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

[idk]

TContinuing to use Parros given his, uh, performance so far (he's basically as bad as Laraque) factors for a lot in the Habs' bad performance, especially given that one of the key aspects of last season's success was a defensively capable fourth line that could give 10-ish minutes of tough defensive slog to ease up the load on the other lines.

Wait what?

Okay, I'll admit that when it comes to skill Parros is... well... he's not. However the man was brought here to defend our guys, not to score goals. And that's what he's done. Despite having only played three games this season Parros is tied for second in FM's in the league (only Cody McCormick has more). On opening night he grabbed Orr who was going after Subban in front of Carey (which resulted in his injury) and last night he grabbed Reaves after Reaves delivered a couple questionable hits.

Saying he's been as bad as Laraque is just a disservice to the man. Sure, he could be a more complete player. But he's done what he is paid to do. He's done what he was brought here to do. That's more than BGL ever did. BGL came to the aid of a team mate once - in January 2009 Brad May picked a fight with Francis Bouillion (while BGL was out of the lineup) and Frank the Tank answered the bell, but got beat pretty bad. The next game (sometime in February) BGL spanked May for picking on Bouillion. That's it. Otherwise he was completely ineffective.

I don't necessarily think we need to have a Parros in the lineup every night (although I'm sure there are people who would like to have three Parros' in the lineup every night). However I see nothing wrong with it, nor do I see anything wrong with the way he has performed thus far. If there is such a thing as a deterrent Parros is it.

 

[Doublechin]

I've rarely jumped on a fire the coach bandwagon campaign but I feel like I'm being forced to hop on this one.

FIRE MT!!

 

[Habset]

I think it's pretty obvious that we're a middle of the pack team right now. On any given night we can either win or lose on our own performance regardless if the other team is good or bad.

 

[couris]

When plekanec is your best center, you know you are a bad team.

 

[Uber Coca]

The Canadiens are a bubble team. The problem are your expectations.

 

[otto bond]

At this point, this team is lacking a top notch center, first line wingers and a top pairing Dman. I can only think of 5 players I wouldn't move being Price, Subban,Chucky, Markov and Gally. Time for Bergevin to do something.

 

[DenverHabsFan]

I've been saying since the summer that last year's record was skewed because we didn't play the Western Conference. This year, we have 40% of our games against them and we're going to suffer big time in the standings. Just look at how many teams are above .500 in the West versus East. 8th place Blues are 9-2 in the West. Ridiculous.

What is it that people don't understand about being too damn small? The argument always seems to be that we can win with our speed but then how come the heavy teams like the Sharks and Blues look faster than the Habs? Doesn't that defeat the argument of size versus skill/speed?

As far as I'm concerned, Habs should have a moratorium on acquiring small players for at least a decade. Only players with elite skills like Gallagher should be considered as an exception.

By the way, why is this thread "speculation"? Seems pretty factual to me.

 

[bcv]

They would be much better by not playing Parros and Murray (when Emelin returns) and by playing Subban alot more.

So, they would be better with Guy Boucher.

 

[ROSSter]

We are a team in transition. This team won't be reaching its potential until Eller and Galchenyuk mature and become stable centres. Once they are our #1 and #2 along with PK and Price, we should have a solid foundation for a team going forward.

Right now, we are just buying time until our prospects develop. Patience is going to be key.

 

[Le Tricolore]

I like how it's "speculation" that the Canadiens aren't a good team.

 

[OldCraig71]

I think it's pretty obvious that we're a middle of the pack team right now. On any given night we can either win or lose on our own performance regardless if the other team is good or bad.

We have been a middle of the pack team for 20 years, coaches have come and gone but we are basically the same.

 

[OldCraig71]

They would be much better by not playing Parros and Murray (when Emelin returns) and by playing Subban alot more.

So, they would be better with Guy Boucher.

Lets ask the Lightning.

 

[loadie]

The Habs are an average team with a below average coach. Some nights they look like world beaters and sometimes not so much. Last night's game was close due to the goaltending of Price. Without his outstanding play, there would not have been any points for the team. On most nights, this team will only go as far as Price can carry it.

 

[KoZed]

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.

Because this board is full of entitled fanboys drama queens who overreact at the slightest little sign that their perfect Habs fantasy isn't reality and never will be. Because if it was, we would probaby end up looking like the Oilers.

 

[DenverHabsFan]

I like how it's "speculation" that the Canadiens aren't a good team.

And yet that thread about Markov is NOT speculation.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

The Canadiens are a bubble team. The problem are your expectations.

Not a great team but we could be doing better than we are. At least part of the problem is ice distribution.

 

[otto bond]

I've been saying since the summer that last year's record was skewed because we didn't play the Western Conference. This year, we have 40% of our games against them and we're going to suffer big time in the standings. Just look at how many teams are above .500 in the West versus East. 8th place Blues are 9-2 in the West. Ridiculous.

What is it that people don't understand about being too damn small? The argument always seems to be that we can win with our speed but then how come the heavy teams like the Sharks and Blues look faster than the Habs? Doesn't that defeat the argument of size versus skill/speed?

As far as I'm concerned, Habs should have a moratorium on acquiring small players for at least a decade. Only players with elite skills like Gallagher should be considered as an exception.

By the way, why is this thread "speculation"? Seems pretty factual to me.

If only there was better thread option but yea it's no secret that this team is small and plays small. We have 1 center over 200lbs and he's still very inconsistant. Only one Dman who lays the body more then once a game and he's slow has hell(thank goodness Emelin is coming back) and maybe one forward with more then 20 hits, its hard to play vs the habs

 

[couris]

Price was outstanding at the beginning of the year, masking a lot of our problems and turnovers caused by our defense.

 

[DenverHabsFan]

Not a great team but we could be doing better than we are. At least part of the problem is ice distribution.

Absolutely. How can a coach who's claim to fame is motivation and youth development be so effective at killing players confidence?

For example, we start the season and the EGG line is carrying the team. What does MT do? He gradually reduces their ice time and PP presence to get DD going until Eller and Chuckie become a non-factor. At some point DD was still playing more than EGG and many times there were three lines playing on a single PP! How can the guys gain momentum and confidence? That caused EGG line's performance to diminish to a point where now they are not playing together and individually ineffective.

Another example is the first Western trip and how PK started to take over the offense and helped us put together a series of wins. He then makes a few mistakes and then bam! In the doghouse, reduced minutes, reduced PP time, no pk time, not used in the final minutes of the game, bashed in the media. MT managed the unthinkable: shatter the confidence of one of the most confident player in the NHL.

 

[Sterling Archer]

It's very tough to assess considering we've had a touch stretch of playing some of the best teams in the league.

That being said, we looked bad to terrible against those teams which would lead me to think that you are correct, we're not a very good team.

We're definately lacking something. We have a game changer in PK who's always dangerous, we're getting some of the best goaltending in the NHL but something is lacking. maybe it's the coaching, maybe it's the intensity of play but we look very bad against the better teams and equal to the weaker ones when we play them. It would be nice to have another elite forward who's able to be a game breaker but so would 29 other teams.

The only thing I can think of to change to mood is a change in the dressing room via trade or a coahcing change if things get worse.

I could easily see a trade coming if this continues which is what normally happens after multiple call ups that have no effect.

I agree with your comment right now that we're not currently a very good team, even tough we have most of the pieces.

 

[Uber Coca]

If we win against St.Louis, do we get the exact opposite thread?

 

[Milhouse40]

This is not YET the team we should see at this points

Yeah, last couples of games have been rough.
Yeah, this teams seems easy to beat lately.
Yeah, we did face some of the best teams this year.

Will Emelin return....who will take +/- 20 minutes...which is 20 minutes less ice-time for the Murray-Diaz-Bouillon will change the Habs next week?

We are still missing Prust, Briere, Moen
And Pacioretty just got back from his injury.

3 tough players, plus one offensive player can change the face of that team a little!

We didn't look so out of place with players like : Holland, Blunden, Leblanc, St-Pierre in the line-up!

 

[Znthnk]

While I know Desharnais doesn't get too much love here, Therrien scratching him was premature, since it didn't give a MaxPac-DD-Bourque line some time for MaxPac to shake off rust and find chemistry again. Somebody in Le Match said that when the team wins, he calls it a team win, but when it loses, he points fingers.

Last year I found the habs adjusted well after a mini slump or after a lousy game, like after the Oiler loss. Now he's making very questionable decisions like throwing the 4th line in inopportune times and shaving PK's icetime. The Subban-Markov experiment should end. Subban needs Georges back, and it's time to try out the young defensemen who have size, unlike Diaz and Bouillion, and have Murray be a seventh.

I'm beginning to look less at the players, and more towards coaching, and soon managment (Bergevin). Three more losses, and I'd consider getting Laviolette to replace Therrien.

 

[DenverHabsFan]

If we win against St.Louis, do we get the exact opposite thread?

Not the opposite but maybe the thread doesn't get created.

That doesn't mean the issues discussed are not legitimate. The team has been soft for two decades!

There was a time when this team was like the Blues. If the skilled guys had an off night, we could still cycle the puck low and crash and bang and grind our way to a victory.

Very envious of the Blues. They remind me of the Habs in the 80's and early 90's. So many ways they can beat you. Our depth used to be guys like McPhee, Keane, Skrudland, etc.

Now, it's St-Pierre.

 

[hockeyfan2k11]

The Habs have been a bubble team for years...some years they just overachieved and that tricked the fans into thinking the team is better than it really is. The players keep changing but the results are the same.

We have the franchise goalie, we have the Franchise D man and a bunch of unknowns. Need the right GM and coach to build the team. Unfortunately I don't think we have the right GM or coach.