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The Plan: One year Tank and Rebuild for 2016-17


Commandant

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I'm cool with Knuckles as an assistant coach. He seems, indeed, to have a nice combo of reasonably useful hockey analysis with personal charisma. Certainly it'd be hard for a player to tell him to stuff it...he'd kick the sh*t of them, after all :B)

But as head coach? Come on. We need a seasoned pro in that role - a master, not a learner, to paraphrase Darth Vader. (Speaking of which, I wouldn't mind seeing Vader coach this bunch. 'I find your lack of effective shots disturbing...' Proceeds to strangle the guy)

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I'm cool with Knuckles as an assistant coach. He seems, indeed, to have a nice combo of reasonably useful hockey analysis with personal charisma. Certainly it'd be hard for a player to tell him to stuff it...he'd kick the sh*t of them, after all :B)

This was the theory of Boston Bruins fans having Cam Neely call the shots. Same with Chara as captain. That's why Dougie Hamilton and Tyler Seguin play somewhere else now.

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These three wins are a mirage because Scrivens/Condon won't save our bacon until Carey's back. I don't know what piece of driftwood we'd have to swallow to offset Desharnais's negative value, but we have to go into next year with Galchenyuk centering our first line (barring us somehow getting a better player). Pleks can get us 40 points from the second line no matter who we stick him with. Sink or swim time with Chucky, and we might as well start now.

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Why? Galchenyuk is doing quite fine on the wing isn't he.

We do have to face the possibility that Galy is, ultimately, better as a winger in the NHL. And in a certain sense, it doesn't matter. If Galy goes to C, then we have a major hole at LW. If Galy goes to LW, then we have a major hole at C. Either way, we need to add a major piece.

What seems absolutely certain at this point is that Pleks-DD is not a Cup-worthy configuration, no matter how we slice it.

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14 & 51 as the #2 & #3 centremen is fine by me.

Sure, but that's the point. There's one gigantic missing piece there. I should have said that Pleks-DD are not a Cup-worthy configuration at C in the top-6. I thought that was a given.

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A few points can be made about this team this year. A lot of the focus has been that this team is nothing without Price. I get that. The proof is right there for all to see, with the win loss record since he got hurt. I actually don't buy it. I think if Montreal had the current team and a true nhl goalie. Even a mid level starter, their record since November would have been much different. They lost a lot of one goal games where they dominated but lost the game after one or two defensive gaffs. Obviously I'm not saying that we don't miss Price. He is the best player on the team and the real captain, but I think this team has been missing an NHL quality backup since Halak left. Do you spend big money on a backup? Not with Price in net. Maybe Condon becomes that guy, but he is not there yet. I think that this is a hole in the line up that we will just have to live with. Unless we draft quality goalies and trade them when they are too good to keep.

The other thing that has been discussed a lot is firing MT. I do not believe this team has given up on him. They have controlled games for The bulk of their losses and suffered from an unreasonably low shooting percentage. This team is playing well for the most part. Their PP is weak and I put that on coaching, but other than that, I think MT has prepared the team well and deployed them fairly well also. Poor performances from Plek, DD, Petry, and limited production from the third and fourth line have really skewed the numbers this year. IMO.

Which brings us to the guys who are supposed to score the goals. I do not support trading Plek. I truly believe that a strong team needs a high quality defender in the top 6. Plek is that guy. I cannot see a way that this team gets better by trading Plek. This reveals a gaping hole at the #1 center position. I don't think Chucky has the vision to fill that role. He may down the road, but I just don't think he has the vision to do it. I would love to be wrong here, but I don't think I am. The next hole is at RW. Weise and Byron should never be in the top six of a winning team. Ever.

Moving to the third line, we have two overpaid third line centre's with oposing attributes. DD with descent vision and play making ability and Eller who is one of the only players on the team that can actually carry the puck. One or both of these guys need to go IMO. I don't care which one. They are both overpaid for third liners and under qualified as 2nd liners on a contending team.

If tanking can get this team a number one center and a 2nd line RW who can play and make a difference next season, I say go for it. Whatever method he uses to fill one or both of the these holes, MB needs to do it before Price and Patches get their huge raises.

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A few points can be made about this team this year. A lot of the focus has been that this team is nothing without Price. I get that. The proof is right there for all to see, with the win loss record since he got hurt. I actually don't buy it. I think if Montreal had the current team and a true nhl goalie. Even a mid level starter, their record since November would have been much different. They lost a lot of one goal games where they dominated but lost the game after one or two defensive gaffs. Obviously I'm not saying that we don't miss Price. He is the best player on the team and the real captain, but I think this team has been missing an NHL quality backup since Halak left. Do you spend big money on a backup? Not with Price in net. Maybe Condon becomes that guy, but he is not there yet. I think that this is a hole in the line up that we will just have to live with. Unless we draft quality goalies and trade them when they are too good to keep.

The other thing that has been discussed a lot is firing MT. I do not believe this team has given up on him. They have controlled games for The bulk of their losses and suffered from an unreasonably low shooting percentage. This team is playing well for the most part. Their PP is weak and I put that on coaching, but other than that, I think MT has prepared the team well and deployed them fairly well also. Poor performances from Plek, DD, Petry, and limited production from the third and fourth line have really skewed the numbers this year. IMO.

Which brings us to the guys who are supposed to score the goals. I do not support trading Plek. I truly believe that a strong team needs a high quality defender in the top 6. Plek is that guy. I cannot see a way that this team gets better by trading Plek. This reveals a gaping hole at the #1 center position. I don't think Chucky has the vision to fill that role. He may down the road, but I just don't think he has the vision to do it. I would love to be wrong here, but I don't think I am. The next hole is at RW. Weise and Byron should never be in the top six of a winning team. Ever.

Moving to the third line, we have two overpaid third line centre's with oposing attributes. DD with descent vision and play making ability and Eller who is one of the only players on the team that can actually carry the puck. One or both of these guys need to go IMO. I don't care which one. They are both overpaid for third liners and under qualified as 2nd liners on a contending team.

If tanking can get this team a number one center and a 2nd line RW who can play and make a difference next season, I say go for it. Whatever method he uses to fill one or both of the these holes, MB needs to do it before Price and Patches get their huge raises.

I hate to tell you this but you just made the best argument for firing the coach. #1 goal tending is not the problem with this team, those defensive gaffs you talk about are not the goaltenders fault. The goal scoring 1.8 gpg ain't gonna win you many games. The damn coach says we need 3. So that is the goalies fault? As to the low shooting per centage I listen to Knuckles who says they don't practice the p/p or shooting, is that the goalies fault? To make it short, the offence sucks, the defence sucks, who is in charge of that? Le Genius. They may not have quit on him but his record if you care to look it up says he has no offence. Never has never will. He teaches defence and even that ain't working.

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I hate to tell you this but you just made the best argument for firing the coach. #1 goal tending is not the problem with this team, those defensive gaffs you talk about are not the goaltenders fault. The goal scoring 1.8 gpg ain't gonna win you many games. The damn coach says we need 3. So that is the goalies fault? As to the low shooting per centage I listen to Knuckles who says they don't practice the p/p or shooting, is that the goalies fault? To make it short, the offence sucks, the defence sucks, who is in charge of that? Le Genius. They may not have quit on him but his record if you care to look it up says he has no offence. Never has never will. He teaches defence and even that ain't working.

The teams gaa during that stretch has been appalling. An nhl goalie gets them at least 5 wins out of those 25 losses. Nothing to do with coachING.

the teams possession stats and scoring chances have been above average and their shooting percentage has been way below average. His system is giving them a Chance to win games. The players are not burying those chances. I believe it has way more to do with top 6 talent, confidence, and slumps by a couple of miscast players than it does with systems, preparation, or player deployment.

Health is another key factor which he has no control over.

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The teams gaa during that stretch has been appalling. An nhl goalie gets them at least 5 wins out of those 25 losses. Nothing to do with coachING.

the teams possession stats and scoring chances have been above average and their shooting percentage has been way below average. His system is giving them a Chance to win games. The players are not burying those chances. I believe it has way more to do with top 6 talent, confidence, and slumps by a couple of miscast players than it does with systems, preparation, or player deployment.

Health is another key factor which he has no control over.

We disagree and that is ok. You are a stats driven guy. I know that we would have won some of those games if Carey was healthy but How many 1 goal games you gonna win? A goalies stats are a reflection of the team in front of him, this team has been shite, not that the goalies have been perfect, but they are not the problem. The best a goalie can get you a 0-0 tie. That's it if you can't score you cannot win. Le Genius has no idea what to do about offence.

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We disagree and that is ok. You are a stats driven guy. I know that we would have won some of those games if Carey was healthy but How many 1 goal games you gonna win? A goalies stats are a reflection of the team in front of him, this team has been shite, not that the goalies have been perfect, but they are not the problem. The best a goalie can get you a 0-0 tie. That's it if you can't score you cannot win. Le Genius has no idea what to do about offence.

I argue that he does. My eye test tells me that. Not just stats. This year's team gets a lot of scoring Chances in close. If you wanna hire Chris Nilan or rely on his analysis to determine coaching issues, that's cool. I just think that an ahl goalie, no number one center, no 2nd line RW, and an entire hockey team in the infirmary are more glaring issues than coaching. These are gm issues.

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I argue that he does. My eye test tells me that. Not just stats. This year's team gets a lot of scoring Chances in close. If you wanna hire Chris Nilan or rely on his analysis to determine coaching issues, that's cool. I just think that an ahl goalie, no number one center, no 2nd line RW, and an entire hockey team in the infirmary are more glaring issues than coaching. These are gm issues.

Look up his record, pay attention to the power play.

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Good post, BCHabs, and I agree with much of what you say. One area that you don't play up is our players' ridiculous propensity to blow golden scoring chances. This bizarre inability to capitalize on chances is the flip-side of the mediocre goaltending. If we had had one or the other element working - i.e., good, steady goaltending, OR the killer instinct needed to score on quality chances - The Slump would never have become the cataclysm it was (or is). Conversely. this pathological inability to capitalize means that the team would still have lost games it 'deserved' to win in the absence of Price-like goaltending. So, had the goaltending been of the calibre to cover up those killer defensive lapses, we probably would have hovered at around, say, .500 without Price, instead of going 5-for-25 or whatever.

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I argue that he does. My eye test tells me that. Not just stats. This year's team gets a lot of scoring Chances in close. If you wanna hire Chris Nilan or rely on his analysis to determine coaching issues, that's cool. I just think that an ahl goalie, no number one center, no 2nd line RW, and an entire hockey team in the infirmary are more glaring issues than coaching. These are gm issues.

There's been a lot of extenuating circumstance, but through the entire slump, MT hasn't had the answers. In fact, he hasn't had any answers or changed the team's tactics. What's worse is that he keeps making simple mistakes as a manager that fans on message boards can find fault with.

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Stogey, I mean't you wanted DD simply gone and not just let him play a position he seems to do well in, 3rd line centre/wing. I do agree team is and has been lacking highly skilled players in top six.

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Tanking is not an admirable or good thing. I'm certainly not saying one can't make a series of intelligent moves knowing that they work for next season and not this one, but any thought of not trying to win as many as we can whatever the results just isn't hockey. Tanking is always done for a material advantage, but it diminishes sport itself undermining the reason for being a sports fan.

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NFL, MLB call up rookies and pack it in early if out of playoffs, it isn't a NHL-only thing (why they have a lottery in NBA as they do in NHL)

It is big business and a cup championship is worth a lot to Geoffrey Molson, so play the odds and deal away current for future assets if have only 23.8% chance of just making playoffs, let alone a cup win.

But is still nice to see them win for sure.

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