Jump to content

First Round Matchup


zumpano21

Recommended Posts

Well... got to play someone in playoffs, as I really don't think Bettman will grant a bye to the finals for Habs.

Oh well, I'll get to stretch out on bandwagon and will have a nice sharp pitchfork to keep the fickle-cynical lot from jumping off/on depending on whether lose or win each game. :angry2:

I'm sure you will. Pitchfork and pom poms! :hyper: Be sure cheer for NB as you watch him play great top four minutes, jump right on his bandwagon!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hate to say it.......but Boston would be a good opener.........Ottawa has been a pain for Montreal and could pull off an upset.

I think most would acknowledge that Boston is a team the Habs could beat. However, given the physical and emotional toll those series seem to take, could that hurt them in the round(s) to come?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think most would acknowledge that Boston is a team the Habs could beat. However, given the physical and emotional toll those series seem to take, could that hurt them in the round(s) to come?

I'm feeling emotionally bruised already!

Ottawas picked it up I hear, and NY scares me.. and the BooBears... God knows... :blush:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think MTL's biggest weakness is the potency of their offense. They can score, but only at an average rate. If they run into a goalie like Lundqvist who gets in the skater's heads, it would put all the pressure on the defence and Price, and even then they might have difficulty overcoming a lack of scoring. Anyway, we'll see. I'm just excited, and every other team in the east should be worried about facing the best goaltender in the league.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think most would acknowledge that Boston is a team the Habs could beat. However, given the physical and emotional toll those series seem to take, could that hurt them in the round(s) to come?

Well one thing is for sure, they don't seem to have a problem getting up for games against the Brooons.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think MTL's biggest weakness is the potency of their offense. They can score, but only at an average rate. If they run into a goalie like Lundqvist who gets in the skater's heads, it would put all the pressure on the defence and Price, and even then they might have difficulty overcoming a lack of scoring. Anyway, we'll see. I'm just excited, and every other team in the east should be worried about facing the best goaltender in the league.

Well said.

worth noting.... Rangers 12-2-2 since Lunquist went down

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't see any weak sisters out there. We still have a tough schedule. We need to step up most immediately against TB and Ottawa. Let the games begin.

I hear ya.

Rangers got their tenth shut out of the season last night.....against the hawks. I'll say it again, they would be habs toughest draw.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why immediately must step up now? What is so urgent?

But agree are numerous good teams in east, don't agree with others here who seemingly are 'scared' to see Habs face most of them and would like to duck all of better teams.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why immediately must step up now? What is so urgent?

But agree are numerous good teams in east, don't agree with others here who seemingly are 'scared' to see Habs face most of them and would like to duck all of better teams.

I'm bored of Boston.

I'm actually looking forward to a matchup with the Bolts. I want the team to prove that Bishop can be beaten and they are not as good as people say they are. Everyone forgets how bad Therrien exposed Jon Cooper in the playoffs and just jumps to the excuses.

I still think we're an Eastern Conference contender. We got to six games in the ECF last year after Price got injured and we played a lame duck first game. People act like we got swept. We didn't. Only Tampa got swept.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why immediately must step up now? What is so urgent?

But agree are numerous good teams in east, don't agree with others here who seemingly are 'scared' to see Habs face most of them and would like to duck all of better teams.

What we do now is a precursor to things to come. We haven't beat TB yet. Need to get that done. I think we lose opportunity if we don't stay first in our seating. I believe our lot will improve if we can slide into the playoffs on a roll. I don't like our chances if we just back door it, and try to change the momentum when we get there. How many teams do you know that can turn the switch on and off at will? We haven't beat TB, we haven't played Ottawa particularly well, Boston has been on roll since we last played them, and the Detroit games have been tight; so yeah we need to get going.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What we do now is a precursor to things to come. We haven't beat TB yet. Need to get that done. I think we lose opportunity if we don't stay first in our seating. I believe our lot will improve if we can slide into the playoffs on a roll. I don't like our chances if we just back door it, and try to change the momentum when we get there. How many teams do you know that can turn the switch on and off at will? We haven't beat TB, we haven't played Ottawa particularly well, Boston has been on roll since we last played them, and the Detroit games have been tight; so yeah we need to get going.

Didn't we crush the Rangers last season, particularly Lundqvist at home? I seem to recall that the Rags win at the Bell Centre in the playoffs was one of the first Lundqvist wins at the Bell Centre in years.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Regular season and playoffs are two completely different animals

Correct-- However our best chance, is for positive momentum going forward as opposed idling and/or backwards when we reach the playoffs. We have a tough row to hoe to just get out of our division. There will be no gimmes!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Correct-- However our best chance, is for positive momentum going forward as opposed idling and/or backwards when we reach the playoffs. We have a tough row to hoe to just get out of our division. There will be no gimmes!

I don't like losing to tough opponents, especially if we might play them in the playoffs. Would rather win those games over others. I could care less about the weak teams. Just get out of it healthy.

But the regular season is all about positioning and posturing. Tampa was on a rampage when we played them the first time. They played an October game like it was in April. You do that too much and you exhaust yourself. Tampa is always trying to prove a point against us in the regular season. We shouldn't lose those games but we already proved we can sweep them in the playoffs. Tampa has to beat us in a seven game playoff series if they want to prove something.

Since 05-06 there hasn't been a season where a team didn't have 50 wins but there hasn't been a season where more than five teams had 50 wins. In other words, at best in this league you're gonna lose close to 30 games in regulation and OT/SO. We're at 42 wins with 16 more games to go. We're 2nd in the league. At this point our concern should be team health and momentum. Not much else. I want 50 wins for sure but I'd rather we do it with everyone healthy. A weak road trip in the West (which every East team discusses as the road trip of doom) hasn't knocked us out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why immediately must step up now? What is so urgent?

But agree are numerous good teams in east, don't agree with others here who seemingly are 'scared' to see Habs face most of them and would like to duck all of better teams.

Its just sports talk Don. Nobody is ducking anyone. Maybe you should put your hands over your ears and eyes on this one as it involves crediting the habs AND their toughest competitors.

Its all very close in the east, which makes it interesting to discuss. That ok with you?

GO HABS

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't like losing to tough opponents, especially if we might play them in the playoffs. Would rather win those games over others. I could care less about the weak teams. Just get out of it healthy.

But the regular season is all about positioning and posturing. Tampa was on a rampage when we played them the first time. They played an October game like it was in April. You do that too much and you exhaust yourself. Tampa is always trying to prove a point against us in the regular season. We shouldn't lose those games but we already proved we can sweep them in the playoffs. Tampa has to beat us in a seven game playoff series if they want to prove something.

Since 05-06 there hasn't been a season where a team didn't have 50 wins but there hasn't been a season where more than five teams had 50 wins. In other words, at best in this league you're gonna lose close to 30 games in regulation and OT/SO. We're at 42 wins with 16 more games to go. We're 2nd in the league. At this point our concern should be team health and momentum. Not much else. I want 50 wins for sure but I'd rather we do it with everyone healthy. A weak road trip in the West (which every East team discusses as the road trip of doom) hasn't knocked us out.

We haven't beat them this year, they didn't have their goalie when we played them last year in the playoffs. that would be problematic for us, so I guess it would be problematic for them. I don't think we have proven anything.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We haven't beat them this year, they didn't have their goalie when we played them last year in the playoffs. that would be problematic for us, so I guess it would be problematic for them. I don't think we have proven anything.

If that's the case then all Tampa is, is Bishop. Not Stamkos, not Hedman, not a team. Just Bishop. People claim Montreal is just Price and we still won two games without him. Tampa couldn't win one.

Talk about weak excuses.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Stogey24

If that's the case then all Tampa is, is Bishop. Not Stamkos, not Hedman, not a team. Just Bishop. People claim Montreal is just Price and we still won two games without him. Tampa couldn't win one.

Talk about weak excuses.

How is that a weak excuse? They didn't have one of their best players(Bishop) and Stamkos wasn't even close to 100%. Tampa, this year basically has two top lines. They're going to be a tough team to beat.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We haven't beat them this year, they didn't have their goalie when we played them last year in the playoffs. that would be problematic for us, so I guess it would be problematic for them. I don't think we have proven anything.

Habs beat the Bolts in every facet of the game last spring, hence the sweep. Had Bishop been healthy, there may have been one, maaaaaaybe two games he could have made the difference. Habs won the series fair and square. And I'm sure the sweep has provided the proverbial chip on their shoulder when the two teams meet now. It will be a good series if they meet again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...