Sabres vs Habs 7:30 March 10 2016

[Trizzak]

Well, if we were wondering how this season could get any worse, here's our answer.

[Toronthab]

Damn...PK got his neck jammed on that.

..... damn.

Well, if we were wondering how this season could get any worse, here's our answer.

May God grant him a full recovery.

[sbhatt]

Hope it's just a 'stinger'

[Trizzak]

Hope it's just a 'stinger'

I'll wait for Dr Recchi's diagnosis.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

Couldn't watch this one. ..I am absolutely freaking out. PLEASE BE OK PK!!!!!

[Neech]

Seems like precautionary measures right now for PK. He's moving and speaking normally.

[Dalhabs]

Nice hit by Emelin to help us with the tank for good draftpick campaign.

[kuternoga]

What the hell is wrong with this season?

[johnnyhasbeen]

Ok, who ever has the frigging voodoo dolls, your job is complete. You can stop now.

[Guest Stogey24]

I guess p.k stayed over night in hospital. Seems like everything is OK, as far as moving extremities anyways.

[Meller93]

if Galchenyuk scores a goal a game for the rest of the season and we win most of our games, but still miss the playoffs, I'll still be happy because Helllooooo first line center. He's on pace for 30. He has such a quick release. Love seeing him use it.

As much as I want a good pick, I'll be happy regardless if a few more things happen.

#1 The young guns show they can handle the NHL. Andrighetto continues to produce with Chucky and Pacioretty, putting up about 10 points in the last 14 games. Mccarron continues to keep pace, scores his first goal and continues to be a physical presence. Others like Lessio, JDLR Danault, Matteau all play solid 2 way hockey.

#2 The injuries prove to be short term. PK had a scare but after a couple weeks of rehab is unscathed. Price comes back with his injury woes back to 100%. Gallagher's hammy isn't frigged to s***, and all the other 14,000 ish injuries we have.

#3 MB seems to have some kind of plan. I don't care what it is. Maybe he says that this is a youth movement, maybe he brings in a solid UFA, but at least let there be some sort of goal. DON'T ruin the future by trading our young guys for marginally better vets. I think after this season we would all rather be patient with our youth than try for another stop-gap which is bound for failure.

#4 The fellas on the farm team play respectfully despite missing so many of their key players. Namely Scherbak, Hudon, and Ellis continue to step up admirably. Bud Holloway deserves a lot of respect as well.

#5 Pacioretty finishes the year strong. He's had a slightly down year, and quite the difficult inaugural captain season. There's been up (yes one up) and many downs, but recently I'm feeling a little better about him.

Finally, Condon has had a rough year, but still, talk about a baptism by fire. A rookie thrust into starter position on the heels of the MVP, Ted Lindsay, Jennings, Vezina season. Kudos to him for even staying with the team, and I hope he finishes strong.

If most of those things can happen, I'll be happy regardless of the playoffs OR our draft pick.

[DON]

Whoops, my mistake Stogey on the GDT and likely led to Subban going down.

But was reported someone spoke to Subban's family and he is OK and just under observation.

He will likely want to keep his games played streak going, but hope he dosent push it, at this point in season.

Brown with 4 hits in 8minutes of play and stepped in on Emelin's behalf, which shut up Kane quite quickly.

20:19 for Galchenyuk, sweet. And Andrighetto with 18+, some hits, 1a and not looking out of place also nice to see.

(Quite a coach to recognize the perfect time to play Alex at centre with Max!)

[Guest Stogey24]

It's not a terrible thing having a guy like brown around. He's fast enough to hold pace and he's a solid scrapper.

This feels like Therrien's type of team right now. Alot of gritty players who work hard

[habscout]

To lighten the mood about the PK injury, I guess it proves that Emelin has been watching those Buns Of Steel videos. :-)

[Machine of Loving Grace]

It's not a terrible thing having a guy like brown around. He's fast enough to hold pace and he's a solid scrapper.

This feels like Therrien's type of team right now. Alot of gritty players who work hard

Good to remind that he was absolutely atrocious in San Jose and has only played a few games for us. That said, I thought he looked good enough. Still think Lessio should have played.

[habs rule]

Whoops, my mistake Stogey on the GDT and likely led to Subban going down.

But was reported someone spoke to Subban's family and he is OK and just under observation.

He will likely want to keep his games played streak going, but hope he dosent push it, at this point in season.

Brown with 4 hits in 8minutes of play and stepped in on Emelin's behalf, which shut up Kane quite quickly.

20:19 for Galchenyuk, sweet. And Andrighetto with 18+, some hits, 1a and not looking out of place also nice to see.

(Quite a coach to recognize the perfect time to play Alex at centre with Max!)

Even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes.

[hab29RETIRED]

Wow? Talk about revisionist history. More like a coach wasting most of the season not playing him with maxpac and than finally playing him with maxpac when his adopted son gets injured.

Whoops, my mistake Stogey on the GDT and likely led to Subban going down.

But was reported someone spoke to Subban's family and he is OK and just under observation.

He will likely want to keep his games played streak going, but hope he dosent push it, at this point in season.

Brown with 4 hits in 8minutes of play and stepped in on Emelin's behalf, which shut up Kane quite quickly.

20:19 for Galchenyuk, sweet. And Andrighetto with 18+, some hits, 1a and not looking out of place also nice to see.

(Quite a coach to recognize the perfect time to play Alex at centre with Max!)

[DON]

A pessimistic or cynical spin on everything, at least your consistent 29.

[Guest Stogey24]

Good to remind that he was absolutely atrocious in San Jose and has only played a few games for us. That said, I thought he looked good enough. Still think Lessio should have played.

Ya, I was going to say it's only been a couple days.

I have a soft spot for guys that stand up for their teammates. Brown just seems like a heart and soul guy.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

Wow? Talk about revisionist history. More like a coach wasting most of the season not playing him with maxpac and than finally playing him with maxpac when his adopted son gets injured.

I agree that Galchenyuk has been strangely under-used for much of this season (I don't think this is nearly as valid a claim for past seasons, when he was all too often fairly unimpressive). This is especially true when you consider that DD was being used, endlessly and without success, in many of the prime situations in which Galy could have been used. So, that's fair, for this season.

However, there is a more general point here. If Galchenyuk is indeed finally breaking out as an NHL star, then that has happened under Therrien's watch and under his mentorship. If he is stronger on the puck (yes), shooting more and more effectively (yes), good on face-offs (yes), and respectable defensively (more or less) then those are all things that the coaching staff reviewed with him, facilitated and insisted on, no doubt over and over. So while we can legitimately b**ch about his usage this year, looking at the big picture, he seems to be developing into exactly what the organization wanted him to. We don't get to blame Therrien when a player fails to develop (Tinordi) and then give Therrien zero credit when a player does develop properly.

Gallagher, Subban, and now Galchenyuk have all emerged as stars under Therrien. Beaulieu seems to be following the identical track. So sure, I want Therrien fired at year's end, but he deserves credit for the good that happened under his watch.

And on another note: PK is all right. Thank God.

[dlbalr]

It's apparently a DTD injury for Subban but he won't play tomorrow. Darren Dietz has been recalled and will make his NHL debut. Charles Hudon is also up on an emergency basis which would suggest there was a forward injury or two last night as well.

[KoRP]

I agree that Galchenyuk has been strangely under-used for much of this season (I don't think this is nearly as valid a claim for past seasons, when he was all too often fairly unimpressive). This is especially true when you consider that DD was being used, endlessly and without success, in many of the prime situations in which Galy could have been used. So, that's fair, for this season.

However, there is a more general point here. If Galchenyuk is indeed finally breaking out as an NHL star, then that has happened under Therrien's watch and under his mentorship. If he is stronger on the puck (yes), shooting more and more effectively (yes), good on face-offs (yes), and respectable defensively (more or less) then those are all things that the coaching staff reviewed with him, facilitated and insisted on, no doubt over and over. So while we can legitimately b**ch about his usage this year, looking at the big picture, he seems to be developing into exactly what the organization wanted him to. We don't get to blame Therrien when a player fails to develop (Tinordi) and then give Therrien zero credit when a player does develop properly.

Gallagher, Subban, and now Galchenyuk have all emerged as stars under Therrien. Beaulieu seems to be following the identical track. So sure, I want Therrien fired at year's end, but he deserves credit for the good that happened under his watch.

And on another note: PK is all right. Thank God.

Great post CC! We Hab fans quite often forget that MT and MB have insisted from the time they started that this would be a process, a semi long term build and development of a perennial contender in this new salary cap age. They have talked about player development from within, and through the draft, too bad we aren't patient enough to NOT call for managerial heads in an impossible season without the league's(world's)best goaltender.

There was no chance without Price, end of story.

When Bergevin addressed the media, he said we will get through this together, as a team... I like that answer. This team is headed in the right direction.

How do I know it's the right direction? I know what the wrong direction is, been watching that wrong direction for over 20 years.

[DON]

DD and CH called up...cool.

I hoped for Galchenyuk to get 17+minutes/gm a long time ago and is great to see that happen, sucks it is because there is zero pressure to actually win.

But, Pacioretty had other telling comments on Galchenyuk; basically saying "playing with Galchenyuk you must be more aware of defensive coverage and helping out him at centre as he is still learning, whereas with Plekanec you know he will do the job at both ends of ice".

So it wasn't just Therrien who thought he wasn't quite ready to defend up top opponents and at times you could see him kinda 'lost' in his own end.

[Guest Stogey24]

I've gained some interest back in games because of Chucky.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

DD and CH called up...cool.

I hoped for Galchenyuk to get 17+minutes/gm a long time ago and is great to see that happen, sucks it is because there is zero pressure to actually win.

But, Pacioretty had other telling comments on Galchenyuk; basically saying "playing with Galchenyuk you must be more aware of defensive coverage and helping out him at centre as he is still learning, whereas with Plekanec you know he will do the job at both ends of ice".

So it wasn't just Therrien who thought he wasn't quite ready to defend up top opponents and at times you could see him kinda 'lost' in his own end.

When a guy is on pace to score 100 goals or whatever Galy's current production amounts to when pro-rated over 82 games, I'm pretty willing to excuse a bit of defensive iffiness. But your wider point is valid; Galy was a work in progress who needed to learn the NHL game. The polar opposite of the Therrien approach - gradualism to a fault, constant insistence that the player develop a complete game - is the Edmonton approach, where a bunch of talented FWs have never learned how to play properly and have never fully realized their potential in consequence. I never did subscribe to this idea that you should just take kids and roll them 25 minutes per night, irrespective of their actual performance, etc..