The Chicoutimi Cucumber

Could not agree more

I'm just happy Suzuki is being viewed as a major piece of the roster rather than an extra FW or a 4th line guy (not that there is any shame in being a fourth-liner on that team). He's outstanding and deserves to be treated as such.

Both the stats and the word I've heard suggest he is a shadow of his former self. He is obviously a "reputation" choice rather than one earned by performance this season. Much like that POS Binnington, who is basically on the team because of a single, awesome gold-medal game at the Four Nations. That said, sometimes washed-up vets of high pedigree can elevate their game for short, high-impact periods of time. I've seen this many times in the playoffs. So maybe that's the idea.

Yes. The problems we have now are the problems of a good team. Is Kapanen truly a legitimate #2C? Can our G play better? How can we upgrade the bottom D pairing? Can we add more physical power in the top-9? These are the best problems (so to speak) that we've had in years.

Struble is no shrinking violet either, though. More middleweight than heavyweight, admittedly. Arber does seem to be psychologically important to this team, though. I don't believe fighters work as a deterrent, but they do have inspirational value as a corrective to the sense that your guys are getting pushed around or aren't standing up for each other. Knowing that we have a guy who can take on anybody and have a better-than-even chance of beating anybody probably gives this team a bit of extra jam. And Arber just seems to be a really well-liked guy who probably helps keep his teammates loose. It's a dilemma, because unless we can find a RD who is a truly impressive stabilizer, we're going to keep being outplayed when our bottom-pairing is on the ice as long as we're throwing either Xhekaj or Struble out there. Both of them are #7s IMHO.

You're probably right. That's certainly the norm. That said, my sense of these Habs is that they are very forward-thinking; certainly MSL is. So I wouldn't rule out ongoing communication between coach and GM as part of normal operating procedures. MSL seems to be a guy who doesn't let his ego get in the way of learning or accessing input and ideas. That's why he is such an empowering coach. And it could work in the other direction too, i.e., unusual levels of dialogue with upper management.

Like everyone else, I don't quite the love for Veleno over Blais. Rarely am I perplexed by MSL's logic but this is one of those moments.

I don’t know about his stats, but it occurred to me the other day that it’s been a while since I noticed Guhle making an impact. Of course you can argue that for a defenceman, not being noticeable is a good thing. But I wonder if he has been struggling a bit due to all the lost time - ? Any thoughts on this vague impression of mine? MM is usually a fabulous (and badly under-appreciated) player, but clearly this was an off night. I like all the observations on here about Minny and the pick play. Have the Wild figured out the formula for bringing interference back in today’s NHL? Interesting 🤔

Yes, that’s the other side of it. I remember some years in the old days when Montreal, Boston, and Buffalo were in the top-5 overall. And it was generally accepted that whoever came out of that meat-grinder was going to be so exhausted as to be easy picking. My guess is that, because the league is no longer as physically brutal as it once was, this is less of factor than in the past. Still, it remains a grind and you do need luck to get through four rounds without key injuries. What I’m wondering about is whether Colorado and Dallas might be slightly overrated because they get to pad their stats by beating on bottom feeders like Vancouver. Which is not to deny that they are excellent squads.

Veleno actually made a couple of plays last night, but I could not agree more. I’m not one to whine about lineup decisions, for the most part, but MSL’s affection for Cardio Joe over Blais is a rare case of one that’s genuinely puzzling.

Friedman did not include the Habs on his list of teams seriously pursuing Thomas. Probably not happening.

Somehow we ended up in an elite division and have been in the mix from day one. It’s pretty shocking to see TB and PITTS right up there. It’s like the old Adams division, minus all the fisticuffs and line brawls. Although teams like COL and Dallas are routinely invoked as top-tier contenders, I’m not sure that whomever comes out of the west will be as battle-tested as the winner from the East. Parity can be a tempering force.

Ahahahahahahahaa These Habs are gonna make a lot of fan bases feel this way over the next few years

Excellent hockey game. A lot of speed and skill on both sides. Dobes tonight looked nothing like the positionally-unsound rebound machine of earlier this season. He actually looked imposing out there. If we get netminding like that consistently, we are contenders. Second tier contenders, I’d say, but contenders. I may regret these words down the line, but it’s kind of nice to see the Buffalo Sabres being a good team again, especially when they’re wearing those jerseys. I remember a lot of epic games against them in the old Adams Division days

Well said. Interesting to look at his career stats. He exploded for 43 goals and 85 points at age 26, then regressed big time and was out of the league within three years. I don't know if it was injury, or some other story, but that's kind of remarkable. Chuck Lefley Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com

Arber is a marginal NHLer. Unfortunately so is his most obvious replacement for the role of “physically robust D-man” (Struble). Both guys had promising starts to their career that have since been revealed to be mirages. We do need some size and grit on the back end, but it has to be size and grit that can take a reliable shift, game in and game out. I honestly don’t know the extent to which Arber’s fighting chops are really an important asset when it comes to winning hockey games. But that seems to be the only area where he is not below average.

Incredible. HUGE win, statement game.

Good thing we beat Vegas, because even if Colorado is scuffling a bit, you have to anticipate a L here. I would love to see the Habs bring their A+ game tonight and make a statement.

Good. I don't wish him any ill, but this shows that the organization expects results.

I agree, I think the comments show a goalie who is trying (maybe desperately) to sustain his confidence and self-belief. I'm not going to pile on - I think Monty is facing more than enough pressure at the moment.

That’s really interesting. And hard to interpret. One thought I’ve had is that this group has internalized that it has the talent to flip a game on a dime. So instead of going full-tilt every night, sometimes the group coasts, falls behind, and then tries to turn the engine on - only to have it sputter and fail. This is one of the fundamental lessons that talented young teams have to learn: you can’t turn it on and off like a tap. Another possibility is just that fatigue from the insanely compressed schedule is having its effect, leading to more nights where the team droops because a critical mass of guys just don’t have it. On this theory, they should come back strong after the Olympic break. I agree that Dobes probably has little to do with it, although there have been cases where a team rallies for a G that it particularly likes. Maybe he’s beloved in the room and the team gets some extra juice when he dresses after sitting out. I don’t think much of Dobes BUT: he is a battler. Monty doesn’t radiate that quality. Maybe it’s that that the team responds to.

I get it, but you have to look beyond just regular season performance. We want to win a Cup, not just have a stud G who craps out every playoff. And Woodley has suggested there is a structural reason for this pattern, which is that Hellebuyck excels against scoring chances off the rush but is way below average against cross-ice plays. Over 7 games, teams can zero in and exploit this fundamental weakness. Don't know too much about Wallstedt, but at face value he's worth a look for sure. I guess the Wild are trying to minimize the hole left by Rossi.

As I noted in another thread, the team is above average in preventing high danger chances, but in the bottom ten when it comes to preventing 'mid danger' chances. To me, anyway, that suggests a team with defensive imperfections but that isn't a dumpster fire defensively by any means. The main problem is between the pipes.

Dunno, but he was playing real well before he got hurt. If he can pick up where he left off, he’ll be a great asset. I confess to being skeptical that he will, though. He seems to be one of those guys who goes off the rails every time you think he’s finally ‘putting it all together.’

Yeah, Hellebuyck is a playoff disaster. Forget that.