alfredoh2009 Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 1 hour ago, Habs Fan in Edmonton said: This series has shown (so far) that the Habs are headed in the right direction and there is much reason for optimism but there is still work to do. A 2nd line center and another big strong physical winger that can score are most likely at the top of Hughe's shopping list. I agree that the team has a bright future but also need to plug some holes: an NHL-level 2nd line center and a replacement for Savard: shot blocking, big body, capable skater, gritty 3rd pair RD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterface Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 This ref watched Caufield get cross checked… did not make the call. What is this ref’s name ? He may not have been at an angle to see it in Caufields face, but the puck was gone and the cross check was as blatant as they come. He needs to stop reffing the playoffs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime Minister Koivu Posted April 24 Author Share Posted April 24 Armia has been hurt for sometime now so sitting him makes sense. Laine was benched because he is useless. I don’t think it will happen but I’d prefer Pezzetta over useless Laine. Unless Laine gets used as a PP specialist only. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 2 hours ago, Prime Minister Koivu said: Armia has been hurt for sometime now so sitting him makes sense. Laine was benched because he is useless. I don’t think it will happen but I’d prefer Pezzetta over useless Laine. Unless Laine gets used as a PP specialist only. At this point is Laine even useful on the PP? Washington is overloading his side, its the most obvious play, it's almost comical that they still try to make it work. At this point the PP is a square peg going into a round hole. They need to something else beside pass around the outside and hope Laine is open for a shot that the caps know is coming. Laine on the PP I feel like stiffles the PPs success by being a crutch, or that's how it seems the last 30 PPs or so. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyhasbeen Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 Just look at the teams record over the last month with and without wifi in the lineup. I think that speaks volumes of how the team plays with him on the ice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DON Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 Slafkovski 5 shots. 18 shots for Caps in the 2nd, fugly. Savard just struggles 5-on-5 and Struble was pressured into errors or poor decisions but learning lessons for him, poor Davie is what he is. 10 Thoughts: Habs fight the good fight but still drop Game 2 to the Caps – HabsWorld.net Third Star: Lane Hutson (0g, 0a, 0 shots, +0, 25:36 TOI) played the most minutes of any skater tonight. Fragile? Afraid of heavy checks? Easily intimidated? Not Hutson. Drawing on his experience in his first career NHL playoff game, Hutson was stronger on the puck, evading checks and stripping pucks from hulking Washington forwards. If Washington has a plan for neutralizing Hutson, it certainly wasn’t evident on the ice tonight. Thompson ‘unbelievable’ late, answers call for Capitals in Game 2 win | NHL.com “I thought he was the difference tonight in the third,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. “He wins us that game in the third period.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Chicoutimi Cucumber Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 10 hours ago, Commandant said: Or you combine both in one with Sam Bennett. You get the centre and the physical play. I worry about what the cap hit will end up being on a 45-point 29-year-old C for eight years. It will likely be a massive overpay, and a deal that will age very poorly, especially with all the other suitors out there. The Habs are entering an era where we will no longer have oodles of cap space, and more “Gallagher” style deals are not what we want. I much prefer the scenario of overpaying in the shorter-term for Tavares (or even better, Matt Duchene if he somehow shakes loose). 11 hours ago, huzer said: This feels similar to the TB final. Outclassed team that can put up a valiant effort. I think they can get a win in the electrical atmosphere at home, but this feels like a series that’s over in 5. Don’t remind me of that sad end to a wonderful run. Everyone forgets that we were badly outchancing TB in the first half of Game 2 but came out tied, eventually to lose the game as TB righted the ship. If we’d managed to win that one, well, maybe it’d have been a series. 10 hours ago, hab29RETIRED said: I'd also add he has zero finish. It seems to be a bonus when he actually does score, but I've never seen a guy blow so many prime scoring chances. He’s “all tools, no toolbox” for sure - but I’m gonna be contrarian and say that I think he deserves some credit. In my opinion, he has been very active, engaged, going to the guts of the ice, playing with drive and determination, unlike bum Laine. These are NOT things we saw from him for much of the season. That was a very good game for Slaf, BTW. He was involved and making things happen instead of just whistling ‘The Night they Drove Old Dixie Down’ while Suzuki and Caufield carry the ball. 10 hours ago, hab29RETIRED said: We need another RHD for sure. But #1 priority has to be a 2C. We have the assets to get both. I'm glad Savard is retiring, but not sure if Mailloux or Reinbacher won't need more development time. We need to get a centre. Seeing what we gave up for Dach and the Caps getting Strome for nothing really hurts!! On a positive note though, Strome was considerably older before he put it together than Dach is now. Organizationally, it would be madness to trade for a top-4 RD when we have those two guys in the system. It shouldn’t be too onerous to acquire a #5 RD though, some kind of placeholder. I’ll note that the Caps added both Strome and PLD. Dubois is no superstar but he would be just what we need, frankly, even though quite a few people on this board were saying to steer clear of him at all costs. Sometimes you take a chance on a guy and it works out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alfredoh2009 Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 5 minutes ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said: [...] Organizationally, it would be madness to trade for a top-4 RD when we have those two guys in the system. It shouldn’t be too onerous to acquire a #5 RD though, some kind of placeholder. [...] I’ll note that the Caps added both Strome and PLD. Dubois is no superstar but he would be just what we need, frankly, even though quite a few people on this board were saying to steer clear of him at all costs. Sometimes you take a chance on a guy and it works out. I agree on the Ds. I would trade Xhekaj or Strubble (I like Xhekaj better, but Strubble is the better skater) and bring up Mailloux to play RD, let him grow into a top-4 role at the NHL level. Habs can trade for a bottom-pair RD. I had posted a year or two ago that I wanted PLD, but he was unreasonable when in-between contracts and he stopped in Montreal in the summer (I forget which summer). He would have been an excellent 2C for the Habs. I still feel like Newhook could be a solution if he had better wingers. Maybe Newhook-Demidov can develop chemistry, but he is a poor man's solution Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commandant Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 Why are we trading Xhekaj or Struble? Do you want the roster to have 6 D and only 6D. Do we not need depth when people get injured? Whats the issue with having 7D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Chicoutimi Cucumber Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 2 minutes ago, alfredoh2009 said: I agree on the Ds. I would trade Xhekaj or Strubble (I like Xhekaj better, but Strubble is the better skater) and bring up Mailloux to play RD, let him grow into a top-4 role at the NHL level. Habs can trade for a bottom-pair RD. I had posted a year or two ago that I wanted PLD, but he was unreasonable when in-between contracts and he stopped in Montreal in the summer (I forget which summer). He would have been an excellent 2C for the Habs. I still feel like Newhook could be a solution if he had better wingers. Maybe Newhook-Demidov can develop chemistry, but he is a poor man's solution The irony is that Newhook has looked better as a C for the last while than he did for two seasons as a W. But he is not a legitimate #2C. And I’d question whether keeping him with Demidov on an ongoing basis is a good move for the latter’s development. I don’t know what the future holds for Newhook TBH. Can he return to W and bring the same spirited play he’s show the last couple of games? Or does he need to be at C to do that? But he can’t be a C. I hope he’s a late bloomer who can put something together at age 25-26, become a nice complementary 50-point W. But he gives me Jan Bulis vibes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commandant Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 11 minutes ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said: The irony is that Newhook has looked better as a C for the last while than he did for two seasons as a W. But he is not a legitimate #2C. And I’d question whether keeping him with Demidov on an ongoing basis is a good move for the latter’s development. I don’t know what the future holds for Newhook TBH. Can he return to W and bring the same spirited play he’s show the last couple of games? Or does he need to be at C to do that? But he can’t be a C. I hope he’s a late bloomer who can put something together at age 25-26, become a nice complementary 50-point W. But he gives me Jan Bulis vibes. He can't be a #2C. Assuming Dvorak leaves, if Beck and Kapanen aren't ready, is he a 3C with Evans at 4C 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Chicoutimi Cucumber Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 17 minutes ago, Commandant said: He can't be a #2C. Assuming Dvorak leaves, if Beck and Kapanen aren't ready, is he a 3C with Evans at 4C Doesn’t his FO% suck, though? But I take your point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habs Fan in Edmonton Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 Newhook has been working his tail off and has played with some heart. There is definitely a role for him on the team, just not as a 2C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huzer Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 4 hours ago, bar said: At this point is Laine even useful on the PP? Washington is overloading his side, its the most obvious play, it's almost comical that they still try to make it work. No. The few times he's put it on net, right-catching Thompson just snares it, as Laine usually seems to shoot top short side. Thompson just has to play catch. Overall, I didn't get to see the third last night, but it sounds like the team woke up a bit but couldn't sneak one in the net. The 2nd period reminded me of the first 50 minutes of game one. I will say for as much as the refs have swallowed the whistle, that was a weak "boarding" call on Anderson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GHT120 Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 11 hours ago, alfredoh2009 said: I agree that the team has a bright future but also need to plug some holes: an NHL-level 2nd line center and a replacement for Savard: shot blocking, big body, capable skater, gritty 3rd pair RD In other words ... 29-yr-old David Savard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GHT120 Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 10 hours ago, Butterface said: This ref watched Caufield get cross checked… did not make the call. What is this ref’s name ? He may not have been at an angle to see it in Caufields face, but the puck was gone and the cross check was as blatant as they come. He needs to stop reffing the playoffs. Technically I can't disagree ... but playoff refereeing has always been thus ... for ALL teams ... so my advice about analyzing the refs, don't waste time spitting into the wind ... it also makes Habs fans sound like Leafs fans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GHT120 Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 7 hours ago, Prime Minister Koivu said: I don’t think it will happen but I’d prefer Pezzetta over useless Laine. Unless Laine gets used as a PP specialist only. *** IF *** Laine, Heineman or (least likely IMO), Armia is going to sit how about Xhekaj as a 4th line winger ... the problem really hasn't been defence, so no need to disrupt things by bringing him in for Savard or Struble or, worse, going 7/11 ... playing at home, MSL can optimize AX's 6-9 minutes and he can play a simple game without having to worry about being the last line of defence against any of Washington's Top 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GHT120 Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 2 hours ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said: I worry about what the cap hit will end up being on a 45-point 29-year-old C for eight years. The good news is that would only be for SEVEN years (unless they pull a sign and trade) ... 😜 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GHT120 Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 2 hours ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said: Organizationally, it would be madness to trade for a top-4 RD when we have those two guys in the system. It shouldn’t be too onerous to acquire a #5 RD though, some kind of placeholder. *** IF *** they could acquire a legit top-pairing RHD with moderate term (3-4 years tops), Reinbacher or Mailloux could break-in next season (when expectations will have been raised for the team to make the playoffs and have some playoff success) as the third pairing RHD and earn more minutes as the season progresses ... Carrier as the RHD-3 entering next season's playoffs would not be a terrible thing ... counting on both Mailloux and Reinbacher to be legit Top 4 in the near future might not be the right approach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlbalr Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 4 hours ago, johnnyhasbeen said: Just look at the teams record over the last month with and without wifi in the lineup. I think that speaks volumes of how the team plays with him on the ice. They had their 6-game winning streak over the last month with him benched for 5 of the 6 games (and he didn't crack 10 minutes in the one he did play). I'm not sure the with/without record is the argument to make if you want him back in the lineup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlbalr Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 2 hours ago, Commandant said: Why are we trading Xhekaj or Struble? Do you want the roster to have 6 D and only 6D. Do we not need depth when people get injured? Whats the issue with having 7D I don't think it's an issue with having 7 D but rather what type of player that 7th D is. Would it make sense for that to be more of a veteran-type player on a back end that's about to lose its most experienced player? If they go and get another veteran guy (or Reinbacher/Mailloux gets a full-time spot), then someone likely has to move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commandant Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 25 minutes ago, dlbalr said: I don't think it's an issue with having 7 D but rather what type of player that 7th D is. Would it make sense for that to be more of a veteran-type player on a back end that's about to lose its most experienced player? If they go and get another veteran guy (or Reinbacher/Mailloux gets a full-time spot), then someone likely has to move. I think Carrier was always the Savard replacement. As for who is ready for RD next year we will know more after the AHL playoffs. Do they think one of Reinbacher/Mailloux is ready for the jump and willing to go to camp with them in mind or are they actually looking for a short term stop gap. R/m arent the 7th d. But Struble/xhekaj can be. They have nothing to learn in the AHL and waivers is an issue. I have no problem with them playing 55-60 games each due to rotation and any injury issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habs Fan in Edmonton Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 19 minutes ago, Commandant said: R/m arent the 7th d. But Struble/xhekaj can be. They have nothing to learn in the AHL and waivers is an issue. I have no problem with them playing 55-60 games each due to rotation and any injury issues. I agree, you need to carry 7D and Struble/Xhekaj are more likely suited to a bottom pairing role. Reinbacher should be top 4 IF he stays healthy and Mailloux will either be a top 4 (40 point guy) or a bust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commandant Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 I was more talking next year. R/m.have to play Im fine if they spend their rookie season on the third pair but they have to play. If they are in the pressbox send em to Laval. Xhekaj/struble aren't laval options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alfredoh2009 Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 1 hour ago, GHT120 said: In other words ... 29-yr-old David Savard More like 27 year old Kovacevic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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