GDT: Montreal vs Washington, Dec. 28

[bar]

....what grinds my gears is the players that get called out by JM are the ones who are at least trying. AK, Pouliot, Eller, PK...the vets are coasting and its making me sick...

[jrhabs]

This slide reminds me and evokes the Carbonneau era in January 08 ! remember when the habs imploded.

Any thoughts ?

[bar]

Quick...which habs player will take a penalty to ruin this PP...place bets now. For me it's Cammy.

[bar]

I never understand why the Eller/Darche/Pouliot line gets so little ice time.

[hab29RETIRED]

....what grinds my gears is the players that get called out by JM are the ones who are at least trying. AK, Pouliot, Eller, PK...the vets are coasting and its making me sick...

that's the issue i have. GOmez did nothing until December and there wasn't a peep from Martin.

We are one of the most penalized teams and most of the penalities are from laziness or lack of disicpline. The biggest offenders are the vets - Gomez, Cammy, Hammer and Spacek. Has the coach called out his veterns???

Cammy consistently has been taking stupid penalties and after the 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th time they should have been called out by Martin. He should have been called out for the stupidity that got him suspended for the first game of the year.

Gomez has negated so many powerplays, without any repurcussions. Instead other players got stuck with him when he was playing like a zombie. AK46 was playing the best hockey of his life and he gots saddled with Gomez. On the other hand, as soon as Ak46 goes into a funk he gets benched.

Moen who plays a "safe" game, but handcuffs the offensive guys he is paired with and adds absolutely NO physical presence (Ak46 and Pouliot had more hits), consistently paired on the top two lines. He also has taken dumb penalities, but again not a peep from Martin.

Lars Eller and Pouliot get paired with guys who's best chance of scoring if the puck accidentley goes off their butt.

IF you are a marginal NHL player who plays a safe game, Martin loves you. If you are a dynamic skilled player with lots of potential, Martin wants to break you.

Edited December 29, 2010 by hab29RETIRED

[bar]

As a fan I'd rather watch a exciting go for the throat maybe lose game, then a boring old defensive hockey game.

[hab29RETIRED]

I never understand why the Eller/Darche/Pouliot line gets so little ice time.

I don't get why they don't play Eller and Pouliot with a more skilled guy that could give the habs a third line that is a real scoring threat. Rarely has Martin even kept Eller and Pouliot together.

looks like we are getting shutout tonight

[bar]

God damnit Cammy hit the #$#@% net, how many times has he shot over the net this year, for frigs sake!

[bar]

Why'd they even bother coming out for the third, pathetic effort.

I don't like being negative...but is there anything positive we can take from the habs the past 10 games?

[hab29RETIRED]

As a fan I'd rather watch a exciting go for the throat maybe lose game, then a boring old defensive hockey game.

I want to see a winning team. I'd rather win 1-0 then lose 7-6. But I want to see the skilled guys be able to use their skill.

I also think you have to play to your strengths. This is a non-physical team with a lot of speed and skill that is trying play a stifling defensive game. They don't have the horses to play that way. The defense is not very good. We have no Ludwig or Green. The forwards, are not physical or imposing enough to play a pounding style - there aren't any McPHee's or Skrudlands on this team. We don't have a centres with a high win rate that can allow us to control the play of the draw - no bobby smith or Skrudland.

What we do have is a lot of skilled and fast players that are playing with leg irons.

[Habsy]

I'm proud of the boys...none of these loser points, overtime or shootout losses. No, they lose the old fashioned way, in regulation time. And they've scored 1 goal in 120 minutes of hockey. Fantastic.

[bar]

Haha Brian I eagerly await your three star selection tonight.

[dlbalr]

Haha Brian I eagerly await your three star selection tonight.

I'm not on the 3 Stars beat tonight, Mandy is (I've done enough on the site for the day). If I had to choose, I would have Price as 1, 2 GA vs Washington in itself is nothing to get too upset about. Eller I'd put 2nd, 4 shots in limited minutes, generated a few offensive chances. Won't be a popular pick but I'd have Weber 3rd, though his failure to keep the puck in before the Caps got their ENG hurt. I thought overall he made the safe play most of the time defensively and that's what I was looking to see from him tonight. HM, one that is stat based sometimes, I'll give to Spacek, which having read through the thread will also be unpopular. 5 blocked shots and over 6 minutes shorthanded (with no PPGA), plus logged some major, mostly competent, minutes.

Subban made a big mistake looking for the hit (that's exactly why he was sat, quit looking to make the highlight reel and make the smart move) but aside from that, I thought he had a nice bounceback effort as well. I frankly did not see the game as negatively as those who posted did, the D did better than I thought. Consider the fact that there were 3 35+ d-men and 3 who either are or play like rookies. What did you expect? Playing a good team, down one of your better d-men, and you only allow 2 goals (I discount the empty netter, largely irrelevant), I'll take that most nights.

The forwards on the other hand, there is some legit cause for concern. I agree with whoever said (hab29RETIRED?) that Eller/Pouliot need a better winger than Darche. That line could be successful with someone better, though the obvious question is who do you drop down from a scoring line to play alongside them?

My stats of the night:

Gomez: 0/14 on the draw...is that a league record for futility in a game?

Lapierre: 4:08 TOI

Weber: 3 hits, 3 blocks...not shabby at all.

NHL Statsheet: http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20102011/ES020538.HTM

[bar]

Hmm Brian, you make some good points.

Haha what about:

AK/Plek/Cammy

Gionta/Eller/Pouliot

Darche/Gomez/Pax

Moen/Halpern/Laps

[dlbalr]

Though they haven't done much the last couple games, is it the right call to split Gomez and Gionta up? I'm not so sure, though the balance isn't bad at all.

[bar]

The way Eller and Pouliot were buzzing around in the third, I think could really add a lot to Giontas game, since he's a shoot first guy and Eller is a pass first guy I think they'd be great as a tandem, and I think Pouliot has been under used this season and him getting top 6 minutes is never a bad thing.

[dlbalr]

The way Eller and Pouliot were buzzing around in the third, I think could really add a lot to Giontas game, since he's a shoot first guy and Eller is a pass first guy I think they'd be great as a tandem, and I think Pouliot has been under used this season and him getting top 6 minutes is never a bad thing.

I agree with those points, yet I'm still worried about separating Gomez/Gionta. Might Cammalleri be an option with them, considering Plekanec's season long road struggles seem to have no end in sight? My line ideas:

67-11-21

57-81-13

52-14-46

94-15-32

(20 pts in 19 home GP, 10 in 17 road GP with a negative +/- are Plekanec's splits if you're wondering.)

[bar]

That's not bad either, I mean Cammy is a shoot first kind of guy as well. I guess having a $8 mil or $5m on the third line will be seen as wasteful on many lineups but it could work.

[dlbalr]

That's not bad either, I mean Cammy is a shoot first kind of guy as well. I guess having a $8 mil or $5m on the third line will be seen as wasteful on many lineups but it could work.

The $5 M option on the 3rd is more ideal. Kidding aside, Plekanec has been strong on D throughout this, throw my hypothetical 3rd against the other teams' top line and hope to break even at day's end. (On second thought, maybe Darche should be bumped down then since the thought of him playing the other team's top players isn't comforting.) That'd leave the Gomez and Eller lines to try and get the offence going against the opponents' #2 and 3 units.

[bar]

Haha sounds like a plan...now, how do we get our ideas to JM! Do you think he knows what email is?

[BCHabnut]

that's the issue i have. GOmez did nothing until December and there wasn't a peep from Martin.

We are one of the most penalized teams and most of the penalities are from laziness or lack of disicpline. The biggest offenders are the vets - Gomez, Cammy, Hammer and Spacek. Has the coach called out his veterns???

Cammy consistently has been taking stupid penalties and after the 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th time they should have been called out by Martin. He should have been called out for the stupidity that got him suspended for the first game of the year.

Gomez has negated so many powerplays, without any repurcussions. Instead other players got stuck with him when he was playing like a zombie. AK46 was playing the best hockey of his life and he gots saddled with Gomez. On the other hand, as soon as Ak46 goes into a funk he gets benched.

Moen who plays a "safe" game, but handcuffs the offensive guys he is paired with and adds absolutely NO physical presence (Ak46 and Pouliot had more hits), consistently paired on the top two lines. He also has taken dumb penalities, but again not a peep from Martin.

Lars Eller and Pouliot get paired with guys who's best chance of scoring if the puck accidentley goes off their butt.

IF you are a marginal NHL player who plays a safe game, Martin loves you. If you are a dynamic skilled player with lots of potential, Martin wants to break you.

Man, no offense, but do you copy and paste this stuff?

[dlbalr]

Mandy's 3 Stars are up, http://www.habsworld.net/article.php?id=2325

[hab29RETIRED]

This slide reminds me and evokes the Carbonneau era in January 08 ! remember when the habs imploded.

Any thoughts ?

I said two weeks ago that it looks like we are heading down the same road. If you remember that year, Price was an all-star until that slide and his injury.

[hab29RETIRED]

I'm not on the 3 Stars beat tonight, Mandy is (I've done enough on the site for the day). If I had to choose, I would have Price as 1, 2 GA vs Washington in itself is nothing to get too upset about. Eller I'd put 2nd, 4 shots in limited minutes, generated a few offensive chances. Won't be a popular pick but I'd have Weber 3rd, though his failure to keep the puck in before the Caps got their ENG hurt. I thought overall he made the safe play most of the time defensively and that's what I was looking to see from him tonight. HM, one that is stat based sometimes, I'll give to Spacek, which having read through the thread will also be unpopular. 5 blocked shots and over 6 minutes shorthanded (with no PPGA), plus logged some major, mostly competent, minutes.

Subban made a big mistake looking for the hit (that's exactly why he was sat, quit looking to make the highlight reel and make the smart move) but aside from that, I thought he had a nice bounceback effort as well. I frankly did not see the game as negatively as those who posted did, the D did better than I thought. Consider the fact that there were 3 35+ d-men and 3 who either are or play like rookies. What did you expect? Playing a good team, down one of your better d-men, and you only allow 2 goals (I discount the empty netter, largely irrelevant), I'll take that most nights.

The forwards on the other hand, there is some legit cause for concern. I agree with whoever said (hab29RETIRED?) that Eller/Pouliot need a better winger than Darche. That line could be successful with someone better, though the obvious question is who do you drop down from a scoring line to play alongside them?

My stats of the night:

Gomez: 0/14 on the draw...is that a league record for futility in a game?

Lapierre: 4:08 TOI

Weber: 3 hits, 3 blocks...not shabby at all.

NHL Statsheet: http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20102011/ES020538.HTM

I say you bring up Desharnais to play with them. The oilers always seemed to have a scoring kid 3rd line in the late 80's or early 90's. I think both Pouliot and Eller are big enough boys to make up for Desharnais lack of size.

Part of the reason we struggle offensively, is that we have far too many Halpern/Moen/Darche/Pyatt/Laps type players in the lineup. I'd stick with Moen/Halpern/Pyatt. Ideally, I'd rather have Ryan White up there for the 4th line and wouldn't mind seeing if we could package Laps or Moen with someone for more help on defense.

I also wouldn't mind seeing White with Pouliot and Eller, but I really think we need to give Desharnais a look. Last thing I'd want is him to slip through and come back to haunt the habs the way St. Louis came back to haunt the flames in the cup finals. The kid deserves a real chance with skilled guys, the same way that Pouliot and Eller deserve a real shot to play with skilled players.

Hmm Brian, you make some good points.

Haha what about:

AK/Plek/Cammy

Gionta/Eller/Pouliot

Darche/Gomez/Pax

Moen/Halpern/Laps

I think we have been messing around with chemistry too much already. I'd rather leave the first two lines as is and give Eller a chance to play with skilled guys, without the pressure of having to be a #2 centre. I think part of the issue with our lack of offense is that JM doesn't leave guys together long enough to develop chemistry.

Edited December 29, 2010 by hab29RETIRED

[hab29RETIRED]

Man, no offense, but do you copy and paste this stuff?

No - but i probably should start. Ive been pretty much saying the same thing since last year.