Habs vs. Thrashers | Game Thread

[MFT77]

Does anyone else miss SK ?

He plays such a nice nasty game

He goofs up a bit, but he always seems to make stuff happen as well.

I hope he gets back in lineup, I think they miss his edge.

Maybe for Laraque - I mean there is slowwwww and then is Laraque !

Another game of non-fighting, great we get him when he decides to

become Mahatma Ghandi.

Hes more busy blogging about the code of fighters, I really wander about him.

I definitely like seeing SK out on the ice.

Even though he has taken a few bad penalties lately, he brings lots energy and grit to the lineup. Even when he isn't getting points, he still contributes.

[Trizzak]

Begin got greedy with a blind pass out to the open net. He should have just cycled the puck in the corner and run out the clock. Not a huge deal, but it was a mistake.

Laraque looks like a bear trying to play hockey. It's dangerous, and you don't want to get close...but man, it's a freaking bear playing hockey.

This was a fun game to watch! Go habs!

[Quebecois]

I definitely like seeing SK out on the ice.

Even though he has taken a few bad penalties lately, he brings lots energy and grit to the lineup. Even when he isn't getting points, he still contributes.

he'll be back next game, Carbo just wanted to send him a message. Hard to know who to bench exactly though and that's gonna be a tough decision for the coaching staff.

IMO Kostopolous has been great, even if he isn't suited for an offensive role long term. Do you keep Lats benched and bring in SK for BGL? Or do you bench begin as well and bring in Lats and SK?

Begin has been great lately, so I think BGL sits and Lats as well for another game...

[Fanpuck33]

in his post game comment, Carbonneua said a guy forgot to jump on the ice on Atlanta's 1st goal and he was benched for the rest of the game....was that guy Higgins ?? I don't remember seeing much of him in the 3rd.

It was Laraque.

Another game of non-fighting, great we get him when he decides to

become Mahatma Ghandi.

The only time there was a need for a fight was maybe to change momentum after Atlanta tied it, but he was benched by that point. It's not as if Atlanta was playing a physical game and needed to be sent a message. Considering Boulton wasn't in the lineup and Atlanta not being a physical team, I'm not sure why George was in tonight.

4) Ilya Kovalchuk was an absolute force today....It will make things interesting come UFA time this upcoming summer

He's not UFA until after next season.

[MAK]

The only time there was a need for a fight was maybe to change momentum after Atlanta tied it, but he was benched by that point.

A time out wouldve the same but yet again it wasn't called.

[l<OV4L3V]

He's not UFA until after next season.

I know he isn't...however if we plan on landing him in 2010 it might affect what happens this summer with the UFA situation

[bombTHEice]

I think that the 2nd Thrashers goal shouldn't have counted ... you never really saw that the puck fully crossed the line. Anyways who cares, a win is a win - good to see that the guys fought back and clinched the 2 points.

[johnnyhasbeen]

OK, they tested my "Blocking the goalie" theory to the limit last night.

I have been fighting a bout of the flu, up by 3 in the third, I dozed off, awoke to the anouncement of 3-2 and before I could focus , Price and I both missed the pass across for the tieing goal. ThenI was awake! We quickly got 2 back so I figure safe time for a leak. Wrong! 5-4.

Arg, don't block the goalie! If I can't see it how can he?

[JoeLassister]

A few things from the game:

1)Really liking the A.Kost-Koivu-Diago line

2) Liked the play of our 4th line tonight...lots of hits and chances created down low...

3) Looks like Carbo's been watching some NJD's tapes lately....5 man trap!

4) Ilya Kovalchuk was an absolute force today....It will make things interesting come UFA time this upcoming summer

5) Kovalev seemed to have Jump today...probably the best game ive seen him play since the NYI game in Long Island

6) Latendresse, Obyrne and Sergei can stay in the Press Box (While Komi can stay on the bench..until his injury is gone :clap: )

Nah. Kovalchuk has a 7,500,000$ contract for 2009-2010.

[BTH]

It makes no sense that Atl goal counted and the goal against Det didnt.

Still lots of time, but it shouldnt be tied now.

Because their goal went in the net, ours didn't.

[Easy Ryder]

A win is a win but...

Higgins :puke: is horrible. Kovy and Lang would had a great night if it was not for him, he cannot stickhandle a puck,

that means never win is battles and cannot one time a shot.

I mean i defended him for a long while but his constant head between the legs attitude is getting frustrating.

Tanguay would be a lot more useful with the Kovy-Lang duo.

And who was sleeping aboard on Atlanta 1st goal ? 4 guy on the ice common, there is not enough coaches on board to realise that ?

2pts in the bank anyway.

[Chris]

Well that was the good, the bad and the ugly. 2 points is 2 points. A great 40 minutes of hockey followed by 10 minutes of standing around like a deer caught in headlights.

Good:

4th line

A kosty was excellent, maybe he is finally taking off

Defensive passing for 40 minutes

Work ethic for 45 minutes

5 goals

Bad:

Stopped Playing

hanging the Price out to dry

lack of hockey smarts (Lapierre i think, blindly throwing a puck in the slot with a lead, taking dumb penalties with the lead, not using the glass when you have a lead

physical play in front of the net, there wasn't any

Ugly:

Brisby is so gutless in his own end, he literally looks scared to go in the corners

Hard to beleive a team can look so good and so bad in the same game

Hamrlik was awfull ( i wonder why no thread for all the D mistakes? just O'Byrne?)

A couple of random thoughts, how did Kovalev come out with points and what looked like a good night? he turns the puck over, another player gets it, a quick pass and in the net. Kovalev stays too long on a shift, puck hits his skate, pleks winds up scoring. I can't figure that one out.

The defense is incredibly slow, imagine how slow they were before Dandy moved back there.

Does it annoy anyone else watching these guys cycle away from the net? I want to scream every time they skate in the Offensive zone, stop, throw a blind pass otu and turn it over. I also enjoy the cycling towrds the blue line causing a 2 on 1 or 3 on2 the other way.

I always complain when the effort is bad, so for 45 minutes last night they played very hard, physocal, forechecking, very nice to see.

[InsaneHABSfan]

Running the goalie is inconsistant with referees. Leafs had a goal scored against them with their goalie being wiped out and it counted. The Montreal goal was similar, with much less contact and didn't count. At least the NHL is consistant at being inconsistant! Sort of like the Habs games this year...........

Ooops almost forgot; good job HABS getting the big "W" in the books with another victory.

[tokyohabs]

Play far less than a champion, still win. What's that, four of five?

Higgins has very limited hockey sense, always has had. He needs talented linemates. I've very rarely seen Yanks with decent hockey sense. Higgins is an exceptional athlete, must be tolerated that way. Personally I really like him, but accept his limitations.

For sure Tanguay-Lang-Kovalev would be great, put Andrei with Saku and Higgins, let D'agostini-Plex-Sergei go at it, great potential lines imo.

vg comment about Laraque, what is with that about us, everyone wants to 'play' once here, call Nilan up and get him sorted!

[Habsfan]

A couple of random thoughts, how did Kovalev come out with points and what looked like a good night? he turns the puck over, another player gets it, a quick pass and in the net. Kovalev stays too long on a shift, puck hits his skate, pleks winds up scoring. I can't figure that one out.

Dude, did you watch the same game as the rest of us? Kovy played a great game out there!

Sure he coughed up the puck, but those things happen when you expect a telented player to CARRY the puck into the offensive zone...sometimes, the puck will be poked away from him! It comes with the territory! BUt on the whole, Kovy played a very good game last night!

[Chris]

Yes i did watch the same game. That's i was surprised by all the praise. I know a turnover here or there happens but he he did it numerous times last night. Maybe i expect too much from him.

The other thought on that is alot of people were all over higgins and i thought he was really good last night, hustling, creating turnovers, played around the net. I also realize he is not a scorer, so maybe that's about expectations also.

[saskhab]

I nearly cost the team the loss, guys. Sorry. I turned it on just when they dropped the puck after the Habs' 3rd goal, and I shut it off after the Thrashers tied it up. If I hadn't acted so quickly they wouldn't have rebounded and won it.

So from what I saw, the team sucked and Hainsey should've scored about 20 goals.

[Trizzak]

Yes i did watch the same game. That's i was surprised by all the praise. I know a turnover here or there happens but he he did it numerous times last night. Maybe i expect too much from him.

I thought Kovalev played a physical game and played with some hustle. Turnovers happened, but they'll always happen with him. The only thing you can ask for is that for every turnover against us there is an offensive chance for us... something I saw last night.

I welcome those games from Kovalev.

[Athlétique.Canadien]

I'm glad Lang was back on ther powerplay point. Maybe that's the solution to that particular QB problem (no Streit/Souray).

I was ticked about the disallowed goal on Tangs. Hedberg had Lapierre's leg locked in leg scissors. Hedberg was holding him up not vice versa and in doing so it was Hedberg's own fault he was out of position. Not to mention Lapierre had cleared the crease when the Tangs goal was scored.