KoZed Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/267403.html Carbo is basically saying that Saku and Higgins have to win their spot back and knock a player out of the top lines; in other words that they've lost their top line spot. He joked that it'd give him a hell of a 4th line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMMR Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 I hope he is serious. Well for Higgins, he does not deserve to be taking time from either of the Kostitsyns or Gui let alone Max P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habsfan Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 I seriously don't think Carbo will be keeping Higgins or Saku out fo the line up...just a friendly heads-up that they had better be ready to play at 100%...that's all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habitforming Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 I'm sure Max Pac and Stewart are easily replaced by an 80% healthy Higgins and Koivu. This is just supposed to be motivational. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fanpuck33 Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Really, it's probably just a rationale to start them out on the 4th line to let them get back into shape, instead of just putting them back in big roles immediately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Aimed at Price? Don't play well and Halak keeps his spot? Jaro may not have been extraordinary, but the Canadiens record in the last series of games is pretty good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForumGhost Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Nah, aimed at Higgins and Koivu. Halak got wins, but didn't steal anything. The team around him has elevated their play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KoZed Posted January 20, 2009 Author Share Posted January 20, 2009 Nah, aimed at Higgins and Koivu. Halak got wins, but didn't steal anything. The team around him has elevated their play. I'm thinking that too... like... preparing Saku to having to lift his NTC to get traded somewhere else? (yes, sometimes its fun reading too much into coach quotes) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mont Royale Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Carbo is basically saying that Saku and Higgins have to win their spot back and knock a player out of the top lines; in other words that they've lost their top line spot. He joked that it'd give him a hell of a 4th line. This suggests they'll be given their top line spots back - but have to be worried about keeping those spots. Globe & Mail Carbonneau was hardly reassuring on that front. While he acknowledged the injured veterans would be back in the lineup, he said they will have to work to keep their spots on the top lines and their ice time. "The way we're playing now, I'd be a little worried if I was one of the injured guys," said Carbonneau. "It shows we have players who can step in." Higgins has the most to worry about, especially the way he started the season. There is no way the Habs don't have room for Koivu in their lineup. Anyway, internal competition is good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saskhab Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Aimed at Price? Don't play well and Halak keeps his spot? Jaro may not have been extraordinary, but the Canadiens record in the last series of games is pretty good. Well, I assume that if Price came back and sucked, yes, Jaro would see a lot of action. That'd create a goalie controversy. But there is nothing of that sort right now... everyone agrees that Jaro will go back to the backup role after the All-Star break. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CerebusClone Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 (edited) In theory it should be quite simple. We have three guys on the roster that are easily expendable, Begin, Chipchura, and D'Agostini. So you replace two of them with Koivu and Higgins while the other remains in the lineup on the wing with the two veterans. My personal choice would be Chipchura, but somehow he ended in the coach's doghouse last season, and probably won't ever be given such an opportunity. So D'Agostini is the best bet. On the coach's clipboard the Lapierre line moves to forth, although it doesn't really matter since Carbonneau gives his four lines pretty much the same ice-time at equal strength. Then you take away their current ice-time on the powerplay - especially since they haven't scored in single goal with the man advantage - and put together two strong PP units (Latendresse and Koivu should be part of them). 5-on-5 Pacioretty-Plekanec-Kovalev S.Kostsitsyn-Lang-A.Kostsitsyn Higgins-Koivu-D'Agostini Latendresse-Lapierre-Kostopoulos Powerplay A.Kostsitsyn-Lang-Kovalev Markov-S.Kostsitsyn Higgins-Koivu-Latendresse Hamrlik-(Brisebois) So all current lines maintain intact, we get an additional NHL-caliber line, and there's no injustice for anyone (some like Begin and Chipchura will be disappointed, but they haven't done much for the team). Edited January 20, 2009 by CerebusClone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeLassister Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Who are we kidding here ? What goes up must comes down. Somebady will get injured tonight... JIIIINXXXX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyhasbeen Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Nice problem to face! Much better than the injured starters returning from the infirmary to a losing team that is down on themselves. It helps build the inner confidence that regardless of pending UFA losses we are quite secure as a top team for awhile. Thank you management and AHL staff! Great job! Thank you Guy and staff for fitting these guys in so well, way to adjust your bench! Don't here too much bitchin about his line swapping now, do we? Thank you young talent for just being you, now welcome back Captain and protege. Hope you both are ready to play! Game on! To those youngsters that stay, "Welcome!". To those who go back down, "See you soon!". Oh, and a message to the UFA's, "If you want to play here you better pick it up!". There won't be too many roster spots open for them to fill come fall!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CerebusClone Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Nice problem to face! Much better than the injured starters returning from the infirmary to a losing team that is down on themselves. It helps build the inner confidence that regardless of pending UFA losses we are quite secure as a top team for awhile. Thank you management and AHL staff! Great job! Thank you Guy and staff for fitting these guys in so well, way to adjust your bench! Don't here too much bitchin about his line swapping now, do we? Thank you young talent for just being you, now welcome back Captain and protege. Hope you both are ready to play! Game on! To those youngsters that stay, "Welcome!". To those who go back down, "See you soon!". Oh, and a message to the UFA's, "If you want to play here you better pick it up!". There won't be too many roster spots open for them to fill come fall!" Maybe that's because he stopped the constant random line shuffling, and stopped playing musical chair with 1/4 of the roster... today it will actually be interesting to see if Carbonneau starts panicking, and reverts back to his old instincts, or if he'll keep his head cool, and stick with the lines that made him look good in the last few weeks. After listening to his post-game speech, I'm guessing the lines will remain intact, he seemed to realize that that sometimes a good team just plays a bad game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyhasbeen Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Yes but who would have thought that these were the lines to stick with if he hadn't juggled? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CerebusClone Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Yes but who would have thought that these were the lines to stick with if he hadn't juggled? Actually the first two lines were almost comment sense (Pacioretty-Plekanec-Kovalev and Sergei-Lang-Andrei) while the Lapierre line was the best of the rest. Maybe most people would have placed D'Agostini there instead of Kostopoulos, and for all we know this would perhaps be a more effective line offensively (I remember a couple of great opportunities on one shift where D'Agostini had no yet changed with Kostopoulos). In my opinion the injuries imposed some much-needed stability, and the current top 3 lines have done increasingly well. Latendresse in particular seems to have benefited the most from playing a more clearly defined-role with the same linemates over several games. This is why I hope we ADD Koivu and Higgins to the lineup, and avoid re-shuffling the entire lineup. This should be fairly easy to do right now, my concern is how Carbonneau will react once Laraque and Dandeneault are ready to play. I'm also a little disappointed we didn't use this opportunity to give either Weber or Carle some NHL experience. However if Gainey intends to acquire a more experienced defenseman for the playoffs, then it won't really matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easy Ryder Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Players who come back from injury has to prove they deserve their place. Players in the line up have to prove they deserve their place. What Carbo can't say is that their all different situations. Koivu is the better centre in that team he has nothing to prove, just a little time to get in game shape. After that he wil have wingers to rack points. Price is the do or die player for that team, Carbo doesn't want him to take it easy and want to coach the rookie a little tough. Halak is very shaky out there. The comment were far more for Laraque who declare's himself ready for coming back, everyone knowing is not 100% and still take a spot. Higgins will have to get his legs moving a lot. Carbo must hate to see young inspired players go without having a Chris Higgins, adult, positive and motivated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MFT77 Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 What a nice dilemna the Habs have when they get all of their injured players back. Just getting Koivu, Higgins and Tanguay back is a good top 2 line on any team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaos Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/267403.html Carbo is basically saying that Saku and Higgins have to win their spot back and knock a player out of the top lines; in other words that they've lost their top line spot. He joked that it'd give him a hell of a 4th line. Everybody knows you don't lose a spot because of an injury. I highly doubt 3 guys making $10.5 Million are going to be playing fourth line minutes either Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.