Playoffs Positivity Thread

[Frankenheimer]

Carrière seems to have made a signficant contribution to defensive structure. Much improved.

 

[HuGort]

The terrible start is such a shame. Before Laine’s injury I actually put 250$ on Habs making the playoffs at 8.5 to 1. Buffalo and Detroit were at 2.5/3 to 1 so my rationale was, the odds don’t compute. Should have bet on Detroit to miss instead!!

They really do look like a « in the mix » team now since Laine came back (and I would say the few games before)…but to catch up they need to be top tier, and that’s a stretch.

I put $100 on them in playoffs. Lots of hockey left

 

[Adam Michaels]

Desired results tonight:

- MTL reg. win vs. CBJ: MTL reg. win moves them 1 point ahead of CBJ with 1 game in hand. Even a win in OT/SO moves MTL ahead. Would be tied in pts but MTL has 1 game in hand.

- BUF reg. win vs. NYI: NYI reg. loss + MTL win = MTL moves ahead of NYI. Will be tied in pts, but MTL have a game in hand + have more RWs.
- NJD reg. win vs. NYR: NYR reg. loss + MTL win = MTL ties NYR at 33 pts. NYR remain ahead with more RWs.
- STL reg. win vs. DET: DET reg. loss + MTL win = MTL will move 3 pts ahead.

- PHI vs. PIT: as long as game doesn't go to OT.
If PHI reg. loss + MTL win = MTL moves 1 point behind PHI with 1 game in hand.
If PIT reg. loss + MTL win = MTL moves 2 pts behind PIT with 2 games in hand.

*with a MTL win (preferrably reg. win) + NYI reg. loss moves MTL 6th in the East. And they would go into the Christmas break 5 pts out of a playoff spot.*

 

[Rapala]

Desired results tonight:

- MTL reg. win vs. CBJ: MTL reg. win moves them 1 point ahead of CBJ with 1 game in hand. Even a win in OT/SO moves MTL ahead. Would be tied in pts but MTL has 1 game in hand.

- BUF reg. win vs. NYI: NYI reg. loss + MTL win = MTL moves ahead of NYI. Will be tied in pts, but MTL have a game in hand + have more RWs.
- NJD reg. win vs. NYR: NYR reg. loss + MTL win = MTL ties NYR at 33 pts. NYR remain ahead with more RWs.
- STL reg. win vs. DET: DET reg. loss + MTL win = MTL will move 3 pts ahead.

- PHI vs. PIT: as long as game doesn't go to OT.
If PHI reg. loss + MTL win = MTL moves 1 point behind PHI with 1 game in hand.
If PIT reg. loss + MTL win = MTL moves 2 pts behind PIT with 2 games in hand.

*with a MTL win (preferrably reg. win) + NYI reg. loss moves MTL 6th in the East. And they would go into the Christmas break 5 pts out of a playoff spot.*

Wow it wasn't all that long ago you were calculating everything on the downside.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Wow it wasn't all that long ago you were calculating everything on the downside.

There might come a time this year I will. After the schedule they have after the Christmas break, I might be doing this in the Tank Thread again.

But right now, the team is doing well. And are still very much in the mix. And have a legit chance to jump up a spot or two in the standings again tonight.

 

[domiwroze]

 

[domiwroze]

November 11th. Montreal plays the Buffalo Sabres and win 7-5 after a TERRIBLE October and first week of November. Their first game of the season where they actually look like a team and don't bump eachothers in the Dzone looking lost af.

Since then, 18 games played ;

Montreal Canadiens ( 10-7-1 ) +1 , .583% p%, 12th
Goal for : 57 (10th GF/G)
Goal against : 56 (9th GA/G)
Powerplay : 22.8% (13th)
Penality Kill : 83.6% (9th)
Still getting outshot on a regular basis , 31th shots for but 11th shots against.

Player stats / Bright spots :
Sam Montembeault - 9-6-1 , 913% (15th) , 2 SO, first in game played since then.

Suzuki 7-14, 21pts +6
Caufield 7-11 18pts
Hutson 1-16 17pts
Evans 5-7 12pts +2
Heineman 6-3 9pts +6
Armia 3-6 9pts +8
Xhakej 1-4 5pts +2

Still struggling :
Dach 1-3 4pts -10
Newhook 2-0 2pts -4

Proof that numbers never tell the whole story : Kaiden Guhle 17gp 1goal 0assist -3

Since November 11th, Montreal is a bubble team/Playoff team.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Literally , no idea what to do with myself , that powerplay is FIRE

 

[Frankenheimer]

Don't worry, the semi-truck splitters will be back in the tank thread with one iffy period of play.

 

[Adam Michaels]

First goal reached: NYR lost in regulation to NJD. They lost 5-0.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

This is the way.

 

[Jurivan Demidovsky]

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

 

[Frankenheimer]

Tankers went through all the emotions yesterday.

 

[HuGort]

Could it be?

 

[VVV]

The team need to win 25+ out of the 47 remaining games minimum to maybe have a shot at the playoffs. A hard task but not impossible

I do think that a trade to reinforce either the offense or defense would be needed for that. The team overall performances have been a roller coaster. It needs more consistency and stability

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Still don't think we're a playoff team.

But... we're playing a lot more like the team I thought we'd be. October to November was absolutely horrendous. That 2-10 stretch was so brutal.

 

[Sorinth]

The team need to win 25+ out of the 47 remaining games minimum to maybe have a shot at the playoffs. A hard task but not impossible

I do think that a trade to reinforce either the offense or defense would be needed for that. The team overall performances have been a roller coaster. It needs more consistency and stability

To hit 91 points which was what got Washington into the playoffs last year (Ottawa on pace for 91.6 this year) we would need to go 29-18. So yeah that's a pretty big ask, but we are 11-8-1 in the last 20 games which if we maintain would put us at 87. Probably doesn't get the playoffs but not unheard of, and with plenty of the remaining games being are 4 point games it's a possibility.

 

[Kennerback]

We’d be drafting 9th if the draft was now. On the flip side we’re 5 points out of a wild card spot. Everything else being equal, we’re heading towards that sweet spot: Not quite In Da MIx, not quite a high draft pick.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

We’d be drafting 9th if the draft was now. On the flip side we’re 5 points out of a wild card spot. Everything else being equal, we’re heading towards that sweet spot: Not quite In Da MIx, not quite a high draft pick.

It used to drive m crazy to be a bubble team. Reason for that though was that we didn’t have a young team with a full pipeline. Totally different situation now. I’d be very happy with us showing progress this year. I had us around 85 points - not good enough for the playoffs but not bad enough for a high pick. And im okay if that happens.

 

[HuGo Sham]

We’d be drafting 9th if the draft was now. On the flip side we’re 5 points out of a wild card spot. Everything else being equal, we’re heading towards that sweet spot: Not quite In Da MIx, not quite a high draft pick.

9th and 16th…might be enough to get into top 5 IF they added a bit more

 

[rahad]

It used to drive m crazy to be a bubble team. Reason for that though was that we didn’t have a young team with a full pipeline. Totally different situation now. I’d be very happy with us showing progress this year. I had us around 85 points - not good enough for the playoffs but not bad enough for a high pick. And im okay if that happens.

If you are going to miss the playoff, better draft as high as possible. Finishing in no man's land is probably the worst place to end (kinda like Pittsburgh and Red wing from last year).

Habs have been lucky this year with injury. Most of us took Laine has going to miss the whole season. Habs probably finish around 8-10 this year. Hope we get lucky. One more pick in the top 3 could secure our rebuild for the next 15 years.

 

[SwiftyHab]

We’d be drafting 9th if the draft was now. On the flip side we’re 5 points out of a wild card spot. Everything else being equal, we’re heading towards that sweet spot: Not quite In Da MIx, not quite a high draft pick.

The Sweet Spot

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

If you are going to miss the playoff, better draft as high as possible. Finishing in no man's land is probably the worst place to end (kinda like Pittsburgh and Red wing from last year).

As a general rule, I agree.

But you have to start improving at some point and you’re not likely to go from top five pick to playoffs. There are transition seasons in there.

What matters most now is that we start seeing our younger players improving. We already have a ton of young talent on the way up.

Habs have been lucky this year with injury. Most of us took Laine has going to miss the whole season. Habs probably finish around 8-10 this year. Hope we get lucky. One more pick in the top 3 could secure our rebuild for the next 15 years.

We lost RD and Laine before the season started. Dach has been slowly to recover. I’m not sure if say it’s been a good year for injuries but… you’re right, since preseason it hasn’t been bad.

 

[rahad]

As a general rule, I agree.

But you have to start improving at some point and you’re not likely to go from top five pick to playoffs. There are transition seasons in there.

What matters most now is that we start seeing our younger players improving. We already have a ton of young talent on the way up.

We lost RD and Laine before the season started. Dach has been slowly to recover. I’m not sure if say it’s been a good year for injuries but… you’re right, since preseason it hasn’t been bad.

I'm don't believe Reinbacher would have made the club in 2024. Maybe in the last month of the season. So the only Habs player we got a major injury is Laine. I'm sure you remember 2022 and 2023. We broke the Habs record for injury.It has pretty much the Rocket of Montreal in 2022 and 2023.