Pre-Game Talk: 2025 Playoff Round 1 - Game #1 : Montreal at Washington. Monday April 21st

[Boss Man Hughes]

I suspect it will soon be another coach's challenge.

He will be a Hab next season. But if he isn't able to improve his mobilty he may be gone after that.

 

[Kennerback]

At least we have a Russian-speaker now to chirp and get under the skin of Protas and Ovechkin.

 

[HabbyGuy]

Such a incredibly unbelievable season the boys have had. A rollercoaster like none other, we had some of the lowest of lows and also the highest of highs. The journey this team has endured this season to get to where we are now is remarkable, the youngest team in NHL history to make it into the postseason, despite the huge adversities it had to overcome. I don't know how they did this with basically no 2nd line for an entire season, and one of the greenest D's in the league.

It's because of these things, that when put into context, I found it so disheartening listening to the negative rhetoric around here by many. This team deserved all the credit in the world for doing the highly improbable, but I digress. Water under the bridge now I suppose.

I don't expect we'll get very far in these playoffs, but it doesn't matter much, what they've done already is already an amazing accomplishment. But then again, this team has defied all logic all season and are now playing with house money. The dogiest of underdogs with absolutely no pressure or expectation. All of this is gravy and will be of great experience for this team going forward.

I think the habs will stun the Capitals in the 1st game on Monday and take the opener, after that all bets are off. There truly is something magical about the habs and the playoffs, we've seen it time and again. We shall see how this time plays out.

So proud of our team! Go Habs!!

 

[CaptnNemo]

Caufield too, maybe?

Yeah Caufield definitely! He played around 10 games before the playoffs. We played way more games in the playoffs. We played 22 games so almost twice as much for Cole.

 

[ChesterNimitz]

Such a incredibly unbelievable season the boys have had. A rollercoaster like none other, we had some of the lowest of lows and also the highest of highs. The journey this team has endured this season to get to where we are now is remarkable, the youngest team in NHL history to make it into the postseason, despite the huge adversities it had to overcome. I don't know how they did this with basically no 2nd line for an entire season, and one of the greenest D's in the league.

It's because of these things, that when put into context, I found it so disheartening listening to the negative rhetoric around here by many. This team deserved all the credit in the world for doing the highly improbable, but I digress. Water under the bridge now I suppose.

I don't expect we'll get very far in these playoffs, but it doesn't matter much, what they've done already is already an amazing accomplishment. But then again, this team has defied all logic all season and are now playing with house money. The dogiest of underdogs with absolutely no pressure or expectation. All of this is gravy and will be of great experience for this team going forward.

I think the habs will stun the Capitals in the 1st game on Monday and take the opener, after that all bets are off. There truly is something magical about the habs and the playoffs, we've seen it time and again. We shall see how this time plays out.

So proud of our team! Go Habs!!

This playoff will also give Hughes a good indication of which of the veterans that Suzuki so loyally stood up for should be retained or moved in the off season. In fact, this should be a test by fire for the whole organization.

 

[ChesterNimitz]

Why ? You think they ll trade him ? I think just like with Dach they ll want to see a full healthy Season no ?

I think they have seen enough. As I, and many others here have noted, going forward, the team will have many better options. And that edict may apply to several other current roster players. And that is a good thing.

 

[ahmedou]

I heard if we don't qualify to the qualify this season us a learning lesson.

f*** that. The best learning lesson during a season are in the playoffs.

 

[Sam de Mtl]

I heard if we don't qualify to the qualify this season us a learning lesson.

f*** that. The best learning lesson during a season are in the playoffs.

There can be many lessons learned in one season, young Padawan.

 

[Adriatic]

Habs haven’t hosted a playoff game on Saturday night in like 20 years

That can't be right lol

 

[Adam Michaels]

 

[Yukon Cornelius Habs]

The ego on MSL…

 

[HuGo Burner Acc]

Where are we dropping our brackets. Can't wait to see all the bad takes lol

 

[GlassesJacketShirt]

I think they have seen enough. As I, and many others here have noted, going forward, the team will have many better options. And that edict may apply to several other current roster players. And that is a good thing.

I concur. As much as we appreciate the threat of Laine's shot, it appears his presence on the powerplay might have ultimately resulted in cannibalization based on overall results. If his first game ends up being uninspired, I would go so far as to say he shouldn't be penciled into further starting lineups by default.

 

[Yukon Cornelius Habs]

Time to win one for Savard’s ass!

 

[bsl]

Not a lot of PPs in the playoffs, so Laine is useless. Not gonna happen, but i would start him and if he doesn't do ****, I'd sit him too.

They’re not gonna sit Laine. That would be massively idiotic.

 

[Boyon90]

Im in old port rn didnt see slaf around, good for him

 

[habinthepeg]

We definitely aren’t big of an underdog as we were that year, our current team is young but way more talented than the 2010 one, the caps on the other side aren’t as talented as their 2010 version but they’re more balanced. I expect games to be less lopsided and I feel it could go either way

I don't agree.

We had Plekanec, Gomez, Lapierre, and Moore down the middle in 2010. That's miles ahead of whatever we are icing outside of Suzuki now.

 

[bsl]

Pierre Mcguire's really been talking up how the Caps are going to try to pound us. He thinks we'll need Xhekaj and Anderson for push back. Says on Monday for the first 5 minutes Caps are going to be running around trying to hit and hurt us.

Watch out for Wilson. Monster. Habs will need to respond to him.

 

[bsl]

Tonight there were 2-3 high hits on Lane, and I expect that to continue in the playoffs. He's not a secret anymore and will be a target.

Well he’ll have to learn.

 

[McGees]

Not sure if Habs fans are being wilful or delusional but 60% thinking we win this series is pretty crazy
I think we can take a game or 2 so my guess is Caps in 6 if I'm being honest.

 

[McGees]

Time to win one for Savard’s ass!

 

[Habssince89]

I don't agree.

We had Plekanec, Gomez, Lapierre, and Moore down the middle in 2010. That's miles ahead of whatever we are icing outside of Suzuki now.

More and Lapierre and very comparable to Evans and Dvorak let's be real.

The gomez vs newhook comparison is interesting though. Gomez wasn't as bad as some people say, he just was a dumb acquisiton and a horrible contract.

Overall, the 24-25 Habs are much better up front but its hard to say the D is necessarily better and of course G goes to 2010.

 

[habinthepeg]

More and Lapierre and very comparable to Evans and Dvorak let's be real.

The gomez vs newhook comparison is interesting though. Gomez wasn't as bad as some people say, he just was a dumb acquisiton and a horrible contract.

Overall, the 24-25 Habs are much better up front but its hard to say the D is necessarily better and of course G goes to 2010.

In 2009-2010 Gomez, despite his deficiencies, was still a 1st line center. Plekanec was by most metrics too. We don't have anything like that today. We also had Metropolit, who was one of the best faceoff takers in the league at the time, playing 4th line wing to take faceoffs. I take Lapierre over Evans any day, but that's my opinion.

The D was miles better. Prime Markov and an extremely solid Hamrlik, with Subban, Gill, Spacek, Gorges, and Mara/Bergeron? There's no debate there.

2010 had plenty of talent, Washington was just a juggernaut at the time.

Do I like the direction and potential of this club more? Absolutely. But even then, there's still an argument that we may not have top-end talent that will beat out Price/Subban. We'll see on Demi and Hutson.

 

[Runner77]

Arber will be in the lineup. But not the first game.

Once Washington starts running our kids over, he will be brought in.

Why does it always have to come to that point — the coach knows better than anyone what the playoffs entail and how even marginal players can become dominant as refs put away their whistles as they’ve always done this time of year.

You only need look at Washington’s lineup to see what they’ll do. Why react after the first game when the coach can be proactive and meet incoming fire? And I’m not talking fights but physicality, winning board battles, clearing the front of the net, giving pushback to opponents who take liberties.

I have never seen MSL be particularly concerned with that part of the game. Have you?

 

[The Real Timo]

Time to win one for Savard’s ass!

So was there a desire/interest to flip savard last season? And now he will be gone for nothing...