Post-Game Talk: Habs lose to the Devils

[MasterD]

Lolol at people looking for a quick solution. We're a bottom 10 team with major injuries that played against a Stanley cup contender on a back to back. There is no solution except drafting, smart trades and slowly keep plugging holes.

People wanna fire Burrows because magically our pp will be top 10 lolol. We don't have the tools for a good pp no matter who's coaching it.

Did you see that PP, in the first or second, where they wasted over a minute and gave 3 shots from the slot because they fumbled the STUPID back pass?

Tools or not, the strategy is horrible.

Caufield, Suzuki, Newhook, Monahan, Matheson/Barron should be able to enter the zone and get some chances.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

The Devils are more than just a tough team, they are a legitimate Cup contender. We had no answer for their speed and skill. I don't think anyone is going to want to meet the Devils in the playoffs.

I thought Matheson played a tremendous third period and tried to carry the team on his back in a valiant effort to get them back into the game. I also liked Xhekaj's game. He was punishing Devils players in the defensive zone and made a number of excellent, creative plays in the offensive zone. This kid is going to be a real force going forward. I wouldn't be too critical of this team. Already very thin in talent, they were without three top players and were playing the second of back to back games against a well rested, talented team. The outcome was predictable.

Really good shot at the cup for them this year.

 

[MasterD]

Yeah, I mean who needs guys like Toffoli and Lekhs. We need more picks who will never make it anywhere. But not to worry... the bright future is right ahead... only 20+ years and we'll be right there... in da playoffs.


So hard to see very good teams vs ... this team. Jealous of them... they have good coaches and GMs. Must be nice.

Bruh this team ain't going nowhere, Toffoli and Lehkonen wouldn't change anything.

We need first liners. A #1 dman that's not always injured or plain dumb. A #1 goalie.

This will take a while.

 

[Habs]

No one said Toffoli will decline now. When Habs are ready to contend in 2-3 years he will very likely be too slow to keep up and certainly too old.

Contending in 2-3 years? lol, I know you are joking

 

[Adriatic]

Did you see that PP, in the first or second, where they wasted over a minute and gave 3 shots from the slot because they fumbled the STUPID back pass?

Tools or not, the strategy is horrible.

Caufield, Suzuki, Newhook, Monahan, Matheson/Barron should be able to enter the zone and get some chances.

There's one guy on that list that belongs on a good #1 PP and that's Caulfield. The rest are not pp guys. Nobody can shoot the puck, no QB, nobody that can play high slot. You can draw up any strategy you want, it's not gonna work until we get offensive upgrades.

 

[Miller Time]

Contending in 2-3 years? lol, I know you are joking

If they find an adequate contender G solution, it's a realistic possibility...

Matheson @31
Suzuki, RHP @26
Harris, Ylonen @25
CC, Newhook, Dach, Xhekaj @24
Guhle, Barron @ 23
Slaf @21

Plus likely 1-2 UFA or trade acquired upgrades at G/top 6/top 4 using our ample cap room & futures assets, plus any of our prospects who force their way into impact roles (Roy? Mailloux? RB? unexpected riser?)


That should be a significantly better opening night roster then this year... Playoff favorite, borderline contender depending on how good the upgrades are

 

[larek]

Suzuki another step backwards
Time to separate
CC and Zuki

 

[Harry Kakalovich]

Nice to see Gustav Lindstrom out there

 

[Catanddogguitarrr]

44pts in 52 games with the habs in his first season. That around 60pts in 82 games right? He would have still produce around 60 pts with the habs.

We need to start a thread about the ex Habs players traded or not re-signed in the rebuilt mode.
Toffoli, Chariot, Edmundston, Danault, Lehkonen, did I forgot someone? I could include KK.
What we got in exchange?
The last long term signing of Bergy were brutal : Gally, Armia, Evans, Hoffman, Dvorak. Savard isn't that bad.
Are we headed in the right direction? Not so sure.

 

[admiralcadillac]

So at what point is this team supposed to start showing improvement? I mean MSL has been doing his wizardry for 2 years now. Hughes for longer than that. Same for Gorton. I get it that they aren't going to contend for anything yet, but how about some improvement. In any area will do. The team is trash.

Where the F is Suzuki and Caufield these days?

f***ing maddening.

Well caufield is still on pace for 50 goals

 

[Habs]

If they find an adequate contender G solution, it's a realistic possibility...

Matheson @31
Suzuki, RHP @26
Harris, Ylonen @25
CC, Newhook, Dach, Xhekaj @24
Guhle, Barron @ 23
Slaf @21

Plus likely 1-2 UFA or trade acquired upgrades at G/top 6/top 4 using our ample cap room & futures assets, plus any of our prospects who force their way into impact roles (Roy? Mailloux? RB? unexpected riser?)


That should be a significantly better opening night roster then this year... Playoff favorite, borderline contender depending on how good the upgrades are

I think we are going to be shown to fail at the draft with slaf and Reinbacher, don't like the picks. I really believe we will be looking for a #1C and D for another 5 years, I have zero faith in the scouts once again. Where we going to get a goalie anyways?

 

[admiralcadillac]

Caufield is a point per game. He’s been invisible the past two matches but he’s been our best forward this year by far.

We cannot let facts get in the way of sentiment.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Well caufield is still on pace for 50 goals

On pace for 41 goals and 82 points.

 

[Shred]

Split CC and Suzuki.
Barron shouldn't be benched once Guhle and Savard are back.
Trade Allen for anything. Primeau and Monty will do just fine.

Do something about Anderson. Anything.

Anderson was good with RHP last year and with Newhook this preseason. He needs to be on 3rd line away from the other team's best elements and to play with guys who keep it simple. Anderson - Newhook - RHP. Slaf gets to tryout with Suzuki and Caufield. If it doesn't work out you put Monahan on the first line when Dvorak comes back to center the third.

He’s not lazy nor is he physically averse. He’ll throw his body and forecheck hard.
But every single top-6 player in the NHL will skate to the net with the puck or shoot when there’s an opportunity. He doesn’t. A top-6 power-forward will even force his body with the puck to open up a lane to the net or to shoot. What are the coaches telling him? Does he refuse to do it?

He was certainly shooting in the Olympics...

 

[holy]

3-2-1 lets go!

 

[expy]

So who is the whipping boy now that Barron has played 2 good games?

Seems like alot of attacks on Slafkovsky. Maybe we should expect more from the so called vets and allow the kids some breathing room

Outside of his goal, he played pretty terribly all game tbh. Especially on a few of the goals against.

 

[HuGort]

Jersey real good team no shame in losing to them. Cup contender.
Matheson shows skill level he has.
Need to find right winger for Caufield/Suzuki. Maybe try Ylonen up there for 5 games see what happens.
Slaf and Newhook stays together.

 

[RationalExpectations]

We are Toffoli's new Canucks.
There is a chasm in talent between the Devils and us.
No genuine 1C in 25+ years and it continues.
Anderson brings little other than grit.
A pp goal came from not performing a back pass.....color me shocked.
You can't out grind a more talented team.

Yes
Yes with J. Hughes and Toffoli but I found the difference between Habs and the rest pretty low to be fair.
Yes is anything new ?
Apparently size and skating justify him being a 1st line winger
If you have Burrows number, feel free to advise him. If you have Hughes number, feel free to advise him to fire Burrows
Yes you can (see FLA last year, see CAR for the past years, see STL when they won the cup )

 

[MadMslm]

No amount of highlight reel goals could make me forget how atrocious Matheson was last night.

Just a horrible performance. Devils are a good team and it’s not easy to play defense against a team this skilled, but he was horrible.

 

[Pazucha]

PP2 > PP1

MSL tried to sabotage that by moving Anderson to PP2

But now for real I think the PP should be build around Slafkovsky one timers in the future.

 

[angusyoung]

I'm gonna sugarcoat it a bit or else it'll come off as too angry but I loath Molson and his products.At least he's consistent,that on ice product is as shitty as his bottled one. Imagine had they not hired those skills and development staff what they would look like? I get the heebie jeebies just thinking about it.Sure I don't expect perfection but some progression should be happening not regression.

 

[hvac412]

Nick is about the only guy on this roster that hasn't been injured enough to sit out yet. We all know that everyone on this roster will get bit eventually. Nick should just accept it!

To me the way this team is being coached is a litmus test on management ,if they don’t change something you can tank till domesday for picks but if your not developing anything it’s a waste of time.The power play is laughable to watch,like Waite said New Jersey was waiting all night for that pathetic drop pass.Right direction! What a joke.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

So much fuss when it's all pretty predictable. People need to stop getting their hopes up about team progression. The major holes are all talent related and it's gonna take time to fill them with those already drafted and developing and those to be drafted or acquired. You don't like it, but you need to accept where this team is and how it will probably take 2-3 more seasons of losing before there's true progression.

All this whining over losing tells me many expect too much.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Didn't watch the 3rd, but based on the 1st two periods, Primeau deserved better

 

[Conflicted Habs fan]

The first 10 minutes or so it was grade A hockey entertainment by this team with a lot of highlights but by the late third they looked like demoralized stragglers bandaged up and limping on crutches making their way back from the battle of the Somme