Predict the next 10 games

[Lshap]

I don’t want them to make the playoffs and I won’t enjoy it. I don’t dislike the Habs. I just want a bleeping Cup man. I’ve had enough of this just make the playoffs crap. I’ve enjoyed the playoffs enough now. I actually want us to have a hope to win it. We all know this team won’t do anything when they get there. We don’t have enough scoring. So why in the world would we want to make the playoffs and reduce our draft position which is to the detriment of our entire future? The ONLY way we solve this is through the draft. Bergevin has said it himself. How do you do that if you continually make the playoffs and get bounced early? It’s the worst possible place you can be. That’s why I don’t want them to make the playoffs. I want to get to the Cup SOONER by getting high draft picks now. Otherwise we’re wasting time postponing the inevitable. We either do it now or when we finally realize it’s the only way.

EDIT: I just looked at the standings. Habs are two points behind Boston who’s played three fewer games. That’s possibly an 8 point gap in December. We have 7 road games coming up when we rarely win outside of our division and then face San Jose and Tampa. I really have no clue why you want this team to try to make the playoffs. They’re bottom 7 in the league right now. Did you really enjoy our spanking from the Rangers? Get real.

Drafting well and drafting lucky -- those are the keys to building a contender. I agree that as we currently stand I have little hope of making noise in the playoffs... on the longshot guess that we get there. So it makes sense to increase the odds of getting lucky by finishing lower and getting better picks. But beyond selling off Plekanec and offering one or two of the older vets for picks, you can't (and shouldn't) shove a team lower. You can only allow it to sink to its natural water level. We're already playing rookies Hudon and Mete, and youngish less-experienced de la Rose, Morrow, Froese, Deslauriers, and Carr. On paper, it resembles a roster built for tanking. If the Habs are really a bottom-five team, they'll get there without further choreography. If they make the playoffs with this many raw players, it means the team is better than we thought.

Either way, we're not getting Dahlin. Best case is we add another good pick and draft well.

 

[Omar]

The higher the draft position, the better player you’ll get. It’s a fact. Yes you have to get lucky, but the quality is better at the higher end of the draft. We have a better chance of getting a good player in the draft than making any noise in the playoffs. We can trade Plekanec, move Shaw, see if Gallagher and Pacioretty can get us some centers. Drouin fits in nicely on the wing on one side and Lekhonen and Scherbak fit in on the right side. We need to rebuild our core to improve at the center ice position, not trade everyone. But I agree if it’s team is bad enough their final position will come naturally. My hope is that we’ll be as bad as we can be, while others want to make the playoffs. To each their own but for the betterment of the team, we should finish as low as we can.

 

[NotProkofievian]

Drafting well and drafting lucky -- those are the keys to building a contender. I agree that as we currently stand I have little hope of making noise in the playoffs... on the longshot guess that we get there. So it makes sense to increase the odds of getting lucky by finishing lower and getting better picks. But beyond selling off Plekanec and offering one or two of the older vets for picks, you can't (and shouldn't) shove a team lower. You can only allow it to sink to its natural water level. We're already playing rookies Hudon and Mete, and youngish less-experienced de la Rose, Morrow, Froese, Deslauriers, and Carr. On paper, it resembles a roster built for tanking. If the Habs are really a bottom-five team, they'll get there without further choreography. If they make the playoffs with this many raw players, it means the team is better than we thought.

Either way, we're not getting Dahlin. Best case is we add another good pick and draft well.

Fortune favours the bold. This goose is cooked, let's carve it up.

 

[Omar]

Boston 3 points ahead of us has 3 games in hand, that’s potentially 9 points.

The next four teams behind us are within 3 points and they also have games in hand.

Whoever thinks we’re closer to the playoffs than the lottery doesn’t know math.

 

[Frankenheimer]

I don’t want them to make the playoffs and I won’t enjoy it. I don’t dislike the Habs. I just want a bleeping Cup man. I’ve had enough of this just make the playoffs crap. I’ve enjoyed the playoffs enough now. I actually want us to have a hope to win it. We all know this team won’t do anything when they get there. We don’t have enough scoring. So why in the world would we want to make the playoffs and reduce our draft position which is to the detriment of our entire future? The ONLY way we solve this is through the draft. Bergevin has said it himself. How do you do that if you continually make the playoffs and get bounced early? It’s the worst possible place you can be. That’s why I don’t want them to make the playoffs. I want to get to the Cup SOONER by getting high draft picks now. Otherwise we’re wasting time postponing the inevitable. We either do it now or when we finally realize it’s the only way.

EDIT: I just looked at the standings. Habs are two points behind Boston who’s played three fewer games. That’s possibly an 8 point gap in December. We have 7 road games coming up when we rarely win outside of our division and then face San Jose and Tampa. I really have no clue why you want this team to try to make the playoffs. They’re bottom 7 in the league right now. Did you really enjoy our spanking from the Rangers? Get real.

If you don’t have any pretense of enjoying the games, why do you watch at all? What experience are you aiming for? You exercise no control over the teams willingness to try. You only exercise control on three areas. One is how you spend your money in relation to the team. If you’re depriving team of money to spend on a product you don’t like, then cheers. That’s actually a legitimate area of influence. Two, you could influence others to also deprive team of capital. There is something to be said about posting on a message board and maybe persuading a few paying fans to restrain themselves for the sake of effecting larger structural changes. But the impact is so slim I fail to see the value of reminding everyone we are currently out of a playoff position and that the chances are slim. The third area is how you manage your own experience of viewing games and following the season long narrative. As mentioned, if you’ve already decided that the experience will be unenjoyable, then why persist? I don’t enjoy every game, nor does any fan of any sports team. Some games are terrible, such as yesterday’s. I turned it off and did something else. Some games are fun, and those are great. I get that living in the moment is just one of the ways enjoyment is derived. Another is the season narrative, the adding of points, the drive for a cup, the development of talent. And there again you have nothing invested. I guess I don’t get it.

 

[Miller Time]

To come out as flat as they have after a big break and at such a crucial period for their season (given the poor start and current standings) speaks volumes about the emotional engagement of the team.

normally, that would fall largely on the coaching staff, but in this case, i think it can legitimately be shared (or perhaps more) on management. With how poorly the roster was assembled, how poorly key/valuable/respected players were treated, and how tone deaf/finger pointing the management has been, it's easy to understand why the players left here would have a hard time feeling confident or emotionally engaged in putting out a better effort...

now, given how bad the roster is built, even with a great effort, we may not see much better results-wise... but again, coming out of the longest break of the season (which is a blessing in such a physically gruelling sport) at such a crucial juncture, if that lockerroom was committed and bought in to the idea that this team has any realistic shot at something in the playoffs, we'd have seen a much better push coming out of the break.

and now the idiots on RDS are pointing fingers at Price, whose been our best player since he came back from the injury (yes, i know he had a bad start to the season)...

next 8 games are going to be ugly.

 

[Omar]

If you don’t have any pretense of enjoying the games, why do you watch at all? What experience are you aiming for? You exercise no control over the teams willingness to try. You only exercise control on three areas. One is how you spend your money in relation to the team. If you’re depriving team of money to spend on a product you don’t like, then cheers. That’s actually a legitimate area of influence. Two, you could influence others to also deprive team of capital. There is something to be said about posting on a message board and maybe persuading a few paying fans to restrain themselves for the sake of effecting larger structural changes. But the impact is so slim I fail to see the value of reminding everyone we are currently out of a playoff position and that the chances are slim. The third area is how you manage your own experience of viewing games and following the season long narrative. As mentioned, if you’ve already decided that the experience will be unenjoyable, then why persist? I don’t enjoy every game, nor does any fan of any sports team. Some games are terrible, such as yesterday’s. I turned it off and did something else. Some games are fun, and those are great. I get that living in the moment is just one of the ways enjoyment is derived. Another is the season narrative, the adding of points, the drive for a cup, the development of talent. And there again you have nothing invested. I guess I don’t get it.

The point of my discussions is to bring realism to our current situation and to discuss how to fix this situation, rather than continuing the discussions that we have hope in making the playoffs (which I personally disagree with). I’m not attempting to affect fans outlay of money on a message board and I don’t care about reminding people of our situation, the same way you constantly remind people that we’re close to .500 and we’re 3-4 points out of the playoffs.

The point that you don’t seem to get is we only fix this team through the draft. Getting into the playoffs and failing achieves the opposite of that objective. So there’s a level of excitement for me - and every other fan who appreciates the realism of this situation and realized a long time ago that drafting high is the way to go - when this team loses which is why I come here to discuss it. I want to see a Cup and, if we only achieve that through drafting high, it means we’re closer to seeing that with every loss. With every point we get with this current group, we’re hurting our future. I’ve been the naive fan who says let’s get into the playoffs and see what happens. I’m now the fan that says let’s try to win the Cup, study how other teams have done it, and try to emulate it. Fans like me are in the minority. It’s not a pessimistic attitude, it’s a realistic attitude about how to get to the Cup. No team has tweaked their lineup into winning a Cup without high superstar draft picks in key positions. So IMO we start there.

As Ray Ferraro said, we have the worst center ice depth in the league. I don’t know how anyone intends to compete in the playoffs with that depth in the most important position on a hockey team. I understand there’s being a fan and having rose-coloured glasses on. There’s also being a realistic fan and saying let’s fix this thing by focusing first on our biggest hole, and if we have to fill that void through the draft, you get the best draft pick you can. And how do you get the best draft pick you can?...

 

[habsgirl5000]

next 8 games are going to be ugly.

Jan and Feb will be ugly.....we are finishing the easy part of our schedule....jan and Feb gets tougher, much tougher

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Drafting well and drafting lucky -- those are the keys to building a contender. I agree that as we currently stand I have little hope of making noise in the playoffs... on the longshot guess that we get there. So it makes sense to increase the odds of getting lucky by finishing lower and getting better picks. But beyond selling off Plekanec and offering one or two of the older vets for picks, you can't (and shouldn't) shove a team lower. You can only allow it to sink to its natural water level. We're already playing rookies Hudon and Mete, and youngish less-experienced de la Rose, Morrow, Froese, Deslauriers, and Carr. On paper, it resembles a roster built for tanking. If the Habs are really a bottom-five team, they'll get there without further choreography. If they make the playoffs with this many raw players, it means the team is better than we thought.

Either way, we're not getting Dahlin. Best case is we add another good pick and draft well.

It's never all about the draft. You can trade vets for good prospects too. Tampa just picked up Sergachev for example.

 

[CauZuki]

Habs lose 6 out of the next 10 in regulation and are officially a bottom 5 team...We need to get the GM out of here , last thing you want is trade prospect/picks for players in a failed attempt at making the playoffs...No top 10 pick in this draft would be beyond an epic failure...

 

[Rapala]

Boston 3 points ahead of us has 3 games in hand, that’s potentially 9 points.

The next four teams behind us are within 3 points and they also have games in hand.

Whoever thinks we’re closer to the playoffs than the lottery doesn’t know math.

We could easily be on a 5 game skid except for that miracle win against Jersey. The homestand some pointed to as our launching block has come and gone. The gutless efforts these past two games reminds me so much of that fox hole year. The problem in the room is still there go figure. Me thinks it was the whiners and squeaky wheels all along. How many visits will MB need to conclude it's all Chucky's fault?

 

[Omar]

If Vancouver wins tonight in regulation, Habs are bottom 5 with one more game left before the New Year as predicted. Time to sell!

 

[G0bias]

@ FLO OTL
vs SJS L
vs TBL L
vs VAN W
vs BOS L
vs NYI W
@ BOS L
@ WSH L
vs BOS OTL
vs COL W
3-5-2

Gonna be tough to out-tank VAN, DET and OTT, we'll need all the help we can get. But I believe they have it in them. GHG

 

[Omar]

@ FLO OTL
vs SJS L
vs TBL L
vs VAN W
vs BOS L
vs NYI W
@ BOS L
@ WSH L
vs BOS OTL
vs COL W
3-5-2

Gonna be tough to out-tank VAN, DET and OTT, we'll need all the help we can get. But I believe they have it in them. GHG

Vancouver has passed us but agreed. It’ll be difficult. Playoff chances are down to 2.8%.

 

[Omar]

And yet, they will try just the same. I think it's win win for you if you just shut this season out. Either the habs are eliminated from the playoffs (win, who cares how), or the habs make the playoffs (win, you get to the ride the bandwagon). I dont understand paying attention to a product you fundamentally dislike. I enjoy habs games, I enjoy roiling in the fantasy of better games, better outcomes. I mean, that's why I stick around, some sense of enjoyment. I don't see the enjoyment on your end. It's a drive I don't relate to I guess.

I mean, I relate to it, to a degree, but soccer has helped me understand that enjoyment is found in being a partisan. So many teams are hopelessly mired in a place without hope of a cup, yet the fans relish in the game itself, in the victories, in the ritual, and even in the defeats. With that in mind, the playoffs are pretty damn exciting, so obviously I cheer for it.

Another reminder for you. Habs are that much closer to drafting an epic player for their future. More than a nothing playoff run would have ever done.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Either way, we're not getting Dahlin.

You can predict the lottery?

As it stands, we have 8,5% chance of getting the pick.

That's 8.5% more than the chances of landing JT

 

[Frankenheimer]

Another reminder for you. Habs are that much closer to drafting an epic player for their future. More than a nothing playoff run would have ever done.

Csb

 

[Omar]

Csb

It is. Hope you’re enjoying it.

 

[Scriptor]

I never get the interest in the actual listing of expected Ws and Ls for the next ten games. I can see the evaluation of the competition in general as useful and interesting, but, with parity and overall lockdown of center ice by most teams, it's entirely possible to beat any team or lose against any team...

That doesn't take away from anybody else finding interest in it, though. I'm not putting that down. I'm just curious to see why someone finds these threads interesting or exciting

 

[Omar]

I never get the interest in the actual listing of expected Ws and Ls for the next ten games. I can see the evaluation of the competition in general as useful and interesting, but, with parity and overall lockdown of center ice by most teams, it's entirely possible to beat any team or lose against any team...

That doesn't take away from anybody else finding interest in it, though. I'm not putting that down. I'm just curious to see why someone finds these threads interesting or exciting

Same as fantasy hockey I suppose.

 

[Scriptor]

Okay, but I can see the actual interest in fantasy hockey. You're tracking stats for your global team's results. This next ten games thing is more of a moving block that can be refreshed at any time to me, though... What do you get out of it? "I wasn't that far off?" "Yeah well, really thought we should've beat Carolina, but the end result was 4-5-1 anyhow. Whodda thunk?"

Thanks for the answer BTW.

 

[Omar]

Basically, like a predictor game I guess

 

[Omar]

Should we bump this? I’m intrigued how you guys think we’ll do in the next few games. They’re critical IMO

 

[Rapala]

3 wins 6 losses in the next 9 games.