2007-2008 Habs

[InsaneHABSfan]

I'd rather have low expectations and be pleasantly surprised by success than have high expectations and be crushed by disappointment.

I tend to agree. Koivu said it best on paper they are not a stanley cup team, BUT anything can happen once the team is in the playoffs. I am just looking for smarter hockey decisions by all including coaching and management. Kovalev shut up, Gainey no panic moves (AKA Samsonov) and Carbo just lighten up and let the guys skate and have fun. Old time habs hockey boys, old time habs hockey! :hlogo:

[Nesquik]

anything can happen once the team is in the playoffs.

Koivu never said that...

[BTH]

Koivu never said that...

Yeah, it was Gainey who said that when asked about Koivu's comments.

[tokyohabs]

Hope: win the Cup

Expectation: not win the Cup

yet.

[JMMR]

Koivu never said that...

Actually Koivu did say that later on in the interview when he mentioned the 93 Canadiens who no one would have picked to win the cup when the playoffs started.

[ShortHanded]

yeah, it's true. Nesquick just hates Koivu, that's all, so quick to jump on him...

[Chips]

Although I like to think that at times I'm a more realistic sort of chap!

I prefer to say, without exception or excuses... That I always demand greatness from my HABS!

Therefore, I predict good things! No, GREAT THINGS! We make it into the playoffs as contender and favourites to win the cup! and take it in record breaking fashion!

GO HABS GO!

[JMMR]

I think this season will be better than last, the playoffs are a must.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

http://www.habsinsideout.com/boone/2007/09...s.html#comments

From Mike Boone's blog:

Quoted in La Presse today, Guy Carbonneau outlined three things the Canadiens will be working on during training camp and exhibition games:

• Cutting down on penalties. The Canadiens cannot afford to take 10 minors per game. Especially galling were dinky hooks and holds in the offensive zone.

• Cut down on SoG. That's a no-brainer. Even when they played well at the beginning of last season, Cristobal Huet was standing on his head making 35 to 40 saves per game.

• Centres will play deeper in the Canadiens' zone. Carbo thinks this will help the defencemen get pucks out of danger. Last season, zone clearances were a challenge – and too often a nightmare – any time Andrei Markov wasn't on the ice.

The last of these is a major key - I don't know how many times last season I was alarmed by a yawning gap between the defencemen and the forwards, and this is a big reason for all those SOG and long, hapless sojourns in the defensive zone. Good to see that Carbo has his head on straight...now if only everyone except Kovalev takes it to heart. (Kovy is, I assume, a hopeless case in such matters).

[smon]

Pretty much, yeah. I don't think coaches could teach Kovalev anything even when he was in the Russian equivalent of Peewee hockey.

As for playing deeper in the zone, looks like the team's strategy will be even more defensively oriented than last season. Guess Carbonneau is sticking to what he knows best.

[Chris]

Well, Obviously i hope they win the cup but that isn't reality. I'm a realist so hear is my take: Mike Boone hit the nail on the head with those 3 points the habs need to do. I'll add some as well.

!. Goaltending is great no help needed.

2. Defense? It reamians to be seen, the offsaeson brought a smaller, better skating bunch to the Habs roster, will it be better? Time will tell. I think they have the potential to be better but they are still average at best.

3, Forwards: The habs need to find someone to play with Koivu and Ryder, someone who is gritty, hardworking and knows how to play smart and both ends of the ice. I like Higgins with Pleks and Kosty.

4. Leadrship: Who will actually be a leader on and off the ice? For everyone who says Koivu, may i remind you the habs have only made it to the second round once i beleive under his captaincy. That was only due to THeodore. That's not good.

Things that need to improve:

Team toughness: The Habs have a few players who hir alot, but that doesn't necassarily make you tough. The rest of the team needs to be team tough. More fighting will help.

Work ethic: My most important point, the Habs are and have been very lazy for years. Until that changes, they will be a consistant 8-12 seed. This is what Carbo is trying to change.

Good points:

Youth will be served, youngsters need to step up, they have great talent and leadership in the youth. How long will they take to turn the team around.

Just missed the playoffs with zero work ethic, the team is close to the turn around everyone wants.

Fearless picks: Ryder will be moved. A Goalie will be moved, obviously not Price. Kovalev will be benched and possibly bought out next year. If things don't go well Koivu will ask for a trade.

When all is said and done, they have the POTENTIAl to be a top 6 seed, but the work ethic and listening to the coach is a huge problem with the team, will it change? My prediction. 10th place again and more vets leaving.

[SAKS-AVENUE]

Well, Obviously i hope they win the cup but that isn't reality. I'm a realist so hear is my take: Mike Boone hit the nail on the head with those 3 points the habs need to do. I'll add some as well.

!. Goaltending is great no help needed.

2. Defense? It reamians to be seen, the offsaeson brought a smaller, better skating bunch to the Habs roster, will it be better? Time will tell. I think they have the potential to be better but they are still average at best.

3, Forwards: The habs need to find someone to play with Koivu and Ryder, someone who is gritty, hardworking and knows how to play smart and both ends of the ice. I like Higgins with Pleks and Kosty.

4. Leadrship: Who will actually be a leader on and off the ice? For everyone who says Koivu, may i remind you the habs have only made it to the second round once i beleive under his captaincy. That was only due to THeodore. That's not good.

Things that need to improve:

Team toughness: The Habs have a few players who hir alot, but that doesn't necassarily make you tough. The rest of the team needs to be team tough. More fighting will help.

Work ethic: My most important point, the Habs are and have been very lazy for years. Until that changes, they will be a consistant 8-12 seed. This is what Carbo is trying to change.

Good points:

Youth will be served, youngsters need to step up, they have great talent and leadership in the youth. How long will they take to turn the team around.

Just missed the playoffs with zero work ethic, the team is close to the turn around everyone wants.

Fearless picks: Ryder will be moved. A Goalie will be moved, obviously not Price. Kovalev will be benched and possibly bought out next year. If things don't go well Koivu will ask for a trade.

When all is said and done, they have the POTENTIAl to be a top 6 seed, but the work ethic and listening to the coach is a huge problem with the team, will it change? My prediction. 10th place again and more vets leaving.

Koivu will not ask for a trade untill his contract runs out and/or career like Bourque is ending and will go to a team that may win it towards the end of that year. What team wouldn't have him for a play-off run. He won't give up on Montreal untill he's actually thinking about retiring.

So what's everyones take on Higgins? Are they just avoiding injury because they know he will make the team or should we be worried about his shoulder. Why are Doctors holding him back? Carbs said that if He wanted to play he could............Strange

[saskhab]

Question:

If Huet & Halak do very well this year as the team's top 2 goalies, and Price stays in Hamilton except for the occasional injury callup, would we try and re-sign Huet (especially if he maintains the #1 role)?

I guess it's a question for a much different time (end of the year), but it's a thought. Price can stay in the minors for the next 3 years, and even if he has proven a lot, there's no harm in keeping him down there if the other 2 goalies perform to or evn above expectations.

[Partisan]

Question:

If Huet & Halak do very well this year as the team's top 2 goalies, and Price stays in Hamilton except for the occasional injury callup, would we try and re-sign Huet (especially if he maintains the #1 role)?

I guess it's a question for a much different time (end of the year), but it's a thought. Price can stay in the minors for the next 3 years, and even if he has proven a lot, there's no harm in keeping him down there if the other 2 goalies perform to or evn above expectations.

i agree especially if we cannot get a good return for Huet, Halak or Danis immediately...in a profitable trade. However i think Gainey will trade Huet before the deadline if Price is solid at hamilton but then what kind of message would that send to halak if price is sent to hamilton while he's 2nd and whenever Price arrives he's 2nd again. You know in all fairness i think the coach and trainers and the Gm office will give a good chance to halak even if we all know Price is the future for the next decade.

Partisan

[JMMR]

Unless Huet is an All Star again this year and leads the Canadiens to multiple series wins in the Playoffs then he will not be resigned or at least I highly doubt it.

[saskhab]

Unless Huet is an All Star again this year and leads the Canadiens to multiple series wins in the Playoffs then he will not be resigned or at least I highly doubt it.

He'll probably be asking for $5m+ a year if that happens.

[ShortHanded]

Koivu will not ask for a trade untill his contract runs out and/or career like Bourque is ending and will go to a team that may win it towards the end of that year. What team wouldn't have him for a play-off run. He won't give up on Montreal untill he's actually thinking about retiring.

So what's everyones take on Higgins? Are they just avoiding injury because they know he will make the team or should we be worried about his shoulder. Why are Doctors holding him back? Carbs said that if He wanted to play he could............Strange

I agree with you about Koivu, and in terms of Chris's point about how far Koivu's been able to lead the team int he playoffs (or rather lack of being able to get past second round) I'd like to point out that he often did that while basically playing with an AHL team. Unless you're the goalie, you can't completely change the game all by yourself, and he was playing with Patrick Traverse as a regular D, so it wasn't exactly like he had a lot of support. The way the Habs have played for a long time, and their lack of success getting to the playoffs and far once in the playoffs, has less to do with Koivu's leadership and more to do with how bad his supporting cast was during the dark days of Reggie Houle, etc... And he did make the players around him better: look at Brian Savage as a great example of that, but you can only put so much lipstick on a pig, you know?

In terms of Higgins, Carbo said a few days ago that if he asked to play, he could, but then the next day he said that Higgins asked him to play and he (Carbo) told him no because the doctors don't agree. Pat Hickey had it an article this morning that both Higgins and Breezer won't be playing until the end of next week.

I think/hope it's just caution for Higgins, considering they know he's in good shape anyway, doesn't need the extra motivation, and they're only exhibition games...

[Bacchus]

I think that the team will be much improved over last year. There were a few lateral moves, but losing Samsonov and getting Kostitsyn on a full time basis will really help turn our scoring around. Add to that the departure of Mr. Abischer, and possibly a healthy Kovalev ... and I think you will see a very competitive team.

Also, I expect that our now blossoming wealth will parlay in to some nice trade bait. If we can get a solid left D and/or #1 center from a trade for one of our goalies, then I think we could have a team that will go past the second round. How far is anyones guess, but this team seems a lot hungrier, tougher, and more directed than it has in years.

Also, keeping in mind the whole illness thing last year ... I'll see how the season progresses, but I would be very surprised if we don't have a very low draft pick next season.

[mathieu30]

http://www2.sportsnet.ca/video/latest/2007...HC_Habs_preview

:hlogo:

[simonus]

http://www2.sportsnet.ca/video/latest/2007...HC_Habs_preview

:hlogo:

Thanks for the link.

man, the sportsnet video feed really sucks.

[Easy Ryder]

My hope and expectation for not the whole team but on some individual players

that can make a difference between a scrappy team and a good team.

My hope is that these players stay healthy, they are the core of this team.

In order, Markov, Koivu, Komisarek, Kovalev, Plekanek, Ryder and Huet.

My expectation are for the players that i still have a ?? on them.

AK46: We all know the talent should it result it in goals passes and a more solid top six lines.

Hammer : He is not new to this game but he is new to this team and will see how long it will take to adjust.

Latendresse: Did not produce or was unflashy and unlucky at camp, must score goals and use his body.

Price : Play 30 games and start the playoffs.

Streit : What should we expect really an upgrade or last season was is top?

Chipchura: Can he adapt and play NHL centers and make their life miserable.

Smoloinski : Score goals and play center , not wing.

Grabovski : Chemistry with Kovy and Kots i doo think so, should be use at wing.

Gorges : Steal DAndeanult or Bouillon job.

The others are fill in, or can be replaced by anyone anyhow.

[ShortHanded]

My hope and expectation for not the whole team but on some individual players

that can make a difference between a scrappy team and a good team.

My hope is that these players stay healthy, they are the core of this team.

In order, Markov, Koivu, Komisarek, Kovalev, Plekanek, Ryder and Huet.

My expectation are for the players that i still have a ?? on them.

AK46: We all know the talent should it result it in goals passes and a more solid top six lines.

Hammer : He is not new to this game but he is new to this team and will see how long it will take to adjust.

Latendresse: Did not produce or was unflashy and unlucky at camp, must score goals and use his body.

Price : Play 30 games and start the playoffs.

Streit : What should we expect really an upgrade or last season was is top?

Chipchura: Can he adapt and play NHL centers and make their life miserable.

Smoloinski : Score goals and play center , not wing.

Grabovski : Chemistry with Kovy and Kots i doo think so, should be use at wing.

Gorges : Steal DAndeanult or Bouillon job.

The others are fill in, or can be replaced by anyone anyhow.

Higgins isn't on your list, and I don't think he's a fill in ...

[Chris]

Gorges already outplayed Bouillon and Dandy. The job should be his. I hope Carbo isn't turning into a Julien. BG gets him good youth players and they sit?

No reason Gorges and Chipchura should be sitting.

[ShortHanded]

Gorges already outplayed Bouillon and Dandy. The job should be his. I hope Carbo isn't turning into a Julien. BG gets him good youth players and they sit?

No reason Gorges and Chipchura should be sitting.

I have to agree with you. I really hope that on most nights, its Chipper and Gorges in the line up, and Dandy/Bouillon/Kosto who are sitting. Both Dandy and Kosto are playing forward tonight while Bouillon's playing D, while the kids are in the press box. I hope this doesn't last.

[MMPL]

I agree, but I think line 4 will get good ice time like last year.