Bring Back ties! Habs lose 3-2 SO

[Ohashi_Jouzu*]

Was pretty sickening to see Subban try to be like everyone else and turn himself into a contorted pinata to block a shot and spring out to the dressing room in pain.

Seems to me not everyone should be a shot-blocker and there are evidently higher risks of injury associated with it. Don't know the value of leading the league in shot-blocking when you're putting into the line of fire, players who are not expendables.

Ex-player pundits say that players get extra marks from their teammates when they sacrifice their bodies in that fashion. What used to be a common practise on the PK, now has become a modus operandi whenever the team is defending at even strength.

I wonder if the Habs should not be anointing certain players to shot-block and encourage their better players to neutralize opponents with their skating, checking and stickhandling skills instead.

Players on Vancouver have mentioned that Torts getting the Sedins to adopt regular shot-blocking and penalty-killing duties is having a positive trickle down effect on the effort from his team. So maybe it doesn't have to be a "novelty". Maybe showing the same level of commitment and expectations on the defensive side of the puck from everyone is a good thing. Or maybe it depends on the group you have, and what motivates them, who knows.

In the end, like you said, there are more ways to shut down plays than just diving in front of shots.

 

[MasterDecoy]

WTF? Cannot tell if serious?

he's one of our better shooters in the shootout. ZOMG

also, me and souvenirs aren't the same person. two different people. Take my advice, don't do that here, and especially don't do that in real life. mkay?

 

[Runner77]

Players on Vancouver have mentioned that Torts getting the Sedins to adopt regular shot-blocking and penalty-killing duties is having a positive trickle down effect on the effort from his team.

Interesting comment. Perhaps the risk of injury is not as big of a concern on shot-blocking anymore, due to better equipment, since coaches appear to tolerate and/or encourage their better players to shot-block?

I just cringed when Subban tried to do it yesterday and it prompted me to believe that some guys probably shouldn't be attempting it.

On an unrelated note, I can already see cynics expressing no surprise at the Habs leading the league in shot-blocking, which is for the most part, a more elaborate form of diving.

 

[Ohashi_Jouzu*]

Interesting comment. Perhaps the risk of injury is not as big of a concern on shot-blocking anymore, due to better equipment, since coaches appear to tolerate and/or encourage their better players to shot-block?

I just cringed when Subban tried to do it yesterday and it prompted me to believe that some guys probably shouldn't be attempting it.

On an unrelated note, I can already see cynics expressing no surprise at the Habs leading the league in shot-blocking, which is for the most part, a more elaborate form of diving.

Don't take this as 100% sure, but I want to say that Torts expects all of them to put on those plastic cover things for the PK. I think some of them (esp. defensemen?) wear them all game just because.

If someone wants to make a mint, design a skate where that kind of thing is either more integrated into the skate, or easily attached/removed, without significantly increasing bulk or weight.

 

[LePoche69]

Interesting comment. Perhaps the risk of injury is not as big of a concern on shot-blocking anymore, due to better equipment, since coaches appear to tolerate and/or encourage their better players to shot-block?

I just cringed when Subban tried to do it yesterday and it prompted me to believe that some guys probably shouldn't be attempting it.

On an unrelated note, I can already see cynics expressing no surprise at the Habs leading the league in shot-blocking, which is for the most part, a more elaborate form of diving.

Like Hitchcok said: when you're blocking shots, it's because you don't have the puck.

So if Habs are best in league for shots blocked, it probably means they're one of the worst team in puck possession.

 

[Rosso Scuderia]

Not that I mind our players to block shots but it's getting ridiculous. Our players will not survived a 82 games season by keep blocking shots like that.

And it's not blocking shots the problem, it's the lack of puck control and poor transition game that generates so many (attempt) shots against.

I've been a big defender of Gorges.. and Diaz sometimes... although they don't get score a lot against, the reason why they have to block so many shots is because they can't clear the zone. It's good that they keep the opponent in the perimeter but both of them are so weak to win board battle so all they know to do is to push the opponent outside the center... but those are time we are wasting in the defensive zone because of the lack of transition game/winning board battle. Diaz used to be very fast to make that first pass, I don't know if his suicide pass is still affecting him but this year, he is simply not effective on that part of his game..

 

[Runner77]

And it's not blocking shots the problem, it's the lack of puck control and poor transition game that generates so many (attempt) shots against.

I've been a big defender of Gorges.. and Diaz sometimes... although they don't get score a lot against, the reason why they have to block so many shots is because they can't clear the zone. It's good that they keep the opponent in the perimeter but both of them are so weak to win board battle so all they know to do is to push the opponent outside the center... but those are time we are wasting in the defensive zone because of the lack of transition game/winning board battle.

Good points in respect of why we are likely leading in shot-blocking. Our defense continues to be too small and winning puck battles along the boards in our zone, is more than a matter of deft stickhandling, it's inevitably about brute force, size and grit. Emelin will help, but the likes of Diaz and Georges will continue to keep us vulnerable.

 

[sandysan]

Like Hitchcok said: when you're blocking shots, it's because you don't have the puck.

So if Habs are best in league for shots blocked, it probably means they're one of the worst team in puck possession.

we are also near the bottom in shots allowed (8th) , so what's the alternative let price see 70 to 80 shots a game and hope he lets at best two in ans we win 3-2 ?

our shot blocking is not some product of talent its that we are, again and seemingly forever, a counter punch team hoping to score off transition. if we are going to give up lots of shot attempts in the defensive zone and dont block them then you could put plywood between the pipes and we'd still lose.