tokyohabs

Would you risk missing the playoffs this year, maybe even next, while the youth hopefully develops? Look at Pens & Caps, & we sure don't have an Ovechkin or Crosby in Hamilton. There has to be a balance. Different players might come to life with new players or different systems. Basin and bathwater thing.

Well, lots of rumours/suggestions/accusations etc etc flying around this increasingly entertaining board. The way we are 'performing', we have good cause for suspicion for our start, fear for our future. Lots of things not to like on this team - luckily we had a bit of a cushion (now gone) and the problems - if not the solutions - are being exposed and well-documented. But there is one thing I fear above everything, above a prolonged slump, dull hockey, missing the playoffs, lacklustre performances, and the like. I only fear God more than... the spandex-revival NHL/Reebok form-fitting new uniforms that would make Toller Cranston squeal with delight. This is the first time I've had interest in the All-Star game since Gretzky teamed with Mario. Negative inteest, I'm afraid. God help us all. (disclaimer: haven't seen themyet. do you really have to?)

Unhappy to miss a game should be the feeling of all NHLers. Demanding a trade is wrong and unacceptable - there is only one case, of course, where I think it was acceptable! If this isn't confirmed, then hope it isn't true. If it is, goodbye.

I didn't say I thought this was a good idea - I'm trying to figure what is going on in Bob's head. It's speculation, that's all. I know very well that 95% of the time youth does not pan out. But our recent 'transactions' have been call-ups (3) and a waiver move. I'm trying to understand why the younger players haven't been moved or even rumoured to move. Marleau will be one of the top FAs out there. If the Habs decide, 'Well, there's no way he'll come to us so let's just forget it', what would you think? It also depends who comes in for the aforementioned 'cuts' - obviously no-one is suggesting dumping Kovalev and replacing him with D'Agostini. My wording probably wasn't the best - dumping salary sounds like a panic purge. Anyway, the next two weeks are going to be interesting I'm sure.

I would be amazed if Gainey is not working out several moves right now - be they trades, call-ups, or whatever. I imagine he thinks bleeding the youth through the season is the way to go. Comrie, in this light, was going to be too big of a character risk, potentially affecting the younger players in a negative way (not saying I agree, but this might have been the rationale). Bob probably thinks that we are good enough for 8th spot. I would severely doubt he thinks we are Cup - or even semi-final - material. This season was for the purging of locker room cancers and bringing in character players to help the smaller departments. Rivet is gone if he pulled this stunt. All respect for him in the toilet, especially if he 'demanded' a trade and we will get low-balled in any transaction. Samsonov evidently is still loyal to the inbreds (Bruins) and should be waived - untradeable. But the probs certainly do not end there. Don't be too surprised if Bob slowly pares away salary during the year - Samsonov, Rivet, Kovalev, Bonk, Souray, Aebischer, maybe Ryder - and we go with youth, a few vets like Begin & Johnson, and make a run at a top-line & mid-level FA (Marleau?) while introducing the well-stocked youth movement.

Go Habs! No booze tonight, I see dark clouds o'er the horizon...

2 goals on the road in Detroit puts you in a position to win, frankly - no matter the quality of the goals. The goaltending is not the problem with the team - Ott excepted. Offense? A good game for us is putting 4 past the Flyers. Bring up the kids and get the waiver wire ready! (a bit of a joke...a bit)

Colin are you recording this? Get on the case man!

Je veux bien voir un 1er de Latendresse-Koivu-Kovalev. Sur et certain les Russes sur des trios differents.

Doubt they'd take Souray as they were burned by Pronger and wouldn't want another LA-wantaway d-man. Would they take Samsonov back? Please?

Go :hlogo: ! I feel we are in for a good result here - even an OT or SO win. Based on the 6 or 7 pints I have downed this eve. :hlogo: jusqu'au bout!

Whatever. The Senators are in the same biz as we are, and Bob Gainey is one of the most recognisable figures in the game. They might not have noticed???? I live in Tokyo and I noticed! That is as lame as them showing this skit and letting it run repeatedly while they wrote up their 'excuses' to our management. They are scum. They have always held us in contempt - and, evidently, even more so now. Classless overfed wannabe bumpkins. Whether we had won 8-3 or lost 8-3 is utterly irrelevant. I hope our players remember this little 'stunt' of theirs before our next game.

Rivet - I'd be stunned if we re-sign him, unless it is with a big pay cut. If he is so good in the dressing room, make him an assistant coach. Or if it is made clear he has a greatly reduced role on the team. Souray - will cost way too much, and with his daughter situation, we should swing something with LA. Unless he loves Mtl so much that... Markov - keep at all costs. Bonk - I'd be stunned if he accepts a pay cut. Teach Maxim well, Radek, and thanks. Johnson - ok, but replaceable. Trade Kovalev while he still has some shine - pretty good idea.

Quick, call Bob Gainey! It's all Colin's fault!!! Seriously though...I'm wondering if Bob is looking ahead. He traded for Nieuwendyk and sacrificed Iginla. It took a couple of years but they won the Cup. Is Bob going the other way this time? Keep the kids, work them into the lineup over the next two years; groom Chipchura to be the captain, 2nd line two-way monster a la Gainey, Carbo; guys like Samsonov, Koivu, Kovalev, Begin, Bonk, Souray shipped out/retire/reduced roles; defense core of Markov-Komisaek-Dandy-Bouillon, taking a look at Valentenko, Carle, Emerin (sp all wrong I know); getting guys in like Grabovski, Lapierre, Kostysin (x2?), of course Latendresse already here, keeping one or both of Plecks and Perez, other good prospects as well; trading or signing a 1st-line centre, filling out the lower lines with hard-working vets like Ryder will be; let Huet be the man for 2-3 years, let Halak be the backup for a couple, keep bumping Price up until he and Halak can duke it out for #1 status in about 3 years & trade the loser (having traded Huet or snowballed some team into giving him a monster contract) Or something like that. Maybe Bob looks at the farm/future and says, 'We can build a little dynasty of sorts'? In a know-nothing hockey place like Dallas you can play the patience/rebuilding game for a long time. It seems to be the antithesis of us, though. Or maybe it really is Colin and his recording problems. Naughty lad... :hlogo:

How interesting. I get slated a few days ago for strongly suggesting the team start making changes, because 5 on 5 we are absurdly bad; we have gaping holes all through the line-up; we live on the PP and goaltending and if either do not show up we lose; we cannot beat any of the teams below us; etc. etc. Then it was 'Don't panic', 'We're really good', 'Rough patch', '4th in Conference', 'Virus', 'Bandwagon', 'You know nothing about hockey', ad nauseum. We just lost 8-3 to the Sens. Does that register anything? We have recently lost to the Panthers, Lightning, Bruins, Rangers, Sens, all teams behind us in the standings. But I'm sure this is a really good team - hey, we're 4th in the conference half-way through the season! Must mean we'll finish there, because, er, we've won the most Cups. The team started great. Kudos - it is now a cushion we are falling back on. The team is poor, they have been figured out & they are in need of a change. Bob is a patient man, and I think he was waiting until the break to take a good look and try to assess who is weak and who was having a poor stretch. There must be a pretty clear picture in his mind after the last three weeks or so. I don't know if it is trades, or call-ups, but something has to give. Like sbhatt says, this is a team loss all the way down the line. Time to take a good look at this team.

Ryder is not such a good player and deservedly gets a lot of flak. But if he keeps it simple and plays to his stringth - as mentioned, shooting - he could end up being effective. Stop thinking and keep shooting Michael.

Ha ha, I presume the ankle quip was aimed at me. It's been a long bandwagon, been running smooth since the early 70's. Haven't ever thought of jumping off. Frankly I could give a toss about other teams' streaks. I'm concerned with one team, playing poorly now. You could argue that we have been playing poorly 5 on 5 all season, but an exceptional goaltender and an excellent PP almost always bails us out. Perhaps you think that is ok, and hope that our goalie won't tire come playoff time, and somehow teams won't continue dominating us 5 on 5. Or somehow losing is ok, because Anaheim lost some games. Last year is, er, over. By all reports there hasn't been much effort being put out - though that can partially be explained by flu, a big part of it can't (does everybody have the flu?). The Bruins comment was in jest, but really, keep thinking we are an excellent team. I agree with you on the future, though, as long as the future holds getting rid of Ryder, Samsonov, Rivet, Ninimaa.

Well...shutout again by Brodeur and the Devils. We can roll out all the excuses we want, but clearly we are a poor hockey team. Had a fast start, but other teams have obviously figured us out. And before people mention the flu, did we have the flu v. Boston? TB? Fla? etc etc. Huet and...a bunch of dudes. I figure it will take at least another week of losing, probably until we slip to 6th or so in conference. Are we better than Boston? Do Savard and Bergeron want to come home?

But of course no chance for Larry 'Pariah' Robinson. We'll retire Nilan and Tremblay before him, I think. F'n disgrace - almost as bad as the team's current form.

Or maybe do something about the first line? Ryder is terrible. By every account I've read on this board, awful again v. rags. Higgins is young, evidently not the same player while still returning/recovering from injury. Koivu is having an excellent season with one winger. The +/- stats for this line are abysmal. Not that the second line should stay intact either. Their production level is absurd. Well, let's hope the kids can pull a little '86 in '07! I think marble's point about not having a real, fully dominating 60-minutes this year is very good. I feel we have been overachieving. Teams figure out your PK if you keep giving them enough chances. It is interesting, clearly Bob (and henchmen) are playing a patience game, letting the farm talent slowly mature and building a winner in a couple of years. But he's doing it in the least patient city in the LNH. Curious to see if he can pull it off.

Go :hlogo: Go!

A bit of tinkering could go a long way. We have the opportunity and the time is right - no-one will get on Carbo now for trying to shake up a pretty bad offence. The first line's horrible minus has meant that it hasn't been right for a while. Why Ryder is on that line is utterly beyond me. Awful player, a lot of hustle but zero hockey sense. Kolzig did make a brilliant save on him, but please...raise the puck. He should be rounding out the fourth line, possibly the third if his hustle continues. I'd love to see what Koivu and Kovalev could do with a big target-man like Latendresse. Gui picked it up when Higgins was out, why not try him with our two best playmakers? Higgins could fill a Messier-like role, Edmonton days, on the second. Not that I'm comparing him - he's not nearly as viscious and dirty. Maybe use Bonk up here and Perezhogin? Let Bonk play a bit more. This of course would screw up our 3rd and 4th lines. But anyway, from what I've been able to see, we are playing way over our heads. Our 'slump' is still pretty short, why not try a few things now?

Thanks! Just trying to get the Kings 'fishing'. Err...David, is that you? By the way, with a really good 2nd line centre...we're still worse than Buffalo. Vive le :hlogo: !

1) Souray and Aebischer to LA for Frolov and a backup goalie. Souray would most likely re-sign with the Kings, be close to his daughter, we get a brilliant looking player in Frolov with lots of goals in him. Who plays point on the PP beside Markov? Err... then... 2) Kovalev and Ryder for Dastyuk and a D with a huge shot. If you want quality, you have to give up quality. Dastyuk looks phenomenal. Plus the Wings always have something for Russians. or 2b) Kovalev and Ryder for Tanguay and Phaneuf. Flames have a really good defensive team and this would make their top line lethal. Phaneuf could be our real leader on D. Tanguay takes over Kovalev's position. Somehow I don't see the Flamers biting on this one. I do think that Kovalev is very trade-able, though, as well as Bonk - and they could be packaged to make a very tempting deal for someone. We also have a loaded farm system and a GM who once traded away a pre-NHL Jarome Iginla. Most of the trades listed are mediocre players for real prospects. No-one is going to trade anybody for Ryder, Ninimaa and Rivet. We'll have to muck around with the core makeup of the team in order to get the top-level parts we want. We need to be way better 5 on 5, way better on offense and way better defensively. Disclaimer: I haven't looked at the cap situation.

No teams in places where there is no snow! Not the kind of snow famous in Miami, anyways. What did you just say? Global warming? Err... :hlogo: