Chris Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 CC, this team needs way nore then a one player tweek. The core is the problem. I have it last and this year. This core has never done anything but an 8 seed. Only goaltending moved them on past round 1, once or twice i think. The core is old, slow, lazy and soft. If you are happy with a continual 8th seed team that underacieves, then these vets are for you. The team needs a fire burning sale and get younger players in who hustle, play physical, and will WANT to win. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
House11 Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 This team is capable of winning the division ... and also capable of missing the playoffs ... it's going to be what ever the players want to do. It's all in they're minds. Special Teams is great ... 5 on 5 blows ... what does that mean ? they don't play hard enough. During the Islander game yesterday the announcers for MSG network commented that Montreal plays so much harder on special teams than 5 on 5 ... and they're right. The habs problem is they still don't have enough size .. and the size they do have doesn't bang and crash enough. Also this team does not have a 1st line anymore ... they have 2 2nd lines. Kovalev needs to pull his head out of his *** and be the go to guy ... oh and don't give me that he plays better in the playoffs crap .. he makes 4.5 mil a year to play the regular season too ... not just the playoffs ... and btw players don't get paid for the playoffs. If BG can pull off a Sammy + 2nd rounder for Forsberg I'd be all for it. Reason being is then even if you lose Forsberg in the off season you basically open up a roster spot for some more kids. and free up some money to sign someone else. I'm also hoping BG moves Kovy out as well ... maybe even Ryder. but for now. This is what I would do if that trade went though. Lats , Forsberg , Ryder Higgins, Koivu , Kovalev perez , Bonk , Johnson Begin , Plecks , Lapierre Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BTH Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 CC, this team needs way nore then a one player tweek. The core is the problem. I have it last and this year. This core has never done anything but an 8 seed. Only goaltending moved them on past round 1, once or twice i think. The core is old, slow, lazy and soft. If you are happy with a continual 8th seed team that underacieves, then these vets are for you. The team needs a fire burning sale and get younger players in who hustle, play physical, and will WANT to win. I don't agree. We are clearly not a perrennial 8th seed team because we are basically tied in the 4th seed right now (it changes after every game). The core of this team is capale of taking us further than the 2nd round. Koivu, Markov, Kovalev, Souray, Higgins... these are great players. I say stick with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nesquik Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Lats and Froseberg sounds massive... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 So when has the team finished above the 7 seed? Or when have they made it past the second round? 93 i beleive. Each time they made the playoffs with this core it's as a 7, mostly 8 seed. I'll talk to you at the end of the season to where this team is seeded, if they even make the playoffs. The playoffs don't start today. This team takes way too many nights to move up the standings, they are 4 points out of the playoffs. I like your optimism, but i'm a realist, and this team in reality isn't that good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BTH Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Who cares how we did 5 years ago? Today we have a team that's in good shape to mke the playoffs. We're the 5th seed now. and we're all whining. Why aren't all the teams beneath us worrying? They're the ones that need to catch up. It's not like we're even in a bi slump lately. In our last 6 games, weve gone 3-2-1 with wins over Buffalo, Atlanta and Ottawa. Not to mention the partial emergence of Samsonov and the great play of Bonk and Streit. Yes, Kovalev and Koivu haven't been scoring lately but it's not like they're playing horrible hockey. They're just being shutdown. Look at the team trying to steal our spot - Toronto, Tampa Bay, NYR... these guys are as inconsistent as we are, if not more. Anyways... we'll find out in April. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Well your point was the Core is good enough to be a top 4 or 5 seed and go far in the playoffs. Which they have never done. The only thing the core looks to be doing is getting older, slower and softer. Again, i like your optimism and i hope your right about making the playoffs. Tampa and Toronto are moving up, they are very hot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smon Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Add Pittsburgh to that list. They're 2 pts behind with 2 games in hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BTH Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Add Pittsburgh to that list. They're 2 pts behind with 2 games in hand. Yeah, but after we beat them today it'll be 4 points. *jinx* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smon Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 I really think they should bump up Samsonov to play with Koivu. Higgins is completely frustrating to watch. He seems to have pulled some pages of out the Mike Ryder playbook and now just floats around and plays a perimeter game. His skating seems poor too. Ryder's decent enough at scoring goals in the slot, but he shouldn't be playing first line minutes. I think the problem with the team is of the top six forwards. They are good bunch of "complementary" scorers, but they really lack a real consistent offensive threat who can carry the team on his back. Kovalev has always been effective when he's the complementary guy on the second line, not as a go-to guy. Ryder can score in the slot quite often, streaky goalscorer kind of player which equals another complementary guy. Higgins, Plekanec and Latendresse are in the same category because simply not good enough at this point in their careers to carry the team. Finally leaving us with Koivu, who isn't a goalscorer and needs good wingers to finish his chances. Unfortunately, this isn't the kind of player they're going to acquire at the deadline. Even a Forsberg at this stage in his career would be suited to playing as a complementary weapon for a contender, not being asked to take up the gauntlet for the entire team. Our needs haven't changed. Secondline center, and a offensive D man. Slump or no slump. We sure as hell need a second line center, but why would need an offensive defender btw? Souray and Markov seem to be racking up the points quite nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Chicoutimi Cucumber Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 (edited) Well, one problem with saying that 'the core' is the problem, is that it's basically impossible to fix. You're not going to suddenly find replacements/upgrades for Souray, Koivu, Higgins, Kovalev, Ryder, Samsonov, and Markov. Therefore, an intelligent tweak seems like a sensible move. What worries me in the longer run is that, apart from Higgins, Lats and Komisarek, most of our young guns appear to be more like complimentary players than out and out stars. And I still see no sign of a bona-fide first line C anywhere on the horizon - and Saks is what, 32? But in the short term, I think the core is decent; this is the core that nearly beat the Hurricanes and has shown itself capable of being a top-10 team over long stretches. We'll be in good shape if we can get our best players playing like our best players again. That's why we should be thinking in terms of a 'tweak.' Edited February 4, 2007 by The Chicoutimi Cucumber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smon Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Well, I'm not sold that Higgins, Latendresse and Komisarek will become stars - it's going to take a bit more time yet It's disappointing that Montreal can't find offensive stars - Kostistyn seems to have lost that projected potential, Perezhogin hasn't achieved his potential and these two were supposed to be first liners... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Chicoutimi Cucumber Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Well, I'm not sold that Higgins, Latendresse and Komisarek will become stars - it's going to take a bit more time yet It's disappointing that Montreal can't find offensive stars - Kostistyn seems to have lost that projected potential, Perezhogin hasn't achieved his potential and these two were supposed to be first liners... Looking at the way Lats controls the puck along the boards and can drive to the net, I'm fairly confident we've got a bona-fide, potentially dominant power forward there. Higgins had two half-seasons where he played like a genuine star, so unless his injury damaged him in some permanent way, 'future star' remains a reasonable label despite his current woes. Komisarek, well, not a 'star' but a big-league shutdown guy IMHO. Give him another two years to fully ripen, though. I agree about Zhogs and Kostityn, although it might still be too soon to arrive at conclusions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smon Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Well, the general feeling of the thread came through tonight. The top lines weren't doing much tonight, but boy oh boy did the third/fourth liners (although some played on the top lines tonight) Mark Streit, Radek Bonk, Tomas Plekanec and Mike Johnson came up big.. Inexplicably (barring a trade) Samsonov was scratched. Koivu wasn't doing much tonight, seemed to behind a step all the time. Kovalev wasn't bad, but not great. Souray by the way showed why he deserves a new contract. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BTH Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Well, the general feeling of the thread came through tonight. The top lines weren't doing much tonight, but boy oh boy did the third/fourth liners (although some played on the top lines tonight) Mark Streit, Radek Bonk, Tomas Plekanec and Mike Johnson came up big.. Inexplicably (barring a trade) Samsonov was scratched. Koivu wasn't doing much tonight, seemed to behind a step all the time. Kovalev wasn't bad, but not great. Souray by the way showed why he deserves a new contract. Yep. Souray's just too clutch and too valuable to part with. But on the other hand, he'll demand top dollars and I really doubt we're able to bring him back. Streit, Bonk, Plekanec... wow. Those 3 are incredible. No wonder the boards have been a bit quieter lately. The Einsteins who nicknamed our Molson Cup winner for January "Tomas Hands of Stone Plekanec" have be hiding out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habs_25th Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 We need to put Kovalev on the top line. He loves long shifts and plays well with Koivu. We need to drop Ryder on the second line. I don't really see him as a first-liner. How about these 4 lines? Samonov, Koivu, Kovalev Ryder, Plekanec, Higgins Johnson, Bonk, Lats Streit, Lapierre, Murray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blaze53 Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 (edited) We need to put Kovalev on the top line. He loves long shifts and plays well with Koivu. We need to drop Ryder on the second line. I don't really see him as a first-liner. How about these 4 lines? Samonov, Koivu, Kovalev Ryder, Plekanec, Higgins Johnson, Bonk, Lats Streit, Lapierre, Murray I have to admit I like your lines -->One thing though, where's Perezhogin? Edited February 4, 2007 by blaze53 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habs_25th Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Looks like Perezoghin is on the outs with management. I went in with the assumption that he'd be traded by the deadline. If not, I'd put him on the third line with Bonk and Johnson, then drop Lats to the 4th and Murray on the bench. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thib46 Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 I have to admit I like your lines -->One thing though, where's Perezhogin? After the game today the announcers for the Canadiens on the English station in Montreal was asked about Pereshogin and he said he has been benched for too many penalties. He has had 22 penalties for holding or hooking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habs_25th Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 With Ryder and Higgins still being so young, I think they would perform better on the 2nd line and have less pressure on them. Samsonov and Kovalev are so talented and I think that they would do well on the 1st. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bacchus Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 With Ryder and Higgins still being so young, I think they would perform better on the 2nd line and have less pressure on them. Samsonov and Kovalev are so talented and I think that they would do well on the 1st. Samsonov has been doing pretty well with Bonk it seems. I prefer the Koivu, Latender, Kovalev combo people have been discussing ... or replace Tender with Higgins if/when he starts playing better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShortHanded Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 Well, I'm not sold that Higgins, Latendresse and Komisarek will become stars - it's going to take a bit more time yet It's disappointing that Montreal can't find offensive stars - Kostistyn seems to have lost that projected potential, Perezhogin hasn't achieved his potential and these two were supposed to be first liners... How the heck is Perezhogin supposed to achieve his potential when he gets little to no ice time or is benched... and the garbage about "he's sitting becuase he takes too many hooking penalties"??? sorry, but you know who else takes too many stupid penalties: Souray, Koivu, Kovalev... oaky, so you'll say these are experienced players and they can't be benched; I agree, but Komisarek also took a whole bunch of stupid penalties at the beginning of the year. Was he benched?? No. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revin5 Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 Samsonov, Koivu, Streit Higgins, Plekanec, Perezhogin Latendresse, Bonk, Kovalev Ryder, Lapierre, Johnson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMMR Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 Perezhogin will not do well playing a minimal role. For him to excell he needs top OFFENSIVE line minutes. The penalty he got against the iles was questionable and he created Streits goal earlier in the game. As for the line-up goes I believe Carbonneau does not want Kovalev and Koivu on the same line because he wants the skill spread out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habs_25th Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 Carbo wants the skills spread out but is getting no offense. Maybe he should the top forwards on the top lines. I don't think Kovalev, Koivu and Samsonov have been playing at all with each other this year. Maybe it'll spark some magic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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