Post-Game Talk: Habs win 3-2 in OT in Arizona! Hoffman with the winner!

[Naslundforever]

He needs to start pushing back instead of just taking it. Try some reverse hits. He hasn't gotten his man strength yet though. He's still a kid. He's big, but like Guhle not Xhekaj. Eventually, he'll be more like Xhekaj & guys won't go near him because they'll bounce off him, or he'll hurt them.

I'm not worried about him at all. He had his head up and saw it all the way.

If we get some players back, I'd go back to giving him "training" days, where they give him a game off here & there to work on his overall game. That was built into the development plan for him. MSL said as much during training camp, as it is, they've needed him to play and that plan has gone out the window.

He seems almost pacifist! I wonder how confused he is after his suspension. NHL rules are real hard to follow. One day they let the guys play, the next tou can’t sneeze next to a player. Growing pains for sure. He looks as mean as Mr. rogers.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

He seems almost pacifist! I wonder how confused he is after his suspension. NHL rules are real hard to follow. One day they let the guys play, the next tou can’t sneeze next to a player. Growing pains for sure. He looks as mean as Mr. rogers.

Yeah, he's needs to be a little meaner, but I also don't want him fighting. It's a fine line right now. He's big, but that doesn't mean he's physically developed. Even the Bruins didn't want Lucic fighting at 19, and he was huge at that age. It's a lot harder for big bodies in the NHL, as you're a big target & often are still physically developing.

None of this is helped by his teammates. Slafkovsky puts himself in vulnerable positions by trying to coral shit passes by stretching out with his long reach. He needs to learn to let pucks go if they're not tape to tape and then try to get it back through a strong forecheck.

It is extremely rare that Slafkovsky gets a pass that allows him to get moving. Most of the time they're complete shit, and he's left to reach for it, scramble for it or fight for it along the wall. There's very little open ice opportunity for him.

This game was a classic example. Montreal couldn't even outlet, by 2nd period they were just throwing the puck up the ice to nobody and nowhere. Forwards were left to chase the puck in neutral zone running around like chickens with their heads cut off.

It was ugly, ugly hockey, and Montreal looked as bad as they did last year. It was a Ducharme type game and the 2 pts were completely unearned.

The thing I like about Slafkovsky is he's looking to make plays, he wants to make plays. His passes are crisp & tape to tape, but too often he's left in a position of scrambling for the puck instead of actually having play opportunities like 2-3 passes. It's bad pass - scramble - get hit.

Slafkovsky plays well with Monahan because he can pass.

 

[Rapala]

Not sure who the guy on the TSN690 post game show with Jon Still is but he seems quite disappointed and doesn't seem very happy with MSL tonight for some reason. I didn't catch the beginning but I'm guessing it's for how he handled Slaf since he mentioned him at the end there.

Edit: It's Marco from Montreal Hockey Now.

Anyway it's 3AM here so I'm out for tonight. Hopefully better luck next game.

Marty was not enamoured with his giveaway that led to a goal. I'm really not sure what to think about Slaf he has some serious lapses in his play. It's all well and nice to fall back on his age but he does seem to lack some of the stuff that is unteachable.

 

[Rapala]

Did Guhlie get added to the top PP or the #2 PP last night?

I have always wondered why most teams just have a main unit, and use those guys for almost the full two minutes, and the habs send out a 2nd unit with a mish mash of vets that we have right now?

2nd PP He needs to be on the top PP with Suzuki at the back. I can't take much more of Nick Suzuki being utilized as a bumper which effectively negates his playmaking. It's f***ing daft is how I really feel about it.

 

[BLONG7]

Marty was not enamoured with his giveaway that led to a goal. I'm really not sure what to think about Slaf he has some serious lapses in his play. It's all well and nice to fall back on his age but he does seem to lack some of the stuff that is unteachable.

Funny thing about MSL he seemed to have no issue with Drouin giving a goal away into an empty net last week.....the double standard can be glaring............if that's his reason for putting the kid on the 4th line then Drouin should be upstairs eating hot dogs instead of being in the top 6.

Would like to see MSL get a little more standard in his decision making more than just now and then.

 

[bsl]

What blows my mind is that nobody in the media is questioning Marty's PP... like are they that jaded?

No. They are just lazy, like most sports 'Journalists'

 

[Runner77]

Just got done watching barely two periods of last night's game couldn't stand it anymore our game was not great that's for sure but holy crap this refereeing is a complete joke , there was a clear slash on Guhle right in front of the referee/striped jackass before they tied it up, I guess we're still paying for Marty's press conference .

Add to that the poor lighting from that arena — you could see players’ shadows on the ice. The overall image was substandard.

 

[Kimota]

Things aren't fine, the team reverted to how they played under Ducharme and MSL has started to handle the kids the same way Ducharme was handling Caufield.

It's like they are doing development for the vets and not the kid at this point.

I didn't say things are fine. I'm saying we are in a rebuilding year, it doesn't serve anybody to have a coach going nuts at every mistakes and losses. It is what it is. But I agree that he is using the vets too much.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Marty was not enamoured with his giveaway that led to a goal. I'm really not sure what to think about Slaf he has some serious lapses in his play. It's all well and nice to fall back on his age but he does seem to lack some of the stuff that is unteachable.

Except after that giveaway for a goal, Slafkovsky was out on his very next shift, so I don't think it impacted his playtime at all. Probably more that Slafkovsky was letting it get to him. He needed a timeout, so to speak. He's emotional. He has to learn to forget it & play. Lots of game left, etc, etc. He was visibly frustrated.

You're also disregarding his inexperience as something that he'll never grow out of, which is also completely untrue. McDavid took a dirty hit in his rookie season that saw him miss 40+ games & it cost him the Calder. It wasn't his 1st dirty hit he took that year either. It's just he was out west & not in prime time.

Suzuki was in junior at Slaf's age, and has improved by leaps and bounds over the last 5 years. Slafkovsky is a MUCH better player than Suzuki was at the same age. There's no reason at all to think he won't grow & get better.

It's people's constant need for immediate success, and an inability to process delayed gratification that's his biggest problem. Impatient fans.

 

[ZUKI]

This kid was supposed to be a defensive defenceman with little offence they said lol

Hutson-Guhle

What a pair it would be.

Guhle-Mailloux combo makes me salivating even more than the Pavlov Dogs buzz.

 

[Rapala]

Except after that giveaway for a goal, Slafkovsky was out on his very next shift, so I don't think it impacted his playtime at all. Probably more that Slafkovsky was letting it get to him. He needed a timeout, so to speak. He's emotional. He has to learn to forget it & play. Lots of game left, etc, etc. He was visibly frustrated.

You're also disregarding his inexperience as something that he'll never grow out of, which is also completely untrue. McDavid took a dirty hit in his rookie season that saw him miss 40+ games & it cost him the Calder. It wasn't his 1st dirty hit he took that year either. It's just he was out west & not in prime time.

Suzuki was in junior at Slaf's age, and has improved by leaps and bounds over the last 5 years. Slafkovsky is a MUCH better player than Suzuki was at the same age. There's no reason at all to think he won't grow & get better.

It's people's constant need for immediate success, and an inability to process delayed gratification that's his biggest problem. Impatient fans.

I doubt Slaf is a MUCH better player than Suzuki was at 18. He's much bigger that's about it. Nick was putting up 100 pt season in 2016/17 2017/18 with Owen Sound and always had above average smarts. We have nothing to compare that with in Slafs case. We can assume all we want but the truth is he hasn't demonstrated that side of his game yet.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

I doubt Slaf is a MUCH better player than Suzuki was at 18. He's much bigger that's about it. Nick was putting up 100 pt season in 2016/17 2017/18 with Owen Sound and always had above average smarts. We have nothing to compare that with in Slafs case. We can assume all we want but the truth is he hasn't demonstrated that side of his game yet.

Yes, he has. He's excellent in transition, has fantastic passing skills, and has good hands for scoring. He needs to shoot more.

You just choose not to see it, or fail to see it, which ever. And, Suzuki was NOT capable of playing an NHL shift at 18 regardless of size. He wasn't able to do it at 19. He was too slow & wasn't a strong enough skater. He was not good in his 1st camp with us - like at all. You apparently never watched Suzuki in that camp if you think otherwise.

He had a good rookie season, but was really beginning to struggle when the league shut down due to Covid. He needed that break.

Slafkovsky had a bad game. The last time that happened he followed up with a good game, so I'm looking forward to his next game. He's a fast learner.

 

[Rapala]

Yes, he has. He's excellent in transition, has fantastic passing skills, and has good hands for scoring. He needs to shoot more.

You just choose not to see it, or fail to see it, which ever. And, Suzuki was NOT capable of playing an NHL shift at 18 regardless of size. He wasn't able to do it at 19. He was too slow & wasn't a strong enough skater. He was not good in his 1st camp with us - like at all. You apparently never watched Suzuki in that camp if you think otherwise.

He had a good rookie season, but was really beginning to struggle when the league shut down due to Covid. He needed that break.

Slafkovsky had a bad game. The last time that happened he followed up with a good game, so I'm looking forward to his next game. He's a fast learner.

What I'm failing to see is Slafkovsky play smart hockey which is and was my point all along. He has the size but like I said he has NOT demonstrated high IQ.

 

[admiralcadillac]

Without bringing Ducharme into the discussion, we were leading the league in man games lost to injury last season. Would that not have also played a role in last season’s record?

Hidden behind that logic is that Price was included in the man games and we don’t have him this season either. Just something to think about.

Drouin Edmunson Matheson and Gallagher have all been injured this year as well.

 

[Sagikev]

Slafkovsky had a bad game. The last time that happened he followed up with a good game, so I'm looking forward to his next game. He's a fast learner.

That's the thing about Slaf that gives me hope. He has great skills and apart from the keeping his head up, no real red flag (at least in my opinion). His intangibles/60 are through the roof. I have complete faith in his work ethic, his desire to become better AND his desire for the team to be better. He's a hard worker and a fast learner, and that's a big reason why he's in the show. At least that's what I can see from what we have access to.

 

[ReHabs]

That's the thing about Slaf that gives me hope. He has great skills and apart from the keeping his head up, no real red flag (at least in my opinion). His intangibles/60 are through the roof. I have complete faith in his work ethic, his desire to become better AND his desire for the team to be better. He's a hard worker and a fast learner, and that's a big reason why he's in the show. At least that's what I can see from what we have access to.

The funny thing about intangibles is that they're intangible and generally irrelevant if you're not putting up tangible results (points hits, shots, etc).

I think Slaf was rushed but at game 41 we can have a proper, big, (hopefully insult-free) roundtable to see if it was worth rushing the guy to the NHL at 18 and what he's gained and we've gained out of it.

 

[Heffyhoof]

What I'm failing to see is Slafkovsky play smart hockey which is and was my point all along. He has the size but like I said he has NOT demonstrated high IQ.

Taking off the blinders might help.

 

[hvac412]

Add to that the poor lighting from that arena — you could see players’ shadows on the ice. The overall image was substandard.

It's like the bad restaurant that has dim lighting so you don't notice the dirt I think that place only has a 4500 seating capacity,but at least the team still competes unlike les pauvre petit bebes we have.

 

[slybel]

Are those two sentences related in any way?

Tried to use my inner voice! lol