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CerebusClone

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Everything posted by CerebusClone

  1. I know what you meant, I just don't remember seing much of that. Although it is true that at times Koivu was generating quite a few opportunities... just to see Higgins and Ryder miss on most of them. I do however remember seing a lot of that "buzzing" from the pre-lockout Koivu, he was really good at controlling the play in the offensive zone, and you could see there was a lot of anticipation between hiom anf guys like Zednik and Savage.
  2. If I were Kyle CHipchura, I would ask my agent to politely and discretely request a trade....
  3. However to remain effective, Begin needs to play with that all-out attitude, like a headless-chicken. Besides the fact that it leads to missed opportunities on the ice as well as the occasional dumb penalties (but it's ok, you have to accept and live with that from certain players), he cannot play like that 10+ minutes game, 82 games aa year. Every season we played him regularly, he significantly slowed down, and became kinds useless until he finally crashed down with a wear-and-tear injury. That's a reserve player, a useful guy who can't play at the time.
  4. Really? I thought that line was mediocre and inconsistent pretty much all year long (whenever they played together of course), in fact the only good line we had was Kostysitsyn-Plekeanec-Kovalev, that line (as well as the PP and the goaltending) carried us all the way to first place while the other lines were struggling for consistency, and constanly changing. Although I have to say that Begin, Smolinksi, and Kostopoulos did a great job early in the playoffs. That I fully agree with, our transition game has been very poor under coach Carbonneau, and it is still deficient in his third season behinf the bench. The fact that the Kovalev line and the powerplay were so dominant compensated for our stuggles to even simply get the puck out of our defensive zone. There seems to be no preparation, no structure, and no support between the players in the defensive zone, everything seems rushed, panicky, and improvised; a strong transition is vital to any team that hopes to suceed, especially during the playoffs; it is the difference between a team that is continually rushing the puck towards the offensive zone, and one like us that is continually pressured on its own zone.
  5. I did, but this goes before the trade. People have been saying all season long that the others need to earn their spot in the lineup while Begin deserves to play just because he works so hard (regardless of the fact that he just wasn't good enough to play every game with us). People love Begin so much that they were saying he was the heart and soul of the team, an essential part of our roster, captain material, and other things like that. I really like Begin, he was useful on our weak rosters during our reconstruction process, and even today remains a great player to have around... however he's still just a glorified reserve player. He's a great asset as a reserve player, but didn't want that role, and I'm very happy that Gainey made him that favor.
  6. What makes you say that Laraque and Samsonov don't give their best, simply because they have very different styles and don't jump in front of pucks? It is so easy for a marginal player like Begin to look like he's got more heart than others, he's playing a headless chicken game out of desperation, knowing very well that he doesn't have the size and skill set to play in the NHL, and that the only factor between making 1+ million in the NHL and making $60,000 in the AHL is his willingness to make personal sacrifices. This has worked well for Begin, and you can use a guy like that around, however you don’t want all tour players to play like that, especially not the offensive types. I personally think that Samsonov was doing his best, he just didn’t fit at all under Guy Carbonneau; he was never the North-South net crashing type of player Carbonneau required him to be. Unfortunately the instant an offensive-minded player isn’t putting up points, he’s accused of being lazy; it doesn’t matter is he’s working hard, and doing everything he can to get out it, we say he’s got no heart, and that he doesn’t care. Not unlike guys like Higgins and Plekanec this season. It’s obvious that they are working hard, but that we are expecting a little too much out of two guys who probably don’t have the skills to be offensive leaders and constant point producers (they were never drafted to play that kind of role); yet they are heavily criticized by some, saying that they’re gutless, afraid to get dirty, and things like that.
  7. The difference is that he's not some kid trying to prove himself, he was a UFA. Laraque earned the right to choose where he wants to play, and to discuss with the team's management about his role before agreeing to sign a contract. Laraque has been in the NHL for several years, and the Canadiens knew exactly what type of player he is, including his strengths and limitations. Listening to his side of the story, it seems that the Canadiens promised him a regular spot with decent ice time while they are now saying that he’s the type of player you insert in the lineup only as needed. While I actually agree with that statement, if Laraque is right then it was a classless act by Gainey and Carbonneau to lie to a UFA so he would accept to sign here. I think I recall a few UFAs complaining of this before, inclusing Samsonov and even Jamie Rivers. Rivers seemed really shocked and pissed off when he was sent to Hamilton, saying that he was told by Gainey that he would get a genuine chance to make the club as a reserve defenseman (even though looking at our lineup it was obvious that he was AHL-bound). As for Samsonov, he was clearly unhappy and frustrated because things were not working; where I had a problem in his case was that we criticized him for his playing style (again he was a well-known UFA, he was never a net crashing, Andreychuk-type player), and that once our original plans for a Samsonov-Kovalev duo didn’t work out, we just dismissed him without giving him other opportunities (we didn’t even try matching him with Koivu, even when both were struggling).
  8. They already have. I was watching 110% last night, and all but two of them were pretty saying that Bob Gainey does not like francophone players because of some innate misconception of what a francophone player is that every single Ontarian is born with. They also applied that theory to pretty much all anglophones, going back to Wickenheiser vs Denis Savard, saying that an anglo GM will always prefer the anglo player (even though Wickenheiser was number 1 on pretty much every scout list). They said that by trading away Steve Bégin he he’s going against the wishes of the francophone people, and they again re-iterated that having a lot of francophone players is a pre-requisite for winning a Stanley Cup in Montreal, even going as far as saying that Gainey should know this because he only won Stanley Cups because of the francophones on his teams. All this for a marginal fourth line player who isn’t good or durable enough to play every game… thankfully they had Marc DeFoy and that guy who played a goon in “Lance et Compte” to remind them that this was ridiculous.
  9. Actually Steve Bégin has been whining quite a bit this season, just like some other guys like Samsonov or Laraque. These guys were heavily criticized, but unlike them Begin was loved by the Montreal fans and media, so they symphatized with him instead.
  10. In a way it's too bad because he was finally playing the reserve role he should have played all along and he was a great asset in that role. I don't think he helped the team that much when playing every game, but he's a guy who's easy to insert in the lineup, won't hurt you out there (except for some bad penalties, but that comes with his style), and can even be useful on the PK because of his willingness to jump in front of pucks. He just doesn't have the stamina and strength to be effective 82 games a year, and honestly doesn't bring much besides a lot of guts... guys like Lapiere, Stewart, Chipchura, and eventually a few others can all bring more to the table, in addition to being a lot bigger, stronger and durable. However I understand that he was unhappy playing a reserve role before becoming a UFA, so that was very nice of Gainey to accomodate him. Reserve players are only useful if they accept their role (unlike Begin and Laraque).
  11. Actually Tangradi has 38 goals in 52 games, for a total of 87 points. He's also the leading scorer for Belleville, not to mentuion that he looked very good at the WJC. He's huge with a lot of raw potential, but he's already improved a lot from that 20 point season. He could eventually be a great fit for a guy like Crosby, not unlike Ryan Malone.
  12. I think a lot of people who are not fans of Carbonneau as a head coach (at least at this point of his coaching career) criticized him well before any slump, or even when the team looked very good in the standings (which was my case), so I don't see how another coach getting fired really gives them any "hate" material. Besides the situation in Pittsburg is completely different, this is a relatively bad team with no depth relying exclusively on a handfull of players to carry them; the coach got fired because the general manager is desperate, and pretty much tied on his owns hands. I'm not a fan of Therrien, but I don't think he's the problem in Pittsburg. Anyways, the only people getting "ammo" are the wave-riding fans who panic quickly, and take everything they hear in the media for granted. ps. Why use the term Carbo "haters". Can't you like the guy without thinking is right (or ready) for being a head coach at the NHL level? I personally thought he was a great depth player in his prime, a very strong defensive specialist, and I like the guy very much. However I think he's a mediocre head coach at this point (not that he can't be very good later on with more experience), that he's still living in the past hockey-wise, that he's doesn't yet know how to manage a team with players of different styles and from different cultures, that he quickly gets lost and out of ideas because he's never dealt with anything as a head coach, and that basically Bob Gainey screwed up his 5-year plan (and the Hasb reconstruction process) by hiring his buddy into the crucial head coach position even though he had no experience whatsoever, not even at the Peewee level. When the goal is to sort of mold and lead a very young and emerging group into a Stanley Cup contender, you need a proven and experienced head coach.
  13. It looks like a small price to pay, but as someone said Tangradi is probably the key piece in this trade, who's looking more and more like a 2nd round steal. Also most general managers probably realize that Withney might look a bit better on paper than he really is, being an offensive-minded defenseman on an offensive powerhouse, and playing alongside the likes of Gonchar, Crosby, and Malkin.
  14. Those long-term deals would have made sense if they had signed those players at a significantly lower salary, like Rick DiPietro did in Long Island at 4.5M (although 15 years is way too long). If you can get a proven superstar player to sign for 6+ years at a discount, then you can truly benefit. However signing a one-year wonder like Briere at his inflated market price or even a guy like Ovechkin at the maximum possible salary makes very little sense (although Washington can now ensure they keep Ovechkin as long as they want him).
  15. What would be very entertaining is Lecavalier being traded to the Maple Leafs in the next few weeks...
  16. Actually the first two lines were almost comment sense (Pacioretty-Plekanec-Kovalev and Sergei-Lang-Andrei) while the Lapierre line was the best of the rest. Maybe most people would have placed D'Agostini there instead of Kostopoulos, and for all we know this would perhaps be a more effective line offensively (I remember a couple of great opportunities on one shift where D'Agostini had no yet changed with Kostopoulos). In my opinion the injuries imposed some much-needed stability, and the current top 3 lines have done increasingly well. Latendresse in particular seems to have benefited the most from playing a more clearly defined-role with the same linemates over several games. This is why I hope we ADD Koivu and Higgins to the lineup, and avoid re-shuffling the entire lineup. This should be fairly easy to do right now, my concern is how Carbonneau will react once Laraque and Dandeneault are ready to play. I'm also a little disappointed we didn't use this opportunity to give either Weber or Carle some NHL experience. However if Gainey intends to acquire a more experienced defenseman for the playoffs, then it won't really matter.
  17. Rick DiPietro did play over 60 games in each of his last three seasons, so it's not like he's constantly injured. From what I heard the Islanders are being extra cautious, they want him to rest his knee for the rest of the season so that he can be fully healed next year, which is smart since their season is over anyway. Unless he suffered permanent damage, he's still a very good investment at 4.5 millions per season. You can't find many quality experienced goaltenders for that price tag (I'm not talking about a kid like Price or a guy who came out of nowhere like Thomas), just look at Giguere (6M), Vokoun (5.7M), Miller (6.25M), Turco (5.7M), Lundqvist (6.875M), Nabokov (5.375M), etc. Even questionable number 1B goaltenders like Biron, Gerber, Roloson, Fernandez ... are making about 3.5M. That's not to mention the fact that salaries will most likely going to get higher with inflation over time (maybe not in the next year or two because of the current economic problems), so his salary will only look better... but again that's IF Dipietro remains healthy...
  18. I fully agree, but that's only in the short term. A couple of generations from now, and people won't know or care how much of an idiot this guy was...
  19. I think the way Bush's legacy will be told relies heavily on the future outcome of his actions in Iraq. If somehow this becomes the beginning of more stable and peaceful times in the Middle East - and regardless of whether or not it will be due to his actions/decisions - he'll be portrayed as a man with a vision, a pioneer who took a lot of heat to prepare the field for his successors. I'm not saying this is right... and it won't happen in the next few years... but if the Middle East becomes safer and more stable, somehow I'm sure a lot of people will credit George W. Bush...
  20. Maybe that's because he stopped the constant random line shuffling, and stopped playing musical chair with 1/4 of the roster... today it will actually be interesting to see if Carbonneau starts panicking, and reverts back to his old instincts, or if he'll keep his head cool, and stick with the lines that made him look good in the last few weeks. After listening to his post-game speech, I'm guessing the lines will remain intact, he seemed to realize that that sometimes a good team just plays a bad game.
  21. Obvisouly no one is untouchable, and anyone could be traded if we got a significantly superior return (i.e. Komisarek 1-for-1 for Crosby just to go to an extreme), however it would take a lot for the Canadiens to trade away Pacioretty. He's young, cheap, and has the potential to become a great powerforward-type player in the NHL. Therefore unless you get a proven star player in return with at least a few years in front of him as a member of the Canadiens, you shouldn't even think about trading a guy like Patches.
  22. Chipchura never really got one besides early last season, and he actually was doing well (at least in my opinion). Other than that he's been at most a callup in case of injuries, and heasn't had the chance to play regularly through his ups and downs like any other young player adjusting to the NHL. Lapierre and Latendresse are playing very well right now, but at times they were as bad, if not worse, than Chipchura right now, but they stayed with the team, and were allowed to learn through their mistakes (sometimes being benched when Carbonneau wasn't satisfied with their effort). It seems to me that Carbonneau just doesn't believe in Chipchura - like he didn't believe in Perezhogin 2 years ago - and as I said before it's perfectly ok. He's the coach, and he's accountable for his decisions (some are good, others not so good). I just hope that if this is the case, we'll trade Chipchura to another team, and not let him rot in the minors (or as a healthy scratch) until he becomes a marginal player and career AHLer. Also I don't think Lapierre and Chipchura are at all the same type of players. Lapierre's niche is a strong forechecking game using his great blend of size and skating abilities while Chipchura's is based on strong positioning, hockey smarts, and above-average playmaking abilities. Also if Chipchura's foot speed and faceoff abilities are hindering his chances as a centre, it might be time to convert him into a winger where he'll be able to concentrate on being strong along the boards and around the net. Gainey could probably give him a few pointers.
  23. Maybe he's about to be traded to Montreal
  24. If he hadn't just signed a with SC Bern for the playoffs, I would have been interested in a guy like Keith Carney. He wouldn't really help the powerplay, but he's a rock defensively even at his age, and has always been a great playoff performer. He wouldn't cost a thing, and yet I think he would have a significant impact on our defense (doing what O'Byrne was expected to do this year).
  25. In theory it should be quite simple. We have three guys on the roster that are easily expendable, Begin, Chipchura, and D'Agostini. So you replace two of them with Koivu and Higgins while the other remains in the lineup on the wing with the two veterans. My personal choice would be Chipchura, but somehow he ended in the coach's doghouse last season, and probably won't ever be given such an opportunity. So D'Agostini is the best bet. On the coach's clipboard the Lapierre line moves to forth, although it doesn't really matter since Carbonneau gives his four lines pretty much the same ice-time at equal strength. Then you take away their current ice-time on the powerplay - especially since they haven't scored in single goal with the man advantage - and put together two strong PP units (Latendresse and Koivu should be part of them). 5-on-5 Pacioretty-Plekanec-Kovalev S.Kostsitsyn-Lang-A.Kostsitsyn Higgins-Koivu-D'Agostini Latendresse-Lapierre-Kostopoulos Powerplay A.Kostsitsyn-Lang-Kovalev Markov-S.Kostsitsyn Higgins-Koivu-Latendresse Hamrlik-(Brisebois) So all current lines maintain intact, we get an additional NHL-caliber line, and there's no injustice for anyone (some like Begin and Chipchura will be disappointed, but they haven't done much for the team).
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