Post-Game Talk: Habs lose to Vegas in Shootouts

[morhilane]

How does a coaching staff watch both Xhekaj and Barron and say “yeah I think Arber should QB a PP”. Heck even Guhle is very clearly a better fit.

Barron played 21 minutes last game and Guhle was at 26. They are trusted a lot more than Xhejak outside of the power play.

 

[Nico Cauzuki]

Guhle is a future #1

Great game by Suzuki and Monty

Monahan dominates faceoff ( idk what HuGo will do but if he stays healthy he will be in demand )

Get Anderson away from the 1st line

 

[Whitesnake]

Really entertaining game. Didn't expect that.

How does a coaching staff watch both Xhekaj and Barron and say “yeah I think Arber should QB a PP”. Heck even Guhle is very clearly a better fit.

They are enamoured with the fact that Arber gets his shot to the net. I also like to see that he's pretty good at finding shooting lanes.

But yeah....we are far from the Markov era....

 

[26Mats]

How does a coaching staff watch both Xhekaj and Barron and say “yeah I think Arber should QB a PP”. Heck even Guhle is very clearly a better fit.

He's more the shooter from the point, the Souray type, though with the new diamond pp format he plays top of the diamond. Souray would have been one of the worst pp b's in NHL history, yet he was an elite power play guy. I think he holds the record for Habs pp goals by a havs D in a season.

Xhekaj's strengths are getting pucks to the net and his one timer, though the Habs hardly ever set up and take one-time on the pp.

 

[Adriatic]

Pretty disappointing. Habs a much better team than Vegas but they lose. Habs need to do better.

You need a nap.

 

[CheldishGamibno]

great compete on this team. Couple of quick observations.

-I'm with most of you, send slafkovsky down. I assume they think if they do, he'll be crushed, but if he has any perspective, he'll know it's right thing to do. He looks lost out there. Dumb decision after dumb decision.

I'd try Slaf with Monahan as his center for a couple of games before sending him down to see how it would look like. He needs more sheltering. If it's still not working out, send him down and be sure to give him lot's of feedback and positivity.

Who would y’all compare Ghule to in the NHL right now?

Not right now but I've said it for a while, reminds me of Duncan Keith a lot.

 

[26Mats]

Guhle is a future #1

Great game by Suzuki and Monty

Monahan dominates faceoff ( idk what HuGo will do but if he stays healthy he will be in demand )

Get Anderson away from the 1st line

Caufield Suzuki Slaf
RHP Newhook Anderson
Pearson Monahan Gallagher (should be ylonen)
Armia Evan's Ylonen

Time to try Slaf on the first line snd see if Cole and Nick can get him going like they did for Dach last year.

Time to get Newhook someone with high IQ (RHP).

It's important for Slaf and RHP to get going, because when Dvo comes back, someone's coming out of the top 9, and I don't want it to be them. I want it to be Gallagher.

 

[Whitesnake]

I'm going against everything I stand for and say this.....the way we play right now, I always find myself with the hope we win. Despite the fact that I think that this team would so need Celebrini or Eiserman.....yet...the the top 10 is quite deep after.

Also....as much as I'm a sucker for 1st rounders....I will have a lot of trouble to let go of Monahan. That guy can be so valuable. Even if it's just to freakin show Newhook and the other C's in that team and prospect pool on how to draw.....Last night was a masterclass.

 

[salbutera]

so f***ing bad. This fool is playing the high slot when he needs to be in front of the net like monahan - on every single PP shift. He needs gallagher's courage

Haters will hate…

He probably doesn’t belong on PP, but Anderson comes to play in big boy hockey games - had an excellent game.

As I said in pre game thread, expect big boy hockey players to step their game up - Anderson, Gallagher & Pearson…. all did

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

I really don't like Newhook at C , he got walked like a dog last night

 

[Whitesnake]

On a more negative note.....based on yesterday' s, I withdraw Matheson's name from the Norris running.....

I really don't like Newhook at C , he got walked like a dog last night

At one point, it will be
Suzuki
Monahan
Dvorak
Evans.

Put Newhook on the 1st line as a winger. And he stays there.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

On a more negative note.....based on yesterday' s, I withdraw Matheson's name from the Norris running.....


At one point, it will be
Suzuki
Monahan
Dvorak
Evans.

Put Newhook on the 1st line as a winger. And he stays there.

I think he looks really good at wing

 

[Andy]

I think it’s very possible we see the young D take a big step in their development this year, in turn, taking habs out of the lottery pack.

We’re already starting to see a little bit with Guhle and Barron.

Fans really want star forwards, but having a strong D core can really propel a team forward.

 

[Saundies]

Lots of positives this game. Got to get off to better starts though. Also, did Matheson and Harris go out drinking earlier? I can't believe how bad they were.

Harris was bad last night for sure. I honestly don't know what to think of him as a player. He doesn't do anything great IMO. He's like Dvorak on D.

Matheson, defensively, has been a horror show all season. He gives up odd-man rushes every second shift, bad giveaways trying to do too much, etc. I get a glimpse into how little some people watch the games/stat watch when I see on Twitter some people think he's been "fantastic."

 

[LaP]

Harris was bad last night for sure. I honestly don't know what to think of him as a player. He doesn't do anything great IMO. He's like Dvorak on D.

Matheson, defensively, has been a horror show all season. He gives up odd-man rushes every second shift, bad giveaways trying to do too much, etc. I get a glimpse into how little some people watch the games/stat watch when I see on Twitter some people think he's been "fantastic."

Matheson was awful yesterday in the first half. He killed so many plays on the PP i don't have enough fingers to count them. I did not watch the whole game but from half the game i watched i'd say Barron is a better offensive dman than Matheson. I know Matheson does points and all but man it was painful to watch him on the PP yesterday. Basically our PP was this. 3 guys had the skills to play there and were dominant. Caufield, Suzuki and Monahan. Two guys did not belong with them, Anderson and Matheson. It was painful to watch Anderson and Matheson trying to follow but they simple do not possess the hockey IQ.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I think it’s very possible we see the young D take a big step in their development this year, in turn, taking habs out of the lottery pack.

We’re already starting to see a little bit with Guhle and Barron.

Fans really want star forwards, but having a strong D core can really propel a team forward.

That Vegas team won the Stanley Cup.. and really that's all about their defense and deep forward core.. Eichel, Stone and Marchessault is good but it's not anything unreal.

 

[salbutera]

That Vegas team won the Stanley Cup.. and really that's all about their defense and deep forward core.. Eichel, Stone and Marchessault is good but it's not anything unreal.

And their size + physicality, allowing them not wear the opposition down

 

[LaP]

That Vegas team won the Stanley Cup.. and really that's all about their defense and deep forward core.. Eichel, Stone and Marchessault is good but it's not anything unreal.

Barbashev was pretty good last year. He looks like one of those up and down player but when he's up he's a dominant player.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Barbashev was pretty good last year. He looks like one of thsoe up and down player but when he's up he's a dominant player.

Yeah he's a good player, but I'm speaking in terms of high-end offensive talent.. cause that's the concern around here.

We really just need another piece and that could be Joshua Roy, we will see how his development goes. But it isn't impossible for us to grab someone like MBN, Helenius or Lindstrom in this draft and have them go on a Caufield like trajectory and fix that for us.

We have a lot of draft capital, prospect capital and specifically defense capital to pull off a Stone/Eichel trade, as well.

 

[The Real Timo]

Habs need to bring Chris Wideman instead of Matherson. Yoel and Wideman, is that this team needs moar off.

 

[HuGo Sham]

Haters will hate…

He probably doesn’t belong on PP, but Anderson comes to play in big boy hockey games - had an excellent game.

As I said in pre game thread, expect big boy hockey players to step their game up - Anderson, Gallagher & Pearson…. all did

lol if you read my posts I like Anderson. I just find he's been crap after a terrific preseason. Hopefully he puts it together because habs need him

 

[salbutera]

Yeah he's a good player, but I'm speaking in terms of high-end offensive talent.. cause that's the concern around here.

We really just need another piece and that could be Joshua Roy, we will see how his development goes. But it isn't impossible for us to grab someone like MBN, Helenius or Lindstrom in this draft and have them go on a Caufield like trajectory and fix that for us.

We have a lot of draft capital, prospect capital and specifically defense capital to pull off a Stone/Eichel trade, as well.

There isn’t one way to build a winner, but teams that win Cups all have one thing in common - don’t win without depth

 

[HuGo Sham]

I agree I think Anderson played very well tonight, had many opportunities and was very noticeable. That said I Think @HuGo Sham was speaking strictly about his powerplay time.

yes sir

Fly a kite, lol. He played really well tonight. All you haters, josh Anderson was Montreal most consistent threat in 2 zones tonight and played well in the D zone, not great but well. His stick handling and puck possession game created opportunities all night.

now I'd like to see him finish

 

[LaP]

I agree I think Anderson played very well tonight, had many opportunities and was very noticeable. That said I Think @HuGo Sham was speaking strictly about his powerplay time.

Played well maybe but played too big of a role. He clearly does not have the skills to be anything more than a middle six player. Yesterday if you replace him and Matheson on the PP by Markov and Patch it's an easy win for us.

 

[Gravity]

That Vegas team won the Stanley Cup.. and really that's all about their defense and deep forward core.. Eichel, Stone and Marchessault is good but it's not anything unreal.

I mean Eichel alone is a consistent PPG + C, something we haven't had in decades.