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

[The Great Weal]

Our 2nd and 3rd defensive pairs are better.

Strongly disagree. Kulak should not be a regular NHLer and Mete is a #5 dman. Our 3rd pairing RHD is also not an NHLer(at least from what we know this season).

This series will only come down to Carey Prices play. Even if a guy like Tatar turns into a Cammy, I don't see it being enough. Price needs to play like his Hart winning year if we want a shot, and I'm 99% sure that won't happen.

 

[Rico Suave]

Domi 4th line center.....you might aswell trade him

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

Domi 4th line center.....you might aswell trade him

my guess is that with all the uncertainty of whether he was going to play, he may not have kept up the most rigorous of off-ice training programs?

but yeah I don't like it though but it helps our cause in losing I guess so I'll take it.

 

[MtlSars]

Domi 4th line center.....you might aswell trade him

He was traded after all for Galchenyuk , clod gonna clod

 

[The Great Weal]

I don't know why some want this to be a competitive series. The last thing I want is Bergevin thinking that we are close to a team like the Pens based on 5 games.

 

[ahmedou]

At the Bell Sports Complex after the practice

 

[Captain Mountain]

I don't know why some want this to be a competitive series. The last thing I want is Bergevin thinking that we are close to a team like the Pens based on 5 games.

Best case scenario long term is Montreal gets badly embarrassed.

 

[ahmedou]

Okay that's why...

 

[FormerLurker]

I don't know why some want this to be a competitive series. The last thing I want is Bergevin thinking that we are close to a team like the Pens based on 5 games.

But if this is a competitive series, doesn't it mean that we ARE close to a team like the Pens? I don't mean to say that we'd be a contender, but perhaps just a player or two removed from being so. Like if we have a competitive series vs the Pens then win the lottery and add a #1 LD, then we'd match well against anyone in the league. No blow-up necessary.

 

[The Great Weal]

But if this is a competitive series, doesn't it mean that we ARE close to a team like the Pens?

No it doesn't because playing a good 2 games after months of no hockey means nothing, you would have to be delusional to think otherwise.

 

[CHfan1]

But if this is a competitive series, doesn't it mean that we ARE close to a team like the Pens? I don't mean to say that we'd be a contender, but perhaps just a player or two removed from being so. Like if we have a competitive series vs the Pens then win the lottery and add a #1 LD, then we'd match well against anyone in the league. No blow-up necessary.

There have been many bottom teams go on a run and upset a contender in a short series, it doesn’t mean that team is suddenly great. For example the Islanders swept Pittsburgh last season, I wouldn’t put them in Pittsburgh’s class this season.

Also, whether they win or don’t win the lottery I don’t think they have to blow it up. They still need to look at their aging vets and see if they fit in with the long term future outlook of the club. And really make smart choices next offseason when so many of their current top players are free agents.

 

[FormerLurker]

No it doesn't because playing a good 2 games after months of no hockey means nothing, you would have to be delusional to think otherwise.

Who said anything about two games? It's a five game series. Being competitive doesn't mean winning two games, it means being competitive in every period of every game. You would have to be delusional to think that competitiveness is measure only in wins in a short series.

 

[FormerLurker]

There have been many bottom teams go on a run and upset a contender in a short series, it doesn’t mean that team is suddenly great. For example the Islanders swept Pittsburgh last season, I wouldn’t put them in Pittsburgh’s class this season.

Also, whether they win or don’t win the lottery I don’t think they have to blow it up. They still need to look at their aging vets and see if they fit in with the long term future outlook of the club. And really make smart choices next offseason when so many of their current top players are free agents.

Not in the same class, but close. The Islanders had a game in hand and were only 6 points back of the Pens when the season was shut down.

 

[CHfan1]

Not in the same class, but close. The Islanders had a game in hand and were only 6 points back of the Pens when the season was shut down.

This team has showed me what they are over 71 games. A 5 game series, even if they are competitive, doesn’t do a lot to change that unless the young players (Kotkaniemi and Suzuki) take a huge step forward. A lot of teams can play great hockey in small bunches, it doesn’t mean they can do it over an 82 game season followed by the playoffs. The majority of the rest of the teams in this tournament still have better top end talent and an overall better roster than the Habs.

Pittsburgh also had some key injuries this season that knocked them down.

 

[ahmedou]

 

[ahmedou]

 

[ahmedou]

Pic of the day:

 

[The Great Weal]

Who said anything about two games? It's a five game series. Being competitive doesn't mean winning two games, it means being competitive in every period of every game. You would have to be delusional to think that competitiveness is measure only in wins in a short series.

It's pretty rare to have every single period in a series being competitive. When talking about a competitive series, you usually talk about close scores which is also uncommon. There will be dominant wins which aren't counted as competitive.

Nevertheless, whether it's 2 games or 5, you shouldn't think of this team being in the same level as a team like the Pens when we were in the bottom 10 and everyone is coming off of months of no games.

 

[ahmedou]

Quotes of the Day: Lehkonen, Belzile, Ouellet & Julien (nhl.com/canadiens)

Habs Lunch (20/07/24) - TSN690 Audio

Campbell and Marinaro discuss who should be flanking Domi and Kotkaniemi and more.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

But if this is a competitive series, doesn't it mean that we ARE close to a team like the Pens? I don't mean to say that we'd be a contender, but perhaps just a player or two removed from being so. Like if we have a competitive series vs the Pens then win the lottery and add a #1 LD, then we'd match well against anyone in the league. No blow-up necessary.

No. Sens took Pens to 7 games OT in semi-finals a few years ago then fell to bottom of league next season and haven't left it.

Sometimes teams go on runs, because of super goaltending performances, upsets that cause easier matchups in 2nd rounds, etc.

Or injuries to the best players on opposition teams.

 

[Habs Icing]

Pic of the day:

View attachment 355311

Thx, Ahmedou. I was able to talk @WeThreeKings off the ledge with that photo.

 

[ahmedou]

Thx, Ahmedou. I was able to talk @WeThreeKings off the ledge with that photo.

I'm crossing my fingers for the upcoming pic of the year (official without photoshop) on August 10th and October 9th.

 

[habdynasty]

Domi 4th line center.....you might aswell trade him

too many points last year, must teach him a lesson.

 

[OldCraig71]

Do the honorable thing and lose 3 straight, we need a messiah much more than we need validation for our ineptitude.

 

[WeThreeKings]

too many points last year, must teach him a lesson.

The only lesson Domi learned this year is that PDO is a hell of a drug and he wasn't going to score at that clip again without becoming a much better offensive player than he actually is.