Post-Game Talk: Niemi with the worst performance I've ever seen by a Habs goalie in 6-5 loss to Tampa

[Weber Fan]

Will Lindgren return someday?

 

[Habaneros]

Will Lindgren return someday?

he hasnt played games or practiced in a while...even if he gets cleared next week he will need time to get into game shape....so buckle up ....Ride McNiven just like we did Price in 2007-08..Price came out of AHL with 12 games experience...never looked back..24 wins in his first 41 NHL games...

Don Cherry thinks McNiven is good as Carey...let's see...

 

[JianYang]

I was talking more in general when up by one. I would have the same questionning if TB hadn't score. As for Niemi I would have thought about pulling him after the two shots from outside the blue line where he had trouble stopping it. It was clear his confidence/focus was off. I understand that Julien might need Niemi further down the line (esp. if Price is injured more seriously) and that he didn't want to put an ECHer in the net for him.

It would be highly unorthodox to pull Niemi at that time, but yeah, I was super uncomfortable with him all game, and when he started to fight pucks from the neutral zone, you were just waiting for something bad to happen.

 

[TRG]

Drouin and Domi were non factors, they needed to be

Ok, we scored 5 goals. We need to win this game, no matter how one forward or the other played.

 

[nhlfan9191]

he hasnt played games or practiced in a while...even if he gets cleared next week he will need time to get into game shape....so buckle up ....Ride McNiven just like we did Price in 2007-08..Price came out of AHL with 12 games experience...never looked back..24 wins in his first 41 NHL games...

Don Cherry thinks McNiven is good as Carey...let's see...

McNiven is from Ontario. Of course Cherry is going to say that.

 

[Tyson]

Ok, we scored 5 goals. We need to win this game, no matter how one forward or the other played.

If they carried the play and created some sustained pressure maybe we wouldn’t have played the entire 3rd period in our zone

 

[Natey]

Team played well overall IMO. Let down by a ****ty goalie.

Basically the story of the season or we'd be a top team.

 

[Forum93]

Basically the story of the season or we'd be a top team.

I think the story of the season is the bad D and the ***ty " special " teams.

 

[Natey]

I think the story of the season is the bad D and the ***ty " special " teams.

The sub .900% goaltending gets a pass though? Okay.

 

[Forum93]

The sub .900% goaltending gets a pass though? Okay.

Price is over .900%, 2.84 GAA and played 30 games already so he's not the reason we aren't a top team already, but at a power-less play of 13% and a weak penalty kill along with a bad D is.

 

[Teufelsdreck]

Let's face it. Tampa Bay is too good, but at least the Habs gained two points against a lesser rival, Florida. To have even a slight chance against TG in the playoffs, they'd need bolstering from Suzuki and Poehling. Moreover, it's encouraging that the Habs scored five goals in a road game against the most formidable team in their division after having played the night before.

 

[nhlfan9191]

The sub .900% goaltending gets a pass though? Okay.

Scoring is at a premium and we have one of the worst defensive groups in the league. It’s a perfect storm. Those are playing a contributing factor with Price’s stats. We have Weber and Petry, and outside of them, a bunch of guys who should be in the minors or retired. You have to actually open your eyes and watch games to understand that. To many people are stat watching, watching highlights, and pretending they watched the games nowadays. Price gives up more questionable goals then he did several years ago, but he’s been good this season given what he has to work with so far. The contract was a farce, but was he supposed to turn it down? Bergevin’s the one responsible for that.

 

[Forum93]

Let's face it. Tampa Bay is too good, but at least the Habs gained two points against a lesser rival, Florida. To have even a slight chance against TG in the playoffs, they'd need bolstering from Suzuki and Poehling. Moreover, it's encouraging that the Habs scored five goals in a road game against the most formidable team in their division after having played the night before.

I 100% expected a loss especially with Niemi in back-back so shouldn't be so upset about it, it's true but it's the way we lost that pisses me off. Oh well we've done the same thing to other teams so on to the next game.

 

[sampollock]

Cut him

 

[LaP]

I 100% expected a loss especially with Niemi in back-back so shouldn't be so upset about it, it's true but it's the way we lost that pisses me off. Oh well we've done the same thing to other teams so on to the next game.

It's not like TB played a 100% awful game. Vasi was awful too. I mean Kulak's and Benn's goals those are the type of goals a goalie like Vasi will allow around 10 times a year and he allowed two in the last game alone ... both goalies were awful. We played a terrible 3rd period and usually this is what happen when you sit back defensively on a 1 goal lead as early as the beginning of the 3rd period.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

please mcniven next game

 

[Habaneros]

Price is over .900%, 2.84 GAA and played 30 games already so he's not the reason we aren't a top team already, but at a power-less play of 13% and a weak penalty kill along with a bad D is.

It's a darn good thing the Habs decided to go offense style this year...otherwise wow..lol we'd be sitting with about 20- 22 pts right now...lol

 

[LaP]

It's a darn good thing the Habs decided to go offense style this year...otherwise wow..lol we'd be sitting with about 22 pts right now...lol

Trying to play a defensive system with one of the 5 worst defense in the league would be 100% stupid imo.

 

[Forum93]

It's not like TB played a 100% awful game. Vasi was awful too. I mean Kulak's and Benn's goals those are the type of goals a goalie like Vasi will allow around 10 times a year and he allowed two in the last game alone ... both goalies were awful. We played a terrible 3rd period and usually this is what happen when you sit back defensively on a 1 goal lead as early as the beginning of the 3rd period.

Yes both goalies were bad. I thought we outplayed them for the majority of the game, but a combination of the home team not being ready, poor goaltending , sitting back and running out of gas gave us the end result. Will be interesting how the team responds in Dallas.

 

[PaulD]

Ok, we scored 5 goals. We need to win this game, no matter how one forward or the other played.

Tbay scored 6. They "need" to win this game. And did deservedly so.

 

[Natey]

Price is over .900%, 2.84 GAA and played 30 games already so he's not the reason we aren't a top team already, but at a power-less play of 13% and a weak penalty kill along with a bad D is.

Are you acting like a .904 is good? Or even decent? He's in the bottom 50% of the league. If you filter it by 15 games minimum, he's even lower. Goals Against, he's bottom half of the league as well.

I'll be fair, Price has been getting better lately. He was below .900 not too long ago as well though. His weak defense definitely attributes to that, but this isn't a small sample size. He was a .900 SV% goalie last year as well with a high GAA. It's 80 games now.

I don't think just because he was the best goalie in the league (and world) for quite a few years, he gets a pass. I don't blame him for accepting the contract (like someone else suggested), he'd have been stupid not too. Especially because he's not an elite goalie anymore.

He earned turning a blind eye for last season. Not this season. Hopefully his slightly rising SV% and hopefully we can acquire a defenseman means he'll be a solid starting NHL goalie going forward. Weber has seemingly helped improve his stats very slightly.

 

[PaulD]

Trying to play a defensive system with one of the 5 worst defense in the league would be 100% stupid imo.

You mean it would be Therrien-ish

 

[LaP]

You mean it would be Therrien-ish

MT had a system?

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

Price is over .900%, 2.84 GAA and played 30 games already so he's not the reason we aren't a top team already, but at a power-less play of 13% and a weak penalty kill along with a bad D is.

I mean Price stats arent that good. He clearly dont have stats to be on top teams.

 

[Habaneros]

I mean Price stats arent that good. He clearly dont have stats to be on top teams.

our problem is this...

We got a top of the line sports car....but every year we bring it out to drive it,its suspension system breaks down....When you get to the point you bank on it breaking down every year, the time becomes to look at doing something else...

Time to develop McNiven in NHL,and hope he is more durable .....