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Mar. 3, Canadiens vs Bruins, 7:30 PM


dlbalr

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Montreal Canadiens (13-4-4) Forwards Defence & Goalies
extralarge.png Prust - Plekanec - Gionta
Pacioretty - Desharnais - Gallagher
Eller - Galchenyuk - Ryder
Moen - White - Armstrong
Markov - Emelin
Gorges - Bouillon
Kaberle - Subban

Budaj/Price

Not Expected to Play

Scratches: Dumont, Weber    Injured: Nokelainen, Bourque, Diaz


Boston Bruins (14-2-2) Forwards Defence & Goalies
extralarge.png Lucic - Krejci - Horton
Marchand - Bergeron - Seguin
Bourque - Kelly - Peverley
Paille - Campbell - Thornton
Chara - Boychuk
Seidenberg - Hamilton
Ference - McQuaid

Rask/Khudobin

Not Expected to Play

Scratches: MacDermid, Pandolfo, Johnson    Injured: Savard, Caron


Scoring Leaders Montreal Boston
Goals Tomas Plekanec (8) Brad Marchand (11)
Assists Raphael Diaz (12) Patrice Bergeron (11)
Points Max Pacioretty (18) Bergeron/Krejci (15)
+/- Brandon Prust (+10) Tyler Seguin (+13)
PIMS Brandon Prust (76) Milan Lucic (50)

Puck Drop: 7:30 PM EST TV: RDS, TSN Habs, NBCSN Radio: TSN 690 FM 98.5
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Boston is such a well put together team. No question about it. Full of underrated players like Rich Peverley and Andrew Ference. When you look at Boston's cap situation you can see they are not afraid to spend on bottom six players or bottom pairing defencemen. Kelly and Peverley are never going to be top six players but they both make in the $3M cap range because Chiarelli understands the importance of depth. They appear to have a ton of cap space but that's really for when Lucic, Marchand and Seguin get their raises. They'll still have some extra money when Savard is bought out and who knows if they re-sign Horton. Nothing but high marks on how they built that team.

Montreal isn't so far away from Boston in terms of team development. Boston has a few guys of higher grade than what we can provide but Montreal has handled their cap just as well. Montreal also looks much stronger outside of the NHL. The highest impact prospect not on the Bruins right now is Malcolm Subban. For Montreal, they got Collberg, Tinordi and Beaulieu. Once those guys are ready and a few surprises make the club, Montreal and Boston won't be far apart at all. In fact, Montreal should be the creamery kings of the East.

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Boston is such a well put together team. No question about it. Full of underrated players like Rich Peverley and Andrew Ference. When you look at Boston's cap situation you can see they are not afraid to spend on bottom six players or bottom pairing defencemen. Kelly and Peverley are never going to be top six players but they both make in the $3M cap range because Chiarelli understands the importance of depth. They appear to have a ton of cap space but that's really for when Lucic, Marchand and Seguin get their raises. They'll still have some extra money when Savard is bought out and who knows if they re-sign Horton. Nothing but high marks on how they built that team.

Montreal isn't so far away from Boston in terms of team development. Boston has a few guys of higher grade than what we can provide but Montreal has handled their cap just as well. Montreal also looks much stronger outside of the NHL. The highest impact prospect not on the Bruins right now is Malcolm Subban. For Montreal, they got Collberg, Tinordi and Beaulieu. Once those guys are ready and a few surprises make the club, Montreal and Boston won't be far apart at all. In fact, Montreal should be the creamery kings of the East.

They're a fantastic organization, absolutely. The proof, to me, was that they lost their #1 centreman (Savard), permanently, and still won the Stanley Cup not too long afterwards. Imagine what would happen to us if we lost, say, Pleks forever. It'd be a cataclysm. They also lost their #1 goalie (that idiot Thomas) and didn't miss a beat. A phenomenal franchise, as painful as it is to say. The only consolation is that we tend to play them really tough no matter how bad the imbalance is (kinda like the Leafs have done to us over the years).

I remember in 2008, when most people really thought that we had so much more talent organizationally. Yet they pushed us to seven games. I started to go, uh-oh. Then Lucic beat the sh*t out of Komisarek, just destroyed him. To me that was the symbolic turning point where the Bruins really pulled ahead of us as an organization. And they've stayed there every since.

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They're a fantastic organization, absolutely. The proof, to me, was that they lost their #1 centreman (Savard), permanently, and still won the Stanley Cup not too long afterwards. Imagine what would happen to us if we lost, say, Pleks forever. It'd be a cataclysm. They also lost their #1 goalie (that idiot Thomas) and didn't miss a beat. A phenomenal franchise, as painful as it is to say. The only consolation is that we tend to play them really tough no matter how bad the imbalance is (kinda like the Leafs have done to us over the years).

I remember in 2008, when most people really thought that we had so much more talent organizationally. Yet they pushed us to seven games. I started to go, uh-oh. Then Lucic beat the sh*t out of Komisarek, just destroyed him. To me that was the symbolic turning point where the Bruins really pulled ahead of us as an organization. And they've stayed there every since.

While I agree with most of your statement, losing their #1 goalie wasn't that big of a hit to the Bruins. Rask has been on the brink of being ready since they signed Thomas and the last couple of years he has looked ready. Last season they had 2 #1 goalies and you can't sit Thomas when he's performing like the record setting goalie he was the year before. Afterall Rask was pegged as a top goalie in this league for awhile now. It's just not he's getting his shot.

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As much as I hate the Bruins, I have to give them credit. They are one of the franchise that I respect the most.

Bruins, Detroit, Philly. Always competitive, bringing new energy (coaching, lineup, etc) one in a while and almost never finish at the bottom of the standings.

I have slim to none respect for franchises like Pittsburgh, Washington and Chicago (let alone NYI and Edmonton). Tanking, almost lost their franchise at some points (twice for the Pens). People praising them makes me sick.

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I have slim to none respect for franchises like Pittsburgh, Washington and Chicago (let alone NYI and Edmonton). Tanking, almost lost their franchise at some points (twice for the Pens). People praising them makes me sick.

Montreal tanked last season but I doubt you're complaining with the results (free cap space and 2012 NHL Entry Draft).

Sam Pollock manipulated the Expansion Drafts in favour for the Canadiens to keep their best prospects but I'm sure you'll just call that smart negotiating.

You do what it takes to win. I have more respect for teams doing what's necessary than teams doing what's unnecessary.

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The over is 5.5...if that's your thing, I'd be all over it.

I'll take the under. Way too much love for the Bruins on the boards today. Bruins may be good but they win by allowing very few goals, not by scoring a ton. I'm assuming you were saying that because Budaj is in net but he'll be fine.

I'm going to go on a limb and predict a 3-1 Habs win today (3-2 works too)... Ryder gets his first back with the Habs.

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While I agree with most of your statement, losing their #1 goalie wasn't that big of a hit to the Bruins. Rask has been on the brink of being ready since they signed Thomas and the last couple of years he has looked ready. Last season they had 2 #1 goalies and you can't sit Thomas when he's performing like the record setting goalie he was the year before. Afterall Rask was pegged as a top goalie in this league for awhile now. It's just not he's getting his shot.

No, but that's the point - the organizational depth that can allow them to kiss goodbye to core players and proceed as if nothing had happened.

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I'll take the under. Way too much love for the Bruins on the boards today. Bruins may be good but they win by allowing very few goals, not by scoring a ton. I'm assuming you were saying that because Budaj is in net but he'll be fine.

I'm going to go on a limb and predict a 3-1 Habs win today (3-2 works too)... Ryder gets his first back with the Habs.

I'm definitely picking the Habs to win just as a response to the Penguins game. The Bruins love isn't to admit defeat but to respect the opponent.

When Tinordi, Beaulieu and Collberg are NHL ready, Gallagher officially earns his top six spot and Galchenyuk can play 18 minutes comfortably, the pendulum will switch.

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Montreal tanked last season but I doubt you're complaining with the results (free cap space and 2012 NHL Entry Draft).

Sam Pollock manipulated the Expansion Drafts in favour for the Canadiens to keep their best prospects but I'm sure you'll just call that smart negotiating.

You do what it takes to win. I have more respect for teams doing what's necessary than teams doing what's unnecessary.

Sam Pollock ? How is this even relevant in modern hockey ?

How did we tank last season ? By trading Gill and Kostitsyn ? By injuring Gionta and Markov on purpose ? Playing Price 65 times ?

We didn't tank. We sucked. Tanking would have been unloading Markov, Plekanec, Cole, Gill and Kostitsyn and suck for 3-4 seasons.

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Sam Pollock ? How is this even relevant in modern hockey ?

How did we tank last season ? By trading Gill and Kostitsyn ? By injuring Gionta and Markov on purpose ? Playing Price 65 times ?

We didn't tank. We sucked. Tanking would have been unloading Markov, Plekanec, Cole, Gill and Kostitsyn and suck for 3-4 seasons.

We played Geoffrion in the top six several times, only once tried to improve the team (Spacek for Kaberle), traded a top six sniper mid-game (Cammalleri), fired our coach only two points from a playoff spot to replace him with a rookie assistant coach and immediately created a language controversy.

Teams don't tank by simply trading their best players but also by letting them go by free agency. Only GMs can tank. Gauthier was handcuffed on how many moves he could make by Molson but he still made some dumb supposedly lateral moves. It was a tank job.

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Sam Pollock ? How is this even relevant in modern hockey ?

How did we tank last season ? By trading Gill and Kostitsyn ? By injuring Gionta and Markov on purpose ? Playing Price 65 times ?

We didn't tank. We sucked. Tanking would have been unloading Markov, Plekanec, Cole, Gill and Kostitsyn and suck for 3-4 seasons.

I'm with you on this Joe, but it's an interesting debate. The language controversy was not a plan to get a better draft pick. I share the same feeling for the Penguins, who tanked so badly, they nearly moved to Kansas City. Are we supposed to give them credit for drafting Crosby, Malkin and Fleury?
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We played Geoffrion in the top six several times, only once tried to improve the team (Spacek for Kaberle), traded a top six sniper mid-game (Cammalleri), fired our coach only two points from a playoff spot to replace him with a rookie assistant coach and immediately created a language controversy.

Teams don't tank by simply trading their best players but also by letting them go by free agency. Only GMs can tank. Gauthier was handcuffed on how many moves he could make by Molson but he still made some dumb supposedly lateral moves. It was a tank job.

Well to be fair, Cammalleri publicly talkshit on the Habs. It was unacceptable from anyone in this league.

What you describe is not even close to what Chicago, Pittsburgh and Washington did to their franchises a few years ago.

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Budaj in,,,, I will be amazed if this game is even close.

I hope PK runs Marchant right out of the rink, but there are too many weapons on the Bruins to shut down a line and win.

I had hoped for a significant statement from the Habs this weekend but I don't see it happening. Last night we tried to play like the Pens in an offensive shootout and lost. We are short two key players but pulling Price seems like we are conceding the game and the top spot. It makes me wonder if Price himself wasn't up for it due to either fatigue or injury.

Ah well, maybe we will get a miracle.

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Well to be fair, Cammalleri publicly talkshit on the Habs. It was unacceptable from anyone in this league.

What you describe is not even close to what Chicago, Pittsburgh and Washington did to their franchises a few years ago.

Oh please, he said the whole team had to step up. They interviewed Gill and others and they agreed. Next game he was traded. It was a Houle/Corey style panic.

No, last season isn't but 1998-2003 was definitely a time where Montreal was not spending money, was getting rid of all of their stars and almost traded several players to get 1st Overall for Ilya Kovalchuk. If Theodore didn't turn into a goaltending god they would have definitely been a Bottom three NHL team. In other words, Andre Savard just failed at tanking (you always trade the goalies first).

Big markets rarely tank. Chicago lived through the Wirtz era of losing all of their top stars because Wirtz held a tight purse. When he died the Blackhawks were one of the worst attendance teams in the NHL. Their best players were Tyler Arnason and Mark Bell. They had no choice but to build through the draft. Guess who comes from that draft building mentality? Marc Bergevin.

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"The team has a mindset, a loser type mentality." If this is not talkshitting your team, what does it take ?

Habs never finished in the bottom 5 of the league between 1998 and 2003. Not once.


They were maybe not spending to the max, but were always trying to make the playoffs and somewhat get better.

I agree that Chicago got fooled by their previous owner, but it is what it is. That's how he decided to play the game.

I don't say that Chicago is a wreck of a franchise, just that I don't respect the multi-years tanking strategy. It is just too easy.

What we pulled last season is what Philly did a few years ago when they drafted JVR.

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The habs did not tank it last year - their bottom 3 finish was the result of PG's incompetence.

GM's of a tanking team would not have traded spacek for Kaberle, or cammy for pursue, a pick and Holland. Those guys would have been traded strictly for high picks and prospects. By the time AK46 and Gill were traded the habs were done.

Montreal tanked last season but I doubt you're complaining with the results (free cap space and 2012 NHL Entry Draft).

Sam Pollock manipulated the Expansion Drafts in favour for the Canadiens to keep their best prospects but I'm sure you'll just call that smart negotiating.

You do what it takes to win. I have more respect for teams doing what's necessary than teams doing what's unnecessary.

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And by then Dougie Hamilton and Seguin may also be among the elite in the game.

I'm definitely picking the Habs to win just as a response to the Penguins game. The Bruins love isn't to admit defeat but to respect the opponent.

When Tinordi, Beaulieu and Collberg are NHL ready, Gallagher officially earns his top six spot and Galchenyuk can play 18 minutes comfortably, the pendulum will switch.

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Agree. Injuries played a huge role, but incompetence played a much larger role. Both in terms of the moves made, how they were made and the culture that the idiotic PG created.

Sam Pollock ? How is this even relevant in modern hockey ?

How did we tank last season ? By trading Gill and Kostitsyn ? By injuring Gionta and Markov on purpose ? Playing Price 65 times ?

We didn't tank. We sucked. Tanking would have been unloading Markov, Plekanec, Cole, Gill and Kostitsyn and suck for 3-4 seasons.

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