Post-Game Talk: Lost to Punchable Faces — we’ll get them next time!

[teamfirst]

So now that he has learned from his mistakes does he stay there for the rest of the season and Struble gets to stay here? I mean injuries happen all the time and he might get recalled because of it but as of right now there isn't anything to suggest that he is coming back.

He defenetively should be here, there is no reason whatsoever to keep kovacevick here unstead of him

 

[dcyhabs]

Lol. i meant starting your number one, i saw the game i know they played real bad but who knows what happen if you go out of the first tied .....how the rest of the game goes, it's not a knock on Primeau more a total uncomprehension of the decision to not go with your best goalie for such an important game.

Or at least go with Allen who just played an outstanding game agains Colorado

I don't think this one was on Primeau. He could have done better, the team had some chances, but the loss was on the skaters.

I expect they'd love to move one of the goalies, but until they do they can't let one of them sit so long he has no value, and they have to confirm or deny that they actually want one or both of them. I suppose they also need to find out if Monty can have success over 45-55 games or if he's like Allen and has problems playing too frequently, but then they have already signed him so they have some time.

 

[dcyhabs]

He defenetively should be here, there is no reason whatsoever to keep kovacevick here unstead of him

Kovacevic is very solid on D. He's weak on offence and he doesn't fight. Xhekaj is the reverse. Long term they probably need Xhekaj, but there is no urgency this year. Xhekaj seems to be learning stuff in the AHL, Kovacevic is pretty much a finished product at this point.

There is no point in bringing Arber up to take on the role of someone who isn't getting ice time.

 

[teamfirst]

Fair enough, so we're trying to win .......but not trying really

So pisst off that they send Primeau for that game, and again not a knock on him

 

[OldCraig71]

I thought Arber was sent down to work on improving his play in the defensive zone and to work on taking less penalties. It’s unfortunate that the timing of his demotion coincided with his activation from IR but at no time was this ever announced as a conditioning stint unless I missed it.

I never had an issue with having Arber work on his game in Laval, in fact, they should have done it sooner. I just found it odd how they sent him down immediately after being activated from IR, I thought it sent a mixed message. But, we’re way past that now.

It wasn't that clear though, no one really said that it was a conditioning stint or a demotion aimed at improving his game unless I misinterpreted the whole thing.

 

[OldCraig71]

Kovacevic is very solid on D. He's weak on offence and he doesn't fight. Xhekaj is the reverse. Long term they probably need Xhekaj, but there is no urgency this year. Xhekaj seems to be learning stuff in the AHL, Kovacevic is pretty much a finished product at this point.

There is no point in bringing Arber up to take on the role of someone who isn't getting ice time.

Sooner or later some defensemen will need to be traded because it's starting to get crowded.

 

[WeThreeKings]

So now that he has learned from his mistakes does he stay there for the rest of the season and Struble gets to stay here? I mean injuries happen all the time and he might get recalled because of it but as of right now there isn't anything to suggest that he is coming back.

He gets to stay in Laval for as long as they feel he needs to be there. Struble might have to hit the reset and get sent down to Laval.. but for as long as this set-up is the best thing for every party involved, why wouldn't they do it?

It's helping Xhekaj
It's helping the Rocket
it's helping Mailloux
it's helping Struble.

Why would we rush Xhekaj back when all of this is working out better than expected?

 

[Runner77]

It wasn't that clear though, no one really said that it was a conditioning stint or a demotion aimed at improving his game unless I misinterpreted the whole thing.

I’ve looked into it and responded in Arber’s demotion thread as follows:

The sources I’ve seen point to the initial announcement as involving a demotion for Arber to work on his game, not simply rehab from the injury he had suffered before being sent down:



The closest comment about conditioning I found was Anthony Martineau citing a Habs source saying that it was “technically” not a conditioning stint:

 

[Runner77]

1-8 in back to back games now. We just have no legs and shut down our brains when it comes to back2back.

They were wondering on 690 if there was a site that tracked how many B2B games each team played so far and their record. I believe Florida only had 2 last season while you had teams in double digits, like Nashville.

Looking beyond the fact of yesterday’s 2nd of a B2B, it was the Habs’s 3rd game in the past 4 days and their 6th game in the last 9 days.

Beyond that, blowouts happen, just a game to bounce back from.

This should help:

 

[The Real Timo]

I thought Arber was sent down to work on improving his play in the defensive zone and to work on taking less penalties. It’s unfortunate that the timing of his demotion coincided with his activation from IR but at no time was this ever announced as a conditioning stint unless I missed it.

I never had an issue with having Arber work on his game in Laval, in fact, they should have done it sooner. I just found it odd how they sent him down immediately after being activated from IR, I thought it sent a mixed message. But, we’re way past that now.

No, I am still hung up on that. Not past at all.

 

[morhilane]

They were wondering on 690 if there was a site that tracked how many B2B games each team played so far and their record. I believe Florida only had 2 last season while you had teams in double digits, like Nashville...

Something like this maybe https://morehockeystats.com/teams/gamedays

Habs have currently played 9 b2b and got 0.222 points percentage out of it.

 

[Runner77]

Something like this maybe https://morehockeystats.com/teams/gamedays

Habs have currently played 9 b2b and got 0.222 points percentage out of it.

If I read that table correctly, 21 teams have records of .500 or better on the 2nd game of a B2B. How’s that possible?

According to this exchange on BPM early today, there are only very few teams with a positive record on B2Bs, namely the Caps as one of the very few:

 

[Runner77]

No, I am still hung up on that. Not past at all.

I meant way past the confusion of demoting the player coming off the IR for the longer term instead of sending him down for a simple conditioning stint.

I get how much Arber is well-liked but if he comes out of this a much better player with a real shot at a top 4 role, I can live with it.

 

[The Real Timo]

I meant way past the confusion of demoting the player coming off the IR instead of sending him down for a conditioning stint.

I get how much Arber is well-liked but if he comes out of this a much better player with a real shot at a top 4 role, I can live with it.

This still has a stench of St Louis not liking him.

 

[Runner77]

This still has a stench of St Louis not liking him.

That needs to play out, especially that some are crediting Arber for the Rocket’s turnaround — maybe some of that propels him whenever he’s called up.

 

[morhilane]

If I read that table correctly, 21 teams have records of .500 or better on the 2nd game of a B2B. How’s that possible?

According to this exchange on BPM early today, there are only very few teams with a positive record on B2Bs, namely the Caps as one of the very few:

It's average points per game not pts percentage. So you need to do math from the games with pts to get the total points accumulated so far.

Habs have 1 win on 9 b2b, so 9*.222 = ~2pts.

Still quite few teams this year won them all (avg 2 pts per game), kinda crazy.

 

[LesCanadiens]

I meant to say earlier....this thread gets my vote for best thread title of the season, lmao.