Post-Game Talk: Habs can't stop a puck or stay healthy. Rags wipe out Habs in Montreal.

[dcyhabs]

Worse than Primo?

It's not about better or worse, Primeau is old enough that he has to figure out the NHL or go home. Dobes can improve his game before he has to do that, no point breaking him, too. JK might have worked out with a year or two in the AHL before getting promoted, Xhekaj is looking like he needs some more time. Hutson has been up and down, but he could probably use some time in lower leagues as well.

Problem is that even without the injuries they'd be short a D or two if they played people where they should, and with the injuries there is just no hope. Guhle has difficulty playing top pairing minutes on his off side but he's really the only D that's even remotely able to handle those minutes. Without Guhle they aren't at all competitive.

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

Who is the second one? I don`t count Laine as part of this team.

Well he is at least until he gets another injury.

 

[dinodebino]

Interesting season that got even more interesting after tonight.

It's not about better or worse, Primeau is old enough that he has to figure out the NHL or go home. Dobes can improve his game before he has to do that, no point breaking him, too. JK might have worked out with a year or two in the AHL before getting promoted, Xhekaj is looking like he needs some more time. Hutson has been up and down, but he could probably use some time in lower leagues as well.

Problem is that even without the injuries they'd be short a D or two if they played people where they should, and with the injuries there is just no hope. Guhle has difficulty playing top pairing minutes on his off side but he's really the only D that's even remotely able to handle those minutes. Without Guhle they aren't at all competitive.

Yeah, I agree. They’re so green, fans here seem to forget it.

 

[OnTheRun]

Lafreniere did nothing tonight.

He got a crossbar on what would have been a highlight reel for the week. He just got unlucky tonight.

 

[GordonGraham]

Remember Gorton saying in his most recent interview how beating the Rangers is a little sweeter because of how fresh his departure is.

Well I'm sure he's not happy about tonight.

Wasnt he fired from there mostly cause the team was too soft and had no fight in them

 

[Habano]

MSL talking out of his ass at the presser again. What an absolute clown.

 

[HuGort]

Well, we weren't the only team to get smoked tonight.

Leafs lost 6-2 to Blue Jackets
Devils lost 8-5 to TB
Panthers 5-1 to Wild

But, this team isn't mediocre like many other Montreal teams were, it's downright bad. They're getting absolutely run out of the rink. Shots 45-23. We might be faced with a worse team ever situation.

Out of 7 games, we've played one strong game (against Ottawa). Montembeault had 6 goals saved above expected against the Leafs. They should have beat us 6-1. Lol We probably deserved more against Boston, but man, this does not look promising - more like disheartening.

We have St. Louis on Saturday, which will be another really tough game. Then we're in Philadelphia Sunday. It's really, really probable that by end of Sunday we'll be last in the Eastern Conference & 3rd last (30th) in the League.

We're worse than last season.

In all fairness, Rangers are red hot to start season and we don't have three of our better players. Slaf, Laine and Guhle.

But this is a bad team. Way worse than we projected in off season.

 

[HabzSauce]

I just want to get excited about something. If we can’t make the playoffs we have to get better at least. We’re getting worse!

We can get excited for 1st overall

 

[MoneyManny]

Am i the only one who sees Hutson constantly alone in our zone defending 2v1's? Almost everytime he gets caught off guard he's the only one trying to make a play.

 

[Naslund]

No teams would ever win anything with a green coach, filled with ridiculous ideals like Marty either.

If a team can win a Stanley cup with Jean Perron, they can win with Marty.

I don't think people realize how shitty our lineup is. It's full of young guys that will be above average NHL players one day, but likely not stars. The only future star player we have is currently playing in Russia. Even when he comes over, it will take him years to become that dominant force.

 

[Naslund]

I just want to get excited about something. If we can’t make the playoffs we have to get better at least. We’re getting worse!

Get excited about the young players getting better and getting ice time, and the draft next year. You will need to do this for a few more years.

Getting better will not be a linear thing.

 

[Miller Time]

Well, we weren't the only team to get smoked tonight.

Leafs lost 6-2 to Blue Jackets
Devils lost 8-5 to TB
Panthers 5-1 to Wild

But, this team isn't mediocre like many other Montreal teams were, it's downright bad. They're getting absolutely run out of the rink. Shots 45-23. We might be faced with a worse team ever situation.

Out of 7 games, we've played one strong game (against Ottawa). Montembeault had 6 goals saved above expected against the Leafs. They should have beat us 6-1. Lol We probably deserved more against Boston, but man, this does not look promising - more like disheartening.

We have St. Louis on Saturday, which will be another really tough game. Then we're in Philadelphia Sunday. It's really, really probable that by end of Sunday we'll be last in the Eastern Conference & 3rd last (30th) in the League.

We're worse than last season.

And yet better than Nashville in the standings so far, despite their big offseason additions

It's a long season. We aren't as bad as our worst stretches just like we won't be as good as our best ones.

Laine, Slaf & Guhle out... 3 of our top 4? 5? players.. this roster was not good enough to easily handle that kind of injury misfortune, that much was clear going into the season.

Is what it is. Hopefully Guhle & Slaf come back quick and stay healthy for a stretch. Injuries aren't an excuse for poor play, but it'd be silly to ignore the impact.... Especially on a roster as young and inexperienced as ours.

 

[CristianoRonaldo]

How bad was it -- @ArtPeur couldn't wait to storm for the exit!

Don't tell me he's the prick in fluorescent green behind the net, I hate this guy.

 

[dcyhabs]

1) Getting reps to Harris and Kovacevic make no sense. They were not parts of our near or long term future. That's why they are gone. We need Guhle, Hutson, Barron, Mailloux, and Struble (and Reinbacher) to get better at the NHL level, so that they peak when the team can compete for the cup again.

2) No scheme is going to help this defense, only time. A lot of it.

the Harris trade was good, but they miss him. Kovacevic would be useful because the habs don't have any D old enough to sit, and they are short of defensive players.

Pretty much every habs D who can pass waivers should be playing in the AHL at this point. The D is so young and so unready that the NHL playing time is not good experience now. There's certainly room for someone to step up, but most of the guys are too young, have some obvious weak points, or low ceilings. Hutson and Mailloux may be great sometime but not this year. Barron may find his way, but he's not there yet. Struble is a good third pairing guy, but not much more. Savard is a bottom pairing D. Guhle needs to stay healthy, and Matheson has some obvious flaws that he doesn't appear to be working on.

The plan seems to be that there are enough young guys that some of them will stick, but it's possible that few if any will be top 4 or top 6. Demidov and Hage look good, though.

 

[durojean]

Wanna correct the team.

Simple

Caufield Suzuki Dach 18 minutes not more
Armia Newhook Gallagher 18 minutes
Anderson Dvorak Kapanen12 minutes
Pezzeta Evans Heineman 12 minutes

Matheson Savard 20 minutes
Hutson Engstrom
Xhekaj Mailloux

Ok… we arr doomed…

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Moving Matheson would be the stupidest thing we can do. Guhle and Matheson are the only decent guys we have on D. That defense (and the team) would not survive a season without this guy. It would break the confidence of many young players (e.g., Hutson), as they are not ready for taking over the responsibilities.

Not if we replace him with a vet RD.

Guhle, Hutson, Struble, X remain in the left side. We should be okay with that. I don’t see Matheson here long term do you?

 

[vokiel]

If a team can win a Stanley cup with Jean Perron, they can win with Marty.

I don't think people realize how shitty our lineup is. It's full of young guys that will be above average NHL players one day, but likely not stars. The only future star player we have is currently playing in Russia. Even when he comes over, it will take him years to become that dominant force.

Once per century, good luck. That's not better odds that we had with Therrien.

 

[Canadienna]

Wasnt he fired from there mostly cause the team was too soft and had no fight in them

The whole Tom Wilson thing was big then and it was one of the things people said. No idea if Dolan actually fired him for that or something else.

I think a big part of the problem has been having no good feisty vets around. Our vets are amongst the softest on the team.

And it's hard to manufacture from the outside. I wanted us to trade for a Deslaurier type this summer, but even that doesn't really change the culture. You have to draft and or acquire skill players that play with an edge. I like Dach.

 

[Chili]

The blue line is full of pups. No team has ever looked good by playing 4 d-men day in and day out with less experience than what Mtl has done over the course of the last 2 seasons.

Savard has finally hit the proverbial wall and Matheson is just trying to do too much with what he sees right now. Who’s left?!? You got 4 pups! Mailloux needs to go back, Lane is not 100% ready, Barron? We saw tonight. Struble is a 3rd pairing guy with less than a season of play in the pros. I mean, come on, mates.

For now, if I’m HuGo, I’m looking at my pro scouts’ reports and calling my fellow GMs for 3rd pairing help, experienced help.

Guhle is a remarkable defenceman (his absence is as felt tonight, imagine that, still so young). But he can’t do it alone.

BTW, if you think this beating wasn’t directed at Gorton, then I don’t know what to say. The Rags mauled the kiddos to let the big boss upstairs know that his kiddos are not ready yet.

Gorton’s ego took a beating tonight. Il a mal à son orgeuil.

Last time I saw a blueline this young was the Flyers a few years ago. The only one still there is Sanheim. Gostisbehere, Provorov, Myers, Hagg, etc. have all moved on or didn't develop.

Don't know what Gorton/Hughes are looking at but right now this doesn't look like a good environment to develop young players.

Veterans help take the pressure off the young players, especially the D. Kids take years to learn to be NHL dmen. They could use help instead of bringing up another young player, Mailloux and making Xhekaj the 7th to be sitting him out.

 

[jfm133]

MSL is unable to teach players the importance of self protection on the ice. Also, all the frenzy about Hutson but it's his second -4 game in seven games and MSL plays him 25 min per game. Crazy.

 

[Theodore450]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1848918332788949193

https://x.com/i/web/status/1848918862776901808

Straight up Sophist, what a fraud

 

[Naslund]

the Harris trade was good, but they miss him. Kovacevic would be useful because the habs don't have any D old enough to sit, and they are short of defensive players.

Pretty much every habs D who can pass waivers should be playing in the AHL at this point. The D is so young and so unready that the NHL playing time is not good experience now. There's certainly room for someone to step up, but most of the guys are too young, have some obvious weak points, or low ceilings. Hutson and Mailloux may be great sometime but not this year. Barron may find his way, but he's not there yet. Struble is a good third pairing guy, but not much more. Savard is a bottom pairing D. Guhle needs to stay healthy, and Matheson has some obvious flaws that he doesn't appear to be working on.

The plan seems to be that there are enough young guys that some of them will stick, but it's possible that few if any will be top 4 or top 6. Demidov and Hage look good, though.

Guhle is obviously ready for the NHL
Barron needs to be in the NHL now; can't pass waiver.
Hutson; the Habs decided to give him reps at the NHL level. They think that's what is best for him. His offense is already way above average for the NHL. He just needs to get use to what works at the NHL level, and what does not. Can't learn that in the AHL.
Mailloux would be in the AHL if Guhle would not be injured.
Struble is ready to be in the NHL. He's decent, but he's young and he's playing for a shitty team, so he looks worse than he is. He's also catching up having missed the beginning of the season.
Xhekaj bring something unique that this team needs now.

Demidov looks like a star. Hage, I think we don't know yet. People are probably too excited about him at the moment.

 

[dcyhabs]

If a team can win a Stanley cup with Jean Perron, they can win with Marty.

I don't think people realize how shitty our lineup is. It's full of young guys that will be above average NHL players one day, but likely not stars. The only future star player we have is currently playing in Russia. Even when he comes over, it will take him years to become that dominant force.

Lemaire left a system in place so that Perron didn't have that much impact. The habs haven't had a good coach in decades, just a series of similar effort coaches who are otherwise bad to adequate. The cup run was probably coached by vets like Weber, maybe we should see if he'd be willing to do some coaching now. Martin may have been the last technical coach and he was a dinosaur by the time he got to Montreal, the game had passed him by.

The forward lines will be weak until Dach remembers how to play and Slaf gets healthy. The D will be putrid without Guhle and not great with him until/unless a lot of the young guys pick it up quick. At this point it's not about winning it's about trying to avoid destroying the young D. At this rate Xhekaj, Mailloux, Hutson, and the other young guys will be so outclassed as a unit that they won't learn much.

 

[Ozmodiar]

1) Over the summer management made two trades. They unloaded Harris and Kovacecic. They were not top pairing d-men but they did an admirable job. HuGo must have thought that Barron and Hutson were ready to step up. Obviously, they are not ready

Math Savard
Hutson Guhle
Xhekaj barron
Struble Mailloux

I guess the idea was to make room and get some playing time / internal competition among the bottom 4 or 5 listed.

I was thinking earlier that they could use Kovacevic.

 

[zx81]

Slowly going the way of the buffalo…

The sad reality is that a rebuild only really starts after you drafted a franchise player, someone to build around. I don't think we have that player yet.