Post-Game Talk: Heartbreaking But We Have To Accept It... (Habs 1-2 Caps)

[MSSLYNX]

It aint over until it’s over, so I’m going to wait and see. I admit it’s not looking good, but anything can happen these last two games.

Regardless if we make the playoffs or not, we definitely need a few changes.

Drouin – Gone. Period. 2 points in 2 months while we are fighting for our playoff lives is indefensible. Hopefully he has a semblance of value left, but he has to be toast. Inexcusable.

Power Play – Whoever is responsible for that (and I think it’s Muller) has to go. Period. Indefensible. That lack of production alone cost us at least 2-3 wins this season, and a playoff spot.

Donald Audette, Serge Boisvert, Vic Posa & Dave Starman – These scouts are responsible for identifying potential NHL future talent in the QMJHL and NCAA. Philadelphia and Tampa Bay do a much better job of scouting the Q and it’s ridiculous the amount of quality talent coming out of the east that we absolutely miss on. Remember, when Bergevin was hired, he promised an emphasis on scouting the Q. The same goes for the NCAA, where we whiff year after year on undrafted talent. Time to change things up.

Bergevin – Put Timmons in there, Put Mellanby in there. I don’t care, but this arrogant clown has to go. He traded for Drouin, he kept Muller and the struggling PP and he kept the scouts. That's just this year, he has a laundry list of inept mistakes made year after year. We are what, 7 years in now? How many times has he changed directions? He has more visions that a shaman on strong peyote.

This would be a nice start.

Phila has huge early rounds busts coming from the Q. Laberge 36, Aubé 48, Morin 11, Ouellet 22, Pelletier 30, Dupré 50, Boivin 14.

Some because of injuries but still.

 

[holy]

C'mon Vegeta, we need you right now.

 

[1909]

People are too busy finding any opportunity to bash JD to actually have any sort of objective reasoning, especially after last nights loss.
Sure, he has 2 pts in about 2 months, but there are 11 other forwards dressed every night.
Sucks that we lost and it's frustrating that we were so close but other than Weber's goal, the leaders on this team didn't really step up to the plate when it was all on the line for the team. I don't include Price in that because he's obviously a big reason behind fighting for a playoff spot, he's shown up to with his best for the last 10-15 games.
But then again, there are people who will point the finger at Price the same way others do with JD.
It is what it is, I understand that this fan base always requires a designated scapegoat.

Drouin is the best paid forward, and he obviously got some talent, when he is feeling showing it. Very frustrating player to watch, and possibly to coach too.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

You know, I hate witchunts for one player but I really really REALLY dislike Drouin

I hate witchhunts, and before Bergevin, Therrien and Pacioretty, you would never see me doing it. Rarely if ever.

But imcompetency, laziness and arrogance have their limits on my patience. Cultural bias too.

 

[No More Subban]

It aint over until it’s over, so I’m going to wait and see. I admit it’s not looking good, but anything can happen these last two games.

Regardless if we make the playoffs or not, we definitely need a few changes.

Drouin – Gone. Period. 2 points in 2 months while we are fighting for our playoff lives is indefensible. Hopefully he has a semblance of value left, but he has to be toast. Inexcusable.

Holy crap. I had no idea he's been THAT bad.

Habs easily make the playoffs probably even with an average play from him during that span.

 

[Redux91]

Man ..it sure was rough to watch Kotka out there... heartbreaking almost

Drouin is inexplicable ... some of the plays...id SWEAR he was purposefully sabotaging .... i cant get over it

 

[BladeRunner66]

Where is God?

I thought reset either meant PO or a reasonnable chance at a very good draft pick?

 

[Perrah]

Maybe I explained myself badly. You're as good as your scouts. You want a #1 center ? Draft one. Tavares didn't want to come to Mtl. I guess it's Bergevin's fault. Finishing last and drafting Hughes would have helped us but the players went to play this year.

Yes and Bergevin hasnt changed much for scouts has he? He also made Montreal such an undesirable location for recent UFA years that Tavares wouldnt even use the Habs as leverage. Every god damn person that watches NHL in Canada knew the Habs would throw filthy money at him. Statsny a #2c didnt take the call either. That is OK though, he can court the likes of Karl Alzner and make him a priority to be a consultant between the NHL and AHL. Jesus Christ even the Oilers got 1 good year out the dead weight they signed in Lucic. Tampa Bay is slapping the Habs in the face and taking their lunch money with regards to home grown players. He is about due to get another 5 year extension.

 

[expy]

Old man here too. Teams of the 70s and 80s had many francophones. I believe there are francophone players out there unhappy or misused by their teams who would give a little extra effort to play in Mtl. I would target them without going nuts. Drouin for Sergachev wasnt nuts.

Drouin for Sergachev was stupid, we traded away what we needed (LD), for an unproven forward (don't bring up stats he had with Tampa... That's Tampa, not Montreal).

And going for francophone players is the wrong way to go about it and I don't even know why language should be a factor at all in looking for players. Talent first. Language last.

 

[hvac412]

Drouin is the best paid forward, and he obviously got some talent, when he is feeling showing it. Very frustrating player to watch, and possibly to coach too.

He,s unfixable and Tampa knew it.I too thought it was a descent trade but I'm not an NHL gm.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Where is God?

He's still laughing at the joke he made to the hockey world on August 11th, 1965.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

I feel for fans of this team who are 30 and under. All they have known is garbage teams, mediocre teams and brief periods of success. There are no cups and too many years out of the playoffs since the last championship. Whats really scary is how low the bar is. People are excited to be making the playoffs with a team that has personnel that could never go all the way. So many older fans like me now feel indifferent to Habs because of the embarrassing management and coaching. We should be demanding much more and holding Molson to account. Fire these clowns and clean house. Hire the best people regardless of French language ability and get us back to where we belong!

Props

 

[Wats]

Man ..it sure was rough to watch Kotka out there... heartbreaking almost

Drouin is inexplicable ... some of the plays...id SWEAR he was purposefully sabotaging .... i cant get over it

Did not respond well to the benching at all.

 

[groovejuice]

People are too busy finding any opportunity to bash JD to actually have any sort of objective reasoning, especially after last nights loss.
Sure, he has 2 pts in about 2 months, but there are 11 other forwards dressed every night.
Sucks that we lost and it's frustrating that we were so close but other than Weber's goal, the leaders on this team didn't really step up to the plate when it was all on the line for the team. I don't include Price in that because he's obviously a big reason behind fighting for a playoff spot, he's shown up to with his best for the last 10-15 games.
But then again, there are people who will point the finger at Price the same way others do with JD.
It is what it is, I understand that this fan base always requires a designated scapegoat.

Bergevin made Drouin the highest paid forward on the team. There are reasonable expectations that go with that, and Drouin has not delivered accordingly in a single area I can think of.

He's better known these days for the silly commercials he's in than any positive contribution on the ice. He has never shown much in the NHL and is somehow still living on the reputation he earned in junior hockey.

Can you think of any NHL teams that would jump to add him to their roster?

 

[Wats]

Drouin for Sergachev was stupid, we traded away what we needed (LD), for an unproven forward (don't bring up stats he had with Tampa... That's Tampa, not Montreal).

And going for francophone players is the wrong way to go about it and I don't even know why language should be a factor at all in looking for players. Talent first. Language last.

Wonder if they didn't make the trade, whether MB would have been more inclined to give Radulov the money he wanted to sign.

 

[LaP]

Holy crap. I had no idea he's been THAT bad.

Habs easily make the playoffs probably even with an average play from him during that span.

It's even worse than that. He has 16 points in his last 30 games which is already average at best. But 15 of those 16 points came in 5 multi-points games. So he did 0 points in 24 of those games.

These 5 multi-points games were against NYI, Detroit, Winnipeg, Anaheim and Edmonton. So basically only two good teams. Although the way Winnipeg has been playing in the 2nd half of the season it's debatable whatever they are still a good team or not (they are 17th in the league since January 1st and the eye test says they have been playing like a bubble team for a while now).

 

[The Great Weal]

Lol @ people voting for Drouin for the DOTG.

Byron was directly responsible for, at the very least, the second goal, if not both goals.

I love Byron and Gallagher, but for two of our leaders they surely didn't step up on the score sheet when it mattered most in the last two weeks. Domi also had a pretty bad game.

Folin was a disaster last night. I think he cost us the game.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Bergevin made Drouin the highest paid forward on the team. There are reasonable expectations that go with that, and Drouin has not delivered accordingly in a single area I can think of.

He's better known these days for the silly commercials he's in than any positive contribution on the ice. He has never shown much in the NHL and is somehow still living on the reputation he earned in junior hockey.

Can you think of any NHL teams that would jump to add him to their roster?

The next team that hires Marc Bergevin as GM?

 

[MSSLYNX]

Bergevin made Drouin the highest paid forward on the team. There are reasonable expectations that go with that, and Drouin has not delivered accordingly in a single area I can think of.

He's better known these days for the silly commercials he's in than any positive contribution on the ice. He has never shown much in the NHL and is somehow still living on the reputation he earned in junior hockey.

Can you think of any NHL teams that would jump to add him to their roster?

Define jump. 5.5, 4 more years, 50 pts. Are you retaining? Are you taking a cap dump?
If you are truly willing to get rid of him you will find a partner.
Remember you are selling a 50 pts winger with low defensive effort. Thats what he was when he got here. Not sure why the surprise. Could have become a 30 pt guy. Or a 70.

 

[Kimota]

People forget how awesome Drouin was in the first half of the season.
He had 17 goals and 46 pts in 55 games (69 pt pace)
For whatever reason he struggled after that

Agreed. People have a short memory. Habs have had a great season too, they were supposed to be dead last.

 

[LaP]

Playing in the west. We finish 6th overall hmmm

It's not as simple. Our division has 3 of the 5 worst teams in the league. And you play more games against division rivals.

 

[CristianoRonaldo]

Lol @ people voting for Drouin for the DOTG.

Byron was directly responsible for, at the very least, the second goal, if not both goals.

I love Byron and Gallagher, but for two of our leaders they surely didn't step up on the score sheet when it mattered most in the last two weeks. Domi also had a pretty bad game.

You can add Weber, he had a goal last game, but against CAR and CLB, he did nothing and was bad defensively.

 

[peate]

He's still laughing at the joke he made to the hockey world on August 11th, 1965.

Very good.

 

[MSSLYNX]

Folin was a disaster last night. I think he cost us the game.

Scary to think he is the 6th best dman on the team.

 

[The Great Weal]

Scary to think he is the 6th best dman on the team.

He was excellent on the bottom pair for pretty much every game besides last night.