Game Thread : Montreal Canadiens @ Buffalo Sabres

[Sir_Boagalott]

What drives me crazy is the inconstancy of the calls. If the refs are calling things certain ways, then fine, apply it to all teams in every game or at least to both teams in a game.

I'm not complaining about the habs penalities, I'm complaining about the same infractions not being called FOR the habs. Like the BLATENT interference in the middle of the third when I think it was Moen, chipped the puck past the Sabres D and then 1-2-3 seconds later the Sabres D got in the way of Moen.

I like Halak, but please please teach him more rebound control.

Yeah, this one was disgusting.

What aboot the scrum with Hammer? When Hammer was pushing a Buff guy and they kept pushing each other, but then there was another Buff guy who was repeatedly punching a Habs player in the face with his glove on way after the whistle and after the Hammer scrum was settling down. No penalties at all? wtf, give me a break. If the situation had been reversed Buff probably would have had a 5 on 3. :puke:

In big scrum situations like that dont they take both parties pushing after the whistle and then give a PP to the team who stops 1st when a 2nd scrum starts up? I've seen that happen so many times, but conveniently not last night. There should have been at least 1 penalty called against Buff on that, if not 2 to Buff, and 1 to Hammer, but either way there definitely should have been a Habs PP.

[Habsy]

[Most] penalties we've taken all year are because we're not;

1) in position to play the man (poor positioning/reading of the play catching us a step or 2 away from the player)

2) skating full out (too many guys coasting)

3) retaliation (just plain stupid)

4) conditioning/too long of shifts? (we get tired and hook/grab on to slow the opposition down)

Time to start benching players who are taking these kinds of penalties!

Lack of intensity/skating/digging along the boards for those pucks!

Seems Metro was dropped to the 4th line in practice today.

Edited December 15, 2009 by Habsy

[Varlan]

Come on, why did Metro have to slash back? Players know the refs will call the retaliation penalty a lot of the time even when the original play was not called. Watch other games, it's not uncommon. Metropolit is a pro, he should have known better, show a little composure, take one for the team you know. Read the message board of any other team after a loss, most times someone will be complaining about the refereeing. I like to do it myself quite frequently. But not because of stupid, lazy plays that should be called.

Look at one of the calls against the Thrashers the other night. Max got tapped with a crosscheck and went down pretty easily (took a dive), and we got a pp out of it. What if that same play happened in reverse? I would be the first one of many yelling calling it a dive.

What about the goal the Habs scored against Colorado earlier this year? The play should have been blown down because the puck hit the netting on the shoot-around. What if that happened to us?

What I'm trying to say is the reffing is shitty both ways most of the time. But the players do know what they are and are not allowed to do. and especially since we seem to be coming out of it on the short end of the stick a lot of the time. They don't need to make it so easy for the refs. If they are looking for something to call against us, they are going to find it much quicker if we high stick someone, or slash someone, than if they were looking for a "ticky tack" penalty.

wow a ticky tack call went the babs way? Write it down on the calendar. How do the habs play the cleanest team in the league every single game. 25 consecutive games with 4 pp or less. How do teams that give up more shots while taking fewer shots wind up with way more pps on a regular basis than the habs. Can't find a team with a streak longer than a few games going without 5 or more pps.

[jackp]

wow a ticky tack call went the babs way? Write it down on the calendar. How do the habs play the cleanest team in the league every single game. 25 consecutive games with 4 pp or less. How do teams that give up more shots while taking fewer shots wind up with way more pps on a regular basis than the habs. Can't find a team with a streak longer than a few games going without 5 or more pps.

Hmmmmmmmm......

[han_dyl]

wow a ticky tack call went the babs way? Write it down on the calendar. How do the habs play the cleanest team in the league every single game. 25 consecutive games with 4 pp or less. How do teams that give up more shots while taking fewer shots wind up with way more pps on a regular basis than the habs. Can't find a team with a streak longer than a few games going without 5 or more pps.

Most penalties that are called are not of the "dirty variety" They are called for hooks, holds, and trips. That has nothing to do with being clean or dirty. It's caused by being outworked. Until the Habs are able to get some sustained pressure on teams for long periods of time they are most likely going to come out on the short end of the stick. Because they are not forcing other teams to grab on.

Hopefully when Markov comes back his offensive instinct and breakout passes will force other teams to be out of position, and they will take a few more penalties against us. And maybe because he more often then not comes away with the puck when battling for it on the boards that will limit the other teams pressure/territorial advantage, causing us to take less of those desperate penalties.

Edited December 16, 2009 by han_dyl

[jackp]

Most penalties that are called are not of the "dirty variety" They are called for hooks, holds, and trips. That has nothing to do with being clean or dirty. It's caused by being outworked. Until the Habs are able to get some sustained pressure on teams for long periods of time they are most likely going to come out on the short end of the stick. Because they are not forcing other teams to grab on.

Hopefully when Markov comes back his offensive instinct and breakout passes will force other teams to be out of position, and they will take a few more penalties against us. And maybe because he more often then not comes away with the puck when battling for it on the boards that will limit the other teams pressure/territorial advantage, causing us to take less of those desperate penalties.

You know, it's a little bit frustrating. Some people here are dumping all over the Habs, saying the penalties are their fault, they're not working, etc. I don't agree. Most of you already know my theory about the refs. Have you ever considered that we're getting outshot, etc. BECAUSE of all the penalties against us? Are you watching the same games I am? As I said, I slo-moed some of our penalties and they were complete bullshit. That holding call against us in the 1st I think it was. He simply did not hold. So why was the penalty called?

I know the Bell Centre fans bray every time a habs falls, and I'm not influenced by that. But again, be honest, how many times have you seen us called for a non-existent penalty, and then later see a habs being mugged with no call? Why do you suppose this happens?

[han_dyl]

You know, it's a little bit frustrating. Some people here are dumping all over the Habs, saying the penalties are their fault, they're not working, etc. I don't agree. Most of you already know my theory about the refs. Have you ever considered that we're getting outshot, etc. BECAUSE of all the penalties against us? Are you watching the same games I am? As I said, I slo-moed some of our penalties and they were complete bullshit. That holding call against us in the 1st I think it was. He simply did not hold. So why was the penalty called?

I know the Bell Centre fans bray every time a habs falls, and I'm not influenced by that. But again, be honest, how many times have you seen us called for a non-existent penalty, and then later see a habs being mugged with no call? Why do you suppose this happens?

So did this Bias just start this year? Did the refs just all of a sudden start hating the province of Quebec? Because while we are last in powerplay opportunities this year, last year we led the league. That's right nobody had more powerplay chances then the Habs. The year before that we were 5th in powerplays.

Keep in mind that the refs also don't come with built in PVR's, they don't have the benefit of Slow motion replay. A penalty is not a reviewable play unfortunately. So it's not like they can just go upstairs to check it. Most times if a ref sees a player take one hand off his stick and place it around another player or on there shoulder they are going to call a hold, the player know they are not allowed to do this, and the players who are being "held" know when they need to sell it.

We are also leading the League in giveaways. (by a huge margin btw. 469 for the Habs. The next closest is Edmonton with 382. Phoenix is best with 154 giveaways) You don't think maybe the amount of times we give away the puck forces us to panic a little more and grab on a little bit more?

Anyway I hate defending the refs because nobody yells at their TV more than I do. But I also know that there are BS calls made against every team.

Edited December 16, 2009 by han_dyl

[simonus]

I see a lot of the PIM problem as a direct result of the Markov injury. What we are seeing is a outmatched, tired, and perhaps injured defense getting desperate trying to find ways to limit scoring chances. Is it any surprise that when we ask defensemen to take more minutes and play against harder competition, and when we ask forwards to take a bigger role in the defensive that the team increases its PIM? If we can get 25 minutes of solid Markov D against the opponents' best, the positive effects will filter through the lineup and the PIM will decrease.

The boys have got to stop the stick swinging penalties though, moves like Gomez's retaliation against Buffalo are just stupidly insane.

On a positive note, how about our top-10 Powerplay?! I'd love to see it a bit more. I'll go ahead and predict SK starting to draw more penalties.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

I see a lot of the PIM problem as a direct result of the Markov injury. What we are seeing is a outmatched, tired, and perhaps injured defense getting desperate trying to find ways to limit scoring chances. Is it any surprise that when we ask defensemen to take more minutes and play against harder competition, and when we ask forwards to take a bigger role in the defensive that the team increases its PIM? If we can get 25 minutes of solid Markov D against the opponents' best, the positive effects will filter through the lineup and the PIM will decrease.

The boys have got to stop the stick swinging penalties though, moves like Gomez's retaliation against Buffalo are just stupidly insane.

On a positive note, how about our top-10 Powerplay?! I'd love to see it a bit more. I'll go ahead and predict SK starting to draw more penalties.

Bingo. Those straightforwardly stupid PIMs aside, you're right, it's less a reffing conspiracy and more an overburdened team being outmatched. And honestly gang - I really don't know why people are so freaked out. EVERYBODY SAID Markov got hurt that our remaining D would be seriously overtaxed. EVERYBODY SAID we'd be lucky (and therefore 'happy') to be at .500 until the Righteous Russian got back. Well, here we are. Overtaxed, overpenalized, playing .500 hockey. It ain't rocket science.

[Wamsley01]

Bingo. Those straightforwardly stupid PIMs aside, you're right, it's less a reffing conspiracy and more an overburdened team being outmatched. And honestly gang - I really don't know why people are so freaked out. EVERYBODY SAID Markov got hurt that our remaining D would be seriously overtaxed. EVERYBODY SAID we'd be lucky (and therefore 'happy') to be at .500 until the Righteous Russian got back. Well, here we are. Overtaxed, overpenalized, playing .500 hockey. It ain't rocket science.

Funny thing is, I said they would be hardpressed to stay .500 without Markov and would be happy if they were .500

when he returned.

Guess what. Not happy lol

Sometimes it is hard to practice what you preach.

Edited December 16, 2009 by Wamsley01