The Chicoutimi Cucumber
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Posts posted by The Chicoutimi Cucumber
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Well, I called it. Our boys did fv.ck all fro the last 40 minutes and Carey was left to himself!
I was disgusted by this loss...in fact, i'm still steaming about it! It's unacceptable to take a 2 goal lead and just sit on it after 20 minutes.
Can someone explain to me why the f... is Scott Gomez getting close to 4 minutes on the PP tonight? I understand that Plecky can't play all 2 minutes, but I don't see how Halpern could be worse than Gomez? Gomez has been lucky up til now, the habs have had a pretty good start to the season...he better wake the fv.ck up soon or else i'd take away his PP time and reduce his minutes.
It's not like we can trade him...nobody will take his monstrous salary!
I actually wouldn't rule out someone wanting Gomez, but your frustration is justifiable. We have all waited long enough for Gomez to start making things happen, and he has gotten a pass for an amazingly long time considering that it's Montreal. I don't expect him to earn his salary, but I do expect him to kindle plays and generate momentum out there. Right now he is a turnover machine sucking the life out of what seems like every shift.
I understand JM giving him ice-time and PP-time - he's giving him all the room needed to turn things around. That is characteristic of Martin, to give the benefit of the doubt to proven veterans. I support this approach, but we're at the quarter pole, fer chrissakes. Pretty soon even Martin will pull the rope to the trap door and start giving that ice time to Eller/Halpern...not to punish Gomez, but simply because those guys are outplaying him.
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Don't worry. We are very close, it's just a question of confidence. Offensively, we can do a lot better, but we don't know it yet. It takes time to make a team. We are getting very close to something very interesting. Martin is doing a good job. To lose a close game in Philadelphia is nothing to be shamed about. We just had to execute a little better. It will come.
Oh yeah, just read my reply in the 'good decisions equal great results' thread to see what I think of this year's squad. We're not far away, but it may take a shrewd move or two, or some other additional tweak, to put us over that hump. And I really think that a game like this is when we most miss Markov. No easy fix for that.
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I must admit, I don't get the hate for Pyatt, at least lately. He's been his usual solid defensive self for the most part, and has been more aggressive offensively. Of all the times to sit him, this isn't it.
Tonight's stat sheet: http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20102011/ES020301.HTM
HW 3 Stars (don't worry, Pyatt isn't one of them
): http://www.habsworld.net/article.php?id=2277The RDS crew have been playing up the theme of Pyatt's offensive incompetence (while also praising his defensive game). This might be what is influencing people to start singling him out. You're right, it's a bit silly.
If people are looking for scapegoats, looks no further than Gomez. With Marky out, we can't carry passengers in key roster spots, and if I seem him launch one more rush that ends in him turning over the puck, I think I'll scream. And I'm a Gomez FAN.
In any case, the PP may well struggle all season without Markov; get used to it.
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I'll be surprised if he doesn't. The way things are going, he'll play over 70 games. Martin seems more nonchalant than most coaches about letting a goal play on back-to-back days. And Price has given him no reason so far to offer him a rest. Auld will probably get his starts in the second half of the season if Montreal is still doing well.
I think playing Price until he drops is a mistake. Give him lots of games, yes. But - 23 or not - he's not superman. I have no appetite for another 2008-style playoff meltdown from him. For God's sake, give him some rest here and there.
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1. Not enough is being made of that fact that Carey Price is being waaaayyyy overused. Everybody has seen whats happened to Luongo, Broduer and LUndquist over the past few seasons where they have been asked to play 70+ games. Failure in the playoffs or failure down the stretch. If they have no faith in Auld, then find a backup they do have faith in. This cannot continue.
2. THey have no addressed the size issue. And come the playoffs, it will be an issue again.
Other than that, everybody in the organization is doing a great job. Nice to see Price regain his form. Espescially since I invested heavily in his hockey cards and other assorted memoribilia.
Actually, I agree with both of your points and - importantly - the balanced way in which you make them. I've seen the Luongo scenario close up, where it just never seems to be the 'right game' to dress the backup; and the Habs are doing exactly the same thing with Price. Those who point to his being 23 years old should remember that he cited exhaustion for his meltdown in the 2008 playoffs. No goalie can thrive playing 100 high-pressure games per season. If we want a deep run, Price needs to be adequately rested just like any other goalie.
And as for size, I think it was Eric Engels who rated us the best team in hockey against 'east-west' teams, but we remain in tough against clubs with size that play that old up-and-down, crash-and-bang north-south style. Trouble is, there's no easy fix for this. We need size in the top 6. Unless MaxPac suddenly emerges, good luck with that.
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The Flyers are a damned strong team. This game may have been an indicator that, as good as we've been, we're not quite good enough - at least not without Markov.
I'm sure Gauthier was taking careful notes.
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I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be a relatively clean game. Often these things turn into a lot of wind.
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Anybody hear the Don Cherry Rant on the weekend ?
That guy is useless and a biggot.
That is a loaded accusation when you're talking about a black player. Cherry has been bigoted against Europeans, but he is not a bigot beyond that. When Sidney Crosby showboated in junior, Cherry said that if he kept it up someone would break his arm. So it's not about bigotry - it's about an archaic and ridiculous 'code' that says rookies aren't allowed to be flashy. Because, you know, we wouldn't want hockey to actually be entertaining or anything.
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Most of the credit belongs with Bob Gainey. He is the one who made the radical decision - unprecedented, I believe, in NHL history - to completely blow up his existing roster and reconstruct it via a bold trade and then free agency, choosing players with a track record of being character guys (Gionta, Gill, Gomez, Moen, Cammy) who know how to win. Then he brought in a coach who, despite being unpopular among Habs' fans, has this team playing the most sound fundamentals of any Habs team since Pat Burns. JM has the team completely buying in, he knows what he's doing with young players, and has vast resevoirs of experience which I'm sure are hugely valuable in the Montreal pressure-cooker. So Gainey laid the foundation for all the success we're now enjoying.
Gauthier has built on this in exactly the way you'd expect, based on his track record: small moves (Moore, then Halpern; Picard) plus the one Big Move (Halak) that either improve the team in minor but significant ways or else manage assets in an intelligent way.
Having said that, it is still early and plenty of things can still go wrong. But what reassures me the most, apart from Price's through-the-roof performance, is the system this team is playing: completely protect the middle, then play smart puck-possession/puck-support hockey. An entire generation of Habs fans has grown up without any understanding of what it means for a team to have that kind of sound foundation to its game. It's these fundamentals that tend to protect a team against erraticism and prolonged slumps, because success is not about sheer momentum (the Carbo 'system,' which really was a non-system) or the right players getting hot (Kovalev). The structure means the team will always be competitive night after night, provided that the players stay healthy and are committed and execute.
Gainey's goal was to build a franchise along the model of the New Jersey Devils of yesteryear: a team that could compete with flashier franchises season after season and night after night without the luxury of high draft picks and superstars. You do that with depth, player development, coaching, goaltending, and total team concept. It is far too early to conclude that Rebuild 2.0 is a rousing success. But from that start of last season's playoff to this moment, we are enjoying a taste of what the Gainey vision entailed.
This is the only model that will work in Montreal and it's encouraging to think that we may actually be achieving it. -
wow.. we beat Toronto, Carry and the D get shutout number 4, and we can't get over 2 pages?
Just goes to show...people would rather bitch when things are going wrong than chip in when they're going right.
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He'll get there - I'm almost certain he'll get in next year. If only they'd have got him in this year...
That's the thing about this sport. Men like Burns, remarkably, manage to transcend the stupidity of the people running it.
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Damn.
You'll be missed, Pat.
And you deserve to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
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I hear what you're saying Wammy, but my suggestion is more a wake up call to Gomez than it is a promotion for Eller. I see Eller playing with grinders for wingers, and I personally want to see what he could do with skilled players. On the other hand, I see Gomez always trying to pass to his wingers instead of trying an open shot. Maybe if he sees he's the most talented one on his line he'll start shooting more, and when you shoot having the plumbers get the rebound, garbage goals. I know Gomez is a 50pt player, but he seems to be passing too much.
I'm with you and BTH; this isn't such a bad idea. Give Eller a chance in Gomez's slot to see what he can do, and tell Gomez that you want him to stop worrying so much about offence and concentrate on the defensive side of the game. The latter could actually help Gomez to rediscover his offensive touch by redirecting him to sound fundamentals, something that slumping players tend to forget; and surely a game or two in the top-6 wouldn't poleaxe Eller's development. Seems like it's worth a try. And hell, if it doesn't work, revert back to the usual combos after a few shifts.
Incidentally, BlueKross, my affinity for Gomez has nothing to do with his place of birth (why would a Vancouverite give a rat's ass about Alaska?). I just like his kind of game, always did.
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In assessing whether it's time to sit Gomez or not, consider this: Are the Habs better with him in the lineup or Boyd? To me, it's Gomez without hesitation.
Also, Spacek wasn't injured last night and is expected to play tomorrow.
Yep, I see no point in sitting Gomer, especially given his track record as a guy who eventually heats up. To me, he is a guy you either dress or dispatch elsewhere. You don't bench a guy like that.
As for getting rid of him, even assuming you'd find a taker, well, the only conceivable way that makes sense is if we have a replacement ready. Eller needs more time and Desharnais, who would also need time to learn the NHL game, appears to be just too small to be taken seriously. Until Eller emerges it's Gomer or bust.
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In America they have also tried to blame George Bush for global warming but that doesn't fly either. How about instead of passing every excuse why he isn't producing other than HE himself let's fess up. I guess if there is nobody here he can play with, then he isn't of much value, so why keep him? I for one do not believe we are lucky to have him.
I'm a declared Gomez fan - he was one of my favourite players before the Habs acquired him, because of my fondness for blazing speed and stylish playmaking; and nikohab is correct that carping about his goals-scored totals is ridculous. What you have to look for with Gomez is whether he's "tilting the ice," putting the other team on the defensive with blinding rushes and making things happen on offence. So far, no dice. The only consolation is that he's had grindingly slow starts before, and tends to follow them up with point-per-game production for the last 3/4 of a season. As long as we're winning we can afford to be patient. If we start to struggle and this keeps up, though, we will eventually have to re-evaluate, because that salary could obviously be put to better uses than a guy on a pace to score 26 points
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Nobody's perfect. Price is allowed to let in a softie without being 'blamed' or having people go back to anxieties about his performance.
What bugs me is the missed opportunity to rest him. He shouldn't have been dressed last night in the first place. What if he's getting tired? Then we lose to TO and suddenly we're mired in a 'slump.' He's young, but that doesn't mean he can play 82 games a season, JM!
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So.. do they keep riding Price, or do they start resting him once in a while. He is doing great, but it won't help us if he fades late in the season. I would have put Auld in tonight and let Price destroy the Leafs on Saturday, and then Philly.
I suspect we are due for a flat team game (they just creamed so many tough teams, I won't be surprised to see a bit of a let up tonight). I just don't want them to come out flat Saturday.
I've had both of these thoughts, too - thanks for saving me the trouble! This would have been a good game for Auld. And yeah, look for a let up.
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In fairness to those arseholes, we heard a lot of the same whining and half-threats from them after we whupped them in the third game of the Semi-Finals - about how the Habs are too 'cocky,' etc., etc.. And no unusually outrageous goonery followed. Of course, the real test is whether they can refrain from deliberate attempts to injure when they're fighting a losing battle instead of manhandling us like they did for the rest of that series. But much of this may be hot air from a team of swaggering media-whore loudmouths.
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The caveat with Bieksa is that he is inconsistent, sketchy in his own end, and has had some injury issues of his own. Nor has he been 'intimidating' enough to keep the Canuckleheads from being pushed around by the likes of Chicago. Frankly, fans here in Vancouver would be happy to see him go. Having said that, it may be a question of fans focusing on what a guy can't do instead of what he can.
The Canucks will not deal Ballard. Bieksa is almost certainly going to be the odd man out.
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Yeah, that's what's so stupid. If you have a problem with a player's attitude, then drop the gloves and take him on man to man. But no - better to just injure the guy, right? What a bunch of chickensh*t.
That Bieksa footage is worth seeing!
Yeah, he's starting to sound better. Good call Wamsley. (I almost mentioned the late-80s team as an exception to the Habs' rule of being primarily fast and skilled. That team was certainly skilled, but it more closely resembled a Flyers/Bruins squad in its bulk, toughness, and - in Craig 'Elblows' Ludwig among others - willingness to initiate dirty play). -
They'd probably have to make a decision before July 1st, because we all know the nutjob GMs in this league will throw all sorts of money at him, even long term, just to make the signing. Especially if the salary cap increases by a couple million (like early whispers are suggesting; I forget where I read that, but if I see it again, I'll post a source.)
I think enough teams will be both cap-pinched and leery of Markov's injury record that we will not face anything like the competition we would otherwise have faced for Markov as a UFA. If we want to re-sign him, I suspect we will be able to do so fairly easily. You'd either have to go with a fat one-year 'trial' deal ($5.5 mil for one season, something like that) or a lower-level term deal ($4 mil for 4 years, or what have you). Much will depend on the doctors' word and on Markov's attitude.
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Nothing would make me happier to find out that PK can fight.
All he would need to do is smack the snot out of somebody respected for being tough once and
this would all end.
I have a feeling that he can take care of himself. My issue is that the Flyers have 1/3 of their roster
who is fully capable of destroying a career and have shown in the past that they have no problem
crossing the line of decency.
This Flyers team is very reminiscent of the 70s era team, it is no coincidence that they have morphed
into this with leadership from Pronger and Richards. The Kerr to Lindros to Roenick teams were not like this,
sure the 80s had goons like Brown and Hospidar, but these guys are much more dangerous because they
take a regular shift.
Yeah, this rivalry is like a low-level version of the great Habs-Flyers rivalry from the mid-70s. It's funny how some organizations, despite changes of ownership and leadership, sometimes retain the same basic identity over generations. The Habs have almost always been and continue to be a team built on speed, skill, smart hockey, great goaltending and disciplined team play. The knock on us has almost always been that we're 'too small' and 'too soft.' The Flyers have almost always been and continue to be a team defined by physical intimidation to varying degrees. The knock on them has always been that they're degenerate 'goons.'
The traditional answer of successful Habs teams to this situation has been to rise up and either out-tough the tough guys (which is what the Habs team of 1976 did on the way to dethroning the Broad Street Bullies) or else to play their game and refuse to be intimidated (which is what the 1993 team did, not against the Flyers, but against every team's attempt to exploit their 'softeness'). I can see this group managing the latter feat. But I'd dearly love to see the former.
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This is a Quote from Wamsley's Link. It was made by Mike Richards.
This is why I think we do need some bigger guys on this team. Richards basically threatened Subban, and the NHL will do absolutely nothing about this. I wouldn't be surprised to see one of the goons on the Flyers cheap shot Subban and see our prized rookie miss many games cause of that cheap shot!
I think we need to call up A. Henry and whomever else can help us for next monday.
Well, barring deliberate attempts to injure such as knee jobs, PK can take care of himself. He is built like a brick shithouse. The trouble is that this IS a threat to injure. Yeah, there's a 'code.' But (say) shattering an emerging star's knee because he's 'cocky' is ridiculous and contrary to the NHL's best interests. This league is so damned stupid.
What should happen is that a prestigous habs like Gill should publicly state that IF "something happens" to PK, then the Flyers can expect "something to happen" to Briere, Carter, or one of their other not-too-tough key players. That's the nice thing about attempts to injure - you don't need to be a tough guy to inflict them. Such a war of words would also get the NHL's attention and the refs would be on full alert to crack down on any BS. This can only work in the Habs' favour.
Although we will beat teams like the Flyers with speed, hockey smarts, and goaltending, you are absolutely right that we need to inject some bad-assery into our roster for Monday, and it would be stupid not to. Also, a guy like Moen needs to be prepared to bring his toughest possible self to the rink that night.
But the best possible outcome would be for PK to crush somebody with a devastating bodycheck and send his own message: don't f*ck with me.
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Koivu relied on speed to create, of course a knee injury would be catastrophic to him.
There are plenty of immobile defensemen who can adjust their game as they age and still be effective.
Losing ones knees do not destroy your vision or your ability to make tape to tape passes. We are not talking
about a Subban/Chelios/Niedermayer type player who takes the puck and goes on end to end rushes.
Even when he loses a step he will still be able to thread the needle on the PP or sneak in backdoor.
His instincts, vision and intelligence will not be compromised.
He is not a physical defender or an over aggressive defender who relies on his skating ability to recover
from his mistakes. He is an intelligent player who relies on angles to stop the opposition.
This will probably end the Markov as we know him today, but does not mean he cannot be a valuable
top 3-4 for the next 5-6 years in a different type of role.
Well, being incredibly strong on his skates is Markov's main strength apart from his vision, it seems to me; but yes, you're probably right. Maybe the most likely option is that Markov returns as Roman Hamrlik - wily all-around vet, but no longer the 'underrated superstar' of your avatar fame. :hlogo:
In fairness, I didn't mean to imply that he would turn into JJ Daigneault - just that we might have to temper our expectations (and salary commitments) in light of his being damaged goods; and that if some genuinely elite options on D are potentially available, preferably as UFAs, we might think in those terms instead. However, I don't believe any UFAs will likely be available.
One small thingL I find myself having increasing confidence in our management to make the right call. And that in itself is some consolation, at least.
Good decisions equal great results!
in Habs & Hockey Talk
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I suspect the reason it "kills" threads is because everybody agrees that it would be nice to have a Scott Hartnell-type in the top-6. This certainly would help. The problem lies in acquiring one. That's the trouble - Milan Lucics don't grow on trees (although sometimes it's nice to imagine Lucic hanging from one
)