GDT: Game 80: Habs vs Leafs, April 12th, 7 PM | CBC, SN, TVAS

[Boss Man Hughes]

And he can win you the game on the other side. If MSL could manage his bench on the level of an actual NHL coach, maybe this wouldnt be such an issue.

Other than not dressing Xhekaj there isn't much he can do.

 

[dinodebino]

Swapping him with Pezzetta would increase our chance of winning.

Swapping Pezzetta with anybody would be better.

Can we give the kid the time to get acquainted with his teammates first!?! And learn about the NHL? He’s 19 years old. One of the youngest players in the league now…who never played at that level.

If and once we make the playoffs, he will play, not worried. He’ll be sheltered just like Caufield was when he came in; having favourable matchups at home, being put in winnable situations in o-zone faceoffs, etc.

Not against Toronto.

 

[dinodebino]

And he can win you the game on the other side. If MSL could manage his bench on the level of an actual NHL coach, maybe this wouldnt be such an issue.

You and I disagree so much about coaching that it’s useless to bring it up. The kid will need to be sheltered. On the road is not the way to go, especially since he hasn’t even met his teammates yet.

 

[Kojo]

Swapping Pezzetta with anybody would be better.

Can we give the kid the time to get acquainted with his teammates first!?! And learn about the NHL? He’s 19 years old. One of the youngest players in the league now…who never played at that level.

If and once we make the playoffs, he will play, not worried. He’ll be sheltered just like Caufield was when he came in; having favourable matchups at home, being put in winnable situations in o-zone faceoffs, etc.

Not against Toronto.

I actually agree with you but if he says he's ready he should play.

 

[Mrb1p]

You and I disagree so much about coaching that it’s useless to bring it up. The kid will need to be sheltered. On the road is not the way to go, especially since he hasn’t even met his teammates yet.

Yes he needs to be sheltered. So did Pezzeta, to tune of 5 minutes a game for the thirtyish games he played.

Nobody died.

This is nothing but an ego move.

 

[dinodebino]

Yes he needs to be sheltered. So did Pezzeta, to tune of 5 minutes a game for the thirtyish games he played.

Nobody died.

This is nothing but an ego move.

Ego move? I don’t see any ego move. I see a GM and his coach agreeing on bringing their jewel slowly in the lineup. Both of them seemed pretty much on the same page today.

 

[SannywithoutCompy]

Dobes is in net. That should be interesting.

Pezzetta should come out for Heineman.
Savard sits on a back-to-back for Xhekaj.

Caufield - Suzuki - Slafkovsky
Laine - Newhook - Heineman
Anderson - Dvorak - Gallagher
Kapanen - Evans - Armia

Guhle - Carrier
Struble - Hutson
Xhekaj - Matheson

We'll know where things are at by game time tomorrow.

NYI @ Phil, Caps @ CBJ, NYR @ Canes will all be over by 7 PM.

We could clinch with one point, but as of right now, we can clinch with a regulation win.

We need a better start - simple as that. Play hard, play desperate, and play smart.

Go Habs Go!!

Any shift with Xhekaj-Matheson should be set to Benny hill music

 

[Kojo]

Caufield - Suzuki - Slafkovsky
Laine - Newhook - Heineman
Anderson - Dvorak - Gallagher
Kapanen - Evans - Armia

Guhle - Carrier
Struble - Hutson
Demidov - Matheson

 

[Mrb1p]

Ego move? I don’t see any ego move. I see a GM and his coach agreeing on bringing their jewel slowly in the lineup. Both of them seemed pretty much on the same page today.

Yep. All about showing the city his little pair of balls.

Hutson played in the NHL with one practice under his wing and it went well, he even played 22 minutes.

 

[Mrb1p]

Any shift with Xhekaj-Matheson should be set to Benny hill music

Any pairing with Matheson should be set to Benny hill music.

 

[expy]

Don't see the Habs winning on the second of a back-to-back, especially after how bad they looked against Ottawa.
Dobes will have to steal the game in order for them to have any chance. Sucks he has the pressure tomorrow.

 

[yianik]

Xhekaj and Dobes should both be in

 

[morhilane]

He needs to practice with the team first. When is he going to do that?

If they are waiting for him to get a practice, he's not going to play until September.
None is planned for Sunday and looking at the team their won't be any on Tuesday either.
And morning skates are 100% optional.

It's pretty much Suzuki who decide when the team has a practice.

 

[BLONG7]

How long did it take for Kapanen to play? Demidov was in the playoffs last week, he doesn't need to practice. He's ready to go.

Moving across the world, and making the time change work for your body etc is not an easy thing guys......
Not to mention the crazy expectations by fans and media.
If anything MSL is simply trying to protect this kid off the get go....

I would love to see him tonight, but it seems it is not happening........could it? Maybe, but highly unlikely.
It's unfortunate we didn't clinch last night.......would make these decisions easier.

 

[BLONG7]

Xhekaj and Dobes should both be in

And our PF Emil !!

 

[yianik]

And our PF Emil !!

Right you are. But wasnt he injured ?

 

[BLONG7]

Right you are. But wasnt he injured ?

Read last night, he could have played, but MSL said no.................so no Pezz tonight!! Bring back the big H !!

 

[yianik]

Read last night, he could have played, but MSL said no.................so no Pezz tonight!! Bring back the big H !!

Yes then. Need Emil to get his touch back.

 

[BLONG7]

Yes then. Need Emil to get his touch back.

His injury back in January derailed his good season.......would love to see him get his mojo back tonight, and into the playoffs. Power forward written all over him...

 

[WeThreeKings]

Last game of the pre Demidov era.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Scheduled loss but its ok , would be fun to go to overtime at least get a point so the race doesn't have to be that serious the rest of the way

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

If they are waiting for him to get a practice, he's not going to play until September.
None is planned for Sunday and looking at the team their won't be any on Tuesday either.
And morning skates are 100% optional.

It's pretty much Suzuki who decide when the team has a practice.

Gonna be Demidov and Hutson on the ice every morning all alone

 

[shamrun]

What is he gonna practice? Have you seen this guy play?

He is not in the right chair. We should have a fourth line of Evans, armia and kappanen.

 

[Erika]

Yep. All about showing the city his little pair of balls.

Hutson played in the NHL with one practice under his wing and it went well, he even played 22 minutes.

Yeah I agree, sounds like an arm wrestling match between St-Louis vs Habs Fans and Demidov to show who's the real boss.

All he has to do is limit his ice time and use him sporadicly when he sees an opportunity. St-Louis lacks of experience as a coach in the NHL with similar situation is really showing here. I'm pretty sure he has anxiety and stress facing this situation right now.

Why wait any further... the faster Demidov can enter the show, the faster he'll be able to adapt. It's not like If we have 20 games remaining. The thing that the coaching staff underestimate is the development curve of 3 NHL games VS only 2 games. A 1 game difference is absolutely huge in this case as the human learning process is exponential in the early phase.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Another game, another 1st period they don't show up for.

Shouldn't feel this confident knowing the probability of them not showing up in the first is far greater than them showing up.

Then again, they showed up in the first last time against the Leafs and blew it hard.