Post-Game Talk: Playoffs? Habs clinch playoff berth.

[jaffy27]

So what was the team's excuse for the other 2/3rds of the Season when everyone was healthy and we had multiple schedule breaks??...we've been a mediocre team all year except when we've played Vancouver...our D still can't move the puck no matter how much rest they get...our Head Coach seems to be in soo far over his head that it's easier for him to swim to the bottom...our inept GM actually made us WORSE at the trade deadline...I do honestly luv your optimism, amigo, but I'm just not there anymore; I can't ignore the fact that mediocrity is now our Mantra in Montreal...this just isn't the Mantra of the team I grew up loving since the first time I saw Ken Dryden leaning on his goal stick all those years ago...just makes me sad to think that those Habs no longer exist, at least under this moronic Management...

Guess it will All play itself out in a few weeks....I understand teams go through ups and downs, I even remember the Leafs hitting a 5 game losing streak, I believe Washington did the same.

 

[19VJ17]

Yeah baby!!!
The PLAYOFFS

 

[No More Subban]

I would still have KK in the playoffs just based on what I've seen from him in the bubble. Start with a clean slate.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

KK popularity certainly fell since last August in the Bubble. Same posters were saying he was core piece.

He is a core piece. He's just not being treated like one. He looks exhausted and has zero confidence.

Plus, DD seems to prefer vets regardless of how they're playing.

KK played 9 minutes tonight. He's a long ways away from playing the 16+ minutes he was getting before Staal arrived.

A lot of people thought getting Staal would help KK. Instead, he's fallen off a cliff since Staal's arrival, while Evans was benched.

There's no way they sit Staal, or Danault, and Evans is playing extremely well with Lehkonen and Byron. Tough to break up that line.

So, I expect 4 centers to be: Danault, Suzuki, Evans, Staal.

With Gallagher, Anderson, Byron & Armia on RW and Tatar, Toffoli, Lehkonen & Perry on LW, there's no room for Caufield either.

Only thing is Tatar has been shit, so I could maybe see KK moved to his spot with Danault & Gallagher.

 

[Kriss E]

He’s been awful
Since his return.....like invisible.....when Gallagher comes back he’s gotta be off the roster....who else would you take out?

Then there’s Danault and then Drouin

Lek..Byron..Armia...whoever. Not a hard decision. Only in Mtl are people arguing how 4th liners ''deserve'' to be in the roster more than top 6 players.

Our strength coming in is depth. Now people are arguing to eliminate it. It's asinine.

 

[Habs]

Putting McDavid out in OT, in a meaningless game... what a pathetic franchise the Oilers are. Karma is going to come calling, he's going down, the hockey gods won't forget.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I don't think it will really matter since there's not much hope for us beating Toronto..

Obviously the slam-dunk lines are
Tatar-Danault-Gallagher
Lehkonen-Evans-Byron

Who will likely play a lot against Matthews & Tavares lines.

It will be who plays the other wing with Toffoli-Suzuki and then what to do with Anderson, Caufield, KK, Staal, Perry.

If it was me, my bottom lines would be

Anderson-Suzuki-Toffoli
Perry-Kotkaniemi-Caufield

I would use the KK line purely as an exploitation line. Heavy o-zone starts and throw them out there every time one of their bottom 6 hits the ice.

 

[Habs]

I would still have KK in the playoffs just based on what I've seen from him in the bubble. Start with a clean slate.

He can't be trusted, he should not play one shift in the post season, the kid has morphed into a total disaster. Terrible defensively, useless offensively, like the Finnish Nail Yakupov.

 

[CapSpace]

He can't be trusted, he should not play one shift in the post season, the kid has morphed into a total disaster. Terrible defensively, useless offensively, like the Finnish Nail Yakupov.

Yayy, an other 3rd overall bust.

 

[Scintillating10]

I hope like last playoff, the rest leading up to it helps him out. he was night and day different last year during the regular season versus in the playoffs.

KK always streaky. When he is hot he is good. But lookout when not

 

[Rosso Scuderia]

Putting McDavid out in OT, in a meaningless game... what a pathetic franchise the Oilers are. Karma is going to come calling, he's going down, the hockey gods won't forget.

Man you really have problem with your anger. Who the f*** says stuff like this. Calm down man.

 

[Habby4Life]

He can't be trusted, he should not play one shift in the post season, the kid has morphed into a total disaster. Terrible defensively, useless offensively, like the Finnish Nail Yakupov.

They should go with Suzuki, Danault, Evans, and Staal.

KK can watch, he was brutal tonight. The 3rd period flopping all over the ice.

 

[Forum93]

Only guy he replaces is Armia then. Who has not been impressive as of late.

Toffoli Suzuki Anderson
Tatar Danault Gallagher
Caufield Kotkaniemi Perry
Byron Evans Lehkonen

Edmundson Petry
Kulak Weber
Romanov Chiarot

Price

I'd be fine with this as well. I do agree that Perry is usually beast mode in the playoffs. Perry in for Armia I could live with.

The way DD's been overusing Staal, I can't see him sitting Staal out, and neither Armia, unfortunately.

 

[BigDaddyLurch]

Guess it will All play itself out in a few weeks....I understand teams go through ups and downs, I even remember the Leafs hitting a 5 game losing streak, I believe Washington did the same.

In no way, shape, or form is this team anywhere near the Caps or Laffs this year...or last year...or the year before...or the year before...it's like it's a Theme or something...

 

[No More Subban]

He can't be trusted, he should not play one shift in the post season, the kid has morphed into a total disaster. Terrible defensively, useless offensively, like the Finnish Nail Yakupov.

Some players just perform better in the playoffs. I believe KK is one of those. Even Rene Bourque was a beast for us in 2014.

 

[Habaddict]

By their play Staal and KK deserve to sit. But KK was our best center some games this year. And being really weak for a while now may be about fatigue. And then losing confidence because he was playing badly. 5/6 days off is enough for a 20 year old to recover a lot, both mentally and physically
Romanov also looks tired. I really hope the break recharges him. I see him enjoying play-off intensity.

 

[BigDaddyLurch]

They should go with Suzuki, Danault, Evans, and Staal.

KK can watch, he was brutal tonight. The 3rd period flopping all over the ice.

...and was still twice as effective as the Ghost of Staalsy Past...

 

[Kriss E]

Many teams have flaws.....who cares if they do, if you going just based on its flaws then we should just jump to the conference finals and take the top 4 teams.

Everyone knows the odds are stacked against them but we’ll still watch and hope no?

Ya, and I still play 6/49 knowing I ain't winning crap. It's a waste of cash but I still do it. I'm not going to pretend like I have some strong chance of winning though.
So ya, we're all hoping for a miracle and that's why we'll follow the series, but let's not pretend like we have some good chance of accomplishing anything here.

 

[No More Subban]

Only guy he replaces is Armia then. Who has not been impressive as of late.

Toffoli Suzuki Anderson
Tatar Danault Gallagher
Caufield Kotkaniemi Perry
Byron Evans Lehkonen

Edmundson Petry
Kulak Weber
Romanov Chiarot

Price

I'd be fine with this as well. I do agree that Perry is usually beast mode in the playoffs. Perry in for Armia I could live with.

Armia is just not a good top 6 player but a really good bottom 6 player. Not sure what to do with him.

This is going to come down to Caufield vs Armia or skill vs size.

 

[Habby4Life]

...and was still twice as effective as the Ghost of Staalsy Past...

Comparing him to a washed up broken down 37 yr old vet isn’t a ringing endorsement. Both are completely useless right now, lol.

Staals reputation and KKs draft position are the only reasons these stiffs are still getting ice time. Both are questionable NHL material.

 

[Habano]

MB can celebrate : he's still there at the flop with a hand of unsuited 2 and 7. From now anything can happen.

And the flop is 777! Turn A, river A. Leafs hole cards? Pocket aces

 

[Habaddict]

As to CC. If they didn't need him so desperately on the PP I'd sit him the first game or two. Let him sit in close to the bench and see play-off intensity. Then you could bring him in for whomever in not playing well.
But there may also be Drouin. I prefer CC to the previous Drouin. But if JD comes back, it may be because he is mentally stronger, and ready to play a more focused game.

 

[McGees]

This is how you replace Danault when he prices himself out:

 

[MadMslm]

I’ll be honest, I never root against the habs nothing would bring me more joy than seeing them succeed and I’m happy that they are in the playoffs now.

I’ve never went to hard on coaches even Therrien that I hated I could have kept living with him but I seriously hope that Ducharme won’t be back next year. I just can’t stand him and how bad most of his decisions and system are. I really do hope that at the end MB will try to find someone else because Ducharme would mean an other year or two of failure. Can’t believe it took Boucher 5 min to analyze Oilers system and Ducharme can’t adapt to it in a full game. I’m not saying hire Boucher, just don’t bring back Dominic because he clearly is way over his head.

 

[26Mats]

Only guy he replaces is Armia then. Who has not been impressive as of late.

Toffoli Suzuki Anderson
Tatar Danault Gallagher
Caufield Kotkaniemi Perry
Byron Evans Lehkonen

Edmundson Petry
Kulak Weber
Romanov Chiarot

Price

I'd be fine with this as well. I do agree that Perry is usually beast mode in the playoffs. Perry in for Armia I could live with.

As other posters have pointed out Staal and Armia probably stay in, sigh.

But furthermore, not sure DD would play Kk and Caufield on the same line without last chang against Matthews and Tavares lines. If he does have your starting 12, which I hope, maybe he switches Caufield with Suzuki and Tofu and has Anderson with KK and Perry.