GDT Oct. 29, Stars vs Habs, 7 PM

[RobRock]

Make it a final, 2-1 for the good guys!!

[brobin]

Hung on for the win... Grinding them out like Ottawa did last year.

Excellent game by Diaz.

[Dalhabs]

Hung on for the win... Grinding them out like Ottawa did last year.

Excellent game by Diaz.

Weird that he wasnt one of the three stars.

[Trizzak]

Get used to a lot of low-scoring games till some healthy bodies come back.

[dlbalr]

Murray had quite the efficient night on the stat sheet. 12 minutes played, 6 hits, 3 blocks.

[habs rule]

Murray had quite the efficient night on the stat sheet. 12 minutes played, 6 hits, 3 blocks.

I did not see much of the game but what I saw Murray looked good. I was really quite impressed.

[habs rule]

Bournival 17 mins excellent for a young guy with not much game experience, MT must trust him.

[Lovett's Magnatones]

I did not see much of the game but what I saw Murray looked good. I was really quite impressed.

He must have visited "Eyes on the Prize" this summer. Next up: Gordie Howe hat trick for Parros!

[Neech]

Diaz deserved a star - both goals came off of his shots.

Another solid road win, this time at home. We're playing like a team that believes in the system. The only blemish was the softie by Price, but he made a couple big saves down the stretch.

Anyone still think we're going to tank?

[DON]

29 blocked shots, that is impressive

Diaz critics silenced for a minute; DD still snakebit but seems to be "trying".

[Link67]

really like what i'm seeing from Murray, as our 5th or 6th d-man, playing mean, physical hockey out there, it gives us an element we haven't had since Emelin's injury. I do believe when we have both of them back at the same time, our blue line will be nasty.

[Commandant]

I don't think Diaz has been scratched yet, he's not going anywhere. (Could be wrong about the scratch). I like Diaz and Murray v Diaz and Bouillon. He's playing well enough defensively.

As long as Beaulieu isn't ready, Diaz has a spot

Tonight showed you what he can do.

But even before that, imagine a lineup with Diaz scratched... your second PP unit is Gorges - Bouillion.... YUCK

IF we are every fully healthy you'll see.... PK, Markov, Gorges, Emelin, Diaz... and then rotating Bou vs Murray if the team is fast or big.

[Lovett's Magnatones]

Boone questioned if there's some "issue" with PK and slyly alluded to the Chelios trade. Press box chatter-or an overreaction to reduced ice time on the heels of a back to back?

[hab29RETIRED]

I could see them moving Subban. It would piss me off much more than the Chelios trade, but MT has not been using or trusting Subban on situations you would expect a Norris winner to be playing in. When you see Diaz getting PK time over Subban, you really have to wonder.

Given the numbers being thrown around to resign Phaneuf - $7m to $7.5m. Can you imagine what it us going to cost to resign Subban? Yes I get Subban is still an RFA, while Phaneuf is a UFA.

Anyway, I'm glad this is only Boone (is he still an accredited real media guy, or just a blogger now?), who is throwing this out there, and not someone like Bob Mckenzie.

Boone questioned if there's some "issue" with PK and slyly alluded to the Chelios trade. Press box chatter-or an overreaction to reduced ice time on the heels of a back to back?

[JMMR]

I usually cheer for Laundry but if PK is traded I'll cry.

[Neech]

I think I would take some time off from the Habs if they traded PK.

[brobin]

People over react about PK ice time. PK played over 25 minutes again last night. He doesn't play a lot of PK time because we have lots of guys who can effectively play those minutes, saving PK for 5 on 5 and PP time. PK only plays on the PK when we get a lot of penalties in the game and PK isn't the guy in the box.

[Neech]

I'm concerned that Therrien might be overusing Markov and wearing him down. We all saw how much he dropped off in the second half last year, and he's likely to go to the Olympics as well.

[comfortfablyHABS]

Maybe, just maybe, Therrien knows that PK and Markov are the best in our blue line and, given the youth of the former, he might increasingly use Subban in the second half and reduce Markov's ice time until the playoffs start. Then he would have, ideally, a well rested Markov and a fast paced Subban.

With that said, the Olympics are going to have a big impact on the final outcome in the NHL. It is not absurd to think that some contenders are actually "underplaying" their game so their key players don't run out of juice after the Olympics.

We'll see.

[Machine of Loving Grace]

Therrien doesn't like using PK on the PK. It's a weird quirk but people read too much into it. They also read too much into Therrien pointing out Subban's issues in game in post interviews. Therrien has made it very clear he believes Subban can be the best in the league and he isn't going to be easy on him. He was the same with Crosby. Crosby speaks glowing of Therrien. Subban's father was the same with PK. We all know PK has no ceiling. If the coach acts like everything Subban does is fine then he's going to stay where he's at. If he's always pushed to improve, he'll continue improving.

From an article on 24 CH:

There was another candid look behind closed doors in a recent episode of 24 CH, and this one involved the interaction between head coach Michel Therrien and defenceman P.K. Subban between periods of a game.

Therrien told Subban he wasn’t moving his feet and suggested the defenceman’s mind wasn’t fully engaged and his play was a carry-over from a listless practice the day before. Therrien was doing his job and Subban said he understood that and agreed with the incident being made available for public consumption. Bergevin asked Subban if he had any problem with the segment going to air and the defenceman said he was fine with it.

[Colin]

Subban has been playing somewhat higher risk lately, and while the Habs are trying to lock it down waiting for injuries to return, it's only natural that they reduce his ice and get him to concentrate more on making sure he's doing all the little things correctly. Every player every season has a time when their level of play dips and they are necessarily pulled off the ice more often than they're used to doing.

Or, contract talks are about to open and the Habs want him to be struggling while they try to sign him for less than what he'd get while playing at or near his peak.

Or ... nevermind.

If he's traded, I'd expect a Crosby-ish return or you can expect a Colin-ish withdrawal!

[DON]

Is there a better d-pair in the NHL than Markov-Subban? Weber-Jones maybe almost as good?

With those 2 on the ice together, good stuff happens.

Bournival 2nd on team with a +5, 7points in 10 games with 12minutes ice time, the kid is doing vey well.

A good sign to have Holland go to Hamilton, hopefully Pacioretty is returning?

Murray had another solid game and is throwing body around very well

Hopefully Emelin knee heals quicker than Markov's did in 11-12 season, any word on his rehab status?

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

Trading PK is an Houle move. There is almost no conceivable return that would bring back value comparable to, or superior to, what we'd be giving up. I can't think of a FW I'd want back for PK, because a defenceman is always more valuable than a forward. We are set in goal. And no defenceman out there is better than PK. Under no scenario does this make any sense, unless Subban wants out - and why would he, given that he's in a perfect market for his outsized ego? It's just crazy.

[Machine of Loving Grace]

Trading PK is an Houle move. There is almost no conceivable return that would bring back value comparable to, or superior to, what we'd be giving up. I can't think of a FW I'd want back for PK, because a defenceman is always more valuable than a forward. We are set in goal. And no defenceman out there is better than PK. Under no scenario does this make any sense, unless Subban wants out - and why would he, given that he's in a perfect market for his outsized ego? It's just crazy.

Of course it's ridiculous. But people in Montreal think challenging a superstar is an immediate Roy/Tremblay situation instead of Subban telling Bergevin he wants the footage of Therrien disciplining him on his play aired on television when Bergevin told him he'd have it cut from 24CH if he wanted it. Should tell you the kind of person Subban is but instead, we got people thinking the worst is around the corner.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

Of course it's ridiculous. But people in Montreal think challenging a superstar is an immediate Roy/Tremblay situation instead of Subban telling Bergevin he wants the footage of Therrien disciplining him on his play aired on television when Bergevin told him he'd have it cut from 24CH if he wanted it. Should tell you the kind of person Subban is but instead, we got people thinking the worst is around the corner.

I guess that's what happens when you combine a fanbase traumatized by the Houle years with a rapid media looking for any possible opening in which to manufacture "controversy." Insane in the membrane.