Players in their prime

[ukhab]

Hi all,
Just a couple of questions to Habs fans from the last decade and a half or so

Mods, if this is in the wrong thread or whatever, please put it where it belongs!

I have been keeping tabs on the Habs for about 5 years now, but not properly watched/followed till this season. I have caught the hockey bug it seems, I am watching every game, staying up till 4am in the morning and checking this forum at least 4 times a day.

I have noticed a lot of trade talk and almost every player has been mentioned by different posters as someone who could be traded - this is something I am really not used to, living in the UK where big sports clubs can simply buy players without having to worry about giving up assets in the process. This means, certainly in football (by which i mean soccer or whatever), we get quite close to players and there isnt such talk about letting players go (this is quite ironic though coming from a Southampton fan, if you get where i'm coming from)

This got me thinking, there is a hell of a lot of negativity about some players, some great servants to the club - this could all be deserved, but as a new fan, I would be intrigued to hear about players like Markov and Plekanec, Patches, Emelin even DD and what they offered the habs in their primes/when at their best. I have always been under the impression (mainly from video games, and checking in over 5 years) that players like Plekanec and Markov were incredible at one point, if not now.

So yeah, can anyone tell me about these players when/if they were top quality - think of it as a bit of a history lesson for a new fan, whilst injecting some positivity? What were their strengths/attributes? Any notable games?

 

[dkd]

Hi all,
Just a couple of questions to Habs fans from the last decade and a half or so

Mods, if this is in the wrong thread or whatever, please put it where it belongs!

I have been keeping tabs on the Habs for about 5 years now, but not properly watched/followed till this season. I have caught the hockey bug it seems, I am watching every game, staying up till 4am in the morning and checking this forum at least 4 times a day.

I have noticed a lot of trade talk and almost every player has been mentioned by different posters as someone who could be traded - this is something I am really not used to, living in the UK where big sports clubs can simply buy players without having to worry about giving up assets in the process.

This got me thinking, there is a hell of a lot of negativity about some players, some great servants to the club - this could all be deserved, but as a new fan, I would be intrigued to hear about players like Markov and Plekanec, Patches, Emelin even DD and what they offered the habs in their primes/when at their best. I have always been under the impression (mainly from video games, and checking in over 5 years) that players like Plekanec and Markov were incredible at one point, if not now.

So yeah, can anyone tell me about these players when/if they were top quality - think of it as a bit of a history lesson for a new fan, whilst injecting some positivity? What were their strengths? Any notable games?

First of all, you've made the right choice by becoming a Habs fan, the most known and successful hockey club in history
As of for the players:
Markov- He's simply getting old. He has never been a fast player, but now that he's aging, he's gotten VERY slow over the past few years and his overall level of play has declined. Some people want to trade him ASAP because he's still got market value.
Plekanec- You either love him or hate him as a Habs fan, I am one of the lovers btw. He's a great 2nd/3rd line center, but been getting first line minutes and duties this year (thanks coach). IMO people expect too much of him. Galchenyuk has to be our 1st line center. Pleks is also known for not showing up much during playoffs.
Patches- Been selected captain over guys like Subban and Gallagher. Very apathetic overall, doesn't show up in the playoffs, doesn't play like a captain at all.
Emelin- Has his good days and bad days. Other than throwing a big hit every few games, doesn't bring a lot to the team. He is a solid 3rd pairing guy and should stay down there. Should NOT get more minutes than a 3rd liner.
DD- Tiny, loses the puck instantly when under a bit of pressure, relies on Paccioretty too much. He was OK on the 3rd line, and MUST stay there! Therrien loves him too much and gives him wayyyy too much credit and easy minutes. Also he rarely shoots when he 1vs1 with the goalie, DD will probably look for Max even when he's got an open net in front of him.

Cheers!

 

[ukhab]

It was a no-brainer for me, best holiday of my life as a 13 year old in 2010 to Montreal, introduced me to hockey - thanks for enlightening me a bit

 

[MakeTheGoalsLarger]

Markov used to be the best defenseman in the NHL on the powerplay.He had 2 signature plays:
-rushing to the net to take a pass and score
-making a cross pass to a right winger who would score on a one timer (most of the time that was Kovalev).

Plekanec who used to be a very skilled forward, skating fast and doing awesome dekes. It seems the role of being the #1 denfensive center on the team spoiled him.

Emelin used to make those spectacular body checks (while being legal). If you would go back to see threads on him in the beginning, everyone on HF boards loved him.

I don't have anything special to say a about Desharnais and Pacioretty. I don't feel like their playing style evolved. There's one fun fact though : if i recall, the last time Gomez had decent numbers with the Habs was when he played with Pacioretty. That infamous Chara incident did screw someone's career, but it was Gomez,lol.

still, none of all these players has ever been good in playoffs in my memory. That's why it's hard for me to see this team win the cup when most of the leaders disappoint year after year in playoffs.

 

[DangerDave]

Well it's the internet so it's mostly negative. It's where people come to vent anonymously. Also, the team is on a huge losing skid. People were pretty positive about the team at the beginning of the season.

As for the player you mentioned.

Markov: Was once one of the very best in the league. In his prime, he and his linemate Sheldon Souray were regarded as one of if not the best duo in the league. On the powerplay, Markov would distribute the puck and Souray, with one of the best slap shots I've ever seen, would score from the point. This made the habs PP the best in the league. He had two knee surgeries which slowed him down significantly. He's now a serviceable dman but he's on a rapid decline. Habs desperately need to find a replacement soon as he was a huge part of the club.

Plekanec: A very underrated two way player. Even now, he is excellent at both ends of the ice. People will criticize him for his post season performances and how he plays on the perimeter but don't let that fool you. He is a core player for this team and despite his recent scoring slump, he quietly puts up very impressive numbers year after year. Look for a bump in his production now that Gallagher is back in the lineup.

Emelin: Never really a quality guy but a serviceable guy to have on a bottom pairing. He's pretty slow but he has some pretty amazing hits (youtube them, it's worth seeing). He is known to have brain cramps and is over paid which is why many on here dislike him. That being said, he takes his game to a new level when it's a big game. Against rivals and in the playoffs, when the game becomes physical, Emelin shines.

Desharnais: Well, there's been so many threads about him. Public enemy #1 on HF Habs. DD is the smallest player in the league. He's an underdog story having dominated every level he has played at yet never being drafted (Due to his size). DD is hated around here for many reasons but most have to do with the coach always trying to put him on the top line when he's really more of a role player. DD puts up big numbers when used on the third line in an exploitation role with reduced minutes but for whatever reason the coach cannot see this. Ex: he was ahead of elite players, ranked 18th I believe in the entire league, through the first 20 games of the season for points produced per minute. Really impressive stuff considering he doesn't exactly have all stars as wingers but it was working well. He's not nearly as bad as some on here will have you believe. You can't put up the kind of numbers he does while being bad. He's just misused. He is still a very important member of the team and when he goes on one of his tears, the team becomes much more dynamic. Until MT promotes him back to the top line...

Any other players you'd like to know about?