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Game 2, Sens vs Habs, 7 PM


dlbalr

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This is the Bourque that got him his long term contract in Calgary before he disappeared.

Never thought I'd see you say something positive about Bourque.

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Changes for Game 3?

If Patches is ready he draws in for Dumont. I really hope Armstrong stays in... He played well.

Who's out for Gionta? Maybe Moen?

Also liked Halpern... Not perfect on draws but was skating hard...

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The Sens honestly beat us in forward depth. Especially when healthy. But as the game proved, it isn't such a difference that the Canadiens can't overcome it. The defence has to support Price all the way. They can't be leaving him out to dry then just hoping he stops a 50/50 circumstance. The goal he allowed was also a real BS situation with Prust's stick being taken.

If we are 100% healthy.... Eller, Patches, Gionta... I like our ability to play 3 lines better than their ability to put together two scoring lines, even if they had Spezza.

They have a better #1 guy in Spezza, but I think we have the depth... I don't see them matching a Chucky - Eller - Gallagher line as the third line.

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Never thought I'd see you say something positive about Bourque.

If you've seen him play in as many games as I have in Calgary, where he didn't hit, shoot, score, or backcheck, you'd understand my dislike for him. I hate the flames, so I was kinda happy he was a floater, but don't want a guy like that on my habs. Before he got injured and signed the long term deal I. Calgary, he was actually a guy I was hoping the Habs would try and get, but for the last two years in Calgary, he was pretty awful and took terrible penalties to boot.

I think he may have realized he may play himself out of the league - although, you would have thought he would have woken up earlier given the half year's criticsm from Hrudy and getting skewered by the Calgary media.

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Changes for Game 3?

If Patches is ready he draws in for Dumont. I really hope Armstrong stays in... He played well.

Who's out for Gionta? Maybe Moen?

Also liked Halpern... Not perfect on draws but was skating hard...

I thought Moen played great. He was a big part of the physical presence.

I think Dumont sits for sure (Habs barely used him, 3 minutes). Then it comes down to Halpern vs Colby. Do you want White at RW or C? Personally I sit Colby cause I liked White at RW

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Based in the comments on TSN radio, I don't think Gionta will be back.

I thought Moen played great. He was a big part of the physical presence.

I think Dumont sits for sure (Habs barely used him, 3 minutes). Then it comes down to Halpern vs Colby. Do you want White at RW or C? Personally I sit Colby cause I liked White at RW

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Changes for Game 3?

If Patches is ready he draws in for Dumont. I really hope Armstrong stays in... He played well.

Who's out for Gionta? Maybe Moen?

Also liked Halpern... Not perfect on draws but was skating hard...

Even if no one's ready to come back, I sit Dumont. He played all of three minutes last night (and didn't fare well), there are better and more trustworthy options to go with. I still would go with a 7th D but if they don't want to do that, I'm sure Blunden could give them a couple more minutes at least.

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Interesting stat:

Game 1 hits: 31 - 24 for Ottawa

Game 2 hits: 37 - 26 for Montreal

The difference in the play of Ottawa's defense was like night and day. Saw quite a few times last night where they made pressure bad plays in their own zone because they knew they were getting hit. Game 1 was completely different, Ottawa looked cool, calm and collected once they had the puck in their zone. Even more proof of this was White's goal, he did hardly anything, poked at the puck twice, but it was a bad, pressured pass from Karlsson, whom Anderson didn't expect anything less than a good in-zone pass, caught him off guard. Loved the physical play of the Habs last night.

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Just one point i should make with all the Price mainia and how bad he is.

Goalies who are 1 and 1.

Nabakov 7 GA

Hiller 7 GA

Detroit goalie forgot his name 7 GA

Anderson and Price 5 GAA

Calm down peopel, goalies let in goals. Shame on the team for folding like a tent after a soft goal.

Okay, I'm happy Price played great in game 2 but, please, you're getting carried away. Those other goalies were not in games were their team was completely dominating like ours was. And those other goalies were not at an .870 or so save percentage for the last month.

I'm a Habs fan, not solely a Price fan. If he is costing us game after game, I'm gonna get pissed, not be all-forgiving like some people here. (Just like I would be for any player hurting the team - like Brisebois those many years ago).

If Price continues to play like last night, I will praise him *because he helped my team.* If he messes the bed, I'll be all over him *because he hurt my team." Again, I'm a fan of *the team,* not any single player at the cost of the team. (Some here were willing to throw the team under the bus solely to defend Price, despite the fact that the team played great in game 1, and I won't do that for any single player.)

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Price played well but the team did great protecting him from point shots with blocks. The key now is for Price to keep playing well, as our team is better and will win with roughly even goaltending. Even the refs couldn't get Ottawa a win last night.

I thing the other key change was that they spent more time hitting and less time taking perimeter shots. Karlsson was no longer skating around with impunity.

Interestingly, keeping Pacs and Gionta out changes the ram from their perimeter play to a grinding slot game, which is what we need. If they come back, they need to dedicate themselves to driving the net like White, Galy, etc. if they go back to flying down the wing and wristing it from a bad angle into Anderson's chest, then bench them for a shift or two.

The key now is how we play in Ottawa. The sens have a great home record. Price will need to hold us in early and the boys need to be flying out there. An early goal to quiet the crown would be nice.

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The guys played a tough get in your face game. and it paid off. Carey had a great game, should have had that one that got by him so he needs to sat and budaj in :scared: White played like he has to, Moen woke up and came to work, Pk played pk hockey, Diaz rebounded from the first game. Good coaching (can't argue the results). Both Gally's were great. Prust was all over the place, great game. Markov played the general. And we won, now repeat and win some more. I was very nervous about last night but the fight and desire these guys showed last night is how they played in the first 40 games. THEY ARE BACK ON TRACK :habslogo:

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The goal he allowed was also a real BS situation with Prust's stick being taken.

For the fifty years I've been following this team, we *never* get fair officiating. There are too many "anti-Habs" referees out there. Some have commented to me that all fans think the refs are against their team. But I'm for Team Canada and I never feel that they get unfair officiating (despite all the moaning by biased commentators). Once my team is eliminated, I will sometimes stick for another playoff team and I rarely think they get the short end of the stick. Paul Stewart (former Nordique) used to be murder against us, until Koivu and the Habs organization was really nice to him when he got back from cancer. After that, he called the games fairly. Not so for the Habs. They get shafted almost every other game by stupid or marginal calls or by the ref ignoring infractions against us. Latest example - Ottawa player shoots the puck into the crowd during our powerplay and the ref claims the puck hit one of our player's stick. How could he have seen what didn't happen? Or how about Prust's goaltender interference penalty? The only exception to this is when we get a Francophone referee.

Last night, even one of the CBC commentators said that it looked like the refs were looking for something to call on the Habs. In the last 2 games, Ottawa has been getting away with murder, especially when it comes to interference. Yet we can't even think of doing something without being called.

Over the years, I've come to accept this. I only get really upset when I see a call against us that I've never seen before in my life (like that penalty shot against us in overtime, playing Pittsburgh in the playoffs some fifteen years ago). One of my buddies, who's a Maple Leaf fan, just laughs with glee when he sees some of the calls against us.

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Interesting stat:

Game 1 hits: 31 - 24 for Ottawa

Game 2 hits: 37 - 26 for Montreal

The difference in the play of Ottawa's defense was like night and day. Saw quite a few times last night where they made pressure bad plays in their own zone because they knew they were getting hit. Game 1 was completely different, Ottawa looked cool, calm and collected once they had the puck in their zone.

While giving up 50 shots??!!!

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Interesting stat:

Game 1 hits: 31 - 24 for Ottawa

Game 2 hits: 37 - 26 for Montreal

Permit me to spin this a bit negatively. For the second straight game, the Habs had fewer hits each period (18, 10, and 9). That happened in Game 1 as well. They're coming out strong and then slowing down. On the flip side though, 9 hits in a period isn't bad at all most nights so there's two ways to look at it.

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I hope my constant harping on the point makes people understand that I'm fine with calling Price on a bad goal but when you ignore why the goal happened (defensive breakdown) I'm going to call it every single time.

He's the last line of defence, not the first. Plays don't often happen because the team defence is strong but Price is bad. This isn't Huet coughing up rebounds like rubber in the third period. Some perspective on the position is sorely needed at times.

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I hope my constant harping on the point makes people understand that I'm fine with calling Price on a bad goal but when you ignore why the goal happened (defensive breakdown) I'm going to call it every single time.

He's the last line of defence, not the first. Plays don't often happen because the team defence is strong but Price is bad. This isn't Huet coughing up rebounds like rubber in the third period. Some perspective on the position is sorely needed at times.

Listen, Price sucked arse on two of four goals in game one. His performance was unacceptable and he deserved all the opprobrium heaped upon him after that loss.

But I agree with you in terms of the wider point. Too often the goalie gets blamed for not making superhuman saves (e.g., the deflection on the first goal in Game One was stoppable in theory but not in practice, yet many fans cited that as a "save he should make"). Goalies demarcated as "great" generally have excellent team defences in front of them. Halak - the golden child of the Price-haters - benefitted hugely in 2010 from a team that set a template for shot-blocking and boxing out the slot while surrendering loads of shots from outside, while he plays inside a tough defensive coccoon in St. Louis. Roy played on powerhouses all through his career. Dryden has the Big Three in front of him. Brodeur has spent 20 years inside a Devils system that set him up for success. Etc.

If Price delivers a strong playoff, I'm sure at least some of the doubters will quiet down, just as they have after Game Two. But in this series so far he is only 1-1 in terms of quality performances. I for one am done with excuses for Carey Price; he needs to play like last night, all through the playoffs. Period.

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As I said, if people want to get on Price for leaving his five hole open wide on an obvious close deflection pass by all means.

The problem I have is with the attitudes towards Montreal goaltending. I've watched it from Roy to Thibault to Hackett to Theodore to Huet to Price with Halak and Garon in between. Price made the cover of ESPN as the Loneliest Man in Sports for a reason. It's the most unforgiving job. Roy, with all of his accolades and awards, received no quarter from fans. Even after the second Cup, people went right back to wanting him traded because, "he can't beat Boston". In 1993, he was performing "unacceptably" against Quebec in the first two games after stumbling into the playoffs. But it was the MONTREAL CANADIENS that stumbled into the post-season, not just Roy. Just like it was the Montreal Canadiens that stumbled, not just Price. "TRADE ROY" was the big chant in 93. It didn't matter the Vezina's. It didn't matter the performances. It's always why aren't you putting this team on your back now?

I know for a fact just based on the history that we could go ahead and win the Stanley Cup this year, Price could win MVP and if the team traded off a few defencemen and suddenly Price wasn't as secured up front, Price would be blamed just like Roy. And it stinks. I just prefer to be around people who are smart enough to understand it's more than the goaltender. I agree, first game Price should have been better. But nobody goes, "The forwards didn't pinch, the defence didn't protect their guys, Price let in a soft goal". It's always just on Price. I hate that attitude in hockey and I'll call it every time.

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As I said, if people want to get on Price for leaving his five hole open wide on an obvious close deflection pass by all means.

The problem I have is with the attitudes towards Montreal goaltending. I've watched it from Roy to Thibault to Hackett to Theodore to Huet to Price with Halak and Garon in between. Price made the cover of ESPN as the Loneliest Man in Sports for a reason. It's the most unforgiving job. Roy, with all of his accolades and awards, received no quarter from fans. Even after the second Cup, people went right back to wanting him traded because, "he can't beat Boston". In 1993, he was performing "unacceptably" against Quebec in the first two games after stumbling into the playoffs. But it was the MONTREAL CANADIENS that stumbled into the post-season, not just Roy. Just like it was the Montreal Canadiens that stumbled, not just Price. "TRADE ROY" was the big chant in 93. It didn't matter the Vezina's. It didn't matter the performances. It's always why aren't you putting this team on your back now?

I know for a fact just based on the history that we could go ahead and win the Stanley Cup this year, Price could win MVP and if the team traded off a few defencemen and suddenly Price wasn't as secured up front, Price would be blamed just like Roy. And it stinks. I just prefer to be around people who are smart enough to understand it's more than the goaltender. I agree, first game Price should have been better. But nobody goes, "The forwards didn't pinch, the defence didn't protect their guys, Price let in a soft goal". It's always just on Price. I hate that attitude in hockey and I'll call it every time.

I think we're in agreement - except that I worry you might be too willing to make excuses for Price, who has run out of rope in my book.

One guy I feel worse for is Luongo. Not only was he made the personal scapegoat for all the ills of the Gillis era, but he then had to put up with being demoted to backup (despite being clear starter material), told he would be traded, then not traded - for an entire season. Never said a word of complaint throughout this sustained exercise in humiliation. Yet Canucks fans still treat him like disposable human garbage and are religious believers in Schneider, who (while unquestionably a superb young goalie) will proceed to be strung up from yardarm the minute he either loses or slips.

It's a truly unforgiving position in hockey-mad markets. I too remember the crap Roy had to put up with.

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While I don't think we played as well in this game as last, Price played *much* better, especially in the 2nd when we really needed him. If he can maintain this level for 3 of the 5 remaining games, we should win, because outside of the goaltending, I think we're the better team. Price just needs to hold up his end of the stick.

I must admit, that I really don't know at all, because I don't know enough about the other team, but are we really the better team .. particularly if we are missing Gio and Pac on top of Eller?

I'd love to believe, so make a believer out of me. :hyper:

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As I said, if people want to get on Price for leaving his five hole open wide on an obvious close deflection pass by all means.

The problem I have is with the attitudes towards Montreal goaltending. I've watched it from Roy to Thibault to Hackett to Theodore to Huet to Price with Halak and Garon in between. Price made the cover of ESPN as the Loneliest Man in Sports for a reason. It's the most unforgiving job. Roy, with all of his accolades and awards, received no quarter from fans. Even after the second Cup, people went right back to wanting him traded because, "he can't beat Boston". In 1993, he was performing "unacceptably" against Quebec in the first two games after stumbling into the playoffs. But it was the MONTREAL CANADIENS that stumbled into the post-season, not just Roy. Just like it was the Montreal Canadiens that stumbled, not just Price. "TRADE ROY" was the big chant in 93. It didn't matter the Vezina's. It didn't matter the performances. It's always why aren't you putting this team on your back now?

I know for a fact just based on the history that we could go ahead and win the Stanley Cup this year, Price could win MVP and if the team traded off a few defencemen and suddenly Price wasn't as secured up front, Price would be blamed just like Roy. And it stinks. I just prefer to be around people who are smart enough to understand it's more than the goaltender. I agree, first game Price should have been better. But nobody goes, "The forwards didn't pinch, the defence didn't protect their guys, Price let in a soft goal". It's always just on Price. I hate that attitude in hockey and I'll call it every time.

Goalies, unlike fans, are human.

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Haha.

I see your point but at the same time, we're talking about knee jerk, shallow reactions to the sport. Those are not good qualities to have in anything.

Oh I get your point alright. It's too true, that a play that starts at the other end of the rink due to a bad pass from a winger that a D man fans on , setting up a 2 on 1 where the remaining D fails to block the pass can easily become a goalie problem because the puck stops here.

And as the last line of defence, I think that goalies probably carry a heavier psychological load than other players at least to some extent though all do.

But a stinker of a goal is a stinker for all that and we are quick to pile on.

You have to have bigger balls to be a goalie in the first place...don't tell my brother I said that, ..ok?

:huh:

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As I said, if people want to get on Price for leaving his five hole open wide on an obvious close deflection pass by all means.

The problem I have is with the attitudes towards Montreal goaltending. I've watched it from Roy to Thibault to Hackett to Theodore to Huet to Price with Halak and Garon in between. Price made the cover of ESPN as the Loneliest Man in Sports for a reason. It's the most unforgiving job. Roy, with all of his accolades and awards, received no quarter from fans. Even after the second Cup, people went right back to wanting him traded because, "he can't beat Boston". In 1993, he was performing "unacceptably" against Quebec in the first two games after stumbling into the playoffs. But it was the MONTREAL CANADIENS that stumbled into the post-season, not just Roy. Just like it was the Montreal Canadiens that stumbled, not just Price. "TRADE ROY" was the big chant in 93. It didn't matter the Vezina's. It didn't matter the performances. It's always why aren't you putting this team on your back now?

I know for a fact just based on the history that we could go ahead and win the Stanley Cup this year, Price could win MVP and if the team traded off a few defencemen and suddenly Price wasn't as secured up front, Price would be blamed just like Roy. And it stinks. I just prefer to be around people who are smart enough to understand it's more than the goaltender. I agree, first game Price should have been better. But nobody goes, "The forwards didn't pinch, the defence didn't protect their guys, Price let in a soft goal". It's always just on Price. I hate that attitude in hockey and I'll call it every time.

I agree with all of these sentiments, I've been in this board for a couple of years, and I havent resorted to Price bashing. But the last month, he's deserved every bit of criticism. He's been awful.

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