TurdBurglar

Is Wright even playing tonight?

So all the the chances for and against that are included in this metric are directly a result of the player being measured by it, right? I mean, it's not possible that these chances could of happened regardless of this player being there or not. There's no possibility the player being measured by it could have no bearing on the play whatsoever as it's one that only takes in account if they are on the ice or not for the chance or not, right? Also this metric is a balanced metric, not a defensive one. For example, a player could have a great xGF% if they stand at the blue line, not touching the puck while the rest of their team gets great scoring chances and a few goals, but as soon as he touches the puck it ends up on the opponent's stick and into his own net. As long as the good chances and goals for the rest of his team is 3-1 ratio, this player has amazing xGF%. How about he was on the ice for 3 goals against. Wouldn't Montreal need to have scored 9 while he was on the ice to keep the metric at 3-1? Or is it only about shots, so the more important goals isn't factored into it? How about standing in front of the net to cut off the cross-crease pass and not cutting off the pass or taking his man, directly leading to a goal against. What advanced stat measures that? How about when Montembeault gave the puck away Harris not keeping his man out of the crease, so when Montembeault got back to his net he couldn't get to the top of the crease to cut the angle more? Would it of stopped the goal? Maybe not, but keeping players out of the goalie's crease seems to be a defenseman responsibility. Advanced stats don't tell the truth of a game, it paints a picture of what you want to see. According to advanced stats, Josh Anderson is overall the best Canadien's forward in most offensive metrics, except goals and assists. Drouin has a better xGF% than Guhle as well, so defensively, Drouin is better than Guhle, right?

Sure, if you only look at advanced stats. I’m not sure we were watching the same game either. He was responsible for 2 goals against off the top of my head. Sure, he had 2 assists, if Montembeault had 6 assists, it wouldn’t mean he was the best player on either team. Forgive me if I believe a defenseman should be weighted more on defensive metrics rather than offensive ones.

Harris had a great start to the season, he's going to be a solid defenceman. Send him down to the AHL for a bit. He's not looking as confident as he was.

They have beens saying for a few games he has an injured foot. Speculation is since Montreal is up 4-0 they sent him to the dressing room to not further aggravate it. It's also possible he aggravated it.

This game could easily be 4-4 and also easily 9-0.

Shots were 9-1 Canucks at one point. The score is 3-0 Montreal now. This team embodies weathering the storm.

Caufield from his spot, 1-0. He's looking like a mini-Ovi from the circle.

Montembeault is looking good so far.

I completely agree it's a penalty, but McDavid went both legs straight out after getting hooked in one shin. I was sitting right behind the net and thought he caught his skates in the net coming around because of how he fell. His body response to what happened to him was all wrong. That should of been a call for each. As I said before, I don't consider McDavid a diver, and I still don't. He should have been called for both penalties on him for embellishment. The Habs had 5 penalties and 3 in a row were embellished by the Oilers.

Also, with the 5 minute major, the cut was on the opposite side of Hyman's head. The stick didn't cause that cut. When Edmundson's stick made contact with Hyman's head, it was firmly against the boards. To cause a cut on the opposite side of Hyman's head, the cross check would of been way more violent than it was. Did Edmundson warrant a penalty for the cross-check? Yes, but it was only 2. The high-stick against Draisatl was also embellished as well. On the jumbotron the stick missed Draisatl, when I got home I looked at every available angle from the game I recorded and youtube and I couldn't find a single angle that looked like it contacted him. That lead to a 5-on-3 goal as well. The Oilers were fishing for calls and the ref were giving it too them. On more than one occasion, and you may not of seen it on TV, Savard was at the refs and the ref's would point him to the bench and not engage any further. If the NHL really wants to take a stance on embellishment, and they don't, they need to review all plays like this and fine accordingly. The faked high sticking calls are the easiest to rule on. Nobody can tell me Dach putting his hand on McDavid's hip can make the best skater in the NHL, superman to the ice, that was 2 minutes for each. Nobody can tell me Xhekaj's trip on one leg can make the best skater in the NHL, superman on the ice.

McDavid went down really easy on the Xhekaj trip and the Dach hold, especially the Dach hold. I've never considered McDavid a diver, and I still don't. he just seemed to be easily taken down last night.

I found Matheson looked really well and engaged offensively tonight. Suzuki continues to look disengaged.

Sketchy officiating at best, but the Habs came back. The Nurse goal at the end of the 2nd was a backbreaker, poor defensive coverage at the end of the period.

I’ll be there tonight, getting angry at the refs in person.

Like offsides, from zone entry.

The only way I would want Monahan resigned is if he signs in free agency. I think at this stage of the rebuild, with all of Monahan’s injury history and age, he is far more valuable as a trade chip than a long term player. If he keeps playing and producing like he is, there’s no reason to think he can’t fetch a good prospect and/or a 1st at the deadline at least. With 50% salary retention, any team with roughly $1m in cap space can afford him at the deadline.

Jake Allen did OK, but the first star for Montreal has to be Dadanov.

Suzuki looks very disengaged tonight. I know he has an assist, but his 5-on-5 play isn't very impressive tonight.

Did I mishear? Were the Calgary fans chanting "F Montreal?"

The league will never take it apon itself to have better video guys. I like the coach's challenge, it's up to the teams to challenge, not the league. I would be also fine with having like 3 challenges a game max with the same penalty for a wrong challenge now. If the league is going to have better video guys they can have a video ref to call the stuff the on-ice officials miss. The problem with anything league initiated is money. It'll cost the league more to have it, so they will opt to not do it.

Officials have been letting the teams play, few missed call for both teams. Was a missed call that lead to Calgary's goal. The coach's challenge should be expanded to all calls that should of warranted a stoppage in play, including penalty calls missed. I would even be fine with the penalty call still not being called, but the goal being called back due to a missed call.

Monahan looked like he had something to prove on the first goal.

Pittsburgh may be looking to move Kapanen because his production has dropped off. They would need to do a money out for money in deal. Kapanen also has a 2 year $3.2m contract. They may also accept a change-of-scenery player of equal value in return. What if the Habs traded Dadanov, retaining salary? Or Drouin, retaining salary, and Pittsburgh adding a sweetener. Either player going to Pittsburgh has an expiring contract so Pittsburgh frees up $3.2m next season, and gets a player that could start producing. Montreal gets a reclamation project for next season.

It's the Weber trap with Caufield. PP isn't doing well because it's too predictable with always trying to get Caufield the one-timer. They pass on prime shooting locations and situations in favor of cycling the puck high to get it to Caufield. They cycle the puck high too often to setup this one-timer, causing the defense to not collapse, leaving less time and space at the point to make plays. They need a shooting option on the right circle and to cycle the puck low and behind the net a lot more. Neither one independently is going to improve the PP, it needs both or the defense won't take the threat of the low cycle or right shooter seriously. These options don't have to supersede the Caufield one-time, it needs to be used to setup that one-timer. Yes, this will mean Caufield may miss out on a few PP goals, but overall it'll make the PP more effective.