Post-Game Talk: Habs shut out the Stanley Cup finalists

[The Real Timo]

Just finished watching rest of the game. f*** me! I was impressed. The first game this season I was impressed how they played as a team. Team D was super tight. On the attack - pucks deep, chase, dig, hunt, repeat. Excellent game!

The 4th line was excellent. Heineman with at least 3 very hard hits. But the entire line was a threat all night long. Slaf was a beast too. Caufield with some excellent passing again and much more active legs. Guhle with a sweet goal as a result. They only player that still disappointed again was Dach.

Of course, Yoel was the best on both teams. Hands down!

 

[The Real Timo]

Btw, I am sold on Amazon. f*** it's a nice picture quality and talking heads are ok.

I'm going to read Oilers forum for a bit.

 

[Nicko999]

Best game of the year.

Goaltending was solid when it needed to be (first period especially).
Defense was good. Kept McDavid and Draisaitl on the perimeter.
Offense was average but that's the talent level of the forward core so hard to ask for more.

 

[Runner77]

Btw, I am sold on Amazon. f*** it's a nice picture quality and talking heads are ok.

I'm going to read Oilers forum for a bit.

I went over there, read 4 pages and found the tone too nice for my liking, despite their displeasure. It wasn’t Leaf-level hyperbolic, which has the highest entertainment value. Maybe you can’t foster a high degree of animosity with a fan base whose team plays so few games vs the Habs in the regular season.

Only one post in those 4 pages called the Habs a garbage team. A significant number of posts were Google translations into French.

 

[HabsAddict]

A few thoughts on the game and a few players I posted elsewhere....

‐----------

They played man/man and then on the 5 on 6 zone.

I'm starting to think they have enough processing power to switch back and forth. If they can accomplish that at will, it's a big deal. Although when they played m/m, they were run around on purpose and they lost coverage. Looked like headless chickens.

I'm going to fall off my extra high toddler chair if the guys show that much discipline switching coverage type with a much better team. If they did it with the Wild as an example.

X is coming around. Not happy with his zone exits and losing possession. I don't know where to find the numbers but not thrilled seeing the puck sail down the zone. He seems to fear carrying it and he should be. Not exactly fleet of foot nor particulry great at beating m/m coverage. 17.10 has been the longest ice time in forever. Third highest this season and 3 minutes short of his longest at 20.34.

I'm pissed at the lack of shooting. Is he that wild and hard that the guys in front fear for their bones? He's not even calling for the puck, although he fails to put himself in the open or move himself to a shooting lane. So it may be more of his fault for not reading the ice to get into a shooting lane. There were a few instances where he was the best passing option to shoot yet he was not passed to. If it was me with 107mph canon, i would give him an earful but it seems perfectly normal. Or at least from our limited perspective. OR maybe he's afraid of a bad bounce and a breakaway on him. That where the words "shooting lane" comes in. Chicken and egg problem... at 107mph.

Dach...this is NOT the Dach of last season. WTH is going on with him? We are closing in on quarter of the season and he's still the Chicago Dach. I wonder if he going to wake up when Laine comes back. Laine is going to be a pretty statue in a line of pretty statues if Dach can't be his playmaker. Laine was a ppg with a good center...but not a Chicago Dach.

We are living in interesting Habs times...

 

[HabsAddict]

Only one post in those 4 pages called the Habs a garbage team. A significant number of posts were Google translations into French.

I went there too and read the "garbage" comment. Must be an IQ shortage to call another team garbage when you just got beaten. Makes their team into what? Sub-garbage level?

 

[RationalExpectations]

I went there too and read the "garbage" comment. Must be an IQ shortage to call another team garbage when you just got beaten. Makes their team into what? Sub-garbage level?

You can have a bad game from time to time. COL could lose to SJS and that would not mean COL would be a worse team than SJS.

 

[habsfan891]

How does that usually work out?

"Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt." — Abraham Lincoln​

Probably one of my favorite quotes of all time

 

[waitin425]

Nice win! went to bed after 2nd. Happy ro see that results when I woke up!!!

 

[ReHabs]

Dach...this is NOT the Dach of last season. WTH is going on with him? We are closing in on quarter of the season and he's still the Chicago Dach. I wonder if he going to wake up when Laine comes back. Laine is going to be a pretty statue in a line of pretty statues if Dach can't be his playmaker. Laine was a ppg with a good center...but not a Chicago Dach.

Dach of last season...? He played 1.3 games out of 82. There was no Dach last season.

Chicago Dach was sold without tears with CHI fans wondering if he would ever 'put it together'. Fast forward two seasons and here we are, wondering if he'll ever put it together. He will get more time to re-invigorate himself and his game. It's a mental block for him. Let's hope it happens though, for many players it never comes together. We Habs fans should know not to endlessly chase after potential like dogs after a car.

 

[rickthegoon]

I did not expect to find the lyrics to Alice Cooper's obscure theme to Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives! in here!

Ahhhh….you just ruined it for me ; I thought we had a legit poet on this fan base.

 

[Andy]

That was an awesome game.

Shoutout to Heineman who was crushing people last night.

Anderson and Gallagher setting the pace. They deserve massive kudos

 

[Bell Centre Hotdog]

Team played a complete and supporting game. Covering each other well defensively. Not much pressure in front of the net.

Forechecking was good. Chipped deep, Slafkovsky was so good beating guys to the corner or chasing the puck behind the net before Edmonton reached it. One which lead to Gallagher’s goal. Wasn’t on the scoresheet point wise. He worked his behind off and intercepted a couple of passes. Where pressure was happening in their own end.

Xhekaj’s best game. Guy was so confident, the huge hit on Hyman. Head up all game making some outlet passes or passes out of the zone. Cleared the net and was rough all game again not crossing the line. Even in the offensive zone few times at the point manning the line and a few shots and moving the puck around well. Progressing which I believe he’s going to be a well rounded defense. It’s taking time but he is going in the right direction.

Montembeault you can tell in his games when he is on from the first like 5 minutes of a game, just his tracking and his handling of the puck. I can’t explain it. Just some games he looks square but starts to overslide and getting pieces of pucks. Tonight everything was in the trapper, absorbed and he just had a sharp eye.

Then finally Gallagher. This guy just seemed like everyone left him for dead for these next three years just being on the books. This guy seems to have reverted back to his old ways. For a period he was trying to play finesse and be a shooter and such. He’s gone back to drive the net, standing in the lane and huge tips. Low center of gravity so he’s been effective back in front of the net and getting timely dirty and greasy goals. Love to see it. Guy deserves a lot of love for his play this year. He’s leading just as much as the captain. Seems like he has got his top gear back and turning into an engine/heart guy of the team again.

Outside of these guys who I thought deserved much needed mentions for some little and big things. The team clicked all night and are gelling. They seemed to have picked up a groove of how to play the backend tighter and transition to the offense.

Good job tonight Habs!!!!

 

[Tuggy]

Great game last night from the team and deserved result.

I had a feeling they would win last night and get a little win streak going. Nice to see them play smarter hockey.

 

[Gaud]

AWAYE QUÉDEUN CONTINUE COMME SO

CA SENT LA COUPE, ASTI!

 

[Spearmint Rhino]

Jake Danault playing himself out of our price bracket

 

[Gaud]

A few thoughts on the game and a few players I posted elsewhere....

‐----------

They played man/man and then on the 5 on 6 zone.

I'm starting to think they have enough processing power to switch back and forth. If they can accomplish that at will, it's a big deal. Although when they played m/m, they were run around on purpose and they lost coverage. Looked like headless chickens.

I'm going to fall off my extra high toddler chair if the guys show that much discipline switching coverage type with a much better team. If they did it with the Wild as an example.

X is coming around. Not happy with his zone exits and losing possession. I don't know where to find the numbers but not thrilled seeing the puck sail down the zone. He seems to fear carrying it and he should be. Not exactly fleet of foot nor particulry great at beating m/m coverage. 17.10 has been the longest ice time in forever. Third highest this season and 3 minutes short of his longest at 20.34.

I'm pissed at the lack of shooting. Is he that wild and hard that the guys in front fear for their bones? He's not even calling for the puck, although he fails to put himself in the open or move himself to a shooting lane. So it may be more of his fault for not reading the ice to get into a shooting lane. There were a few instances where he was the best passing option to shoot yet he was not passed to. If it was me with 107mph canon, i would give him an earful but it seems perfectly normal. Or at least from our limited perspective. OR maybe he's afraid of a bad bounce and a breakaway on him. That where the words "shooting lane" comes in. Chicken and egg problem... at 107mph.

Dach...this is NOT the Dach of last season. WTH is going on with him? We are closing in on quarter of the season and he's still the Chicago Dach. I wonder if he going to wake up when Laine comes back. Laine is going to be a pretty statue in a line of pretty statues if Dach can't be his playmaker. Laine was a ppg with a good center...but not a Chicago Dach.

We are living in interesting Habs times...

I feel we were totally on the other end of the spectrum just two games ago

that being said, last 2 games looked like credible hockey. I took Mtl's Senior Management's goal to "be in the mix" this year, so im not expecting the playoffs, but i was concerned with how we've been losing lately. I dont think man to man D is effective, but at least it looks like we have a hockey team now. Hope they can keep that up.

Dach just looks rusty to me. He looked good enough pre-injury to me that i am willing to wait a while.

 

[ChesterNimitz]

That, that was a nice, real nice effort.

I think we're all eating some crow tonight as I can't think of anyone that played bad for the Habs tonight.

Let's get this over with

You mean were not trading Matheson?

 

[Hope Of Glory]

Somehow we're 3 points out of the last WC spot with a game in hand? Huh?

There's still a bazillion teams to pass but still.