Post-Game Talk: Habs lose Blackhawks in a Shootout. Fail to clinch Playoffs.

[Mats NAslund]

That’s exactly what Maguire said on Marinaro last night. Essentially check your egos you wanna win or what and put him the first line too, NOW. Let’s see. If he doesn’t, then I don’t care what anybody says the loss will have been on him for not trying everything in his power.

100 Million times agree.....MSL is afraid of his vets thus the only reason I can see why Savard is still in the lineup and Matheson getting close to 30 minutes a game every night

 

[Lycanthrope]

He could not be more done

How about taking a Mulligan on those injury prone and players from now on!

 

[Lycanthrope]

The penalties cost us again, especially the Guhle one.

Maybe if our power play was worth a shit we could have made up for it.

 

[Lycanthrope]

I'd be curious to see the amount of missed shots in the last 6-7 games..

You’d need a calculator.

 

[Rapala]

I do get the experience argument.

The value of that experience is questionable though. Sure, going through the motions might be marginally better than not. As the other poster mentioned, you gotta also factor in the negative impact of some guys potentially getting bruised up by the physical Caps.

With the way we're playing, the main thing they'll learn is how big the gap still is.

The biggest factor for me has been fatigue.
I don't think Marty has done a good enough job getting fresh bodies into enough games.
I remember many of us suggesting Dobes should play on the Island when Montembeault had shown obvious signs of fatigue the game before.
He proceeded to give up two stinkers and I said at the time that the lost point and RW might come back to haunt us.

Roster management has been below par IMO.

 

[Lycanthrope]

Fowler can be Dryden. The 70 team had great leadership with Béliveau of course. But their defensive corps was rather inexperienced too. And their forwards were a work in progress, aside from le Gros Bill. Cournoyer had not achieved elite status yet (that would come the next year).

Yep, dad always told me they had no business winning that series. It was Dryden. Tried to find some complete games on You tube but haven’t been able to.

 

[Lycanthrope]

Holding a practice today... lol

Guhle says it will be a different team tomorrow.
ok, I will bite... but prove it

Could be wishful thinking, but I really think it will be. Just gonna need the tending.

 

[Lycanthrope]

Agreed, which is the only reason I'm not quite ready to trade him yet. That and his value is probably pretty low.

I think we’ve seen the kind of player a number one overall pick should be, and I don’t think Slav is or ever will be.

 

[Lycanthrope]

Newhook had like 5 great scoring chances on his stick
A good offensive players would have easily buried 3.

You or I would likely have buried one of them

 

[Lycanthrope]

monty must have known the puck was in the net. lol

Yep, the goalie always knows.

 

[morhilane]

The biggest factor for me has been fatigue.
I don't think Marty has done a good enough job getting fresh bodies into enough games.
I remember many of us suggesting Dobes should play on the Island when Montembeault had shown obvious signs of fatigue the game before.
He proceeded to give up two stinkers and I said at the time that the lost point and RW might come back to haunt us.

Roster management has been below par IMO.

Marty has been riding his (perceived) key players until they crack since his first full season. It's poor long term planning, especially with the 82 seasons grind.

I'm pretty sure Roy is still with the team because Hughes expected Marty to slot him once in a while to keep some players fresher. But that didn't happen.

 

[Habs10Habs]

Montreal was out of a playoff spot with one of the worst goal differentials in the East. Deadline prices were sky high. I don't see any serious argument for the team to have been buyers at the deadline.

I agree. But what I was hoping for was some depth players. Right now we have a few players who are hurt and who sadly didn't get a chance to rest. Adding a depth forward and defensemen wouldn't have cost that much.

 

[Takeru]

The biggest factor for me has been fatigue.
I don't think Marty has done a good enough job getting fresh bodies into enough games.
I remember many of us suggesting Dobes should play on the Island when Montembeault had shown obvious signs of fatigue the game before.
He proceeded to give up two stinkers and I said at the time that the lost point and RW might come back to haunt us.

Roster management has been below par IMO.

Fair point.
I feel the switch to "playoff team" mode was too drastic and contributed to said fatigue. We're riding Montembeault as if he's a Price level starter and keeping Savard in that could benefit from rest. As an added bonus, Dobes and the other benched youngsters would have benefitted from the experience by playing those meaningful games.
But here we are.

 

[Habs10Habs]

Add Romanov to that list

How nice would it be to have Romanov in over old man Savard.
Stay home hard hitting D

Thank you, I actually forgot about Romanov. I was okay with the deal at the time. Now looking back, he'd be great on our blue line right now.

 

[Habs10Habs]

I think we’ve seen the kind of player a number one overall pick should be, and I don’t think Slav is or ever will be.

Sorry, you replied to my post about Dach lol

I'll bite though.

Agreed, I like Slav and he's shown in spurts that he's going to be a valuable player for us. But when it comes to comparing him to previous number one overall picks. He's definitely going to fall short.

 

[KevSkillz4]

 

[Rapala]

Sorry, you replied to my post about Dach lol

I'll bite though.

Agreed, I like Slav and he's shown in spurts that he's going to be a valuable player for us. But when it comes to comparing him to previous number one overall picks. He's definitely going to fall short.

They always said they expected Slaf to be the best player in the draft D+5.
It's hard not to like a lot of what he is doing but conversely it's hard to like some of the things he isn't doing.
I look at it this way we got our #1 with Demidov and we got a #5 with Slaf...

 

[Lycanthrope]

They always said they expected Slaf to be the best player in the draft D+5.
It's hard not to like a lot of what he is doing but conversely it's hard to like some of the things he isn't doing.
I look at it this way we got our #1 with Demidov and we got a #5 with Slaf...

Well, that’s glass half full.

 

[Habs10Habs]

They always said they expected Slaf to be the best player in the draft D+5.
It's hard not to like a lot of what he is doing but conversely it's hard to like some of the things he isn't doing.
I look at it this way we got our #1 with Demidov and we got a #5 with Slaf...

Agreed, Slav was always viewed by management as being more of a long term player. Slav is actually one of my favourite players. When he's on the SOB is a wrecking ball, with a great shot and good vision. The only thing I have against him is consistency. Which I'm hoping will come in time.

I like your thinking on the matter.

 

[OldCraig71]

To be fair he got to slot in while these guys have been battling their asses off since 4 nations to get to this point. He might have a different feel for the game than someone who's had a direct impact on the result for the past 81 games.

For a kid to play his first NHL game on the big stage he looked to make an impact every shift. He should have had a 4 point night if his teammates could convert on some of the beautiful passes.

 

[OldCraig71]

I can understand Hughes promising Suzuki not to trade off any players. What I don't understand is not using a few draft picks, to pick up some depth for the team.

Truth. I'm sure he could have picked up a serviceable veteran center with the 100 picks we have.

 

[RandR]

Super disappointing game last night, especially given the great start. Of course, many people here are blaming St-Louis. However,

The biggest bone-head plays last night that cost the game were by:
1. Guhle. Habs up 2-0 and his late hit near the end of the first period puts the Hawks on a power-play and their power-play goal sends them into the dressing room on a high note. Turning point of the game.

2. Demidov. What the heck was that coasting on the game-tying goal by the Hawks? That had to be the worst lack-of-commitment leading to a goal against as I have seen on the Habs if not the whole league this year. I don't expect Demidov to be Owen Beck on the defensive side of the puck, but that was inexcusable for him to sit back and watch that play even if that was his first game in the NHL without having practiced with the team.

As for St-Louis, sure, I'd say that was a coaching mistake to not go with Demidov's hot hand as one of the first 3 shooters. Remember though that even if Demidov had have been picked and even if he had scored, then that would only have extended the shootout to at least one more shooter (with a 50-50 chance of winning) and that in itself is only if the Hawks 3rd shooter was stopped.

With all these guys, their strengths far outweigh their weaknesses and mistakes. Just as I am not benching Guile given how he usually plays, nor sending Demidov back to Russia given how he was the best forward on the ice for the Habs up to that tying goal, I am also not condemning St-Louis given how this team wouldn't have been in a position to clinch a playoff spot in the first place without him as coach.

 

[sampollock]

knuckles says a good point

these young guys are in better shape then he was back then
yet they are tired? he does not get it.. especially the whole team with lack luster effort

 

[LV426]

Glad to see Demidov showing his stuff his first game.

 

[CHarlie]

knuckles says a good point

these young guys are in better shape then he was back then
yet they are tired? he does not get it.. especially the whole team with lack luster effort

Tired or we've been simply playing over our heads