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Winnipeg vs Montreal, 7:30 PM, Jan. 4


dlbalr

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One of the biggest difference for me was the fact that the team didn't let up once they got a 2 goal lead. Martin's teams would have sat on that lead and continued to dump the puck in the rest of the game. Last night they kept their foot on the gas pedal and easily pulled away.

Here's hoping that this tactics change will result in a few less blown leads.

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For long term security and for not having t pick up and move I'd be willing to bet he would take slightly less otherwise he may go along the lines of guy like Winchester who despite scoring 10 goals and nearly 120 PIMS last season struggled to find any team willing to take him. Always a risk.

Winchester was a huge minus player and is a defensive liability..

Moen has been a huge part of a largely successful penalty killing unit throughout his time in Montreal,, and in Anaheim before that.

He won't be looking for work very long if he goes to UFA.

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Don't forget Gomez. IMO he is an upgrade on Plekanec right now. Let's face it, Plekanec makes poor decisions on the PP. He is not effective in entering the puck in the offensive zone; he doesn't win his share of face-offs and loses a lot of battles on the boards. I know it may sound far off, but don't forget that he was completely lost in the last two playoffs. The fact is that Gomez was our best center in 2010 and 2011 in the spring. I don't know when he will be back and what Cunneyworth's plans are, but I think that our team is better with him in the line-up.

Other than the first game last year, Gomez was not better than Plekanec in the 2011 playoffs.

Gomez was great in game 1 and then disappeared.

Plekanec meanwhile was doing yeoman's work keeping the Kreijci line in check, while helping to bring offence and his winger (cammalleri) was leading the entire league in points at the time of the elimination.

It was Gomez's matchup... the Bergeron-Recchi-Marchand line that killed us in that series...

Thats where Pleks is so much more valuable.

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While I loved to see Eller have a great night, some of you guys are losing perspective. He is now going to be our number one center? Comments on the Halak trade?

The last guy to do this was Jan Bulis.. how did that work out for you? Super star? Only in his head.

Almost any guy in this league could score 4 goals, once a career. Two goals were great, but two were more the result of AK and Moen making can't miss passes (although yes, Cammy, Gionta, and Gomez would have found ways not to score).

Why don't we just wait and see how his season goes. I suspect he will settle back into his normal, third line pace. If he does better, great, but one game doesn't make him Crosby.

He had 3 pts in 3 games since his benching; before last night.

He's always seemed like a guy who is one step away from turning on the offence. I really hope this means a corner has been turned with him. He's 22 years old.. not at all comparable to Bulis who had his 4 goal game as a veteran where we knew it was a one time thing and thats what he was.

I don't expect 4 goal nights every night from him... but I think we are finally seeing him start to bring the offence. And its exactly the same timeline (though a younger age) to where Plekanec started to change from a checking line centre into a producer in January 2007.

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Winchester was a huge minus player and is a defensive liability..

Moen has been a huge part of a largely successful penalty killing unit throughout his time in Montreal,, and in Anaheim before that.

He won't be looking for work very long if he goes to UFA.

Not saying he won;t be a commodity I am saying he might not get the $1.5 million h is looking for.

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He had 3 pts in 3 games since his benching; before last night.

He's always seemed like a guy who is one step away from turning on the offence. I really hope this means a corner has been turned with him. He's 22 years old.. not at all comparable to Bulis who had his 4 goal game as a veteran where we knew it was a one time thing and thats what he was.

I don't expect 4 goal nights every night from him... but I think we are finally seeing him start to bring the offence. And its exactly the same timeline (though a younger age) to where Plekanec started to change from a checking line centre into a producer in January 2007.

I don't see it, to be honest. He has had a few good games since getting benched. That happens all the time, it doesn't mean he will sustain it. I hope he does,, but I don't see him as our answer for a top first line center. I will be happy if he develops into a great 3rd line guy with offensive upside.

The last thing the kid needs is pressure to be a top line guy. We also don't need him pricing himself out of the market like Bulis did.

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Brobin, I think the idea that he will emerge as a top-6 C, while not unrealistic - he was considered a 'blue chip' prospect when we got him and has certainly shown flashes of elite talent - is a pleasant notion and a natural one for fans after the 5-point game last night. We need positives and the hope that Eller might emerge as a quality offensive centreman gives us hope. I think everybody realizes this is not a sure thing.

Still, if he doesn't emerge as at least a decent second-line C eventually over the next couple of years, I for one will be disappointed. I never saw him as a 40-point checking centreman myself.

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Brobin, I think the idea that he will emerge as a top-6 C, while not unrealistic - he was considered a 'blue chip' prospect when we got him and has certainly shown flashes of elite talent - is a pleasant notion and a natural one for fans after the 5-point game last night. We need positives and the hope that Eller might emerge as a quality offensive centreman gives us hope. I think everybody realizes this is not a sure thing.

Still, if he doesn't emerge as at least a decent second-line C eventually over the next couple of years, I for one will be disappointed. I never saw him as a 40-point checking centreman myself.

Well, it is possible that he becomes a 2nd line guy, but I think that will be a stretch. Yes, he was a first rounder, but so were a long list of guys who never made the NHL at all. I have been impressed that he is learning to be a much better defensive player then I feared. My main worry was that he wouldn't pan out as a top 6 guy AND couldn't be relied on to play in a defensive role. That would make him useless.

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Time to change to ETH

Bulis be GONE

Should I change it every time a Hab scores 4 goals in a game then?

Nah. I've grown too used to this name.

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Someone may already have brought this up, but why pull out such a great penalty shot move up 6-2 when you've already got a hat trick? Seems pointless to me to use such a top class move in a meaningless situation and show your hand.

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Someone may already have brought this up, but why pull out such a great penalty shot move up 6-2 when you've already got a hat trick? Seems pointless to me to use such a top class move in a meaningless situation and show your hand.

The move, if executed correctly is unstoppable.

If Mason stays at home, anticipating the spin, Eller roofs it over him on the forehand... when he follows and eller does the spin; its a goal.

Only way to stop this move is if the player messes up (shoots over the net or wide... loses the puck.... falls, etc...)

Its almost unfair to a goalie.

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Someone may already have brought this up, but why pull out such a great penalty shot move up 6-2 when you've already got a hat trick? Seems pointless to me to use such a top class move in a meaningless situation and show your hand.

I thought you were going to say that he shouldn't have used it because it's classless to pull that move when you're already winning by 4.

Maybe he thought that was the only time such a risky move could be justifiable.

Maybe he was feeling invincible.

Maybe he's been planning to use it on his first penalty shot attempt no matter what.

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