What does Lars Eller have to do?

[optimus2861]

Eller is also rubbing off on Prust and Sekac. Each game that goes by they are supporting each other better as seen by Eller's goal last night. Both Prust and Sekac went straight to the net when Eller had the puck. You win with guys like these 3 who don't give up on a play, and help their D to get the puck out of their zone.

Glad I'm not the only one who saw that. Of our four lines, the Prust-Eller-Sekac line was the only line that played like a cohesive unit on Saturday night. The three of them move with purpose in the offensive zone, backcheck consistently, support the breakout, move the puck up the ice well, and just generally look good out there. Eller & Sekac move the puck well and Prust is great at supporting them along the boards.

The other forward lines all look incoherent. Patches - DD - PAP play lazy hockey, constantly looking for long-bomb passes, and PAP looks like the odd man out because the "golden duo" only have eyes for each other (I long for the day those two are busted up for good!). Chucky - Pleks - Gally don't seem to mesh together particularly well despite their talent. Chucky likes to be the one with the puck, but that's the center's role, not the winger's. Gally's not a "finish pretty play" type, he's a "bang & crash" type, which doesn't seem to complement Chucky's blossoming skills. And Pleks is kind of caught between those play styles. The fourth line ... well, Malhotra wins faceoffs, then not a lot else happens there. Bournival can't get back soon enough to add some speed down there.

 

[Rapala]

Glad I'm not the only one who saw that. Of our four lines, the Prust-Eller-Sekac line was the only line that played like a cohesive unit on Saturday night. The three of them move with purpose in the offensive zone, backcheck consistently, support the breakout, move the puck up the ice well, and just generally look good out there. Eller & Sekac move the puck well and Prust is great at supporting them along the boards.

The other forward lines all look incoherent. Patches - DD - PAP play lazy hockey, constantly looking for long-bomb passes, and PAP looks like the odd man out because the "golden duo" only have eyes for each other (I long for the day those two are busted up for good!). Chucky - Pleks - Gally don't seem to mesh together particularly well despite their talent. Chucky likes to be the one with the puck, but that's the center's role, not the winger's. Gally's not a "finish pretty play" type, he's a "bang & crash" type, which doesn't seem to complement Chucky's blossoming skills. And Pleks is kind of caught between those play styles. The fourth line ... well, Malhotra wins faceoffs, then not a lot else happens there. Bournival can't get back soon enough to add some speed down there.

Eller despite being our best player down the stretch two years ago and being our best forward in last year's playoffs is very underestimated and even unappreciated in Montreal.
I have always maintained that Eller is part of the core group pushing for a cup, part of the solution.
I'm not sure looking at our situation up the middle how anyone could think otherwise?
I don't think i've seen one trade proposal with his name involved that was even remotely doable.
Many fans can't understand the details that go in to making a player or a line effective other than points.

 

[Smokey Thompson]

Eller despite being our best player down the stretch two years ago and being our best forward in last year's playoffs is very underestimated and even unappreciated in Montreal.
I have always maintained that Eller is part of the core group pushing for a cup, part of the solution.
I'm not sure looking at our situation up the middle how anyone could think otherwise?
I don't think i've seen one trade proposal with his name involved that was even remotely doable.
Many fans can't understand the details that go in to making a player or a line effective other than points.

Grant said it best... some posters here would be fooled into believe Desharnais is a more effective player than Backes, because at the end of the day all they look at is point production.

A player like Lars will never hit 50 points, maybe not even 40 (without a ton of luck) in his current situation. But I'm not sure how many players are actually able to score 40-50 even strength points.

Lars' on ice play is what he should be appreciated by. His hard work in his own zone and his incredible strength on the puck when carrying it down the ice. When he has the puck down low, he almost always outmuscles his defender and comes out with the puck, simply putting it on net and resulting in a goal chance. If he doesn't have the puck, he plants his big frame infront of the goal, luring 1-2 dmen to him and clearing up space for his wingers.

If you look at his stats on behind-the-net, he's been a horse this season. he starts close to 40% of his shifts in the DFZ and ends 60% of them in the OFZ. He's also 4th on the team in terms of possession, despite the tough competition and zone starts. Yet he'll go 4-5 games without scoring and he'll be the whipping boy once again.

 

[Scintillating10]

Bourque and a combination of Gionta and Weise IIRC.

Eller played his best hockey last year in playoffs, when Bourque played well. Since Bourque/Moen been traded and playing with Sekac, Eller is noticeably better. Gionta was usually good for 20 goals also. How about taking Prust off his line and putting a more offensive player with Eller and Sekac? Have an idea he should play like he did in last year's playoffs.

 

[Kachino]

Bourque and a combination of Gionta and Weise IIRC.

Yeah he played with Bourque and Gionta at first and then it was Weise. Still can't believe Gionta was playing on a huge majority of the playoffs PPs until Therrien sat him.

 

[missthenet]

He's quiet and humble because he's hoping nobody notices how bad he is.

hahahah

 

[PhysicX]

To answer the thread's title, Lars needs to do those these three things:

1. Change his name to Larsse Héllaire
2. Learn to speak fluently French
3. Become a Canadian citizen

 

[Habs 4 Life]

He needs to injure DD in practice, that's what he needs to do!

 

[HBDay]

He needs to injure DD in practice, that's what he needs to do!

DD and P.K. are injury proof.

 

[Hoople]

He needs to injure DD in practice, that's what he needs to do!

This is why bad things happen to the Habs.

Pathetic to wish for injury on any player, especially one that plays for the team you are supposedly a fan of.

 

[Grant McCagg]

He needs to injure DD in practice, that's what he needs to do!

He has been seen hanging around with his cousin Jesper Gillooly.

 

[Rosso Scuderia]

Was Eller on line with Bourque in last year's playoffs? Forget now

Eller played with Bourque and Gionta against the Lightning, Bruins and the first 2-3 games against the Rangers.. then Weise replaced Gio for 2 games.

 

[bentheprop]

This is why bad things happen to the Habs.

Pathetic to wish for injury on any player, especially one that plays for the team you are supposedly a fan of.

You might want to work on your reading comprehension. Joking that Eller would have to injure DD in practice to get PP time and saying I hope DD gets injured are quite different.

 

[Grant McCagg]

This is why bad things happen to the Habs.

Pathetic to wish for injury on any player, especially one that plays for the team you are supposedly a fan of.

Just as pathetic pandering to an individual player instead of the team. You have taken "resignation" to a whole new level in being saliently satisfied with Desharnais being the club's top offensive center. Twenty four games from now if Eller has 15 goals and Desharnais has four..are you STILL going to oppose EVERY poster who dares suggest that Eller should get some of the anointed one's precious offensive minutes or even, heaven forbid..play a few shifts with Pacioretty?

Just yesterday you admitted that you wish Desharnais wasn't on the team..yet you chastise people who want him traded or demoted and you condemn people who wish he was on the injury list. What wish is left? Sit back and enjoy it?

Of course it's not "nice" to wish or joke about a player getting injured, but I can't say the thought hasn't crossed my mind over the past month. I have definitely wanted him scratched...not a big jump to want him to get a bobo when the healthy scratch or reduction in ice time, or being taken away from the team's top offensive weapon NEVER happens.

That is how plainly obvious it has become for quite a few Hab fans that Desharnais is being pandered to undeservedly....they would even wish he sustained an injury. You're right ..it is pathetic...pathetic that it has come to this point.

My personal preference is a demotion...he's "earned" it. I keep picturing a line of Eller, Sekac and Patch dominating along the boards and producing. Desharnais gets to keep one of his linemates in PAP..and Prust could add grit to the line and giver his smaller linemates more space. Play him about 15 minutes per game with some secondary power play time if he earns it. For a 28-year-old earning $3.5M per season..that is more than fair usage. If he mopes about it and sucks even more..sit him and deal him. If he wroks harder, produces as well or better..he's a useful part. If Eller sucks playing with the team's best forward...switch them back after a look see.

Sad to say that the only way it's ever going to sink into Therrien's head that others can center Patch is if Desharnais is taken out of the lineup, be it through injury or trade...as he will apparently never scratch or demote him again...if anything he is determined to give him even more opportunity. Hell...he trotted him out to shoot second in the shootout the other night..the player who has gone half a season with no even strength goals and who has been cold in shootouts gets to shoot second. Not 12th, or 18th as is deserved...second. It's never going to change unless something drastic happens. Therrien is more interested in trying to get a 15-goal scorer "going" than securing a win for his club..that's how blatant the favouritism and stubbornness has become..it is a big part of Therrien's agenda, pandering to a 5-6 middle of the pack NHLer. The French media and apparently the English media aren't going to catch on unless the team severely goes in the tank. Not sure how that would be good for the team.
Desharnais traded or injured or Therrien fired. The majority of Hab fans would like one of those three things to happen, an injury being the last resort. MT isn't getting fired and DD is apparently not getting dealt...it leaves one disturbing option to "joke" about.

 

[WeThreeKings]

At least Tony Marinaro tweeted out Desharnais ineptitude at scoring 5 on 5 to the masses.

Hopefully some more media pressure will force something..

 

[Rapala]

At least Tony Marinaro tweeted out Desharnais ineptitude at scoring 5 on 5 to the masses.

Hopefully some more media pressure will force something..

It will take a few more turnovers ending up in the back of our net.
DD has been fortunate more of those haven't bit him.
I laughed last game when they blamed his turnover on PAP.

 

[Habsawce]

He should go to the courthouse and change his name to David Desharnais and then just go out there and stand between PAP and Patches and refuse to leave.

 

[S Bah]

Eller just needs to keep working hard and soon the Habs next 3rd line center will arrive, possibly McCarron, when the London Knights season ends. Wishing for DD to disappear will leave a huge whole at center for the Habs until another center is available. No team in the NHL is trading away good centers for cheap, teams need to develop their own centers or end up losing players like McDonagh for Gomez again. So hang in there, the future is coming quickly enough and rushing prospects only ruins their confidence.

 

[Hoople]

Hey Grant McCagg.

You have the most inside track to Habs management than anyone else on this board. You like to throw out your conversations with Timmins all the time.

Instead of spending time here complaining about DD, why don't you use your connections to get something done? Do it for the Habs Grant. Convince Trevor that it's ok to have more players on the Habs roster who are taller than he is.

Please help up Grant! We all hate resignation.

 

[number 11]

At least Tony Marinaro tweeted out Desharnais ineptitude at scoring 5 on 5 to the masses.

Hopefully some more media pressure will force something..

Only mayor Coderre can help DD now

 

[Kriss E]

Hey Grant McCagg.

You have the most inside track to Habs management than anyone else on this board. You like to throw out your conversations with Timmins all the time.

Instead of spending time here complaining about DD, why don't you use your connections to get something done? Do it for the Habs Grant. Convince Trevor that it's ok to have more players on the Habs roster who are taller than he is.

Please help up Grant! We all hate resignation.

Way to display this rationality of yours

 

[WakeUpNHL]

There is nothing Eller can do... it's well known that Therrrien hates intolerence to other peoples cultures and the Dutch.

 

[CanadienShark]

I still see our long term top six centres as Galchenyuk and Eller. He's being groomed for Plekanec's old role - a great two way centre with **** wingers.

 

[Rapala]

There is nothing Eller can do... it's well known that Therrrien hates intolerence to other peoples cultures and the Dutch.

Dutch Gretzky?

 

[CanadienShark]

They should try Galchenyuk-Eller-Sekac for a game and give Plekanec Pacioretty. Oh, it will never happen but I think it could be really dynamite and Eller has earned it. He's taken a lot of crap over the years and has been a true professional and worked hard to improve his trade.

Throw the man a bone for christ sake before he says "screw it" and shuts it down for this coach.

I'd sooner see:

Pacioretty - Eller - PAP
Sekac - Plekanec - Gallagher
Bournival - Galchenyuk - DD (shelter the living **** out of them)