Do the Habs go into the season "Goonless"?

[Montreality]

Judging by what we saw from tinordi this past season, he can go with pretty much anybody (that can skate) in the league. Crisp and mccarron within 2 years will fill the void in that departement. I wouldnt mind getting a very inexpensive heavyweight fighter for this year as long as he's able to keep up on the ice (skating)

 

[Dominator13]

Hopefully. A fourth line that can hit, score and defend is better than having a Neanderthal that has a hard time skating.

God I hate when people use that word. Enforcers have the hardest and most respected job in the league.

We just need somebody that can skate and in his prime years. Someone like Anthony Peludo would be fantastic.

 

[izzy75]

This is a very soft team moving into next season, hope he adds some grit/size up the middle. I'm more worried this team can't handle the physical pounding... yet again.

Have no fear, we have two weapons at our disposal:

1. Referees
2. 911

 

[izzy75]

God I hate when people use that word. Enforcers have the hardest and most respected job in the league.

We just need somebody that can skate and in his prime years. Someone like Anthony Peludo would be fantastic.

That strawman is partly due to management's ineptitude - choosing washed up fighters past their prime.

 

[Ryan O'Byrne]

I'm ok with or without a goon/ enforcer ,but they have to be able to play and skate

 

[TennisMenace]

Ottawa : no goon
Boston : Lucic and Chara, but no real goons
Toronto : Orr, he's a liability on the ice, better take advantage of him instead of trying to find a player who can figth him
TB : no goon
Buffalo : Cody McCormick, not really a goon, Tinordi or Prust can take him
Detroit : no goon
Florida : Shawn Thornton, Prust and Tinordi can fight him, he's done
We don't need one this year

Good post. Based on this, one is not really needed. However, I would have one available just in case. Even if he suits up for only 10 games, I want to make sure guys like Prust isn't called on to fight heavyweights when it gets ugly out there.

 

[Kimota]

Just once I want to see a big tough guy coming in from the farm club, someone that's fresh and formed by the Habs. All we get are old dudes at the end of their ropes that have stopped being hungry.

 

[Hoople]

Ottawa : no goon
Boston : Lucic and Chara, but no real goons
Toronto : Orr, he's a liability on the ice, better take advantage of him instead of trying to find a player who can figth him
TB : no goon
Buffalo : Cody McCormick, not really a goon, Tinordi or Prust can take him
Detroit : no goon
Florida : Shawn Thornton, Prust and Tinordi can fight him, he's done
We don't need one this year

What the **** kind of propaganda is this?

Ottawa - When did Chris Neil retire?

 

[vokiel]

What the **** kind of propaganda is this?

Ottawa - When did Chris Neil retire?

Neil isn't a goon and never was.

We don't need a goon, a Neil would be great though.

 

[Fish on The Sand]

We sure as hell better. Parros was probably the worst player in the league last season.

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

Let's get laraque.

 

[Hoople]

Neil isn't a goon and never was.

We don't need a goon, a Neil would be great though.

You are correct. He is not a goon. He just acts like one when he plays against the Habs.

 

[Ghetto Sangria]

There are 82 games before the playoffs and you sir, need to ''rethink'' about that. You need players answering the bell if you don't want other team to take liberties against the habs. There will never be a stat on ''how many fights having murray in the lineup prevented'' ... but it did, it doesn't matter what people think... its the truth. I can give an example : when orr tried to take out plek's knee, went after gionta then concussed bourque on the same play. Remember that game. Ask yourself if having murray or parros in the lineup helped this year. Sure parros got clocked ... but he kept orr busy all night.

Now you can go on and say Parros and laraque type of players are useless and I can really see where you are coming from, and given that you have an heavyweight somewhere who can drop them somewhere in the roster, I agree completely. But if you don't ... there is a need to grab one as an insurance policy and rotate him for 12th spot imho.

When was the last time habs walked into the playoffs THAT healthy ? you go on and try to remember ...

wait wait wait... you mean George Parros's 22 games made the team healthier than ever entering the playoffs? That's incredible!

And Tinordi is Murray's replacement. He can intimidate and stick up for teammates, while being a better hockey player. The only thing missing from last season in terms of "fighting" and "intimidation" would be Parros.

 

[DAChampion]

We don't need Tinordi to bust his shoulder as a rookie.

 

[SquiddFX]

We don't need Tinordi to bust his shoulder as a rookie.

Finally someone who is making some sense in this thread of stupidity. Tinordi can fight but I sure as hell wouldn't want to place the load of protector on him. The guy is 22 ffs and people want him to fight... Look what happened to Prust when he was given protector duties. He has been nowhere near the same player. Sign a Staubitz or a Westgarth to a cheap contract and let Tinordi play hockey.

 

[Mr. Hab]

Just hope it doesn't fall to Tinordi to be our heavyweight.

Exactly...I don't want him getting an injury from fighting, BUT...

...I do see Tinordi sometimes defending/protecting (fighting if needed) IF one of our smaller players is getting crushed/bullied (ex: Gallagher) and Tinordi is on ice...I do see Tinordi defending Gallagher.

BUT...I want a ''protector/fighter'' to do most of the protecting, ''policeman'' work, and some intimidating (warning bullies to watch it,etc).

Weise, Tinordi, Prust...want to see how they play.
(let the paid ''protector/fighter'' do most of the defending, warnings,etc). Of course I see all the above fighting sometimes...but sometimes only (when really needed).

 

[kassian]

What the **** kind of propaganda is this?

Ottawa - When did Chris Neil retire?

Let's not forget Smith, Cowen, Phillips. A lot of people in here have a short memory. Not long ago, everyone was praying for some size and toughness. See the playoffs vs. the Senators. The reality is that Prust's shoulders are too messed up to take on this many opponents. Moen's done. Tinordi's young and won't even get to play a 1/2 season, being on the bottom of the main squad's depth chart. Weise is a non-factor. White's gone. There's no intimidation factor anymore, let's agree on that. I think we might just see goons take liberties on the Habs once again.

 

[Hackett]

Yes, the habs will be goonless, and that is becoming the trend in the NHL.

I think its more important to build a team that is miserable to play against along the boards. What i mean by that is to have a team that finishes checks with authority and is very difficult to knock off the puck. If you can build that type of style, you are the team that strikes fear into opponents, and you don't care who is on the other side.

There is no one player that can shift the habs into that mould.

So you might as well go into the season "goonless". Goons are only for spot regular season duties anyways.

 

[BigM]

In terms of general team toughness, I am a bit worried, as from last year's squad we have lost:
- White
- Parros
- D Murray
- Bouillon

 

[Corncob]

I can give an example : when orr tried to take out plek's knee, went after gionta then concussed bourque on the same play. Remember that game. Ask yourself if having murray or parros in the lineup helped this year. Sure parros got clocked ... but he kept orr busy all night.

And which of Bourque or Gionta are you suggesting that a Parros-like goon would have replaced on Plekanec's line in that game had we had one?

 

[hototogisu]

In terms of general team toughness, I am a bit worried, as from last year's squad we have lost:
- White
- Parros
- D Murray
- Bouillon

All 4 were routinely regarded as the worst players on the team and were often healthy scratches. So maybe our press box got softer. On-ice, I don't think we're going to be missing much.

 

[Corncob]

Look what happened to Prust when he was given protector duties. He has been nowhere near the same player.

Except, if you look at the actual facts, the only players that Prust fought that you could really describe as heavyweights in 2012-13 season are Mclaren and Lucic. Plus Finley for height and weight, but he's not all that great a fighter. The rest were guys around Prust's size who can hang with heavyweights like Brown and Neil and punks like Kaleta and Rinaldo.

Prust's fightcard that season looks much like any previous season, whether he played with a goon or not.

The fact that he's breaking down physically is nothing to do with how he was used in one season and everything to do with the style he's played through his whole career. If he's not healthy enough to do that anymore then the answer isn't to get a heavyweight to shelter him, it's to try to get rid of him because, quite frankly, Prust not able to play like Prust anymore isn't actually all that much use.

 

[MD thaivuN]

In terms of general team toughness, I am a bit worried, as from last year's squad we have lost:
- White
- Parros
- D Murray
- Bouillon

The only one that's serviceable on that list was White

 

[hototogisu]

Except, if you look at the actual facts, the only players that Prust fought that you could really describe as heavyweights in 2012-13 season are Mclaren and Lucic. Plus Finley for height and weight, but he's not all that great a fighter. The rest were guys around Prust's size who can hang with heavyweights like Brown and Neil and punks like Kaleta and Rinaldo.

Prust's fightcard that season looks much like any previous season, whether he played with a goon or not.

The fact that he's breaking down physically is nothing to do with how he was used in one season and everything to do with the style he's played through his whole career. If he's not healthy enough to do that anymore then the answer isn't to get a heavyweight to shelter him, it's to try to get rid of him because, quite frankly, Prust not able to play like Prust anymore isn't actually all that much use.

Finally someone who is making some sense in this thread of stupidity.

The "we ruined Prust because we made him fight above his weight class!" thing is one of the dumbest myths people on this board cling to.

 

[Fozz]

No need for goons.
The faster those clowns get out of the game, the better.