- Crap crap crap. Habs come back a bit in their 5-4 loss, but really need to learn to play defense. Your October player of the month TFS made a bunch of great saves, but also let in a weak one, maybe two. More later today, if one of us can stomach it;
- At least the Leafs lose too;
- As do the B's;
- Pens tie an NHL record with their 7th straight road win to stat the season;
- Nucks take care of the Rangers.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
The Morning Skate for Wednesday, November 4th
Bullet points for what you missed while dreaming of geeking out with Olivia Munn...
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9 comments:
I know it's been said before. But, however much the D sucks Halak has played behind of the same steaming shitpile and won some games. Yeah, they were against 'easy' teams, but he won against an Atlanta team that actually had Kovulchuk.
The point is Gainey et al brought Price up too early and it's showing. He can't handle the pressure. He's defensive with the media and he's punching holes in the wall in dressing rooms.
I'm pretty sick of the defence of Price. Yeah, ok, he could be great. Fine. But he's not great now and I don't think rolling him out every now and again to get embarrassed is a good thing. He made some good saves? Ok, sure. He lost the game. He lost the game. He lost the game.
I feel like I have to repeat this to not lose my mind with all the reports with how awesome he is. CJAD said last night, "It's unfortunate that his GAA is going to look so bad because of one game in Vancouver". Well, kids, that's because he sucked. Do you think we should give him a pass and forget that particular game because, hell, he won the WJC a few years back. That's the problem, when he's not good people excuse it because we expect more.
I'm sorry to say it, but for all the hype the French media puts on the Frenchies on the team, the English media is just as responsible in the case of one Price, Carrey. The kid might be fantastic...one day. But we'll never know because Gainey can't admit his mistake and let him develop naturally.
The D is awful, lord is it so. But the Habs should have won last night. They could have scored 8-10 goals against a lesser goalie at the other end. The 5-4 score doesn't indicate a goalie battle, but that's what it came down to.
And that's my rant. I'll shut up about it now.
Have to agree with the above supporter of either mediocre NCAA teams or Northern Irish protestants.
I think FCW will be great and may be on a similar path as M-A Fleury, but he's not the guy right now. Soft goals will happen, but Price consistently allows them at very inopportune times (like the Popovic goal last night).
That said, this team is proper-fucked if someone other than GMS and Pleks doesn't step up. They're on a fast path to mediocrity and general shittiness without a real second line. (you know, because it looks like we'll have to score 4 every night to win)
I'm confused, and perhaps you are too, by too much drug use, and also by why the Habs play shit sometimes, so I thought of this:
Everything I am about to write could be wrong, and in fact we could be in Mogadishu. Don't forget that.
It appears to me that something has changed the last twenty, especially the last five, years in the NHL. It is this: I have never seen such young players achieve immediate success as they do now.
To give you context, the Habs are in my blood; the first live match I saw was at the Forum against the Blues in 71. There were many others after that. And do you know, we watched Guy Lafleur in frustration those first three years he played. But we gave him time, as he was just a kid and he needed time to adapt to the NHL.
Today, I find the Penguins to be the ultimate example of the new NHL. Perhaps it is just jealousy, but it irks me that a 22 year old boy like Crosby can develop into a cup winning captain so quickly.
In order then to explain my (and your, if you wil allow it) confusion on the Habs shittiness, this is my grand idea: I think that the NHL has become cynical. I think the road to success now is to tank, and tank often, until you pick up three or four young stars. Surround these boys with men, tough and skilled veteran free agents, get a solid goalie, and you're almost there.
If you are confused by the Habs, as I am, I think it might be that we have not joined this cynical club yet.
This leaves one question however: Why is someone as young as Crosby able to succeed so quickly now?
My answer is that Wayne Gretzky changed everything. For the first time in my experience, with Gretz, NHL players had to treat a fellow player with deference not deserved or earned. You were not allowed to hit Gretzky with full violence, as he was the first player ever used as a marketing tool by the NHL.
Did you know that Bobby Orr was very often hit very hard his first three years? Sometimes, often, brutally, with intent to injure. Did you know that Gordie Howe himself elbowed Orr in the head, with the intent to injure and subdue him? Howe did. Orr had to earn his way, like Lafleur, like Howe himself did. There was no deference or marketing plan for Orr.
Does this mean Hockey is worse? No, I think not. I think k it is better and faster now than ever. Who would like to see Ovie permanently injured by some thug?
What it might also mean however is that development no longer matters, and marketable young stars obtained by finishing last are what matters.
Perhaps this provides some answer to your, and my, confusion with the Habs!
Cheers,
JHK
I am trading Price in my Hockey pool...nuff said
I agree with aninymous about teams tanking (on purpose?) and getting good draft picks. look at Pittsburgh and Chicago.
but then there's LA who although consistently tanking as not done so well or even Tampa Bay outside of 2004.
but then there are teams like detroit who without ever relying on shit play manages to draft very well.
head scratching is more than called for.
my God Jeff that was some coherent analysis on your part. you feeling ok?
@ Dissapointed: Good luck with that one. His value is in the toilet right now. I was offered Lee Fucking Stempniak for him. 'nuff said.
Let me throw down some other thoughts as we attempt to come to some type of understanding about this teams Goaltending dilema and most specifically ''Dollar $ign''.
Ever since the Dec 02 1995 Roy fiasco everyone who has any attachment what so ever to the Habs have been seeking and awaiting the second coming of Plante-Dryden-Roy. This hunt has been driven by rabid fans with expecations built on a dream created over a particular era of 1955 to 60, 1964 to 69 and 1975 to 79's. The current search has been fueled by the never ending media hounds who fuel not only the fans passion but their unreal expectations
The harsh reality, no different then with any other team is we were extremely fortunate to have had the quality of goaltending we enjoyed for so many seasons and so many Stanely Cups. Very few teams if any have ever achieved greatness (Lord Stanley's Cup)without being supported by a Goalie with the ability to steal games in a variety of different manners. In fact steal series. Some of these teams only get 1 year of true greatness out of their goalie (most recent example Ward in Carolina). Few go on year after year to drive the same team to the finals and the cup. Think about which goalies have actually stood the test of time over the last 20 years; Roy, Brodeur, Hasek, Osgood.
In the last 20 years 1989 to 2009 there have been 13 different winners of the stanely cup compared to 6 winners from 1969 to 1989. The Conn Smythe winners from 89 to 2009 included 5 goalies; Roy(2), Ranford, Vernon, Giguere and Ward. So 6 out of 20 years a Goalie took home the MVP.
The sad fact is that the Habs Management in an attempt to fill the legendary pads of the likes of Plante-Dryden-Roy has been driven into a corner more then once on the goaltending issue. Now unfortunately it is playing out again under the name of ''Price''. Add to this fact the disgusting record of the Habs in handling young developing talent (especially the last 20 years) and you have what we have now. A disaster. The harsh reality is Price is good, but not great. Could he be great? Perhaps. In my mind however it is unlikely. My belief is Prices chances of reaching a higher standard in the league will only happen while wearing the unform of another team. Why? Because this city chews up its young and spits them out. They become unusable, tarnished, tainted and skewed by the process. So yes i know he will likely come back to haunt us...but such is the NHL and the Montreal Canadiens. Regardless this team as it stands today would do no better if they turned the net around backwards.
I'm of the opinion that if you score four goals that should be good for a win. If not then something is sucking, and I don't think it's our goaltending. After looking at Carle last night I guess we don't have much down on the farm. What we need is the reincarnation of Larry Fucking Robinson. That would set everything straight.
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