Post-Game Talk: Capitals win game 1, lead series 1-0

[Kennerback]

-First Line fine
-Line 3 and 4 passable
-Line 2 total train wreck
-I prefer Xhekaj but can live with Struble.
-Laine grades : PP: 8/10 , ES: 0/10, never put him close to Demidov at ES ever again.

 

[Tyson]

Sadly if they don't play Xhekaj in this series that tells me Xhekaj is done in Montreal.

 

[domiwroze]

If i'm Marty i'm seriously considering playing 3C, rotate Suz Dvo and Evans on the Laine-Demidov line.

Bring Newhook back in at home when you can control the last change.

Tell Newhook that he's not playing and make him practice faceoffs for 3hours straight. Play 7D.

 

[Mats NAslund]

So why did he do such a bad job at this invaluable trait which caused Marty to remove him from that line just recently? Does Marty also not get it and you do?

Martin does what he wants he's the head coach and I don't pretend to know more than anyone.
I can only comment on what I see, what I read and what I hear.

Reports were that in that 1st game (Demidov) vs Chicago that line was Armia Newhook and Demidov and they had success and in between the 1st and 2nd period Laine took a hissy fit and demanded his spot back in the lineup and the coach caved.

All I'm saying here is if these conventional news reports are accurate then Marty tends to lean on keeping his vets happy. Assuming this is true, this is not something I agree with especially when a player has had 52 games to assimilate, acclimatize and whatever other words we want to use here.

Heineman is NOT Laine and Laine is NOT Heineman

I am not suggesting that Heineman or anyone replace Laine (he's useful on the PP and depending on how he's playing, late in games down a goal.

What I'm saying is that line has no one to get to the net, forecheck hard, finish checks and win battles along the boards.

I don't care who you put in there but that lines needs someone like that.

Montreal's options are limited YES but if you want to get Laine scoring 5 on 5 you need someone to do all that because its not going to be him Demidov or Newhook. Both Laine and Demidov are natural goal scorers with Demidov having less experience but far more overall talent and speed and hockey IQ.

So YES you can stay status quo and keep hoping that line clicks (Pipe Dream) or you can try and do something about it and try to get secondary scoring and balance through the lineup.

My train of thought is if I can roll 4 lines at you all game I will wear you out!

So you have a few options:

Move Heineman up with Laine and Newhook
Move Demidov with Evans and Armia

or (not my preference)

Move Demidov up with Caufield and Suzuki
Salf down with Newhook and Laine

and keep lines 3 and 4 the same

This is not about a reactionary move because of a loss, this is a adjustment based on the facts of the Laine Newhook Demidov experiment not working, not creating scoring and being a liability defensively.

 

[Gustave]

id rather keep DVO this summer and ship Newhook out

I’m slowly coming to that conclusion as well.

 

[Mats NAslund]

If i'm Marty i'm seriously considering playing 3C, rotate Suz Dvo and Evans on the Laine-Demidov line.

Bring Newhook back in at home when you can control the last change.

Tell Newhook that he's not playing and make him practice faceoffs for 3hours straight. Play 7D.

I'm not against rolling 3 Cs and throwing Newhook in as a winger through the lineup, that being said that would be very taxing on the C's especially Suzuki who's already up there in TOI

 

[The Great Weal]

Reports were that in that 1st game (Demidov) vs Chicago that line was Armia Newhook and Demidov and they had success and in between the 1st and 2nd period Laine took a hissy fit and demanded his spot back in the lineup and the coach caved.

St.Louis flat out said before that game that Demidov will play with Newhook and Laine throughout the game so he didn't "cave to a hissy fit". No point in really discussing this when you're bringing up false reports. Heienman did a poor job on the 2nd line which is why he got removed, there is no conspiracy theory with MSL.

 

[Mats NAslund]

Sadly if they don't play Xhekaj in this series that tells me Xhekaj is done in Montreal.

He was done the day St-Louis took this team. You could tell from day one he wasn't a Xhekaj fan. I think he truly believes that players like Arber don't belong in today's game. Arber will end up in Philly and develop into a fine 5 / 6 Dman and Montreal will regret losing him for a late round pick.

I just hope he doesn't kill Demidov

 

[Mats NAslund]

St.Louis flat out said before that game that Demidov will play with Newhook and Laine throughout the game so he didn't "cave to a hissy fit". No point in really discussing this when you're bringing up false reports. Heienman did a poor job on the 2nd line which is why he got removed, there is no conspiracy theory with MSL.

No false reports it was all over the news. Tell me why Marty never went back to Armia Newhook Demidov or why you wouldn't keep that line intact after seeing the chemistry and success they had.

Makes no sense

You fail to see that the Newhook line is awful creates nothing and gets pinned in their zone!

Yet you don't want to make a change.

Montreal will lose in 5 if they stay status quo

 

[Tyson]

He was done the day St-Louis took this team. You could tell from day one he wasn't a Xhekaj fan. I think he truly believes that players like Arber don't belong in today's game. Arber will end up in Philly and develop into a fine 5 / 6 Dman and Montreal will regret losing him for a late round pick.

I just hope he doesn't kill Demidov

Habs will regret letting him go and I believe he is done in Montreal. Washington pummeled the Habs last night and it will continue without a push back. By the 4th game the Habs will physically be done.

 

[Mats NAslund]

Habs will regret letting him go and I believe he is done in Montreal. Washington pummeled the Habs last night and it will continue without a push back. By the 4th game the Habs will physically done.

Agreed, Wait til Protas gets back in the lineup it will only get worse

 

[The Great Weal]

No false reports it was all over the news

Why are you deliberately ignoring the coach flat out saying Demidov will play with Laine and Newhook throughout the game before the game even started? Who gives a shit about those "reliable news" sources when we heard it differently straight from the horses' mouth before the game even started?

The timeline debunks these "reports that aren't false"

 

[domiwroze]

I'm not against rolling 3 Cs and throwing Newhook in as a winger through the lineup, that being said that would be very taxing on the C's especially Suzuki who's already up there in TOI

That would be only for the game 2. Expecting that Newhook understand that this isn't bush league, he'd be back for game3 at home.

 

[Yoor]

instead of looking at fault of players (which is easy)
habs played pretty good against a huge club

they are getting out muscled MSL has to address this, or our guys will get hurt.

MSL in the short term yes but Hughes needs to address team size. We aren't super small BUT seems like we have been saying this forever about the Habs...you would think eventually someone would address it.

 

[Unclewhalebone]

They should. If every period was like the first, I would understand doom and gloom but the second and thirds were much better. They should come out feeling good they weathered the first period, first game storm and almost won the game.


Gally gets crosschecked in the face, no call.

Hutson gets slugged in the head behind the net, they take Mangiapane but still give us the extra penalty because Guhle came slightly late into a scrum (in the playoffs, where it's scrum central ALL the time).

Leonard hits Demidov's leg area a full 4 seconds after the puck is gone and flips him essentially. Nothing.

The fact that the play was called icing at the end is SO egregious. Even some of the Sportsnet homers were like "uh, yeah, that's not icing." That leaves us with our worst defensive line out there for a D zone draw. Literally cost us the game.

They missed two obvious calls on Anderson too I will say (one on Carlson, one on Wilson), so it wasn't just us getting screwed.

Poorly officiated game all around. Terrible reffing shouldn't influence a game.

I'm certain that a bunch of these poor calls are related. The refs make that Guhle call probably in some sort of attempt to make some sort of example or something. It is the kind of call that they probably realize how stupid it is before reaching center ice to announce the penalty. Then on the PK Anderson sticks his leg out and trips the Caps Dman but they don't call it because they know the initial penalty is bunk and they don't have the balls to make it a 5v3. Then later, when Leonard leg drags Demidov the ref doesn't have the nuts to call what he let go earlier (on Andyhorse). It is game management of the worst kind - it is reactionary and generally devolves into uncertainty. I get that they miss calls, but when they lack the balls or sense (or both) to just call the plain penalties in front of their eyes, there is a big problem.
They fret and deliberate more about "puck over glass" penalties, but standard trips are not cut and dried enough for them.

 

[River Meadow]

Sadly if they don't play Xhekaj in this series that tells me Xhekaj is done in Montreal.

What even happened?

Did he sleep with someone's wife or something?

He was playing big and tough and then started to get taken out of the lineup.

 

[Andy]

What even happened?

Did he sleep with someone's wife or something?

He was playing big and tough and then started to get taken out of the lineup.

He is a bottom pairing, young D that still hasn't secured his role. He had a string of bad games so got taken out. His replacement has been more consistent so far. His replacement will likely be benched the moment they have a string of bad games to make place Arber's return. Struble already sat for a good chunk of the season, does that mean Marty hated him too?

It's really that simple. I know people love his toughness, but the rest of his game isn't consistent. And I know it's shocking to some fans, but toughness doesn't mean you can be inconsistent in the rest of your game.

 

[River Meadow]

He is a bottom pairing D that still hasn't secured his role. He had a string of bad games so got taken out. His replacement has been more consistent.

It's really that simple. I know people love his toughness, but the rest of his game isn't consistent. And I know it's shocking to some fans, but toughness doesn't mean you can be inconsistent in the rest of your game.

I haven't been paying too much attention.

If he's not a good dman then I guess he's not a good dman...

 

[Habano]

What even happened?

Did he sleep with someone's wife or something?

He was playing big and tough and then started to get taken out of the lineup.

He made a bad play. Didn't you know that none of our other Ds make bad plays?

 

[Andy]

I haven't been paying too much attention.

If he's not a good dman then I guess he's not a good dman...

It's not that he's not good.

He's just young and still inconsistent. Which is normal for D-men. But in classic habs land, the moment someone is tough and mean, they get a cult following. Then people are just unable or unwilling to see the flaws in the player.

 

[Riddick412]

I've hear caps fans complaining about the reffing for their side from game 1. Like I know I'm biased, but are you kidding me? Talk about blinders. Literally the game winner was because of a bad call.

 

[Nicko999]

Good learning experience for our guys last night.
We haven't lost a home game so no need to panic.
I think we should hold off any evaluation for the youngsters until after the playoffs are done.

 

[tazsub3]

He is a bottom pairing, young D that still hasn't secured his role. He had a string of bad games so got taken out. His replacement has been more consistent so far. His replacement will likely be benched the moment they have a string of bad games to make place Arber's return. Struble already sat for a good chunk of the season, does that mean Marty hated him too?

It's really that simple. I know people love his toughness, but the rest of his game isn't consistent. And I know it's shocking to some fans, but toughness doesn't mean you can be inconsistent in the rest of your game.

You are to right and probably before his last benching , he played his worst hockey of the season. Love his toughness but no reason yet to bring him in .
Yes team was not ready for real playoff intensity . But they adjusted and that is great to see .
Let’s be frank , the Habs got 2 pp and looked good in both, if the refs call a fair game , we might have a different result this morning, and I am not one to often blame the refs .
We can hope it balances out , but all in all great effort overall for the youngest team ever in the playoffs ( something that many here chose to ignore )

 

[ahmedou]

 

[River Meadow]

It's not that he's not good.

He's just young and still inconsistent. Which is normal for D-men. But in classic habs land, the moment someone is tough and mean, they get a cult following. Then people are just unable or unwilling to see the flaws in the player.

Sounds like a bust to me.

We should trade him for another 5ft11 dman to play with Carrier and Struble.