kost46 Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 I'm new to the boards so I wanna start off by saluting everyone! I've been surprised and better yet relived that all this work Gainey and Co have done the past 3-4 years is finally paying dividents. Now none of those players have fully developped yet but were seeing the first signs of what is yet to come. For instance: Chris Higgins: This guy is a future 30-35 goal scorer with great defensive play. (dont let the +- fool you) He got 4 points tonight and is only in his 2nd year. I think hes only 23 years old. Maxim Lapierre: This guy will be the perfect 3rd line agitator this team had been lacking for years. Sure we have Begin but this guy can also has some talent. He has scored two beautiful goals this past week top shelf. Guillaume Latendresse: Future 30 goal scorer who is probably the toughest to knock off the puck. Has good hands on the rush and a very nice shot to go along with his 6'2 frame. The good thing about this guy is that hes a very GOOD playmaker. Dont let the 13 assists this year fool you because this guy will get 40 assists a year. Andrei Kostitsyn: What is it now? 7 assists in the last 8 games? 8 points all in all. This guy is in his first month in the nhl and I'm already seeing signs of a future 75 point man. The guy has everything. A nice wrist shot, soft hands, AMAZING playmaking skills and a Kovalevian puck handling along the boards and on the rush. He's very quick too. Thomas Plekanec: How can we forget this guy? After a bad start where he only scored 3 goals in the first 3 months of the season (38 games to be exact) this guy has now scored 15 goals and totaled 33 points in his last 36 games. I could easily see him getting 20+40 as soon as next year. Sweet backhand by the way! Mikhail Grabovski: We saw what this guy can do when he was called up and I'm pretty sure we're gonna see him a lot next year. Not too long before he will be called the rocket junior. (probably a better nickname then that ) Jaroslav Halak: If you werent up to date on the time of the year it is and how pressure filled every game is from now on, would you ever have guessed that based on his play? Calm as a rock, reminds me of Huet. (obviously Cristobal is the better goalie) Even Michael Ryder who is not exactly a kid anymore (he's still 26 years old though) is scoring some important goals for us and has been very consistent through the years. (25 goals in rookie year, 30 last year and will again get 25+ this year). I know the habs have had trouble scoring this year and that was supposed to improve with the signing of Samsonov but it didnt. That is NOT managements fault though. If Samsonov had produced the way he shouldve, meaning 20-25 goals by now and not 9 and Kovalev had had a similar year as last season with 23 goals by now instead of 14 the difference woulda been 20 goals. Where would that put Montreal you ask? Well it would put Montreal 4th in goals for in the entire eastern conference after Buffalo/Ottawa/Pittsburgh It surely woulda helped the canadiens standings as well. Can you imagine how many more goals we will score next year when these guys get the experience needed? All in all can't wait until a couple years when everyone of those young guys will be in their primes and guys like Price will be dominating the league! Praise Bob Gainey and Co! They deserve it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habitforming Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 I'm new to the boards so I wanna start off by saluting everyone! I've been surprised and better yet relived that all this work Gainey and Co have done the past 3-4 years is finally paying dividents. Now none of those players have fully developped yet but were seeing the first signs of what is yet to come. For instance: Chris Higgins: This guy is a future 30-35 goal scorer with great defensive play. (dont let the +- fool you) He got 4 points tonight and is only in his 2nd year. I think hes only 23 years old. Maxim Lapierre: This guy will be the perfect 3rd line agitator this team had been lacking for years. Sure we have Begin but this guy can also has some talent. He has scored two beautiful goals this past week top shelf. Guillaume Latendresse: Future 30 goal scorer who is probably the toughest to knock off the puck. Has good hands on the rush and a very nice shot to go along with his 6'2 frame. The good thing about this guy is that hes a very GOOD playmaker. Dont let the 13 assists this year fool you because this guy will get 40 assists a year. Andrei Kostitsyn: What is it now? 7 assists in the last 8 games? 8 points all in all. This guy is in his first month in the nhl and I'm already seeing signs of a future 75 point man. The guy has everything. A nice wrist shot, soft hands, AMAZING playmaking skills and a Kovalevian puck handling along the boards and on the rush. He's very quick too. Thomas Plekanec: How can we forget this guy? After a bad start where he only scored 3 goals in the first 3 months of the season (38 games to be exact) this guy has now scored 15 goals and totaled 33 points in his last 36 games. I could easily see him getting 20+40 as soon as next year. Sweet backhand by the way! Mikhail Grabovski: We saw what this guy can do when he was called up and I'm pretty sure we're gonna see him a lot next year. Not too long before he will be called the rocket junior. (probably a better nickname then that ) Jaroslav Halak: If you werent up to date on the time of the year it is and how pressure filled every game is from now on, would you ever have guessed that based on his play? Calm as a rock, reminds me of Huet. (obviously Cristobal is the better goalie) Even Michael Ryder who is not exactly a kid anymore (he's still 26 years old though) is scoring some important goals for us and has been very consistent through the years. (25 goals in rookie year, 30 last year and will again get 25+ this year). I know the habs have had trouble scoring this year and that was supposed to improve with the signing of Samsonov but it didnt. That is NOT managements fault though. If Samsonov had produced the way he shouldve, meaning 20-25 goals by now and not 9 and Kovalev had had a similar year as last season with 23 goals by now instead of 14 the difference woulda been 20 goals. Where would that put Montreal you ask? Well it would put Montreal 4th in goals for in the entire eastern conference after Buffalo/Ottawa/Pittsburgh It surely woulda helped the canadiens standings as well. Can you imagine how many more goals we will score next year when these guys get the experience needed? All in all can't wait until a couple years when everyone of those young guys will be in their primes and guys like Price will be dominating the league! Praise Bob Gainey and Co! They deserve it! Welcome to the board!!! It's nice to see some still have confidence in the team and the future of this club. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheldon_sniper_44 Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 Youth has done great... i dont consider samsy as youth! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Chicoutimi Cucumber Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 I agree that the youth are looking good, and I agree that if Sammy had simply DONE HIS F**KING JOB and produced like a respectable second-liner we would not be fighting for our playoff lives. However, while I love the enthusiasm, I think that it's wrong to simply assume a linear progression for these young guys. Most young players proceed in fits and starts. Look at Higgins - a great run for 2006, but also an extended slump after returning from injury. That's part of the learning process. Similarly, I would not be surprised at all to find Kostytn struggling for an extended period next season. Lats will also be inconsistent, although I suspect that he may turn out to be the best of them - a real impact guy for years to come. Anyway, expect a herky-jerky roller coaster ride, not a smooth arc to glory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Puck Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 (edited) I agree that the youth are looking good, and I agree that if Sammy had simply DONE HIS F**KING JOB and produced like a respectable second-liner we would not be fighting for our playoff lives. However, while I love the enthusiasm, I think that it's wrong to simply assume a linear progression for these young guys. Most young players proceed in fits and starts. Look at Higgins - a great run for 2006, but also an extended slump after returning from injury. That's part of the learning process. Similarly, I would not be surprised at all to find Kostytn struggling for an extended period next season. Lats will also be inconsistent, although I suspect that he may turn out to be the best of them - a real impact guy for years to come. Anyway, expect a herky-jerky roller coaster ride, not a smooth arc to glory. Aw, can't we just have the smooth arc to glory? Edited March 23, 2007 by Peter Puck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobby Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 I don't think it is simply a question of "youth" but more the aspect of having a group of players who develop together over several years in the same organization. Komisarek, Plekanec, Perezhogin, Higgins, Lapierre, Halak, Kostitsyn have all become familiar with each other from their first rookie camps, through the AHL, and now into the NHL. Ron Hainsey should be part of that group as well. That is how you build a winning term over the long term, not through signing a bunch of 30 year old mercenaries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheldon_sniper_44 Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 I don't think it is simply a question of "youth" but more the aspect of having a group of players who develop together over several years in the same organization. Komisarek, Plekanec, Perezhogin, Higgins, Lapierre, Halak, Kostitsyn(s) have all become familiar with each other from their first rookie camps, through the AHL, and now into the NHL. Ron Hainsey should be part of that group as well. That is how you build a winning term over the long term, not through signing a bunch of 30 year old mercenaries. Fixed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davehab Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 I don't think it is simply a question of "youth" but more the aspect of having a group of players who develop together over several years in the same organization. Komisarek, Plekanec, Perezhogin, Higgins, Lapierre, Halak, Kostitsyn have all become familiar with each other from their first rookie camps, through the AHL, and now into the NHL. Ron Hainsey should be part of that group as well. That is how you build a winning term over the long term, not through signing a bunch of 30 year old mercenaries. here here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortcat1 Posted March 28, 2007 Share Posted March 28, 2007 the youth is doing well, for sure, but the vets have to be there to help with guidance, leadership and stability in difficult times... GO :hlogo: GO! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kost46 Posted March 28, 2007 Author Share Posted March 28, 2007 4 assists for Koivu tonight 4 goals in last 2 games for Kovalev Kost with a beautiful assist a game! Pleks with 20 goals! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortcat1 Posted March 28, 2007 Share Posted March 28, 2007 4 assists for Koivu tonight 4 goals in last 2 games for Kovalev Kost with a beautiful assist a game! Pleks with 20 goals! especially nice to see the last of your stats... that's the one that give me the best window into what to hope for... GO :hlogo: GO! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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