Jeff Price (no relation)

Meh, I didn't really notice Weise or Semin much during the game. They were just there. Positive Visibility means doing something really noteworthy that ends up affecting the game in your favor. Whether it's an incredible defensive play that saves a goal, or being part of a rush that scores one. This team took 41 shots on net last night. Getting a couple nice ones that didn't go in isn't enough to register. There were several Habs tonight that I really didn't notice much. Patches didn't have the most spectacular of games, nor did Subban, or Markov, or Beaulieu. Eller I actually noticed for a change, while he didn't put up any numbers, he controlled play for a couple of shifts and looked good doing it. Of course, being "invisible" doesn't mean you played badly, either. Bad players are very visible, in a negative way. The fact that I didn't notice them means they didn't up, either.

We need more of what Petry did last night. Even the crappy announcers noticed...the penalty killers were so focused on Subban taking the shot that they didn't expect Petry to take it and they left him wide open. PK's not going to score when they focus on him like that, but if the others can, they'll have to stop with the laser-focus on Subban, and then Subban becomes dangerous again. Also - Petry/Subban looked far more dangerous than Markov/Subban.

Galchenyuk had an assist and always looked dangerous. Semin and Weise were invisible through the game.

This is dominant hockey the way I've never seen this team play. It's awe-inspiring.

Heh. This is how I have viewed Beaulieu. Tinordi already gives you what you want and expect from him...responsible play in his own end, respectable but unspectacular skating and passing, amazing size and thundering physicality. Beaulieu does not yet give you what you want and expect from him -- NUMBERS ON THE SCOREBOARD. He also doesn't provide any of that aforementioned responsible play or thundering physicality. He can skate and pass better than Tinordi, certainly. I believe Beaulieu will eventually start to put up numbers, but Tinordi already can do what he is there for. Tinordi = Imagine a mobile version of Hal Gill.

I hope so. Being on a line with Gally should be more than enough to boost his production by 5 goals from the previous year where he centered the third line. He's currently "on pace for" 32 goals. (Don't hold your breath.)

This is big. This makes his contract an asset. I can't see trading him unless we're by some horrible disaster out of the playoff picture one of those years, but we could get a fair bit for him.

Bautista's entire reaction there made the limited number of things going through his brain entirely evident. "Holy..." "Holy shit." "Holy . YES." "HOLY ING SHIT! YES!" At that point, i'm sure he didn't realize that anyone on the Texas Rangers team even existed. It was awesome.

Yeah, but when Petrov was getting 40 points for a couple of seasons, with most teams you needed 70+ points to earn a spot on the second line. Different era. Trivia: At 44 years old, Petrov is still playing professional hockey in Europe.

Yeah. But how long do you give them? He's off his ELC now. He's had 3 seasons to break in, 1 full season of play. This should be his year. This should be where he starts to show he's an elite NHL defender. I know, for Habs fans, it's early. We've given Eller 5 full seasons to do the same, and people are still saying he hasn't been given a chance and we should let him live up to his potential. But players do not become successes because they are gifted opportunities to live up to their potential. Players become successes because they use their potential, earn their spot by performing, THEN they get promoted. (Meanwhile, Desharnais consistently performs great for us every single year and we want to run him out of town. I don't get it.)

Hey, I'd be happy if they tried this out. I see Beaulieu's potential, too. I just cannot tolerate "potential" that goes 2+ years without panning out. It stops being potential at that point and turns into "underperforming." So see if Beaulieu contributes with Petry. As for replacing Emelin with Tinordi, the only reason we haven't already done that is Emelin has an NTC and is making 4 million a year. Tinordi can do Emelin's job better for under a million....but we still have to pay Emelin against the cap, even if you bench him. At a certain point you have to play a guy just to save face.

That's kinda the opposite of what I said. "Beaulieu has more upside than Tinordi, sure." Defensively, Tinordi is more trustworthy, but offensively, Beaulieu has far more potential. However, when all you've got is offensive potential, but aren't getting points, you're not really contributing.

Beaulieu has more upside than Tinordi, sure. However, in their own end, I'd trust Tinordi more. Also, Tinordi's going to lay more punishment on the opposition, something Beaulieu isn't built to do. Since right now, they'd both get about the same offensive totals (which is, basically, nothing), i'm more inclined to go for the stay-at-home, big punishing guy over the fast, potentially offensive guy who's not giving us offense. At this point, I agree with playing Pateryn over Gilbert. I do think gilbert has some trade value, I'm hoping they're playing him to boost that.

I think they need to pull a Boston and during the powerplay, take PK off the point and park him near the front of the net. He's not as big as Chara, but he's far more skilled, and last night he looked like a threat on the PK when he traded spots with a forward and chipped in.

I'm still not convinced Beaulieu's ready. He's been their second-worst d-man in five games so far, looks utterly lost out there. (Emelin is a bigger issue). Every time they get hemmed in their own zone for any extended period of time, it seems Beaulieu is on the ice. I'd rather see Tinordi in. I have NHL Gamecentre. I've watched every game so far this season. I think, part of too many people's problems, is they base their opinions on how they feel players play. They watch the game, and they assume that because they like how a guy looks when he touches the puck, that he's doing well. This is why useless turds like Oleg Petrov had so many fans, even though he contributed very little to the success of the team. In the end, the numbers tell the only tale that matters.

René Bourque had one outstanding playoffs with Montreal, too. Nobody was lobbying for his great skill and potential. I've said before, if Eller were earning 1.75 million I wouldn't have a problem with him. Right now, Weise is a better player at every part of the game. Now, I love Weise, but if we were paying him 3.5 million I'd be hating on him, too. Once you break the 3 million dollar mark, you have to be putting up numbers to show you're a top 6 forward on any team in hockey. Dale Weise has a cap hit of 1.025 Million Dollars. That's less than a third of what Eller earns. And yet he brings more to this team. Weise might be a steal at that price, but I wouldn't give him even 2.5 to stay with Montreal. Weise had 29 points and was a +21 last year. Eller had 27 points and was a -6 last year. (Everyone else on his lines were + players.) One of these is more than worth his $1 million salary. The other is not worth their $3.5 million salary. Yet. I want him to prove me wrong. I want him to be a 40+ point, 20 goal scoring threat to add to Montreal's offense. I've wanted that for years. I've had high hopes since his amazing lockout-shortened season and that playoff performance you mentioned, that, "Hey, maybe this guy is going to break out now!" He hasn't done it. *** 2011: 17 points, -4 *** 2012: 28 points, -5 *** 2014: 26 points, -15 *** 2015: 27 points, -6 *** You gotta hand it to him, for a guy as streaky as he is, he's remarkably consistent, year after year. He's gets high-20's in points, and is a minus player. Every single season - except the lockout season where he managed 30 points in 48 games and was a +8. But hells, that year the Leafs made the playoffs. Strange things were happening. Lars Eller needs to get it done. You can say it's not realistic to expect that type of production from him, but we're paying him as if we think we can get that production out of him. 27 point guys don't earn that much.

Throughout his career, he's had chances on every line. He's now had his centering duties taken away from him and he's got a kickass center feeding him the puck, and a skilled wing on the other side, too. He's gotta show some offense to earn his 3.5 million a year. 3.5 million is what you pay a guy who can get you 40 points or 20 goals. It's not what you pay a plumber to go into the corners. Besides, Eller is not a defensive specialist. He's weak in his own end. He's a perpetual minus player on a plus team. If he cannot generate offense, he's not doing anything. This is it for him - I don't know how many "last chances" a guy is supposed to get, but he's burned through them all. This season he's got a prime opportunity on the second line with some great skilled players to get results. I don't care how you feel he's been playing. I don't care that he looks like he's making things happen. Everyone does that once in a while. What I care about -- all I care about -- is results. In the end, potential becomes worthless if you never live up to it. He's had potential forever. Now show us NUMBERS. All the skill in the world is useless if you don't make it work for you. He has to start producing now. (As for the powerplay, the habs have a better chance at scoring even strength than they do with the man advantage. Powerplay time on this team actually lowers your production.)

He's best on the second or third because 45-55 points isn't enough for the top line, and he's going to perform no matter where you put him, you might as well spread out your scoring. However, it's not true that he only outperforms Eller because Eller never gets the good assignments. DD outperforms Eller because he's better than Eller. Eller doesn't look any better playing with Gally and Semin than he did centering 3. DD looks awesome centering 3.

Yup. What'd I say? DD will deliver, no matter what line you put him on. 5 games is early, but on the third line he's on pace for 16 goals and 48 assists. He'll slow down, but 45-55 points is always what he's good for.

Price owes Kreider a really good shot to the knee.

I was trying to make sense of this with no success, trying to figure out who the the Russian "Semiok" was. Then it dawned on me...

I'd agree. I'm just not incredibly optimistic about about our powerplay becoming a power to be feared.

I'm not sure about the idea of removing your most talented offensive player with the best shot from the powerplay, just because the other jackasses on his line can't think of anything to do other than pass to him.

Cherry didn't seem to have much to say about that tonight. But he did wear the same suit.

Nice to win a game because we outplayed them at every step, as opposed to because Price was better than the other team's entire roster. Price was decent, but ordinary. Rask was amazing. We won anyway because we had the better team on the ice.