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2022 NHL Playoffs


Neech

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2 hours ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

 

I know what you’re saying, but once the Habs are perceived as up-and-comers with a real shot at winning, players will want to come here. I think the idea that Montreal is a place players avoid was true during the Houle era and into the Gainey years, but has gradually dissolved as, first, the Habs have made some playoff runs, and second, player after player talks about what a great place to play it is. If guys will go to Toronto, they’ll go to Montreal. 

 

I agree. Plus I think St. Louis is perceived as a good coach to play for and their management team is seen as an intelligent group. If you build it they will come. 

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3 hours ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

 

I know what you’re saying, but once the Habs are perceived as up-and-comers with a real shot at winning, players will want to come here. I think the idea that Montreal is a place players avoid was true during the Houle era and into the Gainey years, but has gradually dissolved as, first, the Habs have made some playoff runs, and second, player after player talks about what a great place to play it is. If guys will go to Toronto, they’ll go to Montreal. 

Winning will help, but language issues, such as those caused by Bill 96 aren’t going to help.

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55 minutes ago, hab29RETIRED said:

Winning will help, but language issues, such as those caused by Bill 96 aren’t going to help.

I really don't think using English is an issue if you are playing for the Habs.

 

Taxes are a bigger challenge for attracting UFAs.

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A totally random thought.  Some of the power plays in these playoffs have looked terrible (in other words, they look like Montreal's) and there are no adjustments being made at all (also like Montreal's).  It got me to thinking about St. Louis' philosophy of focusing on quick decision making over systems play and I can see where that would be effective when it comes to the man advantage.  Several teams just try to run the same set play with one or two variations depending on how it progresses.  Those that don't have had more effective power plays in the postseason.

 

Now that St. Louis will have a full training camp to try to implement more of his style in the fall, I can't help but wonder if that we'll see that approach applied to Montreal's power play in an effort to get towards something more free-flowing going instead of the usual fixed set plays.  Some things are hard to implement midseason when there's a fair bit of roster turnover and maybe that was one of them.  If not, perhaps Florida and Carolina's power plays should serve as a cautionary tale in their summer coach meetings.

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6 minutes ago, dlbalr said:

A totally random thought.  Some of the power plays in these playoffs have looked terrible (in other words, they look like Montreal's) and there are no adjustments being made at all (also like Montreal's).  It got me to thinking about St. Louis' philosophy of focusing on quick decision making over systems play and I can see where that would be effective when it comes to the man advantage.  Several teams just try to run the same set play with one or two variations depending on how it progresses.  Those that don't have had more effective power plays in the postseason.

 

Now that St. Louis will have a full training camp to try to implement more of his style in the fall, I can't help but wonder if that we'll see that approach applied to Montreal's power play in an effort to get towards something more free-flowing going instead of the usual fixed set plays.  Some things are hard to implement midseason when there's a fair bit of roster turnover and maybe that was one of them.  If not, perhaps Florida and Carolina's power plays should serve as a cautionary tale in their summer coach meetings.

 

It is an approach that strikes me as solid, and more difficult to defend ... but it requires the right players to be making the decisions

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12 minutes ago, Neech said:

Do you think Carolina wishes they waited till the offseason to give KK 8 years?

Couldn't ... KK signing the offer sheet was predicated on the already agreed upon extension ... would have been breaking their word ... serves them right.

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Not sure if I'm alone in this line of vindictive thinking, but I absolutely love that the Canes are eliminated. But mostly the fact that KK was the least used player with only one measly point only makes their previous social media chirping that much better. Enjoy the next 8 years idiots, you really showed us who is boss

 

Edit: Just seen KK got an assist in garbage time, so two playoff points. One behind Rangers goalie Shesterkin

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29 minutes ago, illWill said:

Not sure if I'm alone in this line of vindictive thinking, but I absolutely love that the Canes are eliminated. But mostly the fact that KK was the least used player with only one measly point only makes their previous social media chirping that much better. Enjoy the next 8 years idiots, you really showed us who is boss

 

Edit: Just seen KK got an assist in garbage time, so two playoff points. One behind Rangers goalie Shesterkin

 

Plus it moves us up to 26th with Calgary's pick, a win-win. 

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2 hours ago, illWill said:

Not sure if I'm alone in this line of vindictive thinking, but I absolutely love that the Canes are eliminated. But mostly the fact that KK was the least used player with only one measly point only makes their previous social media chirping that much better. Enjoy the next 8 years idiots, you really showed us who is boss

 

Edit: Just seen KK got an assist in garbage time, so two playoff points. One behind Rangers goalie Shesterkin

Yep. Canes can suck it. The social media gloating over kk is right back in their faces. For now.

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51 minutes ago, BCHabnut said:

Yep. Canes can suck it. The social media gloating over kk is right back in their faces. For now.

I hope Dvorak becomes a good productive "Plekanec"-ish C as well.

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7 hours ago, illWill said:

Not sure if I'm alone in this line of vindictive thinking, but I absolutely love that the Canes are eliminated. But mostly the fact that KK was the least used player with only one measly point only makes their previous social media chirping that much better. Enjoy the next 8 years idiots, you really showed us who is boss

 

Edit: Just seen KK got an assist in garbage time, so two playoff points. One behind Rangers goalie Shesterkin


I don’t hate KK (no more than other non Habs). 
 

I do LMAO at the Canes though. What a huge investment and cap mistake just to say FU to the Habs. 
 

KK simply took the $ and who wouldn’t? He got paid without earning it yet. 

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2 hours ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:


I don’t hate KK (no more than other non Habs). 
 

I do LMAO at the Canes though. What a huge investment and cap mistake just to say FU to the Habs. 
 

KK simply took the $ and who wouldn’t? He got paid without earning it yet. 

 

I suspect that that’s been a contributing factor to KK’s stalled development. Everything was handed to him unearned, from an NHL roster spot and “stardom” in Montreal to a big payday in Carolina.

 

10 hours ago, illWill said:

Not sure if I'm alone in this line of vindictive thinking, but I absolutely love that the Canes are eliminated. But mostly the fact that KK was the least used player with only one measly point only makes their previous social media chirping that much better. Enjoy the next 8 years idiots, you really showed us who is boss

 

Edit: Just seen KK got an assist in garbage time, so two playoff points. One behind Rangers goalie Shesterkin

 

Not alone at all, I applaud every ounce of misery the Canes suffer and every minute that KK continues to stall out as a bottom-6 mediocrity. The Canes deserve it for being complete, petulant dicks. Remember, our joke of an offer sheet didn’t actually do their organization any harm; but they went after a player they didn’t even really need just to stick it to the Habs for having the temerity to try it, and then repeatedly spat in our faces when we were melting down and last overall. Real classy. I hope that contract becomes a problem for them for years to come.

 

I don’t have any personal animus toward KK. My desire that he fail is ‘just business,’ so to speak, because I do not want any young player stolen from the Habs to develop into an impact C. Let him have a nice remunerative career as a generic bottom-end player.

 

The other part of it is the faint pleasures of ‘I told you so.’ By the time he left us, I had become a KK skeptic - doubting that he was ever going to evolve into a top-6 player. I kept calling him Lars Eller 2.0. And now it’s not even clear he will become that. It is gratifying to think both that my evaluation might be proved right AND that those pukes, the Canes, might be the ones who have to deal with the consequences of yet another bungled top pick by the Habs.

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34 minutes ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

 

I suspect that that’s been a contributing factor to KK’s stalled development. Everything was handed to him unearned, from an NHL roster spot and “stardom” in Montreal to a big payday in Carolina.

 

I don’t have any personal animus toward KK. My desire that he fail is ‘just business,’ so to speak, because I do not want any young player stolen from the Habs to develop into an impact C. Let him have a nice remunerative career as a generic bottom-end player.

 

 

I definitely agree with these comments. Habs totally bungled this by keeping him at age 18 and he really didn't earn the big contract from Carolina, can't blame him for taking it though. 

 

I hope he has a nice career as a bottom 6 player  and his contract becomes an albatross for Carolina. I don't blame them for getting really ticked off at MB's offer sheet but sometimes revenge is not the best strategy and clearly revenge was on their minds when they signed KK. 

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58 minutes ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

 

I suspect that that’s been a contributing factor to KK’s stalled development. Everything was handed to him unearned, from an NHL roster spot and “stardom” in Montreal to a big payday in Carolina.

 

 

Not alone at all, I applaud every ounce of misery the Canes suffer and every minute that KK continues to stall out as a bottom-6 mediocrity. The Canes deserve it for being complete, petulant dicks. Remember, our joke of an offer sheet didn’t actually do their organization any harm; but they went after a player they didn’t even really need just to stick it to the Habs for having the temerity to try it, and then repeatedly spat in our faces when we were melting down and last overall. Real classy. I hope that contract becomes a problem for them for years to come.

 

I don’t have any personal animus toward KK. My desire that he fail is ‘just business,’ so to speak, because I do not want any young player stolen from the Habs to develop into an impact C. Let him have a nice remunerative career as a generic bottom-end player.

 

The other part of it is the faint pleasures of ‘I told you so.’ By the time he left us, I had become a KK skeptic - doubting that he was ever going to evolve into a top-6 player. I kept calling him Lars Eller 2.0. And now it’s not even clear he will become that. It is gratifying to think both that my evaluation might be proved right AND that those pukes, the Canes, might be the ones who have to deal with the consequences of yet another bungled top pick by the Habs.

 

The whole thing is so many people (mostly on twitter) said, look at KK in the 2020 bubble and the 2021 Playoffs.  He's so great in playoffs, he's clutch. 

 

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

 

Yup, clutch playoff player.....

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I think Ducharme broke KK’s spirit a bit by benching him during our run. I also believe that the Habs development program was very poor. I’m certainly not giving him a pass but we did not give him a winning hand out of the gate. 
 

I also maintain that it was a bit of a risk to take him at #3 and we were in no place to risk at that time. If I remember KK was on most lists between 6-10 overall. 
 

To see HuGo invest in our player development system is very encouraging and along with utilizing modern analytics has me hopeful 

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7 minutes ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

I think Ducharme broke KK’s spirit a bit by benching him during our run. I also believe that the Habs development program was very poor. I’m certainly not giving him a pass but we did not give him a winning hand out of the gate. 
 

I also maintain that it was a bit of a risk to take him at #3 and we were in no place to risk at that time. If I remember KK was on most lists between 6-10 overall. 
 

To see HuGo invest in our player development system is very encouraging and along with utilizing modern analytics has me hopeful 

 

The biggest mistake was keeping him at age 18 hoping/praying that he would be our saviour at the centre ice position.  When you are 18 you need to be playing 20 minutes/game somewhere so you can develop. He also wasn't mature enough to handle the ups and downs. Lesson learned hopefully. 

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14 minutes ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

I think Ducharme broke KK’s spirit a bit by benching him during our run. I also believe that the Habs development program was very poor. I’m certainly not giving him a pass but we did not give him a winning hand out of the gate. 
 

I also maintain that it was a bit of a risk to take him at #3 and we were in no place to risk at that time. If I remember KK was on most lists between 6-10 overall. 
 

To see HuGo invest in our player development system is very encouraging and along with utilizing modern analytics has me hopeful 

 

If it "broke his spirit" to be benched for a few games, then that is symptomatic of either an extremely fragile mindset, or an attitude of entitlement. Neither indicates a quality NHL player.

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Yes. While he was not the optimal pick, neither was he a disastrous one.

 

What the Habs should have done is matured him in (maybe some combination of Liiga and) the AHL. Instead, he got picked at top three (look how good I am!), was given a high roster spot (and TOI) immediately (I really am!), and never spent any substantial time in the minors. The Canes sealed this sense of entitlement with a $6M offer sheet and then a $40M eight-year contract, neither one of which he really had to work for.

 

Contrast this with his fellow Finn, Ylonen. Picked at #35, spent two years in Liiga and another two in Laval. He may not have had the raw talent (ceiling!) of Kotkaniemi, but he knows he needs to work at it, and has shown that commitment in Laval. And he may yet end up being a better NHL player ...

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On 5/29/2022 at 2:14 PM, Sir_Boagalott said:

 

  I think some people are reading way to much into "kicking" because he 100% pushed the puck into the net using his *left* foot - hence that constitutes a kicking motion. 

 

 

Probably because the rule states "distinct kicking motion". Again, if the rule was " the player intended to use his skate", then alllll sorts of goals should be called back. Anyway, that's over, and I don't think that one moment in the series is what cost the Flames. 

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