Speculation: What to do for Goals?

[Creature of Habit]

So with the departure of Vanek to Minnesota, the Habs are not only in need of an elite right-wing, but another elite-level scoring talent. I'm not suggesting that Vanek did much or even sparked their offence at all, but his playing of top-line RW helped solidify the lineup and give it more depth.

Now the line-up is gonna look something like this:

Patches-DD-Gallagher
Galchenyuk-Pleks-Parenteau
Bourque-Eller-Sekac
Prust-Malholtra-Weise
Bournival, Moen

Markov-Subban
Emelin-Gilbert
Beaulieu-Weaver
Tinordi

Price
Budaj

My question is what do you guys think will happen? Two options:

1. Players step up (Galcheyuk, Eller, Sekac)

2. MB makes a move for a scorer

Click to read more...

 

[Halifaxhab*]

Ans: shoot da puck

 

[Sant]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=89kL7XhEBiY

 

[ThaDevilGirl]

Put puck at the net.

 

[Hoople]

Easy answer.

PK Subban.

For $9 million a year, all of our scoring problems will be solved.

 

[Halifaxhab*]

Easy answer.

PK Subban.

For $9 million a year, all of our scoring problems will be solved.

He rides unicorns and farts rainbows. His sweat grows crops instantly in arid soil and his signing voice can make world peace a reality.

 

[SquiddFX]

Ans: shoot da puck

This

 

[DJ Breadman]

Vanek was only here at the end of the year, the rest of the regular season we had enough goals

 

[Teufelsdreck]

So with the departure of Vanek to Minnesota, the Habs are not only in need of an elite right-wing, but another elite-level scoring talent. I'm not suggesting that Vanek did much or even sparked their offence at all, but his playing of top-line RW helped solidify the lineup and give it more depth.

Now the line-up is gonna look something like this:

Patches-DD-Gallagher
Galchenyuk-Pleks-Parenteau
Bourque-Eller-Sekac
Prust-Malholtra-Weise
Bournival, Moen

Markov-Subban
Emelin-Gilbert
Beaulieu-Weaver
Tinordi

Price
Budaj

My question is what do you guys think will happen? Two options:

1. Players step up (Galcheyuk, Eller, Sekac)

2. MB makes a move for a scorer

The Habs aren't as desperate as you seem to think.

 

[vokiel]

Put puck at the net.

Put puck in da net

 

[Cole Caulifield]

He rides unicorns and farts rainbows. His sweat grows crops instantly in arid soil and his signing voice can make world peace a reality.

And if HE were here, he'd consume the Maple Leafs with fireballs from his eyes, and bolts of lightning from his arse.

 

[PernellsWhiteAmi]

Who needs goals when you have respeck?

 

[VirginiaMtlExpat]

Use PMDs to create more 2 on 1s and 3 on 2s than last year.

Use a potent powerplay based on 4 reasonably competent PP QBs, rather than asking Subban to play 2 minutes.

Stop with the double standards and the mind games behind the bench. Players who are productive get to play. No favorites. No excuses... for playing favorites. If a player has a strong positive impact on the team, he plays, whether or not he is a rookie; find someone else to bench. Stop trying to reshape players into something they are not. Subban is high-risk, high-reward, and often on the positive side of the ledger; deal with it. Shape the strategy around the roster's strengths. All we need sometimes for good results is to get out of the way of the players that can achieve them.
(Given that the same head coach is around, I hope that he and MB can manage by committee a little more. There is no harm in MB giving a little constructive criticism...)

 

[sharks9]

Young players step up and our PP improves with Gilbert and Beaulieu as our other 2 defenseman manning the point.

 

[Stripper]

We added Parenteau and Sekac... we should be fine.

 

[Blind Gardien]

Still just basically have to wait for targets of opportunity. I totally agree that the Habs need an elite scorer addition. Vanek was "almost perfect" for that post-deadline regular season stretch. Of course the playoffs were another story. Patching him with Parenteau at least acknowledges the issue, but doesn't solve it.

But until a solution emerges, from within or without, we just don't really have much choice but to "wait and watch"... maybe a player becomes available as a UFA or trade target, maybe not, who knows. We just have to be ready to pounce whenever the opportunity presents itself. That means building depth of assets at all positions, managing our cap situation wisely enough to allow the addition, etc.

Bergevin was on exactly the right track with Vanek. I don't think that ultimately played out to perfection, but it demonstrated the validity of the approach, and the need, in general. Just need to find that situation/opportunity again and make it stick.

 

[MathMan]

The problems with the Habs' offense have more to do with lack of a possession game and a weak transition than they do with a lack of goal-scoring talent. An elite scorer would be nice, but they key to scoring more goals (and getting less scored against) is going to be not letting the bad guys own the puck so damn much. Better PP schemes would help too.

 

[vokiel]

They could also not give up the blue line that easily and start a good proportion of offensive possessions a little closer than deep in their own zone. That would help... I think.

 

[Hope Of Glory]

The problems with the Habs' offense have more to do with lack of a possession game and a weak transition than they do with a lack of goal-scoring talent. An elite scorer would be nice, but they key to scoring more goals (and getting less scored against) is going to be not letting the bad guys own the puck so damn much. Better PP schemes would help too.

Gilbert replacing Gorges and having Beaulieu for most of the year (hopefully) should help that big time.

As for possession, as long as we don't go back to the god damn dump and chase we had for 75% of last year we'll be fine. Not outstanding, but fine. But again, Therrien is hard to read. If he goes back to dump and chase after last playoffs' success (and of 2013), we might be in trouble. I guess we'll have a better idea of his plans during the training camp.

 

[Bourne Endeavor]

At this point, we are better off waiting to see what options become available. I could very much see Bergevin trying to pry Bobby Ryan out from Ottawa, but waiting until the piece drops a bit.

 

[bsl]

So with the departure of Vanek to Minnesota, the Habs are not only in need of an elite right-wing, but another elite-level scoring talent. I'm not suggesting that Vanek did much or even sparked their offence at all, but his playing of top-line RW helped solidify the lineup and give it more depth.

Now the line-up is gonna look something like this:

Patches -DD -Gallagher
Galchenyuk -Pleks -Parenteau
Bourque -Eller -Sekac/Ghetto
Prust -Malholtra -Weise
Bournival , Moen

Markov -Subban
Emelin -Gilbert
Beaulieu -Weaver
Tinordi

1. Players step up (Galcheyuk, Eller, Sekac)

2. MB makes a move for a scorer

Patches 35-DD 15-Gallagher 19
Galchenyuk 18-Pleks 20-Parenteau 20
Bourque 12-Eller 14-Sekac/Ghetto 10
Prust 5 -Malholtra 7-Weise 8
Bournival 6, Moen 1

Markov 8-Subban 12
Emelin 3-Gilbert 6
Beaulieu 3-Weaver 3
Tinordi 1

That's 226 goals say 220. I'm pretty sure they can get 220 goals.

If goalies can manage a 2.5 GAA= 205 GA, gives Habs goal diff of 15 should be good enough for 2 or 3 in division.

1. Players step up (Galcheyuk, Eller, Sekac)

- Galchenyuk and Parenteau must get close to 20 each. If they both **** up, POs looks doubtful.
- Hope Subby blasts it for 20 goals then we might have a shot at 1 in division.
- No bloody 20 game 'slumps' from any top 9 player please. This is critical. Therrien needs to react and act quickly, and get the best out of every player, something he sucked at last year. He had better get a lot better at this or the clock starts ticking at end of 2015.
- It would be fantastic if Therrien can get 20+ goals out of Bourque. This would be huge, but I'm not counting on it.
- 'Second' line must get min 55 goals, preferably 60. The 'third' line must get 35 goals, preferably 40.
- Gilbert and Beaulieu instead of Gorges and Cube could add up to 8 goals more from the D this year. This is crucial. That's why Gorges top 4 was useless and hurt the team.

2. MB makes a move for a scorer

At deadline not before.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

1. A new coach would be a great start. At a minimum, MT goes throws away the stupid dump and chase that we saw in 2014. That more than anything would help.

2. Stop playing DD as the number one center.

3. Give a lot more offensive opportunities to Eller and Galchenyuk.

That would go a long way to making us a better team. There's absolutely no reason for us to be a bottom third scoring team nor should we be below average on the PP. Those are coaching issues. We should be getting a lot more out of the lineup we have and if we don't, MT should get the boot.

 

[VirginiaMtlExpat]

Patches 35-DD 15-Gallagher 19
Galchenyuk 18-Pleks 20-Parenteau 20
Bourque 12-Eller 14-Sekac/Ghetto 10
Prust 5 -Malholtra 7-Weise 8
Bournival 6, Moen 1

Markov 8-Subban 12
Emelin 3-Gilbert 6
Beaulieu 3-Weaver 3
Tinordi 1

That's 226 goals say 220. I'm pretty sure they can get 220 goals.

If goalies can manage a 2.5 GAA= 205 GA, gives Habs goal diff of 15 should be good enough for 2 or 3 in division.
1. Players step up (Galcheyuk, Eller, Sekac)...

Great analysis. I think that you are being fairly conservative with defencemen scoring. Beaulieu in particular, if given a regular role, should account for more than 3 goals. The X-factors at forward for me are Galchenyuk and Bourque, in terms of myriad, divergent scenarios. The variability between their best and worst case may be more than 10 goals each. Eller may be also be pivotal as well, although maybe not as much as a 10 goal difference between best and worst cases. If Tokarski is the back-up and Price is equal to last year, GAA at 2.5 is also conservative.

 

[VirginiaMtlExpat]

1. A new coach would be a great start. At a minimum, MT goes throws away the stupid dump and chase that we saw in 2014. That more than anything would help.

2. Stop playing DD as the number one center.

3. Give a lot more offensive opportunities to Eller and Galchenyuk.

That would go a long way to making us a better team. There's absolutely no reason for us to be a bottom third scoring team nor should we be below average on the PP. Those are coaching issues. We should be getting a lot more out of the lineup we have and if we don't, MT should get the boot.

You and I certainly are singing from the same hymn sheet... Albeit at the risk of sounding like the same broken record...

 

[Kojo]

Vanek didn't start last season with this team, so it's not like we 'lost' him. The fact that he's gone will give an opportunity to one of or both the two Gallys to establish themselves even more. That isn't to say we don't need relief on offense but we'll get a better idea after 41 games.

A new coach would be a great start. At a minimum, MT goes throws away the stupid dump and chase that we saw in 2014. That more than anything would help.

You should take a break.

I agree with the bolded part.