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Okay, enough is enough. Clearly, the light approach isn't working as it continues to escalate on both sides. Alfredo, why you continue to poke the bear makes no sense. All you're doing is asking for trouble and making the mods' lives harder. Give it up. Put him on ignore, or don't engage. I don't care what you choose, I just care that it ends now. Commandant, while I realize you have been provoked (quite a bit), your response also clearly isn't acceptable, just as the provocation on the other end wasn't either. I barely have time to be on here and I'd like what little time I have to spend actually discussing the Habs, you know, the purpose of this forum. Like many on here (as we're receiving feedback with complaints about both of you), I'm fed up with this as I'm sure you guys are as well. We tried the polite way and hoped that this could be a squabble that cooler heads would eventually prevail but that's not happening. I have no interest in getting into the behind the scenes discussions of proportional suspensions that will only stall the problem and again, I also don't have the time. So while you are both valuable posters here, this is a final warning. If this continues, from either of you, it's not going to be a suspension but a more permanent departure from the board. It's not the outcome I want for sure, nor admittedly is it fair; this is more heavy-handed than I want. But this can't continue to be a drag on the forum and one way or the other, it needs to stop and this is the most direct way to do that.

Been to more than my share of games here in Boston. As much as I wholeheartedly dislike the bruins I equally respect the team and their history as well. Treat them with respect and they will return the favor. (Having my kid with me helps too)

Game was ok. They desperately needed to score on that PP with 10 min to go in the 3rd. Stuck in traffic so I can’t write much bur holy shit does Slaf look lost and disinterested. Here are two of the coolest moments of the day..

First you tell me that he has a no-trade clause, now you tell me he has already been traded. I'm starting to think that my trade proposal won't happen!

BOOM

Laine gonna score

Primeau is not going to get claimed right now. Send him down and call up Hughes.

Just ignore him and don't respond. If you have a strong compulsion to respond you should put him on ignore. Nobody will be tagging his posts so you can see them.

Are you trying to engage in a squabble? Essentially calling Commandant antisemitic? sheesh I’d like the pettiness to quit. Commandant calls things as he sees them, then others don’t like it so they resort to name calling, then there is retaliation and so on and so forth and it has nothing to do with the Habs any more. more Habs content, comment and controversy please. Less of the feelings hurt when someone calls you out.

I"m reminded of a conversation I overheard one day at a youth hockey game. (Full disclosure, my son is a ref.) A woman in her 70s was commenting to a coach/director of an association about the horrible officiating after a game. The director looked at her and calmly asked if she could skate. She said no. He asked if she had ever been a ref. She said, of course not, I can't even skate. He then said, well then, you don't have any right to tell any official or player how to do their job. It's harder than it looks out there. I will say that I used to be hard on refs until my son started reffing. Yes there are still obvious missed calls, but it's a heck of a job. It infuriates me to go to a game and hear a crowd start booing the refs during warmups. Anyway, hope the Habs can string together a few more strong performances. Sounds like this one was a step in the right direction.

For those who follow college hockey, how would you compare Jacob Fowler at this stage in his college career with how Cayden Prime did when he was in college hockey? We all know it takes goalies longer to develop in many cases. Obviously Carey Price didn't take that long but Jordan Binnington spent 7 years in the minors before St. Louis brought him up and he's obviously done really well. Charlie Lindgren did very well in college hockey, did ok for a few years in the AHL and NHL with Montreal, but now 8 years after making his NHL debut in 2016, he seems to have developed enough to have carved out an NHL career. Success in college or junior for a goalie doesn't always translate into success at the NHL level and I remember Primeau did very well in US college hockey but since turning pro has probably underachieved for the most part, even though he has had some good stretches. So the question is, are we being fair comparing their college careers and extrapolating that to the NHL? It probably varies from player to p[layer so it may not be a worthwhile comparison. What do you think, is it fair to compare and draw any conclusions with Fowler now compared to Primeau when he was in college?

Kulak was always better than Barron has played. Barron already needs waivers, in a year he's gonna need a qualifying offer as an RFA. Time is working against him, if he hasn't shown big improvement by the deadline or summer, I say deal him. There just isn't room for a purely offensive D, who is a defensive liability, on a roster where Hutson and Mattheson already monopolize the PP time, and Mailloux is knocking on the door too.

this is how I am feeling right now:

See you next season buddy

If hes insisting on 5 or 6 years then im moving him at the deadline. I think you get yourself in trouble when you give long contracts to non elite players. As we talk about cap management, i again preach flexibility. Which means that while core players require long term contracts, im going shorter on the bottom six and third pair and not getting stuck with a long term deal if they fall off a little. A top liner falling off might be overpaid but can still play ala gallagher. When a third liner falls off, they are no longer NHL calibre. And i think you can get a vet in FA or trade with a short term deal I like Evans but there is a line in both value and in term where he becomes replaceable.

Can we maybe have a long term cap management thread... and then the people who want to can discuss it in there. And the game threads are game to game decisions and discussions. Things like last night's penalty kill.

what a buzz kill... Laine's back we are 2-0 with him iin the line up, and this game thread is taken over by stupidity of lets trade Laine already for more picks and talk of having to trade Hutson and Demidov to fit him.... BUZZ KILL

He is finally back. Can't wait to see where St. Louis plays him.

I think that was more along the lines of the commentator saying internally, the players should be thinking they can get four out of five. I don't think too many are realistically expecting it.

Montembeault named as one of the 3 goalies in the 4 nations cup.

Tough break at the end of the second. Montembault has been outstanding. Anyone see Laine in the TSN interview? The guy looked gassed but not surprising. Newhook is big hat, no cattle

Or to eat cap on a 3 team deal if the return was good. Definitely not a trade to keep him on the team.

Say what you will about Primeau, but he's being hung out to dry fairly often this game.

Sitting 2/3 of the games on the bench is the wrong thing for Dobes’s development. He needs to play more, and that’s why he’s in Laval.

I expect RHP to hit waivers I think Roy gets sent back to Laval and Pezzetta will continue to sit. I wouldn’t mind a trade though

Oops. Sorry all. Definitely don't want to escalate stuff. Peace love and flowers all around.

I have been quiet, but I'm sure others agree. All 3 of you need to piss off with the useless back and fourth. It's getting irritating. People have different opinions. If someone doesn't agree with yours, it's OK. Get over it and move on. People get their feelings hurt and feel singled out. It happens. Understand that it happens and stop escalating. I'm gonna start looking for another board soon. Ive been on this board since ESPN in 2000. It's getting old. All 3 of you need to back off of each other. Little kindness during the holiday season?

But even after the explanation (a perfectly reasonable one), I don't see how you could still construe that as anti-Semitic. That's not the type of comment to be taken lightly and, at least in my opinion, was unwarranted. I'd appreciate it if you'd at least withdraw that particular element.

I don't think his value is high right now. I think you need to let Dach work through his issues. He looked so good before the injury. I think he just needs some time. I hope anyway.

When will Laine likely suit up?

The biggest difference is Barron is 2 years older and has been given ample opportunity, over 100 games across 4 seasons with almost the same amount in the AHL, and hasn’t stood out as a consistent NHL player. Also Jiricek has a higher ceiling than Barron ever did.

Maybe Slaf needs some time in Laval.

Don't forget - Ottawa has to forfeit a first round pick - probably won't even own a pick in 2026 - in fact the owner wants to add one.

Bingo!!! Being hard to play against is ALL about limiting the opponents time and space to make plays. The NHL is the best 700 or so hockey players in the world. Get these guys, even those we think of as not skilled like a Michael Pezzetta on a sheet of ice with the best men's league players and they can do things with the puck that you can only dream of. Its a different level entirely. When they have time and space the things they can do are incredible. Taking away that time and space is what makes things hard for them.

I've had that same thought about 0 points for a shootout loss ... might combine it with the 3 points for a regulation win idea to encourage less use of "extra time".

Let's be honest. At least 2 members of all lines should practice faceoffs on a regular basis as C ALWAYS get booted by the linemen.

His cost will be less but contending teams are usually pretty tight against the cap, Habs could take back another contract to make it work.

Evans is already making peanuts and has proven to be a good penalty killer and 3rd line centre... he'll have value. I also strongly disagree on Armia's value. A big, physical winger, with good defensive play will also be tradeable.

They've already made one on Struble to an extent by letting him reach the waiver threshold; he became waiver-eligible on Monday. In doing so, they've clearly determined he's at least in the short-term plans.

Montgomery would be an excellent guy to bring in as an assistant coach and have in the org for next coach.

@alfredoh2009 you have been warned before, this is already your second warning. Do not persist in trying to provoke Commandant. @Commandant this is a warning for you as well, do not escalate alfredoh2009’ comments further, just ignore them if there are some.

agree he got the worst of the tilt, but after the fight, I felt it was his best game all season. Arber’s looked a bit lost. It’s like he’s been told off about the penalties, or told to learn when to “pick his spots”. the result is he completely lost his identity as a player. Felt he found some of that after the scrap, and played with more confidence. And viola he gets his first point. I hope it’s the beginning of more from Arber, who’s had a rough start

Sportsnet's 2025 NHL Draft Prospect Rankings: November Edition - Sportsnet.ca "This draft class definitely pops for the CHL, with strength in both the OHL and WHL, and a sprinkling of high-end players out of the QMJHL. OHLers Porter Martone, Michael Misa and Matthew Schaefer are all in the same company as Boston College's Hagens."

The REAL Kiteman?

No problem Kiteman.

Shesterkin is the best goalie in the league right now. Hes the same outlier today that Hank and Price were. Hank and Price both got to the cup final with their contracts and Bob got to one and won one. The contracts didn't hold the team back and Price probably wins if Bergevin ever got the team a number 1 centre (a move that was never prevented by Price's money)

At 8M/year for this year and next? A hard NO!!!

I don’t see him as that either, but Reinbacher is not going to be up right away next year and we need a righty that is cheap and fills a hole and his contract is reasonable and expires at a good time. He's no Bobby Orr… but he’s not a square peg in a round hole either. He’s a round peg with less diameter then we need for a round hole.

Those same Oilers beat the Sens 5-2 24 hours later: McDavid scored two and Draisatl one. Kudos to Guhle and Marheson, again, for containing those two.

3-2 end of 2nd period Engstrom 2a up to 7pts in 12 2/3 gms 4a in last 3 games 2nd 1:41 Logan Brown (1) Derrick Pouliot (7), Tobie Bisson (1) 3:29 Tobie Bisson (1) Lucas Edmonds (2), Derrick Pouliot (8) 5:44 Jared Davidson (5) Sean Farrell (1), Adam Engström (5) (PP) 6:16 Jared Davidson (6) Laurent Dauphin (2), Adam Engström (6) 18:46 Vincent Arseneau (2) Laurent Dauphin (3), Riley Kidney (3)