Wamsley01

Definitely. Create an identity and stick to it. The problem is the knee jerk reaction. If the Devils switched jerseys with the Habs from 1995 to 2004 the fans would have complained along the whole way even thought they won three Stanley Cups. They would complain about the lack of offense, they would complain about Brodeur during off seasons and they would complain when they went out early to inferior teams. There is a consistency and familiarity that goes into building a team and a game plan. One day the Habs will return to that model, maybe Emelin and Weber are better than we think and Gauthier expects them to bridge that gap. Remember, Streit was viewed as a non-factor entering 2008 and Subban was expected to be a 6th defenseman last season.

40 goals can be made up in a season without considerable upgrades. Look at the Bruins. 2010 - 206 goals 2011 - 246 goals Horton didn't bridge that gap. Horton provided 26, but Sturm had 22 last season. Lucic went from 8 goals to 30. Marchand provided 21 rookie goals. The improvement came from within the same core. There is no reason the Canadiens can't get bounce back seasons from Gomez and Gionta. There is nothing saying that Pacioretty can't continue what he was doing, etc etc. The point that CC is making is why not be an elite defensive team? The Bruins didn't win the Cup on their offensive prowess. History will paint this team differently like it always does, but the Bruins won the Cup in 25 games, tied for the most in history. They won three game sevens, the most in the history of the game. They had fortune on their side and THAT is the new NHL. You only get a limited window today. There is no sustained powerhouses. Even the Wings have only won 2 titles in the last 12 seasons and they have a good team EVERY year. You need fortune to smile on you. Bounces, health, peak performances from your best players, unexpected heroes etc. If you have a chance to add Wisniewski and create the best defense in the league you do it. I would rather have a dominant defense and hope for goals by committee like the late 80s/early 90s Habs than add a couple of mediocre forwards for the same cost. The Bruins just won a Cup doing this. There is no player out there that can create an elite offensive unit, but there are defenseman that when added to the core the Habs already have that will place them in the discussion of best defense in the NHL. Add in Price and you have the Devils 2.0 (In reality the Canadiens 8.0 because the Devils are actually the Canadiens 7.0).

That is knee jerk analysis. At the end of the day, a smart GM will take the large sample size and not the small sample size to make his judgements. Now mind you, in the NHL goaltender stats are misleading so somebody with knowledge of the position should also video review his performance, so using his stats could lead you to the wrong decision. There will always be a GM who is willing to roll the dice on a guy who is always in the top 10 of goaltending stats whose goal might not immediately be to win the Stanley Cup, but to solidify his chance at a playoff position. If Gomez got traded at that number, anybody can be dealt. Vancouver should go with Schneider for the simple fact that he can provide replacement level performance for 25% of the price. Return this same team with an added impact player to replace Luongo's commitment and you have a better team.

They are a contender barring the loss of Markov and Wisniewski.

If the Sedin's, Luongo, etc didn't learn their Cup lessons with losses to the Blackhawks and Ducks championship runs then they never will. The Bruins didn't win because of guys like Recchi, they won because they all committed to the system. If Recchi was so important, where was he when they choked a 3-0 lead last season. The lack of repeat champs isn't all cap related. When you win a Cup, your desire to return is not as great as your desire to conquer your lifelong goal. The odds are long on the Canucks returning to the Final next season and winning. Two teams since 1970 have managed to lose in the FInal and return immediately and win the next season. They were lead by Crosby and Gretzky. They lost because their best players didn't pull the freight. When you build your core around Luongo, Sedin, Sedin and Kesler and they get 2-3 points and your goaltender gives up 3+ goals per game, you don't win. I don't care if they had Recchi, Gill, Madden etc.

At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter. Bruin fans didn't do anything to deserve it, nothing more than we have done. Let them enjoy their moment. They think they have the hammer, but when your team has 24 Cups and owned you for 85% of your existence, one Cup doesn't matter. I saw the same thing happen with the Red Sox. They thought when they won in 2004 that they had the hammer, then the Yankee fans started making t-shirts counting their rings, etc. There is no hammer. Only stubborn individuals who will never give in. Today is their day, tomorrow may be ours.

Luongo came up really short in regards to his reputation. It is now three straight seasons where he has had the opportunity to raise his level and he has faltered every time. He is big, but not very mobile and that was highlighted by the second goal (a goal that he said was an easy save for him after Game 5 mind you). If they trade Schneider they are out of their mind. Cheap and essentially not much difference, if not better than Luongo. He has really dented his legacy with this series. If he never pulls out a Cup win, he will always be remembered for putting up huge stats on bad teams and not being able to step up in the playoffs. Fair or not, that is what is going to happen.

How can JS Giguere be not as deserving in 2003? The guy played on an 8 seed and came within one game of the title. Cam Ward? Do the Canes knock out the Habs without Ward? Pure hyperbole based on statistics alone.

Like I said, I don't blame goaltenders because I think they are mostly a product of their environment, but the best ones can give you a chance in games you don't deserve to win. Luongo didn't give them a chance in any game they were outplayed. When they were outplayed, he collapsed, their 4 losses will be all by more than 3 goals. I still think they should have started Schneider, contract be damned. As for the Bruins being young, it doesn't matter. You need fortune to win a Stanley Cup, they just used up a hell of a lot of that fortune in this run. Three OT wins against the Habs, three Game 7 wins. The Canucks losing half their team in the final and Kesler IS playing hurt. The Non-Chara suspension etc. Everybody thought the Pens were on their way, they have won one round since then. All this goes to show is that the Habs are a Cup contender RIGHT NOW! Gauthier should sign Wiz and Markov and figure things out later. Take a Colborne like prospect and get deadline help and go for it in 2012. This core is ready to take a shot now.

Thomas was pushing guys, slashing guy and just butt ended somebody and the Canucks did NOTHING.

How would you like to be the Canucks and on the hook for Luongo's contract for another decade? I am not one to blame goaltenders, but elite goaltenders do not go down that meekly in the Stanley Cup Final. His legacy has been destroyed for the media/fans. How good of a team does he need to play on to win a Cup? ONCE in regulation to the Cup champs.

His puck tracking on that play was awful. You have to play with more urgency on a play like that, he didn't even move.

So much for them scoring first. Luongo needs to stop pucks like that in Game 7.

It's funny, the fans who think he shouldn't be qualified are the same ones who will complain that we got nothing for him.

What I think is that the Habs have continued to produce a lot of NHL talent from the draft. It isn't always top level talent, but they are always rated highly when it comes to NHLers developed. With that being the case, how many of these guys can you keep and how amazing does an organization have to be to maximize on every single asset? What did the Wings get for Avery? What did they get for Leino? What did they get for Kopecky? Kyle Quincey? They got a washed up Bertuzzi for Matthias. Outside of Ribeiro and possibly Grabovski, I think the Habs have jettisoned most of the average assets and kept the right ones. I am always amazed that a franchise strong suit can be turned into a negative. If the mighty Red Wings can continually receive little in return for their depth assets, why is it that the Canadiens are inept for letting mediocre NHLers like Hainsey and O'Byrne walk. The jury is out on LAtendresse and Kostitsyn.

It will be interesting if the referees offer up another zero penalty game seven like they did against Tampa who was dominating on the powerplay. BTW, make that two broken vertebrae for the Bruins this season and zero man games lost for them.

The Canucks aren't generating chances, but the Bruins aren't really either in Vancouver. This is exactly my point when it comes to judging SV%, goaltending, greatness from stats etc. The storyline becomes "Luongo great at home, terrible on the road" OR "They have a chance because Luongo is great at home". Luongo's magnificent Game 5 had FIVE even strength scoring chances and three PP chances for the Bruins. http://www.coppernblue.com/2011/6/11/2168695/canucks-vs-bruins-scoring-chances-game-5 Thomas' brilliant performance faced ten even strength scoring chances, one on the power play. That is not fantastic goaltending, it is stingy defense. Now contrast the home numbers in the series versus the road numbers. In Vancouver the scoring chances are (even strength in brackets) BOSTON - 33 (22) VANCOUVER - 37 (36) In Boston the scoring chances are BOSTON - 60 (39) VANCOUVER - 40 (33) Is there any shock to see why the Canucks goaltending numbers have gone through the roof in Boston. It isn't because Luongo plays well at home, it is because the Canucks have cut the chances in half when they have the final change. You can also see that Vancouver has been the better 5 on 5 team during the Finals and that the Bruins have been dependent upon the power play to create their chances. Powerplay shots have been proven to be more dangerous than even strength shots. Every goaltender in the league has a dramatic drop in SV% when even strength is contrasted against power play. So during the series the Canucks have generated 8 power play chances, the Bruins number is 32!! Thomas has had to deal with barely over 1 power play chance per game whereas Luongo/Schneider are over 5 per game. I don't think Luongo has been great, but the Canucks have hung him out to dry in Boston and have protected him well in Vancouver. You want a storyline in Game 7? If Vancouver avoids the penalty box, they increase their chances to win significantly.

It's a coin flip in Game 7. It doesn't matter what teams are playing. In a one game sample size anything can occur. I just don't think Luongo has been great in the games in Vancouver, what I think is that the Canucks have been able to control the matchups and the flow of the game. The problem is when he is left to fend for himself, he can't channel a big time performance to give the Canucks a chance to win. Not a shutout, but keeping your team down 1 or 2-0, not 3-0 in 3 minutes. Goalies don't give up 8 goals because they sucked. The team in front of him is largely responsible for things like that, but it is the inconsistent positioning that drives me crazy. That Marchand goal was a great shot, but Luongo exposed way to much glove side and all coming off talking major smack about the winning goal in Game 5. Five times he has been blown out in these playoffs. Five TIMES on the best team in the NHL. Schneider may not have the reputation that Luongo does, but I would go with him. The contract will force them to go with Luongo, but I would not want to go into a Game 7 with the fear that my goalie might not be able to stop a beach ball.

I was thinking that with Kesler limping all over the ice. That being said, I would be a hypocrite to mention luck considering the Habs won 10 straight OT games to win a Cup in 1993. They were fortunate to beat the Habs and I still don't think they have a better team. To watch them win the Cup would irritate the hell out of me. Like I mentioned earlier in the thread, I think Schneider is better than Luongo. I don't like to analyze an individuals testicular fortitude, but how many times is one guy going to meltdown in an important game. It's not even once or twice, we are starting to see a large sample size of these major meltdowns. Let's just thank god it didn't happen during last years Olympic Final.

When did Hainsey become a headcase? They lost him on re-entry waivers when they had some injury problems after the lockout.

It doesn't matter. They have 6 goals in 6 games. The Canucks are lucky they are still playing. The least amount of goals registered by a Stanley Cup champion since 1970 is 13 (Dallas 99). That includes all 4 game sweeps. The Canucks look like a different team than they did all season. I think the injuries are mounting, Kesler looks nothing like the player he was in the 2nd round.

How do you put up that type of effort with the chance to win the Cup? And after all that smack he talked after Game 5! At least they don't have him locked up until he is 40+ at $5M+ per season. Has a goaltender ever imploded this badly in a series and still have a shot at winning the Stanley Cup?

I like the sense of being ripped off somehow That kills me. I don't know if the trauma of having a good team disappoint is a good excuse. They have made 3 trips to the Stanley Cup Final and two since the Habs last played in one. Just because your team has 90+ points, it doesn't entitle you to championships. Sometimes a sports team perpetually leaves you at the alter and you just deal with it. I mean their worst playoff defeat is not even in the top 25% of stomach punch losses.

Is it just me? Or is this full of confirmation bias. Crediting Chicago for one thing and then glossing over a MASSIVE screwup. Crediting Philly and then glossing over the fact that they don't have a goalie. Why do I think that if Montreal had locked in young players that they would get raped for tiny things like failing to tender offer sheets or acquiring a competent goaltender. You are also projecting scenarios with zero information. Maybe Meehan and Kostitsyn were asking for $5M per to buy up their UFA seasons, maybe Gauthier offered what you thought would be the right deal and AK rejected it. You don't buy up UFA season cheaply. If Kostitsyn hits the UFA market next season after an average AK46 season I can guarantee you his bottom floor is $4M. So why the hell would he take that guarantee when it is barely better than his potential UFA salary floor. UFA inflates worth. If the Habs had done with Price what the Hawks did with Toews and Kane in February 2009 (let's go low, so 5 years @ 4M) they would have paid $4M per for his awful 2010 and paid $8M for the 2011-2012 season. Instead they paid $6.5M and not $12M for those same 3 seasons. After next season if Price gets a 5 year $5M deal (a $2.25M raise) it will cost the Habs $31M for 8 years, in your scenario he would cost somewhere between $35 over the same 8 seasons if he signed for a $1M raise after year 5. They control him for his RFA years and they control his salary inflation. That was the benefit of the lockout. It allows the Habs to survive overinflated UFA paychecks that Gionta and Cammalleri were awarded, let alone Gomez. Locking up players like Toews and Kane for 2 extra UFA years is not cost effective and I don't understand why teams do it. It is monkey see, monkey do.

But they already did. In round one. They rolled the dice on those problems moving forward and because the result was favourable it seems to have been swept under the rug. I don't understand the difference now. When the season was on the line in round one they ditched Luongo in almost the exact same circumstance. BTW. C.C is Vancouver always this effin whiney? There are articles popping up all over the place about their tortured history. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/globe-on-hockey/heartbreak-nothing-new-for-canucks-fans/article2055747/ http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/gary_mason/high-anxiety-in-vancouver/article2054905/ I don't see it. When contrasted to franchises like Boston, Toronto, Buffalo, San Jose, St. Louis, Ottawa etc. their burden of disappointment is nothing. Jesus, they are bringing up the Neely trade. IT WAS 25 YEARS AGO!! Why aren't they mentioning the fact that they acquired Luongo for essentially Trevor Linden and Alex Auld while getting to keep Bertuzzi's prime. They picked up Markus Naslund for Alex Stojanov. Shut up and enjoy being two wins away from the Cup. Pathetic self loathing. NO, I don't feel sorry for you Vancouver.