GDT Round 1 - Game 2 - Canadiens @ Lightning - April 21 - 7:00 p.m.

[GHT120]

The Canadiens are not scheduled for a morning skate on Tuesday. For the full official lineup, check back on the team’s social accounts on Instagram, Facebook and X closer to puck drop.

 

But I'll go waaaaaaay out on a limb and predict, barring injuries, no chnages

[Prime Minister Koivu]

I read this and thought about all the PP goals we are going to score tonight

[GHT120]

1 minute ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

I read this and thought about all the PP goals we are going to score tonight

 

I read this and thought Arber may well go from likely the best game of his career to letting Sabourin directly or indirectly get under his skin and start chasing hits/fights

[Prime Minister Koivu]

4 minutes ago, GHT120 said:

 

I read this and thought Arber may well go from likely the best game of his career to letting Sabourin directly or indirectly get under his skin and start chasing hits/fights

I hope Arber is smart enough not to spend his game messing with an opponent’s goon. 
 

Go smash important players as those opportunities arise

[Prime Minister Koivu]

KO punch

 

Not tonight Arber, go break Perry in half or if you get the rare opportunity then break Kucherov 

[xXx..CK..xXx]

21 minutes ago, GHT120 said:

 

I read this and thought Arber may well go from likely the best game of his career to letting Sabourin directly or indirectly get under his skin and start chasing hits/fights

Seem to have little faith in our players. It’s been a long time since Arber has done that type of thing, on a consistent basis at least. 

 

15 minutes ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

I hope Arber is smart enough not to spend his game messing with an opponent’s goon. 
 

Go smash important players as those opportunities arise

It’s funny as though one would feel the need to defend our players, or walk on egg shells when discussing them. I know it’s a lot of people who feel a certain type of way when it comes to Xhekaj, so there’s some rhyme to their reason. 
 

However, it’s like some (not all) just completely overlook all the progress he has made in certain areas. He’s still nothing more than a third pairing defender or 7th d-man/13th forward depending on who the Habs are playing but they’ll go from:

 

1) He shouldn’t play in the series

to

2) Oh he had a great game, it will be next game that he messes things up 

to

3) It’s game 3, there it is! I found the moment I was looking for when it comes to Wifi messing up! 
 

Please don’t anyone take my post personally, because there’s a hoard of people who do it. As I said, the perception is based on things that have actually happened. I just think it’s a little much when fans are almost hoping to be correct in that area. 
 

It is what it is, hopefully (again that hope word which feels necessary) Arber can remain an effective part of the lineup for the rest of the series.

 

Go Habs Go!!!

[GHT120]

15 minutes ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

I hope Arber is smart enough not to spend his game messing with an opponent’s goon. 
Go smash important players as those opportunities arise

 

9 minutes ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

Not tonight Arber, go break Perry in half or if you get the rare opportunity then break Kucherov 

 

Doesn't matter who it is ... it is the chasing hits/fights instead of just focusing on keeping his play simple as he did last game ... Sabourin lays a hit on Suzuki/Demidov/Caufield/Hutson and I fear we see the "real" Xhekaj instead of the "smart" Xhekaj.

[GHT120]

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

Seem to have little faith in our players. It’s been a long time since Arber has done that type of thing, on a consistent basis at least. 

 

No ... not "our players", just Xhekaj ... based on 234 games I have seen "chasing" Arber FAR, FAR, FAR more often than "smart" Arber ... hopefully he can resist, it would go a long way to showing he can be more than a 6/7/8 tough-guy

[xXx..CK..xXx]

12 minutes ago, GHT120 said:

 

No ... not "our players", just Xhekaj ... based on 234 games I have seen "chasing" Arber FAR, FAR, FAR more often than "smart" Arber ... hopefully he can resist, it would go a long way to showing he can be more than a 6/7/8 tough-guy

As I said, people are overlooking the progress he has made in that area. Xhekaj hasn’t even had a fight since January 13th, 24 games ago for him personally and 37 games ago for the Habs, essentially a half season ago.

 

Even if he does fight tonight, I would attribute it more to it being playoff hockey with intensified emotion on both sides and not just ours, rather than assuming he is actively chasing the limelight in that regard, or doesn’t have anything between the ears. It’s just a different perspective on things. 

[GHT120]

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

As I said, people are overlooking the progress he has made in that area. Xhekaj hasn’t even had a fight since January 13th, 24 games ago for him personally and 37 games ago for the Habs, essentially a half season ago.

 

Even if he does fight tonight, I would attribute it more to it being playoff hockey with intensified emotion on both sides and not just ours, rather than assuming he is actively chasing the limelight in that regard, or doesn’t have anything between the ears. It’s just a different perspective on things. 

Fewer fights is no surprise if Xhekaj is as tough as his fans believe ... but fights concern me much less than his chasing hits and taking himself out of position ... as I said, I hope he can repeat his performance from Sunday ... but I've just seen the "other" Arber too often to assume it

[Commandant]

The issue isnt the fights.  It is

 

1) he can get himself out of position looking for a big hit and definitely did in last years playoffs and a few times this season.

2) taking a bad penalty.

3) being targeted by the opposition coach with last line change.  Hes a liability against top players (to be fair so are most 6th defencemen in the NHL).

 

One smart thing that Marty did in Game 1 is that Arber never started a shift on a faceoff.  Not once.  All of his shifts came from changing on the fly which didnt allow Cooper to make use of last change to get the Kucherov line on the ice vs Xhekaj, and thats some really smart coaching by MSL.

[GHT120]

 

The one change I thought might be possible was rotating in Veleno ... not happening 

 

[Prime Minister Koivu]

13 minutes ago, GHT120 said:

 

The one change I thought might be possible was rotating in Veleno ... not happening 

 

I liked everyone last game, including Texier so I’m ok with this. 
 

Like you I did wonder if Veleno would see ice tonight though

[xXx..CK..xXx]

38 minutes ago, Commandant said:

The issue isnt the fights.  It is

 

1) he can get himself out of position looking for a big hit and definitely did in last years playoffs and a few times this season.

2) taking a bad penalty.

3) being targeted by the opposition coach with last line change.  Hes a liability against top players (to be fair so are most 6th defencemen in the NHL).

 

One smart thing that Marty did in Game 1 is that Arber never started a shift on a faceoff.  Not once.  All of his shifts came from changing on the fly which didnt allow Cooper to make use of last change to get the Kucherov line on the ice vs Xhekaj, and thats some really smart coaching by MSL.

Agreed on the potential for him to technically be a defensive liability and I was even going to say in my initial post that that’s a fair argument if that’s what we’re discussing in regards to him. Chasing people around in a negative way, getting unnecessary penalty minutes, and even getting himself out of position in an extreme way are all things he has vastly improved. 
 

It’s almost as though there’s nothing he can do. I’m not his hugest fan, and I’ve said that before but in the end he deserves credit for his improvement. In the sense we’re talking about, I think someone like Pezzetta was much worse in that he remained the same player. Arber is improving and there are areas he can actually benefit the team by being in the lineup. 
 

I am personally happy he is playing, rather than being nervous about his antics or simply the mere fact that he is dressing. 

[Commandant]

I agree there has been some improvement.

 

That said, I see more improvement in Struble, so he is the clear #6 right now and the most easily replaceable.

 

If Dobson comes back, he's the easiest to scratch.  And hes not so far ahead of Engstrom and Reinbacher that I would be against a change if the team needs a different look and either a RHD or more puck moving at some point.

[xXx..CK..xXx]

I don’t disagree with any of that. I’ve actually liked Struble as well for a while.

 

In regards to Xhekaj, I was just looking for an update on Dobson’s injury and came across this little tidbit about Xhekaj which I tend to agree with:

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DpwFmxSi8/?mibextid=wwXIfr

[tomh009]

2 hours ago, GHT120 said:

Fewer fights is no surprise if Xhekaj is as tough as his fans believe ... but fights concern me much less than his chasing hits and taking himself out of position ... as I said, I hope he can repeat his performance from Sunday ... but I've just seen the "other" Arber too often to assume it

 

Five hits on Sunday. That level is very reasonable, does not require chasing.

[GHT120]

2 hours ago, tomh009 said:

Five hits on Sunday. That level is very reasonable, does not require chasing.

 

And, as I've said twice, I hope he can repeat his performance from Sunday

[Prime Minister Koivu]

Xhekaj is fighting for a roster spot and sat for long stretches this season. 
 

Struble

Reinbacher

Engstrom

 

Are all fighting for that one spot (when healthy). 
 

Arber has been given a major opportunity to be playing in the playoffs because if Dobson was playing then Arber wouldn’t be. 
 

Perhaps Arber can take a big step forward these playoffs and we all hope he does

 

 

[GHT120]

Interesting comments by MSL on Demidov

 

 

 

[DON]

Will they go home up 2-0 in series? A nice lopsided victory, with a pulled Vasilevsky would be lots of fun to see happen.

[brobin]

Well habs started much better but this time Tampa got a goal on one shot.., 

 

tampa is running around trying To nail people.. hopefully no one gets hurt. 
 

 

[GHT120]

And Arber falls for it

[tomh009]

1 minute ago, GHT120 said:

And Arber falls for it

 

What was the rationale for the extra two?

[GHT120]

3 minutes ago, tomh009 said:

What was the rationale for the extra two?

 

Double roughing