Will we make the Playoffs this year?

[Shaby23]

It was a "half season" for everybody. Funny a "half season" is plenty when some want to throw Desharnais under the bus...

But a half season from last year doesn't define us for this year. If we only play half seasons every year, might as well just put the Leafs first every time. And as for DD, he didn't even show anything positive last year. A full season would just had make him look worst (i'm not even sure what i just write make sense ).

 

[25get]

We finished 4th in a half season. So i think irrelevant saying that.

Actually, the fact there was no training camp was actually causing our coaching staff much more problems that other teams.

People seem to forget that Pacioretty, Galchenyuk, Gallagher, Eller, Subban are all 24 years old and less.
On the defense, we are older with Markov, Bouillon, Murray but it is good to have d-men with experience.
Since 1990, only Leetch, Keith, Karlsson and Subban won a Norris before being 26 years old.
In Chicago, only Leddy was below 26 years old.

Starting last year, looking at the age of players, I see in decreasing order:
Bouillon, Halpern, Briere, Kaberle, Cole, Markov, Gionta, Murray, Ryder.
In Bold, players that are gone.
Underscored, players that are out of top-9/top-4.
In Blue players who will finish their contract this year.
Most likely, Markov will be resigned.

So from all the older players, only Briere is signed for 2014-15.
We do have a well balanced team: you need older players to win. They are showing the way to younger players.
Chicago just resigned Rozsival and Handzus.

 

[25get]

To answer the question about us making the PO: depends on injuries.

Because we have some depth, we might be able to handle injuries better than other teams.

Ottawa beat us in PO because we had many injuries at that time: Eller, Gionta, Prust, etc.
Meanwhile, Ottawa who suffered for injuries all season long were playing with a full roster.

 

[Dagistitsyn]

To answer the question about us making the PO: depends on injuries.

Because we have some depth, we might be able to handle injuries better than other teams.

Ottawa beat us in PO because we had many injuries at that time: Eller, Gionta, Prust, etc.
Meanwhile, Ottawa who suffered for injuries all season long were playing with a full roster.

+ Price, and Pacioretty playing with a separated shoulder too.

 

[Brainiac]

If age is all that matters: say Briere is injured early in the season and they promote Galchenyuk at center on the 2nd line. Could we be young enough to make it?

 

[Issacar]

But a half season from last year doesn't define us for this year. If we only play half seasons every year, might as well just put the Leafs first every time. And as for DD, he didn't even show anything positive last year. A full season would just had make him look worst (i'm not even sure what i just write make sense ).

Let's throw another hypothetical scenario. What if Desharnais would of bounced back in the 2nd half of the season?

 

[Shaby23]

Actually, the fact there was no training camp was actually causing our coaching staff much more problems that other teams.

People seem to forget that Pacioretty, Galchenyuk, Gallagher, Eller, Subban are all 24 years old and less.
On the defense, we are older with Markov, Bouillon, Murray but it is good to have d-men with experience.
Since 1990, only Leetch, Keith, Karlsson and Subban won a Norris before being 26 years old.
In Chicago, only Leddy was below 26 years old.

Starting last year, looking at the age of players, I see in decreasing order:
Bouillon, Halpern, Briere, Kaberle, Cole, Markov, Gionta, Murray, Ryder.
In Bold, players that are gone.
Underscored, players that are out of top-9/top-4.
In Blue players who will finish their contract this year.
Most likely, Markov will be resigned.

So from all the older players, only Briere is signed for 2014-15.
We do have a well balanced team: you need older players to win. They are showing the way to younger players.
Chicago just resigned Rozsival and Handzus.

I'm not saying we won't get a good year, i just think it makes no sense analyzing half a season because every team can be 1st for the first half.

 

[Shaby23]

Let's throw another hypothetical scenario. What if Desharnais would of bounced back in the 2nd half of the season?

He had the chance to bounce back in the playoffs and he was worst than the actual season. So i guess that answer your question?

 

[Issacar]

I'm not saying we won't get a good year, i just think it makes no sense analyzing half a season because every team can be 1st for the first half.

Every teams had half a season to work with. So it's not like stats are skewed or anythign if you compare them with one and another.

Every teams started at the saem time, had the same amount of games and ended the season at the same time. You can't dismiss a team's achievement based on "it was only half a season". Maybe the Hawks didn't really had one of the best streak in hockey history either then? Maybe we should but an * next to their cup since it was a lolSeason?

 

[Issacar]

He had the chance to bounce back in the playoffs and he was worst than the actual season. So i guess that answer your question?

Are you implying that playing a 4 of 7 is the same as playing 2 weeks of hockey during the regular season?

 

[Shaby23]

Every teams had half a season to work with. So it's not like stats are skewed or anythign if you compare them with one and another.

Every teams started at the saem time, had the same amount of games and ended the season at the same time. You can't dismiss a team's achievement based on "it was only half a season". Maybe the Hawks didn't really had one of the best streak in hockey history either then? Maybe we should but an * next to their cup since it was a lolSeason?

Remember when we finished 1st a year and the next year 8th?? We can try to analyze last year stats, but unless you have a top tier team, they don't matter that much and especially in a half season.

Are you implying that playing a 4 of 7 is the same as playing 2 weeks of hockey during the regular season?

So playing 2 good weeks of hockey in a regular season is better than the playoffs????? He had the chance to redeem himself and he didn't.

 

[Issacar]

Remember when we finished 1st a year and the next year 8th?? We can try to analyze last year stats, but unless you have a top tier team, they don't matter that much and especially in a half season.



So playing 2 good weeks of hockey in a regular season is better than the playoffs????? He had the chance to redeem himself and he didn't.

Because obviously, no teams can be consistent for 2 straight seasons based on this sample size.

Is it what I said? Are you trying to put words in my posts that aren't there? 2 weeks of regular season and a best of 4 are entirely 2 different things. We're talking about season hockey not playoff hockey.

 

[Roulin]

Why would Detroit, a .500 team last year, be clearly ahead of us after we finished 4th overall? Detroit has some good players, but no depth on defense and very little up front.

We finished ahead of Boston last year and they lost big chunks...Seguin Horton Ference plus Jagr Redden and a solid back up in Khudobin. Ericksson and Iginla have big shoes to fill. They lost a lot of depth.

The Habe lost Ryder and brought in Briere, not a big dropoff if he can stay healthy. Murray helps replace Emelin for a couple months. Parros helps everybody play 3 inches bigger. Price can't play worse than the last month last year, if he plays better then goaltending is improved.

IMO Detroit is better than those 24 wins show. They are moving from the toughest division in the toughest conference, to a much easier situation. This season could feature a 4th line of Abdelkader-Helm-Miller and a 3rd pairing of Kindl-Quincey. IMO that's the deepest team in the new division.

Jagr played 11 games with Boston last season, so in the context of regular season wins, that's not a big loss, unfortunately. I do think the Seguin trade will hurt Boston a whole lot, but so much immediately as in another year or two. Chara will decline eventually so I guess there's that hope for this season I just wouldn't bet on it until we see some signs of him slowing down a bit first.

That would be great, if Price could play well consistently over the whole season, to match Rask and Howard. You seem to like Briere, Murray and Parros more than I do, but I guess that's a debate for another thread The Habs have a lot of key players who could take a step forward, so I like them better than the rest of the division. I just think that Detroit and Boston are at another level.

 

[Issacar]

You are underestimating that the Atlantic division is the toughest to play in to when it comes to the physical game. You are also forgetting that the atlantic division had 4 teams who made the playoffs last season and now 5 if you add the Red Wings.

 

[Shaby23]

Because obviously, no teams can be consistent for 2 straight seasons based on this sample size.

Is it what I said? Are you trying to put words in my posts that aren't there? 2 weeks of regular season and a best of 4 are entirely 2 different things. We're talking about season hockey not playoff hockey.

Yes you can, just don't try to analyze too much unless you are Chicago, Boston or Pittsburgh because the parity in the NHL is stronger than ever and everything can happens.

I just don't get where you wanna go with these 2 weeks of regular season. DD was bad all year and even worst in the playoffs. "What if he was better in the 2nd half" guess what, we don't know.

 

[Issacar]

Yes you can, don't try to analyze too much unless you are Chicago, Boston or Pittsburgh because the parity in the NHL is stronger than ever and everything can happens.

I just don't get where you wanna go with these 2 weeks of regular season. DD was bad all year and even worst in the playoffs. "What if he was better in the 2nd half" guess what, we don't know.

I'm not overanalyzing anything. You're the one who brings hypothetical scenarios and when I point an hypothetical scenario opposite of yours, you say "well don't try to analyze too much" Sounds ironic to me...

Yes we also don't know if he would have been bad for the 2nd half if there would of been one either. Which was exactly my point from the beginning. Thank you.

 

[onemorecup*]

No. We have way too many weaknesses and question marks:

1. Price. Yeah fine, he might star. But with our D, I doubt it.

2. Age. We have far too many over 30 players who are not stars. NHL is now a young mans game. Marky, Gio, Moen, Cube, Murray, as regulars? It's a joke. Habs are far too old in key players.

3. Coaching. It's embarrassing when Detroit has Babcock, and we are stuck with MT. When thing go south, he won't have a clue what to do. Gone after this year and hopefully that will be the end of the coach must be french debate, and we can have the coach must be good debate, french or english, and yes, preferably french, but NOT NECESSARILY.

4. Size. Yes, I know, we have debated this forever, but come on: DD, Gio, Gally, Briere, Diaz, Cube? That is way too many small players in a starting 18.

No playoffs. And we better not **** up at deadline by thinking we have a chance. Because this is the last year I will say we are ****.

14-15 is a very different story. Get your last top 5 pick Bergy, because next year we are contending.

agreed except the contending part , no way my friend

 

[Roulin]

You are underestimating that the Atlantic division is the toughest to play in to when it comes to the physical game. You are also forgetting that the atlantic division had 4 teams who made the playoffs last season and now 5 if you add the Red Wings.

Points by Northeast division teams last season: 286
Points by Central division teams last season: 289

...despite being in the tougher (Western) conference.

 

[Shaby23]

I'm not overanalyzing anything. You're the one who brings hypothetical scenarios and when I point an hypothetical scenario opposite of yours, you say "well don't try to analyze too much" Sounds ironic to me...

Yes we also don't know if he would have been bad for the 2nd half if there would of been one either. Which was exactly my point from the beginning. Thank you.

I'm not analyzing too much i'm saying facts . Yea we don't know about DD, but why even brings " he could have been better" . Simple fact is he was terrible last year and no one can say otherwise. Will he be better this year? Maybe, maybe not. Everything he does better than last year is a plus for our team, other than that i don't really have high hopes for him this year.

 

[onemorecup*]

It was a "half season" for everybody. Funny a "half season" is plenty when some want to throw Desharnais under the bus...

DD is done with Montreal , useless moving forward

if he is in your top 6 you are going nowhere , the dude simply needs to get out of Montreal asap , he has no role and fit on this team

its Galchy and Eller , period

 

[onemorecup*]

I'm not analyzing too much i'm saying facts . Yea we don't know about DD, but why even brings " he could have been better" . Simple fact is he was terrible last year and no one can say otherwise. Will he be better this year? Maybe, maybe not. Everything he does better than last year is a plus for our team, other than that i don't really have high hopes for him this year.

if MB is not Pejorative Slured , for Petes sake he came from from a contender in Chicago

he has to see the light

U DONT WIN WITH DD IN YOUR LINEUP , who would he repalce on the Hawks in the finals .....NO ONE ...he would be in the press box eating popcorn

he is a depth filler until better players come along , and they are here

galchy , Eller is the future down the middle

 

[Shaby23]

if MB is not Pejorative Slured , for Petes sake he came from from a contender in Chicago

he has to see the light

U DONT WIN WITH DD IN YOUR LINEUP , who would he repalce on the Hawks in the finals .....NO ONE ...he would be in the press box eating popcorn

he is a depth filler until better players come along , and they are here

galchy , Eller is the future down the middle

Well he can always have a good year but it would be surprised. I believe he had a " one hit wonder" year and there is no way he's gonna do that again. Too even had to that, we have 5 freaking centers right now. I just hope that if DD is useless at the start of the year, MT or MB will be smart enough to trade him or to get him out of the lineup.

 

[Issacar]

Points by Atlantic division teams last season: 286
Points by Central division teams last season: 289

...despite being in the tougher (Western) conference.

WHich has entirely nothing to do with what i was saying, bravo.

 

[25get]

I'm not saying we won't get a good year, i just think it makes no sense analyzing half a season because every team can be 1st for the first half.

We would most likely have made the PO.
We won the division despite Price having a bad season.

As I wrote, the success next season will depend on the injuries and our ability to bring up players to replace them.

As long as we make the PO and our roster is healthy we should be OK.

With Price at .920, we are top-6 in the league.
With Price at .930, we are a cup contender.
His results reflects not only his job but the team work.
We were 14th in GA last season.
Chicago and Boston were first and third.

During PO, top-7 goalies in games played all had better than .930.
Among those, worst GAA were Howard with 2.44, Lundqvist with 2.14 and Vokoun with 2.01. Everybody else was below 2.00.

Anderson played great against us but collapsed against Pittsburgh.

 

[Issacar]

DD is done with Montreal , useless moving forward

if he is in your top 6 you are going nowhere , the dude simply needs to get out of Montreal asap , he has no role and fit on this team

its Galchy and Eller , period

Why can't we keep all 3?