illWill

And how exactly is this "game plan" working for us? It sounds pretty easy in theory. I don't have the stats, and am not sure they even exist, but I would bet that Montreal is near the bottom of the league in offensive odd man rushes. Why? Because they play so deep in the neutral zone and their own end. They literally skate towards their end when the other team is breaking out. They are worried about positional play rather than puck pursuit or man vs man coverage. I have watched a ton of Leafs games this year and this is something they have been doing very well. Attack! They don't have a "big" lineup, and frankly it doesn't matter as much as people think. It's not about banging bodies as much as it is about putting pressure on the other team to get rid of the puck. THAT is how you cause turnovers.

I think we can all agree that his replacement should be the best candidate available at the position, not based on being francophone.

Well Colin, you're on fire today in my books. I should just requote what you are saying, as we share the same opinion on this topic. Yes, just imagine if we were somehow to miraculously trade Gomez and his $7m salary for a true number 1 center who earns the same amount. Say, Gomez, Weber, Gallagher and a first rounder for Eric Staal. I know that would never happen but if something like that did, we would definitely be considered serious contenders. That is, if Markov and the rest are healthy as well. Although Pleks is awesome at what he does, he isn't the prototypical #1 center and would be better suited as #2. This team isn't that far off from being really really dangerous. Look how great it could potentially look. Tell me that isn't a Stanley Cup contender. Pacioretty Staal Gionta Cammalleri Pleks Kostitsyn Desharnais Eller Cole Moen Noke White Markov Emelin Subban Gill Campoli Gorges Price

YESSSSSS!!!! I don't think I have agreed so much on a post before. This is exactly what is going on. I watch alot of hockey and the Habs are probably the most boring and predictable team to watch. I want to pull my eyeballs out. They have no breakout despite having some decent puck movers in the back. The forwards are actually standing still when they receive a pass.....way to use that speed we have. What's the good of having team speed if they aren't always moving their feet? Better chip it out and change instead, then sit back and play defense....hoping the other team makes a mistake. The successful teams are busting their ass and pursuing the puck and fore-checking. The Habs are worried about being in the right position and clogging up lanes. There are so many times that you could throw a blanket over all 5 Habs at one time, they are so close to eachother. I used to be on the fence on whether or not to fire Martin. He is a good coach despite what the masses are saying. But I don't know how many more snooze fests I can bare to watch. It never used to be this bad. It is more tolerable when they are putting up wins but even then it still sucks. When you have a top 5 goalie in the world, you should use that to your advantage and cheat a bit more offensively, not sit back and protect him like he is a peewee house league goalie. Just for entertainment purposes I would like a new coach behind the bench, it can't be any worse.

I like the job Gauthier has done up to this point, for the most part. On paper this team looks like it could contend for a playoff spot no problem. He brought in the power forward with speed that everyone has been crying for since I can remember. He kept Price over Halak, which at the time was shocking to say the least. He resigned Pleks to a decent cap hit. He retained Markov, if he didn't at the time there would be an angry mob with pitchforks on his front lawn 24/7.....and because he is a hell of a hockey player and will help this team immensely when he returns. I think he has put together/kept together a pretty good team, I don't think he is the problem here.

Although it is debatable about who is better than who, I do agree that you make a good point, they definitely lack the superstar up front.The Habs are extremely balanced but yet have no defined roles. They go out on the ice not knowing if they are supposed to score or shut down the other team. It usually pertains to the latter though, as evidenced in our measly offensive production. Basically this is what the team breaks down as currently, when compared to the rest of the league: 2nd forward line 2nd forward line 2nd forward line 4th forward line 2nd defense pairing 3rd defense pairing 3rd defense pairing All Star goalie If the lineup is fully healthy then the defense changes to legit 1st defense pairing 2nd defense pairing 2nd defense pairing

Yowza, things get heated in HabsWorld when the team is struggling. Let's all punch the next Leaf fan in the face that we see, I'm sure that will help with the frustration a bit.

Gorges is having quite the year so far, I guess his knee surgery was a success to say the least. I would like to re-sign him, sooner rather than later.

Today family and friends are throwing me a diaper party (a male baby shower) which starts at game time. We have a keg and tons of food and will be watching on a ginormous screen in the ultimate man cave. The party is like 20 dudes that consist of Habs fans, Habs haters and a die-hard Kings fan. Something tells me that there will be too much testosterone flying around and it's going to get ugly. I NEED this win!

Hey, another islander! What part? Yes it is true. The island is made up of either Habs, Leafs or Bruins fans here. It has been a rough stretch here since the playoffs, we face criticism daily. Every time I wear my Habs hat in public, I seem to run into someone who has a smart ass comment about it. I am definitely seeing alot more Leafs clothing around lately which is unfortunate. There is a house on my block that has a flag pole and on the top of it is a Bruins flag. Something HAS to change, I'm not sure me and C-Love can take it anymore!

One reason for firing that hasn't been mentioned yet is the fact that 80% of all Habs games are absolutely mind-numbingly boring. Don't kid me, I would gladly put up with watching boring hockey if it produced wins consistently, but here we are. I don't know how many times I've been more interested in watching a different game while the Habs play, and that saddens me. There is definitely a lack of passion lately. Last night vs Anaheim was perhaps one of the worst I've seen. Habs were getting checked after the whistle and just looking away. Not because they were taking the high road but because they don't give a shit. I'm not sure if it's Martin that lost the room or what, but something has to change. Same thing with the powerplay, effortless and pathetic. It is so predictable that everyone in the building knows what is coming. It was a joke to watch last night. They were just going through the motions. The problem is that you can't teach offensive talent, like you can on defense. These guys have thousands of goals in their lifetime in games, practice, street hockey, video games, you name it. How many of those are from premeditated plays? Scoring is a natural instinct and you have to let these creative offensive players be creative offensive players. You can tell they are sick of the PP and there is no wonder why it is so atrocious. However, in Martin's defense, he hasn't exactly had a full squad to work with yet. There are rookie defensemen all over the place, forwards getting injured left and right, and not to mention his best skater hasn't played a game yet. It's hard to be consistent when there is no consistency in the lineup. It is a stretch to realistically expect better results from a different coach at this point in the season. Until there is a healthy lineup for him to work with, I don't think it's fair or correct in firing him.....yet.

What ever happened to Fischer? I didn't hear anything about him ever. Too bad we didn't select Giroux, who went right after him instead....that would have solved our center issue. Ya win some, ya lose some.

Having a Markov at 80% will help this team greatly, let alone a fully healthy Markov. Ever since he went down the first time, our defense has been patched together to try to fill his void. I think management and the players have done a great job at doing so. But when he was hurt, he was THE best and most important skater that we had. I don't know what the statistics were, but the Habs winning % was much higher when he was in the lineup. Suddenly our powerplay becomes dangerous, and on a team that relies on special teams to win games, that is critical. Having arguably a top 10 defense man inserted into any lineup will bolster the strength of that team. It's almost like we are making a blockbuster trade without giving up anything. I have been dreaming about his return for what seems like an eternity now, and am very excited to watch everything unfold.

I would love to see him in the lineup getting regular minutes on a scoring line, see how he adapts to his future role. Max is out so Louie should be taking his place on that line. I am going to lose my shit if I see Darche in the top 9 or on the PP.

Okay, it seems that I am in the minority on this one. I don't think that this hit warrants a suspension at all, imo. And if it does by definition of the new head shot rule, than that rule is terribly flawed. The reason it was a "headshot" is because Letang was in the motion of shooting. Max was flying towards him at 100mph and was going to hit him regardless if he was going to shoot or not. He made his mind up well before the hit occurred. I don't understand what is expected of Max in that situation. Stop on a dime? Move around him? Try and stick-check him? It wasn't going to happen. One of the best offensive defensemen in the league is driving towards your net in a good scoring area, what are you supposed to do, let him? What is this league coming to? No more crushing guys with open ice hits I guess. Every single hockey player in the world has been taught to keep their head up. You have to be aware of your surroundings, as hitting is "supposed" to be allowed. Max didn't target his head, it was just the point of contact when it happened. There has to be an onus on the receiving player in these situations. Hypothetically a guy could skate around the ice, bent over with his head down at all times and not be allowed to get hit according to the new headshot rule. It just doesn't make sense, two guys can square off and punch the crap out of eachother with their fists but heaven forbid someone finishes a check on a guy who put himself in a dangerous situation cutting across the middle with his head down. This is frigging hockey folks. There are risks involved when you play and everyone knows it. It is a very lucrative career choice but it comes with inherent risks. It's like someone working in a coal mine, they know what they are getting into when they sign up. They will breathe in toxic chemicals and might die in a shaft explosion. If you don't want to get hit in the head, don't play hockey. Or at least what used to be called hockey.

Sigh, this is unfortunately the most realistic outcome. Burke has been raping Anaheim since he left there. But until then, we can all hope that PG can swing some sort of deal that will improve our team now and not hurt us later. I'm not sure how much center Bobby Ryan has played or if he is the answer, but someone of his ilk would be awesome to solidify the second line center position.

As tantalizing as it sounds to be able to acquire a Stastny, Carter or Ryan, I just don't think that is going to happen. The Jokinen and Koivu's are probably more realistic than anything. How amazing would it be for Koivu to come back and finish his career as a Hab? I would love it as a fan, but bringing back a former captain might disrupt any current leadership in the dressing room.....or add to it, who knows? I just really can't see any big moves happening unless the team is struggling down the stretch. I'd be willing to trade draft picks because the cupboard is fairly stocked at the moment. I also wouldn't give up on the depth that we have to trade it for a big name player. That is one of the reasons why this group has been semi-successful in the playoffs.....depth. It isn't necessary to trade a 7th or 8th defensemen just for the sake of doing it. If history is any indication, those guys will be needed to contribute at some point. It definitely would be nice to have a star forward, but I think that the importance of depth is greatly underrated and shouldn't be overlooked. This team isn't far from contention, it just needs a healthy lineup, a couple guys to produce a little more (I'm sure they will) and if they make the playoffs, they are a scary team to play against.

It is amazing how much better this team looks when Markov has his name penciled in the lineup. It's been so long since he's been a regular, it is easy to forget that he is our best and most important skater. I can't effing wait!

I don't see any point in hypothetically putting together "lines". If they don't work right away they will be broken up, and if they do work, they will just eventually be broken up anyway when it doesn't produce. Coaches don't have patience anymore in this day and age. When their 7 figure job is constantly on the line, they will do whatever they can to change and get a spark. And also with injuries being so rampant in this NHL, it is near impossible to keep combinations together. I guess it can be fun to discuss what "should" be done if we were the coach though.

Well said, this is the reason that I love this board so much. There are many different people with many different opinions, yet most can at least back up their thoughts with logical explanations. It is a really nice break from the major media outlets that tend to twist things whichever way they want. Uninformed fans, who shoot off at the mouth are the ones I dispise, whether they are Habs fans or any other team's.

I lol'd pretty good at these gems.

* Dreadful powerplay, not even a decent scoring chance from what I've seen. * Flyers are closing in on the Habs very quickly when they have possession, meaning they are out-skating them. * Price is pissed off, as well he should be. He has made several beauty saves but yet his team isn't responding. * Diaz looks terrible out there today. * Emelin looks good, but isn't being used in any special teams situations. * I don't have any ideas how they could conceivably comeback in this game, they are getting pummeled in every aspect. It could very well be 7-1 if not for Price. * Too much turkey last night perhaps?

I love fantasizing about Gomez getting traded as much as everyone else, but he isn't even playing to what his actual salary would be next year, let alone his cap hit. I agree there is value to cap floor teams, but with a new CBA coming, I think most will be playing the waiting game to see how it unfolds. If he has a strong second half (which he is accustomed to having), then perhaps the discussion will have some merit. Until then, it's fun to dream.

I have been riding the anti-Darche bandwagon for a long time. Sure he busts his ass, but so would thousands of other fringe NHLers if they had a shot. The guy has hands of stone and drives me crazy with his offensive ineptitude. That is fine if someone were a defensive specialist, but he isn't that either. There's a reason that he's been an AHLer until his thirties. He had a career season last year, although given PP time ahead of more deserving offensive players. His positives for being on the team include: communicating with teammates, showing hustle and hailing from Quebec.

I'd be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt on that if he were to come to Montreal. Management has already set a precedent with younger players partying excessively by shipping them out of town. I'm guessing this current Habs bunch is a bit more tame when it comes to late nights in the fish bowl that is Montreal. Who would Carter party with? And who knows, he may even meet his future wife and settle down from all that. The guy is only going to mature more as time passes. But as long as he can score goals and helps the team win, nobody should care what he does outside the rink.