Post-Game Talk: Habs lose to the Leafs. Fail to clinch.

[The Real Timo]

Breaking news: WC2 tends to be a flawed team.

Is it E5 confirmed?

 

[Enga Olly]

Wish that we hadn't played the night before.....would have liked to see them play the leafs with some rest....our execution was brutal, and not getting the shots through was bizzare.

Did they play better against the Sens? Because they had rest playing Ottawa

 

[OldCraig71]

Imagine Slaf with a quicker stride and a better shot.

He's already doing everything he needs to do, and if you can't see that, then you either don't watch/understand the game, or need better glasses!

 

[Reimannsum1988]

Any real fan knows you put out Matheson, Armia or Gallagher when you need something to happen bro. Never put out your best players when you need points, it's 4D chess

I mean, Gallagher is probably our most, or second most, effective offensive forward after the first line and Anderson. Since he and the latter play on the same line... yes.

And that's not praising Gally.

 

[Adriatic]

So many overreactions in here. Absolute zero perspective as usual lol.

 

[Kennerback]

I mean, Gallagher is probably our most, or second most, effective offensive forward after the first line and Anderson. Since he and the latter play on the same line... yes.

And that's not praising Gally.

Thinking back two years ago, to imagine that the line I had the most confidence in offensively after the top line is Anderson- Dvorak - Gallagher, I would figure I fell on my head and had a TBI.

 

[Naslundforever]

Laine is struggling on the PP. When he shoots, he is dangerous, but that's it.............the puck is like a grenade when he has it.............Brutal.
He or Slaf for me, can go to the PP2.

The PP1 needs a spark and a change of sorts, well the spark has arrived from Russia boys...

Slaf+Laine pp2, Caufield back in his office Left dot and Demidov/Hutson freaking everyone out from the right.

Suzuki and whoever can sit on the ice and eat popcorn.

 

[Naslundforever]

So many overreactions in here. Absolute zero perspective as usual lol.

People are commenting an entertainment product in entertaining ways I find, no harm for me at all. It can’t all feel like analyzing spreadsheets and projecting sales margins even if that is also part of hf fun.

 

[sampollock]

figs suck... lose in round one thanks

 

[BJCOLLINS]

Fair enough.

But you can't ignore that this isn't a great roster. We have no second line. Our right side is a mess... We're ahead of where I thought we'd be.

Fair to say we've probably won some games we probably shouldn't have. But the idea that the coach sucks and we're winning in spite of him doesn't stand up to scrutiny. If we get outshot/outplayed some people are all over the coach blaming him. It's silly.

There are specific things I'd point to in terms of things I'd like to see. I'd like to see Roy play. I'd probably have both Struble and X in the lineup and bench Savard. I understand why MSL has Savard given that he's one of only two Ds we have on the right but I think he's washed. Tonight I'd have had Suzuki and Hutson to start with a faceoff guy and have CC jump on after... I mean, you're always going to question a coach. That's just how it is.

Big picture though, I think he's done a good job over the years with a young team and his teams have generally overperformed.

Yeah I think if you go back to the start of the season and say “would you be happy being 5 points up Vs one other team in the playoff race at game 80”….what’s your reply??

MSL should sit one of Savard or Matheson for Mondays game. Pezz will sit for Demidov. IMHO, he should have done this Vs T.O.

 

[The Real Timo]

figs suck... lose in round one thanks

The only problem is that means sens will advance. I hate them just as much if not more.

 

[The Real Timo]

Slaf+Laine pp2, Caufield back in his office Left dot and Demidov/Hutson freaking everyone out from the right.

Suzuki and whoever can sit on the ice and eat popcorn.

Lol... how many games did it take st louis to move Hutson to PP1 instead of Matheson? I think it will take some time with Demidov as well...

 

[Naslundforever]

Lol... how many games did it take st louis to move Hutson to PP1 instead of Matheson? I think it will take some time with Demidov as well...

In my mind I am MSL’s extension and only use hf as a channel to his brain. It’s real if I believe in it otherwise you don’t watch the games and need new glasses.

 

[Habano]

Well, we need someone at the net. Everyone can't be on the perimeter. Slafkovsky's role on the PP is to be a distraction to the D to open up ice & win board battles down low, which he largely does. It isn't a point producing role.

Laine is more of a problem because despite his size he doesn't win hardly any battles. He tends to rely on his hands to do it. He bumbles the puck a lot. One of Laine or Caufield needs to get bumped to PP2. Demidov should definitely have the left wall.

PP1: Slafkovsky
Laine/Caufield - Demidov
Hutson - Suzuki

PP2: Gallagher/Heineman
Caufield/Laine - Kapanen
Suzuki - Matheson

I like your pp1 minus Laine. Also, I would keep them out there for the whole pp. Why do we have to get our 2nd unit out as close to the one minute mark as possible.

For what, to see a bunch of 3rd and 4th liners and a give away machine on D who can't hit the net? Our PP1 would be more than capable going the full 2 minutes.

 

[le_sean]

figs suck... lose in round one thanks

I don’t know. They look pretty ready for playoff hockey. The way their defence just block everything and eliminate high danger scoring threats.

However I can see Ottawa giving them some fits. The Sens have the better goalie between the two teams, they have the best defenceman (arguably two with Chabot), and they have the forwards willing to pay the price physically.

 

[Tyson]

I don’t know. They look pretty ready for playoff hockey. The way their defence just block everything and eliminate high danger scoring threats.

However I can see Ottawa giving them some fits. The Sens have the better goalie between the two teams, they have the best defenceman (arguably two with Chabot), and they have the forwards willing to pay the price physically.

Berube seems to have these guys ready.

 

[Redux91]

Yeah i gotta agree

Last night is on Marty

Just unacceptable coaching and line up decisions
Just brutal

Hughes and Gorton need to purge this line up a bit in the summer so we get rid of these guys Marty is obsessed with overplaying

If I see Matheson, Savard, Armia in this line up next year somebody's in trouble, I don't know who but somebody lol

 

[Lycanthrope]

If Demidov plays Monday I'd move Slaf down to another line and play Demidov with Suzuki and Caufield. Slaf just isn't bringing it right now and really needs be more engaged in the play rather than just coasting and watching.

Not to mention taking unnecessary penalties.

 

[CzarDemidov]

I agree with you on this. He’s shown that he’s capable of high end play, he’s just not consistent. He doesn’t move his feet enough and seems to watch to see what Caufield and Suzuki are going to do. I wonder if he’d do better on another line where he is more responsible for driving the play.

You’re describing Andrei Kostitsyn.

 

[Kimota]

I too wish Slaf had a bit more Anderson in him.

I'm with @OldCraig71 in the sense that Jurai often leaves us wanting more, he has games where he's literally dominant and others when he stagnates. His inconsistency can be annoying but it's understandable with how young he is, so he gets some slack.

I'm not concerned with his future outlook, but we sure could use him now.

I have this fear sometime that Slaf mainly produce cause he plays with Suz and CC and that at his core he may be a third liner at best. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[Lycanthrope]

It's funny, I rarely agree with TVA but tonight, I 100% agreed with them. Morissette, Roussel and Lapierre all said Xhekaj should be playing.

Even Lavoie, who I think is a clown, managed to get this one right. He said that if it was his team X would play every night.

They tried to tiptoe and not call out MSL but you can tell that they were pretty frustrated with some of MSL's decisions.

There are a lot of X haters on this board that think MSL can do no wrong but I'm not one of them. I'm 1000% in X's corner and I'm convinced MSL suffers from little man syndrome.

Our garbage D threw 5 hits tonight against arguably our biggest rival. Guhle who is a warrior had 3, Struble 1, Savard 1 and the other three nothing. Our soft ass D will get curb stomped against a physical team like Washington if we make the playoffs. Guhle can't do it by himself....

Thought Struble was tough though….

 

[RealityBytes]

The only problem is that means sens will advance. I hate them just as much if not more.

Sens won today and playoffs are set with Toronto vs Ottawa, One of them will advance. Take your pick.

 

[Miller Time]

Sens won today and playoffs are set with Toronto vs Ottawa, One of them will advance. Take your pick.

Tampa can still finish ahead of Toronto, no?

 

[Miller Time]

I have this fear sometime that Slaf mainly produce cause he plays with Suz and CC and that at his core he may be a third liner at best. I hope I'm wrong.

Don't worry, you are

 

[Miller Time]

He's already doing everything he needs to do, and if you can't see that, then you either don't watch/understand the game, or need better glasses!

Or, you know, maybe he's 21 years old and not anywhere close to a finished product