News Article: How the Canadiens Made the Playoffs

[Le Tricolore]

Price, patches, markov and subban and the only reasons we made the playoffs

Well, this just isn't true at all.

 

[Mike Mike Caron]

I think our team is actually good on paper with Vanek, they have just played bad. Top-4 looks good on paper, forward group looks good on paper, Price is good.

 

[Scriptor]

Typically the PP/PK opportunities dry up in the post season.
Probably 4 or 5 of the calls we saw last night don't get called (both teams)
Shots on goal should normally be 20-25 per in a playoff game.
The stat is often misleading depending on where the shots came from.
They should actually break it down in Red & Black numbers showing true goal scoring chances.
Having said that the 5 on 5 and possesion numbers become hugely relevant.
The PP/PK magnified. Boston managed a cup recently with no PP to speak of but that was an aberration.

Carey is likely to have zero margin for error unless we drastically change some of our tendencies.

That said, opportunism becomes essential in terms of goal-scoring. Bishop is trouble in that respect…..

 

[Scriptor]

The difference between TB and MON isn't that great. Both coaches call for a two-man forecheck, three-man forecheck with puck possession and the third forward falling back for defensive coverage when the opponent gets the puck.

TB has a slight advantage because the newer players all played under Cooper in the AHL and owe him tons being with the team at this point. TB tends to play the system to a man. Montreal has a few too many passengers.

This doesn't mean it won't come together in the playoffs. Should, at the least, be an interesting series. Tight games and anything being possible….

 

[PsychoticHab]

I think our team is actually good on paper with Vanek, they have just played bad. Top-4 looks good on paper, forward group looks good on paper, Price is good.

I think what the writer may have meant by "On Paper" was that he was looking at the stat sheet since he specifies areas we have been weak this year.

 

[SirClintonPortis]

In the the post-dead puck era, goal differential can hint strongly at whether a team will survive a playoff run IF the the differential is under +10. If it is under that number, the team will not win the Cup. Simple as that....

 

[Summer Rose]

We're in because the east contains no one else serious other than the Bruins and Penguins. Are we inherently better than any of the Rangers, Flyers, Lighting, Blue Jackets, Red Wings, etc? No.

My experience being a Coyotes season ticket holder for years now only solidifies this belief. We made it to the playoffs. Whoop de doo. That's not an accomplishment.

Yes I'm drunk and cynical and angry. Feel free to disregard my opinion. Because that's all that it is.

 

[AllanMTL46]

We're in because the east contains no one else serious other than the Bruins and Penguins. Are we inherently better than any of the Rangers, Flyers, Lighting, Blue Jackets, Red Wings, etc? No.

My experience being a Coyotes season ticket holder for years now only solidifies this belief. We made it to the playoffs. Whoop de doo. That's not an accomplishment.

Yes I'm drunk and cynical and angry. Feel free to disregard my opinion. Because that's all that it is.

MAF... 'nuff said.

 

[roy munson]

Well no. Heck, just go back to last year, most agree we played well. Most were happy with the way we were coached and liked our game/team. Even losing in 5 versus the Sens and even getting beat down, most still feel like we outplayed Ottawa.
So why would most of the guys feeling that way suddenly start bashing a 4th seeded team?
We're not a bad team. With a healthy roster, I can actually see them reach the finals (the weak eastern conference helps). But not with the way we've played.
If we still get confused and remain structure-less defensively with little transition game, then I think we're only making it harder on ourselves.

I was originally talking about outsiders' point of views, but that was before I saw it was from Basu. My post is irrelevant now (re: the article, not outsiders' point of view).

 

[hototogisu]

Breaking news, hockey is played on the ice and not on paper. More at 11.

 

[JoelWarlord]

Breaking news, hockey is played on the ice and not on paper. More at 11.

Same thing the Leafs said last year.

The reality is this team has greatly benefited from vezina calibre goaltending. The margin is very very thin and if Price plays at even a league average level for a few games we're in trouble.

 

[BigDaddyLurch]

...we're in, period...let's make some small adjustments to make it far...like, kissing the Cup far...

 

[FuzzyWuzzy]

Price, patches, markov and subban and the only reasons we made the playoffs

Soooo... our impact players played a big role in carrying the team into the playoffs? You dont say!

 

[hototogisu]

Same thing the Leafs said last year.

The reality is this team has greatly benefited from vezina calibre goaltending. The margin is very very thin and if Price plays at even a league average level for a few games we're in trouble.

Using the Leafs last year as an example only furthers my point - "on paper" they should have been steamrolled by the Bruins, not within a goal of knocking them out of the playoffs.

 

[Shaby23]

Breaking news, hockey is played on the ice and not on paper. More at 11.

We are getting carried by; Patches, Subban and Price. I'm not saying we shouldn't be in the playoffs, but we shouldn't have 93pts with 5 games to go.

 

[JAVO16]

Sheer character.

 

[hototogisu]

We are getting carried by; Patches, Subban and Price. I'm not saying we shouldn't be in the playoffs, but we shouldn't have 93pts with 5 games to go.

I think you'll find that the vast majority of teams are carried by their star players. I don't know why you would expect it to be otherwise.

 

[Uber Coca]

Soooo... our impact players played a big role in carrying the team into the playoffs? You dont say!

This, and this again. I'd add Grass is green, No **** Sherlock and Thank you Doc. Obvious to the discussion.

People's expectations over here...

Price played a major role. Pacioretty, Markov, Subban and co. all played a major role.

Breaking news : I'm hearing Lundqvist is one of the reasons the Rangers are making the playoffs.

 

[Shaby23]

I think you'll find that the vast majority of teams are carried by their star players. I don't know why you would expect it to be otherwise.

It's the way we are playing that baffles me. Like we got dominated by Florida and somehow got the win. When was the last time we dominated a game from start to finish? If you watch just the way we are playing without knowing the standing, you'd think that we are a team that is fighting for a playoffs spot.

 

[Uber Coca]

It's the way we are playing that baffles me. Like we got dominated by Florida and somehow got the win. When was the last time we dominated a game from start to finish? If you watch just the way we are playing without knowing the standing, you'd think that we are a team that is fighting for a playoffs spot.

I'll take some time but people will get used to parity. Lesser team still have decent prospects nowadays. Buffalo is a terrible mess, yet their last two games they won against New Jersey and lost in OT against Tampa Bay. Defensive systems are also much more efficient then before.

The Canadiens don't have the team to dominate games like Boston or Pittsburgh. They still found a way to win tight games and that's a great sign going forward.

 

[SirClintonPortis]

It's the way we are playing that baffles me. Like we got dominated by Florida and somehow got the win. When was the last time we dominated a game from start to finish? If you watch just the way we are playing without knowing the standing, you'd think that we are a team that is fighting for a playoffs spot.

The last time I could remember us dominating was the time prior to us clinching our playoff berth last season. Then the wheels fell of the bus and we have never fully recovered.

 

[Shaby23]

I'll take some time but people will get used to parity. Lesser team still have decent prospects nowadays. Buffalo is a terrible mess, yet their last two games they won against New Jersey and lost in OT against Tampa Bay. Defensive systems are also much more efficient then before.

The Canadiens don't have the team to dominate games like Boston or Pittsburgh. They still found a way to win tight games and that's a great sign going forward.

I guess i'm just expecting too much then.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Breaking news, hockey is played on the ice and not on paper. More at 11.

Well, sure that's true. But you can't deny that we haven't played well this year. And when Price went down we had a preview of what life would've been like without him.

The goalie is part of the team obviously and he's our ace in the whole... but what bothers me is that this team is capable of playing so much better. I really feel that our coach has held us back. Its not like we don't have elite players in our lineup because we clearly do. There's no way our offense should be as poor as its been.

 

[SirClintonPortis]

Using the Leafs last year as an example only furthers my point - "on paper" they should have been steamrolled by the Bruins, not within a goal of knocking them out of the playoffs.

The Leafs and Bruins both had similar records, positive goal differential (> 10), satisfactory 5-on-5 GF/GA ratio (> 1), and an excellent penalty kill. Leafs had the worse defense but the more explosive offense.

 

[LePoche69]

How?

• Great goaltending.
• Dedicated players who block tons of shot.
• Opportunistic scoring.
• No panicking.
• Great PK.
• Misleading defensive system: many shots comes from the sides and are not overly dangerous considering the goalie.
• Weak conference.
• Surprisingly talented team for little streches in game, often just long enough to win games (see opportunistic scoring)
• When everybody's healthy, suprisingly efficient dept at forward position, more than most teams in the conference.
• Few team (if any) in the conference have as good #1 and #2 d-men as the Habs.
• One of the most underrated player in the NHL (Plekanec)
• 2 35+ goals scorers (MaxPac and Vanek)

Not a bad team. Full of shortcomings, yes, but things are slowly falling into places for it to become a good team with better stats.