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

[Mats NAslund]

And they got the game to overtime. Soft doesn't matter if they win.

Soft matters in the playoffs, maybe not in regular season where you have 82 games. in a 7 game series soft won't cut it!

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

As part of this interview Hutson went on to say “we’re learning, this was the first playoff game for many of us…”

Hutson had a tough time periods 1 & 2, and seemed to “learn from it” to adjust for period 3.

Fandom would be well advised to maintain perspective…

Notice how he doesn't duck responsibility for anything. I love this guy.

 

[Mats NAslund]

The importance of having a Xhekaj in the lineup like MSL had Andre Roy back when he won the cup for 21 of 23 playoff games to come to his defence. Like Wayne had Semenko, like the Red Wings had Probert like the Canadiens had Nilan and Kordic for God Sakes. Now all of a sudden the team doesn't need someone to defend hutson after he takes a punch square to the face and no reaction from anyone. There were countless incidents like this in game 1. Ya I know all those guys I mentioned are forwards but what's your other option? Pezz, I'd rather play Xhekaj limited shifts on forward and giving guys a breather on D.

All those guys were hot heads took bad penalties and made dumb plays but never did any of them get the Ghost treatment like Arber is getting, including Kordic!!!!!

The answer might be playing 7D if no one wants to step to the plate and be that guy for the Canadiens.

Yes Xhekaj can be unpredictable but that's true for almost all young D. The fact remains, not one single Canadiens player went after any skilled player for the Caps last night.

This isn't freaking ringuette it's Hockey and its an eye for an eye, it's ruthless and mean and if thats not in you're DNA well you're in God damn trouble come playoff time! Cause guys are coming to make it hurt!

 

[Habs]

And they got the game to overtime. Soft doesn't matter if they win.

lol that’s the take out of this? they showed up for 10 minutes and tied the game, they were beaten to a physical pulp the other 55. We should just go into the fetal position and be happy we made the post season? You don’t win being soft in the playoffs, not ever, not a series. You may win a game, sure, but you aren’t going to do much else

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

lol that’s the take out of this? they showed up for 10 minutes and tied the game, they were beaten to a physical pulp the other 55. We should just go into the fetal position and be happy we made the post season? You don’t win being soft in the playoffs, not ever, not a series. You may win a game, sure, but you aren’t going to do much else

What game were you watching? We were by far the better team in the third.

The Caps came out guns ablazing and credit to them, they're the veteran team. But we stood strong, our guys were hitting back. And we almost won that game.

We are the youngest team in the league. One of the youngest to ever make the playoffs. The idea that we were running scared is total BS.

I'm not saying we were perfect or physically dominant. They had bigger hits and I hated when they threw around Suzuki and we didn't respond. But we didn't totally shirk away either. And we took it to them hard in the third.

 

[donghabs98]

Walking around the city today and talking to people around the office and work and everybody is pretty proud of the boys first game.


If you just read HFboards you'd think we would have lost 7-1 and half the roster was put in the hospital by the caps

Maintaining perspective is gonna be key. This was always a flawed roster (especially when Dach proved not to be the answer to our center needs) and making it to this point is an accomplishment on its own.

 

[The Great Weal]

Notice how he doesn't duck responsibility for anything. I love this guy.

That's weird, mainboard assured me he's a cocky and arrogant person. Doesn't seem like it with this quote.

 

[Paddy17]

What game were you watching? We were by far the better team in the third.

The Caps came out guns ablazing and credit to them, they're the veteran team. But we stood strong, our guys were hitting back. And we almost won that game.

We are the youngest team in the league. One of the youngest to ever make the playoffs. The idea that we were running scared is total BS.

I'm not saying we were perfect or physically dominant. They had bigger hits and I hated when they threw around Suzuki and we didn't respond. But we didn't totally shirk away either. And we took it to them hard in the third.

The media people are like drones, and so are the people that rely on media to form their own opinions.

This narrative that the Caps are big and physical has been so overblown by every drone out there.

Guess what? Media run stories. They take a narrative and run with it, true or not. Then all the drones repeat the story and it suddenly becomes "truth".

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Not made up at all, he was only in the lineup due to injuries to Savard and Ghule, the second they had 7 healthy D St-Louis discarded him like a dirty old rag. Further more name one other D that go benched for shifts and full periods at a time after taking a penalty or bad pinch like he was

God knows Matheson was Mr turnover this year leading to many pucks in the back of the Montreal net yet he would be rewarded with 25 minutes a game and Savard basically was a Pylon by mid season. Yet only missed games due to injury cause he's this magically unicorn that can block shots and play on the PK.

He was only in the lineup due to injuries to Savard and Guhle? Did you even try to do the math?

Savard and Guhle combined missed a total of 34 games. Xhekaj played 70 games (and about 2/3 of those games had both Savard and Guhle healthy). Why was Xhekaj in the lineup for the other games? Did Xhekaj threaten Marty and his family if he didn't put him in the lineup? lol.

 

[Mats NAslund]

The media people are like drones, and so are the people that rely on media to form their own opinions.

This narrative that the Caps are big and physical has been so overblown by every drone out there.

Guess what? Media run stories. They take a narrative and run with it, true or not. Then all the drones repeat the story and it suddenly becomes "truth".

That being said, Caps were the better team for 2 periods. I think the caps are slightly overrated, if and when they get Protas back that's going to be huge for them.

Montreal diod get beat up with no physical answers, we Cole get run by Ovi, we saw Mangiapane punch Hutson square to the face, we saw Demidov get flippewd + + +....With little to know physical reaction the other way other than Anderson giving Wilson a love tap. Which will have zero effect on him.

Montreal needs to target their skilled players like the Caps did to the Canadiens. You punch Hutson in the face, I run your goalie type of reaction is what I want to see ( ala Gallagher, don't make it blatant).

I know I have been a big Xhekaj supporter but if a Struble along with a few other guys could start playing a little dirty and could to take on this role a little then you wouldn't hear people yelling Xhekaj to be reinserted into the lineup.

At the end of the day I really don't think that's not what and or how MSL wants to play it and that's fair, its his team to coach.

But like a lot of people here are saying, come game 3 or 4 if the Canadiens continue to take punches to the face and countless big hits to their skilled players they'll be out of gas and this will be over in 5 MAX!

 

[Yukon Cornelius Habs]

This is how i feel reading this place after game 1.

 

[Mats NAslund]

He was only in the lineup due to injuries to Savard and Guhle? Did you even try to do the math?

Savard and Guhle combined missed a total of 34 games. Xhekaj played 70 games (and about 2/3 of those games had both Savard and Guhle healthy). Why was Xhekaj in the lineup for the other games? Did Xhekaj threaten Marty and his family if he didn't put him in the lineup? lol.

You kill me watch the games and watch how Xhekaj got utilized and then watch how he got scrutinized and benched any time he made an error. Then tell me wasn't in the MSL dog house!

 

[Junohockeyfan]

I would bench Laine. He’s a proven liability. With these refs we won’t get our fair share of PPs so Laine is useless.
@Marioesque

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

You kill me watch the games and watch how Xhekaj got utilized and then watch how he got scrutinized and benched any time he made an error. Then tell me wasn't in the MSL dog house!

Ah, so you moved on from your first point, which I exposed as a blatant lie?

Young, fairly inexperienced bottom pairing dman gets lesser minutes when having a bad game? Is this supposed to be something unusual?

Savard went from playing 19 min per night in the first few months of the season to playing 12 min a night in the last month. Is he also in the dog house?

 

[Catanddogguitarrr]

Pascal Vincent told to Martin Lemay that Reinbacher will play his first playoff game with the Rocket, unless he's called to play for the Habs. I've read that on Meta Facebook, not sure if that's true. And not sure that's a good idea.

 

[Habs]

Pascal Vincent told to Martin Lemay that Reinbacher will play his first playoff game with the Rocket, unless he's called to play for the Habs. I've read that on Meta Facebook, not sure if that's true. And not sure that's a good idea.

lol who is the green unproven rookie going to replace ?

 

[Mats NAslund]

Just came access this clip of Laine on instagram and this explains why I don’t want to see Laine on the ice 5 on 5.

This is the effort and commitment level you get from that guy! There’s no excuse for the stick check fly by, you’re 6”4 208 lbs face Ovi, don’t stick check him !

 

[Catanddogguitarrr]

lol who is the green unproven rookie going to replace ?

In La Poche Bleue website it comes from Keven Mawn. Don't know who he is. Looks like bs for me.

Reinbacher bientôt rappelé?

Les Québécois sont gâtés, en ce printemps 2025, alors que les trois clubs de l’organisation du Canadien de Montréal sont en séries éliminatoires. Par contre, avec le présence du CH, on dirait que le…

lapochebleue.com

Lol, imagine Reinbacher replacing Matheson. Or Reinbacher called before Xhekaj, the sheriff might get very angry, lol. I can hear hockey sticks getting smashed.

 

[Andrei79]

Notice how he doesn't duck responsibility for anything. I love this guy.

He's a culture setter. Like Suzuki, Caufield and Guhle. I'm impressed by the mindset of this team and I'm sure it had a big hand in making the playoffs. Meanwhile, you see Larkin whining in the media about their guys being deflated that management didn't add players at the deadline. Hughes somehow got this team pumped at not trading players away. What a difference.

 

[BozoTheClown]

I agree, however that being said…..

Believe it or not Montreal has a greater need on D as they don’t really have that number 1A.

Right now Montreal has on D

Ghule
Hutson
Carrier
Struble
Matheson
Savard
Xhekaj
Trudeau
Reinbacher
Engstrom
Mailloux

From this list by all accounts Mailloux and Xhekaj will get traded. Savard is going to retire. Also potential trade bait
Is Struble given the depth at D if they can acquire that 1st overall.

Why not use Xhekaj Struble Mailloux along with the 2 first round picks Montreal has and one of kapanen or Beck or both as trade bait to try and grab that 1st overall and get Shaffer? He’s 17 and won’t be 18 til September is 6”2 and close
To 190lbs. He’s Hutson with size!

Not sure how many here have had the chance to watch him play but he’s going to be right up there for rookie of the year next year.

You can address the 2C spot in free agency with Sam Bennett. All it cost you is cap space which Montreal has.

Shaefer Hutson
Ghule Reinbacher
Carrier Matheson
Engstrom

Yes as much as I get frustrated with Matheson you’re going to need a vet in there and playing in the 5/6 hole he’ll be effective and not playing tired.
He only has one more year on his contract at a decent cap hit.

Caufield Suzuki Slaf
Laine Bennett Demidov
Dach Evans Heineman
Anderson F. Xhekaj Gallagher

Fire away - lol

Cody Ceci is the dmen we need, 31 years old veteran RHD, can log 20-23 minutes a game with checking and shot blocking abilities, good for 25 points a year and 90 playoffs games and counting. Around 5x5 should do it.

Matheson and Laine shouldn’t be there to start next season.

 

[expy]

As part of this interview Hutson went on to say “we’re learning, this was the first playoff game for many of us…”

Hutson had a tough time periods 1 & 2, and seemed to “learn from it” to adjust for period 3.

Fandom would be well advised to maintain perspective…

More players should own up like him.

 

[Habano]

Soft matters in the playoffs, maybe not in regular season where you have 82 games. in a 7 game series soft won't cut it!

The worst thing that could've happened is that we tied the game after being physically bitchslapped and curb stomped. Now, many people in this fanbase think that it's ok to be soft because we went into overtime. Hey, we almost won!! smfh.

And then, you have some people saying that we only threw 9 less hits than the Caps. Really??? How many of our hits do you remember???? I certainly remember Hutson getting smacked in the kisser, Caufield getting destroyed, Demidov flying in the air after Leonard caught him, Guhle and Hutson getting hammered repeatedly and more. Yeah, we gave as good as we got lmfao.

 

[Catanddogguitarrr]

On the west coast, a former Habs scored the winning goal with 42 seconds remaining in the 3rd.
Danault with what we call in baseball a butterfly shot scored that screened goal. And Phil today looks like Frank Zappa, lol. He hasn't lost his humour in press conference as you can see.

nhl oilers kings danault late goal - Google Suche

 

[Catanddogguitarrr]

Just came access this clip of Laine on instagram and this explains why I don’t want to see Laine on the ice 5 on 5.

This is the effort and commitment level you get from that guy! There’s no excuse for the stick check fly by, you’re 6”4 208 lbs face Ovi, don’t stick check him !

I didn't liked that player in the season and that short video confirms that he plays nonchalant, exactly the opposite of a playoff player.

 

[StCaufield]

Quite typical for Laine this season. Reach once with the stick and then skate away. Never mind battling for the puck or trying to pin the opponent with some physicality.

He’s been that way his entire career so it’s nothing new and what we already knew. He has some good shots though and isn’t the first one to blame on that winner. Hutson was lost and then the horrible non call which Laine in reality drew that penalty