HF Habs: 2020 Montreal Canadiens Play-ins are coming Edition Habs vs Pens

[WeThreeKings]

Gallagher-Danault-Tatar can definitely outplay one of those two lines (talking at ES obviously).

The other line they won't face however... Free all-you-can-eat..

They can, but if you're picking lines to make you a million dollars, you're gonna go with Crosby-Guentzel

 

[habsfan891]

Gallagher-Danault-Tatar can definitely outplay one of those two lines (talking at ES obviously).

The other line they won't face however... Free all-you-can-eat..

Playoff pens are a completely different animal the Danault line will be a net negative no matter which of the top 2 lines they face ES or not.

 

[ahmedou]

L'actualité du Canadien - Vidéo (20/07/23)

Les unités spéciales : un élément crucial face aux Penguins (Vidéo)

Brunet et Therrien discutent des unités spéciales, un élément crucial dans cette série.

 

[FormerLurker]

When I look at this, where do we conceivably think we have an advantage?

We have the advantage in net..

Our 2nd and 3rd defensive pairs are better.

We clearly lose the battles lines 1&2 by virtue of Crosby-Guentzel, and Zucker-Malkin being anything we can sport on those lines.

Line 3 can be a toss-up if Domi goes there or KK is coming to his potential..

If Guentzel or Zucker were on the Habs they would do no better than Tatar, Gallagher, or Drouin. I think the only real edge the Pens have is Crosby and Malkin. But those guys are generational talents, so the gap is huge. Like Grand Canyon huge.

 

[ahmedou]

 

[Kairi Zaide]

They can, but if you're picking lines to make you a million dollars, you're gonna go with Crosby-Guentzel

Both are very good lines - top 5 in the league for both at 5v5. This year, GDT outplayed them but Guentzel was injured for a good part, and played a lot with Malkin too. Guentzel/Crosby is a proven duo over the past 3 years too and their line achieve similar on-ice results as GDT, and due to them having a better supporting cast, yeah, I'd bet on them. But, GDT has shown they can shut down the best lines in the league time after time, so who knows.

If Guentzel or Zucker were on the Habs they would do no better than Tatar, Gallagher, or Drouin. I think the only real edge the Pens have is Crosby and Malkin. But those guys are generational talents, so the gap is huge. Like Grand Canyon huge.

One of these 5 bolded players doesn't deserve to be named there.

 

[ahmedou]

 

[Adam Michaels]

With one more day of practice tomorrow and them traveling to Toronto on Sunday, I'm thinking the lines at practice the last few days will be the line-up to start the series with Pens.

So I take it Domi will be the 4C to start.

It will be 1C- Danault, 2C- Suzuki, 3C- Kotkaniemi, 4C- Domi.

I think CJ will keep the Top-3 lines as they've been all camp. He wouldn't want to change the chemistry they've been building the lash two weeks last minute. Maybe it'll change along the series, but I think the forward lines will be as they are now.

Also, with Domi's health and the off-chance he pulls out, it's easier to replace the 4C with Evans.

 

[ahmedou]

 

[FormerLurker]

Both are very good lines - top 5 in the league for both at 5v5. This year, GDT outplayed them but Guentzel was injured for a good part, and played a lot with Malkin too. Guentzel/Crosby is a proven duo over the past 3 years too and their line achieve similar on-ice results as GDT, and due to them having a better supporting cast, yeah, I'd bet on them. But, GDT has shown they can shut down the best lines in the league time after time, so who knows.

One of these 5 bolded players doesn't deserve to be named there.

I guess you're talking about Drouin, who would probably be a consistent PPG player playing with Crosby. So yes, he does deserve to be named there.

 

[ahmedou]

Question: The training camp thread will be open until 20/07/25 and then the reopening of the Pre-Game Talk: - Habs vs Penguins, August 1st ?

 

[Treb]

Question: The training camp thread will be open until 20/07/25 and then the reopening of the Pre-Game Talk: - Habs vs Penguins, August 1st ?

I don't think we will necessarily close it. Pre-game talk thread can be created after the exhibition vs Leafs.

 

[Adam Michaels]

The good news is that last night, when the NHL revealed what they have ready for the bubbles, Daly said that this week, so far (Thursday evening), they had 0 positive cases so far this week. After two positives last week.

 

[Kairi Zaide]

I guess you're talking about Drouin, who would probably be a consistent PPG player playing with Crosby. So yes, he does deserve to be named there.

That doesn't make him as good as the other 4, who can actually perform very well without having to ride Crosby. Also, Crosby + any of the 4 others would have better on-ice results than Crosby + Drouin.

 

[LaP]

That doesn't make him as good as the other 4, who can actually perform very well without having to ride Crosby. Also, Crosby + any of the 4 others would have better on-ice results than Crosby + Drouin.

Don't think Crosby and Drouin would work that well. Crosby does better with hard working guys as they don't need to be that skilled to play with him and have success.

 

[Captain Mountain]

I guess you're talking about Drouin, who would probably be a consistent PPG player playing with Crosby. So yes, he does deserve to be named there.

I doubt it. Crosby can lift anyone up, but he's not going to turn a player with below replacement impacts into a PPG player.

 

[Kairi Zaide]

Don't think Crosby and Drouin would work that well. Crosby does better with hard working guys as they don't need to be that skilled to play with him and have success.

That's absolutely true, too. He benefits a lot from players who are able to put pressure in the offensive zone, drive possession and be positionnally sound (just like these players benefit from Crosby doing the same things). Drouin can't do any of those things. Players like Drouin benefit mostly, points wise (i.e. it doesn't make them "better"), from being able to just pass the puck to an elite shooter.

 

[LaP]

That's absolutely true, too. He benefits a lot from players who are able to put pressure in the offensive zone, drive possession and be positionnally sound (just like these players benefit from Crosby doing the same things). Drouin can't do any of those things. Players like Drouin benefit mostly, points wise (i.e. it doesn't make them "better"), from being able to just pass the puck to an elite shooter.

I agree. Drouin would do very well playing with for example Ovechkin and Backtrom like Semin did. But like you said it would not make him better. He has his purpose but he's a limited player so far in his career. He's very passive and you can't rely on skills alone specially if you're not elite and i don't think Drouin is. A guy like Kovalev had his flaws but he was far less passive than Drouin

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

Listen, I love our optimism (pessimism) but hockey playoffs, probably more than any sport are wildly unpredictable. Upsets are common enough where they're almost the rule and not the exception.

Add in to that blender, this unprecedentedly bizarre turn of events and you have to accept that anything can happen.

Suzuki could very well break out. So could KK.

Hate Drouin all you want but he has a precedent of playoff production. Bourque and Cammy were frustrating in the regular season and routinely lights out in the playoffs for us at least. Drouin could easily be a prime candidate to take that torch from those two.

Gally is going to Gally.

Weber has the playoff reputation of his last season with Nashville but people need to remember that he and Radulov were our best players in the last playoff series against the Rags. They were both pretty dynamite until the last couple games where the whole team was garbage.

If Domi can tap into what makes him tick he easily has the makings of a playoff hero.

Lot of ifs but we're just not as lacking in skill as most wish to believe imo.

It just depends if that skill is: a) ready to blossom (Suzuki, KK and maybe Juulsen and Fleury but to a lesser extent)

and

b) if it can play to the best of it's abilities (Drouin, Domi, Tatar, Weber, Petry, Price and Gally)

throw in some intriguing depth (Armia, Byron, Danault and Lehkonen) and to me a Pens win is not written in stone.

I'm not making the case that we can necessarily match the Pens on paper. I'm saying that we might not be quite as out matched as it may seem if we get enough guys showing up. If that happens and we just flat out want it more we can win. It's happened enough times in the past under normal circumstances where I am in no way thinking we can't beat them.

And to be VERY CLEAR, I'm not happy about this AT ALL.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Teams will need to submit their list of 52 people they will bring to the bubble. 31 players max, which in Habs' case, is 2 cuts if they bring the maximum of 31.

 

[Supersonic]

I feel like the gameplay haitus has people getting some misplaced optimism here.

Go back and watch the last 5-10 games the Habs played. It was like a slow moving car crash you can’t take your eyes off of, and if I remember correctly the Bell Centre was emptying out BEFORE big ‘rona.

I just hope we don’t pull a rabbit out of a hat and lose out on the lottery rigging job the NHL is doing for the Habs

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

I really can't imagine despising Crosby any more than I already do but I don't know what i'll do if he doesn't play and we end up winning.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

do we have a rough idea what are lines are? sorry if i missed it. trying to find it.

 

[CHfan1]

do we have a rough idea what are lines are? sorry if i missed it. trying to find it.

This is how they have been practicing:

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

This is how they have been practicing:

Thanks, CHfan1!

So KK on the 3rd over Domi potentially? That's something. I really think Domi's going to have to figure it out on the wing if he's going to be with us going forward. I think they should try him with KK on the 3rd but again that's if I wanted to win which I don't lol