Montreal Canadiens 2018 Preseason III
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EveryDay
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Yoshidas Island
TY for the memories Yosh :'(
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Man they are really giving Despres every chance. Would keep XO and send Benn down at this rate.
HabsWhiteKnightLOL
Registered User
Tyzka , Taormina , Agostino , Chaput , Despres and probably Kotka are gonna be out
Would not surprise me if Benn and Schlemko are waived out or even Alzner at this point.
Would not surprise me if Benn and Schlemko are waived out or even Alzner at this point.
Adam Michaels
Registered User
Aside from the injured players, there are 28 active players at this camp. So 5 more cuts required to reach 23. I think those cuts will be Lindgren (waiver exempt), Agostino, and Chaput. I also think Després will get released (or offered an AHL contract). That would leave one more cut required. My wish would be to see one of Benn/Schlemko/Alzner traded. It's less likely Alzner goes. So one of the other two.
Didn't get the chance to watch many games last weekend but here's a couple of observations after tonight's game :
Price : Had a good start, but he seems to be moving too much in his net. Like a chicken without a head and all over place. I miss that poised confident goalie that could stop anything. Hopefully he's better during the season and don't come across that shaky in the net if not it will be a long season at the bottom of the league.
Defense -
Mete : I just like the kid. Last year it was impressive to see a player that young making his way in the league. Had a lot of problems but you can feel the confidence in his game this year. Tonight wasn't all perfect, he still has some tough moments in the defensive zone but brings so much more with his offensive and transition game. Such a beautiful skater on the nice and always in movement. Great pass on Gallagher's goal and finaly bringing his skills in the offensive zone on a regular basis. Really the same player I used to watch in London.
Juulsen : My favorite youngster, I think after tonight's game he will start in the NHL. It wasn't butterflies and rainbows all night, played a bit like his old self by trying to be implicated physically in every play which caused him to be caught off position and make some turnovers. Yet he was always able to get back and minimise those mistakes. Really looked like a man on the ice, big and physical also used his frame around Carey's net to keep players out of the way. Really like him with Mete, even tonight you could see Mete putting pressure on players and Juulsen always around the net to make sure no play could be made. It wasn't effective at a 100% but still was a good night for both. He was looking to get physical on most plays and that motivation is good when you take in consideration that he was injured a lot and could shy away. But what I liked the most about him tonight is how he player the line, solid and good zone coverage. Way more offense on his game and took a lot of shots. I feel confidence is flowing in and that Julien like him a lot.
Rielly : Had a rough game compared to what he did earlier in the preseaon but overall he was more than okay. Seemed to not play his game at first which exposed him a lot. He isn't a defensive wizard so he must play the puck if he wants to have success in this league. You could see the difference in the third period. He was flying out there with the puck on his stick and he has to play like that all the time even with risk associated with those type of plays. It's his game and the most time he can pass with puck on his stick the less he does in his zone. In the end, some nicw flashes here and there. He will be needed if the plan is to play a fast transition game.
Petry : Not much to say really, classic Petry. One shift he looks like a number one defenseman et next one he makes weird mistakes. Not his fault, guy has to be the number one while Weber is out when he is a near perfect number 3-4 defenseman. I really miss a guy like Hamrlik that was a horse on the ice, could play a lot, face tough opposition and move the puck. Yet Petry will be an important part of the team again. He's the best offensive defenseman we have, he generates a lot of shots and some nights he plays like a number one defenseman.
Benn : Don't know what to say really. At some points tonight he looked good and better than all the ypung defenseman we have but only because of his experience im the league. You could see the difference in pressure on the pk compared the other yound defensemen. He will make mistakes, but you need veterans that lived the game long enough to have a bagage. He will look good one second and bad the other like most defensemen on this team. With Juulsen gaining confidence and playing a similar but better type of hockey, he will be out in no time.
Schlemko : He was good tonight. Other than the usual mistakes that most defensemen will do, he was stellar on zone entries and brought a lot of movement in the offensize zone. Still not a fan of his, but if he can play like that all year, I won't mind him on the team.
Offense -
Kotkaniemi : This kid is really showing a lot. He didn't play much after Toronto took the league and was absent of a major part of the third, but what a player. Everytime and I mean everytime he is on the ice something happens for the Habs. Couple of amazing passes really show this kid's vision. The way he can find anyone on the ice and even when it seems that he that he lost he ends up making a play to keep possession going. Really impressed by his play, and he belongs without a doubt. Now it's all great for him because he definitely seemed to have some major holes in his game tonight. When he doesn't have the puck, he looks lost at time. Skating to close to moving bodies on the ice he still didn't find that comfort zone where he can float through till he gets the puck again. Yet he was still able to make some plays in tight positions and with a lot of opposition around him. Something crazy avout him is the fact that even when he is lost on the ice he ends up at the righg place to make a play. An other big problem in his game is the physical side. Tonight he tried, pushed a leaf player behing their net and fought for some battles but he still lacks the strenght to get out as the winner of that battle. Even defensively you can see him commit to some plays where he misses on the biggest threat around him (probably because of the speed of the game). Yet I would keep him, he learns fast and you get better by playing with and against the best. I'm not scared about the ice time he would get because he's so smart that he will always end up with quality players and Julien knows that.
Drouin : Way faster than last year, more explosive and better puck decisions. Even on the physical side he seems more implicated. Tends to keep the puck to much at times but he is the major offensive weapon we have this year.
Gallagher : Same thing different day. Had a great game tonight.
Danault : Solid again, found good chemistry with Gallagher and Tatar.
Tatar : A lot of emotions on the ice. Not a side of him that I knew really well. He is great in the offensive zone and on that PP always in movement creating space on the ice because he makes the box move. He will score more than 20 this season.
Agostino/Chaput : Both players had a good camp. Agostino better than Chaput along the boards, big strenght for him to win battles and keep the puck cycling while Chaput has better hands and is a bigger threat around the net. They didn't have much impact tonight and with so many wingers they will get cut soon enough. Still interesting players to have when you're a coach. You need a bit of everything. Agostino's play along the boards and Chaput capabilities to play with more talented players could earn them early calls from Laval.
Scherbak : Such a weird skater. He's always bent over on the ice and uses a lot of energy to skate in that position. Had a rough night, lost the puck a lot and wasn't able to really shine other than in the third period. Talented players like him need to play with talent (had good moments with Suzuki) but at some point he needs to make the small simple decisions on the ice that will make him more effective. It's like if he wants to always keep the puck on his stick which leads him to lose the puck because of all the pressure opposing players but him. I've never seen him push the puck on the boards deep in the zone or do that small play that will help carry possession. Always a bit lost on the ice. Can't be sent down because of waivers, I feel he will be traded soon enough with one defenseman.
Lekhonen : Was really good today, alway in the right position, many scoring chances. I'm expecting a big year from him.
Plekanec : You could see why experience is important, he made plays at some moments that not many players on the team would have made. I liked him tonight.
De La Rose : I feel he will be on the team, he stopped a lot of plays tonight, tried some dekes and is more involved offensively. Also the only one who went to protect Price.
Overall, it was a good test for the team. Really liked what I saw from some players while others still remain question marks. With Hudon, Armia, Peca and Domi set to be on the team and Deslauriers/Shaw, there will be some difficult decisions for Bergevin.
Price : Had a good start, but he seems to be moving too much in his net. Like a chicken without a head and all over place. I miss that poised confident goalie that could stop anything. Hopefully he's better during the season and don't come across that shaky in the net if not it will be a long season at the bottom of the league.
Defense -
Mete : I just like the kid. Last year it was impressive to see a player that young making his way in the league. Had a lot of problems but you can feel the confidence in his game this year. Tonight wasn't all perfect, he still has some tough moments in the defensive zone but brings so much more with his offensive and transition game. Such a beautiful skater on the nice and always in movement. Great pass on Gallagher's goal and finaly bringing his skills in the offensive zone on a regular basis. Really the same player I used to watch in London.
Juulsen : My favorite youngster, I think after tonight's game he will start in the NHL. It wasn't butterflies and rainbows all night, played a bit like his old self by trying to be implicated physically in every play which caused him to be caught off position and make some turnovers. Yet he was always able to get back and minimise those mistakes. Really looked like a man on the ice, big and physical also used his frame around Carey's net to keep players out of the way. Really like him with Mete, even tonight you could see Mete putting pressure on players and Juulsen always around the net to make sure no play could be made. It wasn't effective at a 100% but still was a good night for both. He was looking to get physical on most plays and that motivation is good when you take in consideration that he was injured a lot and could shy away. But what I liked the most about him tonight is how he player the line, solid and good zone coverage. Way more offense on his game and took a lot of shots. I feel confidence is flowing in and that Julien like him a lot.
Rielly : Had a rough game compared to what he did earlier in the preseaon but overall he was more than okay. Seemed to not play his game at first which exposed him a lot. He isn't a defensive wizard so he must play the puck if he wants to have success in this league. You could see the difference in the third period. He was flying out there with the puck on his stick and he has to play like that all the time even with risk associated with those type of plays. It's his game and the most time he can pass with puck on his stick the less he does in his zone. In the end, some nicw flashes here and there. He will be needed if the plan is to play a fast transition game.
Petry : Not much to say really, classic Petry. One shift he looks like a number one defenseman et next one he makes weird mistakes. Not his fault, guy has to be the number one while Weber is out when he is a near perfect number 3-4 defenseman. I really miss a guy like Hamrlik that was a horse on the ice, could play a lot, face tough opposition and move the puck. Yet Petry will be an important part of the team again. He's the best offensive defenseman we have, he generates a lot of shots and some nights he plays like a number one defenseman.
Benn : Don't know what to say really. At some points tonight he looked good and better than all the ypung defenseman we have but only because of his experience im the league. You could see the difference in pressure on the pk compared the other yound defensemen. He will make mistakes, but you need veterans that lived the game long enough to have a bagage. He will look good one second and bad the other like most defensemen on this team. With Juulsen gaining confidence and playing a similar but better type of hockey, he will be out in no time.
Schlemko : He was good tonight. Other than the usual mistakes that most defensemen will do, he was stellar on zone entries and brought a lot of movement in the offensize zone. Still not a fan of his, but if he can play like that all year, I won't mind him on the team.
Offense -
Kotkaniemi : This kid is really showing a lot. He didn't play much after Toronto took the league and was absent of a major part of the third, but what a player. Everytime and I mean everytime he is on the ice something happens for the Habs. Couple of amazing passes really show this kid's vision. The way he can find anyone on the ice and even when it seems that he that he lost he ends up making a play to keep possession going. Really impressed by his play, and he belongs without a doubt. Now it's all great for him because he definitely seemed to have some major holes in his game tonight. When he doesn't have the puck, he looks lost at time. Skating to close to moving bodies on the ice he still didn't find that comfort zone where he can float through till he gets the puck again. Yet he was still able to make some plays in tight positions and with a lot of opposition around him. Something crazy avout him is the fact that even when he is lost on the ice he ends up at the righg place to make a play. An other big problem in his game is the physical side. Tonight he tried, pushed a leaf player behing their net and fought for some battles but he still lacks the strenght to get out as the winner of that battle. Even defensively you can see him commit to some plays where he misses on the biggest threat around him (probably because of the speed of the game). Yet I would keep him, he learns fast and you get better by playing with and against the best. I'm not scared about the ice time he would get because he's so smart that he will always end up with quality players and Julien knows that.
Drouin : Way faster than last year, more explosive and better puck decisions. Even on the physical side he seems more implicated. Tends to keep the puck to much at times but he is the major offensive weapon we have this year.
Gallagher : Same thing different day. Had a great game tonight.
Danault : Solid again, found good chemistry with Gallagher and Tatar.
Tatar : A lot of emotions on the ice. Not a side of him that I knew really well. He is great in the offensive zone and on that PP always in movement creating space on the ice because he makes the box move. He will score more than 20 this season.
Agostino/Chaput : Both players had a good camp. Agostino better than Chaput along the boards, big strenght for him to win battles and keep the puck cycling while Chaput has better hands and is a bigger threat around the net. They didn't have much impact tonight and with so many wingers they will get cut soon enough. Still interesting players to have when you're a coach. You need a bit of everything. Agostino's play along the boards and Chaput capabilities to play with more talented players could earn them early calls from Laval.
Scherbak : Such a weird skater. He's always bent over on the ice and uses a lot of energy to skate in that position. Had a rough night, lost the puck a lot and wasn't able to really shine other than in the third period. Talented players like him need to play with talent (had good moments with Suzuki) but at some point he needs to make the small simple decisions on the ice that will make him more effective. It's like if he wants to always keep the puck on his stick which leads him to lose the puck because of all the pressure opposing players but him. I've never seen him push the puck on the boards deep in the zone or do that small play that will help carry possession. Always a bit lost on the ice. Can't be sent down because of waivers, I feel he will be traded soon enough with one defenseman.
Lekhonen : Was really good today, alway in the right position, many scoring chances. I'm expecting a big year from him.
Plekanec : You could see why experience is important, he made plays at some moments that not many players on the team would have made. I liked him tonight.
De La Rose : I feel he will be on the team, he stopped a lot of plays tonight, tried some dekes and is more involved offensively. Also the only one who went to protect Price.
Overall, it was a good test for the team. Really liked what I saw from some players while others still remain question marks. With Hudon, Armia, Peca and Domi set to be on the team and Deslauriers/Shaw, there will be some difficult decisions for Bergevin.
Victor Mete is not going anywhere .... but up.
For those thinking Mete might be sent to Laval, Claude Julien dropped the strongest possible clue that he is on the team to stay. He told the media that Mete will very likely see some Penalty-Killing time this year.
The club sees him as definitively graduated.
If there were ever a need to send down a waiver-exempt player, Lehkonen and Mete are safe. Juulsen could possibly go down for a while, and it would not be the end of the world for his development. It probably would not last long anyway, because people are always getting hurt, and we also might trade one of the vet Ds.
For those thinking Mete might be sent to Laval, Claude Julien dropped the strongest possible clue that he is on the team to stay. He told the media that Mete will very likely see some Penalty-Killing time this year.
The club sees him as definitively graduated.
If there were ever a need to send down a waiver-exempt player, Lehkonen and Mete are safe. Juulsen could possibly go down for a while, and it would not be the end of the world for his development. It probably would not last long anyway, because people are always getting hurt, and we also might trade one of the vet Ds.
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With his career on the line a bit, this was a terribly disappointing game for Scherbak. It's understandable if on a given night you don't get a point. That's fine. But you can't make repeated terrible giveaways and have such lapses of concentration when the internal competition for spots is so fierce.
We may be able to save putting him on waivers if we waive Benn or Alzner or Ouellet instead and go with 7D, but if Shaw comes back before any forward gets hurt, Nikita is in trouble. For his sake, we trade him for a D with similar upside/downside.
So with Kotkaniemi likely making the team, who is the lucky one between Domi and Lehkonen who will have to play on the third line with Plekanec?
I think it will be Lehkonen and that Armia will complete the line. I find it quite sad considering that I feel that Lehkonen could finally explode with top 6 minutes.
With that being said, Domi with Plekanec would be like losing the Chucky trade already...
I think it will be Lehkonen and that Armia will complete the line. I find it quite sad considering that I feel that Lehkonen could finally explode with top 6 minutes.
With that being said, Domi with Plekanec would be like losing the Chucky trade already...
Dagistitsyn
Registered User
We lost that trade the second it was announced IMO. Also, even as a fan of Plekanec for the past decade, I can admit he’s done. He’ll end up the 4th line C pretty quickly if not traded or scratched.
From what I saw at camp Lehkonen deserves the top-6 spot over Armia. He has more potential and is a better shooter.
If Kotkaniemi is also in the top-6 this bumps Domi/Armia/Byron/Hudon/Peca/Plekanec to the 3rd or 4th line. De La Rose the extra man, Scherbak on waivers and Shaw/Deslauriers IR.
That's a pretty deep forward line-up.
Really want Pleks after game 1000 to be a 13th forward...........other than letting him play 1000th game as a Hab, there was zero reasons to bring him back...
gillyguzzler
Registered User
We won't have a great 1st line but we'll certainly have 4 decent lines. I see us competing most game, dominating some, outshooting the opposition many nights, but sadly, lots of offensive pressure won't result in enough goals as we don't have enough true goal scorers.
I prefer he retire after reaching 1000. Give him a job as the European development coach and help out recruiting European free agents.
Milhouse40
Registered User
- Aug 19, 2010
- 22,090
- 24,661
Only forwards witout a goal in this preseason (with more than 1 game played) : Armia and Agostino
Teams leaders in points: Gallagher with 5 points in 4 games and Lehkonen with 4 points in 4 games
Best team differential: Kotkaniemi with a +5
Team leaders for goals: Lehkonen with 3 goals in 4 games
Teams leaders in points: Gallagher with 5 points in 4 games and Lehkonen with 4 points in 4 games
Best team differential: Kotkaniemi with a +5
Team leaders for goals: Lehkonen with 3 goals in 4 games
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Le Tricolore
Boo! BOOOO!
I don't really agree. It's good to have some vets on the team rather than a bunch of youngsters with no direction. I'd rather our kids learn from someone like Plekanec so we could prevent turning our young players into bottom pairing and 3rd line players at best.
Milhouse40
Registered User
- Aug 19, 2010
- 22,090
- 24,661
Drouin has played RW before and I think it could actually be where he's at his best. So I'd like to see:
Domi - Kotka - Drouin
Tatar - Danault - Gally
Hudon/Byron - Peca - Lehkonen
Hudon/Byron - Plekanec - Armia
DLR-Sherbak
Mete-Juulsen
Reilly-Petry
Alzner-Schlemko
Ouellet
When you play the likes of Toronto or Pittsburgh, put Bryon with Pleks and Armia in order to have another reliable line, in addition to the Danault line, to plays against the Matthews and Malkin of this world and give more favourable matchups to the Kotka and the Peca line.
And, most important of all, waive Benn.
Domi - Kotka - Drouin
Tatar - Danault - Gally
Hudon/Byron - Peca - Lehkonen
Hudon/Byron - Plekanec - Armia
DLR-Sherbak
Mete-Juulsen
Reilly-Petry
Alzner-Schlemko
Ouellet
When you play the likes of Toronto or Pittsburgh, put Bryon with Pleks and Armia in order to have another reliable line, in addition to the Danault line, to plays against the Matthews and Malkin of this world and give more favourable matchups to the Kotka and the Peca line.
And, most important of all, waive Benn.
Too many playmakers on the top line in that case. can they all score? sure. but we gotta spread that around. and you forgot Domi.
That and I can't stomach seeing Sherback as the 13/14th guy. He needs to play.
I didn't forget Domi, he's on the top line.
I think Drouin will score more goals if he's playing on his offside. Kotka also looks just as much of a goal scorer as a playmaker.
Who would you take out of the lineup to make room for Sherbak? His play just does not warrant him being a regular at this point. Ideally, he spends another year in Laval but that's not an option. I'd be ok with him being a spare if the coaching staff really works with him in the gym and in the video room in order to make him better and he gets in the lineup as soon as there is an injury or someone else is struggling.
I didn't forget Domi, he's on the top line.
I think Drouin will score more goals if he's playing on his offside. Kotka also looks just as much of a goal scorer as a playmaker.
Who would you take out of the lineup to make room for Sherbak? His play just does not warrant him being a regular at this point. Ideally, he spends another year in Laval but that's not an option. I'd be ok with him being a spare if the coaching staff really works with him in the gym and in the video room in order to make him better and he gets in the lineup as soon as there is an injury or someone else is struggling.
my bad. i'm not even blind, just dumb
that's the problem, who do you take out? I don't have that answer. Can't send any of them down without losing them to waivers. Trade needs to happen to create some breathing room. There healthy competition and then theres too many bodies on 1 ways.
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