Canadiens better team, Philly getting lucky.

[REV-G]

I think this has been a series, at least for the past two games, where Philly has been on the receiving end of some very lucky breaks, in fact I think more than usual.

I think the last two games the better team didn't win, the winning team got the breaks and a few lucky bounces. We have had Biron beaten cleanly and have hit at least 4 goals posts. On Monday night Higgins had a wide open net but the puck bounced over his stick. Markov then hit the post.

The first two goals on Price last night both hit someone or somthing and changed direction and that was the only reason those two goals went in. Otherwise it's one nothing for Philly going into the third. If Montreal plays on Wednesday like they did the last two games, they should win.

This isn't sour grapes, I genuinely think we have been the better team. The shots last night and scoring chances, where the Candiens were way ahead, both support this reasoning. Habs in 7!

[lazy26]

Yup.

As long as frustration doesn't derail the Habs' efforts, we should be ok. I know Wamsley has said it a bunch of times; the bounces have to even out at some point.

[MMPL]

Hockey gods will reward us, believe me

Edited April 30, 2008 by MMPL

[MAK]

Lets hope so. it's frustating to see how philly keeps on having lucky bounces. it'd be nice to score first to set the tone and give the kid a break. I'm sure if we give a two goal lead he will close the door.

[JLP]

I saw game two and agree Habs looked better most of the night.

[revvvrob]

i STILL believe!!!

:gohabs:

[revvvrob]

i STILL believe!!!

:hlogo:

Edited April 30, 2008 by revvvrob

[brboo]

The law of averages has to kick in at some point. Theres a blowout coming soon.

[JoeLassister]

You can't just keep being outshot every games and still win...

Edited April 30, 2008 by JoeLassister

[MMPL]

Also, I just don't think Philly can beat us 3 times in a row, they just cannot!

:ghg:

[TheAussiePosse]

The thing is, we were outshot (or at least, outplayed) by Boston in the middle 5 games of last round, but managed to win two of them (and take another to OT).

Both teams have acknowledged they're not playing their best hockey right now, but the bounces are going Philly's way just like they went our way in the first round.

Our first line has stepped up (with the exception of Higgins, who's gripping his stick too tightly), but we need our 2nd and 3rd lines to get their heads outta their butts and start playing.

I firmly believe you make your own luck (although I do also believe in jinxes, and an all-powerful being, and the Loch Ness plesiasaurus), and as hard as some players are working, others aren't. And they're the ones who are needed to make a difference in this round.

Umberger's a third liner, but has goals in three straight games, none of them pretty, just a result of hard work and perhaps luck. Maybe the two go together? We always leave playing our best hockey until the 2nd or 3rd period, and by then, the Flyers seem to get a two-goal cushion that is rather difficult to overcome.

And the refs are playing it quite even, I don't think anyone has any reason to complain about a pro-Philly bias.

[RJP]

I don't know, but I see that the Habs have been bullied and intimidated, and the sportscasters are conferring, it appears. On top of that, clearly the refs are not calling regular season game infractions and therefore combined, we do look scared. Why are we continuing to play Boston/Philly type games against these teams? It's not us. Ignore the "after-the-whistle scrums". We know Philly is going to try to run us to hurt us, they have no other means of beating us. What Hatcher did, knowing that Boullion was unaware and intending to injure him was sickening. It's the only way they can win and it's causing us to miss the net, shoot right at Biron, shooting too quickly, bad passes, etc. To me, game 4 tonight is the tell-tale sign. The team is looking for leadership in the face of physical adversity and that has been our achilles heal for a few years now, so let's see what we are made of. Hopefully Kovalev does not continue his ''road game" performances, we need him to show some passion tonight. So no, Philly's not lucky, they are just following their game plan to perfection, while we can't capitalize on our chances. Can't remember the last time we scored with a 5 on 3 man advantage. A full 2 minutes!!!

[Habsfan]

I keep reading you guys saying that Phily is getting the lucky bounces.

DO you know why they are getting those bounces? Cause they are working harder. They are outhustling the Habs and that's what happens when a team out works its opponent, it gets the lucky bounces.

Our boys need to get going tonight, and stop playing like pussies. Put the god damned puck in the fuc.king net!

Edited April 30, 2008 by Habsfan

[Easy Ryder]

Luck is one weird thing.

People were flying around and smiling with Carbo lucky tie.

But i consider that on the ice all series long the Habs haven't been lucky.

I change luck for hope.

Hoping that Kovy will get is aiming right, hoping that the shots from our defense will reach the net,

our forwards stop shooting Birob belly, hope that our goalie will keep us in the game.

This would make it even in the series and up to us the home ice advantage.

[Wamsley01]

I keep reading you guys saying that Phily is getting the lucky bounces.

DO you know why they are getting those bounces? Cause they are working harder. They are outhustling the Habs and that's what happens when a team out works its opponent, it gets the lucky bounces.

Our boys need to get going tonight, and stop playing like pussies. Put the god damned puck in the fuc.king net!

So if they are outworking the Habs why are they being outshot 70-38 in the last 2 games?

Why are they being outchanced by more than 2-1? How many breakaways have the Flyers missed?

How many posts have they hit? How many seeing eye goals have they had?

ZERO, ZERO and about FIVE.

The Habs are guilty of 3 things. Not getting to the front of the net, not burying their chances and weak goaltending.

If Price was average it would be 2-1 Habs at worst.

As for the Flyers intimidating the Habs....you have to be kidding me. The Habs statistically have outhit the BIG BAD FLYERS, and teams that

are intimidated do not punch players in the face for taunting, nor do they jump all over guys who ran their goalie. Bouillion did not look intimidated

after Hatcher smashed his face into the boards either.

They are unlucky to be down 2-1, but they also have not risen above the luck which they had a chance to do in both games.

The tide will turn. Biron is not 2002 Jose Theodore and will wilt if the Habs keep getting 35+ shots a game.

Edited April 30, 2008 by Wamsley01

[InsaneHABSfan]

Well now that Pittsburg put that CRAP Flyer team out for the year, my OPINION why flyers beat the Habs:

1. Not enough toughness on Habs, just too Euro which means excellent skill and more soft.

2. Goaltending, Biron played better. (Biron sucks in my opinion)

3. Kovalev and Koivu could not play better because of age, one more year of this nonsense.

4. Defence was not as good as Philly, Markov, K-rex and Hammer just did not play well.

5. Montreal must learn to drive the net, hit the net and bury the puck in the net!!!!!!!!

Montreal played great all year and in the playoffs not bad. They are young but have to learn to end a hockey game instead of letting mediochre teams like the flyers stay in games. Hopefully Gainey makes some changes for next season.

I predict Flyers miss the playoffs next year as they are not a good team. Montreal will finish 5th overall, but play much better in the playoffs. :hlogo:

So in my opinion Philly was lucky as they are not a good team.....

[Chris]

Most of what you said was true, i'll add that the Bruins took alot out of the habs physically.

I will argue about the Flyers being a crap team, they were ahead of the habs all year in the standings until they hit that 8 game skid or whatever it was. They also played in a good division. They weren't that far behind the habs in points either.

The habs made big strides this year, fans should be happy with the season and getting some playoff team. You don't go from out of the playoffs to cup winners in one year, especially with the youth the team has.

The Price comparisons to Royand Dryden are just redicolous, mainly due to the teams they played with were SIGNIFICANTLY better then the habs this year. Those teams were good defensively, sould score, hit, fight and had quality leadership. Price didn't have that luxury.

[InsaneHABSfan]

Most of what you said was true, i'll add that the Bruins took alot out of the habs physically.

I will argue about the Flyers being a crap team, they were ahead of the habs all year in the standings until they hit that 8 game skid or whatever it was. They also played in a good division. They weren't that far behind the habs in points either.

The habs made big strides this year, fans should be happy with the season and getting some playoff team. You don't go from out of the playoffs to cup winners in one year, especially with the youth the team has.

The Price comparisons to Royand Dryden are just redicolous, mainly due to the teams they played with were SIGNIFICANTLY better then the habs this year. Those teams were good defensively, sould score, hit, fight and had quality leadership. Price didn't have that luxury.

Chris, this is why I like your posts. You don't wear Habs blinders and see the good and the bad. I predicted Habs out of the playoffs and boy was I wrong. The team played great this year and needs some tweaking to get better results. I like Montreals core much better than Philly as they bought their team where Montreal built the foundation.

Teams that buy, Philly, Leafs, Strangers will never win anything. Their are some good players on Philly, but Pittsburg exposed how bad overall they really are.

Edited May 19, 2008 by InsaneHABSfan

[Chris]

Thanks, I predicted them out of the playoffs as well, they surprised the heck out of me.

I actually do like Philly's youngsters, 2 good D men, 2 real good centers, some toughness. I agree they over paid for Briere and a few others. There will always be teams that over pay to try and put them over the top.

The Habs are getting better and BG has them with good young talent. GC has made them accountable and they play alot harder then the previous 15 years.

They just need to stay the course and make a few adjustments to the roster. ABout 5 or 6 of them will be in there last year with the habs,.

[JCPetit]

I think this has been a series, at least for the past two games, where Philly has been on the receiving end of some very lucky breaks, in fact I think more than usual.

I think the last two games the better team didn't win, the winning team got the breaks and a few lucky bounces. We have had Biron beaten cleanly and have hit at least 4 goals posts. On Monday night Higgins had a wide open net but the puck bounced over his stick. Markov then hit the post.

The first two goals on Price last night both hit someone or somthing and changed direction and that was the only reason those two goals went in. Otherwise it's one nothing for Philly going into the third. If Montreal plays on Wednesday like they did the last two games, they should win.

This isn't sour grapes, I genuinely think we have been the better team. The shots last night and scoring chances, where the Candiens were way ahead, both support this reasoning. Habs in 7!

You're right on my friend. I have been watching the Habs for over 40 years and I don't remember having seen a team as lucky as the Flyers. I don't want to discredit them; they won and it's fine. It's just that to win you have to have your share of luck, and the Habs did not get any. The "invisible hand", to paraphrase Dick Irving Sr., was not on our side.

JMHO

[Tony]

Trying to remain unbiased here but I pretty much agree with everyone. The only fingers I would point is that the defense wasn't as solid as usual (this for the entire playoffs) and that the Habs couldn't capitalize on their chances versus the Flyers.

I didn't exactly feel like the Habs got beat, it felt more like it wasn't meant to be.

[InsaneHABSfan]

Trying to remain unbiased here but I pretty much agree with everyone. The only fingers I would point is that the defense wasn't as solid as usual (this for the entire playoffs) and that the Habs couldn't capitalize on their chances versus the Flyers.

I didn't exactly feel like the Habs got beat, it felt more like it wasn't meant to be.

You know, that about sums up my only frustration with the team. How many shots at the net that hit the backboard, how many shots off the post (Which I count as missed the net), and how many gaffs giving the puck away by the defense?

If Montreal improves just by learning the fundamentals of passing out of their own end, and defenceman learning to be more efficient in their own end instead of pannicking they will be 80% better! Also gettting guys to practice shooting at the net and actually hitting it will also raise scoring opportunities. Goaltending should be better next year too now that Price/Halak had a taste of playoffs.

Philly did not beat Montreal, Montreal beat themselves by not doing the fundamental basics of hockey. This is an easy fix that the players must practice and get better at to get past the second round next year.

[Sir_Boagalott]

Philly didnt get lucky. The Habs just didnt really show up.

I've been too bummed to respond until now.

The Habs lost for 1 reason and 1 reason only: Respect!

The Habs respected Philly when they shouldnt have, and disrespected Philly when they should have respected them.

For instance the amount of 1 on 3's Philly had which got turned into 2 on nones was nuts. i.e Philly player takes puck into Habs end with 3 Habs standing nearby. Habs players thinking "haha, you cant go anywhere, theres 3 of us", but then the Flyer passes to a teammate who just crossed the blue line being closely followed by a 3rd Flyer. Since the Habs are just standing there they are caught completely flat footed and the 2 Flyers that just showed up are off to the goal and celebrating.

You cant count on 2 hands the amount of times the Habs sat back and waited for the Flyers to set up and develop a play when one didnt exist had the Habs not just sat back and done didly squat. Basically every time it happens it leads to a Flyers goal. :puke: