.500 on the trip, 1st Overall In The League! (Habs lose 3-2)

[Kriss E]

Eller is a streaky player, he's never going to put up big points. His offensive skills and hockey IQ are just not good enough. You can't just take the times he streaks and project that into a hall of fame career, then pretend its everyone's fault but his own when he goes into one of his frequent and long slumps. The myths people construct around their favourite players is getting absurd.

You're right, you cannot just look at his streaks. However, he does have those streaks, meaning, there is offensive potential there. Once you realize that, then you need to study what happens so you can understand why Eller goes up only to come down.
Is it because he simply gets extremely lucky and puts on points? Is it because he decides to stop playing hard? Or is it because internal things happen like changing teammates, or his deployment changes, or usage, etc.

Analyzing Eller is probably the easiest thing to do. You can observe how he was used during the the hot streaks, how he was used during the bad streaks, and check what happened the moment those streaks either started or ended.

In the end, you should come up with a very simple and obvious conclusion. Eller is a decent center two way center, somewhere between a #2 and a #3, that produces every single time he's given a competent offensive winger to play with. It's all right there for you to see. You can talk about his vision or IQ all you want, it's all HFboard propaganda crap that means very little.
You don't need to have great vision and IQ to produce 35-45pts on the 3rd line. You will need good enough wingers to help you out though and also some help from the coach in the deployment of his line.

Eller is far from being my favorite player, but I'm tired of hearing this BS about him. I defended Diaz because he wasn't as bad as people made it seem, I'm doing the same with Gilbert, and Eller, and a bunch of others. It has nothing to do with being a fan of them. Most of the time I wasn't even one. But I'm a lesser fan of crap being spit out.

Eller might be able to get a cycle going, but a decent 4th line should be able to also. A 3rd line on a good team is expected to chip goals in too. They were a black hole of suck last season, but managed to catch fire in the playoffs. Now they are back to the suck.

The clock is ticking on Eller now that he is 25 and getting paid 3.5$ million. We can't pretend he is some young prospect with untapped "potential", it's time to deliver, especially when there is another natural centre on the team who is stuck playing wing. Gotta think management is looking to move him for a winger and put up Chucky at centre, who knows when they pull the trigger.

Come on man, what's with this crap...''It's time to deliver''. What do you want him to deliver exactly?? 30-35pts playing in a tougher role than Plekanec's of last season?? Do you even realize how difficult Plek's minutes were last year? If you do, understand that Eller's are even tougher because he's doing essentially the same assignments but with lesser teammates and he doesn't get the offensive opportunities Plek also got. Last year Plek barely cracked 40, with plenty more ice time and better wingers. So unless we change the way we use Eller, you should expect another 20ish pt season from him.

 

[wreckless]

prob gonna get lit up for this, but this is when its kind of like lulz, yea "best in the east"

Both teams played a good game but its like, you're small, and even a soft Canucks team can play as physical, if not moreso than you. Have fun in a series against a Kings, Ducks, Hawks

no doubt the habs are a good team, but at the end of the day they arent even in the top 6.

 

[Rapala]

prob gonna get lit up for this, but this is when its kind of like lulz, yea "best in the east"

Both teams played a good game but its like, you're small, and even a soft Canucks team can play as physical, if not moreso than you. Have fun in a series against a Kings, Ducks, Hawks

no doubt the habs are a good team, but at the end of the day they arent even in the top 6.

We are a grinding team.

 

[Justin11]

We are a grinding team.

I second that

 

[Hackett]

prob gonna get lit up for this, but this is when its kind of like lulz, yea "best in the east"

Both teams played a good game but its like, you're small, and even a soft Canucks team can play as physical, if not moreso than you. Have fun in a series against a Kings, Ducks, Hawks

no doubt the habs are a good team, but at the end of the day they arent even in the top 6.

I shudder when I hear "beast in the east"

Montreal is just a team that is struggling to find its way but grabbing points through its resiliancy ( which is the #1 trait of the team right now). By no means are they close to clicking on all cylinders.

La, san Jose, st Louis, and Chicago are a cut above everyone, then you add in Minnesota and Anaheim... There's 6 teams right there that I think are better than Montreal and they are all in the west.

So you probably won't be lit up for what you say. In fact, I think most people will agree that the habs are a pretty good team, but you won't hear people saying that they are an elite team... And that's about right.

 

[hototogisu]

prob gonna get lit up for this, but this is when its kind of like lulz, yea "best in the east"

Both teams played a good game but its like, you're small, and even a soft Canucks team can play as physical, if not moreso than you. Have fun in a series against a Kings, Ducks, Hawks

no doubt the habs are a good team, but at the end of the day they arent even in the top 6.

Is that why Vancouver finished in the basement last year, because the West is so tough? Just wondering.

 

[wreckless]

Is that why Vancouver finished in the basement last year, because the West is so tough? Just wondering.

right...

pump the breaks.

 

[sheed36]

As I mentioned in the PP thread. The Habs PP isn't the only one in the organization with a brutal PP. The Bulldogs PP is even worse than the Habs 9.4%. The Bulldogs are 26th in the AHL at 7.1%. No one in the Habs organization can coach an even decent looking PP it seems.

 

[Rapala]

As I mentioned in the PP thread. The Habs PP isn't the only one in the organization with a brutal PP. The Bulldogs PP is even worse than the Habs 9.4%. The Bulldogs are 26th in the AHL at 7.1%. No one in the Habs organization can coach an even decent looking PP it seems.

Well they stole our notes as camp broke...

 

[Mario le Magnifique]

I see a rock and a hard place looming.
Taking Chucky away from Plecky is one thing...
replacing him with Eller is another.
How many players can MT afford to pee off to keep his blanket tucked nicely in around his duo?
This will not end well i guarantee you...

Meanwhile, that insanity that is that duo just provided 1 point and a chance to get 2 points out of that terrible western road trip, while the golden boy was all over the place but not doing anything worthwhile, other than buying some 'precious' puck control.

I completely approve of MT's last game moves, even better if it goes against the mob mentality that is plaguing this site.

 

[sheed36]

Well they stole our notes as camp broke...

If you combined both the Habs and Dogs PP percentages you still barely have a decent PP percentage.

 

[S Bah]

I shudder when I hear "beast in the east"

Montreal is just a team that is struggling to find its way but grabbing points through its resiliancy ( which is the #1 trait of the team right now). By no means are they close to clicking on all cylinders.

La, san Jose, st Louis, and Chicago are a cut above everyone, then you add in Minnesota and Anaheim... There's 6 teams right there that I think are better than Montreal and they are all in the west.

So you probably won't be lit up for what you say. In fact, I think most people will agree that the habs are a pretty good team, but you won't hear people saying that they are an elite team... And that's about right.

The Habs are very close to being a "Elite Team" Stanley Cup Contender, the makeup and personality of our team has changed these last couple of seasons, since coming in last in the Eastern Conference. Bringing in our new management team with Bergevin and his long time confidante Rick Dudley, to instill a winning character to a young group with some veterans. Albeit without any real playoff experience to teach an environment to this team with it's historic championship attitude, to becoming that type of team once again. That of course took rebuilding the organization, finding the weaknesses in it's structure, hiring the very best people for the rebuilding process, then taking all of the existing strong parts(like Trevor Timmins, etc.) and adding to that structure, without weakening it anywhere else. Without making team altering trades, signing integral character types like Brandon Prust, not giving into premature trades of a player like Eller, and great drafting(With an expanded Scouting staff of handpicked personnel added to some very astute team members, they are on the verge of the first wave of those drafted joining the ranks.

Other than #3 OV Galchenyuk, already being touted league wide as the best of the 2012 Entry Draft, the Habs are benefitting from the development of Timmins Dmen picks Tinordi & Beaulieu bringing great talent to infuse slowly in a strong defence. Next up are the PWF group of players from the deep 2013 Entry Draft, when these players get acclimatized to the Pro ranks in the Habs lineup, the Habs will become an Elite NHL Stanley Cup threat each year as it was in the Dynasty days of the 50's, 60's and 70's, at least IMHO. That from an avid hockey enthusiast my entire life and Hab fan @ 60 yrs. old, seen it before and it's happening now as we watch history being made in Montreal once again. Go Habs/Bulldogs Go!!!...

 

[Gamimenos]

We need much better starts to games than this. Defensively, we're not all there also.

 

[sheed36]

Tweet from Elliotte Friedman last night.

Elliotte Friedman @FriedgeHNIC

Vrbata sets better picks than Rick Mahorn

 

[SquiddFX]

Our PP was at it's best when Muller was here. Any way we can pry him back? He's in St. Louis iirc

 

[Natey]

The amount of *****ing about either DD or Pacioretty scoring a goal is ****ing mind-boggling. ***** at them all you want for other things, but they both contributed to the goal. Who cares if DD fanned on a pass, who cares if Pacioretty was floating.. we ****ing scored. This place is ridiculous sometimes.

Bergevin call up Andrighetto and get rid of Moen and Bourque this team's offense is god awful,and their work ethic is terrible they have played 000000000000 60 minute games all bloody year.

You can bash Bourque on many things.. so far this year, effort is not one of them.

 

[Natey]

I see a rock and a hard place looming.
Taking Chucky away from Plecky is one thing...
replacing him with Eller is another.
How many players can MT afford to pee off to keep his blanket tucked nicely in around his duo?
This will not end well i guarantee you...

You're smarter than that.. if Chucky is moving to center and we're not moving anyone, Desharnais stays in a secondary role.

Plekanec is the only center, if Eller goes to wing, that can handle those minutes - whether he likes it or not. Desharnais, I think, could handle a slightly harder role but nothing like Plekanec's previous role. Galchenyuk definitely shouldn't be given those minutes.

Without making a move, how to you do the lines with Chucky at center and Eller at wing?

 

[Vi Nc E x13x]

Not sure if anyone heard what Kerry Fraser said but I enjoyed it ... He also talked about how there is a conspiracy about mtl & refs.

 

[void]

Not sure if anyone heard what Kerry Fraser said but I enjoyed it ... He also talked about how there is a conspiracy about mtl & refs.

What did he say?

 

[Rapala]

You're smarter than that.. if Chucky is moving to center and we're not moving anyone, Desharnais stays in a secondary role.

Plekanec is the only center, if Eller goes to wing, that can handle those minutes - whether he likes it or not. Desharnais, I think, could handle a slightly harder role but nothing like Plekanec's previous role. Galchenyuk definitely shouldn't be given those minutes.

Without making a move, how to you do the lines with Chucky at center and Eller at wing?

The problem I see is a mismatch for Davey unless we surround him properly.
I agree we can use Plecky and Eller in a two way shutdown role.
This would often have them pitted against an opposition's top line.
Chucky being our number one O threat would attract their version of the same.
DD of a sudden is matching against a third line. So he will essentially start getting the Matchups
Lars Bork and Weise are getting. I'm not sure that is a recipe for success.

The idea of moving Chucky is hard to support with our current roster.
it can be done but it's not ideal our wings become more exposed...
A move full time would require an additional piece on the wing.

 

[Natey]

What did he say?

Burrows deserves a suspension.

The Vancouver picks in OT deserved a penalty, but the refs may have been trying to teach a lesson because MTL overplayed them. However, it was not the right time to teach a lesson.

More here;

SOURCE: http://www.tsn.ca/fraser-two-missed-picks-on-vancouver-s-ot-power-play-1.121403

 

[Natey]

The problem I see is a mismatch for Davey unless we surround him properly.
I agree we can use Plecky and Eller in a two way shutdown role.
This would often have them pitted against an opposition's top line.
Chucky being our number one O threat would attract their version of the same.
DD of a sudden is matching against a third line. So he will essentially start getting the Matchups
Lars Bork and Weise are getting. I'm not sure that is a recipe for success.

I think if we went with those lines it would be more;

Galchenyuk gets the DD matchups, DD gets the Plekanec matchups, Plekanec gets the Eller matchups.

Plekanec would be expected to be the "scoring depth, shutdown" guy he's been for awhile. Therrien would just be hoping for more offense than before with Parenteau/Eller instead of Gionta and Grinder of the Week.

 

[Rapala]

I think if we went with those lines it would be more;

Galchenyuk gets the DD matchups, DD gets the Plekanec matchups, Plekanec gets the Eller matchups.

Plekanec would be expected to be the "scoring depth, shutdown" guy he's been for awhile. Therrien would just be hoping for more offense than before with Parenteau/Eller instead of Gionta and Grinder of the Week.

It can't be any worse than our recent 1 goal outburst in 8 periods of hockey.

But you do realize you're seriously messin' with Plecky's buzz? LOL

 

[Natey]

It can't be any worse than our recent 1 goal outburst in 8 periods of hockey.

But you do realize you're seriously messin' with Plecky's buzz? LOL

Personally, I would love to keep Pleks where he is.. but the Eller line is not working, whether it's luck or mistakes.

I'm more confident with Plekanec taking that role, and as long as he's given decent linemates, I think he'll produce just fine. It's not like he's been producing with Galchenyuk the last handful of games.

 

[sheed36]

What did he say?

You can listen to the Kerry Fraser interview here.

http://www.tsn.ca/radio/montreal-690/fraser-conspiracy-against-the-habs-1.121526