A Quick defeat! Habs lose 3-0

[Whitesnake]

Did you not read my post? I said that what was happening earlier this year was too high, right now it's too low. What is the ''in between''? Well we have no idea. So don't use the opportunity when everything is going bad to say ''see! see!! No freaking talent!!''. You're better than that WS. I know you're just fed up but come on, but come on.

I criticized Bergevin this summer because I stated we clearly needed more talent up front and was called a hater for it, but right now the team can't buy a goal. They aren't even playing poorly or being outplayed. So, let's chill a bit.

I'm not using anything. You pretty much know that I've been saying that for quite a while now. So if anything, I'M consequent. Yeah, I got fooled by the start of the year. I also thought that finally Weise was probably better than we thought he was. That Flash could finally go back to 25-goal type of seasons...that Mitchell was finally going to show some incredible offensive skills.....and then it won't happen. But my main point all those years was about our lack of finish and pure talent. Something you need when the grinding has reached his plateau....

Yes, there is always a reason for everything. I just hate people who will use the injuries to say that it's why we suck so much....while they NEVER used the injuries to the opponents to explain why we were so great in the past....

 

[Whitesnake]

Of course...i've been saying this for the last 2-3 years around here and got blasted for it.

Somehow, I doubt you'll get the same vitriol

Don't worry. I have my "fans".

 

[SOLR]

LOL... Great idea, the team is struggling for offence so replace a reliable 60-70 point guy with someone who has only cracked 30 points once in 6 seasons.

I was expecting this. This team will always struggle for offense as long as you have unreliable, low impact, point producers taking the ice-time away from the players that are truly high-impact (or potential). The pretended meritocracy is the problem.

 

[Teufelsdreck]

Really you think the cupboard was bare? Did you start following the habs after the Rejean Houle era? Compare that to what Bergevin inherited. Full stacked team ready to contend. In the minors Beaulieu, Tinordi, Hudon, JDLR, Pateryn, Gallagher, Fucale. Ya the cupboard was bare my ass. More like Bergevin is asleep at the wheel.

MB has since added McCarron, Scherbak and de Lessio. The cup runneth over. No need to keep playing games. Just give us the Stanely Cup right now.

Your ass is working too hard. These prospects are far from all stars.

 

[SOLR]

You're right. My bad. Never was a fan.... Guy is a fine player. But is not a #1C. Is not a playoff performer. I'm done with the "but he faces tough challenges" excuse. The guy at 6M$-7M$ should be making other players better...not the other way around. Way too many excuses for him.

Yep, he's a low impact player who feeds on better players to get his points.

 

[sharks9]

I don't know which games some people are watching.

I watched about half the game yesterday and I've seen easily 5-6+ good quality scoring chances. Guys missed their shots (like Eller on the post on that breakaway which doesn't count as a shot) but a missed shot from a good position doesn't equal a perimeter shot. It's still a shot from a good position. Team is playing well but can't ask stone hands to score on a regular basis.

For as much as people claimed they cared about the process last year, this losing streak is showing that they don't.

If we had won this game and given up 45 shots people would be ripping MT apart for his terrible system and being bailed out by the goalie, but when we lose a game by getting 45 shots on net they're perimeter shots, we're making the goalie look good, etc.

 

[LaP]

For as much as people claimed they cared about the process last year, this losing streak is showing that they don't.

If we had won this game and given up 45 shots people would be ripping MT apart for his terrible system and being bailed out by the goalie, but when we lose a game by getting 45 shots on net they're perimeter shots, we're making the goalie look good, etc.

100% agree with you.

 

[417]

I was expecting this. This team will always struggle for offense as long as you have unreliable, low impact, point producers taking the ice-time away from the players that are truly high-impact (or potential). The pretended meritocracy is the problem.

Well said...

 

[Burke the Legend]

I was expecting this. This team will always struggle for offense as long as you have unreliable, low impact, point producers taking the ice-time away from the players that are truly high-impact (or potential). The pretended meritocracy is the problem.

Like I said, I am not particularly attached to Plekanec, but you suggested we convert him to LW and replace him with...Lars Eller? How does that solve offensive problems unless your objective is to tank?

 

[Bryson]

Your ass is working too hard. These prospects are far from all stars.

Bealieu is a #2 Dman and our offense has completely **** the bed since losing Gallagher. To be honest I'm not even sure which side you're arguing but if you followed the conversation I was merely pointing out how the cupboard was not bare when MB took over as GM as another poster insinuated.

Yeah, Plekanec has 27 pts in 33 games, which has to mean that you'd take him ahead of most centermen in the NHL and yet....you wouldn't. I guess you would take him over Backstrom. Or you would pick him over Tavares, you know, Tavares and his only 20 points. Plekanec is obviously better than Stamkos too. And is surely better than Toews and the list goes on.....nah, Plekanec has 27 points, he's GREAT! He's not a bad hockey player but you will not win in the playoffs with a guy like that top 6. But he will have his 60 points in the regular season. I guess it's fine then. Doesn't matter if little girlie plays like that in the season that counts the most.

As far as Galchy, yeah, maybe. And yet...what if he'd be better as a winger? Do people really wanted Galchy to play C because they thought he'd be much better there? Or because it could mean that DD would be out? Was Galchy, the centerman, always used there even at the junior level? Wouldn't it be better for him to have at least play 1 year in the AHL and see what he could do at C? Yeah, he was probably misused....but right now, it's no kindergarden. And he has to use the limited minutes he has and make the best out of it. Which in some games he does....but not all the time. People keep whining about the lack of icetime saying how in the world do you want a guy to look good with so limited icetime and yet....we keep saying it for him. In some games, he does use the limited minutes and play great. Not his fault if his coach doesn't like him. But he's often able to make the best out of not a whole lot. Galchy might be a better winger after all....but we will not know that till we get our hands on real good offensive centermen....that distribute the puck really really well.

The reason for moving Galch to center is for the very same reason you are arguing for. That Plekanec is not a true #1 that you can go to the playoffs with. I also noticed you not blame DD in your post at all even though he is getting 2nd line minutes and has gone freezing cold. Care to comment? So Plekanec sucks, Galchenyuk sucks, DD sucks, Eller sucks, Max sucks. Our entire team is small. So just how far are we from contending then? Sound like we need an entire overhaul.

 

[417]

The thing that bothers me with Therrien's tactics is that he's constantly saying that he wants the other team to adapt to the Habs and not the other way around...

Yet Plekanec gets the most icetime not because he's great at generating offense, but because he's our best 2 way player, therefore MT tries to match him up against the other's top lines as much as possible even at the expense of no offense.

Plekanec could be invisible for weeks, as he has been now, and it won't matter because no one else could possibly keep up with other teams top lines or so i'm told by so many here.

I'm looking forward to the day where this team isn't in 'prevent' mode all the time

 

[Nynja*]

DSP was a King killer when he was in Anaheim

http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/s/smithde06/splits/

2G 1A in 10 games is "king killer"?

 

[Bryson]

The thing that bothers me with Therrien's tactics is that he's constantly saying that he wants the other team to adapt to the Habs and not the other way around...

OMG that bugs the crap out of me to no end. Hubris has led to the downfall of many many coaches and will be this man's downfall soon enough. We lost eight straight games to Tampa last year. It was obvious it was the habs that needed to adapt. Not the other way around.

 

[Whitesnake]

The reason for moving Galch to center is for the very same reason you are arguing for. That Plekanec is not a true #1 that you can go to the playoffs with. I also noticed you not blame DD in your post at all even though he is getting 2nd line minutes and has gone freezing cold. Care to comment? So Plekanec sucks, Galchenyuk sucks, DD sucks, Eller sucks, Max sucks. Our entire team is small. So just how far are we from contending then? Sound like we need an entire overhaul.

Do I really have to comment on DD? Any chance we have a thread that is NOT about DD? Yep, DD sucks. I think that was clear already. We have 1000 threads about it. Just decided to move on from that topic...and talk about other players...'cause there are other ones.

Yeah, I'M not a fan of the composure of this team. We have too many grinders. And the top players do not perform in the playoffs. I have no idea how people can say we're just 1 or 2 guys away. They have to be totally convince that Price will make miracles over miracles every game of every series.

 

[Kriss E]

Again...his point totals sigh

no one plays more than he does, so not sure how he COULDN'T get at least 60pts...give Galchenyuk or hell, even Desharnais that icetime, and guess what>? They'll get 60pts easy

Also, I've never advocated 'getting rid of him' not once, I argued my points quite well, you and others just didn't agree with it. That's a different story

See, that's why people criticized you. You're completely wrong and can't even admit it.
DD played more than Plekanec last year at ES+PP, he played MORE than him, and guess what, he didn't get 60pts, let along get it ''EASY''. He actually didn't even get 50 pts. So you see, with comments like these, you lose all credibility on the subject, unless you want to argue DD would score 12pts on the PK if he got Plekanec's minutes there??..Don't think so.
As for Galchenyuk, I have argued for the past 4 years that we're wasting time using him on the wing and that it's stupid to use him there if the point is to move him to center. As of today, we have no idea what we have under our hand with him. He could get 60pts as much as he could hover around the 40pt mark. He's a question mark right now.
That leaves Eller, which, again, have argued we should test him in a more offensive role. I'm afraid it's probably a little too late with him. Right now it doesn't look like his ceiling is much more than a 3rd liner who can spot into the top 6.
So no, you can't just give any other player Plekanec's ice time and they'll score 60pts. You are 100% wrong once again and showing your complete irrationality on the matter.

I'm telling you why people criticized you on your take. I'm not here to argue about the same things, you were wrong about Plekanec but yes, we should look for upgrades, let's move on.

 

[Kriss E]

Yeah, Plekanec has 27 pts in 33 games, which has to mean that you'd take him ahead of most centermen in the NHL and yet....you wouldn't. I guess you would take him over Backstrom. Or you would pick him over Tavares, you know, Tavares and his only 20 points. Plekanec is obviously better than Stamkos too. And is surely better than Toews and the list goes on.....nah, Plekanec has 27 points, he's GREAT! He's not a bad hockey player but you will not win in the playoffs with a guy like that top 6. But he will have his 60 points in the regular season. I guess it's fine then. Doesn't matter if little girlie plays like that in the season that counts the most.

There isn't one right way to win the cup and people have to stop looking for perfection. Yes, we can and should definitely upgrade on Plekanec. Heck, people wanted to upgrade on Koivu and he was better than him. That's why I've argued it's stupid to use Galch on the wing for the past 3 years.
In no way shape or form does this mean our current slump is due to a lack of talent.
That's what the discussion was about.

As far as Galchy, yeah, maybe. And yet...what if he'd be better as a winger? Do people really wanted Galchy to play C because they thought he'd be much better there? Or because it could mean that DD would be out? Was Galchy, the centerman, always used there even at the junior level? Wouldn't it be better for him to have at least play 1 year in the AHL and see what he could do at C? Yeah, he was probably misused....but right now, it's no kindergarden. And he has to use the limited minutes he has and make the best out of it. Which in some games he does....but not all the time. People keep whining about the lack of icetime saying how in the world do you want a guy to look good with so limited icetime and yet....we keep saying it for him. In some games, he does use the limited minutes and play great. Not his fault if his coach doesn't like him. But he's often able to make the best out of not a whole lot. Galchy might be a better winger after all....but we will not know that till we get our hands on real good offensive centermen....that distribute the puck really really well.

People wanted Galchenyuk used at center because he was drafted as a top pick big skilled centerman. We were told he was drafted to play center right from the draft.
We have been lacking a big skilled center for years.
That's why people have been wanting Galch at center. Maybe he would be ready for a top center role by now, or maybe not, no way to know. All we know is that he was used on the wing for the past 3 years and now still seems to be adapting. So people are questioning whether he should be used at center. Utterly ridiculous.

 

[SOLR]

Like I said, I am not particularly attached to Plekanec, but you suggested we convert him to LW and replace him with...Lars Eller? How does that solve offensive problems unless your objective is to tank?

I think Plekanec lost some speed, moving him to the wing would make that less obvious and would increase his production. Lars, is playing center at the same time as Chucky...

 

[SOLR]

See, that's why people criticized you. You're completely wrong and can't even admit it.
DD played more than Plekanec last year at ES+PP, he played MORE than him, and guess what, he didn't get 60pts, let along get it ''EASY''. He actually didn't even get 50 pts. So you see, with comments like these, you lose all credibility on the subject, unless you want to argue DD would score 12pts on the PK if he got Plekanec's minutes there??..Don't think so.
As for Galchenyuk, I have argued for the past 4 years that we're wasting time using him on the wing and that it's stupid to use him there if the point is to move him to center. As of today, we have no idea what we have under our hand with him. He could get 60pts as much as he could hover around the 40pt mark. He's a question mark right now.

And by looking at the previous year, you look so much better...

 

[Kriss E]

And by looking at the previous year, you look so much better...

You mean the year where DD again didn't score 60pts? Barely cracked 50?..Yup, proves my point again.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Do I really have to comment on DD? Any chance we have a thread that is NOT about DD? Yep, DD sucks. I think that was clear already. We have 1000 threads about it. Just decided to move on from that topic...and talk about other players...'cause there are other ones.

Yeah, I'M not a fan of the composure of this team. We have too many grinders. And the top players do not perform in the playoffs. I have no idea how people can say we're just 1 or 2 guys away. They have to be totally convince that Price will make miracles over miracles every game of every series.

Cheer up my dour friend. We're better than you think.

 

[OnTheRun]

For as much as people claimed they cared about the process last year, this losing streak is showing that they don't.

If we had won this game and given up 45 shots people would be ripping MT apart for his terrible system and being bailed out by the goalie, but when we lose a game by getting 45 shots on net they're perimeter shots, we're making the goalie look good, etc.

Or people say they're perimeter shots because...Wait for it... They're perimeter shots!

ES:

MTL have 5 shots from the homeplate out of 35 (14% or 1:7)
LA have 5 shots from the homeplate out of 19 (26% or 1:4)

Yep, damn haters and their facts.

 

[Rapala]

Or people say they're perimeter shots because...Wait for it... They're perimeter shots!

ES:

MTL have 5 shots from the homeplate out of 35 (14% or 1:7)
LA have 5 shots from the homeplate out of 19 (26% or 1:4)

Yep, damn haters and their facts.

Problem is this won't convince them.
They like to think we are dominant and got robbed.
We are the easiest team to box out in the league.
Particularly when Brendan isn't around.

 

[SOLR]

You mean the year where DD again didn't score 60pts? Barely cracked 50?..Yup, proves my point again.

And Plekanec?

 

[Ohashi_Jouzu*]

Well I don't think he's one of the top 2 way players out there...he unquestionably the Habs best 2 way forward. But league-wide, I think he's somewhere in the middle.

As far as him being a top 6 center...well again, he no doubt is right now. Will he be next year, and the year after?

Maybe by default if things don't change...otherwise...

Perhaps more importantly, was he every time you argued otherwise? The answer is yes.

 

[Ohashi_Jouzu*]

The thing that bothers me with Therrien's tactics is that he's constantly saying that he wants the other team to adapt to the Habs and not the other way around...

Yet Plekanec gets the most icetime not because he's great at generating offense, but because he's our best 2 way player, therefore MT tries to match him up against the other's top lines as much as possible even at the expense of no offense.

Plekanec could be invisible for weeks, as he has been now, and it won't matter because no one else could possibly keep up with other teams top lines or so i'm told by so many here.

I'm looking forward to the day where this team isn't in 'prevent' mode all the time

You know, there are over 40 minutes per game that Plekanec ISN'T on the ice being our leading scorer with one of the highest +/- on the team, so "prevent mode all the time" seems to be more of a problem with those 40+ minutes and not so much his 19/night.

But of course, you wouldn't agree.