Habs center line 30th in the league in goals for

[Goldenhands]

I ve been repeating for a while that our center line was just way too weak and was impacting our overall offensive production, now the numbers are there to prove it, 30th in the league in goals for...

Bergevin added Stall who is starting to play better hockey and our young centers have been playing good enough last 2 games, but consistency will be the key for the last part of the season and playoffs in hope to win anything. We are extremmely deep and solid everywhere else, now its time for our young centers to reach the next level.

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[the]

Stupid Staal can’t score 40 goals

 

[robert ethan]

Stupid Staal can’t score 40 goals

At least he's done it in his career several times, the last time 3 years ago. I don't think any of the others have reached 20.

 

[Miller Time]

So.... Habs decision to start season with a rookie, 20yr old & 21yr old, plus a middle 6 veteran whose strength is defensive play has led to bottom of the league offensive output from that position?

Why is anyone surprised?

 

[The Great Weal]

I'm honestly surprised we aren't last.

 

[BigDaddyLurch]

Kotkaniemi's fault...why hasn't he potted 40 yet??...bust...



...or we have a 21 year old and a 20 year old as our future in the position and need to give them time to grow...could be that, but who knows...

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Hard to be a good productive center when your defense has very liitle puckmoving skills.

Was DD really better than KK and Suz or did he have much better support with Markov and Subban?

 

[Leon Lucius Black]

Before getting Staal, 3 of our 4 centres had under 200 career games between the three of them before this season.

Suzuki/KK haven't been lighting up the stat sheets, but we've finally put young players in key roles and it will help them and the team in the future.

 

[clarke19]

...who's worse? Anaheim?

 

[MD thaivuN]

our entire center line doesn't shoot. Danault has never scored more than 13 goals in a pro hockey season. KK needs to work on his release and also be a little bit more selfish with the puck. Suzuki also has shooting allergy syndrome.

I reckon we should trade for the god of shooting allergy, Robert Thomas, next season to have the worst shooting center line

 

[le_sean]

our entire center line doesn't shoot. Danault has never scored more than 13 goals in a pro hockey season. KK needs to work on his release and also be a little bit more selfish with the puck. Suzuki also has shooting allergy syndrome.

I reckon we should trade for the god of shooting allergy, Robert Thomas, next season to have the worst shooting center line

Centres not only don’t shoot, but other than Tatar and Drouin, there are no pass first wingers on the team. In fact, most are pretty average or below average playmakers.

 

[the]

...who's worse? Anaheim?

Got to be Buffalo, that team is trash. We are in great company.

 

[Habs Halifax]

I'm honestly surprised we aren't last.

You beat me to this.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Centres not only don’t shoot, other than Tatar and Drouin, there are no pass first wingers on the team either. In fact, most are pretty average or below average playmakers.

Agreed. We have less flaws up front than last year but there are still some things to fix.

 

[26Mats]

I ve been repeating for a while that our center line was just way too weak and was impacting our overall offensive production, now the numbers are there to prove it, 30th in the league in goals for...

Bergevin added Stall who is starting to play better hockey and our young centers have been playing good enough last 2 games, but consistency will be the key for the last part of the season and playoffs in hope to win anything. We are extremmely deep and solid everywhere else, now its time for our young centers to reach the next level.

I'm in favor of adding a true number 1 (if we can get one lol) and having Suzuki play wing until he's ready to be a true impact player at center.

If we can't get a center, we should try to get a play driving winger. If Hall or Landeskog don't re-sign in Boston, we should try to get them. We should buyout Byron and Drouin to create the cap space if need be.

 

[MD thaivuN]

Got to be Buffalo, that team is trash. We are in great company.

Casey Mittelstadt is probably gonna outscore any of our centers by the end of the year

 

[sandviper]

Hard to be a good productive center when your defense has very liitle puckmoving skills.

Was DD really better than KK and Suz or did he have much better support with Markov and Subban?

This. Our system relies on our centers specifically to play down low and support the D. We generate offence from our zone rather than through the neutral zone. Add to this, a rookie and two young-20’s and surprise, our centers can’t score.

DD, along with having Markov and PK, also had Patches riding shotgun.

 

[MakeTheGoalsLarger]

it's partly explained by who they play with.

Drouin is the only winger who's more of a playmaker.

The centers don't get that many scoring chances. But they still suck though.

 

[No More Subban]

There's a reason why MB went to sign Toffoli and Anderson. He knew the team wasn't going to get a lot of goals from our centers so they had to bolster the wings. Just my observation..

 

[Archijerej]

Personally, I think it's a bit of a red herring.

Up until the recent dreadful stretch of games, we didn't have problems scoring goals. I think at least at even strength we were an above average offensive club. Our weaknes were putrid special teams, inconsistent goaltending and team defence.

Right now, we are just being exposed as a team that has too many slow/old players and not much puck-moving ability from the back end. An inexperienced center line certainly plays a part, but it's a team-wide issue. We're just being outplayed and pinned in our own zone.

I also don't buy that we lack goalscorers. We don't have an elite one, that is true, but there's enough goalscoring ability in this forward group. Toffoli and Anderson are on fire. Gallagher and Tatar can put the puck in the net. Armia should have been good for 15, same with Drouin. You can't score if you're not creating chances and we're not doing that.

 

[No More Subban]

I'm in favor of adding a true number 1 (if we can get one lol) and having Suzuki play wing until he's ready to be a true impact player at center.

How do you expect Suzuki to get better at being a C playing wing?

 

[jaffy27]

We are probably also the youngest.....let’s revisit this in 3yrs.

 

[26Mats]

How do you expect Suzuki to get better at being a C playing wing?

He's a natural C. He'll be fine. Right now he just needs to get better in terms of physical development and stamina as far as playing 82 NHL games. Many current NHL centers started off on throwing until they were ready to play center.

 

[Habs]

We are probably also the youngest.....let’s revisit this in 3yrs.

But we say this every 3 years.

 

[jaffy27]

Agreed. We have less flaws up front than last year but there are still some things to fix.

Our LW is our biggest flaw.....it’s the one thing I’m fixating on going into next season.

Lehkonen, Drouin, Tatar out.....I want a big body on that side (via trade or UFA) and maybe put Caufield on that side too.

maybe Poehling can be a LW on the 3rd