Playoff Dark Horse?

[Agnostic]

actually i think with the east looking like a clown car, we have a fairly god chance of going to the stanley cup final and then get promptly dismantled by a western team.

To get to the final you need 12 wins in the playoffs - don't see this team accomplishing that no matter how crowded the east is. They won 1 effing game last year.

 

[calder candidate]

Last year we came into the playoff ice cool, we lost 3 of our top 6 players early Patch, Gionta and Eller (who was playing very well at the time) and it keep getting worst for there... Price was good but not great

This year if we remaind healthy, peak at the right time, hot PP and PK and get some great goaltending, western team killing each other sure we could the darkhorse...

BUT the exact same thing could be said about most of of the teams.
NYR, DET, WSH, PHI, CLB, PIT not to mention BOS how should be the clear favorite to come out of the east.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Everything on this team right now is a mess.. and it shouldn't be. Coaching is pretty brutal. The difference between coaches becomes very obvious in the play-offs.

Therrien can't make in-game adjustments, he can't make in-series adjustments. We are only going as far as our players can go despite the severe handicap we have placed on us.

 

[le_sean]

Anything can happen with the goalie that we have.

 

[NobleSix]

Unless the team kicks it into overdrive in the playoffs (similar to L.A in 2012) and Price plays out of his mind the entire way, I just don't think we have the coaching right now to even consider a championship. Therrien is way too weak mentally, and strategically. Look how bad he crumbled against the Fat Walrus's mind games last year.

 

[RuggieriHabs76]

We can compete with any team in the Eastern Conference. Carey Price (if healthy) is clearly going to have to be our best player in the playoffs if we want to make an extended run at the cup.

 

[Habssince89]

We have a couple big game players on our roster, and I wouldn't be surprised if they help negate Therrien. We're also way healthier and physical this time around. I think we can compete with anyone in the east.

 

[hockeyfan2k11]

No shootouts in the playoffs.

 

[BigDaddyLurch]

...that's how much of a Dark Horse we are with Therrien at the Helm...

 

[GlassesJacketShirt]

The Canadiens eat organs for breakfast.

 

[Miller Time]

- goalie who can steal games… or series : CHECK
- Dman who can be dominant & handle ~30min/game during playoff run : CHECK
- 2-3 fwds who, if anyone caught fire, could go off on a torrid/clutch scoring tear : CHECK


coaching and ability to handle wear & tear of what would likely be multiple 6-7 game series (if we do advance deep, i don't see many 4-5 game series wins) are definite weak points…

i wouldn't bet on more than 1 playoff series win, but with those 3 positive points, we certainly do have the necessary pieces to potentially capture lightning in a bottle and get some serious momentum bruing. Let the media pen our premature obituary, when its all said and done we may be in for a wild ride if our ducks line up and the players are ready to pay a kings ransom of blood sweat and tears to make it happen. An avalanche of riches await our habs, provided they focus like a hawk stalking its prey, and commit to making the other guys sing the blues...



i wish i had drunkenness as an excuse, but no, just tired

 

[snakeye]

Eller, Bourque.

Uh to elaborate, don't count these two out. Iirc correctly, they did some damage last season.

I'll bump this now.