Laraque spouts off

[saskhab]

I would much rather Laraque in there then Dandy, he is only getting 7-10 minutes a night right now. I'm not sure what he brings to the table that is much better then Laraque. Yes i realize they are 2 different players. I want the tough guy in there, i also want Laraque to be more physical as well, drive the net and mess with the other teams goalies.

I am still trying to figure out what kind of players GC likes:

1. Players he played with

2. Old worthless vets who no longer produce

3. Certain young players, some who produce some who don't

So i can't figure out what kind of team it's suppose to be.

It's not a tough team, it's not a fast team, it's certainly not a hard working team, it's not a defensive team, so what is it?

Uh... Dandy forechecks, he backchecks, he blocks shots (with broken limbs), he can play D if one of our regulars ends up injured/ejected, he can kill penalties and he's the team's fastest skater. I don't know why you don't like him... he's fast and works his butt off.

The question should be Stewart vs. Laraque, not Dandy vs. Laraque. What Dandy brings is WAY more valuable than what Laraque can. You often say you don't know how Laraque could be on the roster of a team that made the Finals last year, yet Dandy was on the everyday roster of a much better series of teams and won 3 Stanley Cups.

As far as your 3 points...

1. Understandable to a degree, though there are only two players he played with on the team, one is significant the other is in the lineup ahead of an underachieving young player and only because of an injury.

2. It's not like he's holding back younger players that are obviously better producers.

3. Some young players can produce, some can't, this isn't exactly groundbreaking.

Is there something I'm missing here? Is Carbo holding anyone back that legitimately should be playing that would help us win more games that isn't? I think even the Laraque/Stewart/Begin/Chipchura/Dandy debate is just grasping at straws... there isn't much difference between the whole lot of them.

Kovalev and Koivu might not be performing to a fan's expectations, but does anyone actually believe we'd win more games if they were benched? That guys that aren't playing now that suddenly would be playing would somehow produce more than those two have?

As far as what kind of team we have, it's not very difficult to point out... we're supposed to be a fast team that plays a frenetic, skilled game, but we've had a lot of injuries and bad performances this year that have limited our ability to send out the 4 lines Carbo envisioned. Lapierre-Kostopolous was supposed to be the core of line 4, not line 3, for example. You can't play the same pace with 3 lines as you can with 4, and Carbo is trying to adjust his lineup to this new reality. He also had plenty of troubles on the back end, most of which were due to a lack of mobility.

[CoRvInA]

anyone know who are these TWO sports reporters that he dislikes?

[habs rule]

I now take back what I said about Georges He got caught by the media again. I watched the interview with him and he does not want to go anywhere he made a mistake lets let it go at that. Carbo is pissed at him though

[Habsfan84]

I now take back what I said about Georges He got caught by the media again. I watched the interview with him and he does not want to go anywhere he made a mistake lets let it go at that. Carbo is pissed at him though

Carbo should be pissed. Though if the Habs do need to shed some salary on right before the deadline to get a top notch player i'm sure he's one of the first to go.

I still dont know how you get caught by the media. He must of said what he said for some reason.

[Fanpuck33]

Carbo should be pissed. Though if the Habs do need to shed some salary on right before the deadline to get a top notch player i'm sure he's one of the first to go.

I still dont know how you get caught by the media. He must of said what he said for some reason.

Except that it was implied that he asked for a trade, which he didn't. He said he was disappointed with his role and wouldn't be surprised if he were traded. I mean, if you're a guy making 1.5 million and you're in the pressbox, it's obviously going to make you think you're not in the team's plans and could be moved.

[habs rule]

Except that it was implied that he asked for a trade, which he didn't. He said he was disappointed with his role and wouldn't be surprised if he were traded. I mean, if you're a guy making 1.5 million and you're in the pressbox, it's obviously going to make you think you're not in the team's plans and could be moved.

and that is what i meant. He answered honestly but not discreetly. He says he does not want out of montreal and loves everybody. He said he was confused about his role but now knows he is a 4th line slug who can slug with the best...... ok i said that.

[KoZed]

So i can't figure out what kind of team it's suppose to be.

It's not a tough team, it's not a fast team, it's certainly not a hard working team, it's not a defensive team, so what is it?

Just listen to players and coaches from around the League who dont over-analyze: Habs are a fast team.

What Carbo wants is very simple: #1 & #2 lines have carte blanche offensively but need to be defensively aware when they dont have the puck. 3rd line (Lapierre) was actually supposed to be our 4th line but with all the injuries it became our 3rd line. They're playing like Carbo wants the 4th line to play: energy, relentless forchecking & defensive reliability. Speed & size are definitely bonuses. That's why Stewart got into Carbo's good graces. He does all those things. Same with Dandy. Laraque & Chipchura lacks energy and are slow on the forecheck/backcheck that's why they didnt get a hold of a regular spot. Begin, for all his hard work, sometimes had troubles in the defensive zone and was very limited offensively, and he was smallish, and got injured so often he was hard to rely on.

The model isnt really that complicated.

[HABBER-oooooKNOWS]

Except that it was implied that he asked for a trade, which he didn't. He said he was disappointed with his role and wouldn't be surprised if he were traded. I mean, if you're a guy making 1.5 million and you're in the pressbox, it's obviously going to make you think you're not in the team's plans and could be moved.

He even said he has a NTC and that he's not waiving it, so how did the media read that wrong? ........or was that the part they made up? Anyways, When it comes to picking up his play......this should do it. If anyone reads these forums it's him so I hope it's inspiring him because if your like me? BGL on his game would be a sight for sore eyes. But then again maybe not.......

TRADE HIM

Edited February 27, 2009 by HABBER-oooooKNOWS

[Canajun]

Just listen to players and coaches from around the League who dont over-analyze: Habs are a fast team.

What Carbo wants is very simple: #1 & #2 lines have carte blanche offensively but need to be defensively aware when they dont have the puck. 3rd line (Lapierre) was actually supposed to be our 4th line but with all the injuries it became our 3rd line. They're playing like Carbo wants the 4th line to play: energy, relentless forchecking & defensive reliability. Speed & size are definitely bonuses. That's why Stewart got into Carbo's good graces. He does all those things. Same with Dandy. Laraque & Chipchura lacks energy and are slow on the forecheck/backcheck that's why they didnt get a hold of a regular spot. Begin, for all his hard work, sometimes had troubles in the defensive zone and was very limited offensively, and he was smallish, and got injured so often he was hard to rely on.

The model isnt really that complicated.

I can't really agree with you on that one Kozed. If lines 1 and 2 have "carte blanche", how come they are all hanging back in the neutral zone instead of up in the offensive zone forechecking and trying to make things happen? Yes I realize they need to be defensively aware, but sending in just one forechecker is one of the stupidest strategies I have ever seen. It does practically nothing to impede the other teams break out. Either send in 2 forecheckers or don't even bother.

Also, the Habs are not a fast team. We might like to think they are, but they're not. They are too busy backpeddling to be considered fast.

[CerebusClone]

I agree totally. The guy doesn't do much at the beginning of the season when he's healthy, then he's injured, which isn't his fault, but now he complains that he should be playing more. Other than his toughness, how many guys is he playing better than? I like George, but he needs to earn his icetime like everyone else and show why he should be on the ice. I agree that against a few teams we need him, but come on George, show us something! There's obviously a reason why he's been on what, 4 teams in 5 years? Stop complaining and start working hard and earn your ice time like everyone else!

The difference is that he's not some kid trying to prove himself, he was a UFA. Laraque earned the right to choose where he wants to play, and to discuss with the team's management about his role before agreeing to sign a contract. Laraque has been in the NHL for several years, and the Canadiens knew exactly what type of player he is, including his strengths and limitations.

Listening to his side of the story, it seems that the Canadiens promised him a regular spot with decent ice time while they are now saying that he’s the type of player you insert in the lineup only as needed. While I actually agree with that statement, if Laraque is right then it was a classless act by Gainey and Carbonneau to lie to a UFA so he would accept to sign here.

I think I recall a few UFAs complaining of this before, inclusing Samsonov and even Jamie Rivers. Rivers seemed really shocked and pissed off when he was sent to Hamilton, saying that he was told by Gainey that he would get a genuine chance to make the club as a reserve defenseman (even though looking at our lineup it was obvious that he was AHL-bound). As for Samsonov, he was clearly unhappy and frustrated because things were not working; where I had a problem in his case was that we criticized him for his playing style (again he was a well-known UFA, he was never a net crashing, Andreychuk-type player), and that once our original plans for a Samsonov-Kovalev duo didn’t work out, we just dismissed him without giving him other opportunities (we didn’t even try matching him with Koivu, even when both were struggling).

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

I can't really agree with you on that one Kozed. If lines 1 and 2 have "carte blanche", how come they are all hanging back in the neutral zone instead of up in the offensive zone forechecking and trying to make things happen? Yes I realize they need to be defensively aware, but sending in just one forechecker is one of the stupidest strategies I have ever seen. It does practically nothing to impede the other teams break out. Either send in 2 forecheckers or don't even bother.

Also, the Habs are not a fast team. We might like to think they are, but they're not. They are too busy backpeddling to be considered fast.

I liked Kozed's post, and I have to laugh...last season, with almost the same lineup, we were considered a frighteningly fast break-out team that would simply overwhelm the opposition with rush after rush. What happened? Everybody got slow over the summer?

The most fundamental problem - especially now that we've added Schneider - may simply be that the players who were willing to pay the price (take the hit, win the one-on-one battle, forecheck like crazy, outhustle the opposition to loose pucks) have not been so willing this season. That, and our goaltending collapsed in mid-season.

If the system has changed, that may be because Carbo is trying to adjust to these realities, to the fact that the players to whom he gave 'carte blanche' last season simply refused to deliver the goods. That would come back to players' laziness, complacency, irresponsibility, or lack of confidence, not team speed.

(I'm still kinda mad at these players. They have a coach who let them roll, they have a GM who gave them every conceivable opportunity to win; all they had to do was play with commitment and urgency. Instead we got All-Star distractions, lack of focus, and guys like Pleks and the Kostitsyns who seemed to feel that they'd 'made it' instead of looking to drive to the next level. Jerks).

[BCHabnut]

I liked Kozed's post, and I have to laugh...last season, with almost the same lineup, we were considered a frighteningly fast break-out team that would simply overwhelm the opposition with rush after rush. What happened? Everybody got slow over the summer?

The most fundamental problem - especially now that we've added Schneider - may simply be that the players who were willing to pay the price (take the hit, win the one-on-one battle, forecheck like crazy, outhustle the opposition to loose pucks) have not been so willing this season. That, and our goaltending collapsed in mid-season.

If the system has changed, that may be because Carbo is trying to adjust to these realities, to the fact that the players to whom he gave 'carte blanche' last season simply refused to deliver the goods. That would come back to players' laziness, complacency, irresponsibility, or lack of confidence, not team speed.

(I'm still kinda mad at these players. They have a coach who let them roll, they have a GM who gave them every conceivable opportunity to win; all they had to do was play with commitment and urgency. Instead we got All-Star distractions, lack of focus, and guys like Pleks and the Kostitsyns who seemed to feel that they'd 'made it' instead of looking to drive to the next level. Jerks).

Between you and Kozed, you have nailed it. I believe that Carbo tried the Bowman model. No system...throw speed at them...attack, attack, attack. Last year it worked great. A lot of this had to do with Huet and Price. The second line of Koivu, Higgins, and Ryder could cycle the puck relentlessly all shift and wear out defenders. Ans we all know that Kovy Plek AK46 were amazing. If you think this team is slow, you are so wrong. Watch them live. Plek, Koivu, Lappierre, Higgins are very fast. Their speed stands out when you are watching them. I think if Tangs and Koivu did not get hurt this year, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Of course you have to trap when half of your depth is injured. Three years ago, if Koivu or Kovy got injured for an extended amount of time, the season was over. Now the team is deep enough, that we are in 5th. This slump has been horrible and lasted to long, but in the end, it's up to the players to work for pucks.

I still think that our poor defense in our own zone is a big part of the problem. There is a system there. It is to keep the puck on the boards, win battles and chip the boards. The team looks great when it works. Confidence is the team's problem this year.

[CerebusClone]

The second line of Koivu, Higgins, and Ryder could cycle the puck relentlessly all shift and wear out defenders.

Really? I thought that line was mediocre and inconsistent pretty much all year long (whenever they played together of course), in fact the only good line we had was Kostysitsyn-Plekeanec-Kovalev, that line (as well as the PP and the goaltending) carried us all the way to first place while the other lines were struggling for consistency, and constanly changing. Although I have to say that Begin, Smolinksi, and Kostopoulos did a great job early in the playoffs.

I still think that our poor defense in our own zone is a big part of the problem.

That I fully agree with, our transition game has been very poor under coach Carbonneau, and it is still deficient in his third season behinf the bench. The fact that the Kovalev line and the powerplay were so dominant compensated for our stuggles to even simply get the puck out of our defensive zone. There seems to be no preparation, no structure, and no support between the players in the defensive zone, everything seems rushed, panicky, and improvised; a strong transition is vital to any team that hopes to suceed, especially during the playoffs; it is the difference between a team that is continually rushing the puck towards the offensive zone, and one like us that is continually pressured on its own zone.

[BCHabnut]

Really? I thought that line was mediocre and inconsistent pretty much all year long (whenever they played together of course), in fact the only good line we had was Kostysitsyn-Plekeanec-Kovalev,

Ya, I guess I should have explained better. While they were unproductive, the Koivu line was still buzzing around, causing problems, being more ike a fourth line except being checked by good checkers. While they were extremely inconsistent, the other team still had to focus on two lines going strong. This year they only have to focus on one thing. Cut off all of Kovalev's space. Don't give him room. The rest of the team is relying on him for offence.

[CerebusClone]

Ya, I guess I should have explained better. While they were unproductive, the Koivu line was still buzzing around, causing problems, being more ike a fourth line except being checked by good checkers. While they were extremely inconsistent, the other team still had to focus on two lines going strong. This year they only have to focus on one thing. Cut off all of Kovalev's space. Don't give him room. The rest of the team is relying on him for offence.

I know what you meant, I just don't remember seing much of that. Although it is true that at times Koivu was generating quite a few opportunities... just to see Higgins and Ryder miss on most of them. I do however remember seing a lot of that "buzzing" from the pre-lockout Koivu, he was really good at controlling the play in the offensive zone, and you could see there was a lot of anticipation between hiom anf guys like Zednik and Savage.

[kenadian]

"Georges Laraque has rescinded his suggestion that he wants out of Montreal. Claiming he won't waive his no trade, and he wants to ride out his contract with the Canadiens. He plays tonight alongside Kyle Chipchura and Gregory Stewart."

...From Eric's Blog

[JMMR]

Laraque had a decent game last night and all he had to do was HIT Dan Boyle.

That is what he needs to do every night go out there and just hammer ( with a clean hit) one of the other teams best player) get in a fight and that's it.

6 minutes of ice time should be sufficient because he just can not do anything else.