Post-Game Talk: Habs shut out by Oilers, first losing streak.

[JianYang]

I guess if I want to be somewhat optimistic, maybe it’s good we are facing adversity and being pushed back now. How we overcome this will mean a great deal come playoff time. Better to go through this now than to steamroll teams without fight back all season and suddenly hit a wall in the playoffs.

Of course, I say this assuming we can figure it out.

You contrast that with 2013, when the habs coasted through the 48 game season, and only hit adversity in the playoffs and ended up with one win and out.

You want to see how the team responds to the tough times during the regular season. If they don't respond, then they shouldn't be in the running regardless..... But if they do get through it, then they may be better off to face adversity in more important parts of the season.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Very well said. That is exactly what is happening but, we have some size now, why can't we adapt and play more of a cycle game?

Because Juliens cycle game is to get pucks to the net. Just like Therriens. When you hire from the same coaching tree you get the same coaching

 

[habsfan92]

Then maybe now is the time to hire the best available coach regardless of language, since there are no fans in the building anyways to complain (although I don't believe it was the fans complaining but rather the French media)

 

[BLONG7]

Then maybe now is the time to hire the best available coach regardless of language, since there are no fans in the building anyways to complain (although I don't believe it was the fans complaining but rather the French media)

This is bang on........this is the franco media driving the bus.
Sad...we can't hire the best guy for the job. Sad, and stupid. The results are in, it's not working.
Geoff, when will you grow a set?

 

[Mario le Magnifique]

Why are we starting periods with the 4th line on the ice, wtf is this team. So infuriating. And then we get Danault's line, as if our scoring lines were the less important of the bunch. If Habs play Suzuki vs McDavid the ice will be more open more often. I just dont get it.

 

[donghabs98]

They need it. After a week of on ice-practices it clearly didn't help the team. They need to review the miss defensive assignments and how team's have adjusted to the Habs offense. One of the most frustrating trends is the Habs keep taking shots from the outside with no traffic in front of the net. The drop pass and shot into the goalie's chest is tough to watch.

 

[Belial]

It's unsustainable. Why do you not see what has been evident for the last 5 seasons : we start strong and when teams adjust, we go flat. Nothing new under the sun.

We don't have the skaters for this pressure. The system is flawed.

Are you trying to tell me the players are tired? Why wouldn't it be sustainable?

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

That's just cruel.

Remains of the past
I meant Romanov , damn russians

 

[Belial]

Why are we starting periods with the 4th line on the ice, wtf is this team. So infuriating. And then we get Danault's line, as if our scoring lines were the less important of the bunch. If Habs play Suzuki vs McDavid the ice will be more open more often. I just dont get it.

They started periods with the 4th line because the opposition had their 4th line on the ice, it's not rocket science...

 

[canucklover123]

Why are we starting periods with the 4th line on the ice, wtf is this team. So infuriating. And then we get Danault's line, as if our scoring lines were the less important of the bunch. If Habs play Suzuki vs McDavid the ice will be more open more often. I just dont get it.

Suzuki is our main offensive centre, if you want him lined up against the McDavid all game , who do you want to produce

 

[Deebs]

 

[JianYang]

They need it. After a week of on ice-practices it clearly didn't help the team. They need to review the miss defensive assignments and how team's have adjusted to the Habs offense. One of the most frustrating trends is the Habs keep taking shots from the outside with no traffic in front of the net. The drop pass and shot into the goalie's chest is tough to watch.

This is probably related to them playing 3 in 4 nights. I'm surprised they even had a meeting.

Under happy circumstances, this would probably have been a full day off.

 

[Ozmodiar]

I heard practice makes perfect ... but then someone told me nobody’s perfect so I stopped practicing.

 

[Spearmint Rhino]

They started periods with the 4th line because the opposition had their 4th line on the ice, it's not rocket science...

So McJesus is on the 4th line now? Wow he’s fallen from grace

 

[Belial]

So McJesus is on the 4th line now? Wow he’s fallen from grace

Oilers where starting periods with the Khaira line on the ice.

 

[Doc McKenna]

Fond memories

Which time

 

[Doc McKenna]

Yeah he must have missed the last 3 games because the only playoffs we are winning with this team is the calder cup.

 

[Spearmint Rhino]

Oilers where starting periods with the Khaira line on the ice.

Maybe it wasn’t the start of the period or I had too much whiskey beforehand but regardless WHY? Your opponent brings a knife to a gun fight so you throw your gun away? Go for the throat. He does it after we score, he does it when the other team ices the puck. 4-4 other team starts their stars, we counter with Danault and a reliable 2 way winger. Always playing not to lose.

 

[OldCraig71]

Because Juliens cycle game is to get pucks to the net. Just like Therriens. When you hire from the same coaching tree you get the same coaching

But with that aside, it can't be that hard to improvise, can it? Are these guys so stubborn, so set in their ways that they will only keep trying the same things even if it is failing? Claude will not survive this. If the team is a no show tomorrow I am betting that he is gone, MB cannot afford an 8 game losing skid this season, no sir, it cannot happen. He will have to shake things up asap.

 

[OldCraig71]

Are you trying to tell me the players are tired? Why wouldn't it be sustainable?

He is telling you the truth. You cannot outskate teams night in and night out. Every opponent that we face talks about how hard we work. As WTK said, our bread and butter has been off the rush and now that it has been taken away, we have no answers. We are also only getting goal scoring from two wingers and a defenseman, our centers have 6 goals between all 4 of them, things are coming unglued.

 

[Belial]

He is telling you the truth. You cannot outskate teams night in and night out. Every opponent that we face talks about how hard we work. As WTK said, our bread and butter has been off the rush and now that it has been taken away, we have no answers. We are also only getting goal scoring from two wingers and a defenseman, our centers have 6 goals between all 4 of them, things are coming unglued.

Who said you can't outskate teams all the time? This team was built to do that...

High tempo, pressure the puck carrier, fast transition, roll 4 lines...

When they get outworked they look bad.

 

[mix1home]

There's only one potential solution for the slump. We all know what it is.
View attachment 395561

Shoot more?

 

[Rapala]

He is telling you the truth. You cannot outskate teams night in and night out. Every opponent that we face talks about how hard we work. As WTK said, our bread and butter has been off the rush and now that it has been taken away, we have no answers. We are also only getting goal scoring from two wingers and a defenseman, our centers have 6 goals between all 4 of them, things are coming unglued.

The team hasn't changed much in that regard. When the opposition shows up interested we struggle, when the opposition has any goaltending whatsoever we struggle. This has been going on ever since Bergevin took over. One of the main reasons you can't pay a goaltender that type of money is because once you hit the playoffs you are certain to face a hot goaltender sooner or later. If you haven't spent your $$$$ wisely and you can't put the puck in the net there really isn't much hope regardless of how good defensively you are. Case in point Columbus Blue Jackets in recent years and the Islanders under Trotz.

 

[mix1home]

And yet GM's are allowed to hang onto useless relic coaches and incompetent imbecile buddies while a team flounders

Correction: Hockey is a family business.

 

[Rapala]

Who said you can't outskate teams all the time? This team was built to do that...

High tempo, pressure the puck carrier, fast transition, roll 4 lines...

When they get outworked they look bad.

I'm not sure why you don't get the unsustainable part. We are nowhere near as good a skating team as we once were and yet anytime we've been in a must win situation particularly late in the season we've laid ostrich eggs. Sure we had plenty of energy for Pittsburgh in a short series but that didn't hold out against a very beatable Philadelphia team in a regular playoff format with better goaltending. We run into trouble when teams simply match our work rate. This is nothing new and given the urgency in a compacted schedule with 4 point games every night we have to prove we can overcome it. Don't get me wrong I'm happy with some of the changes up front but it's still comes up a few horses short of a stable. We expend an awful lot of energy owning the perimeter and talented teams can expend less and still come out on top. It's a little bit unsettling to see some of these same traits rearing its head. Rolling four lines is nice but if you can't score any energy saving means squat.