Notes on the third:
-It appears the Habs' PP is observing Earth Hour and shutting off the power. You have to give them credit for caring about the environment.
-I hate Sean Avery as much as any real hockey fan, but I confess it makes me laugh when I remember him calling Brodeur "Fatso."
-I think the Habs are too perfect. They make beautiful plays, but they only get the one shot. Teams that dump and chase and clog the crease get more chances.
-Do the Devils practice grinding the puck off the boards? Because they're really excellent at that.
-Maybe it's possible that in a series, the Habs coaching staff could deconstruct the Devils' system and break it. Ha ha ha!
-There's not much point in playing dump and chase if you're doing all of the dumping and none of the chasing.
-It appears HNIC announcers don't realize Plekanec is playing hurt. They're crapping on him all night.
-If I were Martin, I wouldn't pull Halak, just to deny the Devils the inevitable empty-netter.
-If there's a hockey god, the Habs won't see these arseholes in the playoffs.
Notes on the second:
-One thing I don't understand about the Jersey system: I know it's always the same, no matter who's playing for them, but why do other teams not watch their video and learn from it?
-I really, really hate the Devils. When every penalty taken turns into a goal against, you know it's going to be a bad night.
-I'm not sure what kind of playoff player Pouliot will turn out to be. He's been steadily drifting further to the perimeter since he came back from injury.
-The Habs have given up on the short pass and they're going for the goldmine stretch now.
-And, just when I'm thinking it might be a good idea to trade Andrei Kostitsyn because of his inconsistency, he pulls off a goal like that. Beautiful work by Gomez on that play.
-Jaro! He should be fingerprinted and booked after that steal on Kovalchuk.
-Another thing I don't understand (I'm dumb tonight): Why can they not figure out how to change lines properly? How hard is "get the puck deep" before you go off?
-There should be no "puck battles" on the PP. There's no excuse for the terrible over-passing by the Habs.
-Brodeur lives because he never has to stop a rebound. Hockey Philistines say Halak's weakness is his rebound control. Not so. Every goalie gives up rebounds, but some goalie's defencemen are better at clearing them away.
-If Bergeron is going to be completely pointless at the point on the PP, there's not much point in having him on the fourth line. Darche would at least be standing in front of Brodeur, annoying him. Point finale.
-Metropolit hurt is bad news for the Habs. He's one of the character suppport players you need in the playoffs, like the crispy cracker underneath your nutella.
-If Hammer has no stick, he at least needs to use his ball-peen head to take someone out in front of the net.
-PLEKY! He does NOT look like he's playing hurt.
-It's funny listening to Carbo loving Markov. I wonder if he secretly felt that way all the time he was coaching him?
-Close game going into the third, but I have a feeling it's just the usual Devils tease. They're worse than no-touch strippers.
Notes on the first:
-Pre-game, it was tough to shake the nerves. Brodeur and Chris Lee could add up the perfect storm of doom.
-What a start! The Habs look like they were shot out of a cannon.
-Clarkson and Gill was hilarious. All Gill had to do was hold him at arm's length. It looked like a toddler wrestling with his dad.
-Andrei Kostitsyn is Kovalev Lite: this year's holder of the Most Frustrating Player title.
-I wish Gomez and Gionta knew the secret of destroying Brodeur, and were willing to use it.
-Not much Halak could do on a 4-on-3 with all three of his teammates chasing the puck. But damn, Gorges! If he had any hands on the 2-on-1, that situation would never have developed.
-Heartening news: HNIC says a Plekanec deal is close.
-I really hope the Habs don't meet Jersey in the playoffs. At this point, they're just in Montreal's head.
-Why does every single bounce fall in the Devils' favour? And, if things are supposed to even out in hockey, why does it never change between these two teams?
-The Habs' play in the neutral zone looks like the toilet just after somebody flushed. Circling, circling, circling...
-Well, it's not for lack of trying, but trying isn't good enough against these guys.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
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4 comments:
It's not the system, it's the work ethic. The Devils have it game in and game out, most other teams simply can't match it.
I suspect that the NHL has a lot of good goaltenders. They come and go, sometimes for a season, sometimes for a career. A good goaltender sort of quarterbacks his defense. The D takes the guy or forces the play off, and the goaltender makes the save. Now and then one squirts by, dips, or twists and it is a goal. That is why stick's can only be curved so much, so the puck is predictable.
Martin Brodeur is a good goalie, playing within a structure. That means his team will win more games than it loses. When Scott Stevens or Rob Niedermayer are your first pairing you have a chance at a cup. When they are not punks like Avery get away with things and you go home early.
Hockey is a simple game. For every Guy Lafleur or Jacques Lemaire seeing-eye goal from the boundries of space and time there are a hundred blue jeans in the crease time and opportunity ones. You win with guys like Crosby who can do what it takes.
The team we cheer for is a perimeter team. They play short fast shifts. They are out of gas early, skake aimlessly, and are fair pickings for a good disciplined team that will do what it takes. The lunchbucket crews will always beat the artists in a series, and usually during the season.
How many times has a Montreal sportscaster or blogger said that Price or Halak must stand on their heads for the team to win? A goalie doesn't win a game, on an off night they can lose one. The other 18 guys have to win the game. When some won't carry their share of the load it needs to be addressed, in the locker room, between the men. That is what leadership is about.
Most of the Canadiens are here because they were available to be here. Buckets of talent. They just need a Crosby to show them what has to be paid to be a champion. Leaders are few and far between, and not generally available to be here, but that is what they mean when they say "He elevates the game of those around him." They of course not being the three guys in a bar on George St.
Anybody have the stats for the Habs when Chris Lee is working the game?
Loved the comment from the anonymous guy before and love yout blog JT. I live in Europe and crazy enough still follow the Habs regularly. I watched the game last night and went to bed very late hoping for a late goal (ie for a tie or a win that we did not deserve). The defense is a catastrophy, our offence: a group of tire-pois you would say in french. The game was not that boring as you could expect against Jersey. Correct me if I'm wrong but how frustrating is it to watch a hockey game where EVERYTHING seems so easy for the opponent and all your team is able to reach is hard-earned through a double effort supported by a dosis of luck. The Devils were coming in our zone as there was a free beer party over there. It took everything for us to get the puck out after minutes of trying sometimes...and then we drop the puck in the zone go for a line change and the Devils are back 8 seconds (yes 8 seconds)later in their original spot in our zone skating as they will, looking like there is not even an effort necessary to do so. Frustrating. Spacek, Gill, Hamrlik ($$$) let's do a little makeover to our defence next year and get some grit. Did anyone really feel there was a chance to tie it in the third? Did we have a single opportunity to tie this game? Were we the team trying to score a goal in the third? or the Devils which were eating us alive...? i thought it was a tough night for a Habs fan. Anyway, this was my two cents. Let's hope we make it in the playoffs. Somehow I'm not all that certain anymore. And please if we do, no Brodeur for God's sakes!
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