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Ottawa vs Montreal 7:00pm


Guest Stogey24

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13 hours ago, Trizzak said:

 

God I hope so. 

 

If they take 6 points (and give up 1) against a team below them in the standings but still end up losing 1st in the division, I won't be going into the playoffs with much optimism for this team.

 

Also, upon trying to figure out how to properly word the above sentence, I just need to mention how ######ing stupid the lose point is.

 

You know, there's another way of looking at this. The Habs seem to excel in games that really matter. They handled the Rags a few weeks back, they've dominated the last three games against the Sens. Then they fall asleep for 'nothing' games against the Canes, say.

 

We can see this as a worrisome sign of a team that can't be trusted to come to play every night. But we could also see it as a sign of a team that is completely focused on the playoffs - basically bored and unmotivated by dreary games against dreary teams as it marks time until the real battle begins. If that's right, then this erraticism whereby they fail to bring their 'A' game against the Carolinas of the world could, perversely, be a good sign, showing a team that is husbanding its energies and has its priorities straight, not very interested in regular season success as an end in itself, because the playoffs are all that count.

 

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7 minutes ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

 

You know, there's another way of looking at this. The Habs seem to excel in games that really matter. They handled the Rags a few weeks back, they've dominated the last three games against the Sens. Then they fall asleep for 'nothing' games against the Canes, say.

 

We can see this as a worrisome sign of a team that can't be trusted to come to play every night. But we could also see it as a sign of a team that is completely focused on the playoffs - basically bored and unmotivated by dreary games against dreary teams as it marks time until the real battle begins. If that's right, then this erraticism whereby they fail to bring their 'A' game against the Carolinas of the world could, perversely, be a good sign, showing a team that is husbanding its energies and has its priorities straight, not very interested in regular season success as an end in itself, because the playoffs are all that count.

 

 

I see that someone is quite the optimist today.

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17 minutes ago, sbhatt said:

 

I see that someone is quite the optimist today.

 

I don't discount the possibility that this team is now battle-hardened, with lots of playoff experience. Our core players have been through a lot of wars. This doesn't make them first-rank contenders, but it *might* make them a team that now knows what it takes, even if it lacks the talent to actually win it all.

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Guest Stogey24
44 minutes ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

 

You know, there's another way of looking at this. The Habs seem to excel in games that really matter. They handled the Rags a few weeks back, they've dominated the last three games against the Sens. Then they fall asleep for 'nothing' games against the Canes, say.

 

We can see this as a worrisome sign of a team that can't be trusted to come to play every night. But we could also see it as a sign of a team that is completely focused on the playoffs - basically bored and unmotivated by dreary games against dreary teams as it marks time until the real battle begins. If that's right, then this erraticism whereby they fail to bring their 'A' game against the Carolinas of the world could, perversely, be a good sign, showing a team that is husbanding its energies and has its priorities straight, not very interested in regular season success as an end in itself, because the playoffs are all that count.

 

That's a dangerous way to play hockey

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1 hour ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

 

You know, there's another way of looking at this. The Habs seem to excel in games that really matter. They handled the Rags a few weeks back, they've dominated the last three games against the Sens. Then they fall asleep for 'nothing' games against the Canes, say.

 

We can see this as a worrisome sign of a team that can't be trusted to come to play every night. But we could also see it as a sign of a team that is completely focused on the playoffs - basically bored and unmotivated by dreary games against dreary teams as it marks time until the real battle begins. If that's right, then this erraticism whereby they fail to bring their 'A' game against the Carolinas of the world could, perversely, be a good sign, showing a team that is husbanding its energies and has its priorities straight, not very interested in regular season success as an end in itself, because the playoffs are all that count.

 

this is funny...aaah no.  that's not how it works. An entire team does not 'subconsciously" decide not to play against  a lesser opponent.  You're clutching at straws brother.  

 

IMO, i think the lines are starting to gel...Plex is looking better, Shaw is playing much better than he did earlier in the season (he seems to be a better player under CJ), the top line is better with Danault at C (sad but true)...hopefully the lines continue to gel and solidify come playoff time..

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Guest Stogey24

Plekanec is not looking better(2g 3a in last 32 games). He's absolutely invisible. Made a decent pass last night, that was it. 

 

I don't know how many times last year I said this guy is falling off, yet people were still saying looking at his numbers. Now what? 

 

He sucks, plain and simple. His defensive game is nowhere near where it used to be either. If Vegas doesn't take him, we're stuck with another boat anchor contract. 

 

The top line is not better with Danault at centre.  They've also done absolutely nothing. I have a site, I'll dig up. It showed the stats of Radulov with Danault. Radulov's point totals drop. 

 

I'm not sure where I heard it, but they were saying that if Radulov doesn't get the puck given to him in stride or at the right time, he's really prone to turn overs. It's definitely true. He also throws a ton of knuckle puck passes. 

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1 minute ago, Stogey24 said:

Plekanec is not looking better. He's absolutely invisible. Made a decent pass last night, that was it. 

 

I don't know how many times last year I said this guy is falling off, yet people were still saying looking at his numbers. Now what? 

 

He sucks, plain and simple. His defensive game is nowhere near where it used to be either. If Vegas doesn't take him, we're stuck with another boat anchor contract. 

ok...maybe it's his linemates then...  while you are right that he has been pretty much invisible, lately he seems to make an apperance now and then.   but to suggest that the team is not motivated to play against lesser teams is just silly.  i am more likely to believe that lesser teams are motivated to play against us..

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Guest Stogey24
14 minutes ago, THE Bobby Orr said:

ok...maybe it's his linemates then...  while you are right that he has been pretty much invisible, lately he seems to make an apperance now and then.   but to suggest that the team is not motivated to play against lesser teams is just silly.  i am more likely to believe that lesser teams are motivated to play against us..

No,  I agree with you about the motivation. That's not how it works. 

 

I'm a pretty negative guy on here, but I just want a team that brings it nightly.

 

I personally don't even think this team is that good. I find it highly unlikely that they make it past the first round. Just my opinion though. 

 

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16 hours ago, habscout said:

Since the Edmonton/Colorado game came on after the Habs game finished, I thought I'd mentioned that Andrighetto just scored the first goal.  He's now got 3 goals and 7 points in his 11 games with Colorado [so far].

Devante Smith Pelly

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Andrighetto was never going to be a solution for us.  Not on a team with byron and gallagher and with Hudon in the pipeline.  That he's scoring meaningless goals for Colorado isn't proving he would have done anything here. 

 

 

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1 hour ago, Stogey24 said:

No,  I agree with you about the motivation. That's not how it works. 

 

I'm a pretty negative guy on here, but I just want a team that brings it nightly.

 

I personally don't even think this team is that good. I find it highly unlikely that they make it past the first round. Just my opinion though. 

 

the good news is that if, as you say we do not do well in the playoffs and/or get eliminated in the first round, this team will have no choice but to make significant changes during the off-season.  Price wants a SC; he won't re-sign with this team once his contract is up if improvements aren't made.  I am miffed by the addition of King, Ott, etc...makes absolutely no sense.  Why we have Danault (God bless him) as a #1 C is beyond the pale...i get that it's not easy to land a center, and i'm sure MB is doing his best...but maybe his best is not good enough.

 

Also the radio talk shows here in Montreal (both french and english radio) are starting to talk s-hit about #27.  this is bad bad bad bad...i personally have had enough of him at C; but to suggest he is trade bait is just wrong...we lose a potential 30 goal scorer on a team that needs scoring.  But this is what happens when you keep moving a player back and forth .  Did you hear the game announcers yesterday re. Chucky "trying to put a square peg in a round hole.." blah blah...well guess what? they are right.  

 

and from the players perspective it's got to be playing with his head.

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Guest Stogey24

He'll be a centre at some point.

 

The part that I've questioned the last little bit is his compete level. 

 

I remember his second full year; he came into camp jacked up and hitting everything is sight. Where did that guy go? Not that he needs to be that guy with his skill set, but I'd like to see him get involved in games. 

 

 I'm not going to knock the guy too hard, but I feel like he can give more out there. 

 

 

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19 hours ago, THE Bobby Orr said:

Price used his head to steer the puck to his d-man...i don't think i have ever seen that before

RiP the memory of Hasek </3

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5 hours ago, THE Bobby Orr said:

Im just sooooo tired of this^  i want us to win a cup...

 

I hear ya, buddy. Unless Sergachev turns into a beast, the window for this group is about three years, assuming Weber to have a roughly conventional career arc; we have little elite talent in the pipeline; we wasted last year completely; and we can keep d**king around, but the clock waits for no man. I maintain that, for all that the individual parts have moved around, this team is in exactly the same place it was three years ago - an outside contender - and that probably isn't where we needed to be at this stage in the Bergevin era. Even the Hawks are only 3 for 6 in their era of being full-blown, front-rank contenders. Pittsburgh has two Cups in the entire Crosby era. In other words, your best shot at winning a Cup is to be a truly elite team over a number of seasons. Bergevin took over in 2012 and the team has never been a front-rank contender in that span. Time is quietly, oh-so-gradually running out. 

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32 minutes ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

 

I hear ya, buddy. Unless Sergachev turns into a beast, the window for this group is about three years, assuming Weber to have a roughly conventional career arc; we have little elite talent in the pipeline; we wasted last year completely; and we can keep d**king around, but the clock waits for no man. I maintain that, for all that the individual parts have moved around, this team is in exactly the same place it was three years ago - an outside contender - and that probably isn't where we needed to be at this stage in the Bergevin era. Even the Hawks are only 3 for 6 in their era of being full-blown, front-rank contenders. In other words, your best shot at winning a Cup is to be a truly elite team over a number of seasons. Bergevin took over in 2012 and the team has never been a front-rank contender in that span. Time is quietly, oh-so-gradually running out. 

 

Since Bergevin took over, the Habs have finished 1st, 3rd, 1st, 6th, and likely 1st in their division. If that's not a sustained period of time of contention I don't know what is. I'd lump them in with San Jose, St. Louis, Washington, New York, Tampa, Anaheim and Nashville in being a team that has a shot each year but have yet to get over the hump in that period. 

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55 minutes ago, illWill said:

 

Since Bergevin took over, the Habs have finished 1st, 3rd, 1st, 6th, and likely 1st in their division. If that's not a sustained period of time of contention I don't know what is. I'd lump them in with San Jose, St. Louis, Washington, New York, Tampa, Anaheim and Nashville in being a team that has a shot each year but have yet to get over the hump in that period. 

 

I drew a distinction there between top-tier and second-tier contenders. At no point in the MB era have the Habs ever been generally regarded as a top-tier contender. But there's no question that they've tended to mill around in the second group, making little obvious progress on where they were in 2014.

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1 hour ago, illWill said:

 

Since Bergevin took over, the Habs have finished 1st, 3rd, 1st, 6th, and likely 1st in their division. If that's not a sustained period of time of contention I don't know what is. I'd lump them in with San Jose, St. Louis, Washington, New York, Tampa, Anaheim and Nashville in being a team that has a shot each year but have yet to get over the hump in that period. 

is this a post for MB? or against him?  you know what's sad...?  it doesn't matter

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One thing I know is that this team is as good as it's been in a playoff style game, as it's been in a long, long time. Elite goalie, great first D pairing, arguably a bit more talent up front(Radulov, Lehkonen, but minus Plek), speed, some grit, size and depth at forward and defense, and last but not least, a decent coach, who is a proven winner.

 

Oh, another thing I know is, optimism isn't all that bad...in fact, it's a nice change from the constant degradation trip on the forum.

 

 Elite goalie, elite goalie, elite goalie, I keep saying it and I get hopeful ...I believe we have a shot, at least better than in recent memory.

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2 minutes ago, KoRP said:

One thing I know is that this team is as good as it's been in a playoff style game, as it's been in a long, long time. Elite goalie, great first D pairing, arguably a bit more talent up front(Radulov, Lehkonen, but minus Plek), speed, some grit, size and depth at forward and defense, and last but not least, a decent coach, who is a proven winner.

 

Oh, another thing I know is, optimism isn't all that bad...in fact, it's a nice change from the constant degradation trip on the forum.

 

 Elite goalie, elite goalie, elite goalie, I keep saying it and I get hopeful ...I believe we have a shot, at least better than in recent memory.

true dat^...especially happy about CJ

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44 minutes ago, KoRP said:

One thing I know is that this team is as good as it's been in a playoff style game, as it's been in a long, long time. Elite goalie, great first D pairing, arguably a bit more talent up front(Radulov, Lehkonen, but minus Plek), speed, some grit, size and depth at forward and defense, and last but not least, a decent coach, who is a proven winner.

 

Oh, another thing I know is, optimism isn't all that bad...in fact, it's a nice change from the constant degradation trip on the forum.

 

 Elite goalie, elite goalie, elite goalie, I keep saying it and I get hopeful ...I believe we have a shot, at least better than in recent memory.

 

I have a theory that there are fewer comments in game threads when the Habs win because nobody really believes this team is a contender, so it's easier to talk about the bad over the good because the good is tenuous. 

 

Or I'm a negative person who needs to get laid more.

 

...or possibly both.??.

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1 hour ago, Commandant said:

I volunteer to try and help on one of those two issues... but only one. 

What you two choose to do together should remain between the two of you^_^

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