Game Thread | Habs vs. Blue Jackets | 23/02/08

[Fat Tony]

I also believe that Huet isn't a number 1, but to trade him would be a big mistake. I think he is an excellent back up. What we need is a numero uno. Obviously, Price is not ready, but he's got great potential. A tandem Halak-Huet is the solution while the rookie learns his trade in the minors. Call Halak up!

Huet is a 1B goalie who in the recent past has shown signs of being a 1A. To me he is a starting goalie, just not good enough to be our starting goalie. We're a team with a 1B, 1C & 1D goalie (you pick your own order). One of them needs to step up and be a consistent 1A+ (all three have the potential...hell, Danis even has the potential but will never get another chance the poor guy).

[JCPetit]

Don't mind me, I just said I was done commenting LOL

You have got a point. He definitely has not adjusted to the NHL speed. Players are faster, they have better shots, and shoot more often, from everywhere. The intensity is way up compared to the AHL. The young man needs more time to adjust, that's all.

[Fanpuck33]

Not a very good performance by the Habs tonight, but you gotta give some credit to Pazzy. If Norrena had been in net, Montreal probably would have won that game.

[Habsfan84]

Not a very good performance by the Habs tonight, but you gotta give some credit to Pazzy. If Norrena had been in net, Montreal probably would have won that game.

Maybe if Norrena but i dont think the habs mustered anything really. They were really dead in tonights game. Maybe if the Hit post by Hamrilk would have of gone in the Habs would of started to play.

[InsaneHABSfan]

I have noticed a trend in this forum. Habs win, the goalies were great. Habs lose the goalyes sucked. Hmmmm... this sounds like a LEAF board! Ever think the other team was better?

I would like to ask the armchair experts here if Price and Huet really suck because neither have scored a goal this season. Oh no we are doomed, our goalies cannot stop a puck and cannot score.

RELAX!!!!! :hlogo: :hlogo:

Yes, goaltending makes the difference between championship and runner up. However, I do not question Montreal's goaltending as much as the often running around defence and lack of a true goalscorer. The team lets us down and defeats our wanting more victories.

How many here would have thought Montreal would be 5th in the East at this time of the year? I didn't and I am enjoying their success.

Go Habs.... Booooo to all those negative Vibes towards our puckstoppers and Go gets us a goalscorer BG.

Edited February 24, 2008 by InsaneAVSfan

[Dirty Harry]

The goaltending wasn't great but what did it matter if the score was 1-0 or 10-0, you can't win with no goals for!! Price did not earn the L here, lack of finish on so many power plays and open nets is not acceptable. Too many missed shots or shots aimed into Leclerc's chest.

[Prime Minister Koivu]

On the first goal, I think Price lost sight of the puck. He didn't move with the pass. Peca had several seconds to line up the shot before Price even started to move. Weak coverage by Markov but Price should have been over there long before the shot. It was a really bad angle and if Price was there then it wouldn't have gone in. Second goal was just plain bad.

Just not a good time for both goalies to be playing so poorly.

Edited February 24, 2008 by Prime Minister Koivu

[Habsfan84]

Just not a good time for both goalies to be playing so poorly.

Ni it is not for sure. We need Price to show he is #1 so we can trade Huet.

[johnnyhasbeen]

Well, if it is 'creating monsters' to tell players they have to produce, there's something wrong to begin with. I didn't see Patrick Roy nervously looking over his shoulder because the highly-touted David Aebischer was being brought up.

It is creating monster to not know if you are the guy or not as a goalie. When I was in nets, any little distraction like that was deprimental. Maybe that is why I didn't make it.

Huet is no Roy. Hopefully Price is no Aebi!

I'm not against giving him a shot and if he'd have played that Leaf game last year we probably would have been in the playoffs...my point is blaming a 3-0 game on a goalie is ludicrous...if you don't score even one goal, you don't win...no point in analyzing our goalie when we can't even beat their goalie once. Does that make sense to anyone but me?

It is also crazy to expect the best play out of the players in fron of you as, as a goalie, when for the third game straight the play a great 1st period, only to be down 2-0 on weak ass goals. It is demoralizing to say the least. I know they are pros and should rise above it. They are also human. If Atlanta scores early and its even close to a weak goal, I think we are in real trouble.Therefore, I would like to see Halak, called up put in . Team has no reason at all to doubt him. He has been the best of the three, although with little time played.

[JMMR]

I was there and have to say you can place the blame for this game on 4 people.

Koivu

Kovalev

Markov

Carbonneau

Those three players are supposed to be the Canadiens offensive leaders especially on a 5 on 3 power play for over a minute, and Carbonneau could not get them scoring and did not make the right changes to do so.

Oh well it is just another HOME loss.

[jrhabs]

Ni it is not for sure. We need Price to show he is #1 so we can trade Huet.

I hope the trade deadline will not just come and go without anything concret because the habs don't even look like a playoff team now with both goalies in the dumps and a snoozing defense.

[brobin]

I hope the trade deadline will not just come and go without anything concret because the habs don't even look like a playoff team now with both goalies in the dumps and a snoozing defense.

Neither do the Wings, but that is the point.

We have a slumping set of goalies. Why do you think that will continue? We know both of these guys are better then that and if Carbo doesn't screw with them, they will play their way out of it.

Same goes with our defensive game, which is hot or cold. One night Markov and Komi look like the best in the east, the next they look like crap. It happens.

I firmly believe we are not nearly as good as our record indicated 2 weeks ago, but we are not nearly as bad as we have played in the last few games.

As long as we make the playoffs, I would prefer our team and goalies go on a roll in the playoffs then now. There are a lot of distractions going on with the trade deadline and one way or another, the team will be set on Wednesday for the remainder of the season.

As for Huet, I don't care how bad he plays, he needs 4 or 5 straight games. He is our number 1 goalie this year and he needs to know that. He needs to know the pressure is on him to win and that he needs to play his way out of his slump. I don't like the bounce between goalies, play til you lose crap. At this point in the season you have to make a statement and choose a clear number 1 guy to ride. To me, that is Huet. Price can sit back and wait for the playoffs to see if he needs to pull a "Cam Ward" or not.

[Wamsley01]

I have noticed a trend in this forum. Habs win, the goalies were great. Habs lose the goalyes sucked. Hmmmm... this sounds like a LEAF board! Ever think the other team was better?

I would like to ask the armchair experts here if Price and Huet really suck because neither have scored a goal this season. Oh no we are doomed, our goalies cannot stop a puck and cannot score.

RELAX!!!!! :hlogo: :hlogo:

Yes, goaltending makes the difference between championship and runner up. However, I do not question Montreal's goaltending as much as the often running around defence and lack of a true goalscorer. The team lets us down and defeats our wanting more victories.

How many here would have thought Montreal would be 5th in the East at this time of the year? I didn't and I am enjoying their success.

Go Habs.... Booooo to all those negative Vibes towards our puckstoppers and Go gets us a goalscorer BG.

Come on, take away Price's 3 games a week ago and you are looking at a 3.88 GAA and a .865 Save percentage from our goaltenders.

Add the 3 games and it is still a less than impressive 3.25 GAA and an .895 Save percentage. That is unacceptable.

As far as comparing Habs fans to Leaf fans, I wouldn't compare them in the area of blaming the goalie. I would compare it in the area

of remaining loyal and making excuses for players playing like shit. Leaf fans blame Raycroft, but with good reason he sucks.

But the last 10 years for Leaf fans has allowed them to watch Cujo and Belfour, so they were not doing much scapegoating of their goalies.

[Fat Tony]

Come on, take away Price's 3 games a week ago and you are looking at a 3.88 GAA and a .865 Save percentage from our goaltenders.

Add the 3 games and it is still a less than impressive 3.25 GAA and an .895 Save percentage. That is unacceptable.

As far as comparing Habs fans to Leaf fans, I wouldn't compare them in the area of blaming the goalie. I would compare it in the area

of remaining loyal and making excuses for players playing like shit. Leaf fans blame Raycroft, but with good reason he sucks.

But the last 10 years for Leaf fans has allowed them to watch Cujo and Belfour, so they were not doing much scapegoating of their goalies.

Actually most Leaf fans I've talked to are pretty happy with Toskola and feel he's just about the only part of the team worth keeping, Raycroft sadly does suck...not a knock, a statistical fact.

I'm not too worried about our goalies at this point...like mentioned above, they,re both in a slump and are both better than they are playing. As long as they come out of their funk and hopefully one steps up their game to take the number 1 spot for good we'll be fine. We still have a nice cushion of points, if you want to panic...try being a Philly fan

Edited February 24, 2008 by Fat Tony

[BTH]

I was there and have to say you can place the blame for this game on 4 people.

Koivu

Kovalev

Markov

Carbonneau

Those three players are supposed to be the Canadiens offensive leaders especially on a 5 on 3 power play for over a minute, and Carbonneau could not get them scoring and did not make the right changes to do so.

Oh well it is just another HOME loss.

Kovalev played 24:04 last night, led all PLAYERS in icetime, including our defencemen. He and Markov were our two best players last night.

Our best players were playing the best but the team lost - so you're blaming those two? Blame the guys who didn't play their best. Koivu should have been benched, Higgins is a huge letdown, Price, of course, ...

As for Carbo, there is only so much he can do - we outshot them, outhit them, outfaceoffed them and outchanced them - but it is not his job to come onto the ice grab Plekanec's stick out of his hands and shoot the puck into the empty net. All he can do is motivate them and give them the gameplan to win: those things were done, but we couldn't finish our chances.

[InsaneHABSfan]

Come on, take away Price's 3 games a week ago and you are looking at a 3.88 GAA and a .865 Save percentage from our goaltenders.

More armchair statistics. Lets takeaway 10 Habs losses and the Team is first in the East. Sorry, life does not work that way.

Ask Ottawa if they like their goalies right now. How about Detroit, hmmm Colorado oh and those poor Atlanta thrashers netminders.

It is the same tired excuse fans use that it is entirely the goalies fault when the warts are on defensive plays that cause the bad goals. When Montreal looses it is usually bad penalties, loss the faceoff in their end too much, and Defense giving up the puck. Then it is the goalie to bail them out or choke. When Montreal does not score any goals, how is the goalie going to win??????

Montreal's goaltending tandem is better than any goaltending on Eastern teams this year except NJ. This may change as Miller is playing better fot the Sabres.

[Wamsley01]

More armchair statistics. Lets takeaway 10 Habs losses and the Team is first in the East. Sorry, life does not work that way.

Ask Ottawa if they like their goalies right now. How about Detroit, hmmm Colorado oh and those poor Atlanta thrashers netminders.

It is the same tired excuse fans use that it is entirely the goalies fault when the warts are on defensive plays that cause the bad goals. When Montreal looses it is usually bad penalties, loss the faceoff in their end too much, and Defense giving up the puck. Then it is the goalie to bail them out or choke. When Montreal does not score any goals, how is the goalie going to win??????

Montreal's goaltending tandem is better than any goaltending on Eastern teams this year except NJ. This may change as Miller is playing better fot the Sabres.

Yeah, armchair statistics. Our goaltenders are stopping 89% of the shots directed at them. Not important. Somebody else's fault.

I have watched every game this month except the miraculous performance by Huet in a 6-1 loss, and blaming it on the defense is weak.

The last 3 games were not defensive breakdowns that cost this team. But mediocre goaltending. I credit strong play when it is warranted,

and I don't care what they did in October to Decemeber as my post was about the last month. So if you want to tell me that they have been

the best tandem this month then you roll with that.

As far as your comparison I don't care about other teams goalies. Why should I?

Detroit and Ottawa?

1 has finished first overall 5-6 times in the last 10 years and is in first overall right now, and one team has been a perennial contender

since 2000 with a trip to the Finals just last season. Great comparison. Both have continually won with terrible goaltending.

Guess what, the Habs haven't.

So keep arguing about points I am not making. I said they have been terrible this month, they have cost this team victories and their play

has been mediocre. Price was weak on the first 2 goals last night. All facts. Until you prove otherwise I don't care what you write.

[habsfan88]

Not even 1 goal for Gainey? Not even with all of those powerplays? what is going on...

[Neech]

I was there and have to say you can place the blame for this game on 4 people.

Koivu

Kovalev

Markov

Carbonneau

Those three players are supposed to be the Canadiens offensive leaders especially on a 5 on 3 power play for over a minute, and Carbonneau could not get them scoring and did not make the right changes to do so.

Oh well it is just another HOME loss.

Oh come on, you have to include Price as one of your blameworthy people, you would do it if it was Huet who made the exact same saves and let in the exact same goals. Price came through with maybe 2 or 3 big saves, but was weak on all of the goals. He got us in a hole quickly and Columbus has a conservative style that makes it hard to come back.

I also don't see how you blame Kovalev, he had a good game. Markov was also pretty good, he made that brilliant set-up to Plex who missed an open net. I agree with blaming Koivu, he was just bad. I still think that if Plex and A Kost were out on the 5 on 3 instead of Koivu and Ryder then we would have scored there, so that could be some blame for Carbo.

[Chris]

The bottom line is the whether it's goaltending, piss poor defense and no offense the problems remain the same. Currently the goalies aren't able to mask the Habs problems.

1. They have no real leadership or character, they take long periods of time off, only play parts of games and when a "weak" goal goes in they fold like a tent. For those who say Koivu, may i remind you they only have like 10 playoff wins under his leadership. I'm not talking about his play.

2. They are too soft and small to compete with the big boys. The 8 dman is just stupid. Komi wins an occaisional fight but it's always against a non-fighter. The rest of the habs get rag dolled and pushed all over the ice.

GC has done a good job getting these guys to work harder and buy into the system, atleast much more then the prior 10 years. 5th place with 19 to go i'll take, especially since i picked them 10th. They have 19 games to prove what there worth, this team could go either way.

That was an emabarrassment on BG night, they showed nothing.

[JMMR]

Kovalev played 24:04 last night, led all PLAYERS in icetime, including our defencemen. He and Markov were our two best players last night.

Our best players were playing the best but the team lost - so you're blaming those two? Blame the guys who didn't play their best. Koivu should have been benched, Higgins is a huge letdown, Price, of course, ...

As for Carbo, there is only so much he can do - we outshot them, outhit them, outfaceoffed them and outchanced them - but it is not his job to come onto the ice grab Plekanec's stick out of his hands and shoot the puck into the empty net. All he can do is motivate them and give them the gameplan to win: those things were done, but we couldn't finish our chances.

I chose those guys to blame because they are supposed to be the Offensive leaders and that 5 on3 was terrible.

Oh come on, you have to include Price as one of your blameworthy people, you would do it if it was Huet who made the exact same saves and let in the exact same goals. Price came through with maybe 2 or 3 big saves, but was weak on all of the goals. He got us in a hole quickly and Columbus has a conservative style that makes it hard to come back.

I also don't see how you blame Kovalev, he had a good game. Markov was also pretty good, he made that brilliant set-up to Plex who missed an open net. I agree with blaming Koivu, he was just bad. I still think that if Plex and A Kost were out on the 5 on 3 instead of Koivu and Ryder then we would have scored there, so that could be some blame for Carbo.

If the Habs would have scored even one goal I would have added Price to the list but when you get shutout you rarley win.

That said Price was not good on Saturday.

[Habsfan]

Oh come on, you have to include Price as one of your blameworthy people, you would do it if it was Huet who made the exact same saves and let in the exact same goals. Price came through with maybe 2 or 3 big saves, but was weak on all of the goals. He got us in a hole quickly

Especially that second goal. HTe Habs seemed to have to momentum, Leclair had just made a big save, but the habs had the momentum, and then Carey let in that weak goal! It just totally killed the Habs for the rest of the 1st period.

I'm not blaming the entire game onthe Kid, but that was ONE save he HAD TO MAKE!

[JMMR]

Especially that second goal. HTe Habs seemed to have to momentum, Leclair had just made a big save, but the habs had the momentum, and then Carey let in that weak goal! It just totally killed the Habs for the rest of the 1st period.

I'm not blaming the entire game onthe Kid, but that was ONE save he HAD TO MAKE!

I agree teams like Montreal need great goaltending to make noise in the playoffs and if Price and Huet continue to let in those softies they might be lucky to make a whimper.

[Neech]

If the Habs would have scored even one goal I would have added Price to the list but when you get shutout you rarley win.

That said Price was not good on Saturday.

So you would not have put Huet on the list if he was in nets and the game went exactly the same?

Especially that second goal. HTe Habs seemed to have to momentum, Leclair had just made a big save, but the habs had the momentum, and then Carey let in that weak goal! It just totally killed the Habs for the rest of the 1st period.

I'm not blaming the entire game onthe Kid, but that was ONE save he HAD TO MAKE!

Yeah, that was a killer. At that moment I kind of knew that we would lose, we can't keep coming back from 2 or 3 goal first period deficits.

[InsaneHABSfan]

Yeah, armchair statistics. Our goaltenders are stopping 89% of the shots directed at them. Not important. Somebody else's fault.

I have watched every game this month except the miraculous performance by Huet in a 6-1 loss, and blaming it on the defense is weak.

The last 3 games were not defensive breakdowns that cost this team. But mediocre goaltending. I credit strong play when it is warranted,

and I don't care what they did in October to Decemeber as my post was about the last month. So if you want to tell me that they have been

the best tandem this month then you roll with that.

As far as your comparison I don't care about other teams goalies. Why should I?

Detroit and Ottawa?

1 has finished first overall 5-6 times in the last 10 years and is in first overall right now, and one team has been a perennial contender

since 2000 with a trip to the Finals just last season. Great comparison. Both have continually won with terrible goaltending.

Guess what, the Habs haven't.

So keep arguing about points I am not making. I said they have been terrible this month, they have cost this team victories and their play

has been mediocre. Price was weak on the first 2 goals last night. All facts. Until you prove otherwise I don't care what you write.

When you actually put any FACTS in your statements you will have credibility in your stayements. So you watched every game; who are you exactly that we should bow down to your greatness? Challenging me without facts just makes me snicker as I do not respond to challenges with such weak rhetorical nonsense.

Only you think the defence played great so that is your opinion, not fact. In the future I will just ignore your posts so you don't get so upset. You are the typical Habs fan that wants a whipping boy when Montreal cannot win faceoffs and cannot move the puck out of their own end which results in running around. Whats next, run Koivu out of town because he is not scoring??