The Chicoutimi Cucumber

I wonder if they're concerned that the team has looked unduly terrible since losing Monahan and want White to help stabilize the situation at C a bit. Makes sense, especially if Gignac clears.

Canadiens claim Colin White from Pittsburgh; place Brandon Gignac on waivers | Montréal Canadiens (nhl.com) Seems like a bit of an odd minor move to me, but what do I know. I guess they feel the need for a little more veteran FW experience in the organization.

Let's keep it civil, s'il vous plait. The guy is entitled to his opinion, respectfully expressed. My take on this is: even if MSL isn't that great in managing veterans, that's not his primary purpose. He is here, above all, to help our prospects and young players develop. On that score, the results are very promising. Personally, I really don't care too much how turds like Dandonov or Drouin are doing without him, nor do I fret over the thought that they might have been borderline adequate 6th forwards with us under a different coach. This is a rebuild. In a year or at most two, the organizational goals will pivot toward winning lots of hockey games. At that point, we will see whether MSL's bench management and veteran management are up to the task. I think he has a chance to be one of those rare Barry Trotz-type coaches who define the team for years and years, but he will have to get over that hump. In terms of probabilities, the likeliest outcome is that a team would ditch the "rebuild" coach once it's time to contend. It's just that MSL is an outside-the-box thinker and has been defying the odds his entire life, so I'd say it's 50/50 in his case.

Anderson is a “problem” playing like he is, on the ticket he is. The best hope is probably that he reboots over the summer and comes back as “normal” Josh Anderson - a player I always liked and defended, even with his considerable limitations. That guy has some value. Not the current guy.

Hey, I recognize that we have nothing to play for (apart from seeing young guys improve), and I recognize that the higher pick is the better pick. But I still don’t cheer for them to lose, when I’m watching games. “Frustration” is a bit of a strong word for it…but I feel a lot less motivated to watch under these conditions for sure. At least this game was pretty entertaining. Yeah, Slaf and CC both struggled, relatively speaking.

Bah

Just a lunatic penalty by Buffalo. Hopefully the Habs can cash in. Buffalo has been the better team this period IMHO

Suzuki, meanwhile, has gone from being a good player to a frigging amazing player. Just fantastic plays from him. That defensive play on the breakaway was just masterful. *chef's kiss*

CC looked completely confused on that PP. Yeeeeesh

Interesting how much chippier and more intense this game is than the lacklustre Washington contest. WiFi is wreaking havoc - classic game by him.

I agree with both of you. Just say: Josh, we need you to play that bulldozer game, just go out and wreak havoc, don't worry about offence. There is a future where he is an effective grinder in the bottom-6. Maybe that should become our new objective with him.

Some players do age out early, and I always said that when Anderson lost a step, it would be bad news, since his one play has been to drive the net by bullying past the D on the outside. But to lose that step at 29? Maybe. I tend to think it has more to do with MSL’s attempt to reconstruct his game, followed by a loss of confidence and, perhaps, general disenchantment on his part (?). But yeah. 4th line minutes makes sense. I dunno about sending him down - if memory serves, the cap savings would not be all that great, we still have a death of talent at FW, and, unlike Armia, he’s a widely respected veteran. Just doesn’t seem like the type of guy HuGo would do that to, especially if the root cause is MSL’s experimenting on him. 🤷‍♂️ How do you solve a problem like Josh Anderson? It beats me.

Canucks fans had previously regarded DeSmith as a steal -a quality backup G for a broken-down Pearson - but yikes. Dat’s gotta hoit. Interesting decision from Tocchet to leave him in there rather than compromise the plan to rest Demko. I like that, it shows an “eyes on the prize” focus that you can afford to engage in when you’ve locked down the playoffs and are looking to bigger things. Vancouver’s been .500 since the All Star Break and the big Lindholm trade. 🤷‍♂️ I wouldn’t panic if I were them, but it seems as though they need to buckle down, refocus, and recommit to Tocchet’s system.

I can see trying to become a bubble team next season - but the path toward that likely lies in a trade for a talented young FW, in return for some combinations of picks/young D/prospects. Not Crosby.

It’s a natural question, and MSL’s approach of bringing him into the coaches’ pre-scout meetings is absolutely brilliant. It exemplifies how he is different from the normal NHL coach (always concerned with maintaining their authority and position, more boss than mentor) - and how well-suited he is to the Gen Z culture. It also shows how willing he is to think outside the box. That being said, I fret a bit about the way Habs fans (and even those affiliated with the team) tend to act as though Dach is a proven key contributor. While he is, without question, structurally important to the rebuild, it remains an open question whether he can establish himself as a consistent top-6 C in the NHL. And also whether he can stay healthy. He has not definitively answered either question yet.

I almost hesitate to jinx it, but it looks more and more like HuGo really made the right call with pick #1. The 2nd line - either a UFA signing, or shenanigans around the draft involving picks/prospects to get back another Newhook type, or better. At the very least, we’re in a position where we have options, due to deft asset hoarding.

Yeah, even Toronto Night in Canada were singing his praises.

Bah. Slaf almost won it at the end there, but no dice. The players were pros, but this was a nothing game from two teams that know they’re playing out the string. I hear you.

Suzuki is the man. We got a goal on a phantom penalty, so it is 100% guaranteed the Caps will get a PP before long.

wow...Strome has about a half an hour alone with the puck in the slot. Allen made the save, but Lord amighty...

I guess everyone wants to see him hang around long enough to beat Gretzky's record. But if you ask me, there is something anticlimactic about the idea of this great player floating around as a shadow of himself just until he can do that. Gretzky had 90 points in his second last season and took his leave the minute he knew he could no longer produce at an elite level. Ovie's production this season brings to mind 99's final season: good by normal standards, but not up to the bar of his own greatness. Two highlights for this period so far...Wifi destroying that guy, and Newhook potting one. Some good chances, but IMHO not a lot of intensity or stakes out there; a lacklustre game in that sense. EDIT: the red on Allen's mask is not quite a match for the jersey and it bugs me. There, I said it.

Ovechkin has scored 6 games in a row. That gives him a grand total of 14 on the season. This ain't the Ovie of legend.

HNIC ding-a-lings debating whether kids today have enough "respect" for their elders 🙄 And oh yeah, Jack Hughes think he's a good player. News you need to know. That is two pretty wobbly defences going at it tonight, that's clear. On the first goal, the D left the Cap alone there, so I don't really blame Allen. Great cannon from Wifi. That's the thing about the kid, he has more tools in the box than just his fists. It's just wonderful to watch Slaf out there. He is playing with such confidence.

It sounds like he is better thought of as an Erik Johnson *type*, in terms of offensive output. Maybe Tanev or even Boumeester (minus the super elegant skating) are other comparables. That does reframe him a bit in my mind, since I was thinking he’d grow into a 40+ point type. This conception puts more pressure on Hutson, Mailloux, and perhaps Reinbacher to evolve into a bona-ride PP QB and offensive driver from the back end - and seems to me to push our window back a bit, potentially. After all, none of those three have played a single game in the bigs. (The other idea is that we end up with a blueline that has a bunch of quality D who can move the puck and eat minutes, but no traditional “#1 stud” defenceman. Not sure what the precedent is for winning the Cup with that model).

Y’know, I was looking at Guhle’s totals this season - something I haven’t done in a while - I was a bit surprised. 14 points in 50 games. That’s much lower than I would have thought, based on ‘eye test,’ and actually a slight drop in PPG compared to his rookie season. He’s 22. Still quite young, obviously. But - just to make conversation - is it possible that we’ve been overrating him? Most of us seem to think he is a potential top-pairing guy, but he’s on a 23-point pace in his second season and drawing, I assume, significant minutes. 🤔 Don’t come at me, I’m just asking.