Are the Montreal Canadiens Contenders for 2016?

[SOLR]

By the time you reach the NHL playoffs, everyone reacts well to pressure, and so the differences we see are skill and sample sizes.

Hell no.

Reacting well under pressure is not a digital signal, it's a power law like any other skill there is. The top 10 NHLers under pressure are exponentially better than the bottom 10.

Some players love the pressure they use it to gain energy. Toews, Kovalev etc.

 

[shawdowmaker]

Montreal has a good defence and the best goalie. Price alone sooner or later will carry this team to the finals...

 

[Dannyhab]

Yes. And we'll be in the finals this year.

 

[Hackett]

Montreal has a good defence and the best goalie. Price alone sooner or later will carry this team to the finals...

The D is not without its concerns. I think Markov has become less reliable, and beaulieu is not the answer to that problem.

I see a team that is a decent threat to win the east as it stands (with price), but with the right d-man acquisition and/or another top 6 forward, they can become the outright favourites to represent the east.

 

[mariolemieux66]

The D is not without its concerns. I think Markov has become less reliable, and beaulieu is not the answer to that problem.

I see a team that is a decent threat to win the east as it stands (with price), but with the right d-man acquisition and/or another top 6 forward, they can become the outright favourites to represent the east.

I've been saying this since the begining of the season. This is why I wished Florida wouldn't be doing this good, we could ha e traded for Jagr and Willie Mitchell, killing 2 birds with one stone.

 

[Rapala]

Straight yes and no in a dead heat go figure...

 

[Lshap]

Straight yes and no in a dead heat go figure...

And consider that people's confidence is as low as humanly possible after being shell-shocked by a month-long slump.

 

[LastWordArmy]

He also went mano-a-mano against Chara at the peak of his game. Very few players would have demonstrated that level of leadership against that level of physicality and intimidation that year. As others have said, personal stats do not reveal everything. Team stats: 4 wins to 2 against a nasty, physical Bruins team, complete this picture. There are not many NHL forwards who would have led their team against that Bruins team in the way Toews did. Without Toews standing up to Chara like he did, the Hawks would have been intimidated by that Bruins team, in Vancouver Canucks style. I am quite certain of that.

You mean the team stats that were earned by ALL HIS TEAMMATES.... lets not award Toews as this mythical clutch guy because when he didn't produce, guys like Kane, Hossa, Sharp, Bolland, Keith, Seabrook, etc.... did.

Don't get me wrong Toews is a good player. But lets not give him all the credit for what a great TEAM accomplished.

 

[LastWordArmy]

The problem still remains that we don't have high end talent. We have a decent group but not good enough.

Like the players i've listed in my last post, they have won the cup very soon in their career. They had good stats in the cup run but also after. Our top 6 needs to be way better. I don't think they are under-performing (except Pacioretty), I just think they are simply not good enough or they are used in a position too big for them. Plekanec should be 2nd C, DD should be 3rd C, Gallagher is ok for 1RW.

I can accept this analysis. We need another first line player. No doubt about that.

The idea that our guys aren't clutch though, i don't buy into the idea of clutch.

The idea that we aren't good enough if Plekanec is the best centre on the team... I agree. Chucky has to take the next step, and we need to get another winger.

 

[LastWordArmy]

Hell no.

Reacting well under pressure is not a digital signal, it's a power law like any other skill there is. The top 10 NHLers under pressure are exponentially better than the bottom 10.

Some players love the pressure they use it to gain energy. Toews, Kovalev etc.

If this was true, it would show in Toews stats.

 

[Cole Caulifield]

We're one top 6 forward (preferably a vet with cup experience) from being a serious threat.

And even without it I still like our chances if some prospects can step up.

 

[Uncle Gary]

Legit top scoring LW - 2nd line two way center - Buzz saw energy 2nd line RW
3rd line center playing LW for first time - Top line center potential who is being poorly developed - Undrafted rookie
Veteran two-way third liner - Therriens Son - 4th/3rd line tweener
Therriens useless pet - Legit 4th line center - Speedy PKer SH threat

Young developing #3 D Man - Norris D Man
Declining top 10 D man with no legs - Legit #3
Overpaid hitting D - Therriens Pet who is a total Liability

Best Goalie in the world
Serviceable Back-Up

That's our line up when healthy. So, no, they're not a contender.

Very accurate. Fix up that 2nd line and I think the Habs are a contender. I'm not too worried about the defense with Price in goal, but it could be improved.

 

[Cole Caulifield]

One thing I wanted to mention..

If all this time Price spends on the sideline can mean getting him back 100%... we'll have a HUGE advantage in the playoffs. With Price playing only a part of the season, he'll be well rested and full of energy for the playoffs.

 

[WeThreeKings]

One thing I wanted to mention..

If all this time Price spends on the sideline can mean getting him back 100%... we'll have a HUGE advantage in the playoffs. With Price playing only a part of the season, he'll be well rested and full of energy for the playoffs.

If he comes back before the play-offs. Otherwise, his timing will be off and we don't have scoring to support him. He's going to need to be at least be back after the trade deadline.

 

[Rapala]

One thing I wanted to mention..

If all this time Price spends on the sideline can mean getting him back 100%... we'll have a HUGE advantage in the playoffs. With Price playing only a part of the season, he'll be well rested and full of energy for the playoffs.

He was full of the best kind of energy the year Kreider ran him...

 

[Teufelsdreck]

Let's see, I like he way they dismissed the Babroons

 

[Brainiac]

Goalie and defense are all set, IMO. We have good depth for the 3rd and 4th lines.

Potential is there, but we need:

-A new coach (badly)
-A top 6 RW

The first is most frustrating because some options are available and free. Second one would be nice, but it's not like we have to sell the farm to get it.

First off, I'd love to see what Boucher could do with this team. Therrien infused some discipline and work ethics, but he just can't bring that team over the edge. Boucher might.

 

[Pat Paeplow]

I can accept this analysis. We need another first line player. No doubt about that.

The idea that our guys aren't clutch though, i don't buy into the idea of clutch.

The idea that we aren't good enough if Plekanec is the best centre on the team... I agree. Chucky has to take the next step, and we need to get another winger.

If you don't buy into the idea of clutch, do you value the Presidents Trophy more than the Stanley Cup?

I mean, if you assume there is no 'clutch' variable, the playoffs seem to lose relevance. Under your parameters, the regular season has a much greater sample size and would seem to provide the most accurate ranking of the league's teams.

Personally, I totally buy into clutch. It's probably the main reason I find the Stanley Cup Playoffs to be so compelling.

 

[sharks9]

If he comes back before the play-offs. Otherwise, his timing will be off and we don't have scoring to support him. He's going to need to be at least be back after the trade deadline.

He'll be back before the playoffs guaranteed. If he was really that far away from coming back they'd say something.

 

[CH25]

Yes they are because the rest of the East is not strong. Although I wouldn't pick them to win the cup until they add a good top 6 player.

 

[LastWordArmy]

If you don't buy into the idea of clutch, do you value the Presidents Trophy more than the Stanley Cup?

I mean, if you assume there is no 'clutch' variable, the playoffs seem to lose relevance. Under your parameters, the regular season has a much greater sample size and would seem to provide the most accurate ranking of the league's teams.

Personally, I totally buy into clutch. It's probably the main reason I find the Stanley Cup Playoffs to be so compelling.

If the league had a balanced schedule, then maybe your presidents trophy argument would be valid.... but it doesn't have a balanced schedule, so no it can't be an accurate ranking of the league's teams.

And winning a Championship is fun and why the game is played,, which makes the stanley cup important, even if the best team doesn't always win the cup.

 

[Scriptor]

I can almost certainly predict that we will be having the same conversation next year. Therrien will do something when things get tight this year, against the Rangers or some other team with strong team defense and goaltending, where he will again show his stripes and favor DD or some lesser player to the detriment of Galchenyuk, and our offense will be easily suffocated into another season-ending loss like the last two against the Rangers and Lightning.

This isn't to defend Therrien but, at some point, you would like to see a player like Galchenyuk be dominant and give Therrien no option.

If it was a case of having a Ghilchrist and a Damphousse on your team, as an example, and Therrien using Ghilchrist over Damphousse systematically, Therrien would've already been fired.

It's one thing to dislike DD, or see his ceiling for what it is but, Galchenyuk hasn't outdistanced himself enough, at this point, to make the usage of DD over Galchenyuk a sore point with the higher echelons of management.

 

[Dominator13]

Not with our offense.

Our best players, minus Gallagher, nevr show up in the playoffs. We also have a bottom RW set. No team that has Dale freaking Weise as their 2nd best RW will ever win the cup.

 

[HABNIKO]

We have Carey Price and one of the best defense in the NHL but are seriously lacking consistent scoring and need a scoring winger and #1C.

If Mr.Bergevin can make some big decisions and trade for significant offensive help then I can say we are a legitimate contender otherwise we have no chance in hell.

I still predict that Montreal will fail to make the playoffs because our team has been overrated and if not for Cary price we would be in the bottom of the pack.

My suggestion to Mr.Bergevin is to trade #67 and a few other pieces in order to get a power forward that plays with more edge and knack for the net. As good and complete player that #67 is, he does not fill our needs to be more hungry or explosive especially come playoffs.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

This isn't to defend Therrien but, at some point, you would like to see a player like Galchenyuk be dominant and give Therrien no option.

If it was a case of having a Ghilchrist and a Damphousse on your team, as an example, and Therrien using Ghilchrist over Damphousse systematically, Therrien would've already been fired.

It's one thing to dislike DD, or see his ceiling for what it is but, Galchenyuk hasn't outdistanced himself enough, at this point, to make the usage of DD over Galchenyuk a sore point with the higher echelons of management.

At last look, Galchenyuk was 12th in the NHL for centers at points per 60.

At what point does he give "Therrien no option?" Seriously.