tomh009

The division is super even from 2nd to 6th: .568, .563, ..557, .554, .550. Anything could happen yet with about a dozen games remaining, but they are really in control of their own destiny. All intra-division games, and only one against the leading Utica. Three against Rochester and the Marlies, and two against each of the other three teams. Habs could lend them some players to help them make the playoffs ... and to help the Habs secure a better draft pick.

Well, he might consider it an infectious disease…

The optimal result for the Habs!

2-1 AZ at the halfway point. 🙂

In Friday's article (on Cole Caufield) in the Athletic, there was a comment posted with some excellent perspective on the coaching change and the "St Louis effect". Not that St Louis isn't a breath of fresh air, or that he's not having an impact, or that Ducharme wasn't struggling -- but it's not entirely an apples-to-apples comparison. Am posting the comment in its entirety since it's not an actual Athletic article but a reader contribution so I figure it's OK. 🙂

Harris 15:55 TOI Barron 20:26 Schueneman 19:19 Romanov 22:03

It was surely inadvertent, but I don't think there is any question that he tripped Paul.

Elliott did make a bunch of strong saves in the first.

We're not always all going to agree on everything. And if we did, this would be a far less interesting please. So, please don't take it personally.

I don't think HuGo care what round a player was drafted, in or whether not drafted at all. They appear to be very much information-driven, and looking for players that are the best fit. Whether that's a match for what Bergevin and Timmins drafted or not is really irrelevant.

Am a bit surprised they chose Condotta over Stapley, but I certainly don’t have the level of information they have.

Not even Bowman, I think. Part of Bowman's approach was to work with the GM to build a winning team. With the team we have left after UFA losses (Danault, Tatar), injuries (Price, Weber, Gallagher, Petry) and trades (Toffoli, Chiarot, Lehkonen, Kulak) there is not much even the great Scotty could have done against the Hurricanes.

A penalty for a loose mask? In the Boston-Toronto game a few days ago, Swayman lost his mask twice, but there were no repercussions.

Same age as Pezzetta. Younger than Evans or Dauphin.

Great news!

I think it's mostly that McCarron was an old-school (and ultimately poor) pick, as you say, rather than that they missed out on an obvious one in Theodore, who had been passed up by everyone else, too (with some even worse picks selected instead). But this is also a lesson in the unpredictability of late first-round picks: they are far from being guaranteed to become NHL regulars: six of the bottom 10 first-rounders in 2013 have failed to make it to 200 games played.

Not the right number to look at. About 2/3 of NHL players shoot left (somewhat higher for Canadians and somewhat lower for US players). Don’t know whether there would be any difference between forwards and D-men in this regard.

Nobody is guaranteed, not even Shane Wright. Outside of the early first-round picks, the odds against becoming an NHL regular climb rapidly. The more relevant question is to ask what a realistic ceiling might be, and then to remember that a ceiling is far from a sure thing.

This leaves a single open contract slot? Is that correct?

Well, it's still a lottery, so our chances were always less than 26%, even when in last place.

Shooting 28.9% ... that's such a crazy percentage. But it's not dropping yet. When?

Paquette is certainly capable of playing at the AHL level!

I don't really mind playing AHL players -- and losing more games. But I really would like Drouin to get more time with the St Louis concept to see whether it energizes him. Only about 25 games left now.

Are you talking about the Ducharme era? It seems that many players have upped their games with the arrival of St Louis. Or have you not noticed?

Armia now five points in the last five games. Can he step up and be a consistent Lehkonen replacement? Dvorak finally scored a point under St Louis, but I do think his game has been improving anyway. Allen ... was great. Again. And Florida has one hell of a hockey team. While the boys got back within one, we were nowhere close to deserving to win this one.