Montreal vs. Nashville | December 21th, 2013 | 1900 EST

[JMMR]

Was that DDs best shift in his career.

1 won the face off

2 drove the net

3 took the puck away

4 scored the OT winner with a bullet cannon

Markov (or someone on bench) said something he shouldn't have, that set off ref and it looked like DD tripped the d-man for sure.

Who cares, is another 2 points.

Missed #26 out there and he would of helped, Murray coughed up puck a few times, but Boullion played fine for 23+minutes.

Frank was prety decent tonight. (and i'm not a fan)

[KoRP]

The lack of playing 60 costs us anguish again....

DD's goal and "shoulda" been a penalty was justice from the Preds goal that shook Markov off his foundations, sometimes it all equals out I guess. I hope their work ethic gets better after Xmas break, and maybe a trade comes sown through the pipe for some more aggression and size.

Soupy was great in his return to Nashville and in reality it could have been a lot worse if not for a little puck and post luck for Price and some strong play early.

Happy holidays to all you Hab fans!

[Guest Stogey24]

I love seeing Murray lose it on the ref after that no call with Markov. I thought the ref was going to shit himself when Murray was screaming at him.

[habs rule]

DD is beginning to look like he has played this game before. that last shift was pure gold.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

Ha ha, I wish somebody would tell me if David Desharnais is a legitimate NHL player or not.

14 points in his last 17 games (!). That says he is.

2 points in his first 19 games (!). That says he isn't.

What I would like to see, frankly, is DD being tried more on the wing. If he had more positional flexibility it might enhance the argument for keeping him around going forward.

[BCHabnut]

Ha ha, I wish somebody would tell me if David Desharnais is a legitimate NHL player or not.

14 points in his last 17 games (!). That says he is.

2 points in his first 19 games (!). That says he isn't.

What I would like to see, frankly, is DD being tried more on the wing. If he had more positional flexibility it might enhance the argument for keeping him around going forward.

Maybe a legit nhler in the Ryder mold. Looks great when he is on his game and puts up points in streaks, but looks like pure crap when he is not. Worthy of 3 mill a year on a more balanced team.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

Maybe a legit nhler in the Ryder mold. Looks great when he is on his game and puts up points in streaks, but looks like pure crap when he is not. Worthy of 3 mill a year on a more balanced team.

It keeps coming back to this, doesn't it? What this team really needs to do is replace the declining Brian Gionta with a top-9 - ideally, top-6 - forward with size. Flipping one smurf for one 45-point power forward could conceivably be enough to alter that balance. We'd still be smallish, but not so egregiously; we'd have games like the one against St. Louis, but probably fewer of them. And the limitations of a DD come to seem less aggravating, because they are not reproduced so frequently throughout the lineup.

(Since every time you talk about replacing a player, you're accused of hating that player, let me reiterate that I like Gionta and think he's been a fine contributor for us and still does good things. But come on. On a team built like ours, you need to think about either trading him or not re-signing him, and replacing him with a player of the sort I just outlined).

[habs rule]

It keeps coming back to this, doesn't it? What this team really needs to do is replace the declining Brian Gionta with a top-9 - ideally, top-6 - forward with size. Flipping one smurf for one 45-point power forward could conceivably be enough to alter that balance. We'd still be smallish, but not so egregiously; we'd have games like the one against St. Louis, but probably fewer of them. And the limitations of a DD come to seem less aggravating, because they are not reproduced so frequently throughout the lineup.

(Since every time you talk about replacing a player, you're accused of hating that player, let me reiterate that I like Gionta and think he's been a fine contributor for us and still does good things. But come on. On a team built like ours, you need to think about either trading him or not re-signing him, and replacing him with a player of the sort I just outlined).

trading him is the only option. We need goals, offense. He is a good guy coming to his best before date, needs to go. We have other guys who can be captain. Trade him asap and get the best deal we can, his value will not go up. So while he has some value as more than a rental let him go.

[JoeLassister]

Let's just not forget that Gionta has a full NTC.

[Machine of Loving Grace]

Let's just not forget that Gionta has a full NTC.

Don't let reality get in the way now

I await the suggestions of benching the captain until he waives and other silliness.

[Guest Stogey24]

No one is going to take on Gionta's cap hit. He'll finish his contract out in MTL.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

For the record, I said "think about trading him or not re-signing him."

I also think he could well interest a contender at the deadline, and could well waive his NTC in order to have another shot at a Cup; but I understand the counter-arguments that, first, we ourselves don't want to sell at the deadline, and second, that he's the captain and this (supposedly) gives him untouchable status.

My point was just that we should be looking to start next season without Gio and, hopefully, with a top-9 FW with size to replace him. Call me crazy, but that hardly seems like an insanely ambitious general managing agenda.

[sim.on]

Ha ha, I wish somebody would tell me if David Desharnais is a legitimate NHL player or not.

14 points in his last 17 games (!). That says he is.

2 points in his first 19 games (!). That says he isn't.

What I would like to see, frankly, is DD being tried more on the wing. If he had more positional flexibility it might enhance the argument for keeping him around going forward.

I'd like to see him tried on the wing too, since i don't think it's possible for any team to win the Stanley cup with DD playing center on their team.

[JMMR]

I'd like to see him tried on the wing too, since i don't think it's possible for any team to win the Stanley cup with DD playing center on their team.

If he can win puck battles like he did on that oT shift he could be an incredible winger.

[KoRP]

Totally agree with the view of Gionta being gone next season, one way or another, so as to add size in his line up spot. His contract is over, and is coming off the books, DD's is not, and probably will not be a tradable one either. He has the speed to be a winger, and it would take defensive pressure off of him, so a great idea to put him on the wing me thinks. In the tough going of the playoffs, DD is just not very effective at center

Maybe just me, but I really think Bergevin is looking to add, but not going to mortgage the future, like he said when he took over. Eluding to the comment above about appearing to hate a player because you think he should be traded, I feel that way when I suggest any trades, I like the players we have, but realize some are not what we need, and were not a part of this management team's plan... so in the end, I really think Bergevin will look at trading Gionta and Markov at or near the deadline, and as much as I like them both, I think it is in the best interest of the team in the long run. If we indeed have to trade to get better, then we might as well trade our older assets, but for a deal bundled with prospects for some immediate line up help, with size, speed and vigor and maybe even some grit.....our core is young, but we can't totally rely on building through the draft to utilize our core in their best years.

Laugh if you like, but I would look into Andrei Kostitsin's availability, size, speed, skill and should be relatively cheap, and in reality, if not on a crack cocaine trip across old Russia, would be a great addition to the top 6, without having to trade anything.... and would still be after the Avs for Bordeleau to play 4th line.....

Edited December 23, 2013 by KoRP

[hankhab]

Its funny, but before the year started, and yes, even before dd had his historic struggles this year, I posted that our top 9 are still too small, and for that reason alone I didn't like the Briere signing. Fast forward to now, and this seems to be just what everyone else sees too. When I suggested that Plekanics, although very effective, is also small. I was rebuked as well. I like Plekanics a lot, but it seems to me, if we take in account that we are not ready to contend for the cup yet, and we are too small in the top 9, wouldn't it make sense to at least think about trading him now? He is playing great 2 way hockey, and I'm sure there is a team out there somewhere willing to trade a big young winger for one of the better 2 way centres in the league. Think about it, nobody will take Briere, trading dd is also a long shot, and not sure what anyone would give us for him anyway. The habs would then be able to play Eller with the top line wingers he deserves, we could slot Briere into centre where he is much more effective, and could begin working Galchenyuk into the centre position more frequently. This would probably involve the team taking a step back this season, but really, if we get a big winger who can play, and Galchenyuk works his way into our top line centre, then who really cares?

[Machine of Loving Grace]

Eller is half the player Plekanec is.

You trade Plekanec, there's no guarantee Eller will grow into the role. There's no guarantee anyone will.

But sure, let's trade the only player that can shut down top players away. Because that's what smart organizations do.

[dlbalr]

Laugh if you like, but I would look into Andrei Kostitsin's availability, size, speed, skill and should be relatively cheap, and in reality, if not on a crack cocaine trip across old Russia, would be a great addition to the top 6, without having to trade anything.... and would still be after the Avs for Bordeleau to play 4th line.....

Presuming the Habs could get Kostitsyn out of his contract, he'd have to pass through waivers before he could join the team since he isn't on Montreal's reserve list. If he's signing a reasonable contract, there's a good chance someone claims him.

[sim.on]

I wouldn't want anyone on my team with the attitude problems that AK46 seems to have.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

I wouldn't want anyone on my team with the attitude problems that AK46 seems to have.

Yeah. While it's easy to mock Bergy's emphasis on "character," the fact is that character does count for a great deal when you're trying to build a champion. Questionable souls like Bourque and Eller aside, this team seems to have a critical mass of spirited players with a will to succeed (Price, PK, Markov, Pleks, Gally, Bournival, Gionta, etc., etc.). Adding Kosty seems like the sort of what-the-hell move an expansion team would make, not a team that is shooting for the stars.

[Guest Stogey24]

Yeah. While it's easy to mock Bergy's emphasis on "character," the fact is that character does count for a great deal when you're trying to build a champion. Questionable souls like Bourque and Eller aside, this team seems to have a critical mass of spirited players with a will to succeed (Price, PK, Markov, Pleks, Gally, Bournival, Gionta, etc., etc.). Adding Kosty seems like the sort of what-the-hell move an expansion team would make, not a team that is shooting for the stars.

How is Eller questionable. He gives it every shift and finishes his checks. Eller is the only guy on this team that can break the offensive zone and drive the net with power. There is not one other guy on Montreal that thinks about driving the net instead of stopping as soon as they hit the offensive and passing the puck. Bournival has done absolutely nothing during the last 15-20 games, no idea why he's still up with Montreal.

[hab29RETIRED]

Yeah. While it's easy to mock Bergy's emphasis on "character," the fact is that character does count for a great deal when you're trying to build a champion. Questionable souls like Bourque and Eller aside, this team seems to have a critical mass of spirited players with a will to succeed (Price, PK, Markov, Pleks, Gally, Bournival, Gionta, etc., etc.). Adding Kosty seems like the sort of what-the-hell move an expansion team would make, not a team that is shooting for the stars.Tea

Why do some players that have "character issues" thrive in other locations. What it comes down is what the organization puts i place to help young players become professional. Gainey and JM did a piss poor job of that. I put the blame squarely at Gainey. Why was there so much patience and understanding given to a 35+ year-old Kovelv at the back end of his career (yes I get he is was the most talented and skilled player on the team), while the young guys were treated like crap. The accusations that The Kostitsyns and Hamrlik bordered on slander.

The young tabs of Higgins, AK46, Ribs, et el had a GM who was clueless on how to develop young players in the modern NHL, a coach (Carbo) who didn't know how to communicate and a Dictator (JM), who let any veteran mistake go, but was intent on using the whip on the kids. JM was a 60's/70's style of coach that did a piss poor job of developing young talented players and over-playing career minor leaguers.

I don't understand what the questionable issues about Eller are?? He give his all every night and is an honest guy. The only questionable thing he did his entire time was make a very HONEST evaluation of the oilers which that ex-leaf farm coach prick Eakins ripped Eller over. That was part of the learning process for Eller and a classless comment by a coach who clearly looks over his head coaching in the NHL. I think Dallas is proving he still belongs in Junior or the minors.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

OK, OK! I retract the comment about Eller. This might be a hangover from the "waiting for Lars" phase of a couple of years ago, when he seemed a happy passenger. Absent-minded move on my part.

I don't deny at all that the Habs completely dropped the ball in the Gainey Rebuild in terms of internal leadership. But what are we supposed to do, go back and re-sign players from that aborted rebuild out of regret that we blew it the first time? Kostitsyn didn't just have issues with us, he played himself out of the NHL with his shenanigans in Nashville. Bringing him back would be wishful thinking.

[KoRP]

I don't think we are in a position to be shooting for the stars Cucumber, that's just it. If treading water is what we are doing, and it looks like that is what Bergevin is doing, to determine our course of action sooner to the deadline. If the plan is to continue a rebuild with contending a couple years away, and for future years being the goal, then maybe it is time to trade Plekanec, and Markov too, to get a young player/package to maybe change the character, and size for the top 6, and the team in general for that matter. Maybe put his stamp on the team, by trading veterans for the future team built to a purpose, that Bergevin chooses.

Just saying it might be the plan, not endorsing a belief we should trade Thomas Plekanec....or Markov, I like them both and they are great players, but I do think Eller will be a great player inside of two years, and will be able to fill that role, and we have PK as our new #1 D-man, there is no doubt in my mind that he will win more Norris trophies.

I would not trade Eller, Patcioretty, or Subban, Gallagher, Galchenyuk or Price, the true young core of this team for anyone but all veterans are fair game if the return is high.... and since it is a rebuild, we already have a great young core.

It's all about the timing, it was "all about the future and contending every year" when Bergevin took over, and Plek's value will never be higher, nor will Markov's, for a "rebuilding Habs team".....

Are we a rebuilding team, or are we not?

On the Kosty thing, yeah, I digress....there is nothing to gain there.....

Edited December 23, 2013 by KoRP

[BCHabnut]

Trading Markov could be an option if you are talking rebuild, with Subban on the team, but trading Plek would be a huge mistake. I think he should be the next captain. He is the best skater on the team for the last five years. I stand by that statement until PK is consistent and dominant every game. That's what Plek is. Consistent every game. As I said before, his name should be mentioned with Bergeron, Towes, and Datsyuk. His FO is a bit inconsistent, but that is his only weakness. Our best two way guy since carbo and gainey, but he gets on the scoreboard consistently. Of course I would trade him for the right guy, but he would have to be a huge asset.