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Winnipeg vs Montreal, 7:30 PM, Jan. 4


dlbalr

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I agree. I think most teams look at as being fragile and an easy two points. Having said that I really liked how they kept attacking - that was missing during the JM regime. I also liked the amount of ice time Eller is getting - though I've said many times earlier, I'd like to see him get PP time and be used on the shootout. That goal last night was fraking amazing!!!!

Yeah, unlike that paragon of respect, CBC's beloved Brad Marchand.

I don't want to make too much of this, but it's mildly interesting that the Habs have managed to deliver two blowouts in their last four games. It's slightly hard to imagine that happening under Martin; but is it a hopeful sign of a team about to take a step forward, or just an aberration against teams caught napping in the mid-season doldrums? The way this year's gone, my dough is on the latter.

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Woke up this morning thinking about last night game.

Just want to thank Erik Cole, Andrei Kostitsyn, Lars Eller and Travis Moen. It was the day that I was returning back to work after 15 days off and you made my day.

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Eller had 4 goals last night but Erik Cole was the best player on the ice. This guy just keeps impressing me more and more and more.

On a little side note here, we've locked up Gorges and still have a few players to lock up. I would like to see Gauthier start negotiating with Moen right now. There is no way he gets an increase despite his sudden offensive production but I would look to secure his services on another 2-3 year deal in the $1.25-$1.3 million per year range.

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Eller had 4 goals last night but Erik Cole was the best player on the ice. This guy just keeps impressing me more and more and more.

On a little side note here, we've locked up Gorges and still have a few players to lock up. I would like to see Gauthier start negotiating with Moen right now. There is no way he gets an increase despite his sudden offensive production but I would look to secure his services on another 2-3 year deal in the $1.25-$1.3 million per year range.

Personally, I loathed Travis Moen in his first two years in Montreal. He was not nearly physical enough for my liking, nevermind the relative absence of support scoring.

This season he has been a force on the third line, but I am weary of his sudden input. Is it genuine or is it motivated by his contractual status? If it is the former, the Habs should certainly retain him, but I have some doubts.

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Eller had 4 goals last night but Erik Cole was the best player on the ice. This guy just keeps impressing me more and more and more.

On a little side note here, we've locked up Gorges and still have a few players to lock up. I would like to see Gauthier start negotiating with Moen right now. There is no way he gets an increase despite his sudden offensive production but I would look to secure his services on another 2-3 year deal in the $1.25-$1.3 million per year range.

He may not get an increase, but he makes 1.5 now. Why would he take a pay cut?

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Personally, I loathed Travis Moen in his first two years in Montreal. He was not nearly physical enough for my liking, nevermind the relative absence of support scoring.

This season he has been a force on the third line, but I am weary of his sudden input. Is it genuine or is it motivated by his contractual status? If it is the former, the Habs should certainly retain him, but I have some doubts.

I loved the Moen signing. He has been put in such a tough spot as well. Moen is a good fighter but he is far from being a heavy weight yet on this team he is the only guy capable of at least trying to fight the likes of the Orr's, Thonrton's, Lucic's etc.....

Moen will not reproduce his production from this season but he is a great defensive player who will stick up for teammates when needed. All he needs is a guy like Ryan White to help him with some of the middle weights and then another bigger guy to handle the heavy weights (only when needed) and then I think we'll see even more of the guy.

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He may not get an increase, but he makes 1.5 now. Why would he take a pay cut?

For long term security and for not having t pick up and move I'd be willing to bet he would take slightly less otherwise he may go along the lines of guy like Winchester who despite scoring 10 goals and nearly 120 PIMS last season struggled to find any team willing to take him. Always a risk.

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I agree, Moen, Eller, Cole were monsters last night.

Anyone seen pleks or Cammy?

Moen is tough one, i really like the guy, loved it when they signed him. his return will be much better than AK46. The habs should be able to get a additional first, and some youth by dealing players.

This team still has to be a seller,, they aren't even close to a playoff team.

Just a side note, Kaberle has been pretty darn good for the habs. 8 points in 10 games. Can't argue with that.

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Maybe we haven't seen Cammalleri but he now has 3 goals in his past 4 games.

They are far from a playoff spot but get White, Markov, Gionta back in the line-up and they are still a team that can do damage. I just hope that the organization realizes that parting ways with a couple of these UFA veterans is a necessary step.

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I don't see Markov back this year.

White is an upgrade on Blunden.

Gionta is fine but hey were still stinking it up with Gionta in the line up.

They will do no more damage.

If they go on an 8-2 run or something i will be impressed. i don't see it happening.

Lottery pick and dealers at the deadline is in their future.

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Some of the ice time stats that stood out for me:

- As noted already, Cole played over 27 minutes. In a blowout game, that's way too much for any player, forward or defenceman,

- Every player played at least 11:54 (Nokelainen was the low guy) while Gill saw just 12:17 of action. If the Habs keep dressing 7 D, I expect that trend to continue (he was also limited in the FLA game).

- Eller played the 5th most minutes of any Montreal forward but saw less than 16 minutes of ice time.

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i think the whole league has us wrong.... driving home last night listening to .... (i know the fan 590) im listening to kypreos and mullard just ripping on the habs saying how the franchise is in shambles and what not.... im thinking to myself these guys get paid to analyze and thats what their opinion is... they suck and as bad as our record is i think weve been in 90% of our games even when playing bad..

fact::

our "highest paid" winger, center and defender haven't played all season! markov, gomez, (gionta cammellerri)

our grittiest player out all season! white

we are one of the youngest teams in the nhl

2nd most man games lost to injury (pitt being 1st)

mis-managed coaching for the better part of 30 games

MOST OT losses in the league

15 times this season we held a lead in the 3rd and didnt win the game!

a horrible PP

most 1 goal games

bUT......

top 10 5 on 5

#2 PK

and tons of potential with rookies and sophmores throughout the line up and lots of kids making the step from junior to pro!

we are hardly in shambles

however, i wish PG whould of told the media that hockey was #1 in montreal and not the politics of language... he maybe should of brought up guys like bowman and sammy as references and that he didnt give a damn about what language RC spoke as long as he spoke HOCKEY!! that would of been a sweet infection of faith to the habs

AND THE GOAL SONG IS BACK!!!!!!!!!!!! RIGHT F'N ON!!!

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i think the whole league has us wrong.... driving home last night listening to .... (i know the fan 590) im listening to kypreos and mullard just ripping on the habs saying how the franchise is in shambles and what not.... im thinking to myself these guys get paid to analyze and thats what their opinion is... they suck and as bad as our record is i think weve been in 90% of our games even when playing bad..

fact::

our "highest paid" winger, center and defender haven't played all season! markov, gomez, (gionta cammellerri)

our grittiest player out all season! white

we are one of the youngest teams in the nhl

2nd most man games lost to injury (pitt being 1st)

mis-managed coaching for the better part of 30 games

MOST OT losses in the league

15 times this season we held a lead in the 3rd and didnt win the game!

a horrible PP

most 1 goal games

bUT......

top 10 5 on 5

#2 PK

and tons of potential with rookies and sophmores throughout the line up and lots of kids making the step from junior to pro!

we are hardly in shambles

however, i wish PG whould of told the media that hockey was #1 in montreal and not the politics of language... he maybe should of brought up guys like bowman and sammy as references and that he didnt give a damn about what language RC spoke as long as he spoke HOCKEY!! that would of been a sweet infection of faith to the habs

AND THE GOAL SONG IS BACK!!!!!!!!!!!! RIGHT F'N ON!!!

I agree that most so-called analysts don't analyze, they just offer shallow commentary that reflects dominant opinion - which in turn is usually shallow as hell.

However, there is a reason for thinking this organization is in shambles, and it has less to do with the on-ice performance than with

-the weirdness of firing Pearn and then getting around to firing Martin later

-the strong suspicion that the Martin firing was driven by ownership interference

-the total bungling of the language issue, especially Molson's idiotic declaration that Cunneyworth was basically a lame duck - another case of detrimental ownership interference

-the inability of the firing to have any effect on the losing

-the acquisition of Kaberle, a good deal in my books, but one that 'dominant opinion' (see above) frames as incompetent

-the signing of Markov to a three-year, high-dollar deal

-the basic unlikeability of Gauthier

'A franchise in shambles' is shorthand for all this. You're correct about our underlying strengths, though. If we can build on those instead of blowing them up, we'll be fine going forward.

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Maybe we haven't seen Cammalleri but he now has 3 goals in his past 4 games.

They are far from a playoff spot but get White, Markov, Gionta back in the line-up and they are still a team that can do damage. I just hope that the organization realizes that parting ways with a couple of these UFA veterans is a necessary step.

Don't forget Gomez. IMO he is an upgrade on Plekanec right now. Let's face it, Plekanec makes poor decisions on the PP. He is not effective in entering the puck in the offensive zone; he doesn't win his share of face-offs and loses a lot of battles on the boards. I know it may sound far off, but don't forget that he was completely lost in the last two playoffs. The fact is that Gomez was our best center in 2010 and 2011 in the spring. I don't know when he will be back and what Cunneyworth's plans are, but I think that our team is better with him in the line-up.

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Gomez is our best center. Right. I got some real estate for you if you don't mind a few gators.

I hear ya, but let's remember how great Gomez looked before his groin injury. There's still two Gomezes - the guy from 2010-11, who is awful, and the guy from every season prior to that, who is a damned good player (albeit still grossly overpaid). I doubt we'll ever see the latter guy again. but still,he's an X-factor.

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While I loved to see Eller have a great night, some of you guys are losing perspective. He is now going to be our number one center? Comments on the Halak trade?

The last guy to do this was Jan Bulis.. how did that work out for you? Super star? Only in his head.

Almost any guy in this league could score 4 goals, once a career. Two goals were great, but two were more the result of AK and Moen making can't miss passes (although yes, Cammy, Gionta, and Gomez would have found ways not to score).

Why don't we just wait and see how his season goes. I suspect he will settle back into his normal, third line pace. If he does better, great, but one game doesn't make him Crosby.

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I hear ya, but let's remember how great Gomez looked before his groin injury. There's still two Gomezes - the guy from 2010-11, who is awful, and the guy from every season prior to that, who is a damned good player (albeit still grossly overpaid). I doubt we'll ever see the latter guy again. but still,he's an X-factor.

Gomez on a broken leg and using no stick is a better centre than our 4th line one is now, but i still would play 51, 81 and 14 over him at centre. If he comes back, plays and earns more icetime, then even better; but Martin running him out there for 20+ minutes/game, seemingly only because he is a high paid vet, drove me nuts (same as Cammalleri).

That was just so sweet for Eller, after all the hard work and miles he has skated forechecking and backchecking, he deserved a big game and he is just another reason the future looks much brighter than present rendition of team.

Now if Pacioretty can start scoring again (not that the 50 point rate he is on, is too bad at all in his 2nd full year) but he has lost something it seems, confidence, sophmore slump??

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I'm ok with comments on the Halak trade, after a great game by Eller. If you recall, some people seemed to think we could have selected any player we wished from the Blues roster. It was insanity.

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