HF Habs: Out of Town Thread: 2024 Playoff Edition

[The Real Timo]

Not a high bar lol

I am not aiming high. Just enough to get paid. I'd take 1/2 of what Bergy got. With better results. Habs can't pass on a bargain like that.

 

[nhlfan9191]

Goaltending matters in the playoffs, many whine about Price having “carried the team” but so have Bobrovsky last two playoffs for Fla, Vasilevsky for TBay - all making about same AAV

I don’t think it’s fair to compare sunbelt teams to Montreal when they can get players for way cheaper then a Canadian team can.

 

[Non Player Canadiens]

let's just rename it the Sunbelt Hockey League already

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Right, every fan thinks that. He got them to finals. Vast majority professional NHL GMs been unable to accomplish

Trash can neanderthal GM that can't speak english or french , absolute nincompoop

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

Then the owners in all major pro sports are idiots...

Might as well pay a minimum wage staffer to run things. It's just luck anyways, right?

You have to have a pretty skilled team to win but most winning teams had some luck to get there. Teams losing to lesser teams, facing teams who are handicapped by injuries, being injury free themselves (Panthers)

 

[Miller Time]

You have to have a pretty skilled team to win but most winning teams had some luck to get there. Teams losing to lesser teams, facing teams who are handicapped by injuries, being injury free themselves (Panthers)

Sure. The existence of "luck" doesn't reduce the value of culture, if anything it highlights it's importance.

 

[The Great Weal]

On paper, Forsling/Ekblad/Mikkola/Montour/OEL/Kulikov seems like one of the worst defense cores to win the cup if the Panthers win. Systems are more important than the players. Even last year with Martinez and McNabb being half of the top 4, you wouldn't think that's strong enough.

 

[JoelWarlord]

I don’t think it’s fair to compare sunbelt teams to Montreal when they can get players for way cheaper then a Canadian team can.

They don't really though. That was basically just Tampa when they had Stamkos as the soft cap, Dallas/Nashville/Florida don't have many discounts, and Tampa's recent extensions (Cirelli, Cernak, Sergachev, etc.) aren't discounts at all. Florida only really got a discount on Tkachuk and most teams have one or two guys that are underpaid about that amount.

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

They don't really though. That was basically just Tampa when they had Stamkos as the soft cap, Dallas/Nashville/Florida don't have many discounts, and Tampa's recent extensions (Cirelli, Cernak, Sergachev, etc.) aren't discounts at all. Florida only really got a discount on Tkachuk and most teams have one or two guys that are underpaid about that amount.

They don't need a discount. An offer equivalemt to other offers is worth far more when the net is far more.

 

[Andrei79]

That is the point. The players ignored Ducharme and got to the final. Panthers could be doing the same thing. And the only difference between the 2 is one goal. If the Islanders had gotten to the final Habs very likely win. Luck wins the majority of Cups. Oilers only advantage was at forward and all their top players are hurt.

Why would the Habs have won ? They got crushed by Tampa Bay who almost lost to NY.

 

[The Great Weal]

That is the point. The players ignored Ducharme and got to the final. Panthers could be doing the same thing. And the only difference between the 2 is one goal. If the Islanders had gotten to the final Habs very likely win. Luck wins the majority of Cups. Oilers only advantage was at forward and all their top players are hurt.

Ducharme couldn't even get his team to win 2 games in a row the very next season while the Panthers were a top 5 team in the league the very next season and are one win away from the cup. You can call their last run a cinderella run if you'd like and that the players were ignoring Maurice, but not sure how you can say that happened back to back.

Also even though the Isles would have been a better match up, there is no way you can say we very likely beat them.

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

Why would the Habs have won ? They got crushed by Tampa Bay who almost lost to NY.

Islanders were nothing special. Habs would have a good chance to beat them.

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

Why would the Habs have won ? They got crushed by Tampa Bay who almost lost to NY.

That is irrelevant. ne example is in 1993 the Habs won the Cup beating LA and Gretzky Toronto was the better team. I am positive they would have had much more difficulty beating the Leafs. And that year the Islanders beat Pittsburgh with Mario (a far better team) and then lost to the Habs.

 

[salbutera]

I don’t think it’s fair to compare sunbelt teams to Montreal when they can get players for way cheaper then a Canadian team can.

Sunbelt or not goaltending does matter in the playoffs, need talent also but as Vasilevsky & Bob have proven, even w stacked teams G position is of extreme importance vs old wife’s tale that any warm body will do

 

[The Real Timo]

On paper, Forsling/Ekblad/Mikkola/Montour/OEL/Kulikov seems like one of the worst defense cores to win the cup if the Panthers win. Systems are more important than the players. Even last year with Martinez and McNabb being half of the top 4, you wouldn't think that's strong enough.

Good thing MSL doesn’t believe in systems.

 

[Andrei79]

Islanders were nothing special. Habs would have a good chance to beat them.

Habs were nothing special either and wouldn't have made the playoffs in another division. Isles brought the cup winners to the very edge, the very same team that destroyed the Habs. There's nothing to suggest they would have lost.

Good thing MSL doesn’t believe in systems.

Panthers play man on man, which apparently is Impossible to win with according to posters here.

On paper, Forsling/Ekblad/Mikkola/Montour/OEL/Kulikov seems like one of the worst defense cores to win the cup if the Panthers win. Systems are more important than the players. Even last year with Martinez and McNabb being half of the top 4, you wouldn't think that's strong enough.

It's not the system, it's how the players buy in and how each of them fit. Florida has been an all in character team for some time now.

 

[salbutera]

Habs were nothing special either and wouldn't have made the playoffs in another division. Isles brought the cup winners to the very edge, the very same team that destroyed the Habs. There's nothing to suggest they would have lost.

Habs were specifically overhauled in 2020 off season for big boy Cdn division hockey - every talking head was raving about the offseason strategy / moves

 

[Team_Spirit]

Their PP was good 24% (7th), weird move.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1802040227504300231

 

[Nashy]

fina

Right, every fan thinks that. He got them to finals. Vast majority professional NHL GMs been unable to accomplish

Even a broken clock is right twice a day. Habs absolutely lucked into that final thanks to Covid....such a great GM, what teams are lining up to sign him to manage their tean?

 

[Nashy]

Their PP was good 24% (7th), weird move.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1802040227504300231

New coach....new assistants....not that weird.

 

[The Real Timo]

New coach....new assistants....not that weird.

So... Alex Burrows going to get a call any minute now?

 

[Team_Spirit]

Good guy Connor McDavid

https://x.com/i/web/status/1802043976742293721

 

[26Mats]

Hockey Patrol

Childhood friends Matthew Tkachuk and Jayson Tatum are both 1 game away from their respective Sports Championship! Both players and teams have a 3-0 lead! Unbelievable 🔥

www.facebook.com

 

[OldCraig71]

It means nothing. Ducharme got to a SC final.

Perry, Weber and Price were in charge and they tuned out mumbles.

 

[OldCraig71]

Right, every fan thinks that. He got them to finals. Vast majority professional NHL GMs been unable to accomplish

We were 18th in the league and were entered into a COVID-inspired tournament. I'm scratching my head and wondering how you credit that to Bergevin.