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Everything posted by REV-G
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Why in the world would Vancouver make that trade. They've got one of the best, if not the best, goalie in the league, and you think they'd trade him for a goalie who has great potential, but struggled two years in a row in the play-offs and had a poor second half of this past season. Just so both goalies can be back home??? This trade would only happen if Price had a great year and was close to Luongo in stats. Not a chance this will happen.
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As I've been reading about some of the choices being tossed around over who will be the next coach, I thought of something interesting regarding Patrick Roy as coach. First, can you imagine the fire and passion he would bring to our team as the coach. I mean can you imagine what would happen to a player if he gave half an effort, or didn't show up or if someone didn't stand up for a teammate, or didn't give everything he had to win? I don't know if Patrick's ready or not, but he would bring fire and passion and heaven help anyone who played on the team who didn't.
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After reading some of these responses and given what's taken place over the past two or three weeks....a lot of loses.....I think there are two or three things we need to do. 1. Someone needs to find out if Melanson has tried to change Carey's style. A lot of people have commented on how much Price is on his knees now, much more than before. Is this his choice or has Melanson changed him.....with poor results! If they have changed him, they'd better get someone to lead him back to what made him successful. 2. I think the saying "hindsight has 20/20 vision" could be applied here. A legitimate question now is, have we brought Price along too fast? Should we have kept Huet another year and forced Price to develop more slowly? If that's true then judging on how long it took other 1st round goalies, like Fluery, Luongo and Dipietro, to develop into consistant, front line NHL goalies, I think none of them were effective till they were at least 23, then we have another two years before Price will develop into the goalie we think he can be. It seems like we took a chance and expected him to be years ahead of these other goalies at the same age, and now that seems like a poor decision. 3. I don't think we should get a veteran backup goalie for two reasons. First, that would mean trading Halak, and I do not think that's something we should do. Secondly, I think we need a veteran goalie, but as a coach, not a player. I wonder if it's time for a change with our goalie coach. If I've got the right guy, wasn't Olaf Kolzig a mentor and help to Carey Price a few years back. Maybe, if Kolzig is the right guy, we stay with Halak and Price next year, go the whole year splitting the goaltending duties, and let Price practice, play, be mentored and kind of go back to some basics. At only 21 years old we need to give Carey Price 2 more years at least. It's not too late, but we'd better make sure we have a plan and the next two years are well thought out with a plan in place.
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I've been a loyal Canadiens fan for a few decades now, and I think most long term fans have always throughly enjoyed the good times and called the deep rooted bad times what they are, time for change. I think we have arrived at the point where we have to look at reality. Unless there is a miraculous turn-around I think that major components of the core of this team have been left behind, their best days are behind them and it's showing up in glaring fashion. Saturday night's Leafs-Canadiens game had the commentators and between period analyists describing some of our players as heartless, no desire and players that Gainey is going to have to change this summer. As much as I hate to agree with them, at this point I do agree. There comes a time when loyalty to players has run it's course, and for me, I'm there. We're clinging to a play-off spot, in danger of missing the play-offs and staggering badly against everyone it seems. And in a season where we were eying first place and a run at the Stanley Cup, in our 100th year. So this is what I believe needs to happen. Regarding players currently in the NHL, starting with the forwards I'd move the following players this summer: Kovalev, Koivu, Higgins, Plekanec, Laraque, Metropolit and Dandenault. I'd keep, in no particular order, Tanguay, Lang, A. Kostitsyn, Pacioretty, D'Agostini, Lapierre, Latendresse and Kostopoulos. On defence I'd keep Markov, Komisarek, Hamrlik, Georges and Obyrne. I'd move or release Bouillion, Schneider and Brisebois and go after a top 4 defenceman. We've had injuries, but I don't think that's been our problem. Our problem has been that starting with players like Kovalev, Koivu and Higgins we have simply not been able to do the job and it's time for change. I'd keep both Price and Halak and bring in a defenseman coach. I really hope that Bob Gainey is around to make the changes, because there are few other GM's who know the league like Gainey does and he's proven that he know's what it takes in todays NHL to be successful. That's been evident by the way he's emphasized building through the draft while some other GM's have traded their picks and gone no-where. I don't blame Gainey for the present state of this team. At the beginning of the year I think most of us looked at this team and felt really good about it. The players have been unable to deliver. It's time for major change!
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I know it's still pretty early, but who could be the next coach of the Canadiens? The last time Gainey made a move he already had Carbonneau in mind and under contract, so he must be thinking a little about that now. Does he hold down the fort like last time, until the playoffs are over and then make a move? So what are the options? I've listed a few that I think could happen. [1] Bob keeps the job himself for a year. I personally don't think that's a good option, or what he'll really do. I don't believe any other GM is doing that right now. [2] He hires from within? Do any of the existing coaches on staff qualify or fit. Maybe Lever, but that's about it. [3] He hires from outside the organization, from available coaches: Bob Hartley; Jacques Lemaire [doubtful], then a list of older guys that have been around and waiting for a while. Maybe they never get back in,such as Pat Quinn, Dennis Savard. [4] A wild card with no NHL or AHL coaching experience: Patrick Roy or another very successful Junior or college coach. I don't know how good their track records have been making a jump like that. [5] A media guy with hockey and coaching experience: Pierre McQuire?? [6] A retread: Michel Terrien; Mario Trembley [i hope not]. My choices, in no particular order, would be that I would first contact three people and go from there: Bob Hartley, Pierre McQuire and Patrick Roy. If none of those worked I would move on to the next level.
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So the conclusion on Cary Price in this thread seems to be that: (a) We cannot send Price to the AHL because of waiver rules, unless he gets hurt and sits out 5 games, then we could send him down for a conditioning stint. (b) Carey needs much more help from his defence, so he's not "hung out" on his own with little support. So his teammates have to make a very concerted effort to help out defensively. © Go with the hot hand, Halak, and hope that Price regains the top form he had before his injury. (d) He has the talent, it didn't just disappear, so give this young goalie who has excelled at every level, a change to rebound much the way Halak has. (e) We need to be patient and give this young goalie a chance to mature, develop and work his way through waht is probably his first "tough patch" as a pro. To me this all seems logical and perhaps the only way to handle Carey Price and I think these answer the question this thread asked, "What does Carey Price need to regain his form?"
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Last fall I started a thread where I wondered out loud if Halak was overrated. He was going through a tough time and at the time, for me, he didn't look like the goalie I thought he would be this year. Well three or four months later, Halak is playing amazing and no one, starting with me, is wondering or asking if he's overrated. As some of you suggested at the time, he just needed time to get over a tough stretch and regain his confidence and form. And that's happened. So now we're facing a dilema with Carey Price. Before he was injured, he was hot, had a great record, you could see his confidence, was voted to the all star game and some were even suggeseting he be one of three goalies for the Olympics. But over the past two and a half months everything seems to have reversed. He looks lost, seems like he has no confidence, and after last nights game in Buffalo he said "it just wasn't there", even though he's been working hard in practice. So what is the right thing to do with Carey Price? There seems to be only two options. One, do what we did with Halak. Just wait it out, give him time and let him work hard in practice and hopefully he'll regain what he's lost and get back to form. But I think Carey's problems are a little deeper and tougher than Halak's last fall. While Halak struggled he seemed confident that he could turn things around. I don't get that sense with Price. So I think the second option would be to let him regain his form and confidence in the AHL with Hamilton. I'm not sure what the waiver rules are regarding him, but if that's not a problem, for his own good, I think he needs to play regularly and get back to dominating once again so we can get him back on track in time for the playoffs, and I think time in Hamilton is the answer. I think Carey is our goalie for now but also of the future. Maybe his quick ascension has caught up with him or maybe it's just the sophomore jinx, but we need to help him and not let him sink any further down. I think he really needs others to step in and help, even if he doesn't like it, it may be the best thing for him and the team.
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I agree totally. The guy doesn't do much at the beginning of the season when he's healthy, then he's injured, which isn't his fault, but now he complains that he should be playing more. Other than his toughness, how many guys is he playing better than? I like George, but he needs to earn his icetime like everyone else and show why he should be on the ice. I agree that against a few teams we need him, but come on George, show us something! There's obviously a reason why he's been on what, 4 teams in 5 years? Stop complaining and start working hard and earn your ice time like everyone else!
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I've been wondering lately if we are experiencing a "leadership void" on our team. If a team, business or any organization is going to be sucessful, one of the absolute necessities, is that there has to be a visible, accepted and active leadership present and functioning within that team or organization. I believe, compared to the rest of the NHL, that we have excellent top level leadership in George Gillett, Pierre Boivin and Bob Gainey. I think we have better than average leadership in Guy Carbonneau and his coaching staff, but I have been wondering if we are seeing a lack of leadership from the players themselves. I'm not just looking at this past week but overall, especially when things started going downhill, I have been wondering why there hasn't been more said or done, or more influence shown, by those considered leaders on the team. Clearly we don't know all that goes on behind closed doors in the dressing room or in the players only meetings, but if, and I admit it's a big if, we have another "Three Amigos" [Higgins, Price, S. Kostitsyns] and if, three players have been out running around with criminal type guys and doing lots of partying, if these rumors are true, and none of them have been doing very well lately, there needs to leadership from within the players who know the truth about what's going on or isn't. In other words there needs to be a much stronger voice from the players to one another, to the media and the fans about what is acceptable and what isn't. While I think Messier's leadership was at times a bit overblown, I don't think he would have sat back and been as silent as some of our guys have been. I like and admire Koivu for many reasons, but to me, he has been too quiet and that may be why we've been hearing suggestions that someone else should be the captain. As a player, Gainey wasn't the most talented player on his team, but he was a strong leader among the players and wouldn't stand for players doing things that hurt the team and it's chances for success. I know he wasn't trying to send any sort of message, but I think Mathieu Schneider's comment in the Gazette today is telling. He said, "There's no such thing as a saviour. I'm just hoping that I can bring a calming influence, a little leadership." To me that says that as a newcomer his take is that the players have been rattled and can use a little more leadership from within. So perhaps we are seeing a need for a change in leadership from within, someone who is going to take this team and lead it and put an end to any behavior that is going to hurt the team in the long run.
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Probably most of us were fairly happy with the way the Habs played for a good part of the first half of the season, but now many of us are probably looking around in desperation trying to figure out what's going wrong. I have a few options...theories.... as to what might be happening. Could one of the following scenarios be what's taking place? 1. Unlike last year when we were incredibly healthy, injuries have caught up with us and we're proving that you can't lose, Koivu, Komisarek, Higgins, Tanguay, Price, Lang, Latendresse and who knows who's next, and not have all those injuries affect chemistry and flow. 2. They're simply in a mid-season slump and it will sort itself out soon. 3. A number of players are in slumps all at the same time [some have been in one for a long time it seems]. 4. They are caught in a wierd situation of a combination of injuries and slumps and over the next two weeks things will begin to work out and we'll be back winning. I believe we have the talent, the players and the coaching, so I think our problem is a combination of injuries and slumps, such as Carey Price. With guys out for a long time, the newer players are unable to make up for the guys who are hurt over a long period of time. I think Price will rebound, defensively we will get back to normal, and offensively we will begin to pick things up. I don't believe we're as bad as what we've shown over the past month. Things will begin to turn around over the nexct week or so.
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I think the win percentage is the most glaring stat of all. When you're comparing three goalies and two of them have won 64% and 65% of their games and the third has won only 42%, with everything else pretty much the same, I think it emphasizes the fact that Halak has not done very well overall this season, compared with other goalies in similar situations..
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About two weeks ago Damien Cox of the Toronto Star was answering a question about team's goaltenders and he said that he thought Montreal had one of the better goalie duo's in the Eastern Conference. Before this season I thought the combination of Carey Price and Jaroslav Halak would be amazing, but I'm having second thoughts. I think Price has played as well as I thought he would, but I'm disappointed in Halak thus far. Carey Price has played 25 games, he's won 16 and lost 4 in regulation time. His GAA is 2.30 and S% is .921. He has won 64% of the games he played in. Halak has played in 14 games in regulation time, he's won 6 and lost 6. His GAA is 2.72 and S% is .908. He has won 42% of the games he played in. He has let in 8 goals in the past 5 periods he has played. Last year he spent time in the AHL as did Scott Clemenson with the Marlies. So this year both started as backups in the NHL, Clemenson with NJ. Since Brodeur has been hurt Clemenson has played in 23 games and won 15. So Price has won 64% of his games, Clemenson has won 65%, and Halak 42%. On Monday Carbonneau talked about seeing if Price could come back sooner than what was planned, and this is a result of how Halak has played. I thought Halak could push Price for the starting role and be a goalie other teams would want to trade for as their starting goalie. I don't know if that's the case anymore. I like Halak and I hope he can turn this around. But he needs to turn it around pretty soon, because for me, winning 42% of his games, he hasn't lived up to expectations so far. Based on his play this season, I wonder if we have overrated him? I hope not.
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2009 World Junior Championship thread
REV-G replied to Athlétique.Canadien's topic in Habs & Hockey Talk
I think we have four of our draft picks playing at the World Juniors. I've seen PK Subban, and he seems to be doing well, especially with his amazing end to end rush Monday night. But does anyone know how our other picks are doing, especially McDonough [sp??]? -
Probably like most of you the whole Sundin drama became a drawn out, boring soap opera by the end of summer. But now that he's announced he's coming back and seems to have narrowed it down to two teams, I have a feeling that Matts Sundin is not going to be able to live up to the expectations that are going to precede him, wherever he signs. What he has going aginst him is His age, 38 very soon, his almost 9 months of not playing, and from what we've heard not even working out, adjusting to a new team, and also how far behind he'll be in game-shape compared to everyone else. I've heard a number of reporters say that there were signs that his skills had started to decline last season, as most players his age would. This far down the road, now it's anybody's guess. So if the Rangers, supposing he signs with them, have to clear out some serious salary and players to make room for Sundin, will it really be worth it? And what will the players feel if some of their friends are moved and Sundin, making big bucks, isn't able to be the player teams are expecting him to be. And will injuries be a factor? The reason so many teams have been interested in Sundin is because they believe he will score, lead and make their team better the moment he signs. If he had moved at the trade deadline earlier this year and finished last season with a team, reported to that team's training camp in shape, then I think he might have been able to make an impact for another year or so. But now, after all this time, at his age and not in good shape, I think the odds are against him. The only way this could maybe not hurt a team is if they have cap space and don't have to move anyone of significance out. And there's only a few in that position. Maybe then the only loss would be financial and expectations. During the summer I was hoping we'd get Sundin. But at this point, if we'd have to move a young guy, or someone of significance, then I don't think it's worth it anymore.
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This is the first I have heard of Zinovjev. Can you tell me what the deal is with him?? Is he one of our prospects, and if so is he good?
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I think they should get out the film from last year and compare our PP this year to last years, and then pinpoint what has changed. Other than losing Streit and adding Tanguay [who can't have hurt] the players are the same, and the coaches are the same. Unfortunatey tt may be that what is holding us back from scoring 5 on 5 is also hurting us on the PP. Either the guys are not working hard enough, or for some reason they are missing opportunities that they burried last year, or the other teams have figured out our system and we're being outcoached.
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For me, one of the missing key components this year is Alex Kovalev. Watching him this year does not remind me of him last year, but of two years ago, when everyone was frustrated with him and many expected or wanted him not to return the following year, because it seemed like he was just going through the motions. This year I see him turning the puck over a lot, getting stopped at the blue line and rarely is he setting up crisp passing plays that result in goals as he did last year. It seems that he has lost some of the fire to succeed that he had last year. After 19 games he has 5 goals, 9 assists and his plus-minus is at 0. Those are poor numbers for him as we're getting close to December. And I don't think it's a coincidence that the team is playing a lot like Alex, maybe outside of Koivu, Tanguay and Markov. I think last year he set the tone for our team. His work ethic, on-ice leadership and drive led our team. I see a lot of that missing this year. Maybe it's time for Gainey to have another talk with Kovalev about his future, the way he did during the summer of 2007, and the result was a man on fire for much of last year, which I think was one of the big keys for our team last year. If Alex is just going through the motions, living off of last years success, we might be in trouble. When Kovalev starts playing the way he did last year, our team will catch fire, and his linemates will begin to pick up where they left off last year. I believe getting Alex going again is one of the big keys for our team right now.
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When you look at our top three lines I think there are some players that are doing what we hoped they would, but some are starting to be a concern after 13 games. I've grouped them into three levels. The top level has Tanguay, 7G, 8A, and is +5; next is Markov with 1 G, 13A and +5; Koivu with 5G, 8A and +9; Lang with 4G, 5A and +6. These guys are either doing what we expected or even exceeding a little. The next group has Kovalev, 5G, 7A and is +1; Plekanec, 4 G, 6A and is even. Then my third group has Latendresse, 2G, 6A and is +5; Sergei Kostitsyn, 3G, 4A and is +2 and Andrei Kotitsyn, 1G, 3A and +5. I didn;t rate Higgins because of his injury time out. I think the areas of concern are that Kovalev and Plekanec are +1 and even, which I think is a real concern fro players who were arguably our top line last year. And then the second major area for concern is the goal production for Laatendresse and the two Kostitsyn's. If we are going to match or exceed last year, I think these two areas are the first ones that are going to need to improve. Otherwise I wonder if a call-up from Hamilton may be needed to maybe light some fires.
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I think many of us had high hopes that Mikhail Grabovski might have developed into a slick playmaking centerman. He had shown flashes of quickness with some good moves, but he couldn't crack our lineup on a regular basis and showed last year when he left the team for a day or so that he was unhappy with not getting solid playing time. So when we traded him to Toronto, who have a much weaker core of forwards, I think many thought this might be Grabovski's chance to shine. Even though it's still early in the season, and things could turn around, after 6 games Grabovski has no goals, no assists and is -1. And it's not like he hasn't played in the NHL before and is going thru a period of adjusting to the speed. Pierre Mcquire said yesterday that he thought Grabovski was an AHL scorer, but maybe not an NHL scorer. And the radio call in talk in Toronto is beginning to wonder whether Grabovski has it to be an NHL'er. So picking up a second round pick from a Toronto team that will likely finish near the bottom of the pack for the next two years or so may turn out to be another great deal, or steal! However this turns out I think it was a great deal for Montreal.
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I've seen the name Brock Trotter pop up in the past few weeks and I hadn't really noticed him before. Evidently a few journalists said he really stood out and was noticed during an intra-squad game recently. All I know about him is that he is 21 and plays centre. Does anyone have any other info on him?
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A few years back we were in short supply of quality defensemen on the farm. Gainey and Timmins said they would be drafting defencemen to fill the void, and now we have a number of very solid propects who play defence. Only time will tell if they make it as solid NHL'ers. But we now seem to be quite short of quality centermen. So my qustion is, have we drafted or do we have any promising prospects in our system who play centre?
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I was looking at Pavol Demitra's stats and I wonder if he would be a good plan B, after Sundin. How do they compare? Demitra is 34, 6.0' and 206 lbs. The last three years he scored 25 goals [62 points], 25 goals [64 points], and last year he scored 15 goals [54 points]. A problem is that he hasn't played a full season in the past 5, so there are injury issues. Sundin is 37, 6' 4", 231 lbs. The last three years Sundin scored 31 goals [78 points], 27 goals [76 points, and last year 32 goals [78 points]. If Gainey decides to wait for Sundin, then that's plan A. But if he decides to go in another direction, I think Dimitra is not a bad option.
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TSN just reported that Hossa signed a one year, 7.5 million, deal with Detroit. He must really want a shot at a cup!
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Matts Sundin's agent, J. P. Barry, said in an interview on TSN on Tuesday regarding the teams that were after Matts, that he understood Montreal was going in another direction. That must mean Montreal has given Matt their offer and have moved on and, since Rolston has signed with NJ, barring a trade, they must be hot on the trail for Hossa.