This Team is The Real Deal!

Marc the Habs Fan

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Nov 30, 2002
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If only we could start winning more against our own division. We're aren't terrible. But when comparing only games within our division, we're not doing so well. The NE has tough competition with Boston, Toronto and somehow Ottawa. We've got a great team. But we need to be a bit more convincing against our own division.

We did win the last 2 games inside the division...
 

Habskrieg

Registered User
Apr 6, 2008
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Germany
We did win the last 2 games inside the division...

I know. It's like I said, we aren't terrible. We're an excellent team. But we could do better vs our division even though we won the last two.

So far, our division is the toughest to play against. We've fared relatively well against Boston so far. But against Ottawa and Toronto, I think we need to do better. Seeing as it's almost likely to have 4 teams from our division making the playoffs (at this rate). We need to do better against these teams. 4-4-2 won't cut it.

My expectations aren't that we destroy the conference (which would be nice). I expect our division to constantly provide us with very tight games. Yet, we need to figure out how to play against these teams efficiently while we have the chance. Come playoff time, a loss hurts much more than regulation.
 

Prospector

Registered User
Aug 28, 2004
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Can you imagine our team healthy come playoff time:

Pacioretty-DD-Gallagher
Bourque-Plekanec-Gionta
Galchenyuk-Eller-Ryder
Prust-White-Moen

Markov-Emelin
Gorges-Subban
Bouillon-Diaz

Price
Budaj

That is solid! We do not need to mortgage our future to compete in the playoffs, maybe a big RH centerman for the 4th line, but White can do an adequate job.
 

deandebean

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Jan 14, 2003
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I know. It's like I said, we aren't terrible. We're an excellent team. But we could do better vs our division even though we won the last two.

So far, our division is the toughest to play against. We've fared relatively well against Boston so far. But against Ottawa and Toronto, I think we need to do better. Seeing as it's almost likely to have 4 teams from our division making the playoffs (at this rate). We need to do better against these teams. 4-4-2 won't cut it.

My expectations aren't that we destroy the conference (which would be nice). I expect our division to constantly provide us with very tight games. Yet, we need to figure out how to play against these teams efficiently while we have the chance. Come playoff time, a loss hurts much more than regulation.

I don't think we are a contender yet. But the team is surprising. And it's playing a system that suits its style perfectly. A system that should have been played by other coaches in the past.
 

Hoople

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Mar 7, 2011
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Good post, but Gionta and Markov are now healthy, unlike last year, and PK and Diaz are one year wiser.

And, Therrien's system of modern day aggressive hockey is proving to be a thousand times better than the passive hockey of Jacques Martin that we had to endure for greater than two years.

Coaching matters.
 

Krautso

Registered User
Nov 30, 2007
2,027
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I'd have to say they are for real. Got out of the gate early and played alot of home games with no injuries..hard to say what you have at that point. Now that we've played a good stretch on the road and overcome some key injuries..we're still winning.

having finished last in the conference last year should guard against complacency so hopefully the good form continues.
 

Lafleurs Guy

Guuuuuuuy!
Jul 20, 2007
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We were like 9th or 10th when Jacques Martin was fired. Jacques was a very good coach who was entitled to play with his own way.
I think he sucked.
This forum is pathetic sometimes. Reading some posts it seems like Jacques Martin was worse than Cunneyworth. When the team was doing well, everyone else took the credit (Halak, Markov), and when the team was doing poorly, it was his fault. His system may have been boring to watch, but look at his stats as a coach; he's not nearly as bad as people think.

That being said, I prefer Therrien.
JM's first year as coach was one of the worst seasons I've ever seen us play. 88 points and we somehow made the playoffs. And it took Godlike goaltending to even get us to the postseason. The following year was better but last year sucked again...

I was never a fan of JM's and I'm really glad he's gone. He's never impressed me.
 

Bullsmith

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May 21, 2007
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I think he sucked.

JM's first year as coach was one of the worst seasons I've ever seen us play. 88 points and we somehow made the playoffs. And it took Godlike goaltending to even get us to the postseason. The following year was better but last year sucked again...

I was never a fan of JM's and I'm really glad he's gone. He's never impressed me.

The enjoyment for a fan watching the team is night and day. MT has really impressed me, JM's system turned my stomach.
 

Habskrieg

Registered User
Apr 6, 2008
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Germany
I don't think we are a contender yet. But the team is surprising. And it's playing a system that suits its style perfectly. A system that should have been played by other coaches in the past.

I think we can be contenders. But I'd like to play a few games against Boston, Ottawa, Toronto and Pittsburgh before I really believe it (or not). I do think we have good chances of making it far.
 

BaseballCoach

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Dec 15, 2006
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We were bad last year....


But we weren't florida panthers bad. Jacques martin ranks probably number one on my list of worst nhl coaches ever.

The collapse occured under Cunneyworth. Martin preached a commitment to defence just like Therrien. Therrien may communicate it better, but really Jacques Martin is an accomplished NHL coach. Cunneyworth? Not so much.
 

Hoople

Registered User
Mar 7, 2011
16,193
121
The collapse occured under Cunneyworth. Martin preached a commitment to defence just like Therrien. Therrien may communicate it better, but really Jacques Martin is an accomplished NHL coach. Cunneyworth? Not so much.

Our defense this season is nowhere near what it was last season...or the prior two seasons under Martin.

We now often see two Habs players attacking the puck carrier. Martin never advocated that. He preferred the sagging and collapsing defense where Price had 5 Habs in front of the crease.

That more aggressive defense now allows a quicker and more successful transition out of our D zone.........something that we never saw with Martin. Our D getting hemmed in our zone occurred far too often.

Martin may have preached defense. Theriens execution of an effective defense is a vast improvement over the words of Martin.
 

Nedved

Registered User
Mar 30, 2008
13,452
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Can you imagine our team healthy come playoff time:

Pacioretty-DD-Gallagher
Bourque-Plekanec-Gionta
Galchenyuk-Eller-Ryder
Prust-White-Moen

Markov-Emelin
Gorges-Subban
Bouillon-Diaz

Price
Budaj




That is solid! We do not need to mortgage our future to compete in the playoffs, maybe a big RH centerman for the 4th line, but White can do an adequate job.

I would almost like to see

Markov pateryn
Gorges Subban
Emelin diaz

for a few games, when diaz is back. something tells me pateryn is just what the doctor ordered for this d.
 

marvelousmotion

Registered User
Nov 29, 2003
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And, Therrien's system of modern day aggressive hockey is proving to be a thousand times better than the passive hockey of Jacques Martin that we had to endure for greater than two years.

Coaching matters.

Agree, the coach and the system are the biggest differences between last year and this year's team. Therrien's more aggressive system takes advantage of his team's strengths: speed and mobility.

JM's passive brand of hockey did not fit well with his players' style, a lot of them hated it. Cammelleri said it out loud before getting traded, he felt the team was entering games afraid and that the mentality was playing not to lose as opposed to playing to win.
 

Alexdaman

Wolfman
Mar 12, 2012
8,289
120
Hell/Heaven
Can you imagine our team healthy come playoff time:

Pacioretty-DD-Gallagher
Bourque-Plekanec-Gionta
Galchenyuk-Eller-Ryder
Prust-White-Moen

Markov-Emelin
Gorges-Subban
Bouillon-Diaz

Price
Budaj

That is solid! We do not need to mortgage our future to compete in the playoffs, maybe a big RH centerman for the 4th line, but White can do an adequate job.

Technically speaking with the way Galchenyuk as been playing the past few games the most surprising thing with this alignment is that it's give or take it's very similar to last year and yet we are going to probably finish in the top 5 of the league, at least in the top 10, I hope.
 

BaseballCoach

Registered User
Dec 15, 2006
20,496
8,804
Our defense this season is nowhere near what it was last season...or the prior two seasons under Martin.

We now often see two Habs players attacking the puck carrier. Martin never advocated that. He preferred the sagging and collapsing defense where Price had 5 Habs in front of the crease.

That more aggressive defense now allows a quicker and more successful transition out of our D zone.........something that we never saw with Martin. Our D getting hemmed in our zone occurred far too often.

Martin may have preached defense. Theriens execution of an effective defense is a vast improvement over the words of Martin.

As Therrien has said, this is a more demanding system on the players. One is REQUIRED to always pressure the puck carrier.

So, for example, if the puck comes out of the opposing zone on their RW, and it is a three on three or two on three, the forward is required to come over and pressure the puck carrier, even if he is the winger from the other side (our RW). The winger is not allowed to just coast back into his zone in a straight line covering space but no player.

Same thing in the defensive zone. Whoever is closest to the puck has to jump on the carrier, even if he is "out of position". So if the C is late coming back, a winger comes and helps down low. The team is ALWAYS pressuring the puck. I call it a "swarm" and this style is what makes me nervous that a guy like Ryder will have to really change his mentality to adjust. But I am willing to see if the coaching staff, with their apparently good communication skills, can get through to him before declaring it a lost cause.

At any rate, yes it is a more suitable style to play when you have team speed than the more passive style.
 

MoobMoob

EntertainingasanSTD
Jun 11, 2011
872
0
Valhalla
Our defense this season is nowhere near what it was last season...or the prior two seasons under Martin.

We now often see two Habs players attacking the puck carrier. Martin never advocated that. He preferred the sagging and collapsing defense where Price had 5 Habs in front of the crease.

That more aggressive defense now allows a quicker and more successful transition out of our D zone.........something that we never saw with Martin. Our D getting hemmed in our zone occurred far too often.

Martin may have preached defense. Theriens execution of an effective defense is a vast improvement over the words of Martin.

Therriens system keeps shot totals low, Martins system kept shots to the perimeter.

Therrien is more suited to the strengths of this team, but Martin was no slouch defensively.

Essentially, under Martin the team played not to lose and under Therrien the team plays to win.
 

beowulf

Not a nice guy.
Jan 29, 2005
59,361
8,958
Ottawa
until they beat a team in the west, they have not proved anything. will see if they can even make it to the cup, probably will not get that far though because they don't have a heavyweight.

Mr.Sunshine shows up.

As for the Habs season, I am impressed and was not expecting them to be this good, this quick. They are showing a pluckiness that they didn't have last year and great team cohesion.
 

25get

Registered User
Nov 15, 2012
1,946
0
Montreal
Agree, the coach and the system are the biggest differences between last year and this year's team. Therrien's more aggressive system takes advantage of his team's strengths: speed and mobility.

JM's passive brand of hockey did not fit well with his players' style, a lot of them hated it. Cammelleri said it out loud before getting traded, he felt the team was entering games afraid and that the mentality was playing not to lose as opposed to playing to win.
Not sure Cammy was referring to JM coaching style or to the team attitude.
Anyway, further to his comments, he was traded.
I thought this comment was under RC.

Anyway JM was better than RC.

Putting an inexperienced coach at the head of team mid season was a way to tank. I read a study (behindthenet maybe) showing that putting an inexperience coach mid season was a recipe for disaster...
 

Redux91

I do Three bullets.
Sep 5, 2006
45,033
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Kirkland, Montreal

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