Butterface

From highlights I saw Monty got relieved after 5 goals. Dobes got beat on a PP goal. McGuire was pointing high glove from the press box, but it went in low glove, just above the pad.

I just watched the highlights. Lots of goals against. Not a great game by the team. Came out and got smoked in the first. Can’t blame it on Monty. I think any goalie would have got beaten the way the team played. I can’t tell you if Monty is tired. I can tell you he’s played a lot of games. I can tell you he’s faded a bit since these few stellar games after the 4 nations break. I think play Dobes vs Philly. See how that goes. Then decide from there who gets the next two. Either a split after Philly or both for Monty if Dobes loses. MSL needs to begin “win and you’re in”… (Except back to back). Monty was running great. Give him a rest. See if Doby can win the next one. Judge starts from there. Lots of shots through traffic, PP goals, deflections. Exactly what goalies hate. By the looks of things the book on Monty is shoot high glove. The book on Dobes is shoot slightly over pad height either side. Someone WhatsApp McGuire this news. Maybe he can book a few podcasts and disseminate. We are back to playing without a safety net. We were lucky other games went our way tonight. Can’t lose in Philly. I might need a defibrillator if we play like we played tonight.

https://awinninghabit.com/pierre-mcguire-believes-canadiens-rookie-goaltender-has-a-problem-with-his-game give me a break… I remembered it wrong in my last post… the 3rd and 4th goals were power play… the 3rd goal was a cross crease no chance. The fourth goal was a high tip no chance (but the puck went in low in net). The first two goals were Doby playing the puck and though blame could be put on him for those, both goals went above pad and below blocker (not high). The fifth goal was the 5 second overtime where he was beaten high glove (this was only high goal)… but a very good shot. A perfect one. Of those shots on goal he only had one that went in high and it was a breakaway and very quick and a perfect shot. Dobes has better stats per 60 than Monty…not sure why Dobes isn’t playing… but I don’t think it’s because there is a book on him. It might be that this is Monty’s team and Monty’s net to lose and a respect team seniority thing. It might be a where you were born thing. But it can’t be stats of a goals saved above expected per 60 thing. Which is the only fair stat vs stat comparison of two goalies. If it were, Dobes would have the net. I’m sure (I hope) MSL has a plan in all this. Because if as a back-up goalie you don’t feel respected or worse the coach gives the goalie a no confidence feeling … as a goalie you get performance anxiety and it does affect your play. Hopefully Doby doesn’t get down like I assume Primeau did, but Doby shouldn’t as his record is better than Primeau’s and his stats are better per 60 than Monty’s. I worry Dobes will get cold or worse lose confidence without being played or given confidence. Again I hope MSL knows what he is doing. I was pretty peeved on how the games/goalies were being deployed just before the 4 nations… but have obviously no complaints after. Monty was playing very very well before these last starts. Doby had an amazing game in Calgary (but lost 1-0) and an average game in Seattle where he kept his tired back to back team in it in the first period… had a great second period too… then the team got into penalty issues and the fiasco in over time. None of it because there is a book on Doby. McGuire is full of %$#@. MSL is showing favouritism for whatever reason. I hope it’s valid. I hope it’s because Monty has built up better calluses toward the media and a loss will be better handled by Monty. Maybe the media would be down MSLs throat if he plays the rookie goalie and loses… Go with the veteran and no one is criticized. Sometimes you got to dance with the date that brought you to the dance, even though there are better looking girls on the dance floor. Either way I hope we keep getting points and I hope Doby is ready when it’s his turn to dance.

With a big goalie like Dobes…. you shoot high. He covers a ton of net down low with his leg span, so going high is the obvious shot…… that’s the book on any tall, athletic goalie. Right beside the ears, under the crossbar. Doby uses the same modified butterfly as most in the NHL, and at 6’5”, he moves exceptionally well. His down low coverage is excellent. He doesn’t just drop and stay there….. he’s active on his edges and constantly adjusting his angles. His edge work is outstanding. He’s strong on his posts, uses reverse vertical horizontal effectively but transitioning out of it when needed (rvh is the way the goalies cover the posts on high tight shots but also the position allows them to get to wrap arounds). Laterally, he’s quick for a big dude, which allows him to make desperation saves if needed.. and he’s done that a lot. He’s very athletic, keeps his hands active, and doesn’t waste movement (he has gotten out of position a few times - one led to an open net goal when he missed pushing off a post with his skate) but for the most part he is under control and not over reacting. He has decent rebound control…. So if I’m writing a book on him or any NHL goalie using the modified butterfly… Take away his eyes, then elevate. A screened goalie naturally drops to take away the lower net when he knows a shot is coming. You don’t see goalies jumping to cover the top of the net, do you ? So you shoot high. It’s the simplest “book” and covers most NHL goalies. McGuire is stating the obvious. The rest of the “book” on any goalie is……. Make them move, force them into tough saves. Open up the legs side-to-side. Then put it through their legs. Attack blocker-side just above the pad as he’s dropping or already down. Elevate, because every goalie struggles to get to elevated pucks once they’re down. At the end of the day, I’m not worried about a “book” on a Doby, I’m worried about who the shooter is and how wide open did we leave him. The last two PP goals on Doby left a wide open player after a cross crease pass… but yeah they also elevated it. No goalie could save those… . Elite goal scorers make it tough on any goalie, no matter what the book.. let’s worry who we leave open. I like Dobys chances when he sees the puck and the shooter… goalies hate screens, shots through a defender and deflections. Also missed coverage/wide open guys on far side of net. The rest they are okay with. Book Smook. McGuire looking for work.

I put wrecking ball and Anderson in same thought. When I think wrecking ball, Miley pops into my head. Anderson was just wrong place, wrong time. I’m just as traumatized as you two. I’m seeing a psychiatrist next week. I’ll bring it up.

You’re welcome. I’m curious what happens to Anderson and Gally. They are playing well now and we might not have room for one or both starting next year, and certainly no room by 2027-28.

Yes, he came in like a wrecking ball. He needs to be physical to be his most effective. He’s been doing that from about the beginning of November (Washington game). The games he noticeably goes out of his way to hit hard and cause havoc seem to be his best.

Almost squeaked it out. New Jersey lost, but Ottawa did not lose. Great comeback. Like the Kim Kardashian story. But fell short.

Chances are higher they both lose than us squeaking this one out.

I hope the Sens and Devils both lose tonight.

Does MSL seem to hurt the confidence of his back ups by favouring Monty ? Dobes has played well enough to earn starts. I guess we will see tonight if the choice was right. I am cheering on Monty as much as anyone here. It would really suck to move away from a top 7 pick AND not make the playoffs. Go Monty Go !

Right now I have F Xhekaj penciled in on 4th line in 2027-28 Things can change, but I suspect we will need a cheap, checking player with size there…. an Anderson type, hopefully meaner…. likely slower… in my head I liked that Tuch, Thorpe, Xhekaj line… but so much can happen before then. Tuch will maybe be lost through trade by end of next year. Thorpe I have penciled in on 4th line 2028-29. Again many bodies will be drafted/traded/released between now and then so making predictions is virtually impossible (and useless)(but fun). For cap growth, I’m thinking after the $113.5M cap in 2027-28, I will just do 5.5% growth for future years until we get better projections. 2028-29 is therefore $119.7M

The AVs look good. This will be no easy game. You can see how those trades did well for Colorado. We will have to pound on their top 2 D and keep Mack away from the puck. This is a fast team, but we are too. Hopefully we can neuter them and come out on top. We’ll need puck luck and one heck of a game with everyone pulling in the same direction. The AVs are at their peak, but we are climbing the cliff to push them down that mountain. HABS 3 AVs 2 OT BABY. Hutson shows Makar the snake.

Hmmmm… refs name is Martinez… Just gave us a bs yellow card. The fix is in.

What is the point of having VAR if you don’t use it. Soccer Canada robbed.