Playoffs Positivity Thread

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Desired results tonight:

- MTL win vs. PHI

- DET reg. loss vs. OTT: DET reg. loss + MTL win = MTL moves 5 pts ahead of DET with 1 game in hand.

While it would be nice to catch up to OTT, I think the priority now is that the teams behind MTL stay behind. PIT takes on BUF, but both teams are no longer a concern.

Oh Bull, I'd rather have Detroit and Montreal both win and we catch up on Ottawa. Ottawa is +9, Montreal is +5 and Detroit is +1. If both Montreal and Detroit (in reg) win, we'll then be just -2 behind Ottawa, increasing our chances at making the playoffs, while still being +4 over Detroit.

Arrêté de penser petit. Gaining on the 7th spot is more important than guarding against the wings who can never get it done down the stretch.

 

[CrazyBob]

Flyers just fired their coach. This usually lead to the team playing better right away. And Montreal is their next game. Were screwed

 

[BLONG7]

Flyers are a mess................we win tonight !! 5-2

Is Dobes playing tonight?? Since we ALL know Monty is wiped out from too many starts recently.

 

[Redux91]

Oops wrong thread lol

 

[morhilane]

Flyers just fired their coach. This usually lead to the team playing better right away. And Montreal is their next game. Were screwed

Torts stepped down, they didn't fire him.

 

[red devil]

Flyers are a mess................we win tonight !! 5-2

Is Dobes playing tonight?? Since we ALL know Monty is wiped out from too many starts recently.

 

[vokiel]

Nice to see some reasoning over principals here.

 

[Gustave]

So Monty tomorrow… and again on Sunday 1 PM??

 

[Tuggy]

So Monty tomorrow… and again on Sunday 1 PM??

Or Dobes has a good game tonight and starts Sunday

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Dobes hasn't had a single start since March 12, over two weeks. During that time, the Habs have leaned exclusively on Montembeault. He and the team have paid the price.

Over 2 weeks by 1 day?

Riding Montembeault might've made sense if he was hot, or if he was used to that workload. Neither is the case. He's letting in goals that shouldn't get past him. He's playing more than he ever has. So why has Marty pushed his starter so hard, even though he's clearly struggling? Because he's not confident in the rookie backup. This is exactly why teams get an experienced veteran. They may not be great, but the coach has enough confidence in them to take some of the load off the main guy.

That said, the solution is simple: Give Dobes some f***ing starts. If last game didn't make it crystal clear that Montembeault needs rest, I don't know what will.

Why would Marty trust a veteran goalie more than Dobes? The job is just to stop pucks. It's not really a matter of experience or not. Dobes has done decent, and if you look at the goalies traded this year, they all had worse stats than Dobes. Marty isn't going to trust more a worse goalie just because he has experience.

 

[Lshap]

Over 2 weeks by 1 day?

Correct.

Why would Marty trust a veteran goalie more than Dobes? The job is just to stop pucks. It's not really a matter of experience or not. Dobes has done decent, and if you look at the goalies traded this year, they all had worse stats than Dobes. Marty isn't going to trust more a worse goalie just because he has experience.

Whether or not you agree, coaches trust veterans more than rookies. Almost always. That's why veteran goalies like Allen, Varlymov, Reimer, Quick, etc. have jobs. If experience didn't matter, those teams would've called up an AHL rookie. They chose instead to place their trust in a declining vet.

Feels like I have to repeat the disclaimer: I'm glad the Habs didn't acquire a vet. I want them to play Dobes. My point is that the goalie assignments have been counter-productive.

 

[BLONG7]

So Monty tomorrow… and again on Sunday 1 PM??

Monty Saturday...........and Dobes Sunday..........
Then Monty back home on Tuesday.

 

[expy]

4-3 OT Habs

 

[habbubba]

A blowout for the good guys.

 

[habbubba]

For the people my age and older that remember Roy career in montreal , he used to allow stinkers regularly…. Then make 10 game saving insane saves hahah…
Not putting monte in the same league as Roy just saying happens to even the best

You bet,even Price had his share of stinkers. Dryden must have had some but not all games were televised then. I'd like to have seen how Dryden would do with the ginormous over-sized gear that goalies of recent times use,shut out after shut out?

 

[Chili]

Yes, Dobes looks like a future NHL goalie, but the Habs obviously aren't fully confident in him yet, which is why they've been overplaying Montembeault. That decision has created a lose-lose situation where we're not getting the best from either goalie. We're overworking Montembeault and underworking Dobes, which doesn't help either of them.

If the goal of this season was the playoffs, then getting a veteran backup would've given the team a more confident option, allowing them to rest Montembeault when it's best, instead of only when they have absolutely no choice.

To be clear, I'm NOT saying we should've gotten a veteran goalie. The playoffs may be the immediate goal, but they shouldn't be sacrificing the greater goal – longterm development and progress. Which is why I think they should play Dobes, mistakes and all, so that he'll become a better goalie next season and beyond, when we really need him.

This is the sticky wicket for me. It seems like the overall strategy is to play the youth, let them learn from their mistakes and live with the results. That's fine, and believe it's helped some of them take steps forward.

What has gone on in net this season though is a head scratcher. Seems like they have no confidence in Dobes, similar to what Primeau went through. Young players need to play if they are to improve, the result has been to put almost all the workload on Monty's shoulders. It's not fair to him or really the team as they now try to make the playoffs.

Seems like I've seen this before, young goaltenders used to playing a lot, all of sudden are expected to look sharp playing once every two to three weeks. Especially ones who have yet to establish themselves in the NHL. The irony is that they had two other veterans around not long ago who are now good backups on playoff bound teams (Desmith and Allen).

We'll see what they do this summer, if they add anyone with experience. To me would be a good idea. Either that or play these kids so that they can mature.

 

[Jurivan Demidovsky]

 

[expy]

Flyers x 2, Bruins, Predators, Wings, & Hawks are all winnable games. That's 6 wins out of 12 games right there.

We've had Ottawa's number all year.

Boston, Philadelphia, Nashville, Detroit & Ottawa has potential for a 5 game winning streak.

By comparison, during that same week, Islanders are playing TBL, Minnesota, Washington & Nashville & NYR.

Rangers: Minnesota, NJD, TBL, Philadelphia, NYI.

Columbus: Nashville, Colorado, Toronto, Ottawa x 2, Buffalo.

Not a good start to the "winnable" games.

To me, I think we might lose 80% of the remaining games. The offense the team put up in games leading up to the last 2 was unsustainable, and the poor goaltending shined through because the offense wasn't there to bail them out.

It was a pitiful effort tonight though, so many turnovers, paired with a goalie who hasn't played in forever.

 

[BergevinBurner]

View attachment 1000816

 

[Jurivan Demidovsky]

View attachment 1000822

 

[dinodebino]

Oh well, it was an unexpected run up until the 3rd week to the end of the season. They should be getting the 84 points I was expecting. Summer should be fun. I don’t expect them to draft in the first round; I expect them to make moves for actual players.

With Reinbacher and Demidov coming onboard next season, I think they’re getting closer.

 

[BergevinBurner]

Oh well, it was an unexpected run up until the 3rd week to the end of the season. They should be getting the 84 points I was expecting. Summer should be fun. I don’t expect them to draft in the first round; I expect them to make moves for actual players.

With Reinbacher and Demidov coming onboard next season, I think they’re getting closer.

Reinbacher over Savard, any defensively sound RHD over Matheson, and Demidov+legit 2C over Roy and Newhook on the 2nd line.

Those 4 changes will make an astronomical difference going into next season.

 

[red devil]

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Still control our destiny with 11 games left

 

[hvac412]

It was the same thing last year

rinse- repeat-rinse-repeat.....and then you have Suzuki begging not to trade anyone and mr clean falls for it