Jump to content

Game 5, Rangers vs Habs, 7 PM


dlbalr

Recommended Posts

This series has basically been a coin flip through five games.  Though it's certainly disappointing with the outcome tonight, there's little reason to think this won't be another close game on Saturday.  The Habs have already won there once this series and the Rangers aren't a great home team.  They're not out of it yet.

  • Upvote 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

I understand the negativity, but it's overblown.

 

This team completely dominated the Rangers for two periods. But the couldn't get that third goal, and when the Rags went into the third period all tied up, well...I've seen that movie many times. The Rangers knew they were in a position to steal one, and they made no mistake.

 

In terms of the Rangers' control in the third and OT, a lot of that had to do with the jolt of energy, the charge you get from realizing that you're on the cusp of highway robbery - along with the Habs being deflated after that goal late in the 2nd. Also, coaching; AV made some adjustments - and that too is normal. Rarely do you see any team dominate from start to finish, especially in the playoffs; and part of the reason is that coaches make adjustments,

 

As for negativity, I do have one thing to complain about.

 

Alex Galchenyuk.

 

This was a game where the team really, really, REALLY needed its most talented, torpedo-like forward to do something. It didn't need to be 20 minutes of incredible play. Just something. We needed him to generate offence. Patches did all he could, Radu tried hard, the Gally line dominated the first half. The missing ingredient was Galchenyuk.

 

While we could still go into MSG and win, I can't help but feel that I'm not going to see the Habs win the Cup for a looooooong time. I continue to believe that this season is the best chance they are apt to have for the foreseeable future. And it sure doesn't look good.

I ain't the sharpest pencil in this box, but Gally really does disappoint. He seems to lack spirit.. a hockey snowflake. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, dlbalr said:

This series has basically been a coin flip through five games.  Though it's certainly disappointing with the outcome tonight, there's little reason to think this won't be another close game on Saturday.  The Habs have already won there once this series and the Rangers aren't a great home team.  They're not out of it yet.

Ah.. the voice of rational optimism! Just what we needed. We're suffering lunchbag letdown.. you're just what we needed. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

well that sucked. We had every opportunity to win this game. But it ain't over yet. We need to be as motivated as the rags were after the 2d period.  Did the guys get tired after laying on the body so much? Who knows, what I do know is we stopped getting in king henry's kitchen. Gallagher wasn't laughing at the rags. We somehow forgot that if you let Henry operate the way he wants, he is difficult to score on. The refs are calling very little, take some chances, it is not like there is a tomorrow. So guy's rest up tomorrow, load up the beer fridge and get ready to make your neighbors think you have gone stark raving mad on saturday. Cheer, scream, ad hope like hell these guys can get their act together. If that don't work let's lynch Mark down Marky.:D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, sbhatt said:

It's past midnight now...and I'm just as pissed off as I was when the game ended.

 

I'm on Vancouver time, but I'm still pissed as well. Not at anyone in particular...just sort of the universe. I'm so fed up with being disappointed by the Habs: Price injury in 2014, 2015 against TB, all of 2016...now this. Sure, they have a solid chance of winning Game 6. But right now, it's just more disappointment. It's one thing to have your team lose when it's in the first pangs of a rebuild, or when it's an 'up and coming' team and you can look forward to next year. But this team's window was wide open as of last season, is wide open this season, and probably won't last more than another 3 years or so beyond that IMHO. We're healthy, unlike most years. This is the time to be making a long playoff run.

 

One thing that *is* ticking me off in a more particular way is the crapping on Pacioretty, though. I think it's unfair, based completely on a single stat (goals scored) rather than on actually watching his play, which has been strong. Including tonight. Meanwhile, Galchenyuk - really the only Hab who is transparently FAILING in these playoffs - seems to be getting off scott free.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

 

I'm on Vancouver time, but I'm still pissed as well. Not at anyone in particular...just sort of the universe. I'm so fed up with being disappointed by the Habs: 2015 against TB, all of 2016...now this. Sure, they have a solid chance of winning Game 6. But right now, it's just more disappointment.

 

One thing that *is* ticking me off in a more particular way is the crapping on Pacioretty, though. I think it's unfair, based completely on a single stat (goals scored) rather than on actually watching his play, which has been strong. Including tonight. Meanwhile, Galchenyuk - really the only Hab who is transparently FAILING in these playoffs - seems to be getting off scott free.

 

I think #27 is not the lightning rod that #67 is due to being a younger player, who is not the supposed leader of the team and its top scorer during the regular season.  Nobody is happy with Galchenyuk's failure to score, but Max's failing to score is the bigger problem.  #27's poor play is also a problem though, no doubt about it.

 

Also, it's a personality thing to some degree.  Max has projected a pouty/whiny type of demeanor while playing badly on many occasions.  His facial expressions and mannerisms both on the ice, and in the room during postgame interviews...it compounds the urge to want to strangle him when he's slumping.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, sbhatt said:

 

I think #27 is not the lightning rod that #67 is due to being a younger player, who is not the supposed leader of the team and its top scorer during the regular season.  Nobody is happy with Galchenyuk's failure to score, but Max's failing to score is the bigger problem.  #27's poor play is also a problem though, no doubt about it.

 

Also, it's a personality thing to some degree.  Max has projected a pouty/whiny type of demeanor while playing badly on many occasions.  His facial expressions and mannerisms both on the ice, and in the room during postgame interviews...it compounds the urge to want to strangle him when he's slumping.

ok...but Max has 20+ shots...not sure how many Chuck has.  but if we are going to dissect players then...where has Shaw disappeared to?  

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, dlbalr said:

This series has basically been a coin flip through five games.  Though it's certainly disappointing with the outcome tonight, there's little reason to think this won't be another close game on Saturday.  The Habs have already won there once this series and the Rangers aren't a great home team.  They're not out of it yet.

glass half full...(just not of the 12 year old single malt)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For the love of God, MaxPac is PLAYING WELL. He's playing a 200-foot game and is getting loads of chances. It's just not going in. (And give Lundqvist some credit, he is stoning an elite FW). I cannot blame a player for being effective and dangerous, shift in and shift out. That's silly. Typical Montreal scapegoating.

 

Shaw's been involved. Most player have been involved, playing up to the level you'd expect from them. Galchenyuk hasn't. Like I say above, the only complete absentee has been #27. And I know he's young, but he's what, a five year veteran? Time to man up, FFS

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

For the love of God, MaxPac is PLAYING WELL. He's playing a 200-foot game and is getting loads of chances. It's just not going in. (And give Lundqvist some credit, he is stoning an elite FW). I cannot blame a player for being effective and dangerous, shift in and shift out. That's silly.

 

Shaw's been involved. Galchenyuk hasn't. Like I say above, the only complete absentee has been #27. And I know he's young, but he's what, a five year veteran? Time to man up, kid. 

agreed...(like...Chucky?  about two months ago)...Shaw has been involved yes, but I thought he was going to be more of a factor...he's just been ..meh...

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

45 minutes ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

For the love of God, MaxPac is PLAYING WELL. He's playing a 200-foot game and is getting loads of chances. It's just not going in. (And give Lundqvist some credit, he is stoning an elite FW). I cannot blame a player for being effective and dangerous, shift in and shift out. That's silly. Typical Montreal scapegoating.

 

Shaw's been involved. Most player have been involved, playing up to the level you'd expect from them. Galchenyuk hasn't. Like I say above, the only complete absentee has been #27. And I know he's young, but he's what, a five year veteran? Time to man up, FFS

He's been here 5 years, but has never been given a defined role, or  been allowed to settle into a role or position.  The habs brain trust (an oxymoron if there ever was one), has done a horrible job with him and frankly I think he will flourish soon as he is traded.  Last year guys like Don were racing the great job le genius did in developing galchenyuk - after he was forced to play him because of injuries.  This year looks like first the habs rushed him back and than mad matters worse by screwing around more with his confidence shifting him around in his position (centre/wing), as well as the lines he was used on.  

 

I have zero zero confidence in this management team and can't see us winning until we get a new GM.  We got rid of dumb and now we need to get rid of dumber.

 

At the end of last year, MB had four things he needed to do pick up two more goal scorers (winger/centre), top 4 dman and firing le genius.  He kept his bum buddy, dumped subban on a lateral move and didn't add another top 4 four dman.

 

the only good move he made was adding radulov.  That's 1/5, getting the job 20% right is a fail in any evaluation. He signed Shaw to a ridiculous deal.  He extended pleks when he should have been looking to move him at the deadline and started the year weaker on D.

 

this years deadline he added what 4 players and again is batting .250 with Benn as the only good pickup.

 

even if we do comeback in this series, I just don't see this team as a serious contender.  Meanwhile subban's predators just slayed the dragon. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

43 minutes ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

For the love of God, MaxPac is PLAYING WELL. He's playing a 200-foot game and is getting loads of chances. It's just not going in. (And give Lundqvist some credit, he is stoning an elite FW). I cannot blame a player for being effective and dangerous, shift in and shift out. That's silly. Typical Montreal scapegoating.

 

Eh, I've defended Pacioretty in the past but nothing he has done in this series has made me feel like he's being dangerous. Rangers D doesn't exactly look threatened by him. He constantly shoots with nobody screening. Maybe I selectively missed it but when was the last time Pacioretty went after a juicy rebound near the net? Or crashed a goalie crease? Everything he does is what I'd expect from a rookie like Lehkonen, and he's getting his hands dirty and going to the net.

 

Galchenyuk is disappointing but he started that game on the third line. And he's not the captain. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

43 minutes ago, THE Bobby Orr said:

agreed...(like...Chucky?  about two months ago)...Shaw has been involved yes, but I thought he was going to be more of a factor...he's just been ..meh...

There's a reason why the hawks regularly dump guts like bolland and Shaw.  They aren't core pieces and shouldn't be paid like them.  The kings were fighting for their playoff lives and dumped King for a reason.  For some reason MB loves building a team around other team's bit pieces or rejects. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

24 minutes ago, hab29RETIRED said:

There's a reason why the hawks regularly dump guts like bolland and Shaw.  They aren't core pieces and shouldn't be paid like them.  The kings were fighting for their playoff lives and dumped King for a reason.  For some reason MB loves building a team around other team's bit pieces or rejects. 

they are cheap, never underestimate the attraction of a good bargain. People's garages and cupboards are full of them, don't know what to do with them but they are cheap.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

For the love of God, MaxPac is PLAYING WELL. He's playing a 200-foot game and is getting loads of chances. It's just not going in. (And give Lundqvist some credit, he is stoning an elite FW). I cannot blame a player for being effective and dangerous, shift in and shift out. That's silly. Typical Montreal scapegoating.

 

Shaw's been involved. Most player have been involved, playing up to the level you'd expect from them. Galchenyuk hasn't. Like I say above, the only complete absentee has been #27. And I know he's young, but he's what, a five year veteran? Time to man up, FFS

 

He had an assist tonight.  He also had two pretty good scoring chances. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, Commandant said:

 

He had an assist tonight.  He also had two pretty good scoring chances. 

ya...but for every good play he makes half a dozen bad ones...Anyway at this point put him on the top line..what the hell, put him on D during the PP ..wtv.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

 

I'm on Vancouver time, but I'm still pissed as well. Not at anyone in particular...just sort of the universe. I'm so fed up with being disappointed by the Habs: Price injury in 2014, 2015 against TB, all of 2016...now this. Sure, they have a solid chance of winning Game 6. But right now, it's just more disappointment. It's one thing to have your team lose when it's in the first pangs of a rebuild, or when it's an 'up and coming' team and you can look forward to next year. But this team's window was wide open as of last season, is wide open this season, and probably won't last more than another 3 years or so beyond that IMHO. We're healthy, unlike most years. This is the time to be making a long playoff run.

 

One thing that *is* ticking me off in a more particular way is the crapping on Pacioretty, though. I think it's unfair, based completely on a single stat (goals scored) rather than on actually watching his play, which has been strong. Including tonight. Meanwhile, Galchenyuk - really the only Hab who is transparently FAILING in these playoffs - seems to be getting off scott free.

 

What you're forgetting about Galchenyuk, though, is that he was 7th in ice time and playing on the second PP. He's being treated like secondary scoring, and he's provided none. But as of right now, he's done just as much as Pacioretty-one really nice primary assist. 

 

At this point the "Max is fine" crowd in the fan base seems more invested in their opinion of the player than his actual performance. This happened with Subban at times as well. Max has been horrible. It's the first talking point in the hockey world surrounding the Canadiens for a reason. You can look at heat maps, or sonor, or the Zapruder video of his shots from the fourth row, or listen to a Johnnie Cochran deposition, but if you take him out of the series, the result is exactly the same. He's been terrible. I can't remember a player whose performance has disappointed me more in the playoffs. This is Jumbo Joke territory. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Lovett's Magnatones said:

 

What you're forgetting about Galchenyuk, though, is that he was 7th in ice time and playing on the second PP. He's being treated like secondary scoring, and he's provided none. But as of right now, he's done just as much as Pacioretty-one really nice primary assist. 

 

At this point the "Max is fine" crowd in the fan base seems more invested in their opinion of the player than his actual performance. This happened with Subban at times as well. Max has been horrible. It's the first talking point in the hockey world surrounding the Canadiens for a reason. You can look at heat maps, or sonor, or the Zapruder video of his shots from the fourth row, or listen to a Johnnie Cochran deposition, but if you take him out of the series, the result is exactly the same. He's been terrible. I can't remember a player whose performance has disappointed me more in the playoffs. This is Jumbo Joke territory. 

 

I agree with you and Habs29 that Galy has not been handled properly. I don't know how 'coachable' he is - perhaps not very - but I also think he lacks confidence. And the worst thing you can do with someone who lacks confidence is play mind games with them, take a 'tough love' approach, etc.. Sticking a guy like that with plumbers is only going to make things worse. If this is right, then the lead-up to the playoffs should have been about putting Galy in a positions to produce offensively, getting him rolling so the team would have the extra offensive element that it so desperately needs. Instead Julien took the 'bullying' approach: do X or play with Dwight King. The result is that the kid looks as lost as I've ever seen him.

 

On Pacioretty, look, he is not especially likeable or charismatic. I don't have any strong feelings about him beyond what he does on the ice. I'm defending him because my 'eye test' tells me that he has been performing well, and every bit of information except the 'goals scored' column seems to back that up. This isn't about me having a man-crush on the guy. He's brought his 'A' game, it's just not going in. (And it may help to remember here what Max's 'A' game is. He is not a net-crashing power forward, which seems to be what everyone suddenly expects him to be. He is a strong-skating goal scorer who rushes the puck and is responsible defensively). If nobody on his line is screening the net, is that his fault?

 

'It's the first talking point in the hockey world' because people are just looking at the goose-egg and NOT looking at the play on the ice. In other words, it's an easy story-line. I don't pay any attention to that HNIC crap - those guys are morons.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, dlbalr said:

This series has basically been a coin flip through five games.  Though it's certainly disappointing with the outcome tonight, there's little reason to think this won't be another close game on Saturday.  The Habs have already won there once this series and the Rangers aren't a great home team.  They're not out of it yet.

 

That's how I view it as well, flip a coin and there's your winner. So at this point the Rangers are about 75% to win the series and the Habs are 25%. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 minutes ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

 

I agree with you and Habs29 that Galy has not been handled properly. I don't know how 'coachable' he is - perhaps not very - but I also think he lacks confidence. And the worst thing you can do with someone who lacks confidence is play mind games with them, take a 'tough love' approach, etc.. Sticking a guy like that with plumbers is only going to make things worse. If this is right, then the lead-up to the playoffs should have been about putting Galy in a positions to produce offensively, getting him rolling so the team would have the extra offensive element that it so desperately needs. Instead Julien took the 'bullying' approach: do X or play with Dwight King. The result is that the kid looks as lost as I've ever seen him.

 

On Pacioretty, look, he is not especially likeable or charismatic. I don't have any strong feelings about him beyond what he does on the ice. I'm defending him because my 'eye test' tells me that he has been performing well, and every bit of information except the 'goals scored' column seems to back that up. This isn't about me having a man-crush on the guy. He's brought his 'A' game, it's just not going in. (And it may help to remember here what Max's 'A' game is. He is not a net-crashing power forward, which seems to be what everyone suddenly expects him to be. He is a strong-skating goal scorer who rushes the puck and is responsible defensively). If nobody on his line is screening the net, is that his fault?

 

'It's the first talking point in the hockey world' because people are just looking at the goose-egg and NOT looking at the play on the ice. In other words, it's an easy story-line. I don't pay any attention to that HNIC crap - those guys are morons.

 

 

Hes getting good shots and lots of them.. from good areas on the ice and his line is controlling play.  Not much more a guy can do.  

 

If you get great chances and take good shots and the goalie is stopping them... what more are you going to do.  Just saying he needs to score is a cop out.  It doesnt work like that.  You cant just say score more and the puck goes in now.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, Commandant said:

 

 

Hes getting good shots and lots of them.. from good areas on the ice and his line is controlling play.  Not much more a guy can do.  

 

If you get great chances and take good shots and the goalie is stopping them... what more are you going to do.  Just saying he needs to score is a cop out.  It doesnt work like that.  You cant just say score more and the puck goes in now.

 

Well said. And I sure hope management defends him in exactly these words if and when it gives its season-ending presser. This habit of unfair scapegoating gets on my nerves.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...