Thoughts On The Season So Far..

[WhiskeySeven*]

In my shallow analysis:

• We haven't been outplayed (except for the two Leafs losses) so far yet. This is a good sign.
• We've kept the forecheck up and kept our opponents honest, we split the D often and that's a sign of good, established schemes. I'm very impressed.
• We're tougher and faster and better than last year because we're playing to our strengths and not to a rigid system. This, of course, comes at a price: when we execute poorly, it tends to look glaringly bad. Like Emelin's miscues over the little losing streak we had, or over-relying on Markov.
• The special teams have been bad but I trust our penalty kill, we have good instincts on the PK.
• The PP relies on an overlord position and Gionta is not the man to do it. He's not skilled enough, big enough (to actually see the lanes) or strong enough to slam into the crease. Our PP is bad because it's static and I'm worried about it.
• David Desharnais, his mini-pointstreak aside, has been ****. He's slow, he can't win a faceoff and he's downright awful defensively. He can ONLY play the "exploit/PP" role but honestly, we need him to do more. The next third of the season will shape our fortunes with regards this to guy - he's a very talented player but he's not an NHL centre in the usual sense, he lacks all the fundamentals a centre should have. He succeeded last year for a variety of reasons, chiefly the system we played didn't believe in forechecking whatsoever therefore he would exploit the trap and set off and make a pass to his two hulking wingers. He can't do it this year and he's been exposed.
• Erik Cole has been getting far too much heat. He's been drawing penalties and moving his feet as good as anyone. He's never been a sniper and he doesn't have the hands for it, he just needs to play with someone like Pleks or Gally (you know, real centres) and he's going to produce. Also, on the PP he screens the goalie as well as any. I'm really not worried about him, he's big and fast and can crash the net and DOES crash the net. Unlike...
• Brian Gionta is first on my pooplist with a big, smudgy brown bullet. He's a charlatan and he wouldn't even be on the 1st line of an AHL team with his deplorable hockey sense. EVERY. SINGLE. PLAY. dies on his stick. He backchecks very well but then gifts the breakout pass right to the opposition because he's too damn stupid with the puck - exhausting both himself and his increasingly frustrated linemates. His stick is so short (I wonder why...) he whiffs on the easiest tap-ins and one-timers and he always has to resort to his patented crappy snap-shot. He's 0.5ppg so far and I really don't expect him to suddenly wake up - he can't start crashing the net, he can't start winning the puck on the dump-and-chase and he can't even score on an open net. If this is the Gionta we're stuck with and if it continues, he's buy-out fodder. **** this guy, he's been crap.
• On a brighter note Plekanec is our offensive MVP. What a guy, he's just a great hockey player and he might be chippy between the whistles but he's a competitor. He's really grown up with and within our organization and I'm proud to have him as our #1 centre.
• I have no idea how good Galchenyuk is going to be, I can't project him as the next Jumbo Joe or Staal or anything. I just like what I see and hope he starts threading passes and sniping in some wristers like we know he can. He's still a bit timid out there but until he really bites more than he could chew, It's good to rely on him a fair bit and give him a trial by fire.
• Bouillon has proved me wrong. He's been good, except on the PP but whatever.
• Blah blah about Prust, Markov, Bourque, Patches, Gorges, Diaz, Emelin. Yeah they're good. We know.
• Armstrong is playing like he's afraid of getting injured. I hope he opens up a bit and starts crashing and banging with a little more tenacity.
• Price is our MVP. That's it, enough said.

But seriously, demote Gionta, promote Eller and get a lineup that looks like this if you want to get DD and Cole going. This also keeps the three main "duos" of the team intact (Pleks-Bourque, DD-Patches, Gally-Gally).

Bourque - Pleks - Cole
Pacioretty - Eller -DD
Gallagher - Galchenyuk - Gionta
Moen - White - Prust
ex. Armdog

We could get into the specific tactical nuances of the new Therrien system but a winning streak kinda glosses over a lot of the details. We need to struggle a little bit, play on the road more, in order to get an idea of a) how the team plays in general and b) how the team reacts to adversity.

How would the Habs look against Chicago? Pretty fine I'd say. How would the Habs look against St-Louis? Probably terrible, but I hope not.

 

[TheBabysitter*]

Who has impressed you the most? Gallagher

Who has been disappointing? Cole

What do you guys think about MT's job so far? Awesome.

What Has Been Your Favorite Moment Of The Season So Far? Galchenyuk's first goal.

 

[idk]

Who has impressed you the most?
Tough to choose between Gallagher and Galchenyuk. Gallagher I think is more impressive, but for Galchenyuk to come in playing the most challenging forward position like he has at eighteen deserves accolades. Diaz and Emelin also deserve a nod - both are playing like veterans despite it being only their second year.

Who has been disappointing?
Cole, Armstrong and Moen. Cole just seems disinterested at times. I know if takes him a while to get going but he needs to start getting involved more. Moen is doing his thing, but I think it's clear he's lost a step or two in the off-season. Armstrong is doing well as a utility forward with PK ability, but he's not being the agitator/sandpaper we need from him.

What do you guys think about MT's job so far?
Tough to quantify how much of the change is the healthy roster (at one point in time last season the defense consisted of Gorges, Subban and four rookies), how much is certain players playing better and how much is the coach. I really like what MT is doing with line management - he's rolling four a lot more than Martin/Cunneyworth did last season (perhaps a nod to the fact that with so many games in such a short time frame the team needs to spread itself around a bit more. I also like how he's handled Gallagher and Galchenyuk - they don't always get as much ice time as they deserve, but he is careful to give them good minutes against weaker opponents when he is able. I think this has been so critical to their positive impact on the team - Galchenyuk especially has top-drawer skills and can do things with the puck we haven't seen since Kovalev and haven't seen consistently since Lafleur or longer. He can't do it all the time and he's still learning how to do it against NHL defense but by letting him cut his teeth against second-tier defenders he's writing a recipe for long term success.

What Has Been Your Favorite Moment Of The Season So Far?
Tough one. Prust's goal the other night (from Patches and Galchenyuk) was pretty magical. Subban's hits from that game too - it's good to see him getting that aspect of his game going. No one thing stands out, but there's been lots of little moments.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

This statement must have torn you apart. It's the first time i read something positive coming from you (well the second part not the first)

You haven't been reading my posts closely enough then. I've said that we have the best young core we've had in eons.

Saying that we're not good enough to win now doesn't mean I don't think we'll be good enough to win in the next few years. Adding Galchenyuk makes a huge difference. Price and Subban are both aces... add in Max and that's a pretty good group to build with. Plus we've got a bunch of blueline prospects that look pretty good too.

As for it tearing me apart... why? You know I'm a Hab fan right? I don't care if we deal away all our prospects, do the opposite of everything I've argued and win a cup. I just want us to win a cup... that's all.

Where is the talk about rebuilding and all? The rebuild is already in place Galchenyuk, Gallagher, Tinordi, Collberg, Beaulieu. It's coming and it's coming hard.

I still beleive that we should use this year to stack the deck for the future. I don't think we're good enough to win this year and all I care about are cups.

The blueline looks set for the future, I'd like to see more strong forwards coming up and I think dealing for prospects is the way to go, esp with this monster draft coming up. Problem is we don't have much to deal with. The only trading cards we have with any value are Markov (who I still think we should trade) and Plecs (with Gally's emergence I think we should hang onto.) Cole would've been great to deal but his sell high date looks like it may have past. No other vet is going to garner great value for us.

 

[bsl]

Yo I get 2 full hard ons and I ain't even mad!

You have 2 dicks? Geez. Any blood left for other organs?

 

[bsl]

I think I have to give most credits to Michel Therrien. Players bought the system and they are working hard every games.. or almost.

Therry SMILES FFS. My position has always been that good coaches enjoy the game, and keep the players loose.

Further, Coaches are over rated and should just stay out of the way for the most part. That is what Therry is doing.

I don't think Therry's the greatest tactician, but the team seem a lot less miserable with him.

Now let's see how he reacts to a 4 game skid. Hope he keeps smiling.

 

[bsl]

In my shallow analysis:

• We haven't been outplayed (except for the two Leafs losses) so far yet. This is a good sign.
• We've kept the forecheck up and kept our opponents honest, we split the D often and that's a sign of good, established schemes. I'm very impressed.
• We're tougher and faster and better than last year because we're playing to our strengths and not to a rigid system. This, of course, comes at a price: when we execute poorly, it tends to look glaringly bad. Like Emelin's miscues over the little losing streak we had, or over-relying on Markov.
• The special teams have been bad but I trust our penalty kill, we have good instincts on the PK.
• The PP relies on an overlord position and Gionta is not the man to do it. He's not skilled enough, big enough (to actually see the lanes) or strong enough to slam into the crease. Our PP is bad because it's static and I'm worried about it.
• David Desharnais, his mini-pointstreak aside, has been ****. He's slow, he can't win a faceoff and he's downright awful defensively. He can ONLY play the "exploit/PP" role but honestly, we need him to do more. The next third of the season will shape our fortunes with regards this to guy - he's a very talented player but he's not an NHL centre in the usual sense, he lacks all the fundamentals a centre should have. He succeeded last year for a variety of reasons, chiefly the system we played didn't believe in forechecking whatsoever therefore he would exploit the trap and set off and make a pass to his two hulking wingers. He can't do it this year and he's been exposed.
• Erik Cole has been getting far too much heat. He's been drawing penalties and moving his feet as good as anyone. He's never been a sniper and he doesn't have the hands for it, he just needs to play with someone like Pleks or Gally (you know, real centres) and he's going to produce. Also, on the PP he screens the goalie as well as any. I'm really not worried about him, he's big and fast and can crash the net and DOES crash the net. Unlike...
• Brian Gionta is first on my pooplist with a big, smudgy brown bullet. He's a charlatan and he wouldn't even be on the 1st line of an AHL team with his deplorable hockey sense. EVERY. SINGLE. PLAY. dies on his stick. He backchecks very well but then gifts the breakout pass right to the opposition because he's too damn stupid with the puck - exhausting both himself and his increasingly frustrated linemates. His stick is so short (I wonder why...) he whiffs on the easiest tap-ins and one-timers and he always has to resort to his patented crappy snap-shot. He's 0.5ppg so far and I really don't expect him to suddenly wake up - he can't start crashing the net, he can't start winning the puck on the dump-and-chase and he can't even score on an open net. If this is the Gionta we're stuck with and if it continues, he's buy-out fodder. **** this guy, he's been crap.
• On a brighter note Plekanec is our offensive MVP. What a guy, he's just a great hockey player and he might be chippy between the whistles but he's a competitor. He's really grown up with and within our organization and I'm proud to have him as our #1 centre.
• I have no idea how good Galchenyuk is going to be, I can't project him as the next Jumbo Joe or Staal or anything. I just like what I see and hope he starts threading passes and sniping in some wristers like we know he can. He's still a bit timid out there but until he really bites more than he could chew, It's good to rely on him a fair bit and give him a trial by fire.
• Bouillon has proved me wrong. He's been good, except on the PP but whatever.
• Blah blah about Prust, Markov, Bourque, Patches, Gorges, Diaz, Emelin. Yeah they're good. We know.
• Armstrong is playing like he's afraid of getting injured. I hope he opens up a bit and starts crashing and banging with a little more tenacity.
• Price is our MVP. That's it, enough said.

But seriously, demote Gionta, promote Eller and get a lineup that looks like this if you want to get DD and Cole going. This also keeps the three main "duos" of the team intact (Pleks-Bourque, DD-Patches, Gally-Gally).

Bourque - Pleks - Cole
Pacioretty - Eller -DD
Gallagher - Galchenyuk - Gionta
Moen - White - Prust
ex. Armdog

We could get into the specific tactical nuances of the new Therrien system but a winning streak kinda glosses over a lot of the details. We need to struggle a little bit, play on the road more, in order to get an idea of a) how the team plays in general and b) how the team reacts to adversity.

How would the Habs look against Chicago? Pretty fine I'd say. How would the Habs look against St-Louis? Probably terrible, but I hope not.

Good thorough post.

I agree that Gio has been ****, but do not underestimate him. He will get better this year.

 

[bsl]

As for it tearing me apart... why? You know I'm a Hab fan right? I don't care if we deal away all our prospects, do the opposite of everything I've argued and win a cup. I just want us to win a cup... that's all.

LG: Absolutely consistent, as usual. This is what people do not get.

 

[Kriss E]

You haven't been reading my posts closely enough then. I've said that we have the best young core we've had in eons.

Saying that we're not good enough to win now doesn't mean I don't think we'll be good enough to win in the next few years. Adding Galchenyuk makes a huge difference. Price and Subban are both aces... add in Max and that's a pretty good group to build with. Plus we've got a bunch of blueline prospects that look pretty good too.

Not to mention, in a shortened season, it's always tougher to predict and there's always surprises.

But yea, our future is looking brighter, once guys like Gionta and Cole get replaced by more capable and hungry youngsters.
I always believed Eller had top 6 potential, and I really wish he'd get his shot. The possibility of having Galchenyuk, Eller and Plek as our 3 top centers is very interesting.

 

[Kjell Dahlin]

Pas le temps de niaiser!

Seriously, major thumbs up to Therrien. I especially liked it when he gave hell to a Philadelphia player (I don’t remember who it was)... as someone already mentioned, it's good to see a coach with a freakin' pulse behind the bench.

He sure pushed the right button regarding Eller; I guess he does not hate him after all eh!?

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

LG: Absolutely consistent, as usual. This is what people do not get.

As far as being negative goes... let's face it, over the past decade there's been lots to be negative about. We've finally done some proper rebuilding though and it's paying off.

Not to mention, in a shortened season, it's always tougher to predict and there's always surprises.

But yea, our future is looking brighter, once guys like Gionta and Cole get replaced by more capable and hungry youngsters.
I always believed Eller had top 6 potential, and I really wish he'd get his shot. The possibility of having Galchenyuk, Eller and Plek as our 3 top centers is very interesting.

I don't understand why we haven't given Eller more of a chance. It's one thing to write the guy off but to do it without giving him an opportunity to show you what he can do is a whole other story.

Even if we do decide to trade him, it only makes sense to start playing him with better players to showcase him.

 

[Habaddict]

LG: Absolutely consistent, as usual. This is what people do not get.

I'm a fan from the days when winning ONE Stanley Cup was a bad stretch.

But the world changes. I'll cheer for a competitive team, and dream of a
contender.

 

[TennisMenace]

No need to repeat the all goods, but MT has to get the most praise of them all.

Concerns:
Cole
Armstrong
Our play against bigger physical teams like Leafs and Booins.

 

[BlackStar]

Who has impressed you the most?

Gallagher. I believed that he would be a good goal scorer for us on our top 6 one day, I didn't know he would be a good goal-scorer for us as early as this year.

Who has been disappointing?

Moen has disappointed me most out of the three. Moen has always been a noticeable player on the ice since he joined our team, this year though, he's been hardly noticeable for most of the games. Prust and White have been most of the job when it comes to bringing energy and physicality, Moen needs to join them.

What do you guys think about MT's job so far?

He's doing a great job. I'd like for him to give Markov less time though, only because Markov is looking tired. I'd like for him to give PK more time since PK can handle lots of minutes, and this would help Markov and the team a lot.

What Has Been Your Favorite Moment Of The Season So Far?

Therrien's work with Eller, and the two Gallys.

Discuss, your thoughts so far on the season !

This is a good team, yet there is still much more to be learned.

 

[Habaddict]

No need to repeat the all goods, but MT has to get the most praise of them all.

Concerns:
Cole
Armstrong
Our play against bigger physical teams like Leafs and Booins.

Habs played really well against the Bruins. A one goal loss isn't always a
case of being outplayed. And philly also intimidated us with their size, and
physical play. In recent memory we've had very good seasons against both
those teams. Losing to the Leafs twice is ugly. Thinking we have a problem
with big/physical teams is delusional.

 

[Analyzer*]

What I like:

11 wins, 8 different goal scorers for the GWG

Goal scoring seems to be somewhat spread out.

Budaj had 2 shaky games, but once he had a focused, rested team in front of him, he did well and so did the team.

Diaz is 2g and 2 assists off his totals from last year in 59 games.

 

[CHarlie]

I'm loving this season except for those two painful loses to Toronto at home......................

 

[habs_24x]

Bourque has impressed me the most. I truly expected him to be insignificant.
Also Therrien has done a fine job. Another wrong prediction...
Diaz is looking good as well. Very impressive on both ends of the ice.

Let downs so far for me are Gionta and Cole. I expected both to be much better than they are playing.
Armstrong i saw as a useless signing and i dont think his play has done anything to change my opinion. I guess he does well on the PK so theres that.

Favorite moment so far was Galchenyuk's first goal.

Thoughts :

Love Prust. yes even a 2.5 mil a year.
The wheels on the Gally's are winning us games.
Our defence is solid. Right down to Bouillon who has impressed me given his age and size. Hes another signing i didnt want. Wrong again.
Pleky is a really good player. I never want to trade him.

 

[habsfannj]

Cant believe the job MT is doing. i was one of those hating the hiring of him Im eating crow right now. low points are the losses to Toronto other than that what a year to this point lets keep it going

 

[Kriss E]

As far as being negative goes... let's face it, over the past decade there's been lots to be negative about. We've finally done some proper rebuilding though and it's paying off.

I don't understand why we haven't given Eller more of a chance. It's one thing to write the guy off but to do it without giving him an opportunity to show you what he can do is a whole other story.

Even if we do decide to trade him, it only makes sense to start playing him with better players to showcase him.

There's 3 things I don't get with this management so far.
1- The lack of opportunity Eller is getting, not to mention being in the dog house right after 1 game (where nobody looked good).

2- The PK contract situation and his ice time so far.

3- the absolute waste of a prospect we are creating in Weber. Not sure we'd even get a 7th round pick for him at this point.

 

[Teufelsdreck]

There's 3 things I don't get with this management so far.
1- The lack of opportunity Eller is getting, not to mention being in the dog house right after 1 game (where nobody looked good).

2- The PK contract situation and his ice time so far.

3- the absolute waste of a prospect we are creating in Weber. Not sure we'd even get a 7th round pick for him at this point.

You're reading last month's newspapers. Eller's ice time is increasing, as is PK's ice time (he was the last of the regulars to show up), and Weber has played himself virtually off the roster (are you oblivious to his forgettable season(s)?). The management is fine, I assure you.

 

[Kriss E]

You're reading last month's newspapers. Eller's ice time is increasing, as is PK's ice time (he was the last of the regulars to show up), and Weber has played himself virtually off the roster (are you oblivious to his forgettable season(s)?). The management is fine, I assure you.

No, I'm not.

Eller's played over 15min once in the last 5 games. He played around 12-13min for most of it. Actually, in his last 5 games, only once did he play more than his current season average of ice time per game. He still gets little PP ice time, less than 1min per game, and he is always the odd man out of the top 9 despite having guys like Cole or Gionta contribute less. So no, he hasn't been getting much more opportunities. The reason why you think that is because every time he's on the ice you're noticing him for doing something nice.

PK's still not playing much on the PK, when he is arguably our best PK player along with Gorges. He played over 20min twice in the last 5 games, yesterday being less than 18. I also don't like him being on the 3rd pair, just like I'm not happy with Emelin facing the toughest guys next to Markov.

Weber played 10 minutes so far this year. How can someone with so little ice time play himself off the roster.
What you're saying can be applied to Kaberle, who was given a fair chance right from the start. Weber played once, and got 10min of ice time, with just over 1 min on his bread and butter (the PP). Sorry, but that's not what I consider a fair chance.

Armstrong has been useless most of the year. Dress 7 Dman, give Weber a chance to prove his worth, try to get his value up. Keeping him in the press box is absolutely useless. Not only that, but it's really bad for his development.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

No, I'm not.

Eller's played over 15min once in the last 5 games. He played around 12-13min for most of it. Actually, in his last 5 games, only once did he play more than his current season average of ice time per game. He still gets little PP ice time, less than 1min per game, and he is always the odd man out of the top 9 despite having guys like Cole or Gionta contribute less. So no, he hasn't been getting much more opportunities. The reason why you think that is because every time he's on the ice you're noticing him for doing something nice.

PK's still not playing much on the PK, when he is arguably our best PK player along with Gorges. He played over 20min twice in the last 5 games, yesterday being less than 18. I also don't like him being on the 3rd pair, just like I'm not happy with Emelin facing the toughest guys next to Markov.

Weber played 10 minutes so far this year. How can someone with so little ice time play himself off the roster.
What you're saying can be applied to Kaberle, who was given a fair chance right from the start. Weber played once, and got 10min of ice time, with just over 1 min on his bread and butter (the PP). Sorry, but that's not what I consider a fair chance.

Armstrong has been useless most of the year. Dress 7 Dman, give Weber a chance to prove his worth, try to get his value up. Keeping him in the press box is absolutely useless. Not only that, but it's really bad for his development.

I don't get the lack of playing time for PK either.

 

[Maelpj*]

Everybody is gonna disagree, but I wasn't THAT impressed by the way we were playing EVEN during our 5 win streak. We were playing good, but we weren't dominating the other club. I didn't think we deserved the win vs Rangers.

Gionta is a joke. The dude can't handle the puck, can't create something offensively, loose battle in the corner, can't finish the chance created by Pec/ Bourque.

Pac and DD were in fire tonight.. Not Cole. The old man can't follow those guy, and putting Cole with the Gally would be an error. He would only slow them.

Subban is now on the second PP wave? Seriously? Markov had a bad game today, and Therrien kept putting Markov and Diaz on the first wave.. Can we " arreter de niaise" like MT would say, and give this dude some fuking ice time?

 

[Maelpj*]

And Price.. yeah him the MESSIAN, still didn't helped the team. Without saying is a bad goaler, Price seems like a Goally who follow the team. If they play great, he play great. But when we play bad, he is not the type of goalie who is gonna steel the game for us. Seriously. there is not a lot of goaler who can win game by themselve, Price is a no1 goaler, but people are seriously overrating him.