The Chicoutimi Cucumber

To me the big concerns on this squad are as follows: 1. Goaltending. If I'm HuGo I don't rule out a low-cost G of the Jake Allen variety should one materialize, but realistically, this is not an area of organizational need so much as a (hopefully) short-term problem. Not worth sacrificing significant assets for. Likelihood of action being taken: close to 0/100. 2. Bottom-pairing D. As you say, the ideal would actually be a #4 who can allow us to move Carrier down to the bottom pair. But I think a more realistic outcome - especially if they still believe in Reinbacher, and especially considering that we already sacrificed huge assets to acquire Dobson - is that we add a bona-fide #5-6 guy. This shouldn't be too expensive. Classic deadline stuff. Likelihood of action being taken: close to 100/100. 3. Size/power in the top 6. Almost impossible to find. And will cost a mint. Failing this, a LW who can score would be a nice consolation prize. I see this category as the biggest X-factor. The Habs' actions could range from nothing, to taking a big expensive swing on a big expensive name. Likelihood of action being taken: 50/100, but again, that action could involve anything from a Texier-type 'what the hell' low-cost move, to a major roster addition.

I can't access the Athletic article that originally suggested Trochek, but its premise was that 'the Canadiens’ biggest hole all season has been down the middle, and it’s going to be a battle at the deadline for the limited options who can fill the 2C role on a contender.' In other words, they don't think Kapanen is it. Kapanen seems to get no respect despite being a good bet to pass 20 goals/40 points as a 22-year-old. It seems to come down to his being a #64 pick who never generated much buzz, so people are ignoring what he's actually accomplishing. Or maybe they assume he is a pure product of Demidov. For my part, I wonder if we're looking a gift horse in the mouth, looking around for a 'legitimate #2C' when one might already be there.

Trocheck is tempting, but I remain leery of giving up too many assets for a 32-year-old...

And that perception would have been correct. Which is not to take anything away from Team USA. They hung in there thanks to great goaltending, and scored on the opportunities they did get.

Saying that 3 on 3 is a crappy format is different from your feelings about the outcome. The criticism would be just as valid if Canada had won. That said, it's better than the shootout, and the IOC absolutely needs the gold medal game to end in a timely way in order to leave space for the closing ceremony. An indefinite 5 on 5 OT would be high risk from their POV.

Makar didn’t look so hot on the first goal either. 🤷‍♂️ I found that goal really irritating because the D seemed confused and, although it wasn’t a bad goal as such, Binnington still could have had it. Too reminiscent of the GWG in the women’s game. Nonetheless, all the things I was worried about with the USA - their speed, their forecheck, their D - came to nothing as Canada borderline dominated the game. It was the Hellebuyck + the MacKinnon Misses the Open Net show.

I agree with you. McDavid in particular. You could really see how badly MacKinnon wanted to make up for that missed open net, but that’s not the same as playing smart. Frankly, both our men’s and women’s hockey teams seemed a little lost 3 on 3 after playing really rigorous and focused hockey all through regulation. Did we not practice this - ? The problem is, in that format you have little time to adjust. You’re only going to get a few shifts before it’s over. I don’t really blame Cooper for relying so heavily on the Nuclear Line…but I did find myself wishing we could see more of Marner and Suzuki in particular. I had the feeling they had more to give.

Good prediction. I’m sure they’re looking.

Yup. That save on Towes (who did not impress) might be the single biggest save I’ve ever seen. Even so, you can’t miss an open cage in a game of this magnitude like MacKinnon did, nor can you blow as many chances as we had. It was kind of the reverse of the Four Nations, where the USA outplayed us but lost. Such a shame

Yah, what a coming-out party for the kid. He's unbelievabl. Finland has a lot of excellent players. Quietly a very good team.

These guys can't do anything the easy way. I know this has been said a thousand times, but Connor McDavid, man. His ability to make plays in tight, and to thread passes where it seems impossible, is bonkers. How the Oil have never won with him is quite the indictment. Hopefully Slaf and Co. can pull off the upset this afternoon!

Yeah, that rumour makes some sense. They’ve also been connected to Elias Pettersson…there is high risk of them doing something stupid

Ahahahahahahaaaaaa It’s one of those things where, if USA wins, then all their choices will automatically be vindicated. If they lose, everyone will ask whether a few snipes by CC could have made the difference.

He didn't wreck the culture before, so I'm not sure why he would suddenly do so now. Like most around here, I don't have high hopes for Laine BUT he did score an absolute storm when he arrived...and he has been hobbled by injuries. If he can get his skating stride back, there is maybe a 15% chance of him being an impact player for a while until his next injury.

Nick Suzuki was absolutely MONUMENTAL on the GTG. He single-handedly fought off four defenders across two zones, won the puck battle in deep, AND made one of the all-time great deflections on a shot going three feet wide to tie it up. Just a phenomenal display of skill and grit from our captain. Meanwhile Mr. Clutch Mitch Marner scores the GWG, ahahahahahaahahhaaaa Leafs I think Canada got a bit fat and happy feasting on weak squads in the round robin. This was a wake up call. Our D needs to be much, much better: too sloppy. They gave up a breakaway to Necas in the final minute of that game and only a miraculous stop by Binnington saved their bacon. Too many plays like that.

I guess he’s no Cristobal Huet

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.