Our friends Guy, "Jack" and "Adams"

[TheAussiePosse]

First of all, please conduct all anti-jinx, counter-jinx and un-jinxing actions now.

As the Habs have a hair's breadth lead on Ottawa, New Jersey and Pittsburgh for the Eastern Conference lead, I think now's a good time to look at Guy's chances at winning the Jack Adams award.

The award is given to the coach who is "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success", and with two ex-Habs personnel having won it in the past four seasons (Alain Vigneault with Vancouver last season, and Jacques Lemaire in Minnesota in '03), it's quite possible that Carbo will be one of the nominees in summer.

Last year's poor finishing by the Habs was still on par with many predictions by experts, and I think the predictions for this year (to finish well outside the playoffs) will work in Carbo's favour. Lindy Ruff took the Sabres on a big run back in 2006, the first year post-lockout and one where they were predicted, like this year's Habs, to finish dismally. Add to that the fact that Vancouver won their division by only one point, finishing with the sixth most points the West, and I think the odds get a little better.

Most notably, the Habs lost rather than gained players at the deadline - teams like Pittsburgh and Ottawa are arguably strengthened by acquisitions of Stillman and Commodore, or Hossa, which would detract, rather than add, to the requirement that it is the coach and not the players, who is critical to the team's success.

Only one coach since Scotty Bowman in 1977 has won both the Jack Adams award and the Stanley Cup (that's three decades, for those of you counting at home) in the same year. And while the Presidents Trophy has only been awarded since 1985, only four coaches in the past 22 years have won both it and the Jack Adams in the same year. So obviously, the Habs don't have to win the President's Trophy or Stanley Cup for Carbonneau to be nominated. Although, honestly, I wouldn't complain either way.

With the top powerplay percentage, second overall in goals and with the most players with 40 points or more in the league (all which point to the coach's strategies rather than individual players), I think Carbo has quite a good shot.

What do you guys think?

PS - Habs (81 points) have 3 games in hand on Dallas, who are six points ahead of the Habs for 2nd in the league. Anyone want to raise the bar a little higher yet?

Edited March 2, 2008 by TheAussiePosse

[Habsfan84]

I think Carbs deserves a nomination but he will have a tough time winning it from that coach in Washington who has turned them around drastically.

[SAKS-AVENUE]

[quote name='TheAussiePosse' date='Mar 2 2008, 10:22 AM' post='278335

PS - Habs (81 points) have 3 games in hand on Dallas, who are six points ahead of the Habs for 2nd in the league. Anyone want to raise the bar a little higher yet?

I think I'm still enjoying the moment of the teams stab at first place in our conference from last night. I just want them to keep winning now, clinch and hopefully stay ahead of Ottawa to at least win our division. They should really focus now on just playing solid hockey that will benefit them in the play-offs.

Sure catching Dallas or Detroit would be wonderful but just plain old icing on the cake after the fantastic season the Habs delivered so far. We can worry about first overall next season. Besides....I'm sure Ottawa is not going to roll over and die and just let us have 1st. Add Pittsburgh and New Jersey to the mix. There is still lot's of hockey to play and nothing is impossible.........Go HABS Go!!!!!!!!!

Ya.......Carbo deserves a lot of credit, I hope he at least gets noticed.....which he will......

Edited March 2, 2008 by SAKS-AVENUE

[MAK]

Carbonneau should get it if Boston fails to make the playoffs. Julien would be my 1st choice !!

[Psycing]

I would be utterly surprised if Carbonneau isn't nominated for coach of the year. If you look at the work he's done and the complete turn around compared to his rookie season behind the bench, there's no doubt that he's one of the best guys behind the bench this season.

[alexstream]

Carbonneau should get it if Boston fails to make the playoffs. Julien would be my 1st choice !!

I understand... but :puke:

[Mils]

Quenneville deserves some consideration, helping keep the Avalanche in the playoffs without Stastny, Smyth, or Sakic for a good chunk of the year. (And now it looks like Svatos and Smyth might be done for a while.)

[BTH]

I think Julien is more or less a lock for this one. At the start of the season, people counted Boston out, and they've been a good team even without their best player, without their newly acquired starting goaltender and with a whole bunch of other injuries.

[brobin]

Wow, people here spend the first part of the season bemoaning every move Carbo made, now he is a Jack Adams candidate?

All aboard!!!!!

[SAKS-AVENUE]

Wow, people here spend the first part of the season bemoaning every move Carbo made, now he is a Jack Adams candidate?

All aboard!!!!!

Hey Brobin, It's something I've got used to on these boards so I'm not surprised. Wait till Saku goes on a scoring spree and wins us a round in the play-offs. People will be calling him the greatest Captain in Habs history, calling for Mvp and signing him for another 10 years.....while maybe retiring his jersey early...........BUT RIGHT NOW? I'll probably get banned from the site just for saying what I just said.

I'm just happy to see the team and especially Saku with big smiles on their faces. The message boards will always be the message boards....roller coasters of emotion from hour to hour.

Go Habs Go!!!!!

[Mils]

Wow, people here spend the first part of the season bemoaning every move Carbo made, now he is a Jack Adams candidate?

All aboard!!!!!

Around here, we sometimes take "bandwagon" and "scapegoat" to new levels.

See: Jose Theodore. (2002: Greatest goaltender of all time. 2006: Biggest bust since Alexandre Daigle)

[Easy Ryder]

Nope he is not Jack Adams worthy yet but made some great improvements

in term of coaching and entire team and not having half the locker room and

the town against him. For this i think Muller keeps things cool around and work

on the players who are out of the line up.

The biggest team improvement came from Bob talking to Kovalev last summer

not Carbo.

Carbo is growing into a good coach and he has the advantage of having depth

shot-middle-long term.

I wil wait the end of the year and the way he coach a team in playoffs to say

he is an elite coach of the league.

[Habitforming]

If Carbo wins the Jack Adams trophy I would run down the streets naked then shoot myself in the head in front of the old Forum just to compensate for something else stupid that has happened (Carbo winning).

I would go as far as to say the Habs have been very good in spite of Carbo's coaching.

[Neech]

I would go as far as to say the Habs have been very good in spite of Carbo's coaching.

All that can be said is

I agree with the people who say it should be Julien.

[Familia]

[quote name='TheAussiePosse' date='Mar 2 2008, 10:22 AM' post='278335

PS - Habs (81 points) have 3 games in hand on Dallas, who are six points ahead of the Habs for 2nd in the league. Anyone want to raise the bar a little higher yet?

I think I'm still enjoying the moment of the teams stab at first place in our conference from last night. I just want them to keep winning now, clinch and hopefully stay ahead of Ottawa to at least win our division. They should really focus now on just playing solid hockey that will benefit them in the play-offs.

Sure catching Dallas or Detroit would be wonderful but just plain old icing on the cake after the fantastic season the Habs delivered so far. We can worry about first overall next season. Besides....I'm sure Ottawa is not going to roll over and die and just let us have 1st. Add Pittsburgh and New Jersey to the mix. There is still lot's of hockey to play and nothing is impossible.........Go HABS Go!!!!!!!!!

Ya.......Carbo deserves a lot of credit, I hope he at least gets noticed.....which he will......

watch out for boston, only a few points back and 2 games in hand

[thib46]

If Carbo wins the Jack Adams trophy I would run down the streets naked then shoot myself in the head in front of the old Forum just to compensate for something else stupid that has happened (Carbo winning).

I would go as far as to say the Habs have been very good in spite of Carbo's coaching.

Well that will take one person off the board!!!

[Habsfan]

I believe Carbo deserves a nomination for the jack Adams, but I doubt he'll get the votes from the Canadian media. They are talking about Gretzky!

[Wamsley01]

Around here, we sometimes take "bandwagon" and "scapegoat" to new levels.

See: Jose Theodore. (2002: Greatest goaltender of all time. 2006: Biggest bust since Alexandre Daigle)

I still think it was one of the greatest individual goaltending seasons of all-time. Unfortunately he could never match that one season.

[johnnyhasbeen]

Hey Brobin, It's something I've got used to on these boards so I'm not surprised. Wait till Saku goes on a scoring spree and wins us a round in the play-offs. People will be calling him the greatest Captain in Habs history, calling for Mvp and signing him for another 10 years.....while maybe retiring his jersey early...........BUT RIGHT NOW? I'll probably get banned from the site just for saying what I just said.

I'm just happy to see the team and especially Saku with big smiles on their faces. The message boards will always be the message boards....roller coasters of emotion from hour to hour.

Go Habs Go!!!!!

Well I for one have never critisized Guy but have Koivu since the dismal end to last season. He may win the MVP of the playoffs, but his number still should not be retired, nor should he be extended, regardless of how great he does or doesn't do down the stretch. He isn't needed in the long term big picture, in my opinion.

If Carbo wins the Jack Adams trophy I would run down the streets naked then shoot myself in the head in front of the old Forum just to compensate for something else stupid that has happened (Carbo winning).

I would go as far as to say the Habs have been very good in spite of Carbo's coaching.

Mario Trembley? You hanging around here? Pretty amazing kids to do it all on there own. Just imagine, if they had a good coach, they would be in first place! So let me get this right, God was handing out brains, you thought he said trains, and asked for a nice slow one? Give it a rest, Guy was a great captain and is a great coach. He is a leader and always has been. Oh, and he has also always been a winner and that's what really matters to me.

[Mils]

I still think it was one of the greatest individual goaltending seasons of all-time. Unfortunately he could never match that one season.

That may not have been the best goaltending performance that season, let alone all time.

[JMMR]

Julien wont win unless the Bruins win the division.

[jetsniper]

That may not have been the best goaltending performance that season, let alone all time.

Yeah, Roy gets the 1st team all-star over Theodore yet Theo gets all the awards. That was highway robbery, I was so pissed off that year.

[Wamsley01]

That may not have been the best goaltending performance that season, let alone all time.

You mean the stats Patrick Roy put up behind the defending Stanley Cup champions defense?

Patrick Roy - 32 Wins, 1.93 GAA and 0.925 SV%, 9 shutouts

Jose Theodore - 30 Wins, 2.11 GAA and 0.931 SV %, 7 shutouts

Colorado D - Blake, Foote, Kasparitus, DeVries

Montreal D - Brisebois, Rivet, Quintal and Markov

Colorado F - Sakic, Tanguay, Drury, Hejduk, Yelle, Vrbata

Montreal F - Perreault, Zednik, Petrov, Juneau, Gilmour, Dackell

I think I will stick with Theodore on this one.

That is without mentioning the playoffs when the habs were outshot 270-190 over 6 games and won a series 4-2.

Or the fact that he had them on the brink of the Conference Finals with that shit lineup.

And lets check what the immortal David Aebischer did behind the Colorado defence that season in 1/3 the starts.

Patrick Roy - 32 Wins, 1.93 GAA and 0.925 SV%, 9 shutouts

David Aebischer - 13 Wins, 1.88 GAA and 0.931 SV%, 2 shutouts.

Roy is my favourite player of all-time, but come on now.

Edited March 3, 2008 by Wamsley01

[Mils]

Roy had probably a better defense in front of him 2001 (Ray Bourque comes to mind), but didn't have the same statistics (2.21 and .913). Foote and Blake were great defensemen, but DeVries and Kasparaitis? Hardly legendary defensemen. (They did have the best defense in the league, to your credit. But Roy was a big part of that.)

I'm no mathematician, but 19 games for Aebischer isn't 1/3 of 82.

And the only reason Roy didn't win those awards is because he didn't want to be Gretzky's puppet and compete for a starting job on team Canada. Gretzky went political and made sure Theo won both awards.

We could go around in circles all day on this, Fanpuck and I have had this argument more than once. They both had amazing seasons, and neither acheived the ultimate goal of winning a stanley cup. Go ahead and get the last word, I've made my case for Roy. There isn't any way to win this argument one way or the other.

[BCHabnut]

Roy had probably a better defense in front of him 2001 (Ray Bourque comes to mind), but didn't have the same statistics (2.21 and .913). Foote and Blake were great defensemen, but DeVries and Kasparaitis? Hardly legendary defensemen. (They did have the best defense in the league, to your credit. But Roy was a big part of that.)

I'm no mathematician, but 19 games for Aebischer isn't 1/3 of 82.

And the only reason Roy didn't win those awards is because he didn't want to be Gretzky's puppet and compete for a starting job on team Canada. Gretzky went political and made sure Theo won both awards.

We could go around in circles all day on this, Fanpuck and I have had this argument more than once. They both had amazing seasons, and neither acheived the ultimate goal of winning a stanley cup. Go ahead and get the last word, I've made my case for Roy. There isn't any way to win this argument one way or the other.

The Hart is a no brainer. If it wasn't Theo, it wouldn't have gone to Roy. It goes to the player that does the most to make his team great. Colorado was great, and Roy was a member of an already successful team. Whereas Theo had "a few crusty bitches and a handful of ragtags" and carried them into the playoffs.

As for the vesina, the same argument applies. If I recall, I thought that the next selection for vesina should have been Luongo. His Save percentage was also quite high, and the shots he faced was ridiculous. In a year when these goalies are the only real thing that is good in your entire team, it's tough for the Brodeurs, Roys and Haseks to win the Vesina.

I think the Aebischer stat was thrown in by Wamsley to show just how good the Avalanche were that year, and that if Abby could flop and flounder his way to 13 Wins, 1.88 GAA and 0.931 SV%, 2 shutouts, then you could probably just put one of those plywood goalies with the 5 holes cut out in front of the net and still win.

Edited March 3, 2008 by BCHabnut