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GDT: Habs vs. Penguins


l.moustakas

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Slight change of subject, but boy, it is refreshing to have so much hate directed at the Canadiens. Mere days after facing off against arch-rivals Toronto, Kris Letang and cie openly expressed their dislike of the Canadiens. On top of that, P.K Subban was booed all night by the Pittsburgh faithful. And, usually, good teams are more despised than poor teams. The year may be another roller coaster, but the Habs may just be on the right track.

Yeah, it's a real compliment when a Cup champion team like Pittsburgh hates your guts and views you as a principal rival. Tons of fun, too. I remember the 1980s where it seemed like every second game was an intense battle against some team - Whalers, Nordiques, Bruins, Flyers, Calgary - that had it in for us due to playoff bruisings. It can also make your team a lot better by battle-testing it over the course of the season, which I believe is what happened during that era. It's been too long since the Habs were viewed by the Washingtons and Pittbsurghs of the world as equals (whatever the experts say). Even though we are nowhere near their equals on paper, in terms of psychology and on-ice battles we might just be at that point.

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the gomez goal was a gift, but one that is becoming common in the NHL these days. the goalies are using a style where they get one leg tight up against the post. If is very effective, but it is meant to be used when the player is coming from behind the net. Halak is good at it, many goalies like MAF are not. They use it too often and at the wrong times.

The result is what you see on a shot like Gomez took. The goalie needs to butterfly, but his one leg is jammed up, so he ends up in a half butterfly. Its awkward and leaves a hole. The stick often comes up too, because it is caught on the knee or at the post.

In the traditional butterfly, the goalie would have tracked the crease line and been in front of the post. When Gomez fired that it in would have been a simple butterfly save since the goalie has room to just drop down.

The point is, players need to take that shot when a goalie is using that style. It is a higher percentage play then expected. there were numerous examples last year and if you recall, one by Crosby at the olympics. There is a whole issue of Goalie world on the subject, I just didn't expect to see such a textbook example last night.

As for Price, I am not going to relax until I see him for most of the year. We all know he can play like last night (and even better) when he has his mojo. Remember opening night last year? His problem is how he handles it when things don't go well for a few games. He loses his confidence and struggles to get it back. I am hoping to see that improve this year as proof of his ongoing development and maturity. We need to see that "so what look" when he lets in a bad one, rather then the "woe is me" shrug. I have my fingers crossed that this is the year he gets the head space together as that, imo, is the last key part of his game to take that next step.

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Haha Niko, your prediction was very wrong, care to eat some crow?

I'll eat my crow with a dash of hot pepper,sil vous plais. Habs performance during last years post season should have convinced me and many other Habs fans that this team is for real. I'm going to start playing Miss O Jeu again and this time bet the Habs win. Thank you for some crow 'Bar'. :lol:

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I dont want Lapierre to get respected... I want him to be the most hated oponent u can play AGAINST! Dont think he is far away from that :D

:clap::clap::clap: + 1000

especially since Tucker retired... Avery, Cooke, Downie and Ott might be above Lapierre though.

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the gomez goal was a gift, but one that is becoming common in the NHL these days. the goalies are using a style where they get one leg tight up against the post. If is very effective, but it is meant to be used when the player is coming from behind the net. Halak is good at it, many goalies like MAF are not. They use it too often and at the wrong times.

The result is what you see on a shot like Gomez took. The goalie needs to butterfly, but his one leg is jammed up, so he ends up in a half butterfly. Its awkward and leaves a hole. The stick often comes up too, because it is caught on the knee or at the post.

In the traditional butterfly, the goalie would have tracked the crease line and been in front of the post. When Gomez fired that it in would have been a simple butterfly save since the goalie has room to just drop down.

The point is, players need to take that shot when a goalie is using that style. It is a higher percentage play then expected. there were numerous examples last year and if you recall, one by Crosby at the olympics. There is a whole issue of Goalie world on the subject, I just didn't expect to see such a textbook example last night.

As for Price, I am not going to relax until I see him for most of the year. We all know he can play like last night (and even better) when he has his mojo. Remember opening night last year? His problem is how he handles it when things don't go well for a few games. He loses his confidence and struggles to get it back. I am hoping to see that improve this year as proof of his ongoing development and maturity. We need to see that "so what look" when he lets in a bad one, rather then the "woe is me" shrug. I have my fingers crossed that this is the year he gets the head space together as that, imo, is the last key part of his game to take that next step.

I was just reading about the V-H (one leg Vertical, one leg Horizontal) technique the other day and how some goalies were improperly using it. I kept checking Price all game to see if he was doing it or not (didn't notice anything) but in the end it was Fleury who did it!

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Yup. Price was doing the standard butterfly style. Good to see as he is too big for V-H. He would turn himself into a Pretzel trying to stop a shot from that angle if he followed MAF's style.

MAF will probably cost the Pens again this year.

I was just reading about the V-H (one leg Vertical, one leg Horizontal) technique the other day and how some goalies were improperly using it. I kept checking Price all game to see if he was doing it or not (didn't notice anything) but in the end it was Fleury who did it!
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