Post-Game Talk: Habs Win 3 in a row! Shut down the Tank Thread!!

[Walrus26]

Just musing about how I miss being involved in highly competitive game between 2 good teams. Ymmv.

I love those games too. As long as we win them.

 

[MakeTheGoalsLarger]

You definitely need depth but you need a balanced team. They had too many offensive d and a shortage of defense so they traded Barron for Carrier and it works short term. With MB they collected players who could use space opened by orhers but had no one who could open the space.

It’s good to have a shooter on both top lines but they are probably maxed out for pure shooters.

Yes . and they have too many right handed centers. this has to be addressed.

Suzuki : right
Dach : right
Evans : right
Beck : right
Hage : right :
Dvorak and Newhook : left. are these two part of the Habs' future at center though?

 

[Rapala]

No. Laine hot streak on the pp definitely not make Caufield expendable.

Expendable is not a term that will ever apply to Caufield.
But that doesn't mean he can't be traded in the future if the right deal comes along.
The thing is the right type of player would be one you'd want to keep to play with Caufield when you get him.

 

[Rapala]

Yes . and they have too many right handed centers. this has to be addressed.

Suzuki : right
Dach : right
Evans : right
Beck : right
Hage : right :
Dvorak and Newhook : left. are these two part of the Habs' future at center though?

It sucks none of them play RD.

 

[morhilane]

Habs are now 6-3 against their divisional teams.
Last year they won 5 games all season against the same teams.

 

[Rapala]

Habs are now 6-3 against their divisional teams.
Last year they won 5 games all season against the same teams.

I talked about how important that would be as a measuring stick coming out of camp that and RW.
It's crazy important no to give up those loser points in your own conference and particularly in your own division.
I want to beat Tampa and Florida soooo badly that would be such a shot in the arm for the rebuild.

 

[morhilane]

I talked about how important that would be as a measuring stick coming out of camp that and RW.
It's crazy important no to give up those loser points in your own conference and particularly in your own division.
I want to beat Tampa and Florida soooo badly that would be such a shot in the arm for the rebuild.

Habs are at 11 RW in 14 wins this year, last season it was 6 RW in 14 wins before December 22nd (not included).

 

[Rapala]

Habs are at 11 RW in 14 wins this year, last season it was 6 RW in 14 wins before December 22nd (not included).

It's crazy what a bit of balance can do for a team we just need to tweak the forward group and we can start to play in the bubble.
This of course providing everyone stays healthy.

 

[morhilane]

It's crazy what a bit of balance can do for a team we just need to tweak the forward group and we can start to play in the bubble.
This of course providing everyone stays healthy.

Not just balance, efforts too. 11 of the 18 loses (this include OT/SO) happened in the 15 first games of the season.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

Begs a question that probably has crossed posters’ minds.

It’s not so much that Caufield is small (even if there are a lot of smallish players on the team). It’s that he’s principally a shooter, who is not multifaceted and it makes one wonder … what if Laine is able to stay healthy and be productive over the next two years.

Can Laine make Caufield expendable?

They are only roughly 3 years apart (Laine is 3 years and 4 months older) — Caufield is 23, Laine 26. Both right handed shooters but Laine now occupies the spot Caufield had on the PP.

Huge assumption is whether Laine can stay healthy.

Caufield’s been racking up assists. Despite the goals going away he’s still hovering around a PPG. I’ve seen him stealing mad pucks in the neutral zone and off the other way for a chance. I’m not seeing this one trick pony that others are seeing.

One of our more consistently dangerous offensive players this year. Plus even if he was so ‘unidimensional’ why wouldn’t we want two elite snipers on our team?

Having Caufield as that 2nd option on PP1 is what makes it so dangerous.

Haven’t been able to watch a ton this year but it seems like every game I watch Caufield looks like our best forward.

It’s crazy that people are still sleeping on him.

 

[McGuires Corndog]

Caufield’s been racking up assists. Despite the goals going away he’s still hovering around a PPG. I’ve seen him stealing mad pucks in the neutral zone and off the other way for a chance. I’m not seeing this one trick pony that others are seeing.

One of our more consistently dangerous offensive players this year. Plus even if he was so ‘unidimensional’ why wouldn’t we want two elite snipers on our team?

Having Caufield as that 2nd option on PP1 is what makes it so dangerous.

Haven’t been able to watch a ton this year but it seems like every game I watch Caufield looks like our best forward.

It’s crazy that people are still sleeping on him.

Caufield has been amazing this year. He’s been solid on both sides of the puck and very engaged physically. He looks noticeably quicker out there too.

Any talk of trading him because Laine is on fire is purely recency bias and should be ignored.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

Caufield has been amazing this year. He’s been solid on both sides of the puck and very engaged physically. He looks noticeably quicker out there too.

Any talk of trading him because Laine is on fire is purely recency bias and should be ignored.

Yeah he’s flying out there. Getting tons of grade A chances. Stealing pucks. Moving the puck extremely well on the PP.

Is it because people dug their heels in so hard against him last year that there’s this cognitive dissonance?

It’s bizarre. I still think he can be better too.

 

[Rapala]

Caufield’s been racking up assists. Despite the goals going away he’s still hovering around a PPG. I’ve seen him stealing mad pucks in the neutral zone and off the other way for a chance. I’m not seeing this one trick pony that others are seeing.

One of our more consistently dangerous offensive players this year. Plus even if he was so ‘unidimensional’ why wouldn’t we want two elite snipers on our team?

Having Caufield as that 2nd option on PP1 is what makes it so dangerous.

Haven’t been able to watch a ton this year but it seems like every game I watch Caufield looks like our best forward.

It’s crazy that people are still sleeping on him.

I like this version of Caufield far more than the early season version.
While I don't think he's looked like our best forward there is no doubt we are a much better team when he is buzzing.
Caufield is still working on finding a perfect balance for his game I also like him much better on the PP when he is off the wall.

 

[zx81]

100 percent.

Laine and Cole on opposite lines will be hell for other teams. We just need Dach to step up or a true #2.

Slaf - Suzuki - Caufield
Laine - ***** - Demidov

Kinda tired to have Asterisks as our 2nd line center. It's time we acquire a new player. And no, Question Marks is not a valid option.

 

[The Real Timo]

WTF... Sens are in the wildcard spot... 7 points up on Habs... when the F did that happen? Argh.
Habs now need 6 more wins in a row. At least.

Double shift Monty! Scratch Matheson. Get a second line center and winger!

Do it Hughes!!!!

 

[salbutera]

 

[Rapala]

Not just balance, efforts too. 11 of the 18 loses (this include OT/SO) happened in the 15 first games of the season.

It goes hand in hand with the health of the team.
Losing two hugely important pieces in camp was far more of a buzz kill than I thought.
We are finally seeing a team who thinks they can win some games that will help with the effort.

Yeah we need to find a solution for Primeau and Pezz.

 

[JianYang]

Yeah he’s flying out there. Getting tons of grade A chances. Stealing pucks. Moving the puck extremely well on the PP.

Is it because people dug their heels in so hard against him last year that there’s this cognitive dissonance?

It’s bizarre. I still think he can be better too.

Hoping it plays out the same way for dach one season after surgery as it has for Cole.... although even cole didn't struggle as much as dach is. I know it's different injuries..... just saying.

 

[morhilane]

WTF... Sens are in the wildcard spot... 7 points up on Habs... when the F did that happen? Argh.
Habs now need 6 more wins in a row. At least.

Double shift Monty! Scratch Matheson. Get a second line center and winger!

Do it Hughes!!!!

6 wins in a row against bad/bubble teams and mostly thanks to Ullmark.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Kinda tired to have Asterisks as our 2nd line center. It's time we acquire a new player. And no, Question Marks is not a valid option.

Let's get Mark then. Exclamation Mark.

 

[Dichow Stopper]

So why not just try Heineman with Dach and Laine? I still think we need to be patient with Dach and evaluate him at the end of the season. If he can get his game back, our second line will be legit when Demidov will come over.

The way I see it, changes will be made during the offseason to start our playoffs window, which should follow shortly with our window to contend (hopefully as soon as 2026-2027).

 

[dinodebino]

Something something something "when Laine is in the lineup, all of the players are in the correct chairs so the team ultimately plays better" something something...

Whatever else I have been saying all year

Next year should even be better because another chair on the 2nd line will be filled by le divin enfant.

 

[MTL Dirty Birdy]

having two excellent PP shooters on the team is definitely not a bad thing.

powerplay looks incredible these days.

Ever since Lane started running it, it’s gone to another level

 

[bsl]

With Caufield out, Laine doesn't score as many.

That’s true. Cc is a threat and has to be watched by the d.

 

[windycity]

I mean, we witnessed plenty of interesting hockey in the regular season back when we were flawed but competitive, thinks of MTL vs BOS back when we had Subban and they had Lucic, two engaged teams playing on a random February night absolutely unwilling to concede a inch to each other. That would be my loose definition of interesting in the context of "can we play them every week?" instead of watching a team just giving up after one period.

But hey, they made like 15 Fast and Furious movies, so I'm painfully aware that interesting is mostly subjective.

But each one was faster and furiouser than the last, how could you not watch?