Habs Playoff Preparations Begin

[JoeLassister]

2 minutes ago, THE Bobby Orr said:

is the great sofa for your man-cave?  or just family?  makes a difference

 

HAHAHAHA

[xXx..CK..xXx]

3 hours ago, Stogey24 said:

To me weber's career doesn't define this team's window of opportunity.

 

 

 

I agree and I think that this is an area that's been overlooked. The argument should not be whether or not Weber will age like fine wine but more along the lines of if he does show signs of extreme regression in a few years, does this completely handicap our team from winning the cup?

 

I think that's where the flaw lies in the logic. I don't personally agree that this will be our best shot as a group, if it's simply because of Weber's "3 year window". I think Weber is a great player to have on your team but he is a team player and I feel as though Price and Pacioretty and (Radulov) are just as important to the team. We also have (Markov) right now which helps a lot. 3 years down the road, we have a Hedman type of defenseman in Sergachev on the team and who knows what other pieces have been added?

 

As long as Price is on the team and no further injuries occur to him, we have a window. 

[JoeLassister]

33 minutes ago, xXx..CK..xXx said:

 

I agree and I think that this is an area that's been overlooked. The argument should not be whether or not Weber will age like fine wine but more along the lines of if he does show signs of extreme regression in a few years, does this completely handicap our team from winning the cup?

 

I think that's where the flaw lies in the logic. I don't personally agree that this will be our best shot as a group, if it's simply because of Weber's "3 year window". I think Weber is a great player to have on your team but he is a team player and I feel as though Price and Pacioretty and (Radulov) are just as important to the team. We also have (Markov) right now which helps a lot. 3 years down the road, we have a Hedman type of defenseman in Sergachev on the team and who knows what other pieces have been added?

 

As long as Price is on the team and no further injuries occur to him, we have a window. 

Talking about putting your expectations to sky rocket level !!!
Even Hedman took more than 3 years to become Hedman.

And I'm not even scratching the surface of the possible knee injuries or concussions between now and 3 years down the road...

[BCHabnut]

19 hours ago, Commandant said:

 

Physical players who make a lot of hits and block a lot of shots fall apart sooner than guys who are more smooth. 

 

While some can last, the odds are against Weber being good in his late 30s, while they favor a guy like Markov being good at that age. 

When I watch him, I see less of the brute that risks his body and puts everything into every hit, and more a guy who puts himself in the best position to defend. He doesn't subject himself to open ice hits, he doesn't skate with the puck, so I just don't see the argument that he will fall to pieces at 34. Ive seen lots of big strong players that play smart and enjoy long careers. I could just as easily say  that fast skating players are likely to slow down and experience regression. 

 

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

1 hour ago, xXx..CK..xXx said:

 

I agree and I think that this is an area that's been overlooked. The argument should not be whether or not Weber will age like fine wine but more along the lines of if he does show signs of extreme regression in a few years, does this completely handicap our team from winning the cup?

 

I think that's where the flaw lies in the logic. I don't personally agree that this will be our best shot as a group, if it's simply because of Weber's "3 year window". I think Weber is a great player to have on your team but he is a team player and I feel as though Price and Pacioretty and (Radulov) are just as important to the team. We also have (Markov) right now which helps a lot. 3 years down the road, we have a Hedman type of defenseman in Sergachev on the team and who knows what other pieces have been added?

 

As long as Price is on the team and no further injuries occur to him, we have a window. 

 

Sergachev is an X-factor in this '3-year window' argument. If he develops relatively rapidly into a legit #1 guy, then we are looking at a seamless transition as Weber declines.

 

But the proposition that this team can win the Cup without a genuine #1 defenceman is untenable. Price is one of the finest goalies I've ever had the privilege to watch, but he is not Superman. If he were, we'd already have some Cups under his watch. To put it another way, this team is not in the first tier of Cup contenders EVEN WITH Price, Weber, and Radulov all close to their primes. Subtract Weber, or (worse) Weber and Radu? Forget it.

 

On another note, the injury to Kris Letang is yet another tic in the box of 'clearing a path for the Habs to win.' Again, the ducks keep lining up...

[xXx..CK..xXx]

1 hour ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

 

Sergachev is an X-factor in this '3-year window' argument. If he develops relatively rapidly into a legit #1 guy, then we are looking at a seamless transition as Weber declines.

 

But the proposition that this team can win the Cup without a genuine #1 defenceman is untenable. Price is one of the finest goalies I've ever had the privilege to watch, but he is not Superman. If he were, we'd already have some Cups under his watch. To put it another way, this team is not in the first tier of Cup contenders EVEN WITH Price, Weber, and Radulov all close to their primes. Subtract Weber, or (worse) Weber and Radu? Forget it.

 

On another note, the injury to Kris Letang is yet another tic in the box of 'clearing a path for the Habs to win.' Again, the ducks keep lining up...

You bring up an interesting point near the end of your post though because while they (Pittsburgh) certainly have more offensive upside than us, can they win the cup without Letang? I admit they're chances have taken a great hit, but if you ask me, they still have one of the better chances in the league to win the cup. Therein lies the point that a team can overcome such adversity, even though I'm only making a personal opinionated claim beforehand and it hasn't actually happened. 

 

1 hour ago, JoeLassister said:

Talking about putting your expectations to sky rocket level !!!
Even Hedman took more than 3 years to become Hedman.

And I'm not even scratching the surface of the possible  u knee injuries or concussions between now and 3 years down the road...

 

I agree that it will take him time to develop and I thought about what you said when I posted but in all honesty, it's just as likely as any other outcome that Sergachev's well into his career by the time Weber's regression has an obvious impact. As for the Hedman comparison, it's one I haven't heard but I have heard extremely good things about Sergachev. 

 

This is all time will tell stuff but I'm on the other side of the fence when it comes to Weber.  Supposedly, it's slick moving defensemen who have a long lifespan in the league but to me those are the players who you really notice lose a step as they age. Of course, their (Lidstrom, Markov) vision remains and so they can remain effective offensively seemingly forever but in other areas, you can really tell they've lost a step.  As for Weber, I expect his shot to be just as effective on the power play for many years to come and as long as he keeps lifting the weights, he should be able to remain physical. He's already not the quickest player out there, so I'm not sure where a lack of foot speed would come into the equation when assessing his regression as he continues to get older. 

 

I agree with both of your comments but I guess my first point is that I see Weber as a legitimate top pairing defenseman for a long time coming whether he regresses or not. This isn't a biased assessment, I just can't see him falling off a cliff. He has too much good to offer because he can help in a variety of ways. As he gets older, he will still be at the very worst, a Hall Gill mentor type, with skills to boot.

 

I shrug my shoulders because I feel like he'll always be helpful; But my second point was that even if he isn't at peak level, I don't think he necessarily needs to be the key guy during a cup run. We have Other players who could get hot at the right time. Say this year for example. If Weber were to suck in the playoffs, all of Petry, Markov and Beaulieu could become playoff heroes on the back end and help lead us to victory while Weber helps in other areas. Put their regular seasons aside because they are all player who legitimately could do it if Weber were to be off his game.

 

Put it this way, Weber happens to play quite bad during the playoffs even this season but Markov plays like a true number 1 for most of the 21 games before he dies of old age. In such a case, the team didn't have to win without a number 1. Of course, we should just hope that Weber does play like a true #1 but the point is the same.

 

In 3-4-5 years? Weber may regress to an obvious extent, but he may not. In 3-4-5 years? Maybe other players will be this season's Beaulieu/Petry/Markov. In 3-4-5 years? Other players (Sergachev) may progress to an extreme extent. They also may not.

[BCHabnut]

I actually really like the tier one tier two contender theory. The problem is, how many perennial tier one contenders did not tank to get there? 09-12 bruins, 12 to 15 Kings and every year sharks. It is pretty darn tough to to take that step up without a full tank or two during good draft years. 

[Jeff Price (no relation)]

51 minutes ago, BCHabnut said:

I actually really like the tier one tier two contender theory. The problem is, how many perennial tier one contenders did not tank to get there? 09-12 bruins, 12 to 15 Kings and every year sharks. It is pretty darn tough to to take that step up without a full tank or two during good draft years. 

The Kings were never a tier 1 contender. They were a tier 2 contender that beat the odds... Repeatedly. This was a flawed team that barely managed to make the playoffs then went on a tear without explanation despite mediocre regular seasons.

[Commandant]

21 hours ago, JoeLassister said:

I have to agree... but is it worth not having a great sofa set in a brand new house for a couple months ?

 

Sit on the floor. 

[Commandant]

18 hours ago, BCHabnut said:

When I watch him, I see less of the brute that risks his body and puts everything into every hit, and more a guy who puts himself in the best position to defend. He doesn't subject himself to open ice hits, he doesn't skate with the puck, so I just don't see the argument that he will fall to pieces at 34. Ive seen lots of big strong players that play smart and enjoy long careers. I could just as easily say  that fast skating players are likely to slow down and experience regression. 

 

 

You could say it.  

 

Doesn't mean there is a mountain of players who played that way who regressed early.

 

On the other hand there is a mountain of defensive defencemen whose bodies fall them in their early to mid-30s.

 

I'm not just saying it, i'm looking at what has happened in the league in the last 20 years. 

[Commandant]

Going to Game 2

[xXx..CK..xXx]

Only way I'll be able to see a playoff game live  this year is if Montreal and Anaheim make the final or if the Habs have a Stanley Cup Final game 7 match at home. Then I may or may not take the most expensive trip of my life and head back to Montreal for a few days. 

 

Both are unlikely but never say never. If only the Habs had beat the Rangers a few years ago in the Conference Final, we would have faced the Kings and I would have been able to attend at least one game during the final at the Staples Center. 

[habs rule]

2 hours ago, Commandant said:

Going to Game 2

lucky dog oh and rich too.

[JoeLassister]

I was wrong.  I don't have access to 1 playoffs game per round, but to 2 games per round.

 

Round 1 Home Game 1

Date to be confirmed.

You have 2 tickets.

 

Round 1 Home Game 3 (if necessary)

Date to be confirmed.

You have 2 tickets.

 

Round 2 Home Game 2

Date to be confirmed.

You have 2 tickets.

 

Round 2 Home Game 4 (if necessary)

Date to be confirmed.

You have 2 tickets.

 

Round 3 Home Game 1

Date to be confirmed.

You have 2 tickets.

 

Round 3 Home Game 3 (if necessary)

Date to be confirmed.

You have 2 tickets.

 

Round 4 Home Game 2

Date to be confirmed.

You have 2 tickets.

 

Round 4 Home Game 4 (if necessary)

Date to be confirmed.

You have 2 tickets.

[Helmethead]

I know it's a long shot but does anyone have access to tickets at MSG?

 

Perfect scenario for me would be to go to New York for the first series. Then Boston for round two.  Then Brooklyn for round 3, then up to Montreal for the finals. 

 

A man can dream right? 

 

Rangers fans in CT are really starting to antagonize me. Might have to go all Chris Nilan on them this coming week. 

[Trizzak]

16 minutes ago, Helmethead said:

I know it's a long shot but does anyone have access to tickets at MSG?

 

Perfect scenario for me would be to go to New York for the first series. Then Boston for round two.  Then Brooklyn for round 3, then up to Montreal for the finals. 

 

A man can dream right? 

 

Rangers fans in CT are really starting to antagonize me. Might have to go all Chris Nilan on them this coming week. 

 

You light your cigars with $100 bills too? 

[Helmethead]

19 minutes ago, Trizzak said:

 

You light your cigars with $100 bills too? 

 

Hardly Trizz..

 

I have few vices in my life. Habs just happen to be one of them. 

 

Im turning 41 in May and I haven't had the luxury of seeing the habs hoist the cup. Ever. In 86 my family left for greece for the summer as soon as the finals started. 

 

In 93 I was living in Greece. 79 I was too young to remember. 

 

Last playoff game I attended was game 5 of  conference final in 1986 against the rangers. I remember hanging out of my dad's sunroof driving down Atwater celebrating with the rest of the loonies. 

 

I want to relive this again..