GDT: Game 4: Pittsburgh Penguins vs Montreal Canadiens 10/17/22- 7:00pm EST SNE, RDS, TSN 690- Jeff's Return

[Le Tricolore]

I'll be missing the game today, but I hope Slaf, Caufield and Suzuki do well.

 

[26Mats]

Just got them in. Will update the GDT later

Best thing about those lines, Anderson, Monahan, Drouin, and Dadonov are all in the top 9. These are our most likely trade chips. So best to try to find a place where they'll succeed.

 

[Mrb1p]

Everyone’s freaking out I missed this

Nobody should be, its a sit back relax and enjoy the other teams talent +Suzuki/Caufield kinda year.

 

[Tyson]

People seriously think that playing Slaf with Evans and Hoffman is worse for him than Gallagher and Dvorak?

I actually can see him fit them better. Forget that they’re the 4th line, they’ll play like 12-23 minutes anyway.

Evans has underestimated playmaking skills and I think he is better for Slaf than Dvorak.

 

[26Mats]

I'll be missing the game today, but I hope Slaf, Caufield and Suzuki do well.

Hope we get to see them as a trio before Slaf gets sent down.

 

[SlafySZN]

Evans has underestimated playmaking skills and I think he is better for Slaf than Dvorak.

Yes exactly! Knows how to make a pass at least and good forechecker

 

[Crusher117]

He is on a one way contract. He gets NHL money if he plays in the NHL or AHL.

Good for him. Had no idea.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Doesn't he burn the 1st year off his ELC no matter if he plays in Laval or Montreal? Asking because in which case, the 10 games rule would be irrelevant

Age 20 is the main threshold. There are other rules but these are the main parts.

* Needs to play 10 NHL games before age 20 in order for the ELC to kick in.
* Needs to play 40 NHL games for the 1st RFA season to kick in.

 

[That Habs Fan]

Still skeptical about MSL putting Slaf on the 4th line with Evans and Hoffman, but I still love how he thinks about the game.

Tidbit of his media press a few minutes ago:


We currently don't have the personnel to play how he wants, but as we go along the rebuild, it'll be more and more fun.

Imagine if we had this regime around with Carey in net instead of "grind deez guys!" and "stop da puck Pricer!" behind the bench and a GM who loaded up at the deadline with the likes of Ott/Martinsen/King

What could have been...

 

[Aces on the road]

Evans has underestimated playmaking skills and I think he is better for Slaf than Dvorak.

Passing is his biggest weakness

 

[SlafySZN]

I mean aside from Suzuki, Caufield, Allen, Harris, Monahan and Guhle nobodys been good.

I know you like Dach, hes talented and could be something pretty special, but just like Slaf, its okay to admit he hasnt shown anything.

Monahan in your ‘’good’’ list for some reason while saying Dach hasn’t shown anything lol

without Dach there’s no Monahan goal against Toronto

 

[WeThreeKings]

I mean aside from Suzuki, Caufield, Allen, Harris, Monahan and Guhle nobodys been good.

I know you like Dach, hes talented and could be something pretty special, but just like Slaf, its okay to admit he hasnt shown anything.

it's also okay to admit you're wrong on Dach.

He hasn't shown anything? That's just wrong and you aren't going to find one metric to support that he's been bad. All the data will back-up that he's been one of our top forwards with Suzuki, Caufield and Monahan.

 

[Mrb1p]

Monahan in your ‘’good’’ list for some reason while saying Dach hasn’t shown anything lol

without Dach there’s no Monahan goal against Toronto

Yeah Dach made a good play on Monahans goal.. That doesnt mean he was a good player.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Yeah Dach made a good play on Monahans goal.. That doesnt mean he was a good player.

It’s only been three games, so a sample size warning is in effect, but so far, the combination of Kirby Dach and Sean Monahan up front is putting up some incredible underlying numbers. With the two of them on the ice at five-on-five, the Canadiens have controlled nearly 70 percent of the shot attempts, 63.3 percent of the shots on goal and 73.3 percent of the expected goals. All of that has only resulted in a 1-0 advantage in actual goals — Monahan’s go-ahead goal late in the third period of the season-opener — but if they continue playing this way, the goals should come.

One of the reasons why the combination works is Monahan and Dach complete each other’s weaknesses. Monahan has taken the most faceoffs on the team with 46, winning 67.4 percent of them, while Dach has only taken 13, winning five of them. That obviously helps the line start its shift with possession.

But once they have possession, that’s where Dach’s strengths make up for some of the weaknesses in Monahan’s game. Dach’s ability to navigate the minefield known as the neutral zone is something to watch, and also something Monahan doesn’t do all that well. Once the puck is in the offensive zone and the Canadiens are able to get set up, that’s when Monahan’s skills become more relevant.

If you watch Dach arriving at the offensive blue line with speed, it’s remarkable how often he makes the right decision with the puck, whether that’s keeping it and entering the zone himself or sucking defenders into him and dishing to a linemate for an easy zone entry. When asked how he does it, Dach had a very simple answer.

“I think most of that is instinct,” he said.

But then you hear him talk about it and realize it’s not instinct at all.

“If I see the D-man is on his heels a little bit and his toe caps are pointing straight at me, and then they turn as soon as I make a move to the right or left, if they bite, I know I can beat them,” Dach said.

He says his strategy differs when facing a strong skating defenceman like Cale Makar or Roman Josi as opposed to a bigger, slower defenceman. Though he’s only played 155 NHL games, Dach already has a bit of a book on defencemen he’s faced and what their tendencies are when defending the blue line. Makar and Josi types will be more aggressive because they can recover, whereas slower guys will bite more because they don’t have the mobility to recover. If Dach knows what profile the defenceman he’s facing fits, he will adjust his entry strategy accordingly.


“If a guy lunges at you with his stick, then I know there’s a passing window to dish it off between him and his stick,” Dach said. “And because he’s lunging at me, I know I’ll be able to get behind him. Then I’m open for a return pass and I either have a breakaway or a two-on-one.”

All that information needs to be processed in a split second.

Yes, instincts play a big part in Dach’s effectiveness entering the zone. But there’s a lot of thinking going on as well.

 

[Tyson]

Passing is his biggest weakness

Agree to disagree

Good for him. Had no idea.

Yeah he landed a 3 year NHL contract. Not sure it was deserved tbh

 

[Whitesnake]

So in order to give Slaf more confidence, we play him on the 4th. Here's a novelty...PLAY HIM ON THE PP TOO!

 

[SlafySZN]

Yeah Dach made a good play on Monahans goal.. That doesnt mean he was a good player.

He is good defensively, the best on the team in transition, good at keeping pressure in the other team’s zone. If it doesn’t make him a good player i wonder what is.

 

[Mrb1p]

It’s only been three games, so a sample size warning is in effect, but so far, the combination of Kirby Dach and Sean Monahan up front is putting up some incredible underlying numbers. With the two of them on the ice at five-on-five, the Canadiens have controlled nearly 70 percent of the shot attempts, 63.3 percent of the shots on goal and 73.3 percent of the expected goals. All of that has only resulted in a 1-0 advantage in actual goals — Monahan’s go-ahead goal late in the third period of the season-opener — but if they continue playing this way, the goals should come.

One of the reasons why the combination works is Monahan and Dach complete each other’s weaknesses. Monahan has taken the most faceoffs on the team with 46, winning 67.4 percent of them, while Dach has only taken 13, winning five of them. That obviously helps the line start its shift with possession.

But once they have possession, that’s where Dach’s strengths make up for some of the weaknesses in Monahan’s game. Dach’s ability to navigate the minefield known as the neutral zone is something to watch, and also something Monahan doesn’t do all that well. Once the puck is in the offensive zone and the Canadiens are able to get set up, that’s when Monahan’s skills become more relevant.

If you watch Dach arriving at the offensive blue line with speed, it’s remarkable how often he makes the right decision with the puck, whether that’s keeping it and entering the zone himself or sucking defenders into him and dishing to a linemate for an easy zone entry. When asked how he does it, Dach had a very simple answer.

“I think most of that is instinct,” he said.

But then you hear him talk about it and realize it’s not instinct at all.

“If I see the D-man is on his heels a little bit and his toe caps are pointing straight at me, and then they turn as soon as I make a move to the right or left, if they bite, I know I can beat them,” Dach said.

He says his strategy differs when facing a strong skating defenceman like Cale Makar or Roman Josi as opposed to a bigger, slower defenceman. Though he’s only played 155 NHL games, Dach already has a bit of a book on defencemen he’s faced and what their tendencies are when defending the blue line. Makar and Josi types will be more aggressive because they can recover, whereas slower guys will bite more because they don’t have the mobility to recover. If Dach knows what profile the defenceman he’s facing fits, he will adjust his entry strategy accordingly.


“If a guy lunges at you with his stick, then I know there’s a passing window to dish it off between him and his stick,” Dach said. “And because he’s lunging at me, I know I’ll be able to get behind him. Then I’m open for a return pass and I either have a breakaway or a two-on-one.”

All that information needs to be processed in a split second.

Yes, instincts play a big part in Dach’s effectiveness entering the zone. But there’s a lot of thinking going on as well.

Are you going to make a similar post about Kovacevic too?

 

[Habano]

My bold predictions for tonight. Habs will win 4-2 (EN goal by our captain)

Slaf will get his first goal.

Caufield and Gallagher with the other goals! One is allowed to dream, no?

EDIT: I just went through the thread and saw Allen is not playing. f*** it, I'm gonna stick with my prediction

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

5-0 Loss tonight and a tough one to watch

 

[WeThreeKings]

Are you going to make a similar post about Kovacevic too?

"I'm wrong and I'm caught. Here's a strawman, whataboutism"

 

[CanadienShark]

I really hope we do a big show and presentation for Poehling. Thanks for the memories.

 

[Canadienna]

When I wished for Slaf on a new line I wasn't thinking of the 4th.

Hopefully he still gets some solid minutes.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I really hope we do a big show and presentation for Poehling. Thanks for the memories.

Book-end it with my drunken reactions of his selection

and then Dramatic Glove Save saying he's the best center prospect not in the NHL.

 

[Justsayin]

Book-end it with my drunken reactions of his selection

and then Dramatic Glove Save saying he's the best center prospect not in the NHL.

Turns out your drunken reaction was not far off.