Post-Game Talk: Habs lose 2-1 to the Devils in preseason opener

[Mandala]

Lose Weight? You think he has 20 pounds to lose? Maybe. So we should cut one leg and one arm..that might do it. Look at him and you'll see that is fat percentage isn't high. So he has to strenghten his lower body to make up for the weight he has to carry. But the kid doesn't have 20 pounds to lose.

Strawman argument: inventing I said he needs to shed 20 pounds and than critic that he should loose 20 pounds. Reality is: he is too heavy for a speed game and if we want a power forward he needs to keep speed and stamina. Very hard to do at 240 pounds

 

[Whitesnake]

Strawman argument: inventing I said he needs to shed 20 pounds and than critic that he should loose 20 pounds. Reality is: he is too heavy for a speed game and if we want a power forward he needs to keep speed and stamina. Very hard to do at 240 pounds

Tell me that you'd be fine with him at 230. That's 10 pounds. Everytime I hear that argument, it's people hoping he'd be at 220 or 225. That's 15-20 pounds. There is not a situation where you'd be fien with him playing at 235 if you hate seeing him at 240...

 

[Mandala]

Tell me that you'd be fine with him at 230. That's 10 pounds. Everytime I hear that argument, it's people hoping he'd be at 220 or 225. That's 15-20 pounds. There is not a situation where you'd be fien with him playing at 235 if you hate seeing him at 240...

The danger of playing at a high weight also includes injuries and premature damage to joints and ligaments. There is a balance to find. I am sure the health professionals on the team will accompany him throughout the season especially if he starts to have hard time maintaining the tempo of the game. Will be curious to see his weight mid-season or next season. Of course, he might grow a little more and it's back to square one.

 

[Kennerback]

Strawman argument: inventing I said he needs to shed 20 pounds and than critic that he should loose 20 pounds. Reality is: he is too heavy for a speed game and if we want a power forward he needs to keep speed and stamina. Very hard to do at 240 pounds

Slaf will play at 240+ for his whole career. Probably much more than 240. That’s his physical makeup. Either that’s good for the Habs or not. If it’s not, they’ll need to flip him because they’ll never make a 225 Power Forward out of him. It’s just not physically possible.

 

[dcyhabs]

Matheson looking like a younger solid version of Petry. Cool, calm, poised with excellent skating and decision making. What a trade.

It’s early preseason and the only vets playing to impress are the ones new to their teams. It’s a good sign, but it’s probably more effort rather than a major change to his game.

 

[Paddy17]

He reminded me a lot of Jeff Petry except Matheson actually passes the puck rather than rag it around needlessly before firing a low % shot on net that inevitably gets blocked.

He also doesn't turn fully towards the player he'll pass to, open his stick blade and lean towards him to make sure everyone knows that's where he's passing...
Jeff was good for a few years, but deception was not a part of his game.

 

[Anardil]

Kudos to @Goldenhands for picking the guy that the Habs picked, however, Slafkofsky so far looks like the most underwhelming 1st over all pick in a long time. He looked ordinary in the prospects challenge, and in his 1st game against 'NHLers' much the same. It's obvious that he has many tools, but he seems to lack the proverbial toolbox.

At this moment he appears more like the 10 point Liiga player than the player that stood out in the Olympics and Worlds.

It's bothersome to me at least, that the two next choices the Habs made (Mesar and Beck) continuously outshine Slaf.

At this point of camp, it is safe to say that Slaf should not start the season in the NHL, and I think that Laval might be too big of a step in competition for him.

He still has two weeks to start to show what all the fuss was about.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

The danger of playing at a high weight also includes injuries and premature damage to joints and ligaments. There is a balance to find. I am sure the health professionals on the team will accompany him throughout the season especially if he starts to have hard time maintaining the tempo of the game. Will be curious to see his weight mid-season or next season. Of course, he might grow a little more and it's back to square one.

Ovechkin has played at 240+ lbs his whole career and he has been very healthy

 

[Canadienna]

I wasn't ready to throw Slaf in the NHL after his one scrimmage where he looked unstoppable, and I'm not willing to keep him out of the NHL after one preseason game where he looked average.

I'm still waiting to see how he looks with some other guys, mostly Caufield/Suzuki.

 

[HostileCapSpace]

Beck is good and all but, no.

Beck will have a better and longer NHL career than Kirby Dach. Laugh at this all you want...

 

[Xirik]

Kudos to @Goldenhands for picking the guy that the Habs picked, however, Slafkofsky so far looks like the most underwhelming 1st over all pick in a long time. He looked ordinary in the prospects challenge, and in his 1st game against 'NHLers' much the same. It's obvious that he has many tools, but he seems to lack the proverbial toolbox.

At this moment he appears more like the 10 point Liiga player than the player that stood out in the Olympics and Worlds.

It's bothersome to me at least, that the two next choices the Habs made (Mesar and Beck) continuously outshine Slaf.

At this point of camp, it is safe to say that Slaf should not start the season in the NHL, and I think that Laval might be too big of a step in competition for him.

He still has two weeks to start to show what all the fuss was about.

uhhhhh.. At this point in time with other 1st overalls everyone of them since Hischier has looked pretty underwhelming. I don't remember Dahlin, Hughes, Laf, and Power looking very great at the rookie tournaments or their first preseason game.

The main reason Hischier looked good was he had Prime Taylor Hall stapled to him at the start.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Beck will have a better and longer NHL career than Kirby Dach. Laugh at this all you want...

Must be nice to have a crystal ball

 

[durojean]

Well that's why their performance at the rookie camp and preseason games is completely meaningless.

Did their better performances propel them to be better players today?

The only problem is fans who build up expectations to the point where anything short of a hat trick, will never suffice.

The organization, Gorton, Hughes and St-Louis, have constantly repeated since draft day that they want Slafkovsky to be the best player from this draft in 3-4 years.

We, fans and media, are the ones who need the confirmation that he was the right pick, today. That's just because we're insecure.

You can't conflate both of those things.

Slafkovsky could have played the same exact game he played yesterday, but instead, let's say he scores on that last shot.

Then the perception on his game changes completely.

That's the fickle nature of fandom...I'd like to think the coaching staff and organization, have more of a birds-eye view.

I think you are misreading my comments as that I think he does not have potential or that I hate on him but that really is not the case.

I’ve always questioned his hockey IQ and I’m scared that we overdrafted him because of size and him getting hot at the good time.

Right now, he’s proving me that he is exactly where I think he is in his development and where his game is at.

Does not mean he can’t become better and that I won’t give him time… hell, I’m one of the few that still gives benefit of the doubt to KK and feel like he could still amount to something really good. I will give at least as much time to Slaf.

For me, it’s more about finding where he is at right now and right now, I see, with the games he p’ayed and the echantillon is really small, that he is a long way from getting our 1st overall money worth. Does not mean he won’t. It only means we have more job

 

[417]

I think you are misreading my comments as that I think he does not have potential or that I hate on him but that really is not the case.

I’ve always questioned his hockey IQ and I’m scared that we overdrafted him because of size and him getting hot at the good time.

Right now, he’s proving me that he is exactly where I think he is in his development and where his game is at.

Does not mean he can’t become better and that I won’t give him time… hell, I’m one of the few that still gives benefit of the doubt to KK and feel like he could still amount to something really good. I will give at least as much time to Slaf.

For me, it’s more about finding where he is at right now and right now, I see, with the games he p’ayed and the echantillon is really small, that he is a long way from getting our 1st overall money worth. Does not mean he won’t. It only means we have more job

First off, he's played exactly ONE game...so not gameS, but game.

Secondly, I think your comments about finding out where he is at now, is the issue I'm trying to highlight.

NOW dosn't matter in the grand scheme of things...sure it does for fans who've been waiting for 3 months to see the guy play.

But in the scope of his development...NOW matters very little. NOW is his floor and it's up to him and the coaching staff to make sure he gets to what is potentially, a considerable ceiling.

 

[JoelWarlord]

These threads on here read like discussions about Josh Allen during his rookie year

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

Kudos to @Goldenhands for picking the guy that the Habs picked, however, Slafkofsky so far looks like the most underwhelming 1st over all pick in a long time. He looked ordinary in the prospects challenge, and in his 1st game against 'NHLers' much the same. It's obvious that he has many tools, but he seems to lack the proverbial toolbox.

At this moment he appears more like the 10 point Liiga player than the player that stood out in the Olympics and Worlds.

It's bothersome to me at least, that the two next choices the Habs made (Mesar and Beck) continuously outshine Slaf.

At this point of camp, it is safe to say that Slaf should not start the season in the NHL, and I think that Laval might be too big of a step in competition for him.

He still has two weeks to start to show what all the fuss was about.

as trollish as this post is I don't think you're that far off though I think you're a bit uncharitable.

Not too sure if it's a toolbox issue but it could be. I just think he's really raw at this point. But he absolutely needs a lot of work. I still saw him being quite electric at times in the rookie game. The potential is massive but like I said in another post he's like a 9.0D or even a 9.5F or Z.

I'm not wholly convinced he can refine his game but I'm not writing him off. Not saying you are.

I do think Laval is the best place though for him. I'm almost 100% he'll struggle there. Maybe even as long as the entire first season but at least the first 20 games I could imagine. The organization has to really get a dedicated skills coach for Laval or at least someone who can show him how to use his tools/size more effectively.

The problem with junior is he'll rip that league apart without having to change his game much which wouldn't help his overall development at all. If Galchenyuk could destroy that league after coming off a year of not playing, just imagine what Slaf would do. He looks far above Galchenyuk at this point.

 

[Kents polished head]

My two cents on yesterday's game

- Mike Matheson: The guy was sharp all game long. Him skating with the puck is such a delight to see. He looks like he's in terrific shape, and quite honestly, I can live with the occasional brainfarts if what I saw yesterday is of any indication of what he can provide this team.

- Owen Beck: This kid reminds of of Ryan O'Reilly when he first came into the league. If we weren't so deep at C, it wouldn't be far fetched to see him stay until the last cuts of the training camp.

- Kirby Dach: Started off slow. The first 30 minutes were disappointing. He ruined a lot of plays in the offensive zone. He definitely turned it up for the second half of the game though, where I thought he was our best forward. He has tons of interesting tools. He just has to put it all together, but you can see the potential is high.

- Mike Hoffman: I thought he was ok yesterday. I fail to see why there are people hating on him in this thread. He was involved in all aspects of the game and created a lot.

- Kaiden Guhle: More fluid than I expected on his skates. Solid along the boards. A little time in the AHL wouldn't be too bad for his development, but I think he could make the team right away and adapt fairly quickly.

- Jordan Harris: More of what we saw last season. I really would like him to start in the AHL. Ideally, he should polish his offensive game before sticking in the big league.

- Justin Barron: Discrete but effective. Less of a natural than the former two, but still definitely close to being an NHLer.

- Michael Pezzetta: I'm sorry, but this guy doesn't belong in the NHL.

- Juraj Slafkovsky: Got caught watching the game instead of playing it. Probably paralysis by analysis. Should get better as he plays more games.

- Filip Mesar: The guy is a carbon copy of Sergei Samsonov. I know Habs fans have a PTSD when it comes down to Sergei Samsonov, but in the end, the guy played more than a decade in the NHL. I think Samsonov is a great comparable for Mesar. Highly dynamic and wonderful hands.

 

[Redux91]

Slaf will be the best player of his draft in 5-10 years... until then don't bother even talking about him, buster. You keep your mouths shut until it is the year 2032, because a single damn word about Slafkovsky before then will be premature and you'll look like a god damn joke. Unless you're praising him.

It was about time you have a real heart to heart with yourself

 

[ChesterNimitz]

These threads on here read like discussions about Josh Allen during his rookie year

Yes, there is a certain degree of impatience.

 

[morhilane]

uhhhhh.. At this point in time with other 1st overalls everyone of them since Hischier has looked pretty underwhelming. I don't remember Dahlin, Hughes, Laf, and Power looking very great at the rookie tournaments or their first preseason game.

The main reason Hischier looked good was he had Prime Taylor Hall stapled to him at the start.

Pre-season performance always depends a lot on the context: who they get paired with, the deployment and the opposition they face. The quality range between the players during those matches is pretty wide. From top 6 players to career AHLers and freshly drafted prospects.

A good example would be Joshua Roy. He played pre-season games last year and people here were talking about giving him a spot in the NHL at the time. They don't after the last game despite him improving his game and playing with a broken finger, zero ozone starts and less than 9m of TOI at 5v5.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

My two cents on yesterday's game


- Filip Mesar: The guy is a carbon copy of Sergei Samsonov. I know Habs fans have a PTSD when it comes down to Sergei Samsonov, but in the end, the guy played more than a decade in the NHL. I think Samsonov is a great comparable for Mesar. Highly dynamic and wonderful hands.

habs Samsonov would be awful but prime Samsonov would be fantastic

 

[26Mats]

habs Samsonov would be awful but prime Samsonov would be fantastic

My two cents on yesterday's game


- Filip Mesar: The guy is a carbon copy of Sergei Samsonov. I know Habs fans have a PTSD when it comes down to Sergei Samsonov, but in the end, the guy played more than a decade in the NHL. I think Samsonov is a great comparable for Mesar. Highly dynamic and wonderful hands.

I think Joe Thornton made Samsonov's career... He wasn't nearly as productive without him...

But if Mesar can be a 70 point 5'09 shift winger, what would be fantastic.

 

[Supersonic]

At a certain point you just gotta put the 'haha' message on stupid posts and let them yell into the void.

I truly wonder what makes people log into HFBoards everyday and spew negativity about every little thing (particularly bad in the summer when there is no new content to reflect on) ad nauseam

 

[haseoke39]

The Royal Bank of Canada vs. the actual New Jersey Devils. Good for the Devils.

 

[Kents polished head]

I think Joe Thornton made Samsonov's career... He wasn't nearly as productive without him...

But if Mesar can be a 70 point 5'09 shift winger, what would be fantastic.

The comparison was more stylistic than anything else. When I watch Mesar, I just see Samsonov out there.

As for the latter, I never hated Samsonov with the Habs. I think Carbonneau used him awfully. He had a pretty good run with the Carolina Hurricanes afterwards and was a good second line forward for good chunks of his career. In our series against Boston in 2004, he was by far the best Bruins forward. He also came out clutch in the leading stretch to the playoffs with the Oilers in 2006.

If Mesar is anything close to Samsonov I'll be delighted.