The Chicoutimi Cucumber

Personally I think we might consider plucking Arshdeep Bains on waivers from the Canucks. Hard-working PPG in the AHL, has shown zero NHL offence, could make a useful piece on the bottom fringes of the roster.

Interesting stat lines. Dvorak is having a monster season (!) and so is Zegras, that supposed head case. Meanwhile Michkov, who at face value would not be a 'Rick Tocchet' player, is producing at about the same clip as Slaf, but I would imagine he has nowhere close to Slaf's underlying numbers. I would not be surprised if he is moved at some point during Tocchet's tenure. That's the problem with old-school coaches like Tocchet. They are very strong personalities who tend to get strong results, BUT they can only work with certain kinds of players. They tend to have an adverse effect on asset-management, like when Pat Burns rode Claude Lemieux out of town. Contrast that with an MSL, who seems flexible, committed to getting every player to be the best he can be and avoids a 'my way or the highway' approach if it can be at all avoided.

Sabres fans deserve so much better

Kind of a piece of crap, especially when you consider he was redundant on a horrible Canucks roster. On the other hand, the Canucks are in disarray, we’re not too deep at LW, and he did have 15 points in 23 games in 2022-23 🤷‍♂️ Who knows, maybe there’s something there. It will depend if he’s a Texier - a guy that someone in the Habs’ organization has a shine for.

I feel like Hughes is almost underrated, despite the Norris etc. He is indeed insane. My impression of the return Vancouver got is a 'B.' It's not a ridiculous waste of a franchise player like the Roy or Thornton deals were. Everything hinges on Buium, really. If he becomes an impact #1 - and if Rossi re-ups long term - then it sets them up for a decade. Trouble is, those are "ifs," and the Vancouver Canucks have a terrible history when it comes to "ifs." Will Buium develop properly in that gong show environment with a questionable coach? Will Rossi walk once his bride expires in order to get out of said gong show? We'll see. The Canucks are never boring, as the author of a book on franchise history once put it.

Yup

Good analysis, Brian. Vancouver is just in shock - even though the market knew it was coming, I think folks here didn't expect it to come so swiftly, nor was Minny an expected suitor. It seems like they at least got a respectable haul under brutal conditions. But all I can say is: the next time any of us feel glum, we should look to the heavens and be filled with gratitude- at least we aren't Canucks fans.

That last line. 100%. It's tiresome when commentators, assuming a mantle of wisdom, stroke their beards and declare that FOs "are just so important." Yes - a handful of times each game. The rest of the time, who gives a crap.

Chicken and egg. Some people have pointed out that the Habs mostly did a good job of team D last night, and that we haven't done the same for Monty/Dobes. Fair. But the other side of it is that a goalie who seems calm, in control, not overcommitting, etc., instils confidence in the team. A confident team is less likely to start running around trying to do too much, and the result is a better team game. It was an impressive start by Fowler. Hopefully he can keep it up. Dobes won five straight when he first came up and everyone was comparing him to Dryden. I think Fowler is fundamentally much stronger than Dobes, but let's wait and see before anointing him The Chosen One.

The big story was Fowler, but the Habs did a lot of good things tonight. Dunno what the game card will say, but it seemed that everyone contributed with quality, professional efforts. 👍

Fowler cool as a cuke under fire

A typically brilliant little play by #87, matched by a superb assist by Slaf

Engstrom with a beautiful play there

Goddamn it, that sucks for the kid

Apparently having no hair is a requirement for being a Penguins coach

Right after MB scores a managerial COUP and recruits Steve Ott to spearhead the PP #leadership

Struble in serious pain, did he get butt ended or get a blow to the nuts? EDIT: Yep, brutal kick to the balls. Owwwwwww

HUGE saves from the kid right there It feels inevitable but with this young team, I wouldn’t count my chickens

CC! I’ve seen a guy score so often from the goal line. Crazy

There is an echo of #31 inasmuch as he radiates calm and is relying on good positioning. In the latter respect he is a refreshing contrast to the other two flop puppets. However, the Pens are really not doing much, so yes, it’d be a mistake to draw any dramatic conclusions. Maybe more significant is that the Habs are showing they can play strong defence, albeit against a meh team.

Gally with his bi-monthly goal!

Well said.

Yeah, PITS can’t possibly play much worse than that crap. Good period, Fowler looked calm and solid. CC is snakebit

Kapanen is a quality C. Even if he is not an ideal #2, he gives you good minutes. Our problem is with the bottom end of the lineup at both FW and D.

Indeed. Our bottom end FW and D have been fairly disastrous, on the whole, and a hobbled Evans would be a big part of that