Post-Game Talk: Someone put potatoes in our pants. Habs lose 3-0 to Tampa.

[OldCraig71]

I mean Drouin is inconsistent. He is going to get criticized a lot for it but its just who he is. It's games like this where you hope high skilled guys can get you over the finish line. He didn't even come close. A consistent Drouin would be a top 5 winger in the league. I just can't see him ever getting to that point, though.

Drouin can play better, he has the ability to do so, we have all seen it. Is he so great though that we have to endure him being a no show or a detriment to the team 75% of the time just because he can give us a 50 point season ? My answer is a hard no! Drouin is lazy both mentally and physically and it shows on the ice, when he is on he even does the little things right but when he is off which is most of the time he is a big liability.

 

[BLONG7]

What an awful 3rd period............you can't play 40 minutes and expect good results vs Tampa. They have a very good team....should be in the Cup finals.

 

[L4br3cqu3]

In the first half of the last 6 games, Drouin had 9 pts, +7, had about 17min/game of icetime and was looking like the superstar we know he can be.

In the last 3 games he's been held pointless, was -3, and his icetime dropped from nearly 20min to 14:34 yesterday, looking lost, uninspired and careless.

Reminds me sooo much of Andrei Kostitsyn, can take over a game when he feels like it, at other times he's just a useless pylon on the ice.

Frustrating as hell, but damn, we need that skill upfront.

About the rest of the team, well, first half of the game we competed, but then the TB gods woke up.

Can't win 'em all, but like some said already, seems like the 'break' we had f***ed the momentum we had. The Canes, Pens, and even the Sabres and Flyers are just behind us.

I just hope, MB doesn't panic and stay the course. That's all.

 

[PaulD]

The Habs of the 70’s use to turn it up a notch in the 3rd like Tampa did tonight. Tampa might be a contender

Ya think ?

 

[PaulD]

In the first half of the last 6 games, Drouin had 9 pts, +7, had about 17min/game of icetime and was looking like the superstar we know he can be.

In the last 3 games he's been held pointless, was -3, and his icetime dropped from nearly 20min to 14:34 yesterday, looking lost, uninspired and careless.

Reminds me sooo much of Andrei Kostitsyn, can take over a game when he feels like it, at other times he's just a useless pylon on the ice.

Frustrating as hell, but damn, we need that skill upfront.

About the rest of the team, well, first half of the game we competed, but then the TB gods woke up.

Can't win 'em all, but like some said already, seems like the 'break' we had ****ed the momentum we had. The Canes, Pens, and even the Sabres and Flyers are just behind us.

I just hope, MB doesn't panic and stay the course. That's all.

Yep, Drouin (at his best) will disappear for about half of the games.

 

[FrankMTL]

I'm not too concerned with the loss to the Lightning. There's a reason why they have 15 more points than anybody else in the league. Obviously, it would be best to avoid them in the first round if possible.

 

[dinodebino]

nope. they don't have TB's D , not even close

They won on their turf the last time. Never say never.

 

[26Mats]

I'm not too concerned with the loss to the Lightning. There's a reason why they have 15 more points than anybody else in the league. Obviously, it would be best to avoid them in the first round if possible.

I'm not happy with the recent lack of offense. We've come back to earth. But our earth is not a ver offensive one. I see much more need to improve the forward corose thane the left d position.

We have the 3ed best goals against in the NHL since jan. 1. But our offense has been anemic.

 

[L4br3cqu3]

I'm not happy with the recent lack of offense. We've come back to earth. But our earth is not a ver offensive one. I see much more need to improve the forward corose thane the left d position.

We have the 3ed best goals against in the NHL since jan. 1. But our offense has been anemic.

Like you said, team came back to earth.

And it's nothing against the team, it just came back to earth.

I don't think anybody expected the kind of production we had at the beginning of the season, and it's pretty much the reason why we're sitting where we are in the rankings.

We need more skill in our top-9 (and a bit more size would help too), but it'll come eventually.

More creativity and puck movement from the backend would help tremendously, too.

Next 1st of July is going to be huge.

 

[FrankMTL]

I'm not happy with the recent lack of offense. We've come back to earth. But our earth is not a ver offensive one. I see much more need to improve the forward corose thane the left d position.

We have the 3ed best goals against in the NHL since jan. 1. But our offense has been anemic.

For sure the offense hasn't be quite as good during the last 6 weeks or so...The last two games certainly didn't help, but again, Tampa Bay and Nashville are both top 5 in terms of goals against.

I mean who knows, at this point the race is so tight in the Easter Conference that the Habs may miss the playoffs, even with 96 or 97 points

 

[Habs Icing]

Man we played great for 2 periods and then we just couldn't hang with their firepower. We're on the right track

Proud of the boys

I saw Julien's post game presser and I agree with him. The penalty on Danault was - Julien called it weak, I call it BS. And this was after all the interference and hooking that Tampa Bay was running. And then the cherry on the cake. Drouin pulls a Drouin special. I'm just speechless when it comes to this player.

And that was the game.

 

[PaulD]

I'm not happy with the recent lack of offense. We've come back to earth. But our earth is not a ver offensive one. I see much more need to improve the forward corose thane the left d position.

We have the 3ed best goals against in the NHL since jan. 1. But our offense has been anemic.

Thats become tradition a Canadiens tradition.

 

[PaulD]

It's going to take even a great team some luck to beat Tampa. Luck or a great coaching job. Really impressive team.

Deep. Nobody comes close to the depth that team has......with a rock solid goaltender too boot.

Lat year they went 7 games with the Champs....without Stamps and Kucherov even showing up.

If those two bring it this spring. Nobody will derail the Lightening.

 

[Habs Icing]

Exactly. These people are going to be the same ones crapping on Kotkaniemi in 10 years when he has a down season of 25 goals instead of 35.

No the people who are going to be down on Koko Puffs are the very ones who today are raving about his mediocre play. For starters Koko hasn't played well for an NHLer for awhile. Some of the posters are just raving because he's 18 and hasn't crapped the bed. Then there are the ones who imagine a #1 centerman and disregard all the holes in his game. Those holes are huge and many. I don't want to dump on the kid but I don't see what the hype is about him. I see his ceiling as a decent #2 so I won't be dumping on him when he doesn't live up to the insane hype built up around this kid. The posters you should worry about are the very ones who are going gaga over him today.

 

[Habs Icing]

Nope. Not for me. Never liked the Drouin trade.

There weren't many of us.

 

[Burke the Legend]

Tampa was just excellent at anticipating passes and intercepting. Picked off so many in the neutral zone and also breaking up cycles in their zone. Really well prepared team defensively then add in all their firepower + solid goaltending...yikes.

The Habs will have to be much better prepared next time, at least to do better against their defensive scheme.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Ideally we finish in the 1st wildcard spot

 

[Habs Icing]

Drouin is capable of the worst and the best, it's just frustrating that you don't know what you're going to get. He's got talent oozing out of his ears but he remains a high risk player. And when he's not on, he doesn't just disappear, he'll make critical errors that lead to significant consequences.

He's been in the league for quite some time now, I doubt that he overcomes this flaw in his game. I hope he would and we'd need him to.

However, if the assessment is that they can't live with his high risk playing style, then better to cut bait now that he's valuable on the market. We could resolve that first pairing LHD hole in no time.

That's the problem. The talent is definitely oozing out of his ears. It explains the empty space between his ears.

 

[Habs Icing]

I didn’t like the trade either but if you criticize Drouin you get accused of racism because he’s French Canadian. Until the French media turn on him Bergevin won’t trade him. I’ve accepted that he will turn up for 1 in 5 and do dumb stuff, no point getting upset by him. I have to say though how has one of his team not punched him for his dumb plays?

The French press is harder on him than the English press so that theory is out the window. I honestly don't know why both Julien and Bergevin are putting up with this thrash player.

 

[Habs Icing]

I mean Drouin is inconsistent. He is going to get criticized a lot for it but its just who he is. It's games like this where you hope high skilled guys can get you over the finish line. He didn't even come close. A consistent Drouin would be a top 5 winger in the league. I just can't see him ever getting to that point, though.

So let's trade him while some GMs still have faith in him.

 

[Habs Icing]

He definitely has the talent to be a top winger. However, here we are with him making two turnovers in the neutral zone, in consecutive games that both resulted in goals. It's not an isolated event, it comes in waves. And then he'll have a stellar game and you'll be scratching your head and wonder why can't he just perform at a high level game in and game out, like the better players do.

I agree with most of your post. Just want to correct a little error. Drouin doesn't have stellar games. He has stellar plays occasionally.

 

[Thebesthockey]

stop the whining

habs have played to date much better than any “ expert” thought
if they make the playoffs its more than most all predicted

tatar gallagher price domi and co. have stepped up

tampa and nashville are cup contenders

4 win differential away from second place in division

 

[Whitesnake]

As of today, pretty clear that Weise is nowhere near the Weise we all knew. And if so....you wonder what our pro scouts are doing.....are they paid for that? Thompson? Fine so far. Folin? Would be neat to see him. But for Weise....prediction if that goes on.....another Bergevin buyout is coming your way soon....

 

[Habs Icing]

Yep, Drouin (at his best) will disappear for about half of the games.

You're being generous.

 

[Scintillating10]

Tampa has so much fire power, their offense reminds me of '76 Canadiens