sbhatt

My optimism where Monty is concerned falls well short of 'standing on his head'. It peaks at not letting in more than 3, and not letting in the type of soft goals that deflate the team.

An entertaining game for the most part. Some offensive flurries where we deserved a goal and didn't get one had me worried early on, but our top players came through when needed most to get us two points. Dobes played like he's our number one, and should be treated as such until such a time as Monty stops sucking. Watching the game live made it even more painfully clear that Gallagher can't skate at the NHL level anymore, that Anderson isn't nearly physical enough, and that our bottom 6 in general just isn't solid.

I'm going to be at this game. I just want to see the team compete hard for 60 minutes, and get at least average goaltending while doing so. Is that too much to ask?

Pull this bum....Jesus H Christ. That cannot go in.

Monty almost never bails out the team when they really need a big save to prevent losing momentum this season; it's pretty much a given at this point that he will fail to do so when called upon.

I'm heading to that game with my father tomorrow. I already warned him that we need to wrap up dinner and get to the Bell Center a bit early, because I want to watch the ceremony.

You are correct...he's been terrible.

Started well, but didn't get rewarded for it. Things went downhill in the second half of that period. Carrier went out of position to cover a man already in check, completely missing Nelson on the Avs' first goal. If not for all the injuries we have, I'd healthy scratch Josh Anderson for a game or two...he looks completely useless out there more often than not this season. If we can get back on the attack, you have to think the puck will start going in. We were generating a lot of quality chances early in the period.

While there is no shortage of brainwashed 'elbows up' Canadians, I think the inflated prices and reduced perks in Vegas are equally to blame for less tourists being at the game. Vegas has been price gouging on meals, drinks, and just about everything else for awhile now...I know a lot of regulars who have sworn off of returning unless prices return to a reasonable level.

They needed that win, and got it done (barely). Will need a more consistent effort to come away with points tomorrow in Vegas. As for Saturday...let's just try and enjoy tomorrow's game before we get into that.

Need to stay out of the box the rest of the way...they've been playing with fire.

What is it about the second period that makes this team decide to play like shit for a long stretch and give up a bunch of goals?

Good 1st period...hope they keep attacking.

I blame losing the shutout on the idiots starting up with the Ole with 26min of hockey left to play. It results in a punishment from the hockey gods more often than not when started far too early. Hope the boys can pop another goal or two in the third, to really put a stamp on this one.

Happy to be up 2, but I think we will need a few more tonight. Dobes does not look sharp.

I hope that Florian is able to pull both his brother and Josh Anderson into the fray with him tonight...both have been far too docile this season. I want to see some real crash/bang forechecking from that line, and a no tolerance policy with regards to cheap shots on our guys or shenanigans around our crease tonight. It's time to show some fire.

It better have been.

After thinking things through last night, I really have an issue with both Xhekaj and Anderson. You can't do much about the goaltenders each letting in a goal a Jr. B tender is expected to make, but the lack of any response at all to Wilson's hit on Evans is inexcusable. The same with the sequence where Sourdif pitchforked the puck out from under Dobes' glove, and the one where Demidov got leveled by a crosscheck in the back near the Caps' net. To hell with milquetoast Marty and his pacifist leanings...one of those guys needs to engage Wilson/Sourdif and inspire the rest of the boys on the bench. This is where St. Louis really loses my support as a coach; he has absolutely neutered Wifi by benching him too many times...you can just see Wifi holding himself back for fear of riding the pine or possibly being scratched for the next game. We needed the old Wifi and the Anderson that brawled with Wilson on the bench in the playoffs, and we didn't get it. If our physical players mail it in against a team like the Caps, even with better goaltending, it's hard to win.

He's brought nothing to the table.

Montembeault is absolutely useless, so much so that the time for a serious discussion about calling up Fowler has arrived. It's far from ideal, but continuing to run this sieve out there risks tanking the season. Enough is enough.

Got a point at least....it's something to build on.

The lack of a netfront presence on PP1 is glaring. Slaf camping out at the side of the net is pretty much useless. Marty needs to send a message NOW: if you aren't doing your job in front of the net, you will be taken off of the powerplay for someone....ANYONE who is willing to fill that role. Could be a 3rd or 4th line guy, doesn't matter; as long as he does that particular job and you won't...you will be sitting it out.

With Laine and Newhook both out long term, they need to do something.

Hard to absorb how we went from having played a great first period to the train wreck this game has become. I switched over to Thursday Night Football after Wifi tried to get some justice for Newhook. Nothing good is going to happen.

No puck luck, but we outplayed the Stars by a fair margin in that period. You have to think that if this level of effort continues, the puck will start to go in for us.