Colin
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Posts posted by Colin
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Have to say, there are a lot who want Gio out, and I'm sure his contract won't be renewed, but he's been one of the effective Habs out there tonight. It feels more and more like he's rounding into form after missing a giant chunk of time.
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Briere hooked, should have been a call, but then has the puck stripped off his stick by the effective defence of the ... back of the net. DD-ish.
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Haha. Budaj is listening to Denis answer the question as to why Montreal's PP is so good. Like he's vetting the answer. Well played Budaj.
They have to change that somehow. Tampa made two pre game adjustments you mentioned earlier and we're listless. The "book" on these guys has been out since Gainey.
I partially agree. There needs to be an adjustment or three, but the cycle just isn't their game at all. If they're going to survive the cycle, it's going to be because they put all their muscle on one or two (do we have enough?) lines and practice, practice, practice. I suspect there's very little work done with the cycle because it's so far away from the style of play that I believe the club wants us to play.
EDIT: And they'd need a massive and skilled centre to really pull it off.
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Absolutely wonderful support from the forwards for the Tampa defence. They can pinch with confidence because they're almost always backed up. And when Montreal is playing without the same structure as they try to get back in the game, it means we're out of position and easily contained a lot of the time. Tampa's aggressive forecheck is causing all sorts of trouble.
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Tampa is too fast to beat off the rush. Why aren't they cycling the Puck?
Montreal is one of the most terrible teams I've seen at the actual cycle. They're completely speed and finesse, and maintaining possession deep is problematic, at best.
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So, here's the bottom line on the Montreal defence, at least at this early stage. We have two great players who, when they play together, are generally dominant. After that we have four players who are hit and miss and who don't honestly give us a chance to be proactive or aggressive in our play consistently. Emelin is a very solid player, but I'm not sure he's going to be the answer either. While putting Markov with Emelin seems a strong idea, and then pairing Subban and Gorges gives us two very reasonable combinations, the reality is that we're missing one highly effective defender - a true #3.
And how is that not a penalty for hooking Chucky? Did I see it wrong?
Without Price this is 6. We are NOT supporting our goalie at all these days. His record should be at least 5 wins higher.
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Maybe he was mine then!
You must be aching to trade a few AHLers
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Can we just give 3 points for the win yet?
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Wasn't Zigomanis your AHL star?
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To expand on my last point, check out the average shift length for the Bolts. And on most of our previous games.
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Alright, so here it is - Montreal isn't playing well, in my opinion, because those shifts *continue* to be way too long. When you're on that long, you get tired, you get hemmed in your zone and you don't produce going forward. If we're being outshot so badly, it's because we're playing gassed and are therefore being out-hussled all around the rink. That' just not good enough, and at this point in the game, one *must* look at the coaching staff. These shifts can't be continued or we're bound to lose because we'll get scored on more and more after the 40-second mark on our shifts.
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Well, snap snap. No goal due to incidental contact with the goalie.
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Although argument could be made for no goal because of goalie interference.
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Goal Bolts.
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Ugh. Wrong pass on the 2/3v1. Defender wasn't well-positioned and the cross-ice one-timer looked good.
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If you look at the event summary you can see the biggest issue with Monteal's game tonight - people taking shifts that are way too long. Plex, Gio, Briere, Pax, Markov and Subban are all over a minute! You just can't have that in today's NHL. Sure, there have been PP's all over the place, but even then, Subban would be the only one I'd expect anywhere close. That's just not acceptable when we regularly have shift lengths much closer to 40 seconds!
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Not entirely sure why Patches stayed on when he could have escaped that shift. Instead he was part of the problem as Montreal was hemmed for an extremely long period in their own zone.
Movember can't end soon enough. It's like watching a bunch of wannabe porn stars out there.
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Remember the heart attacks we used to have with Price handling the puck? He's so smooth and efficient now - and I remember that was just another of the reasons Gainey loved him. He mentioned Brodeur and how he's something like a 3rd defender at the back, and Price is slowly but surely getting towards that goal.
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White is playing his most effective game all season, IMO. He's taking his players out but is also continuing to play the game. He has his head up and the red streak out of his vision so he's playing with more intelligence. That play behind the net where he out-duelled two Bolts was a perfect example.
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Ten and a half minutes for PK and nine for Markov. When was the last time the Habs could consistently count upon *two* studs? We need one more and we can get rid of the other half of the defence! Big Three Partie Deux!
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Chucky shows a pair of sublime hands crossing the Tampa zone late in the period and makes a play to the net that Gally can't quite finish. That's elite talent from the crest-kissing Russian-American Canadien.
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No one in front of the Subban and Markov bombs. The Habs are positioned nicely for moving the puck, but if the play is to get shots from the point and then work the net, it doesn't work with an NHL starter who isn't hassled.
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Habs are now doing a very good job in the attacking zone. Forecheck is relentless and they're forcing a few turnovers. They've actually done just about everything *except* score a goal. A particularly great presence from The Plex, Patch, Gio line, with all three looking dangerous.
It's amazing the quality of play from the back line when Subban and Markov are there. The forwards have so much more trust. When Diaz and Cube are back, you can see the attackers not going in as deep or taking as many chances with the puck.
It's the *quality* of the first-time passes which offers the Habs so much opportunity when Markov and Subban are on the ice. Both PP and ES.
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Bolts are doing a *fantastic* job neutralizing Montreal's speed through the neutral zone. They're forechecking the puck carrier and are eliminating the walls leaving only pucks through the middle (and through the forechecker). Montreal hasn't adapted yet, but there's space through the middle. Obviously Tampa's coaches have identified a (Montreal) strategy and have thus far countered it brilliantly. Up to the Canadiens staff to respond in kind.
Nov. 12, Lightning vs Habs, 7:30 PM
in Habs & Hockey Talk
Posted
Diaz and Cube have been atrocious. Murray is what he is, and I honestly have zero problem with him as long as he's used judiciously. Gorges is what he is - a competent #4/5 (sadly leaning towards a #5 more and more).