HabsWEST

Now for the KILLER instinct, and the ALL IMPORTANT 5th goal....5 shots in 25 minutes doesnt cut it!! 5th goal here, game over!! ( I am thinking we will need it )

Gill x 2, Hamrlik, , Lets hold to the sticks!!! longest 2 minutes coming up!! and **** this is it, they need to stop them...or else...\ and keep your sticks!!

Why Panic, Stick to game plan, and not a false sense of security with a 4 to 0 game!! ---- 4 shots last 15 minutes of the 2nd period on Brent Johnson, including the first ones, when its should have been buried, but AK fanned on the shot!! ---- Keep playing with intensity, and attack, Penguins will be attacking, counter on them.. 2 bad breaks, ( rebound off ref and Gill without stick, and again Hamrlik without stick for the 2nd ), game of breaks, Habs had them earlier... Double digit shots coming up, HALAK needs to come through, and get goal 5, to win series!! Still there is room....so stay COMPOSED 20 minutes from conference final, Defending Champions wont go quitely into the night.. Thats it, enjoy ( and by the way, I dont want to here, here we go again, CAPS again...totally different, dont want to hear it ) lets hope in 20 minutes of game, we will all be talking about the next series and not the next season!!

Was about to post that, 33 shifts ... well done, what a great learning curve!! Pouliot benched after Crosby goal...... Gill back for game 7? Bergeron now -11!!! enough said on that one... Game 7: HALAK, all all the big guns, and Def. needed, crash net, fight like hell!! and on to next series... well done, playoffs, vs Washington, now Pittsburgh!!

Not making any comments on the refs, missed calls!! Anyways, ---- team has to get in front of Fleury and pay the price in front of the net, like the Penguins have been doing. ---- Penguins protect the front of their net well. ---- so there has to be more traffic. ---- Obviously, Penguins have lot more action behind the play, and are more dynamic team than the Capitals, so Habs need to cover the lanes, and watch the " weak side, or the behind the play. ---- * out of 9 home playoff losses over last couple years dont cut it!! Effort is there, but no offense no wins... they have a period and a bit, to create that traffic and generate some offense!!

Too bad SK doesnt have his head in playing for Habs.... We all move on...as for the series: MTL in a must win Game 4, Penguins unlike Washington have that grit and experience of winning that they will not lose 3 in a row... having said that. Penguins can be had!! ---- Good first period, 2 posts...( Lapierre, Cammalleri....)and team was skating ---- not until late in 3rd did we return to that.. As mentioned on here and reporting, YES team is looking out of gas...the 3 lines for Game 2, and today Metroplolitan plays 5 minutes, and Darche 0 minutes, was he even dressed? Whats the point.....Dress and play that depth the team needs now....( other than SK, unless someone can knock some sense into him) ---- Plekanec needs some more offense production ---- Pouliot needs that scoring to come back from when he first arrived ---- Bergeron CANNOT be playing 20 + minutes!!! ( when will Spacek be back?) ---- AK production: AK atleast showed some solid hits and intensity, but need his scoring back!! Gorges and Gill in Box for 3rd period start cost the goal!! only soo much to rely on HALAK, and without Cammalleri goal, spells loss with no goals... But again, feel that PENGUINS are ripe to be taken!!, but we need above elements to work!!

Just passin on information on how ACL surgery has come a long way, and atheletes come back with very little impact on their perormance , if any at all!! There is a " psychological " re adjusting for fear of being hit, which practice takes care of, After that firs fall or big hit, one is fine.. From a Habs fan and Markov perspective, dont worry about impact on his game....but at sametime I would be very surprised if he is back before Christmas, perhaps even allstar game...so as to not be rushed...

TSN has reported it, having gone through ACL reconstruction not a fun thing. I had the Oiler Doctor do mine, ( he has done the surgery for numerous Football players and NHL players, ) Quickest recovery is the surgery I had, Allograph, a donor ligament from achilles area, actually is stronger, and quickest recovery... Having said that, they will need to wait until swelling goes down, and surgery not until a couple weeks, depending on swelling... Of course, with torn acl, one can play with a brace ( what i did) but risk cartilage and miniscus damage, ( which also I did with time), best doing it now than later... I dont expect Markov to be ready befor Christmas, expect A JANUARY 2011 return or even after the ALL star break....6 to 8 month from time of surgery... ( well thats from personal experience and recent surgery with latest surgery techniques and recovery) My knee is as strong as ever ( just dont have cartilage,) , cant even tell any scars... ( not like past radical ACL surgeries, all cut up, and quite often from your Hamstring or Petula to replace ACL with )... Hoping all the best for MArkov, he will be up and at it in no time!!, and shouldnt affect his on ice performance

WOW, bring on Crosby and Pittsburgh!!

We are in OT now, we have luxury to kill 1:44

SLoppy!!! matter of time.... now hold on 2 minutes

YES!!!!, ALL I got to say!!

I figure we are *8 saves by halak away from it!!

AGREED, who dreams up these unrealistic trades!!, wow From Montreal's Perspective: Cogliano, small perimeter player, yes has speed, but gets easily pushed around.... Smid, is not as good as Gorges, and gets beat to outside all the time, ( Habs fan here, living in Edmonton, watch these players all the time) So Cogliano and Smid, will not help.. Brunnstrom, well how would he help?? I wouldnt trade Price for the above straight up??? Hoping Gauthier doesnt get into a trade, because it being his first move and needs to make a trade, !!

AWFUL, I am speechless, is this a sign of things to come WOW!! 2nd rounder for a 2 month rental, : --- That puts you over your cap --- Does not bring any value to table --- Takes the spot of another younger player --- We start giving away draft picks ( I dont care what the odds how successful or not they may or may not be), let your scouting staff do their work, take away these tools ( picks) what are you left, TO THINK GAUTHIER IS HEAD OF SCOUTING --- Are we at beginning of recycling in players other dont want? The teams that are at top of standings at present have built through draft, well managed cap, and making most use of assets ( trading upcoming UFA for draft picks, young prospects....) NOT be the " also rans" trading picks for 4th line rentals? WOW what is doing next: trading Plek/Kostit for FROLOV wow....NO NO NO....I live out west, and FROLOV is useless.... WOWOW....speechless!!

Agreed, but may become issue of salary cap, and getting a prospect/ first rounder, top 5 potentially...solves that issue, anyone we get back adds to the salary cap problem and diminshes our chance of signing and retaining someone like Plekanec.... a trade with one of the goalies plus a salary dump may prove very useful now and in future...for ONE and or Two BLUECHIP propects that keep the salary lower and if they become an immediate player within 2 years it does free up cap space now and future.. Something to think about, and a point Gainey has to consider in terms of Maximizing current assets, whether it be to maximize returns from one of the Goalies and free up space for a current player to be retained ( Plekanec )

Eberle and a FIRST rounder.... I agree to an extent that EBERLE may only turn out to be a 3rd liner in the NHL at best...But Taylor Hall, or A Cam Fowler or one of the Europeans ( a top 5 pick this year) can potentially be the top 6 player.... Anyways this topic is about maximizing returns, and about PRICE and HALAK, how they are helping the team get to the playoffs, one without the other, we would be in trouble!! Cheers

The Tandem of Price and Halak will help this team make the playoffs, one without the other will make this team less competitive, Reminds me of the MOOG/FUHR days in Edmonton....Well as Goaltending pairs anyways.... Eventually one has to go, Speaking of the Oilers, Wouldnt it be great if one can turn one of these assets ( Price or Halak) for EBERLE and/or a First Round pick for a shot at Taylor Hall, or Cam Fowler, or T.Seguin...!!! Imagine EBERLE and HALL....could we swing that with PRICE or HALAK and something? Now that I would like to see happen... Dump a contract plus one of the Goalies ( not mentioning whom here, ...whomever gets us the assets!!) for an EBERLE and First rounder... as Khaboulin is probably out for the year...Oilers need a young goalie, and being out west and all... Regardless, As long as PRICE/HALAK keep winning....the better!! Cheers

I believe the reference is to Evander Kane from Last years Team Canada Cheers

Thanks, and Exactly my point, of why are we trading HALAK ( other than some humanitarian favour for HALAK ), any trade we get for HALAK, will not be in the best interest of the CLUB at this point in time, unless Gainey pulls some magic.. Quite simply, HALAK is the insurance policy , atleast for 1 more year until UFA Why now, wait until after the OLYMPICS, where HALAK is the pencilled in starter for SLOVAKIA...and he brings his worth up ( or down)... We can guess the future, none of us knows in 5 years from now who will be better, HALAK or PRICE...we are talking about potential here....Halak was a low pick, and thus foreseen as less valuable, and PRICE has pedigree and top pick, thus more on the " no trade" franchise player list... But at some time one has to look at overall good, and again, as my last statement in bold says....THE TRADE of PRICE, or the NO TRADE of PRICE, may be the best one he ever makes.... This team is handcuffed in anumber of ways for the next 2 years... the right moves, right draftpicks, and right trades...will dictate the future of this club for 10 years....obviously Lets think overall picture and good of this club that we are all long time loyal fans of!!

Thanks jackp.....I am not taking it personally, just repeating the intent of my post to look at the overall picture and another side to all this trade talk of HALAK... As mentioned on post, the loss of trading HALAK is greater than the gain we get back, MOST LIKELY. The POST itself states the value of PRICE, its implicit in my post.... AND I started the post ( by saying....." .....this will never happen....") AND ENDED IT : BUT AS THEY SAY " the HIGHER THE RISK, THE HIGHER the RETURN" you decide, THAUGHTS? ****Question is, RISK in TRADING or KEEPING PRICE? Probably the single most important factor in the success of this franchise for the NEXT DECADE, and people will look back on this....PRICE SHOULD HAVE BEEN TRADED while his value was HIGH, or BEST TRADE GAINEY EVER MADE was NOT TRADING PRICE....***** Interesting how people choose to pick apart what they wish.... YES , I went back and added the sentence about " PRICE being BRODEUR, ROY...etc... to make it obvious.... Lets not jump to conclusions or get defensive,.... Instead of being reactive and jumping on and off the bandwagon....lets be proactive, look at the overall good...And what makes most sense for the club.. If any asset the team has, brings back enormous amount of assets for overall good, I dont care who that is, any asset is dispensible..... Cheers all. Keep on posting....everyone has their opinion... " THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX"

On my reply, I added the analogy....refer my second post, and mentioned I added.. The point of the topic is not PRICE vs HALAK but an offset discussion to trades and values, More important....I BALANCED it at end in BOLD, GAINEY's Best trade maybe not Trading PRICE.... Please read the post for its worth, and not bashing Price or Halak... But simply everyday decisions a GM has to make in improving his team while making calculated risks and forming opionions of future potentials of players and how they realize that potential.. DRAFTING, TRADING....etc.... Lets not get carried away here...

WOW, relax people....Read my POST: DIDNT I SAY this would never happen....and what did I post in BOLD...just another point of reference.. I even went back and clarified the analogy, wow.... I am a big PRICE fan....even when he was drafted....so people take it for what its worth, a balanced opinion to the TRADE HALAK and return discussion... Cheers

Many are talking about trading HALAK, and his " perceived value" by other teams: Most likely return: 2nd round pick, or a 3rd line player. Lets take another approach ( eventhaugh Gainey et AL, will not be doing this) First question: HOW much better is PRICE over HALAK? Second question: How Much more could we get from a trade with PRICE vs HALAK? Third question: 5 years from now, who will be the better goalie ? ( total guess)....and impossible to answer The perceived value for PRICE is substantially higher, and teams will offer a premium.... How much better would the HABS be with a " top 3 player" and HALAK in net, vs PRICE in net and a 3rd liner... TOTAL SPECULATION: and assuming he could be signed first, ( NOWAY if he wouldnt be signed) KOVALYCHUK for PRICE, ? or a similiar trade? Could the habs get this type of player this year for PRICE, or has his value started to come down.. IS PRICE another Felix Potvin, Jimmy Waite, Jim Carey....etc...huge potential and early results that soon went out of the league... IS PRICE another Sean Burke, decent keeper, but just above average? IS PRICE another Patrick Roy, Martin Brodeur, Hasek? now, IS HALAK a more secure player to hold on to...does he become another Vokoun? weigh that against his downside vs PRICE, and potential for HABS to obtain a marquis player now? Is HALAK another Howard, Fernandez, good career backups? I always remember 4 years ago to this day BRENT SUTTER CUTTING CAREY PRICE and keeping JUSTIN POGGE and DEVON DUBYNK, ( after Montreal drafts Price 5th overall...and Brent Sutter being credited as saying PRICE needs to be more competitive. ( DECEMBER 2005 ) THE STORY goes: the day of the last cuts, there was an OPTIONAL MORNING PRACTICE, and CAREY PRICE WAS THE ONLY PLAYER THAT DIDNT SHOW UP, AND HE WAS QUOTED AS SAYING HE PREFERS NOT TO PRACTICE DAY OF GAME, for a game later that evening. Or the year after he was drafted PRICE was off to a slow start, and seen that he didnt have to work as hard for TRI CITY because he had been drafted.... There always has been the quotes, from other coaches, and scouts, PRICE biggest problem is his lack of intensity or focus, he has a very " laissez Faire " attitude and is seen at times and misinterpreted as " poor work ethic" and needs to be constantly motivated. I dont know....but these have always persisted, ( the following year Price comes back and is motivated to prove he shouldnt have been cut) and rest is history.. Glimpses show constant lapses in his performances, A coach I once new always asked " Does a leopard ever change his spots" hmmmm.... AFTER HALAK is traded, What becomes of PRICE and his performance.. Clearly a HALAK trade and what the HABS get back will be of less value than retaining HALAK. But more importantly: A PRICE TRADE will substantially garner much greater returns NOW, and with HALAK in net, THAN: the other way around, and the risk factor of PRICE in the future...given past results... BUT AS THEY SAY " the HIGHER THE RISK, THE HIGHER the RETURN" you decide, THAUGHTS? ****Question is, RISK in TRADING or KEEPING PRICE? Probably the single most important factor in the success of this franchise for the NEXT DECADE, and people will look back on this....PRICE SHOULD HAVE BEEN TRADED while his value was HIGH, or BEST TRADE GAINEY EVER MADE was NOT TRADING PRICE....*****

" Tongue in Cheek comment" Right??? Allan Walsh later takes it off his Twitter, But comment about his Client Halak, is indication of where his ( the agent ) is directing pending FA this coming year. Habs can not lose Halak, What if Price doesnt come through? Gainey needs to sign him and stop this " no signing during season philosophy!!!" Here is the story from TSN this morning: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=297689 On Allan Walsh twitter acount: " WALSHA" , he has taken the comments down...." Either he is setting the stage for his client" or just wants more followers for his twitter account, hehehe Very irresponsible comment, rather purposely made and timing of waiting for Price to have a less than average performance to justify his clients position, whether setting up for FA bargaining, or stating his client should be given chance to run with being number 1... IS this coming from AGENT or HALAK or both?...hmmmmm Just what we need!, Great.... In any event, 10 and 32 for Price, speaks volumes for him and the Team... We need more!!! NOTE: he is also agent for Mathieu Carle, made a quick note of his first game, and also on Halak's starts and other clients