tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3435571560723564995.post9128865953203801647..comments2023-06-01T21:15:57.354-11:00Comments on The H Does NOT Stand For Habs: Dreading the DeadlineJ.T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00012075493503316318noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3435571560723564995.post-20645998406709585422010-03-02T13:59:26.410-11:002010-03-02T13:59:26.410-11:00Sadly J.T. we are both smart enough to know the an...Sadly J.T. we are both smart enough to know the answers to your questions. The day Geoff Molson made Gauthier our new GM without performing due diligence in seeking out the best possible candidate our fate was sealed. It is status quo on the good ship Titanic. Nothing short of a disaster of epic proportions will cause change in Montreal. Dollars and profit are the driving factors not something so crazy as long term thinking and the Stanley Cup.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3435571560723564995.post-64837959624318653822010-03-02T09:10:12.625-11:002010-03-02T09:10:12.625-11:00Churchill - "There is nothing to fear, but fe...Churchill - "There is nothing to fear, but fear itself". <br /><br />Relax a little bit and let's see what Gauthier actually does as GM before we judge him. The talks between Gauthier and Plek's agent will progress as they see fit. Worrying about who has the upperhand at this point serves no useful purpose, especially when we have absolutely no idea what has been discussed and what the tone of the talks have been.<br /><br />I also think management is well aware that they haven't won the cup in 17 years. I don't see them denying it, but I also don't expect them to dwell on it. I expect them to relentlessly focus on winning the cup while we fans get to sit back and second guess their every real and imagined move.DBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08774116563390591423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3435571560723564995.post-24253255688110362072010-03-02T05:11:36.448-11:002010-03-02T05:11:36.448-11:00excellent post, as always.
it really is getting ha...excellent post, as always.<br />it really is getting harder everyday to be a habs fan.jew4jahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01401172509139085849noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3435571560723564995.post-63288182408591537672010-03-02T03:41:42.035-11:002010-03-02T03:41:42.035-11:00The habs remind me of a sputtering engine. Perhap...The habs remind me of a sputtering engine. Perhaps there is a major malfunction requiring a complete tear-down and rebuild, or perhaps the engine just needs a timing adjustment or new spark plugs to start purring. So let's look at the components. Goaltending and special teams are among the best in the league, no problem there. But the team is among the league's worst in goals for, 5-5 goals, shots for, and shots against. They should be one of the leagues's worst teams based on those stats, yet somehow they are holding a playoff spot. How do you explain all of this? No wonder Habs fans are confused and in need of therapy.<br /><br />Looking at some of the other components, our top two lines (both forwards and defense) have been good when healthy, and 7 of the 10 top line players are positive in plus/minus on a minus team. (Gionta, Gomez and Hamrlik are minus). The Olympic tournament showed that any top line can be shut down, so you need two lines that can score if you want to win, and the 3rd and 4th line need to chip in an occasional goal. I think our second line can be effective with AK back and SK playing well, and even better with Cammalleri back. <br /><br />But when you look at Montreal's bottom two lines, it gets ugly. D'Agostini, White, Lapierre, Bergeron, Mara, and Pyatt are all double digit minus in plus/minus, despite only playing 8-15 minutes a game. They get badly outplayed 5 on 5 and give up a lot of shots. This is where the engine is sputtering. They need a 3rd and 4th line that can compete. Darche has been a pleasant surprise, giving some jam to the forecheck a la Brenden Morrow, just not as fast. Is Dominic Moore an upgrade? Hard to say yet. Moore-SK-Darche, Metro-Moen-Lapierre does seem like an upgrade on the 3rd and 4th lines we have had with the likes of Laraque, Bergeron and D'Agostini. Metro and Moen started the season well, but have really tampered off, and Lapierre has been aweful all season. They may lose their jobs to some of the kids coming up. Pyatt has seemed to elevate his game on his second call up, so maybe the 3rd and 4th lines need to be mostly bulldogs. <br /><br />On defense there are definitely some components that need replacing. I think the top 4 are fine, but they need an upgrade in depth defensemen, the 5th, 6th and 7th guys need to be better. Maybe Gill as a PK specialist and small minutes is okay as the 7th guy. You can keep O'Byrne and hope he keeps improving, but he needs a stronger playing partner. If the habs can land a bonefide NHL defenseman to play with O'Byrne, maybe the engine starts purring. Maybe Subban is ready?<br /><br />To summarize, I don't think a complete rebuild is required. One impact defenseman before the deadline, and finding a way to improve play from the 3rd and 4th line from within the resources of the organization, and maybe the engine starts to rev like we have seen at times.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3435571560723564995.post-35443109471671872702010-03-02T03:20:42.404-11:002010-03-02T03:20:42.404-11:00JT:
-important point you make re Curran holding a...JT:<br /><br />-important point you make re Curran holding all the cards post 3 pm tomorrow and one I forgot given the Olympic break<br /><br />-given the past 7 years as his history as the chief of pro scouting, Gauthier and excellence are strangers. your fear is shared by many--who and what gets sacrificed in this yearly ad nausea drive just to make the playoffs rather than build a superior team<br /><br />-pfhabshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05116906615296671918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3435571560723564995.post-29965176672377510212010-03-02T03:12:15.337-11:002010-03-02T03:12:15.337-11:00Let's hope that he pleasantly surprises us all...Let's hope that he pleasantly surprises us all.Anvilcloudhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07974744042579564912noreply@blogger.com