Anyone else think the habs getting slower?

[domdo345]

We used to be such a fast team and watching the last few games and other teams around the NHL, we're not that fast anymore. I often break down skating in 3 categories : top speed, acceleration (explosivness) and quickness/agility/foot speed (think of getting to lose pucks in a faceoff circle).

If you breakdown players by players;

F:
Patches: Very fast, Very good, average
Eller: Good, good, good
Galchenyuk: average, average, average (getting better and better)
Gallagher: Above average, above average, very good
Plek: Good but lost a step IMO, good, good
Gionta: Fast but lost a step or two, pretty good, pretty good
Bournival: Very fast, very fast, very fast (he's a heck of a skater)
DD: above average, above average, pretty good
Bourque: Fast, average, slow
Moen: average to under average in all categories for me
White: same thing
Prust and Brière: Average in every categories

Forward group is quite alright given you have MaxPac in it.

D:
Markov: Average at best
Diaz: average, average, fast
Subban: do I even need to?
Gorges: getting slower and slower
Bouillion: Above average in all
Tinordi: Good, slow, slow
Emelin: Good, under average, under average
Murray: need to see him play this season but not exactly fast
Beaulieu: Pretty good skater but lack a bit of top speed
Drewwisky: LOL


Other than Subban we barely have any D's that can follow fast forwards. Hence why they constantly cheat back to not get caught on a forward going wide and then giving the blue line so easily for the attacking team. Yeah, they'll stop the forward (beside Diaz) but when you do so in your zone, you still give the chance for possession time every single time instead of forcing a dump-in at the blue line or creating offsides.

On the other hand, when is the last time you saw a forward going wide and beating a D cleanly besides Gally and Patches? Plek and Gionta used to create so much havok doing so in previous years.

Fact is we have a small team that won't always be out-skating the opposition. This defense will get cut in pieces by the Sharks saturday. Let's hope they go out the night before.

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[Strat]

The overall team is slower because of many factors, not the least bit because of the injury bug.

There are 7 players in the IR right now. In order to fill these holes, you sometimes have to replace them with players who aren't as fast or have as much of an offensive flair.

These injuries also can affect line chemistry.

Moreover, most of the vets are getting up there. And, as if that wasn't enough, Gionta, who is being paid mucho deniro has lost almost all of his offensive flair. He skates hard, but loses all of his battles and rarely goes close to the net. I saw him do it a handful of times total in the season so far and every time he either scored or had a good opportunity.

Most of the forwards not on the kid line seem to be allergic to crashing the net.

And then there's the D which is a joke. Even Markov whom I use to idolize is old and has weak knees which unfortunately translates into much slower skating. Bouillon should retire and Gorges is now useless. These guys' offense instinct is to shoot weakly on a bent opponent which creates turnovers.

The Habs' game last season was based on quick transition, creating chances by using speed to cycle the puck, etc. It's not happening so far this year. The best chance that team has is that all of its fallen players come back in great shape and help the team.

 

[domdo345]

It is not about crashing the net, it is about keeping other teams D's on their heels and making them cheat a bit. Look how often we get stood up at the blue line comparatively to our D's doing the same. The lack of speed forces the forward to dump-in and we're not equiped to play that type of game. Yes we have the injury bug but at the same time, other than Patches, they are not speedsters. Kinda sucks when you have a Mason Raymond on a 1 year 1 million deal for the already pretty fast leafs forwards and we're stuck with Briere at 2x4M....


Other than the Leafs and Blue Jackets D's, we've had a hard time rushing the puck down the ice. Quite concerning for me.

 

[PricePkPatch*]

A slow D who knows where to step in is better than a fast D who is clueless.

 

[idk]

A slow D who knows where to step in is better than a fast D who is clueless.

This. It's all well and good to say player x is faster than player y, but that's only half the story. Knowing how to use that speed (indeed, knowing how to use the tools you have) is what's important. Desharnais and Gallagher are about equals in terms of speed (Gallagher I think is a little better in a straight line, Desharnais an edge on turns) but Gallagher is using his so much more effectively right now (for example, the goal the other night, where he appeared out of nowhere to grab an errant/lazy pass and drove the net). Boullion is another example - he hasn't really lost a step since his last go 'round with the Habs, but he no longer seems willing to take the body at top speed like he used to. Since he's too small to be very physically effective while at a standstill he's of limited effectiveness (and boy does it show).

 

[Sterling Archer]

After watching Gionta, Markov, Bou et al. skating its easy to see that a lot of the older guys have lost a step or two. Just watching Gionta cut back instead of blast forward every time he comes down the wing is a little sad.

I realize we need some vets but our current batch aren't doing much to help on the ice, safe for last game where they showed some signs of life. Even that, they should be leading, not trying to catch up to the kids at this point.

Some change will definitely occur over the next year.

 

[Non Player Canadiens]

TLDR, but, I'm glad Bournival is around if only because he's young, fast and strong.

 

[Stjonnypopo]

Speed is important, but when you see someone like Markov (who's obviously lost a step these past couples years) who's always in the right spot, and who can keep playing his game even though he's a bit slower, it makes me wonder how important it is.

As a forward, speed only helps if you use it to get into the slot, and chase pucks along the boards. Gallagher uses his speed well. Tom Pyatt used to be very quick with the habs but he didn't use his speed for anything positive.

 

[ThaDevilGirl]

Bring back Gomez.

 

[Kriss E]

A slow D who knows where to step in is better than a fast D who is clueless.

Except our D in't quite good at playing their position or stepping in either. They are pretty bad overall, not the worst, but bad.

After watching Gionta, Markov, Bou et al. skating its easy to see that a lot of the older guys have lost a step or two. Just watching Gionta cut back instead of blast forward every time he comes down the wing is a little sad.

I realize we need some vets but our current batch aren't doing much to help on the ice, safe for last game where they showed some signs of life. Even that, they should be leading, not trying to catch up to the kids at this point.

Some change will definitely occur over the next year.

That's what I think as well.
I have no issues keeping guys like Plekanec, Prust or Markov around as they can still produce, and they're good mentors. But the rest is pretty bad to average and needs to be moved.

 

[BigHabs]

We also got bigger and shed off some of the smaller speedy wingers.

Moen
Prust
White
Murray
Emelin
Parros
Markov
Gorges
Blunden

These guys are bigger guys that don't rely on their speed.

Pacioretty
Eller
Gallagher
Subban
Diaz
Beaulieu
Gionta
Plekanec

All these guys can skate.

So we have a mixture of bigger guys who are not speedsters and the other half of the team who can move.

Maybe because the fact that management is looking for us to get bigger we can sacrifice some speed. There will be big guys with size, but with size not all the bigger guys will be fast.

Stay the course and keep getting bigger.

 

[Habs_Apostle]

TLDR, but, I'm glad Bournival is around if only because he's young, fast and strong.

I don't know why but I just found this funny.

 

[Adriatic]

I have never thought of the Habs as a fast team. I always saw them and still do as a quick team that can make quick plays in small areas of the ice, but no way do I consider them a fast team like the Hawks for example that can just out-skate you for 60 min.

 

[Tabarouette]

2012
"we're too small, fast doesn't mean good, we need some bigger players"
2013
"we got big players but we're too slow, we need some faster player!"

 

[WeThreeKings]

2012
"we're too small, fast doesn't mean good, we need some bigger players"
2013
"we got big players but we're too slow, we need some faster player!"

What big players did we get in the off-season?

Parros, Murray.. both been injured.

We got Briere. He's done. Just like Gomez was when we traded for him. Just like DD always has been when we extended him.

 

[Habssince89]

We also got bigger and shed off some of the smaller speedy wingers.

Moen
Prust
White
Murray
Emelin
Parros
Markov
Gorges
Blunden

These guys are bigger guys that don't rely on their speed.

Pacioretty
Eller
Gallagher
Subban
Diaz
Beaulieu
Gionta
Plekanec

All these guys can skate.

So we have a mixture of bigger guys who are not speedsters and the other half of the team who can move.

Maybe because the fact that management is looking for us to get bigger we can sacrifice some speed. There will be big guys with size, but with size not all the bigger guys will be fast.

Stay the course and keep getting bigger.

Not to nitpick but Emelin is a great skater. You should put him in the other group

 

[Sorinth]

I have never thought of the Habs as a fast team. I always saw them and still do as a quick team that can make quick plays in small areas of the ice, but no way do I consider them a fast team like the Hawks for example that can just out-skate you for 60 min.

I too have also never thought of us as a great skating team. Even our quickness has always come more from passing than skating. Markov, Subban, Diaz mean we can hit our forwards with passes at full speed which makes us seem very fast. But looking purely at players speed we aren't that fast.