Post-Game Talk: Habs lose to the Kings who played back-to-back

[Habit11]

Young team or not their zone exits and zone entries have been terrible. Opposing teams are able to break out so easily because they are dumping it in willy nilly and when the Habs are trying to clear their zone there is an obvious disconnect between where the puck is and where it’s going. It’s rare that they look like a 5 man unit in any situation for any extended period of time. It’s early going, but these are basic things that really need to addressed by the coaching staff immediately. Not looking for 100% perfect execution, but in the last two games their execution on these two things alone has to be sub 25%. I could be wrong on that, but that’s what I’m seeing.

 

[VT]

We’ll never ever win with 1 goal. Quasi Zero offence. Zero offence from bottom-9
Dvorak. 25% FO killed us.
Broken break out plays.

Team needs secondary offence. Demidov? Laine?

How secondary if you do not have the first line? And Demidov and Laine are better than Caufield and Slafkovský.

 

[SlafySZN]

It's almost like we the have the same need we did in 2022 when we finished dead last.....an elite 1C to challenge/dethrone Suzuki.

It might be Hage, or we’ll draft pretty high again, maybe it’ll come from those 2 options.

 

[Habano]

How secondary if you do not have the first line? And Demidov and Laine are better than Caufield and Slafkovský.

Demidov yes, I'm not ready to put Laine above Slaf or Caufeld yet. Let's first see what he can do if he's ever healthy

 

[G0bias]

I don't think there has been a worse game in history of the sport.

 

[Habano]

It might be Hage, or we’ll draft pretty high again, maybe it’ll come from those 2 options.

Shit, in all this gloom and doom I forgot about Hage. I have very high hopes for him!

 

[HuGo Sham]

Shit, in all this gloom and doom I forgot about Hage. I have very high hopes for him!

Hage demidov fowler etc

 

[SlafySZN]

Shit, in all this gloom and doom I forgot about Hage. I have very high hopes for him!

Yeah, i have a feeling he could become a core piece.

 

[Habano]

Yeah, i have a feeling he could become a core piece.

Agreed

 

[VT]

Demidov yes, I'm not ready to put Laine above Slaf or Caufeld yet. Let's first see what he can do if he's ever healthy

Laine is better. He could play even with Dvorak/Evans on center and Xhekaj/Tuch on wings and have 1 PPG. I am Slovak and like Juraj. But he will never be so good like health Laine. Health Patrik is a top NHL player.

Sorry, but Caufield is worse, than Marchenko, Chinakhov and Johnson in our team.

 

[Habby4Life]

The reason this team sucks is how it’s constructed and how poorly it’s coached, end of story. In fact, coaching is laughable, totally outmatched every night. Shitty PP & PK, and no D structure at all. MSL and his staff are a big problem. MT & Julien look like Scotty Bowman next to this guy.

NS is a legit 1C, a developing Slaf, CC, and who knows what Dach is. After that it is all down hill. D core is a disaster after Guhle, Math, and Hutson.

Don’t know what people expected, holes everywhere, playoff mix was laughable from the beginning.

 

[SlafySZN]

Laine is better. He could play even with Dvorak/Evans on center and Xhekaj/Tuch on wings and have 1 PPG. I am Slovak and like Juraj. But he will never be so good like health Laine. Health Patrik is a top NHL player.

Thing is, Laine probably won’t be here after his contract. Especially if he keeps getting injured. He is a stop gap in my opinion.

 

[Habano]

Laine is better. He could play even with Dvorak/Evans on center and Xhekaj/Tuch on wings and have 1 PPG. I am Slovak and like Juraj. But he will never be so good like health Laine. Health Patrik is a top NHL player.

I hope you're right but his ability to stay healthy is a concern for me

 

[HuGo Sham]

You may not like the way he plays but he's not the reason we're losing games. Yes the team is still sotf but it would be a complete pushover without his presence.

Let’s blame arber!
Not Dvorak who’s an embarrassment to the sweater.
Or a second line with 2 guys who should be in the bottom 6.
and a bottom 6 filled with guys who don’t really fit together all collecting pay checks.
Or a 4th line with no identity.
Or not enough physical players.
Or a coach who doesn’t seem to be able to adjust tactically right now

 

[FLHabs]

Young team or not their zone exits and zone entries have been terrible. Opposing teams are able to break out so easily because they are dumping it in willy nilly and when the Habs are trying to clear their zone there is an obvious disconnect between where the puck is and where it’s going. It’s rare that they look like a 5 man unit in any situation for any extended period of time. It’s early going, but these are basic things that really need to addressed by the coaching staff immediately. Not looking for 100% perfect execution, but in the last two games their execution on these two things alone has to be sub 25%. I could be wrong on that, but that’s what I’m seeing.

Not playing like a 5 man unit is exactly what going on. Especially on the breakouts, it's like they don't know where the other players are on the ice.

Another thing is the play along the boards in the Dzone is laughably bad. How many times the dman makes the play to the winger from the corner to the boards and the winger can't make the next play to the middle or neutral zone to start the breakout. Time and time again the second pass get blocked or deflected.

 

[Bottomshelf]

Huge problem is the system itself, I’ve never seen a complete unwillingness to swap assignments in the zone. Like we play a complete man on man defence, resulting in us just chasing half the time.

 

[Hacketts]

Thing is, Laine probably won’t be here after his contract. Especially if he keeps getting injured. He is a stop gap in my opinion.

I don't think Laine thinks that, but health is key to this working.

 

[Habby4Life]

Let’s blame arber!
Not Dvorak who’s an embarrassment to the sweater.
Or a second line with 2 guys who should be in the bottom 6.
and a bottom 6 filled with guys who don’t really fit together all collecting pay checks.
Or a 4th line with no identity.
Or not enough physical players.
Or a coach who doesn’t seem to be able to adjust tactically right now

I’m not blaming Arber but let’s be real he isn’t playing well and perhaps wouldn’t be in the D core if it wasn’t so bad.

Arbor is a reflection of the key problem with this team, they have so little talent once you get past a few guys.

The guy is tough and plays for his teammates but defensively he isn’t very good.

The Habs really have zero quality depth at all positions and it’s apparent every night. Its going to be a very long painful season.

 

[G0bias]

It's almost like we the have the same need we did in 2022 when we finished dead last.....an elite 1C to challenge/dethrone Suzuki.

Yeah we needed a 1C that can consistently do the things Lane Hutson has been doing, which is be the best possession player night in night out.

With some luck maybe Ivan can be that guy.

 

[Harry Kakalovich]

My unrealistic expectations are not being met fast enough. Who can I blame?

 

[Stive Morgan]

Some people have been getting waaay too sentimental with MSL.

I will always be grateful for what he did for the team (specifically delivering us from hockey terrorist Dominique Ducharme) but I think we're at the point in the rebuild where we need to hire a more seasoned, experienced coach who can get wins and build a winning culture. It's time to move on just like it was time to move on from Gallagher in 2021. Hopefully he can be reassigned as an assistant or player development coach.

This team isn't even going to sniff .500 if changes aren't made. Don't get me wrong, we still have a long way to go to be a contender, but we shouldn't be THIS bad/disorganized either.

 

[The Great Weal]

I hope we send a message to Dvorak by scratching him next game, I can't stand this loser.

CC-Suzuki-Dach
Heineman-Newhook-Slaf
Anderson-Kapanen-Gallagher
Pezz-Evans-Armia

 

[OneSharpMarble]

We need a experienced coach doing something here, MSL shouldn't be doing everything.

 

[Canadienna]

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

Guhle - Barron
Hutson - Xhekaj
Struble - Savard

 

[HuGo Sham]

I’m not blaming Arber but let’s be real he isn’t playing well and perhaps wouldn’t be in the D core if it wasn’t so bad.

Arbor is a reflection of the key problem with this team, they have so little talent once you get past a few guys.

The guy is tough and plays for his teammates but defensively he isn’t very good.

The Habs really have zero quality depth at all positions and it’s apparent every night. It’s going to be a very long painful season.

Agree with the second half of your post.
But in my opinion, going after a young depth dman who is the ONLY source of toughness and deterrence on the team is f***ing absurd.
If you don’t think he’s doing his job, look at the coach who it seems, plays mind games with him and is unwilling to live with his growing pains. It seems to be a problem for this coach to support a 6’4 240 lbs dman with one of the hardest shots in the league - on a BOTTOM five team in terms of size.
This is a kid who genuinely cares, unlike about 30% of the team it seems.
Amazing how he’s in so many trade rumours and how so many teams should love to have him.
But he’s the problem