Post-Game Talk: Montreal @ Dallas - Get Danault'd

Forum93

Registered User
Feb 16, 2015
4,112
4,697
Was at the game last night in Dallas. A few observations:

1. Dallas arena is beautiful and they have awesome fans
2. Phil Danault is a different player than earlier in the season. He has jump and was a threat every time he was on the ice.
3. Victor Mete was our best dman last night (defensively). He is fast and makes really good decisions when the puck is on his stick.
4. Weber is really slow but smart. Weber needs Mete for the reasons specified in 3).
5. Mike Reilly drives me nuts. Makes really dumb decisions but has talent and skating ability. He should just simplify his game and do the first thing that comes to his head. Don't second guess and delay.
6. I was anti-Niemi but i have to admit he was great last night and should have been 1st star.
7. Offsides.... that had to be the most offsides in a game.
8. The 15 second OT was amazing. Petry's speed was something to behold. Blew right by Seguin.
9. I hate Jason Spezza
10. Happy New Year Y'all!


11. Dallas cheerleaders :cheer:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Habs Icing

Cookie007

Registered User
Mar 23, 2011
884
862
So I’m just here sitting on the toilet after NYE and occurred to me... could it be the emergence of max domi and KK that has allowed Danault more freedom in matchups? Think about it, past few years, he’s been paired up with MaxPac and Radulov. So basically he was playing against the Bergeron and Chara of the worlds.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Redux91

Habs Icing

Formerly Onice
Jan 17, 2004
19,519
11,178
Montreal
I don't disagree. Legit Cup contenders often have a third line center who could handle second line duties, a fifth defenceman who can handle top 4 duties, three first pairing defencemen and 6 wingers who can score.

But some of the people who suggest Danault should be a 3rd or 4th line center say that he has no offensive talent and that he is a black hole into which offence disappears, etc.

Their statements seem not to be in sync with reality.
I usually tune them out except on the odd occasion when I lose my temper with them and get an infraction. I always liked Danault from the first day I saw him in a Habs jersey.
 

Habs Icing

Formerly Onice
Jan 17, 2004
19,519
11,178
Montreal
What a lot of people have to deal with is that every team is built differently based on the parts available to it. The Habs aren't built around a top line, but a top-9 which Danault fits perfectly into and plays an important role.

The advantage of a top-9 build is that different lines get hot at different times. You can't judge who a player really is based on any 10-game stretch but you can forecast patterns and trajectories. The Phil Danault who scored 2 goals in his first 30 games is the same Phil Danault we're seeing now. The only difference is he got a couple good bounces, that boosted his confidence which led to more goals. It all comes down to Danault being a highly reliable and consistently good player.

That's why he gets the ES minutes he gets.
Re-posted for emphasis!
 

OldCraig71

Registered User
Feb 2, 2009
34,820
53,822
No one cares
I don't think that Seguin has the greatest defensive awareness on that play, he is focused on the puck carrier until it is too late, nice wheels from Petry though.
 

LaP

Registered User
Jun 27, 2012
24,290
17,395
Quebec City, Canada
What a lot of people have to deal with is that every team is built differently based on the parts available to it. The Habs aren't built around a top line, but a top-9 which Danault fits perfectly into and plays an important role.

The advantage of a top-9 build is that different lines get hot at different times. You can't judge who a player really is based on any 10-game stretch but you can forecast patterns and trajectories. The Phil Danault who scored 2 goals in his first 30 games is the same Phil Danault we're seeing now. The only difference is he got a couple good bounces, that boosted his confidence which led to more goals. It all comes down to Danault being a highly reliable and consistently good player.

That's why he gets the ES minutes he gets.

There's no real advantage top a top 9 build. The only top 9 build to win a cup since i watch hockey is the Bruins. You could make a case for the ch of 93 but even there Damphousse and Bellows are as close to the HOF as one can be (LeClair even more but back then he was not the real John LeClair). Then there's the Hurricanes but back then Staal was a star and Brind'amour like Damohousse is as close as the HOF as one can be. On the Not in the HOF web site Brind'amour is ranked 49th, Damphousse 39th, Bellows 9th and LeClair 8th. All of them were elite players in their era.

All other cup winners were built around stars (either forwards or defensemen) like Sakic/Forberg/Roy, Yzerman/Fedorov, Modano/Hull/Nieuwnedyk, Messier/Zubov/Leetch, Stevens/Niedermayer/Brodeur, St-Louis/Lecavalier/Richards, Pronger/Niedermayer/Selanne, Crosby/Malkin, Ovy/Backstrom, Kane/Keith/Toews, Doughty/Quick/Kopitar.

Depth doesn't win a cup. One exception doesn't confirm a rule. And even the Bruins Bergeron if he keeps playing like he is will likely be in the HOF as one of the best two way forwards ever and Chara will be in it and back then he was still in his prime. Then you had Marchand who was doing what Leclair did for the CH in 93. Still not in his prime but already delivering in the playoffs.

We have Weber (and Price if he revert to being Price again in a near future). As long as Domi keeps playing like he is you could make a case for out top 6 to be fine. But it's far from something set in stone. If Domi can't keep the pace then it's far from enough. Really far from it.
 
Last edited:

26Mats

Registered User
Jun 23, 2018
31,737
24,120
Agostino has earned himself a spot here full time. Hudon will be on waivers or traded.

No doubt. Hudon probably won't get a shot. But things can change quickly. Hudon has that offensive upside. Although it seems his lack of speed will hold him back. But one never knows what the chemistry will be like with Hudon in Agostino's place.
 

Kudo Shinichi

Registered User
Apr 20, 2012
20,344
26,093
So I’m just here sitting on the toilet after NYE and occurred to me... could it be the emergence of max domi and KK that has allowed Danault more freedom in matchups? Think about it, past few years, he’s been paired up with MaxPac and Radulov. So basically he was playing against the Bergeron and Chara of the worlds.

He still plays against the best players of the other team. He's our shutdown center.
 

Kraken Jokes

Registered User
May 28, 2010
3,929
1,419
There's no real advantage top a top 9 build. The only top 9 build to win a cup since i watch hockey is the Bruins.

All other cup winners were built around stars (either forwards or defensemen) like Sakic/Forberg/Roy, Yzerman/Fedorov, Modano/Hull/Nieuwnedyk, Messier/Zubov/Leetch, Stevens/Niedermayer/Brodeur, St-Louis/Lecavalier/Richards, Pronger/Niedermayer/Selanne, Crosby/Malkin, Ovy/Backstrom, Kane/Keith/Toews, Doughty/Quick/Kopitar.

Depth doesn't win a cup. One exception doesn't confirm a rule.

I never said this year's Habs are a cup contender. Probably not next year either.

But depth DOES win cups. I was talking about forward lines specifically. In nearly all your examples those star forwards played on separate lines and the team rolled their lines. The Penguins being a prime example.
 

cphabs

The 2 stooges….
Dec 21, 2012
7,668
5,129
Woah Woah Woah.... Relax tough guy.

Anybody who spends a good amount of time on these boards knows that Danault has pooped on around here too. Less than actually searching posts for you, I can't add more than that.

Happy new year to you too.
Is this one of those “micro aggressions” I keep reading about?
 
  • Like
Reactions: GSP2018

Belial

Registered User
Oct 22, 2014
26,142
14,323
Montreal
So I’m just here sitting on the toilet after NYE and occurred to me... could it be the emergence of max domi and KK that has allowed Danault more freedom in matchups? Think about it, past few years, he’s been paired up with MaxPac and Radulov. So basically he was playing against the Bergeron and Chara of the worlds.

Danault has the toughest matchups on this team! Underrated af! The guy is doing a great job out there.

Petry is such an effortless skater. He never really looks as fast as he's actually going when he accelerates.

Petry can fly!
 
  • Like
Reactions: CoopersFalls

Chippy11

We have a Hulk
Jun 2, 2015
77
42
That Danault trade was arguably Bergevin's best move ever. Danault is becoming a decent top 6 C before our eyes, but he might end up being our 3rd line C. How sick is that?

He told Dany Dubé that he plays with a shorter stick now and he made that change recently. It definitely seems to make a difference.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Skip Bayless

ECWHSWI

TOUGHEN UP.
Oct 27, 2006
28,604
5,423
All this talk of selling high..... selling high would be trading Danault this year for a 27 yo or younger LD that can play with Shea Weber
well, gotta look at what Detroit got for Tatar... Danault is younger, a C, and on pace for more than Tatar was lasts season.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BaseballCoach

ECWHSWI

TOUGHEN UP.
Oct 27, 2006
28,604
5,423
I never said this year's Habs are a cup contender. Probably not next year either.

But depth DOES win cups. I was talking about forward lines specifically. In nearly all your examples those star forwards played on separate lines and the team rolled their lines. The Penguins being a prime example.
That means what, the "window" opens up when Weber's 35, Petry and Price 33... then just a few years later we'll need to find a new #1D, #2D and #1G ?

damn! better start praying now, hope we make it to the SCF at least once before these guys are gone one way or another.
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->