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Habs Defence deserves more praise


Is our defence good enough to compete?  

17 members have voted

  1. 1. Is our D good enough to compete for cup?

    • Yes
      15
    • No
      2


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We are playing well and much of the praise is being heaped on the forwards. 
 

I think our D deserves a bunch of credit. 
 

Petry is having a Norris level year so far. I believe that Edmundson is a large reason why. While Edmundson is not great at clearing the puck (his clearing attempts make it half way up the boards), he is outstanding along the boards and in front of the net. 
 

Petry doesn’t spend near as much time or energy along the boards. Edmundson is an absolute beast on the boards and routinely rubs opponents out and takes the puck. 
 

Chairot and Weber are using their size and skill to overcome their lack of foot speed. I still question if their lack of speed will be exposed in later playoff rounds against better, speedier players but so far they have been great. 
 

Kulak and Romanov work well together. Romanov plays textbook coached hockey. He is where he should be and handles the plays as he has been coached to do. Kulak fills in the gaps and reads the play so well. Kulak is great at advancing the puck and he directs and communicates with Romanov constantly. 
 

Mete...I don’t see a place for him except as an injury replacement. 
 

Our defence is stopping plays and turning the puck around. Our forwards are simply reaping the benefits. 
 

What do you think? Is our defence strong enough to compete for the cup?

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They are a collection designed to provide defence with the capability to move the puck out and Petry/Romanov can carry the puck out ... Kulak shows flashes and Mete is a great skater but still not certain he is a puck carrier

 

They fit the style that Habs/MB/Julien want to play

 

There will be games that they look awful so lets not forget these good times when they happen

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The answer to your question seems to be “yes.” The 7 guys we have on D can be good enough to anchor a Cup winner. It will be very helpful if Romanov doesn’t flag, however; he makes a big difference.

 

I was worried about Edmundson being a clumsy slowfoot, but based on my “eye test” he has been just fine. A good, solid guy. He won a lot of brownie points by punching out that gorilla Myers, of course. As for the others, Petry is elite, Weber and Chiarot are stalwarts, I always liked Kulak even if the coaching staff doesn’t, and while I now regard Mete as human scum, he is excellent depth.  

 

However, our *team* D needs to be better IMHO. I want to see evidence of a team that can lock it down to win the 2-1 squeakers you’re gonna need to win come playoff time. And until we have that evidence, we should be careful about being too confident in this team’s “contender” status. So far, we’ve been blowing teams out, which makes it easy to overlook the breakdowns. At the elite level, though, that won’t fly.

 

 

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Personally, yes I think they are a capable, cup-winning quality d corps.

 

Edmundson has been settling in nicely lately.

Chairot, Weber, Petry continue to be reliable and productive.

Romanov has come as advertised, can’t even consider him a rookie he is so solid (Kulak has been great partner for him IMO). Kulak continues to be a solid, value depth dman.

Mete is great 7th man who can add speed dynamic depending on matchups, but he doesn’t fit the style, mild of the rest of d corps so will always be odd man out.   He needs to be sheltered by a Weber or Petry and that mitigates the advantages of those two studs, so why bother.

This d corps is awesome when looking at the team being built around goal, protect and exploit your biggest asset: CP31.  Keep it simple, and when they do... we are seeing the damage they cause.

I’d like to see them play nastier, in that instead of hugging someone or putting gloves in their faces when they crash crease or run a Hab I’d accept the suspension to see Chiarot or Eddy just clobber some dumb fool who runs Price or KK.

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13 minutes ago, hockeyrealist said:

Personally, yes I think they are a capable, cup-winning quality d corps.

 

Edmundson has been settling in nicely lately.

Chairot, Weber, Petry continue to be reliable and productive.

Romanov has come as advertised, can’t even consider him a rookie he is so solid (Kulak has been great partner for him IMO). Kulak continues to be a solid, value depth dman.

Mete is great 7th man who can add speed dynamic depending on matchups, but he doesn’t fit the style, mild of the rest of d corps so will always be odd man out.   He needs to be sheltered by a Weber or Petry and that mitigates the advantages of those two studs, so why bother.

This d corps is awesome when looking at the team being built around goal, protect and exploit your biggest asset: CP31.  Keep it simple, and when they do... we are seeing the damage they cause.

I’d like to see them play nastier, in that instead of hugging someone or putting gloves in their faces when they crash crease or run a Hab I’d accept the suspension to see Chiarot or Eddy just clobber some dumb fool who runs Price or KK.


Playing nastier is something that I also want from them. 
 

I want opposing players to fear life in front of the net and along the boards 

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56 minutes ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:


Playing nastier is something that I also want from them. 
 

I want opposing players to fear life in front of the net and along the boards 

Dont agree, are playing "Nasty" enough and cross check penalties in front of net dont help win games. But, of course is a time and place for laying the lumber when aggregious physicality on Price happens and when have a good lead, then Chiarot-Edmunston should feel free to send a message. 

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2 minutes ago, DON said:

Dont agree, are playing "Nasty" enough and cross check penalties in front of net dont help win games. But, of course is a time and place for laying the lumber when aggregious physicality on Price happens and when have a good lead, then Chiarot-Edmunston should feel free to send a message. 


It’s not about penalties or cross checking. 
 

I want players to consider that if they go in that corner after the puck they are going to get hit by a large and angry man every time. 
 

It does affect some players who then wait to get on a puck - advantage us

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I mean nasty as in..

Dube gets plowed over,

mounted and pummelled as soon

 as he hits KK.

 

if it had been CP31 instead of Jack Campbell that was jumped on by Tkchachuk I would gladly accept the 3 game suspension for Chiarot or Eddy to destroy his face. No warnings, no pushing, just blows to the head.

 

that’s what I mean by nasty.

no warning, no three strikes, no waiting on refs/league, only a 

disproportionate amount of pain is what the offender gets.

 

Habs will just score on PK anyways and opponents know the price to take liberties.

 

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1 hour ago, Commandant said:

Or it gets defencemen running around their own zone and getting out of position for that hit, and the forward makes a quick change of direction and suddenly they are left in the dust. 


This can be a concern for sure and is why Fleury isn’t playing yet. 
 

I don’t want our D to change their game per se I want them to be angry and mean. They are not those things at all. A group of large men that all happen to be nice guys. 
 

I do not want them involved in stupid stuff or trying to injure others. I want the other players to stop thinking of our Dmen as nice guys. 
 

I want opposing players to not want to rush into the corner and fight for pucks. 

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1 hour ago, hockeyrealist said:

I mean nasty as in..

Dube gets plowed over,

mounted and pummelled as soon

 as he hits KK.

 

What are you in high school, such a childish reaction? Skill and speed is more key to winning, than taking an instigator penalty, especially when your PK isnt very good.

 

An idiot with seemingly low IQ  by name of Lucic used to try exactly that tactic and it helped Habs beat Bruins often. Julien doesnt need to deal with a player like that again.

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I don't see an issue with the amount of physicality the Habs defence has.  With Chiarot, Weber, Edmundson, Romanov, they are as physical as any team on defence.  I don't think its the same league as the trap era 90s, where this is going to help win games.  Keep your man to the outside, cut off passing lanes, and keep forwards in bad positions to shoot the puck.  Take the hit when it's there (which they do).

 

Asking for more physicality is just going to get these D out of position and lead to scoring chances against and goals. 

 

the team is 6-1-2.... they are dominating in every analytical measure... the wins are blowouts... this is working.

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3 hours ago, Commandant said:

I don't see an issue with the amount of physicality the Habs defence has.  With Chiarot, Weber, Edmundson, Romanov, they are as physical as any team on defence.  I don't think its the same league as the trap era 90s, where this is going to help win games.  Keep your man to the outside, cut off passing lanes, and keep forwards in bad positions to shoot the puck.  Take the hit when it's there (which they do).

 

Asking for more physicality is just going to get these D out of position and lead to scoring chances against and goals. 

 

the team is 6-1-2.... they are dominating in every analytical measure... the wins are blowouts... this is working.

You forgot Petry. He lays the body a lot. Really the only defensemen who don't lower the boom are Kulak and Mete.

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16 hours ago, DON said:

What are you in high school, such a childish reaction? Skill and speed is more key to winning, than taking an instigator penalty, especially when your PK isnt very good.

 

An idiot with seemingly low IQ  by name of Lucic used to try exactly that tactic and it helped Habs beat Bruins often. Julien doesnt need to deal with a player like that again.


The PK is fantastic, what are you in high school statistics?

I didn’t say they should run around and goon it up. I said they retaliate with pain instead of hugging and threats since the refs and league are not doing their jobs.

Damn, you like to make broad assumptions and put words into people’s mouths.  
I specifically said they should enact that nastiness when other teams take liberties, which has already started and will continue as habs dominate against same teams over and over and rivalries, bitterness sink in.

nowhere’s did I say they should get a one-dimensional goon like Louch (who seems quite loved by his teammates, has won some metal) so obviously isn’t the one dimensional troll you liken him to.  But again, that is not what I said so stop insinuating you know my intentions when my words are clearly written so any high schooler could understand.

You are a bully on this site with your posts as though you know my intent better than I do and you’re holier than thou attitude of superiority. 
 

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On 2/2/2021 at 12:16 PM, Prime Minister Koivu said:

Playing nastier is something that I also want from them. 
I want opposing players to fear life in front of the net and along the boards 

 

23 hours ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

... I do not want them involved in stupid stuff or trying to injure others. I want the other players to stop thinking of our Dmen as nice guys. 
I want opposing players to not want to rush into the corner and fight for pucks. 

 

The degree of violence needed to make players "fear for life in front of the net" (even as a hyperbolic statement) is no longer tolerated in the NHL ...  it leads to penalties, suspensions and, perhaps worse, refs "looking for" the offending players ... as for keeping players out of the corners, there are fewer and fewer players who shy away from hits, unless the hits are at the "fear for life" level ... see preceding sentence

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7 hours ago, hockeyrealist said:


The PK is fantastic, what are you in high school statistics?

It is 15th in the league, that is fantastic?

7 hours ago, hockeyrealist said:

You are a bully on this site with your posts as though you know my intent better than I do and you’re holier than thou attitude of superiority. 

You criticize Weber's reaction to hit on KK and want more truculence than currently shown and arnt alone; but, i basically completely disagree and seems mentality of bygone era.

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8 hours ago, hockeyrealist said:


The PK is fantastic, what are you in high school statistics?

It's middle of the road.... its not fantastic.  Nice to have all the shorties though, that doesn't make the opponents PP less dangerous, especially in a close game. 

 

8 hours ago, hockeyrealist said:

You are a bully on this site with your posts as though you know my intent better than I do and you’re holier than thou attitude of superiority. 
 

 

Ummm... what?

I've never seen DON bully anyone.  But last week you made not 1, but 2 personal attacks on posters (alfredoh and Habs29R) so maybe those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. 

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I will attempt to explain my position in a different way because I don’t think I’m being understood. 
 

Im not suggesting broad street bullies or dirty garbage. 
 

one of the things I heard a lot of after MB masterworks was that we are built for the playoffs. Big , mobile Dmen that wear opponents down over the corse of a series. 
 

That is not because of their physical stature but how they use it. It is always referred to as being hard on opposing forwards by media personalities. 
 

That is what I want 

 

we are playing a group of mini series all year long against the same 6 teams. 
 

Wear them down and get used to playing hard. When we reach the semifinals (and yes we are) the competition is strong. 
 

I legitimately believe we are good enough, deep enough, driven enough to be serious contenders. 
 

We are built for the playoffs they say

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keep in mind we are 15th in the league in PK all the while playing against 3 of the top PP units in all of hockey LY (VAN, EdM and TO) with some serious weapons. So, I do believe they've held there own exceptionally well, and if not for some PP goals scored in bunches by VAN in one game they could be top 10... which would be even more impressive given the competition.

 

As for the physicality, Im sure we all envy the "team toughness" of say the Bruins, flyers or Sharks that seem to always be the case year over year. The habs use to be a team like that in the 70's and 80's when they had the horses but more so that winning attitude/ swagger. The point is I would love a team that had a "Mess with one of us, Mess with all of us" attitude again!!! That is the point some of us are making here... This type of team toughness I am 100% for and always will be. Surely we all are.

 

As for Don, he likes to play devils advocate on many occasions per say, helping to fuel this thread most times... I rather enjoy that back and forth read as useful info ends up being the final result

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9 minutes ago, IN THE HEARTS OF MEN said:

keep in mind we are 15th in the league in PK all the while playing against 3 of the top PP units in all of hockey LY (VAN, EdM and TO) with some serious weapons. So, I do believe they've held there own exceptionally well, and if not for some PP goals scored in bunches by VAN in one game they could be top 10... which would be even more impressive given the competition ...

 

On the flip side, despite the PP goals scored by VAN in bunches against the Habs, the Canucks are only 21st in the league with a 14.9% PP ... making those bunches perhaps more concerning ... OR ... realistically it is still 10-15 games shy of the percentages necessarily being significant.

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