Most well balanced habs team since 07/08?

[Colezuki]

I think this is one of the most well balanced teams I've seen in quite a while, at almost every position.

Top 10 goalie,

solid 1-2-3 punch of Plek, Desh, and Chuckie up the middle of the ice that will only improve as Chuckie gets older and more confident.

BGally, Pacioretty and Eller bring some goal scoring to the wings, along with Vets Cole and Gionta

Defense is looking great, someone posted a graphic earlier that Markov, Diaz, Gorges and Emelin are each top five in Goals, assists, Blocked shots and hits respectively. Then you mix subban in who does a bit of all of that, defense on the team looks solid.


Then you add in some guys down on the farm like Ellis, Beaulieu and Tinordi and the defense looks like it'll produce a stable pool of guys to run with for a while. As well while none of them (sans markov and subban from last season) has looked like a true top 2 defender they all have looked like steady number threes.

I think what will allow us to become one of the better teams is if the drafting really keeps up over the next few, if we can get a player who can replace an aging vet at just the right time this team will be good for a very long time to come.

While many were calling for a full rebuild I think chuckie is all it takes, he puts a solid offensive stud into the mix which has always been our problem, we have all the pieces to surround one but never one that can slot in. Now that Chuckie is here the team can focus around building the offense around him and the defense around price.

I also 100% prefer this team over 07/08

Click to read more...

 

[CrAzYNiNe]

It's been fun to watch. You also forgot Bourque who has been playing some excellent hockey this year.

 

[Bleeker]

The thing i like the most is that we have 3 solid lines who can score.
We may not have a clear number 1 line but instead we have 3 number 2.
Our defense is sharp , best defensive corps in years
Add to that , one of the best goalie in the league.
This team looks really promising

 

[Undertakerqc]

The thing i like the most is that we have 3 solid lines who can score.
We may not have a clear number 1 line but instead we have 3 number 2.
Our defense is sharp , best defensive corps in years
Add to that , one of the best goalie in the league.
This team looks really promising

Totally, we are starting to have a real solid fondation for years to come. You build a winning team on the middle of the ice, meaning, you need a good goalie (Price), good defense (Subban, Emelin, Diaz, Gorges and Tinordi, Ellis, Beaulieu in a not to distant future). And we have Galchenyuk, DD and Eller at center. If we could add one more talented center with size that could eventualy be better then DD then we would be in business.

 

[Habskrieg]

I love the team composition so far. I can't wait until the Patches-DD-Cole officially gets their gears turning and producing points more consistently. That's when I think we'll be officially well balanced.

Only questions is, do we put Eller on the 4th?

 

[Bleeker]

I love the team composition so far. I can't wait until the Patches-DD-Cole officially gets their gears turning and producing points more consistently. That's when I think we'll be officially well balanced.

Only questions is, do we put Eller on the 4th?

Yeah thats an issue.
Eller deserve a good 14-15 minutes/game with some decent linemates, so the answer is obviously no .
but at the same time , with a fully healthy roster there is just no open spot for him.
Pacioretty-DD-Cole is obvious
Bourque-Plek-Gionta are doing a great job so far
Gallagher-Galchenyuk-Prust same

Only possibility i can see is to play him as a winger on gally's line while Prust would play with Moen and Armstrong on the 4th

 

[No More Subban]

Just wondering if we can score 6 goals again vs the sens tomorrow.

Scores from our 5 wins.

4-1 vs panthers
4-1 vs caps
4-3 vs devils
4-3 vs jets
6-1 vs sabres
6-1 vs sens... (maybe?)

 

[barabr10]

Just wondering if we can score 6 goals again vs the sens tomorrow.

Scores from our 5 wins.

4-1 vs panthers
4-1 vs caps
4-3 vs devils
4-3 vs jets
6-1 vs sabres
6-1 vs sens... (maybe?)

Scoring 6 goals against Craig Anderson, might be a little difficult.

 

[Account Terminated]

I think Bleeker said it best; three lines that can score. Definitely something the Habs have been missing. Hell, they had just one line rolling on all cylinders last year.

Plekanec and Bourque have been great. With Bourque finding room to slip pucks in, Plekanec seems more opted to fire a pass rather than use his half windup slapper from the offensive zone face off dot. Gio hasn't put up as much production, but his gritty game in front of the net and in the corners has been more than useful to this line.

Eller. Finally we saw him rise up and get some points on the board. It seems that being a healthy scratch for a few games woke him up, because he's playing with a lot more intensity. Don't know what they plan to do once Pacioretty comes back, but we'll see.

The kids. My God, they're just fun to watch. Such a great feeling to see these two not only playing in the NHL, but doing this well too. I knew Gallagher was this good, which is why I was disappointed when he didn't make the cut last year - in hindsight, maybe a good thing - and Galchenyuk is more NHL ready than I initially thought. Prust is the exact kind of sand paper this line, and this team needed. Loved when he told Gallagher to line up on the other side so he could give a pounding. Protecting the young guys and letting them play their game. Love it.

When this team is on and playing Michel Therrien style hockey - bet you didn't think that would ever be said - this team is dangerous. Hope they keep it up.

 

[WhiskeySeven*]

Is this a jinx thread or a not-so-subtle "haha Habs fans are insanely bipolar" thread?

The team's hot - people who were justifying "short-term" tanking not 3 weeks ago have all but held their breath waiting for the next slump. I never felt this was a bad team or last year indicative of their talent but we do have some trouble: consistent goal-scoring.

If we can develop a regular goal threat then it's all gravy... Great goalie, good defence, decent offence. I'm okay with that.

 

[Alexdaman]

It's not really how balanced the team is, compared to last year the only big difference is the addition of the Gallys. Just a better system with andrei markov healthy and a team willing to win.

 

[PricePkPatch*]

Totally, we are starting to have a real solid fondation for years to come. You build a winning team on the middle of the ice, meaning, you need a good goalie (Price), good defense (Subban, Emelin, Diaz, Gorges and Tinordi, Ellis, Beaulieu in a not to distant future). And we have Galchenyuk, DD and Eller at center. If we could add one more talented center with size that could eventualy be better then DD then we would be in business.

Ah! Subban for Couturier then?

 

[SirClintonPortis]

This team can be a Cup contender this season if it can fix its faceoffs, penalty kill, and its proneness to making plays that lead to breakaways. It's very close.

Our D's top 4 is well anchored. Subban and Markov are both good in their own end and when complemented by Gorges, Emelin, or Diaz, scoring on us will not be easy.

We have 9 guys who can score points, and some of those 9 are very good defensively. Our supposed 4th liners are very competent players. Moen, Prust, and Armstrong can hold their own on the penalty kill and defensive aspect of their games. Prust, kn particular is a VERY multi-dimensional player. He can fight, he agitates, he draws penalties, he kills penalties, he can score a little, and he never quits on a play.

Past cup-winning teams have a two-way center or two, such as Mike Richards, Patrice Bergeron, Datsyuk, Jordan Staal, or Henrik Zetterberg. Plekanec might not put up as gaudy numbers as these guys, but he is damn good on both ends of the ice.

Past Cup-winning teams also have a super-skilled center show up, i.e Seguin, Toews, Kopitar, etc. We have Galchenyuk.

We have three big guys who like to throw their weight around: Pacioretty, Cole, and Bourque.

Also, gotta give coaches their due. Even Tomas Kaberle is actually shooting the puck and even threw a bodycheck, even though his effectiveness is still not satisfactory. The players are making crisp passes left and right and seem to know where their teammates are when having to make a split-second decision to make a pass. There is some semblence of a meritocracy. Show the coaches you can do something, and they will give you ice time.

 

[muzion]

I love the way our team has competed up to now, but let's not forget we've had the softest schedule in the league. I wouldn't anoint the Habs just yet.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

pound for pound this is a better team than 07/08 easily.

 

[DAChampion]

pound for pound this is a better team than 07/08 easily.

Primary goaltending is about the same (Huet was .916, Halak was 934, and Price was .920), though clearly the backups were better that year.

The defense is about the same. Komisarek was really good that year, fans used to call him Komisaurus, as was Streit. Streit had more production than Markov that year with 62 points to Markov's 58. On the other hand, Subban, Emelin, and Diaz are good too.

The main difference is the lack of a Kovalev-type star forward ... Unless we expect Galchenyuk to stay at a ppg pace. However, that's a pretty big difference. Kovalev was the difference maker that year. It's why I wanted Semin signed this year, he could have been the new Kovalev.

 

[Kylington]

Loving how the team plays this year, really hope we'll go to playoffs!! =)

 

[TennisMenace]

Cole seems to have the desire so he concerns me. This could be his last year. I'm hoping Eller can replace DD on the top line at some point too.

 

[BaseballCoach]

It's not really how balanced the team is, compared to last year the only big difference is the addition of the Gallys. Just a better system with andrei markov healthy and a team willing to win.

The difference in the roster from the end of last year is enormous.
If MaxPac returns and Kaberle sits, while Ryan White and Colby Armstrong alternate, we will have the following changes:

Rafael Diaz instead of Kaberle
Francis Bouillon instead of Campoli
White/Armstrong instead of Blunden
Travis Moen instead of Palushaj
Brandon Prust instead of Staubitz
Brendan Gallagher instead of Geoffrion
Alex Galchenyuk instead of Leblanc

and most importantly

ANDREI MARKOV instead of markov

 

[Kriss E]

I love the positivity, but this is only 7 games in. At this point in a full year we'd still be in the training camp with exhibition games. So don't get too excited.
I agree on the defense, we have a pretty good group, but not convinced about the offense. The contrast in systems is obvious. A lot more entertaining.
But I'm gonna wait for the 20 game mark before really evaluating this team.

 

[Bob b smith]

Most exciting team since 07-08... Pretty easy after being served a steady diet of snooze inducing anti-hockey that sucked the life out of the Bell Center during regular seasons.

 

[PricePkPatch*]

I think the best way of putting it is:

We have a lot of promised all around, and they appear to be fulfilling

 

[Stjonnypopo]

In 07-08 if the Kovalev line wasn't on its game, then our chances of winning were slim. It seems with this lineup that if a couple of guys aren't playing well we still have a chance.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

It's not really how balanced the team is, compared to last year the only big difference is the addition of the Gallys. Just a better system with andrei markov healthy and a team willing to win.

Gallys make a huge difference. When you add in a point per game center that's absolutely huge. I didn't even expect him to be on the team much less be a point per game.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

I love the positivity, but this is only 7 games in. At this point in a full year we'd still be in the training camp with exhibition games. So don't get too excited.
I agree on the defense, we have a pretty good group, but not convinced about the offense. The contrast in systems is obvious. A lot more entertaining.
But I'm gonna wait for the 20 game mark before really evaluating this team.

The real question is: Have we rebuilt enough? And maybe we have. We have key young players at key positions and it just might be enough.

And I think offense is really going to be the question. If we don't have the Galchenyuk line... I'd be far more skeptical. Bourque (and even to a certain extent Plekanec) have both struggled with consistency. Cole is coming off a career year (that I don't think anyone felt he could repeat) and DD is still pretty unproven. That line was going to start facing tougher checking and there are question marks on both those lines.

You add a point per game center and winger in addition to what we have though? Huge difference. Even if teams put their checkers out against Galchenyuk, it's going to open up ice for the other lines and all of a sudden DD and his group might see some more open ice.

I'd still like to stack the deck for the future but there's no denying that the team looks great right now (easy schedule aside.)