Speculation: Let's face the truth, this is not a good team.

[CanadiensforLife]

Didnt watch the game but we lost in shootout to one of the best team in the league while missing one of our best defenceman, a top 6 forward and arguably our best defensive forward

I hope the top 6 forward you're referring to isn't DD..

 

[Smokey Thompson]

The moment we signed Briere I knew it was a wasted season.

Coburn would've been a huge help to us. Jagr or Morrow... them too.

Not that far away but boy we wasted our time this past summer.

We thrived as a fast team with aggressive forecheck and a good transition game. We signed a refrigerator on D who can't skate or play a transition game. He's paired with a defenseman that should be retired. Our 3.5m center who shouldve been good for atleast 40 points has 1 point.

Our 2 dmen that are competent offensively are paired together, which means the 30 minutes they arent on the ice the puck will be in our zone.

I wouldn't have minded Jagr or Morrow but they wouldnt be difference makers.

 

[Ubercron9000*]

We do have a good team. I think we are lacking defense. We are in our zone and we have problems with the transition. Especially with murray who makes costly mistake like passing the puck on the net and causing a dangerous turnover in our zone.

We are lucky to have markov and subban. But a 2nd PP unit of boullion and diaz is weak in my opinion.

I know Bergevin wants depth but you also need quality players. Ottawa got Bobby ryan what did we get? Parros and murray. I like Paros but I'm not impressed with murray as a hockey player. A defense version of george laraque.

I'm also not impressed with the coaching when your best defenseman is not playing as much as he should. Albiet we don't know whats going on in the locker room who knows if subban was hurt. But we do have a good team. I think a lot of it is thanks to the Egg line that brought this team to a new level. Since we finished at the bottom and last year they came to be revelations and helped us a lot.

I would of liked a Markov subban Wizniezski defensive core atm. I guess we let him go because he was asking to much?

We have a good team we just need to get things going. Lucky bounces are not going our way.

 

[HabsQC]

Galchenyuk - Eller - Gallagher
Bournival - Plekanec - Gionta
Parenteau - Lecavalier - Pacioretty
Moen - White - Prust
Higgins

McDonagh - Subban
Markov - Emelin
Gorges - Diaz
Bouillon/Murray/Tinordi/Beaulieu

Price
Budaj

Undoing recent management awful mistakes, our team should look like this at this point. This is includinb McDonagh does not play until we draft Chuckie. Sigh... Life is cruel

 

[otto bond]

So, are we better or worst?
This team is losing all mojo and excuses are poring in while the bottom of the division is catching up.

I see 3 glaring needs.

1:A stud Center-ok no easy task but we could still make upgrades there.
2:Another top Dam-With Emelin in is great but I still see Gorges as a bottom pairing D
3:A true PF, one that will play with an edge, score and create room for is teammates.

 

[pine*]

We had a chance to surgically tank last year. We didn't. Maybe it was for the best, maybe for the worse. Who knows. Picking up a Drouin, Mackinnon or Jones could have been good for this team

 

[otto bond]

We had a chance to surgically tank last year. We didn't. Maybe it was for the best, maybe for the worse. Who knows. Picking up a Drouin, Mackinnon or Jones could have been good for this team

I would never want this team to tank. There are moves that this team could make.
So far, MB has done nothing really impressive in term of getting a solid team on the ice. It's very easy to blame MT but doesn't have the depth. Could he be better? Sure but I don't see him has the main problem but I could be wrong.

Players that should be on the block IMO are:
Gionta, Bourque, Diaz, DD, Briere, Moen, White and all of the prospect...yes all of them.

Players I would entertain offers for would be:
Gorges, Patches, Plekanec, Prust and our 1st2014

Players that must be hold on:
Price, Gally, Chucky, Subban, Markov, Emelin and Eller

 

[Clark4Ever]

I have friends and relatives that are Habs fans, so I watch my fair share of games.

As an outsider, my opinion is that the Habs have enough talent on the current roster to be a playoff team in the East. Obviously, the roster needs to be bolstered somewhat and your young players need to mature before evolving into a contender (much like the current Leafs team), but there should be no doubt that this team is currently underachieving, which is a clear indictment of the coaching staff.

Therrien has lost the respect of the locker room because of his unsubstantiated and unwarranted off ice comments this season, and it has been quite apparent lately.

 

[otto bond]

I have friends and relatives that are Habs fans, so I watch my fair share of games.

As an outsider, my opinion is that the Habs have enough talent on the current roster to be a playoff team in the East. Obviously, the roster needs to be bolstered somewhat and your young players need to mature before evolving into a contender (much like the current Leafs team), but there should be no doubt that this team is currently underachieving, which is a clear indictment of the coaching staff.

Therrien has lost the respect of the locker room because of his unsubstantiated and unwarranted off ice comments this season, and it has been quite apparent lately.

I'm afraid that this is true. With a coach that must communicate in French, there's not much left available out there.
As far has the team underperformed, I just think they over achieved last year and drop down back to earth.

 

[Markowicz]

We had a chance to surgically tank last year. We didn't. Maybe it was for the best, maybe for the worse. Who knows. Picking up a Drouin, Mackinnon or Jones could have been good for this team

I don't know about tanking, but this how i see the team:

I think it's becoming clear that the Montreal Canadiens GM's are a bit like the city of Montreal's mayors. They come in with a good intentions to turn things around, but then they come to realize that other forces of nature (ownership group (Habs) or a variety of criminal networks (Montreal)) lead them to make decisions that they wouldn't have made otherwise.

I think Bergevin came in with the mindset to re-build the team through the draft, bring in players with grit and a winning mentality. I think he accomplished most of that in his first year, but unfortunately the team began to win a lot (yes unfortunately) and with it came a renewed hope that we were better team than expected. I think the 2nd place finish brought on the kind of signings that come with the "winning now" mentality instead of the "building for the future" mindset. Had we had an average season last year like we probably should have, we probably wouldn't have gone after a guy like Briere who's average but is known for being clutch in the playoffs. We also probably would have been content with playing youngsters like Beaulieu and Tinordi, since the pressure of duplicating last year's 2nd place finish wouldn't be there. Instead we signed guys like Murray and Drewiskie to solidify our D, but they are clearly just a waste of money and space on the roster.

All to say that I don't know how much carte blanche Bergevin has to do what he wants with this team. I think if the team sucks, he can go back to his plan. But as long as they eek into the playoffs, he's forced to make the kind of decisions that subscribe to the kind of mentality we hated with Gainey and Gauthier, which was to hold on to players for too long and get nothing for them.

So sad as is to say, I'm kind of hoping the team fails this year. Because i think the best thing for the organization is to trade Markov for a 1st rounder and get rid of as many other deadwood type players that we have at the deadline, and continue to build with players that actually look like they give a damn. Not to say that Markov doesn't care, but it doesn't take a psychic to see that signing him to another 3 year/ 18m or so deal is not smart management. He'll be 35 soon and he can't possibly keep up this good form for the next 3 1/2 years. It seems obvious to me that if someone wants to give us a great deal at the deadline for him, we have to take it.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

We thrived as a fast team with aggressive forecheck and a good transition game. We signed a refrigerator on D who can't skate or play a transition game. He's paired with a defenseman that should be retired. Our 3.5m center who shouldve been good for atleast 40 points has 1 point.

Our 2 dmen that are competent offensively are paired together, which means the 30 minutes they arent on the ice the puck will be in our zone.

I wouldn't have minded Jagr or Morrow but they wouldnt be difference makers.

Cobourn would've been great if for no other reason that we would've seen a lot less of Bouillion and wouldn't have picked up Murray. So right there we're way ahead of the game.

As for Jagr... 16 points would put him 2nd on the team and his 7 goals would be tied for first. It would also mean no Briere...

So yeah, I'd say we could be doing better right now.

 

[HABSonaroll]

Its the way this team is being coached is why were just average at best some nights - ie. sitting Subban when he should be out there at critical moments etc.

 

[Pricef*]

This board is just too depressing sometimes with all of it's Chicken Littles. I'll come back after we've won 2-3 in a row and people here are positive again.

Hello.

 

[Tuggy]

I honestly think things are going to be different now that we are done our Western Conference heavy schedule. The team survived the stretch still sitting in a playoff spot.

This is what I said a month ago to the day. Looks good so far.

 

[Whitesnake]

Panicking is just that as bad as celebrating after 30 games. It does look good. It's better to be there than 15th.....but still a LONG way to go.

 

[beowulf]

Panicking is just that as bad as celebrating after 30 games. It does look good. It's better to be there than 15th.....but still a LONG way to go.

Pretty much, it is a nice hot streak but it won't last forever so people have to keep that in mind.

 

[Kriss E]

Panicking is just that as bad as celebrating after 30 games. It does look good. It's better to be there than 15th.....but still a LONG way to go.

Definitely, and the east is rather weak this year. Just 2pts away from 1st in the East but in the West we'd be 7th..

 

[jaffy27]

You guys can see it? This team is small, lacking depth and more fockus on blocking shots. No forward with talent can trow decent check(well almost) and they all play with one hand on their sticks...what is this 5 dman squat?
There no denying that this team has guts but no way management can say this team is hard to play vs. I'm getting so tired at looking at the other team circling in our zone with our player trying to only poke check the puck or getting in the shooting lane. Our Dman are trying the bomb passes all the time and its taking all our speed in the neutral zone. They are always one step awaay from the puck and can't make an accurate chip to the forward with speed...to short but mostly always way to long. Spending 2 minute in ot in your zone controlling the puck is not gonna win you many games, they couldn't even past the blue line...wow. Now our best Daman is in a fluke, our young guns are cold and our vets are just to busy pleasing the coach.
After tonight if I'm the GM, I'm worried. It's not the losses that worries me but the way we did lose. No excuses with the injuries has I can remember the Pens winning without there top player, same with Colorado in the early days.

PS:With a small team, we go out and signed Briere? Ok fine but why keep Gionta, DD, Bouillon and get AHL vet like St-Pierre? Ok with Parros but he's a 13th forward at best.

 

[Stoneburg]

What a difference a few weeks can make.

We were collectively ready to tear this team apart, now we are thankful for what we have.

 

[Kriss E]

What a difference a few weeks can make.

We were collectively ready to tear this team apart, now we are thankful for what we have.

Our flaws remain the same. We need an upgrade on top 9 and top 4 D.
We should have won the last 3 games btw. We aren't playing particularly well at the moment. Maybe it's fatigue, but I'm not overly impressed.
Thank god for Carey.

 

[macavoy]

Our flaws remain the same. We need an upgrade on top 9 and top 4 D.
We should have won the last 3 games btw. We aren't playing particularly well at the moment. Maybe it's fatigue, but I'm not overly impressed.
Thank god for Carey.

I agree for the most part. We ain't a 1st place team imo. We have significant issues in our top 6, size and even strength scoring. We rely on our special teams way too much.

We'd get sweepers in the playoffs playing the way we did last night. This team is at least a year away if not two from bein a real contender. I hope we don't go after any rentals because of fan pressure.

 

[Monctonscout]

Our flaws remain the same. We need an upgrade on top 9 and top 4 D.
We should have won the last 3 games btw. We aren't playing particularly well at the moment. Maybe it's fatigue, but I'm not overly impressed.
Thank god for Carey.

Contrary to what some think, every NHL team has flaws.

San Jose just got lit up by Pittsburgh.

Winning games where you are not sharp is a sign of a deep and a good team.

Are the Habs a top 5 overall NHL team?

Probably not, but top 10 yes.

4th overall last year and 7th right now, 5 points from 1st overall. fans on here are so negative you'd think the Habs were a bottom 5 team.

Yes Price played well last night, but the players around him didn't give Boston a ton of great chances or access to rebounds. He only had 4-5 really tough saves to make, the strength of his game was rebound control.

 

[sharks9]

Surprisingly, we're actually 6 points behind where we were at this time last year.

 

[PricePkPatch*]

Our flaws remain the same. We need an upgrade on top 9 and top 4 D.
We should have won the last 3 games btw. We aren't playing particularly well at the moment. Maybe it's fatigue, but I'm not overly impressed.
Thank god for Carey.

We have HAD our Top4D upgrade: Emelin.

He's the upgrade we've been missing since April.

We only need a new solid Top-9 player. McGinn? Stastny?

 

[Monctonscout]

We have HAD our Top4D upgrade: Emelin.

He's the upgrade we've been missing since April.

We only need a new solid Top-9 player. McGinn? Stastny?

McGinn isn't really an upgrade on what we have, a younger version of Bourque.

Stastny wouldn't hurt but at what cost? A rental center makes no sense for this team. Stastny rumors are a figment of somebody's imagination. Plus we already have similar players in Eller and Plekanec, would not be smart use of respources.