Pants are off as the Habs blow out the Sabres edition

[HarlemsFinest]

even if bourqhe was our towel boy we won that trade.

 

[pine*]

by browsing hf boards you think the team started 2-5.

geez, relax. we're 5-2 and playing well. there are limited mistakes in all 3 zones and competitive almost every night. if you told me this at the beginning of the year I would have been more than sceptical.

People complaining about kaberle, diaz, dd, cole, eller, etc. we're 5-2 and playing better than the entire league expected. pacioretty is out and we will only get better if the team remains healthy.

I don't get it. why all the negativity? can we at least string 2 losses together before we blow this team up.

Cause we traded the wrong goalie.

 

[Ohashi_Jouzu*]

Cause we traded the wrong goalie.

And only got Eller for him.

 

[LaTenderness*]

Add Patches and White ... Take out Kaberle and Armstrong...BOOOOOOYAAAAAAA!:

This


**** the former leafs .... To the pressbox ASAP!

 

[pine*]

And only got Eller for him.

No, we only got a 2nd round pick which turned out to be... I have no frieking idea.

 

[PensFan6687]

Loved being at the game today!

- Eller played strong and confidently. Great to see!

- Bourque has found his groove! His three goals thus far equals his entire total for us last season!

- His line with Pleks and Gionta give us three (3!) legit scoring lines -- whoa!

- Desharnais was back to his tenacious, quick self.

- Galchenyuk is starting to become comfortable makin' moves. His breakaway was impressive, even if he didn't score. He's looking great.

- Plekanec once again was the smartest guy on the ice.

- That 3-on-3 minute was weird but entertaining as hell. More a talent show than a hockey game.

- I've never seen Price so consistently solid.

No... Bourque had 5. But thanks for trying! hehe Love your guys team this year. I never thought I would enjoy a Canadiens team.

 

[Ohashi_Jouzu*]

No, we only got a 2nd round pick which turned out to be... I have no frieking idea.

Oh, are you talking about Desjardins for Ramo, i.e. the Cammy/Bourque trade?

 

[Nedved]

Cause we traded the wrong goalie.

lol. It's my preference of how to build a team. Price is an expensive goalie...I take more value in other positions and believe a hot goalie can get the job done in the playoffs.

I don't dislike price, and I think he's great. just expensive for a position I don't value as high.

 

[SirClintonPortis]

the sabres should get an enforcer!!!!! hahahaha

Lol, they have one in John Scott, but they sure have little coherence outside of their top line. They seem like a "bunch of individuals" out there. Poor communication between teammates. Forwards not helping Dmen.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

IMO, we've mostly played bad teams so far. The only good teams we've played are the sens (blowout) and the NJD (barely beat them). I think we might be a playoff team but we haven't exactly faced good competition either yet so I really don't know.

For me the top tier teams and in no particular order would be:

Rangers
Penguins
Flyers (yes, I know they're struggling)
Sens
New Jersey
Boston
Tampa Bay (because of their offense)

If we can string a few wins against these teams, then IMO we're definitely a playoff team...but as for being contenders, that's a whole different story and still too early to tell.

I wouldn't count the Sens game as a test. Sens we're in banding mode after losing Spezza, Habs might've been distracted by the whole end to the Subban saga (thanks in part to our media) and it was also their first game with the backup goalie which is always a factor. There's always the question of nightly match-ups, as Habs were far worse last season than Ottawa yet managed 4 wins against them last season, two of which were blowouts. Their 1-0 loss against Carolina last night is an example of this.

Tomorrow will be a real test IMO.

As for the teams you listed, expect Ottawa to stumble a bit with the loss of Spezza, not sure they'll make the playoffs. Habs are more well-rounded while Ottawa relies more upon one line. Flyers have the Markov Syndrome which finally kicked in. They have the talent to band together, but their D is atrocious. And finally TB riding a hot streak which I don't expect to last, similarly to NY's cold streak.

NJ is a system's team, they could very well remain steady, but could also start feeling the loss of Parisé.

IMO, I see the Habs, if Markov can stay healthy, battling with NY, NJ, Bos and the Pens for the top 5, while TB, Philly and Ott could very well be on the outside looking in.

 

[Fozz]

great win,

CBC's 3 Stars:

1. Desharnais
2. Price
3. Eller

Either way, Plekanec gets no love. He was the best Hab today.

 

[dutchy29]

We need a solid, reliable faceoff guy and a little more steady defense.

that

 

[OldCraig71]

Either way, Plekanec gets no love. He was the best Hab today.

I felt the same way.

 

[Habskrieg]

Damn it! I was out of town today. Only caught the last 13 minutes of the game on the phone!

Oh well, I'm really glad we won this. Onward to victory!

 

[Kimota]

lol i thought after the sabres beat the bruins, habs would have a hard time today. boy, was i wrong! it was the opposite! I still wanna see how they do against the rangers, pens and bruins.

That's what usualy happens when you've just been part of a big emotional game like the Sabres had against the Bruins, the next game that team usualy falls flat.

 

[Price is Wright]

Cause we traded the wrong goalie.

Hahaha.

Halak: Can't play for a team without it being in a platoon
Price: 50+ game seasons at age 25, would have been four but this is a half season.

Even right now, Halak is playing for a team with much higher rated defence than Montreal on a team expected to play for the Cup... and he's sitting with a .889 with three wins.

Montreal traded the right goalie at the right time. And don't talk to me about the value coming back. It's like nobody understands how little of value goalies go for today.

 

[Kimota]

Loved the game but I didn't like that Bourque didn't defend DD when he was checked into the boards. It's a small thing I know but it's just the type of thing that this org. used to let go too much too many times in the past. We have to stand up for one another.

 

[Ohashi_Jouzu*]

Good point, not enough pants off. Here's one that's "a day late and a dollar short", as they say.

 

[Whitesnake]

Either way, Plekanec gets no love. He was the best Hab today.

Great point. Totally forgot naming Pleks, but he was really great today.

 

[Et le But]

Loved the game but I didn't like that Bourque didn't defend DD when he was checked into the boards. It's a small thing I know but it's just the type of thing that this org. used to let go too much too many times in the past. We have to stand up for one another.

If teammates had to defend Desharnais every time he gets pushed around there would be a fight every 5 minutes.

I'm sure next time we face them if Kaleta is back we can send White to jump him at some point and hit him in the head a bunch of times.

 

[Kairi Zaide]

Had to work today... I guess it was the best game of the year ?

 

[Forsead]

One of the best game I've seen Plekanec play has a Habs, he was so intense and dominant. Bourque buried chances which is pretty good for his confidence since he was playing really good and the right way since the start of the season, but wasn't really producing alot. They make a good two-way tough matchup trio with the captain.

Price was solid, he look like a potential Vezina for this season.

Subban played a good unspectacular first game which is always nice to see.

I'm so happy for Desharnais and Eller, seeing them producing is great, especially with Therrien decision to keep them together. I'm very happy to see how Eller is playing (he was the best player on his line in the last 3-4 games IMO), a big energic two-way puck possession center (and winger) that is really getting good at taking faceoffs.

Galchenyuk has magic hands a little bit like Kovalev, in fact the guy remind me of Kovalev in his style, but with better speed and tenacity.

Gallagher is a special little guy, it's pretty rare to see them produce like that (and play with so much intensity and bravery) at such a young age, often it takes 3-4 years as professionals to play that type of game while being a diminutive player.

I'm such a fan of Prust, especially when he beat down Ott, plus he make things happen on the ice

Alot of the others were solid, it really was a great game !

 

[Ohashi_Jouzu*]

Gallagher is a special little guy, it's pretty rare to see them produce like that (and play with so much intensity and bravery) at such a young age, often it takes 3-4 years as professionals to play that type of game while being a diminutive player.

It's quite often true. Not always, but quite often. Definitely one of the bigger surprises vs my expectations so far this year, and I give Prust a lot of credit for making him feel comfortable and confident enough to just go out and play like he can.

 

[groovejuice]

It's quite often true. Not always, but quite often. Definitely one of the bigger surprises vs my expectations so far this year, and I give Prust a lot of credit for making him feel comfortable and confident enough to just go out and play like he can.

Despite all the opinions offered on this board about Prust being overpaid, from what I've seen so far he is worth every nickel.

From what I recall also, when the Habs signed him, pretty much every visiting Ranger poster said the same thing.

I love this guy's game. And make no mistake, playing with him gives Agall and Bgall confidence and they are playing far less tentatively than they would with any other linemate.

 

[NotProkofievian]

Gallagher impressed me today. He has absolutely no fear when it comes to charging the net.

The amount of offense we're getting so far this season from our 3rd line is pretty remarkable.