to take the Game-Day Thread for Game Two? I'm happy to do another one, but isn't the tradition that you do 'em until the team loses?

I'll probably try to whip one up sometime tomorrow.

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Too bad Pelly (10:09 vs 19:25 for one Mr.PAP) & Pateryn got dick all icetime, while Subban was on too long shifts and in general, but great to see Petry hit 30:49 (might as well get as much value out of rental as possible)

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They won't break out of a scoring slump. They were bottom of the league all year. The same players who can't score in the playoffs, still can't score in the playoffs. That's not going to change until they get new players. They are all about Price winning 1-0.

They have scored 3 goals in the last 4 games minus an empty netter. Hard to believe they made it to the second round. They have lost 3 out of the last 4.

It's like watching a J Martin team trying to win 1-0 every night.

Yeah, the 110-point, 3rd overall team is *REALLY* a team that loses non-stop. They have lost 3 of 4; before that, they won 3 or 3, but that doesn't count. Only when they lose is the 'true' team manifesting itself. Got it.

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Habs out chanced them and carried the play for more of the game. They either got robbed by Bishop or hit the post, not much else they can do. These type of games happen. The players and coach all have the same response; that they were happy with the way they played and that if they continue to play like that, they will win the series.

All of this talk about the Habs not being able to score but never any talk of how incredibly great they are at keeping the puck out of their own net. Skeptics wonder in disbelief how they finished second in the NHL and made it past the Sens, but yet here we are. Better get used to the 2-1, 1-0 games because that's how they got to this point.

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Never said they lose non-stop. I said they can't score and it gets worse in the playoffs. They just don't have the horses to win in the playoffs. That will be the next step.

Tampa is a much better team then the Sens and have beaten the Habs 6 straight.


They are good defensively and Price is world class which gives them a chance each night.

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This is where the positivity stops for me. I would say their chances to win the series went from 57 to 43%.

Losing the best game they've played versus Tampa is a square kick in the ball sack. The percentages are going to turn around, but it might be after Tampa is up 3-1 in the series. They need to win the next one, and soundly, or their season will likely be over before the end of the back to back.

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Tampa is better team than Sens and won 6 straight, seems like one of those captain obvious notes. Did it look like Tampa was superior team in game 1?

Don't have the horses; to score lots of course they don't, as seen by ZERO Hab forwards being at All-Star game, but do have best defense/goalie combo in NHL and surely can win in playoffs with strong defending team.

(do I think Hab fans will be happy at end of this series, No but GHG!)

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Guest Stogey24

This is where the positivity stops for me. I would say their chances to win the series went from 57 to 43%.

Losing the best game they've played versus Tampa is a square kick in the ball sack. The percentages are going to turn around, but it might be after Tampa is up 3-1 in the series. They need to win the next one, and soundly, or their season will likely be over before the end of the back to back.

Its tough to swallow when you play your heart out and don't come away with the win. I agree, the next game is a big one for the Habs

I watched the replay of the goal and Flippula(?) was offside by hair on the play. Way she goes though

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Its tough to swallow when you play your heart out and don't come away with the win. I agree, the next game is a big one for the Habs

I watched the replay of the goal and Flippula(?) was offside by hair on the play. Way she goes though

Shit luck. There was a play that was blown dead in the first five minutes that should have been a Habs goal.

The Habs lost four grade A chances:

-Post 1/2

-Plekanec waiting to shoot

-Weise missing the net

They should have won this game 3-1 or 4-1. But who knows what's going to happen the next game? MTL could come out flat with Tampa believing they're "the team of destiny."

We'll see how much CHaracter the Habs have on Sunday night. Another plot line for Tampa is their developing injury situation. A long series favors MTL.

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Nice vote of confidence for Galchenyuk by Therrien. No doubt the peanut gallery will soon (if not already) be critical of Mikey for being too soft on youngsters. :nuts:

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Nice vote of confidence for Galchenyuk by Therrien. No doubt the peanut gallery will soon (if not already) be critical of Mikey for being too soft on youngsters. :nuts:

Well, obviously it's BECAUSE of Therrien that Galchenyuk has stunk, don'tcha know? After all, only Desharnais and Gilbert are responsible for their own play. Everything else is Therrien's fault.

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Nice vote of confidence for Galchenyuk by Therrien. No doubt the peanut gallery will soon (if not already) be critical of Mikey for being too soft on youngsters. :nuts:

But they always have the therrien fan club to counter them. After all the habs got 110 ten points only because Therrien is the coach. But the poor ol pathetic powerplay is all on the players dont ya know. :nuts:

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Habs are in tough. Played well enough to win and didnt. Price played well enough to win and lost. Max looks 100 per cent again and it wasnt enough. Home ice after a rest and lost. Not a good sign. Tbay played just ok, and won.

For some reason this season the lightning have their number. Even when they dont look that great. Like some one said character testing game 2 for this team (and their whining coach) Sunday.

a must win

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On DD: while he gives his all and does make some good plays, it's pretty clear that he hits the wall in the playoffs. The game just becomes too physical for his small stature. Habs 30/31 is correct that the team has a structural weakness in using him as a top-6 C.

As far as all the b**hing about the coach goes, I come back to this simple truth: any other coach will make different lineup ice-time decisions that fans will disagree with too. So of all the criticisms of Therrien, that is the most useless. Anyway, didn't Eller get PP time this game? What is he, the saviour? He's played strong, but 2 points in 7 games is your saviour for what ails the offence? Please.

Supposedly Mr. Inflexible, Therrien tried different 'looks' on the power-play in Game One. It yielded nothing, because, first, for some reason we kept losing the faceoffs on the PP, and second, because every player on the Habs is only trying to do one thing: get it to PK for the point-shot. Maybe that's Therrien's fault. Maybe it's the players' fault, eh? What a concept.

Also, I thought Therrien hated young players and refused to play them under any circumstances? Wait a minute, isn't that Pateryn getting a regular shift instead of Gonchar? And hold on, what's with De La Rose over Malholtra? DAMN that Therrien and his obsession with washed-up veterans.

As for Galchenyuk, why is his uselessness axiomatically Therrien's fault? Why isn't it Galchenyuk's fault? The guy has had three years of ALWAYS going for the deke and having it hardly ever amount to anything. His learning curve seems to be a flat line. Maybe, just maybe, that isn't Therrien's fault. (Personally, I suspect MT has been too soft on Galy; he should have been benching him until he learns to use his teammates on the ice, instead of, it seems, just letting him do his thing like some gifted prodigy. But it's all speculation. All we know for sure is that Alex Galchenyuk has been given heaps of ice time and opportunity over three NHL seasons and three playoffs and still looks like a rank, bewildered rookie out there).

The Habs had lots of great scoring chances in Game One. Therrien had his team prepared to outplay and out-chance the Lightning (which they did). That's all you can ask for; he can't go out there and put the damned puck in the net for them.

.........and the players don't grab the game sheet and pencil in DD on the powerplay either. Pretty sure we all know the coach does not score goals buddy. If thats all the defense a coach needs never would one get fired. ha! Stating the obvious does not mean MT is a good coach.

Pump his tires all you want. Some fans like him as a coach, some don't. We all have watched enough hockey to determine our own opinions of the type of coach we like, and the type we want for our team.

HIO did a pole last week. 58 per cent of those that replied like MT as a coach........ 42% dont.

Neither side is wrong.

( ps ....he'll be gone by the time they win a cup anyhow) :thumbs_up:

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How f'n great is this series?! When was the last time we've seen the boys play this well? We could've easily won this f'er 2-0! We'll get em tomorrow and the boys will split in Fla too. We're going 7 fellas, better buckle down for a doozie. The Bolts and Habs are both legit :thumbs_up:

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