Habs Fan in Edmonton

The 2nd half of the game was so much fun to watch. Hutson is pure magic.

Double gag!

Pettersson was a 100 point centre once (102 pts), he seems to have regressed. I am not that crazy about acquiring him either given his salary and the cost to acquire him. Not sure he is the guy you can count on come playoff time. I really like JT Miller but he is 31, doesn't really fit the time line and probably won't come here anyway.

My thoughts regarding Team Canada is this. They just looked like a team that was really nervous and tight. This was apparent watching the shootout against Latvia. They were 0-8, 0 for friggin 8 and didn't even come close to scoring. They couldn't seem to handle the puck. They were tight. The effort was there, the finish and discipline was not. Every time they showed Cameron behind the bench he seemed to be blowing a casket. Not sure if he had the right approach.

And Hage is the only Freshmen in that group. Looking good!

I agree. This road trip indicated the Habs are getting closer, plus we have Demidov coming in next year. The chemistry right now is good. They would have to think long and hard about taking on a big contract that might upset things. It would really have to be the right deal. I am confident Hughes won't make a bad decision.

It is a lot and a big consideration. Not sure Montreal is the right market for him. Miller on the other hand is a beast, would probably thrive almost anywhere.

Agree 100%, I don't think Peterrson is worth 11.6M/year, certainly not right now, whereas Suzuki is definitely worth every penny of his 7.8M/year, never mind the other considerations you mentioned, ie. leadership, chemistry

Yep, they beat Florida, Tampa, Vegas and Colorado on this road trip just like I predicted. Ok, maybe I just dreamed it.

I agree, this is the most confident Dach has looked carrying the puck. He looked like the Dach of a couple years ago when it was tough to get the puck from him.

This is a perfect set up for a loss. The young Habs might be a little overconfident after beating 3 top teams and the Hawks were upset about their effort last game. Hope I am wrong. It would be nice to get above the .500 mark.

Agreed, it would be really tough to trade Savard right now, the team is playing well, team chemistry is good, they are not far out of a playoff spot. It would send a bad message to trade him now. The return would have to be awfully good.

Agreed, getting Danault and a 2nd round pick from Chicago for Wiese and Fleischmann was probably his 2nd best trade.

Glass was the #6 overall pick so I guess you couldn't really blame him if that's who he wanted at the time. Glass was a great junior but had some injuries and never really developed like Suzuki. Always a little luck involved especially when trading for guys who are under 20, development can be hard to predict. But it sure turned out to be a great trade.

Pulijarvi has size and skill but then when you see him play often enough you realize the sum is way less than the individual pieces, zero hockey IQ. I'll pass.

The commentator said during the game that Evan's shooting % was over 50% in December and 31% overall. I don't think those numbers are sustainable.

This team is really starting to believe. Dach is such a key, if he can keep it going they will be dangerous. To beat Florida, Tampa and Vegas back to back to back is quite an accomplishment. It's a good thing the boys are in a city where they can't get into trouble on New Years Eve.

Agreed, Kreider at his peak is/was a force. Great combination of speed and strength.

I think all teams would like a younger version of Kreider. Hage is a different type of player.

Agreed, they were a legitimate cup contender last year but the wheels seem to have fallen off quickly.

Perhaps, I am pretty happy with what he has done this year but my expectations were not that high. He is a guy that works hard in the off season and takes care of himself. We might get 2 more decent years out of him.

Watched the Florida - Ranger game tonight. Thought the Rangers worked hard and deserved a better fate. It doesn't seem like they have quit on the coach but obviously sliding further back in the playoff race. Maybe they just aren't good enough? Hard to make a good trade when teams know you are desperate.

If Gally can continue at a 20 goal pace and work his tail off like he has been doing then you live with it. It's still an overpay but not a ridiculous overpay. The options aren't much better as you suggested.

I would agree, use those 2nd round picks to move up or as a sweetener in a deal to get a higher pick. The Habs have plenty of picks, it's more about quality than quantity right now.

I am splitting hairs here, if you include this year into his overall totals, Evans has averaged 31 points per 82 games so you are correct in calling him a 30 point guy.