InsaneHABSfan Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 All the Habs need to do against the Sens is manhandle the top line. Take liberties, run them, rough them up and see what happens. When Philly roughed up Spezza what did he do? He speared a guy. If it doesn't work, on to plan two. Even though everybody thinks Ottawa is a sleeping giant, I am not afraid to face them in the playoffs. I'm trying to figure out who on the Habs fits this role to do what you have proposed. It is exactly what the team needs as the Leafs do this to the Sens. Oh well, next game..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafikz Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 Exactly what i said Yeah, why did they wait the end of the game to be physical? I mean, this is a rivalry game, with the 1st place on the line; we didn't hit hard; we didn't try to disturb the goalie (Gerber lookied like Roy tonight, which is not acceptable at all); basically, we didn't do anything to send a meesage, and to energize the team and the crowd (which Komisarek did in that famous game vs Rangers) We should have started the game with desire and hate; why waiting for the 3rd period ???? the Sens are not the Rangers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KoZed Posted March 14, 2008 Author Share Posted March 14, 2008 All the Habs need to do against the Sens is manhandle the top line. Take liberties, run them, rough them up and see what happens. When Philly roughed up Spezza what did he do? He speared a guy. If it doesn't work, on to plan two. Even though everybody thinks Ottawa is a sleeping giant, I am not afraid to face them in the playoffs. Problem is that if you want to start playing rough, you run the risk of getting penalties... and with the way our PK has sucked this season it's a big risk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smon Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 with the way our PK has sucked this season it's a big risk. In retrospect Montreal probably should have kept Bonk, he did a good job in the role of a PKer and checking centre, and he's having a fairly mediocre year in Nashville right now. Darn Smolinski... Well, there's always next game... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brobin Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 I do worry about out team toughness. Yes, Komi can hit hard and often, but overall, we don't seem to have the ability to really rough up a top like. Spezza, Heatley, and Alfie were running around our zone all night without a care in the world. I am not sure if someone like Begin would be more effective against these guys if he was in the lineup, but he might have helped. I don't think the team needs to be taking penalties, but they could finish a few checks here and there. I noticed Markov easing up all night when he could have creamed the guy. Even Hammer was not exactly dishing out the punishment. I just hope we don't have to face these guys in the playoffs. Never thought I would say this, but I would rather face NJ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easy Ryder Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 Getting blanked at home is always ashaming. You can lose some games but showing up flat in front of your own crowd, a lot of people around that rink knows hockey and you can't hide yourself from critics. The Koivu-Higgins-S Kost lien has 0 shots on net. Bar zero nada. Streit was pretty awful in PP last night. And third but not least, they played the same way as the Ducks game, it was a copy-paste. Dump and chase is not the way this team won games this year. The strenght of that team is when they keep the puck and doesn't give it to the opponent. Kovalev showed and prooved it all year long, now there is always two players covering Kovalev, it gives space to the others. The lone forward that i saw trying to keep the puck and control it was Ryder and as i said it times and times it is not his job. So don't give puck to the opponent should be on the game plan, seem stupid to say but they forget that against higher skilled team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habsfan84 Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 Well was not a good game for our boys. You cant really fault Price on any of the goals but the second one that went off his back is a usual. Teams seem to like to do that to Price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wamsley01 Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 Problem is that if you want to start playing rough, you run the risk of getting penalties... and with the way our PK has sucked this season it's a big risk. Well, if you go out and play them the way they have all year, you are dead anyways. So what do you have to lose? Especially if you start on the road by going out and abusing these guys for 2 periods and see if they have the balls to fight through it? If you lose 6-1 it counts as 1 loss. But what if Spezza starts to ease up in the corners, or decides he doesn't like the front of the net? What if Heatley sticks to the perimeter? Then you change the series. Playoff hockey is about implementing a strategy and then constantly adjusting it to counteract what the opposition does. Ottawa has proven for years that they back down from the rough stuff, so ignoring that would be a huge mistake. As far as the Habs not having the individuals to do that, I think Begin, Kostopolous, Lapierre, Higgins, Latendresse, Komisarek, Hamrlik, O'Byrne, Bouillion, are all capable of raising their physical game. In the playoffs the best team doesn't win, the team that wants it more does. It is one of the reasons that I like the top line, Kostitsyn and Kovalev are physical with the puck, when challenged they don't back down especially Kovalev, he gets mad. Koivu is a tireless worker as is Higgins when he is playing well. Lil TlTs doesn't back down from anybody. My only concern about the physical game is the size. Against the Ducks they would wear down over 7 games, but I don't think they would slink aways like the Sens did last season. If they want it more than the Sens they will beat them, but it is going to require tireless harrasment of the top line and a "refuse to be denied" attitude by the forwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habsfan84 Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 One player who looked good last night was Michael Ryder. He was skating hard and was setting up plays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neech Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 I hope Grabovski is back in the lineup next game. Same with Dandenault. Put them in for Smoke and Kosto or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habsfan84 Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 I'm sure that they will be since we dont need too much grit for the Islanders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habsfan Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 I'm sure that they will be since we dont need too much grit for the Islanders. Careful. The Flames thought that thier game last night against the Thrashers would be an easy one. They started their back-up goalie and lost the game 6 to 4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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