Jump to content

Game Thread | Montreal vs. Maple Leafs | 11/13/07


Spider-Man NL

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 422
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

I can't believe I just saw Komisarek strip the puck at the blueline, skate like the wind down ice, put a little move on Raycroft and score...Even though I am very angry because of the poor play tonight, I have the largest shit eating grin on my face.

I haven't screamed, "YEEEAAAAHHHHH" that loud in a long time.

Haha. Ditto. I just woke up the baby, pissed off the wife........and I don't even care.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow. Way to steal 2 points. Thank god Price kept the Habs in the game. And props to the Pleks, Kovy and Kostits line. I was cursing after the 3rd Leafs goal. But somehow the Habs fought back. Great play by Pleks in setting up Kovy for the tying goal.

And what an overtime winner. Komi on a breakaway, who would thunk it.

By the way, Carbo musta been kinda listening to a few of us as Bouillon only played 2:28 in the 3rd period. Hopefully Gorges replace him in the lineup for Buffalo. Rotating Gorges, Breezer, and the Cube, at least that would be better than what's happening right now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

:puke:

Usually I'm ecstatic after beating the Leafs, but that was just a brutal performance by all except the 5 identified by Habsfan. Other than a good chance by Koivu in the 3rd, the first line was invisible. I'd like to take it and run, as Habstown suggests, but this kind of play is the norm when playing Toronto. Strangely enough, we played even worse than usual, but ended up with the win. If not for Price, the Leafs win in a rout.

As long as we keep struggling against mediocre teams, we'll always be a mediocre team.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

:puke:

Usually I'm ecstatic after beating the Leafs, but that was just a brutal performance by all except the 5 identified by Habsfan. Other than a good chance by Koivu in the 3rd, the first line was invisible. I'd like to take it and run, as Habstown suggests, but this kind of play is the norm when playing Toronto. Strangely enough, we played even worse than usual, but ended up with the win. If not for Price, the Leafs win in a rout.

As long as we keep struggling against mediocre teams, we'll always be a mediocre team.

10-4-3

Shut up!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Markov definitely gets a pass. I didn't intend to place blame on him at all.

The guy is a monster and I love him. I was just commenting on how strange it was to see him so off his game.

For sure, but the shock is in him playing poor

Link to comment
Share on other sites

:puke:

Usually I'm ecstatic after beating the Leafs, but that was just a brutal performance by all except the 5 identified by Habsfan. Other than a good chance by Koivu in the 3rd, the first line was invisible. I'd like to take it and run, as Habstown suggests, but this kind of play is the norm when playing Toronto. Strangely enough, we played even worse than usual, but ended up with the win. If not for Price, the Leafs win in a rout.

As long as we keep struggling against mediocre teams, we'll always be a mediocre team.

I think it is Chris who says that we tend to play down to our opponents instead of playing our own game regardless of who we play. I think I am buying in to that theory.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How bizarre. In many ways, the Canadiens outplayed the Leafs in the 1st two games and came away with 1 point only. Now we dump the bed and we get 2 points in this game. How ironic.

Thanks Carey :clap:

The Habs have to solve the aggressive forecheck. They definitely could have played the blueline better. It would be nice to gain the puck outside our blueline more against the leefs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Although I think it goes without saying, lets not forget props to Kovy tonight. We are a such a better team with him playing well. The first line can go to sleep and we are still in it.

Very true.

Kovalev was really playing hard tonight. He is a very important piece of our team. :clap:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great to see Komi get the OT goal because tonight he played like the player he was expected to become when we drafted him 7th overall: a general on the blueline. He's really coming into his own, not only by being physical but also by imposing "his law" in the defensive zone and being vocal after the whistle. He's showing good leadership and that goal was so sweet.

Markov: he might have been off his game, but kept in perspective I really dig the "new" Markov who shows lot more emotions than before. Look where he is in the stats for d-men: in the same group as Gonchar, Lidstrom, Zubov, Pronger & Rafalski. For once a guy signed to a big contract steps up to it.

Ryder: scratch him for once. Not only is he almost useless offensively, but he's also brutal defensively. He completely forgot to cover Breezer when he pinched, which lead to a 2-on-1. He's dragging down the whole line to the point where even Higgs and Koivu are snakebitten.

Plex & Kovy are really becoming a beauty to watch together. Their puck control in the offensive zone is awesome and you know they can make something out of nothing. Kosty is slowy getting up to pace. Can't wait when all 3 gel for real.

Chipchura is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. Rarely makes a bad play. That great play he made on the PK starting into his own zone and turning it into 2 good scoring chances is the stuff you'd expect from a vet, not a rookie. The kid's gonna be solid for long.

All in all not as bad a game as people make it out to be. You make your own luck. After that heartwrenching lost to the Sens, Habs deserved a freebie.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How bizarre. In many ways, the Canadiens outplayed the Leafs in the 1st two games and came away with 1 point only. Now we dump the bed and we get 2 points in this game. How ironic.

Thanks Carey :clap:

The Habs have to solve the aggressive forecheck. They definitely could have played the blueline better. It would be nice to gain the puck outside our blueline more against the leefs.

The problem with the Habs against the Leafs is they try to play shutdown hockey. The problem is they do not have guys on the backend like Stevens, Colin White, Daneyko who can control the Leafs down low. When they let the Leafs dictate they get cycled to death and cannot handle the 6'4" forwards.

The first 2 games they used their speed, tonight...I don't know what to call that effort. Brutal maybe?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow. Way to steal 2 points. Thank god Price kept the Habs in the game. And props to the Pleks, Kovy and Kostits line. I was cursing after the 3rd Leafs goal. But somehow the Habs fought back. Great play by Pleks in setting up Kovy for the tying goal.

And what an overtime winner. Komi on a breakaway, who would thunk it.

By the way, Carbo musta been kinda listening to a few of us as Bouillon only played 2:28 in the 3rd period. Hopefully Gorges replace him in the lineup for Buffalo. Rotating Gorges, Breezer, and the Cube, at least that would be better than what's happening right now.

My prob is that Bouillon is just too small. He's not a terrible player, but he's just completely outreached on the puck and cannot handle a team with large forwards like the leafs. His hitting his solid, but if a big guy see's it coming, he will brace himself on the boards, Bouillon will bounce off and the big leaf forward easily corrals the puck and is a half step ahead of Bouillon winning the battle easily. Speaking as a defenceman myself, reach is a HUGE part of the defensive game, I know a few fellow defencemen (especially the stay at home types) who use ridiculously long sticks so they can magnify their poke checks and their ability to be first with ahandle on loose pucks. Bouillon doesnt make for a good dominate the puck stay at home defencemen, he's no skilled defencemen with offensive threat like Markov, Gonchar or Kubina, he's basically just a scrappy 4th line hitter like Begin, but on defence.

I guess he can be punishing against smaller teams, but the leafs forwards are the whole pretty large (and one of the few small guys, Wellwood, scored under his nose which earned him a benching), a puck playing stay at home dman liek Gorges woulda been a lot better out there tonight. Bouillon will definitely be outta here though when Gainy decides somone's ready and brings in another heavyweight like O'Bryen (or one of their 5 monster Dman draft picks of 2007) who completely dwarfs Bouillon's hitting role and brings a lot more to the table besides that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Although I think it goes without saying, lets not forget props to Kovy tonight. We are a such a better team with him playing well. The first line can go to sleep and we are still in it.

Kovalev seems to be reborn, and part of that credit has to go to Gainey and Carbonneau, as well as whomever else on the team may have had a hand in it. Whatever happened last year between Carbo and certain players seems to be gone. The respect looks like it's going both ways now, and the Habs front office has really tried to solidify the team. As was mentioned on the last TSN broadcast, Kovalev is having fun now; he's not the same person we got as a desperate move to try and save this team from the brink of the abyss. I beleive he genuinly enjoys the city, the team, and now his coaching staff. He may not have to like his coach all the time, and no player usually does, but as long as they both respect each other and make decisions for the betterment of the team, then it's a happy union.

It's also nice to see two young stars on our roster feeding off what Kovalev is giving almost every shift, every game. The same way Higgins has become a more complete player playing with Saku, Kostitsyn and Pleckanc seem to be learning from Kovalev. Plekanec has learned how to be responsible on a line that features two offensive talents without sacrificing his own, and Kostitsyn could stand to learn a thing or two from Alex (this years Kovalev, not last years).

While it wasn't a great game to watch, in the end it almost was. You need to find ways to win even when you shouldn't; and we definitely shouldn't have tonight. This team IS different from last years team, and it's plain as daylight. We're a team now, not a group of individuals carrying a team. We're not always gonna be the best team on any given night, but as long as you're at least the 8th best team come April...well, that's a step up from where we were last year. Two steps up, in fact.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

love beating the leafs in their own building. Love doing it on a Komi breakaway (?!?!?!) even more. There was a lot to be happy about (price, komi, the second line) and some stuff to not be so happy about... I knew coming into the game that I had lost just about all my patience with Ryder, but I was really underwhelmed by Smoke tonight too. Am I the only one feeling that way?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

love beating the leafs in their own building. Love doing it on a Komi breakaway (?!?!?!) even more. There was a lot to be happy about (price, komi, the second line) and some stuff to not be so happy about... I knew coming into the game that I had lost just about all my patience with Ryder, but I was really underwhelmed by Smoke tonight too. Am I the only one feeling that way?

It was hard to miss Smoke with the terrible backcheck on Wellwood.

Ryder never wins a battle on the boards. He is getting worse instead of better.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.




×
×
  • Create New...