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2024-25 Montreal Canadiens discussion thread


tomh009

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5 hours ago, DON said:

Climbing.

image.png

I love this. Screw the tank. Time to learn how to win. I have no illusion that the boys will make the playoffs, but from the beginning of the season I was hoping to finish the year in 20 to 25 position instead of the 28 to 32 position.  I just wish Slaf was having a better season.

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The eastern conference is so tight, seven teams between 42 and 38 points, that I expect that it will not take 95 points to get into the playoffs, probably closer to 90 (Ottawa is on pace for just 86.3). but we shall see ...

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Tomorrow at 11:30am, Kent Hughes will hold a mid-season press conference, where he’s likely to face questions regarding players such as Evans, Joel Armia, and David Savard.

 

Maybe about Matheson… 

 

Should have lots to discuss after..

 

https://www.habsfanatics.com/nhl-team/montreal-canadiens/canadiens-call-important-press-conference-with-kent-hughes-tomorrow-at-1130-am

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2 hours ago, Butterface said:

Should have lots to discuss after..\

 

52 minutes ago, DON said:

you think he will say anything but vague clichés

 

Sadly, most of the much to discuss will likely be about what he didn't say, or "reading tea leaves" about what he did say that told us nothing.

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3 hours ago, Butterface said:

Tomorrow at 11:30am, Kent Hughes will hold a mid-season press conference, where he’s likely to face questions regarding players such as Evans, Joel Armia, and David Savard.

 

Maybe about Matheson… 

 

Should have lots to discuss after..

 

https://www.habsfanatics.com/nhl-team/montreal-canadiens/canadiens-call-important-press-conference-with-kent-hughes-tomorrow-at-1130-am

 

Talk about clickbait, not even going to the article. "Important Press Conference." When has a mid season press conference ever been important?

 

The shocking reasons Kent Hughes is holding a press conference, you won't BELIEVE #3!

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1 hour ago, GHT120 said:

 

 

Sadly, most of the much to discuss will likely be about what he didn't say, or "reading tea leaves" about what he did say that told us nothing.


I said he’d face questions. Didn’t say we’d get answers 🤣🤣🤣

 

Interpreting is the fun part.

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9 hours ago, GHT120 said:

 

 

Sadly, most of the much to discuss will likely be about what he didn't say, or "reading tea leaves" about what he did say that told us nothing.


most questions are team-friendly, now specially since the are in the mix.

 

I just want to know what the pla is for Savard. Anything beyond that is gravy

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Just summery of trade deadline cup winner moves

https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/what-past-10-stanley-cup-champion-teams-did-trade-deadline

 

Conclusion

If you peruse the list of acquisitions by the past 10 champs, you won’t find many if any stars. A team needing the trade deadline to find its best player isn’t good enough to win the Stanley Cup in the first place. But you will notice almost every team has been quite busy adding complementary cherry-on-top pieces to address specific needs. Four of the past five Cup champs have acquired more than one player during the stretch run. So while GMs don’t need to chase the biggest fish, they shouldn’t sit on their hands, either.

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What is Jake Evans nickname?

 

HW 3 Stars: December 2024 – HabsWorld.net

 

HabsWorld.net -- 
The Habs closed up 2024 on a high note with some big victories to get themselves closer to the playoff picture.  Along the way, they had some different contributors than normal, some of whom received enough votes from our readers to land in our three stars.

1st Star: Jake Evans

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Juraj's Blog | LNH.com

 

... before, we could play badly for twenty minutes or forty minutes. Now, I feel that if we have a slowdown, it lasts four or five minutes. We find ways to get back up after a few bad shifts.

More inconsistency

On a personal note, I feel like consistency is an issue for me. I can play a good game and then I have two bad games. I was horrible against the Blackhawks in Chicago and the Avalanche in Denver and then I played a good game against the Canucks.

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13 hours ago, DON said:

 

Juraj's Blog | LNH.com

 

... before, we could play badly for twenty minutes or forty minutes. Now, I feel that if we have a slowdown, it lasts four or five minutes. We find ways to get back up after a few bad shifts.

More inconsistency

On a personal note, I feel like consistency is an issue for me. I can play a good game and then I have two bad games. I was horrible against the Blackhawks in Chicago and the Avalanche in Denver and then I played a good game against the Canucks.

I am sure he will get there

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14 hours ago, DON said:

 

Juraj's Blog | LNH.com

 

... before, we could play badly for twenty minutes or forty minutes. Now, I feel that if we have a slowdown, it lasts four or five minutes. We find ways to get back up after a few bad shifts.

More inconsistency

On a personal note, I feel like consistency is an issue for me. I can play a good game and then I have two bad games. I was horrible against the Blackhawks in Chicago and the Avalanche in Denver and then I played a good game against the Canucks.

I like that his first thoughts are about the team and that he is self-aware, recognizing his short-comings ... both, I-M-O, portend well for his future.

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18 minutes ago, GHT120 said:

I like that his first thoughts are about the team and that he is self-aware, recognizing his short-comings ... both, I-M-O, portend well for his future.

For sure. As long as he doesn't get in his own head, that maturity could help him.

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For whatever it's worth, from The Athletic, hopefully without infringing on their copyright by avoiding the details; the number of goalies in each tier added in brackets ... NOT great news about Montembeault:

 

We polled a panel of experts over the past few months, asking them to rate every starting goalie in the NHL on a scale of 1 to 5, with one being best and five being worst. They were asked to look beyond the stats and grade the goalies based on execution. Play reading, puck tracking, staying on angles, controlling rebounds, inspiring the team in front of them, and everything else that comes with the position.

 

The ratings were then averaged, and the goalies were sorted into tiers. We grant anonymity to encourage honesty and participation. This year, the 10-person panel was made up of six NHL coaches (current and former head coaches and goalie coaches), and four retired NHL goalies


Tier 1 — Vezina Caliber (5)
A top-five goalie. A franchise-caliber netminder capable of transcending the play in front of him and single-handedly winning games with regularity. Someone who can elevate their team and be the centerpiece for a championship.

 

Tier 2 — High-End Starter  (7)
A top-10 to top-12 goalie. A cornerstone goalie who is capable of contending for the Vezina Trophy when at their best. One of the best players on a given team, counted on heavily to win games.


Tier 3 — Mid-Level Starter (10)
A top-20 goalie. These are reliable starters with a proven ability to play at a high level for stretches, but not as consistently as the higher tiers. A goalie who you can win with, providing the play in front of them is strong.


Tier 4 — Low-Level Starter (10)
A bottom-10 goalie in the NHL. These are a mix of younger goalies still trying to prove they have what it takes to succeed at the highest level, and veterans who are capable of starting games but shouldn’t be relied upon by championship contenders.

Sam Montembeault

 

 

I-M-O, Sam is a bit of a mix of the younger and veteran descriptions for Tier 4. 

 

 

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Cant argue, but dont know goalies well neither (and so called 'experts' cant pigeonhole them well neither, can they).

He is doing fine and not giving up too many soft goals is he, with a weak'ish' d-core in front of him.

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11 minutes ago, GHT120 said:

For whatever it's worth, from The Athletic, hopefully without infringing on their copyright by avoiding the details; the number of goalies in each tier added in brackets ... NOT great news about Montembeault:

Montembeault was ranked 26th. Here is what they said:

Quote

Montembeault has put up solid numbers over the last three years despite playing behind one of the worst defenses in hockey.

“He steals games,” a retired goalie said. “He wins games because he can stand on his head. He’s got good upside.”

“The kid is intense,” one goalie coach said. “You can see it in his eyes before the game. I worry that he’ll burn out over the course of the year, being that locked in.”

 

Montembeault is in the first season of a three-year extension he signed with the Canadiens last December. Montreal seems committed to him as a bridge goalie before the eventual transition to star prospect Jacob Fowler, but if the Canadiens were interested in trading him, one goalie coach said he would love to see a goalie-needy contender make a move for Montembeault.

 

Not everyone was as positive. Montembeault ranks in the bottom quartile of NHL starters, mostly because of a lack of track record — especially in meaningful games.

 

“I just don’t know if he’s a starter,” a goalie coach said. “Typically, if you are not an established starting goalie by the time you’re 27, then you’re not going to be one. Because of that, and the fact that he’s only played 144 games by 27, I just don’t see it.”

 

On the other hand, Tristan Jarry, ranked 21st:

Quote

It’s difficult to find a strong opinion on Jarry. The veteran has had several excellent seasons in the NHL, but his game has trended downward and the panelists were hesitant to plant their flag.

 

“I can’t really figure him out, to be honest,” one retired goalie said.

 

Another said, “Sometimes I love the way he plays. Sometimes I can’t stand the way he plays.”

 

Between 2019 and 2022, Jarry represented Pittsburgh in the All-Star Game twice, and received votes for the Vezina Trophy in both seasons. He flashed that level at times as recently as last season, but with little consistency.

 

“The talent is there,” one goalie coach said. “The zero-beats-per-minute heart rate is still there. The guy doesn’t get rattled, but that could be part of the issue. Like, show something."

 

Jarry struggled early in this season, with career worsts in nearly every metric, and still has three more seasons left on his current deal with a cap hit of $5.375 million.

 

“Jarry’s better days are behind him,” one goalie coach said. “The team in front of him isn’t doing great. It has put him in a tough spot and you can see his game eroding a little bit.”

 

 

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32 minutes ago, tomh009 said:

Montembeault was ranked 26th. Here is what they said:

 

On the other hand, Tristan Jarry, ranked 21st:

Rankings were based on averages so individual comments may not reflect the ranking.

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Monty should be in Tier 3, but is being punished IMHO because he hasn't had a chance to show any playoff form. And in a way, that's fair. But I would say that if come the playoffs, he delivers equivalent performances to what he has consistently done in the regular season for the past three years, then he should be a Tier 3 - without question. 

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2 hours ago, GHT120 said:

Rankings were based on averages so individual comments may not reflect the ranking.

Yes ... but would you rank Jarry a tier above Montembeault?

 

It seems to me that too much weight was given to career performances as opposed to how the players are performing in, say, the last 12 months.

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Bureau apparently hired for the rest of the season to work on faceoffs ... good move I-M-O ... 10 year career, 562 games played, 53.4% face-off average (NHL only tracked the stat for the last 3 years of career)

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42 minutes ago, GHT120 said:

Bureau apparently hired for the rest of the season to work on faceoffs ... good move I-M-O ... 10 year career, 562 games played, 53.4% face-off average (NHL only tracked the stat for the last 3 years of career)

 

It won’t hurt

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2 minutes ago, DON said:

Would almost think Dvorak could simply help 'mentor' Newhook & Dach on faceoffs.

That assumes he would want to ... and Suzuki (49.1%) and Evans (50.4%) are doing well but aren't Top 50 amongst those with 250+ faceoffs taken this season (77th and 65th respectively), they could improve.

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