Leafs @ Habs GDT: April 10th, 2010

[bar]

vs.

Forwards:
A. Kostitsyn - Plekanec - Pouliot
Cammalleri- Gomez - Gionta
Moen - Moore - S. Kostitsyn
Pyatt- Laps - Maxwell??

Defence:
Markov - Bergeron
Hamrlik - Spacek
Gill - Gorges

Halak


Lines/Goalie is guesses til confirmation. Edited April 10, 2010 by sakiqc
fixed size of Leafs logo

[JoeLassister]

Leafs logo is bigger than Habs one. Smells the admin or mod edit miles away.

[bar]

I just steal it from some website, I don't actually check the sizes haha...feel free to shrink it.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

I'm just disgusted that it could potentially come down to this.

If it does, though, I honestly believe that we will win; and if our usual great luck holds, expect some key player(s) - e.g., Pleks, Hamrlik, Halak, Gomez, Gionta (I won't say Markov since that would be too ridiculous) - to go down with a serious injury in the process.

[jrhabs]

Well it has come down to this and if they can't win how can we believe the habs deserve the playoffs.

The playoffs should be a privilege for the hard working teams.

Anyways my take is that even if they make it then most likely we will meet the pens or caps and they will blow us out in 3 games ( yes the 4th the habs will forfeit )

[lazy26]

I remember looking at this season's schedule when it was first released. I remember seeing Game #82 and thinking, "it'd better not come down to this game."

Well, it's looking like it will (although I'll be rooting for Philly tonight harder than I've ever cheered a non-Habs team before), and my guts churn at the possibility that the Leafs will end our season... and I'll have to listen to the Collective Leaf Nation all summer long.

GO HABS GO!!!!

[Habsfan]

If they can't beat the 2nd worst team in the league on Saturday, they don't deserve to play in the playoffs!

[Wamsley01]

I remember looking at this season's schedule when it was first released. I remember seeing Game #82 and thinking, "it'd better not come down to this game."

Well, it's looking like it will (although I'll be rooting for Philly tonight harder than I've ever cheered a non-Habs team before), and my guts churn at the possibility that the Leafs will end our season... and I'll have to listen to the Collective Leaf Nation all summer long.

GO HABS GO!!!!

I don't let Leaf Nation bother me anymore. I just tell them that I am embarrassed enough that I have to

contemplate being compared to one of the most pathetic franchises in sports and just the fact that the teams

are comparable now is painful enough.

They try to transfer their misery on me, it doesn't work.

Habs either win 5-1 tomorrow or lose 3-2.

[lazy26]

I don't let Leaf Nation bother me anymore. I just tell them that I am embarrassed enough that I have to

contemplate being compared to one of the most pathetic franchises in sports and just the fact that the teams

are comparable now is painful enough.

Nice. You mind if I steal that?

[Colin]

So, if the Habs back into the playoffs tonight because the Rags lose, does that mean we should all boycott the game Sat night to show our disappointment? Should we organize a soccer-esque march on the Bell Centre demanding that Boucher be hired?

Consequences, lads. It's all about consequences.

[Chris]

This will be my last post until either the habs are in or out of the playoffs. So i am predicting a habs loss.

Followed by a Ranger sweep in regulation ending the flyers season. A Ranger fan friend of mine guaranteed the Ranger sweep. He said would you trust Boucher or Lungqvist. So i see his point there.

So i'm hoping for the best come monday morning when I get back to Habsworld.

[Habsfan84]

This will be my last post until either the habs are in or out of the playoffs. So i am predicting a habs loss.

Followed by a Ranger sweep in regulation ending the flyers season. A Ranger fan friend of mine guaranteed the Ranger sweep. He said would you trust Boucher or Lungqvist. So i see his point there.

So i'm hoping for the best come monday morning when I get back to Habsworld.

I have a gut feeling that one of the games is going into to OT 

[Wamsley01]

I have a gut feeling that one of the games is going into to OT 

The biggest fear as a habs fan is the Rangers winning in OT tonight.

If that happens and the Habs don't beat the Leafs, then Sunday the game will mean EVERYTHING to the Rangers and almost nothing to the Flyers. That is not a good thing.

[hab29RETIRED]

well rangers win tonight. if rangers get another OT win on Sunday and the habs lay an egg tomorrow it's all over. As the habs probably don't stand a chance, i'm beginning to think that may not be a bad thing long-term - at least the friggin idiot martin would probably get fired, rather then given more rope to hang the franchise next year as well.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

On the question of Martin: let's be fair to Gainey. His hands were somewhat tied in his choice of coach. He had to pick a francophone; he had to get a guy with substantial NHL head-coaching experience; and he had to offer that guy at least a two-year deal in order both to successfully lure an experienced guy and to reinforce the coach's authority over the team (lest he be a lame duck). Also consider that after the chaos of the Carbo years there was a strong need for a structured, discipline-oriented, 'system' guy. Who else was there, really?

I won't cry if Martin is canned. But you know, more time in the AHL won't do Boucher any harm either.

All the same, if the Habs somehow miss the playoffs, firing Martin would be justified; unfair, but justified. If the Molson's really want to win and Martin is a problem, then they will carry the contracts.

As for the thread. Given the Rangers' win, it's looking increasingly like Game 82 will be the big one. I say, enough with the dour pessimism - let's crack open a couple of cold ones and get set for an old-fashioned Habs-Leafs tilt with everything on the line. At the end of the day, a game like that calls for FANS :hlogo:

[hab29RETIRED]

On the question of Martin: let's be fair to Gainey. His hands were somewhat tied in his choice of coach. He had to pick a francophone; he had to get a guy with substantial NHL head-coaching experience; and he had to offer that guy at least a two-year deal in order both to successfully lure an experienced guy and to reinforce the coach's authority over the team (lest he be a lame duck). Also consider that after the chaos of the Carbo years there was a strong need for a structured, discipline-oriented, 'system' guy. Who else was there, really?

I won't cry if Martin is canned. But you know, more time in the AHL won't do Boucher any harm either.

All the same, if the Habs somehow miss the playoffs, firing Martin would be justified; unfair, but justified. If the Molson's really want to win and Martin is a problem, then they will carry the contracts.

As for the thread. Given the Rangers' win, it's looking increasingly like Game 82 will be the big one. I say, enough with the dour pessimism - let's crack open a couple of cold ones and get set for an old-fashioned Habs-Leafs tilt with everything on the line. At the end of the day, a game like that calls for FANS :hlogo:

Martin hasn't been any help to the young guys. Do we really want to see Subban nailed to the bench after every mistake he makes the same way Sk74, O'Byrne and Lats were, while the Gill's, Hamrlik,s Bergeron's and Gomez are given a free pass??? Bergeron may have scored a beauty of a goal last night, but the guy almost cost the habs at least 5 goals - yet he played 20min. Gomez may have assisted on the Bergeron goal, but he turned over the puck at least 8-10 times on very dangerous giveaways. Yet SK74 rides the pine. Pouliot spends time with Boucher comes up flying, after some success after a couple of months of Martin and he is back to be being the same bust he was with the Wild.

Martin has to go. It seemed so obvious that MaxPax had no business being in the NHL and could use time to develop in the minors, yet for some stupid reason he was kept up with the team for at least 25 games more then he deserved. Our young guys are regressing under Martin, last thing we need is for him to ruin our other prospects.

I seem to remember a lot of nonsense last summer on guys raving on how good Martin was at developing young players and how great his system was. Well, if he does as good of a job with Subban as he did with Lats, I'm going to be a wee bit pissed

I won't even comment on his "system". :puke:

He is a terrible coach, has been a terrible coach and the only reason he is here, is Gainey's criteria was to sign a francphone name, regardless if he was a washed out, over the hill never-been, rather then the best guy available. I just can't help thinking what could have been if a guy like Tippet was hired.

This nonsense that the coach has to be a francophone coach is crap! I know its a different time and a different era, but who were the coaches during the Habs most successful years - Irwin, Blake, Bowman. I'm sure the fans and eventually the media would be much happier winning with a coach from timbaktu rather then keep losing with a francophone at the helm.

BTW, who have been the coaches during the habs darkest years - Tremblay, Vigneualt, Therrian, Julien, Carboneau, Martin. Aside from second tier talent, what has been the issues with most of those teams (with a few surprise seasons/playoff peformances), soft teams that sit back and let the other team dictate the play, coaches that consistently get out manouvered and make mistakes that a causal fan would be screaming about when the mistake was being made (i.e. Therrian and Gainey both not having a 2nd center in critical faceoffs during the last minutes of a key playoff series clinching game).

It's a similar story with the GM's. Gotta have guys named Houle or Andre Savard, regardless whether there were better candidates. If gainey wasn't bilingual there was no way he would have been considered either.

Three GM's, 7 coaches (if you count Gainey) same issue with all the habs teams. Small, soft perimeter players. It's time for a real change, not one like Gainey's desperation make over from last year that will cripple the franchise as long as Gomez is here. Gainey was able to dump his expensive mistakes when he was in Dallas (i.e. Audette), but in cap system, he has screwed this franchise. If the Molson's are seriously comitted to winning, they need to change the leadership (starting from that bafoon Boivon) and send a message that expensive mistakes like Gomez need to be either dumped via a trade (not likely), or dumping him in the minors like Lou Lamoriello did after the lockout.

Edited April 10, 2010 by hab29RETIRED

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

Martin hasn't been any help to the young guys. Do we really want to see Subban nailed to the bench after every mistake This nonsense that the coach has to be a francophone coach is crap! I know its a different time and a different era, but who were the coaches during the Habs most successful years - Irwin, Blake, Bowman. I'm sure the fans and eventually the media would be much happier winning with a coach from timbaktu rather then keep losing with a francophone at the helm.

BTW, who have been the coaches during the habs darkest years - Tremblay, Vigneualt, Therrian, Julien, Carboneau, Martin.

It's a similar story with the GM's.

Hey, I agree that the Habs should hire the best man for the job, period. But it is also clearly the policy of the organization that key figures have to be at least bilingual (remember Boivin's rousing defence of the indispensability of a francophone GM?). It's a bit much to ask Gainey to fall on his sword in protest. He was working within the given parameters and made a reasonable decision given those parameters...although I wish to high heaven he had insisted on three years, not four.

It's also worth asking whether a unilingual anglo could possibly survive the job in the current era of hyper-competitive, hyper-hysterical media/internet feeding frenzy around the Habs. Even Pat Burns - 100% Quebecer, 100% bilingual, 100% great coach - was regularly attacked for his 'bias' against francophones (one such story exploding in the 1989 Finals, for God's sake). Bob Berry was dismantled as far back as the early 80s. A unilingual coach in today's Quebec would be a PR bloodbath and a catastrophic distraction, systematically undermining the coach and, eventually, the players' confidence in him.

Maybe this is just something we have to live with.

[l<OV4L3V]

this game is going to be the habs! I know it is OUR game to win :hlogo:

GO HABS GO!!!!!! this proves that in the NHL, all 82 games count!!!!

I am optimistic this team will NOT die this way

[KoZed]

On the question of Martin: let's be fair to Gainey. His hands were somewhat tied in his choice of coach. He had to pick a francophone; he had to get a guy with substantial NHL head-coaching experience; and he had to offer that guy at least a two-year deal in order both to successfully lure an experienced guy and to reinforce the coach's authority over the team (lest he be a lame duck). Also consider that after the chaos of the Carbo years there was a strong need for a structured, discipline-oriented, 'system' guy. Who else was there, really?

Gainey brought it all on himself for firing Carbo in the first place. There was 11 UFAs on that team, which we now know made it impossible to create a team spirit since every guy was only concerned about his next contract. That's another problem you can attribute to Bob.

I was a fan of Bob until he fired Carbo. I said it right then and there that it was a huge mistake. Time proved it right. Gainey never righted the ship last season, and this season the new coach isnt any better. A mess that all began when Gainey either decided or was told to fire a coach that needed to be supported. Not saying Carbo was perfect, just saying Bob chose the wrong course of action and we still suffer the consequences. The right course of action would have been to side with the coach. The roster was blew up anyway, and the palsy sweep against the Bruins surely wasnt a positive factor in bringing all the new UFAs. So this year we would have had Carbo with more experience, more authority and credibility and a system probably more suited to the new bunch of players.

But we'll never know. Instead we have to cross our fingers and pray we squeak into the playoffs as a low seed... again.

[Quebecois]

Some of you guys take all the fun out of hockey.

This is what it is all about, Habs/Leafs, Saturday night, cold beer, high stakes.

Let's kick their ass.

*Fires up NHL94 to get the good vibes going*

Edited April 10, 2010 by Quebecois

[ForumGhost]

Some of you guys take all the fun out of hockey.

This is what it is all about, Habs/Leafs, Saturday night, cold beer, high stakes.

Let's kick their ass.

*Fires up NHL94 to get the good vibes going*

Amen.

So let me get my math right. The only way we are not in (considering the Ranger/Flyers situation) is if Philly wins in OT or shootouts on Sunday?

[bar]

No...the rangers have to win in OT AND Boston has to get a point in their last two games.

Edit: I misread the post above me.

Edited April 10, 2010 by bar

[PMAC]

Amen.

So let me get my math right. The only way we are not in (considering the Ranger/Flyers situation) is if Philly wins in OT or shootouts on Sunday?

That's what I gather as well, but they better F**Kin win and seal the deal in style.

:hlogo:

I had wished for NY win to eliminate the Flyers but now I am in the :puke: :puke: position of cheering for Philly.

[Fanpuck33]

Amen.

So let me get my math right. The only way we are not in (considering the Ranger/Flyers situation) is if Philly wins in OT or shootouts on Sunday?

In order for Montreal to miss: The Habs lose, the Bruins get at least 1 point in their last two games, and the Rangers beat Philly after regulation ends.

Edited April 10, 2010 by Fanpuck33

[bar]

In order for Montreal to miss: The Habs lose, the Bruins get at least 1 point in their last two games, and the Rangers beat Philly after regulation ends.

Habs lose in regulation OT loss will get them in.