Some encouraging and concerning early season observations

[REV-G]

It's only 4 games into the season but if sports writers can begin making observations, so can we. So, early in the season, here are a couple of simple observations. First, ever since the Halak trade everyone has been talking about how our success this season is going to have a lot to do with how Carey Price plays. If he had played poorly this far you can be sure everyone would be talking about it. But I've been pleased by what I've seen in Carey Price. To me he looks very solid, a few times even spectacular. He seems to be playing excellent positional hockey which is putting him in the right place to make the next save. He also appears to be very quick. Again I know it's early but I've noticed he's playing more at the top of his crease and challenging shooters and not getting caught deep in his net as much as I remember he did last season. So for the first two weeks, I think we should be encouraged by what we see in Carey Price.

Second, a concern that is evolving is our lack of scoring. It's going to be hard to win a lot of games scoring just 2 or 3 per game. And along with that comes the lack of success on our power play. I wonder if keeping Bergeron would have been a good idea, if even for the pp. Missing Markov and not having MAB seems to be one of the keys in having such a poor pp right now.

So it will be interesting to see if these early season observations continue or if they begin to change. Still too early to tell, but we've waited all summer!

[BlueKross]

Second, a concern that is evolving is our lack of scoring. It's going to be hard to win a lot of games scoring just 2 or 3 per game. And along with that comes the lack of success on our power play. I wonder if keeping Bergeron would have been a good idea, if even for the pp. Missing Markov and not having MAB seems to be one of the keys in having such a poor pp right now.

So it will be interesting to see if these early season observations continue or if they begin to change. Still too early to tell, but we've waited all summer!

Yes it is early. Got to be encouraged by Price's performance. I think it is a plus that we are getting scoring from sources other than our big guns. Markov is coming back. I don't want any part of MAB. Too much of liability. Let the young guys get their skates under them. Seems to me there are plenty of young guys in the wings waiting for opportunity.

[Habsy]

I'd prefer to give Darche's money to Bergeron, and keep him as a power-play specialist, but what's done is done. That Bergeron defensive liability debate was beaten to death last season. When I see Spacek wind up for a shot from the blue line, I'd rather it be Bergeron.

[Wamsley01]

I'd prefer to give Darche's money to Bergeron, and keep him as a power-play specialist, but what's done is done. That Bergeron defensive liability debate was beaten to death last season. When I see Spacek wind up for a shot from the blue line, I'd rather it be Bergeron.

Where does somebody like Bergeron fit when Markov comes back?

The Habs are supposed to pay him to essentially be a PP specialist and sit the majority of the games?

In a cap world there is no room for a player like him when you already have Subban, Spacek and Hamrlik who

can bridge the gap on a 1st unit PP.

The guy shouldn't even be mentioned with the arrival of PK, there just isn't room for a guy who will be the 7th or 8th best d-man on the team.

Edited October 16, 2010 by Wamsley01

[nikohab]

The positives start with Carey Price who has proved me and many fans wrong this year. The other positives are that the core group of players are still intact and naming Gionta as captain was the wisest choice. The other encouraging thing with this club is that they have more depth which has been lacking for far too many years. Now regarding the negatives this team still lacks size up front and our defence still has problems clearing the puck out of our zone. There is still some uncertanties regarding Pouliot and Kostytsin. Overall I believe that they are a better team this year but man will they have to battle for a playoff spot. :hlogo:

Edited October 16, 2010 by nikohab

[l.moustakas]

I do not mean to be picky, but while Price has played well, his puck handling is quite worrisome. He tries to make overly fancy plays with the puck as opposed to opting for the simpler pass. Last night featured a few near misses that illustrated that.

Edited October 16, 2010 by l.moustakas

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

If anything, Price has been underrated so far this season. He has been rock solid - everything you could possibly want in a goalie. That's the thing, the default position vis-a-vis Price is skeptical nit-picking; if Halak had played those four games everyone would be talking about the obvious greatness of the guy in net.

The clear problem is the Gonez/Gio duo has been a bust. If that changes, so will our concerns about offence and puck possession. The good news is that Kosty's game is steadily improving and Pouliot has shown signs of life after a rocky start.

It'll be touch and go until Markov returns, no matter what else happens. Let's just recall that two years ago, losing Markov meant certain death. Now it means .500 hockey - a definite improvement and one sign of the wisdom of Bob's 2010 summer spree.

Edited October 16, 2010 by The Chicoutimi Cucumber

[Wamsley01]

I do not mean to be picky, but while Price has played well, his puck handling is quite worrisome. He tries to make overly fancy plays with the puck as opposed to opting for the simpler pass. Last night featured a few near misses that illustrated that.

Every goalie not named Brodeur and Turco has their puck handling difficulties. Price is quite good with the puck and

you have to take into account that the Canadiens complained about how poor the ice was last night when using it as an example.

[Habsy]

Where does somebody like Bergeron fit when Markov comes back?

The Habs are supposed to pay him to essentially be a PP specialist and sit the majority of the games?

In a cap world there is no room for a player like him when you already have Subban, Spacek and Hamrlik who

can bridge the gap on a 1st unit PP.

The guy shouldn't even be mentioned with the arrival of PK, there just isn't room for a guy who will be the 7th or 8th best d-man on the team.

Sure, but what's Darche really doing on this team? Bergeron easily produces more than Darche. But yes, we're all aware of his weakness.

[JoeLassister]

Second, a concern that is evolving is our lack of scoring. It's going to be hard to win a lot of games scoring just 2 or 3 per game. And along with that comes the lack of success on our power play. I wonder if keeping Bergeron would have been a good idea, if even for the pp. Missing Markov and not having MAB seems to be one of the keys in having such a poor pp right now.

So it will be interesting to see if these early season observations continue or if they begin to change. Still too early to tell, but we've waited all summer!

Gotta think about the fact that : as time will pass, Subban will probably get more experienced and start to be a more powerful threat à la MAB... Be patient, MAB 2.0 is coming.

[lazy26]

Gotta think about the fact that : as time will pass, Subban will probably get more experienced and start to be a more powerful threat à la MAB... Be patient, MAB 2.0 is coming.

MAB 2.0 sounds pretty damn frightening... It makes me think that there will be twice the defensive gaffes.

[JCPetit]

MAB won't be fit to play before two to four weeks. Meanwhile Markov should be back and I feel quite sure that we will have all the fire power needed from the blue line when he will be teamed with Subban on the PP.

As for our scoring, it's still too early to panic. I am confident that we will be able to put together two fine scoring lines. First of all, though, you have to think outside of the box. If the pairings of G & G and P & C don't work well enough, Martin should try something else, at least for a while.

What's been said about Price is interesting. Obviously, he has been our best player so far. In fact, without him, we could well have lost the first four games. I have noticed too that he is more dynamic in his crease. His glove hand, in particular, has not been so quick before. Amazing! I would like him to handle the puck better around his net, but he has not been playing too much in the last year, so it should improve with time.

[JoeLassister]

MAB 2.0 sounds pretty damn frightening... It makes me think that there will be twice the defensive gaffes.

Ok let's say MAB 2nd generation then.

[Habsfan]

I don't think we need to panic with regards to the PP. When Markov comes back, it'll make all the difference in the world. THere's a reason why HE's the the general on the blue line. Remove Spacek and add Markov and our PP will score. Trust me!

[hab29RETIRED]

Where does somebody like Bergeron fit when Markov comes back?

The Habs are supposed to pay him to essentially be a PP specialist and sit the majority of the games?

In a cap world there is no room for a player like him when you already have Subban, Spacek and Hamrlik who

can bridge the gap on a 1st unit PP.

The guy shouldn't even be mentioned with the arrival of PK, there just isn't room for a guy who will be the 7th or 8th best d-man on the team.

+1

I actually don't even like Picard. He got a lucky goal the other night but is ALMOST as bad in his own end as MAB. Rather see O'Byrne as the extra dman - I still think he has more potential to be a tough physical dman. As far as the PP goes, if Spacek can hit the net more (he is reminding me of Gingras), we should be OK. The PP did look better last night. Although, I'd rather even see a 4th forward on the PP then a drastic measure like a MAB or even Picard back there.

I do agree about questioning Darche's use. I would much rather have Ryan White in the lineup. WIth Darche's one way deal, is there any restrictions that he can't be sent down, or is it just that the habs are paying him his full NHL salary if he gets sent down? If it's the latter I don't get why Darche is still in the lineup - other then his FC name.

Edited October 17, 2010 by hab29RETIRED

[dlbalr]

I do agree about questioning Darche's use. I would much rather have Ryan White in the lineup. WIth Darche's one way deal, is there any restrictions that he can't be sent down, or is it just that the habs are paying him his full NHL salary if he gets sent down? If it's the latter I don't get why Darche is still in the lineup - other then his FC name.

Waivers are a restriction (if they don't want to lose him for nothing...not sure they'd be too worried though) as is the fact he'd get his full salary in the AHL. As for why I think he's up over White? I mentioned that in my HW Recap on Monday, here's the excerpt:

The biggest point of contention this training camp seemed to be the decision to keep Mathieu Darche over Ryan White as the 13th forward. With all due respect to White who had a solid camp, my question is, why? Let's look at the facts here. Darche is a veteran (more experienced) player on a minimum salary who will be content with being a reserve forward after spending years in the AHL. White is a youngster, waiver exempt, makes more than Darche before bonuses, and likely wouldn't be content sitting on the bench most nights. Don't take that as a slight at White, he will be the better player, but riding the pine in Montreal isn't best for his development.

Those of you who have read these columns over the past 6 years (dating back to the lockout when this was strictly a Bulldogs weekly recap) should know my stance on this by now - if a waiver exempt player is with the Habs, he better be playing basically every night, otherwise, he must be sent down. Given the status of the roster, White wouldn't be seeing a lot of ice time - Pyatt earned it last year, Halpern is already showing why he was brought in (solid defensive play and faceoffs), while Moen is another veteran who will be given the benefit of the doubt if it came to picking between those two. Aside from Lars Eller getting sent down to play more minutes, there really isn't a spot for him as a regular, so why have him sit?

It's not like there's nothing for White to continue to work on either. He was inconsistent offensively and his skating still needs some work, both of these elements can be developed while he plays most likely as a top-6 forward in Hamilton. I don't know about you, but I'd rather wait and have a more well rounded player in a year than have a uni-dimensional gritty player now. As for Darche's development, he's a soon-to-be 34 year old, we quite frankly shouldn't care about it. Rest assured fans, Ryan White will be a regular in the Habs' lineup soon enough, just remember, good things come to those who wait.

Long story short - Darche is cheaper, White could benefit from playing every day, even at a lower level. If you're going to be sitting players, it's great if they can be making the league minimum.

[Habsfan]

I actually don't even like Picard. He got a lucky goal the other night but is ALMOST as bad in his own end as MAB. Rather see O'Byrne as the extra dman - I still think he has more potential to be a tough physical dman.

Agreed. I thought O'Byrne was playing well before they took him out on friday. He needs to play alot to get better. Let's not forget that with all the smurfs we have up front, we need some big guys on defense. Give O'Byrne a full year as our no. 6 d-man. if he still sucks at the end of this season, get rid of him. But we have to give him a real chance(ie: at least 70 games played with 17+ minutes per game) before we let him go.

[saskhab]

Agreed. I thought O'Byrne was playing well before they took him out on friday. He needs to play alot to get better. Let's not forget that with all the smurfs we have up front, we need some big guys on defense. Give O'Byrne a full year as our no. 6 d-man. if he still sucks at the end of this season, get rid of him. But we have to give him a real chance(ie: at least 70 games played with 17+ minutes per game) before we let him go.

He's not good enough to play 17 minutes a night. He's had parts of 3 years to do so.

Who do you plan on sitting to make this happen? All of our Top 6 is better than him.

I don't see how Picard is worse defensively than O'Byrne. O'Byrne is autrocious defensively... that's why he can't play. He gets beaten wide, he's slow at turning up ice, he can't make a pass, and when he goes to make a hit he's way out of position. He never learned to be a NHL d-man... the opportunity is over.

Picard is a #7. He's younger than O'Byrne yet has played more NHL games than him. Why do you guys think that is?

[lazy26]

He's not good enough to play 17 minutes a night. He's had parts of 3 years to do so.

Who do you plan on sitting to make this happen? All of our Top 6 is better than him.

I don't see how Picard is worse defensively than O'Byrne. O'Byrne is autrocious defensively... that's why he can't play. He gets beaten wide, he's slow at turning up ice, he can't make a pass, and when he goes to make a hit he's way out of position. He never learned to be a NHL d-man... the opportunity is over.

Picard is a #7. He's younger than O'Byrne yet has played more NHL games than him. Why do you guys think that is?

I'm sure part of it is due to the fact that O'Byrne went to University and broke into the league 2 years later than Picard.

[Habsfan]

He's not good enough to play 17 minutes a night. He's had parts of 3 years to do so.

Who do you plan on sitting to make this happen? All of our Top 6 is better than him.

I don't see how Picard is worse defensively than O'Byrne. O'Byrne is autrocious defensively... that's why he can't play. He gets beaten wide, he's slow at turning up ice, he can't make a pass, and when he goes to make a hit he's way out of position. He never learned to be a NHL d-man... the opportunity is over.

According to you maybe, but if that were the truth, the habs would have let O'Byrne go or they would have made him start the a season in Hamilton.

Hamrlik will NOT be back next year. which means O'byrne will have the 6th spot.

Edited October 19, 2010 by Habsfan

[saskhab]

According to you maybe, but if that were the truth, the habs would have let O'Byrne go or they would have made him start the a season in Hamilton.

Hamrlik will NOT be back next year. which means O'byrne will have the 6th spot.

O'Byrne was signed to a one way, 3 year contract back in 2008. That's why he's been given this many opporutnities.

And no way are the Habs qualifying O'Byrne at $1.4m unless he steps up big time and steals a job from someone.

Look, I had plenty of patience with O'Byrne. I didn't want him executed like so many others after he scored on his own net. But since he came up, the only time he looked like he belonged was when he was paired with Andrei Markov. Markov can make players look way better than what they are, we all know that.

We're arguing whether a 26 year old who hasn't cracked the top 6 since being called up in 2007-08 and makes $1.4m is better than Alexandre Picard, who was not qualified last year and signed with us to a cheap 2 way contract. O'Byrne won't be back next year, he'll be in the same spot as Picard was this past summer.