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Post by franko on Jul 1, 2009 23:05:20 GMT -5
Sober second thought and reflection five minutes later: what in the world was Gainey thinking?
A cheaper pylon. Sheesh.
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Post by UberCranky on Jul 1, 2009 23:27:52 GMT -5
Sober second thought and reflection five minutes later: what in the world was Gainey thinking?A cheaper pylon. Sheesh. There is a secondary use for Gill. He can stand in the middle of the ice and the speedsters use him as a crash test dummy. The first smurf that knocks him down wins a donut.
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Post by Skilly on Jul 1, 2009 23:31:55 GMT -5
Who the hell am I going to complain about next year !!!! I believe we have a contender ......
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Post by franko on Jul 1, 2009 23:34:25 GMT -5
Who the hell am I going to complain about next year !!!! I believe we have a contender ...... Can we quit agreeing? ;D
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Post by CrocRob on Jul 1, 2009 23:37:20 GMT -5
I just hope Martin uses him effectively. Keep his minutes down to 17 or so per night. Use him heavily on the PK and sparingly at ES (and not at all on the PP). Match him against the forwards that create havoc in the paint. Get him to teach O'Byrne it's OKAY to push people around a little bit. Especially the small guys.
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Post by CentreHice on Jul 2, 2009 8:46:00 GMT -5
He was good enough to be used all the way to the Stanley Cup championship against the likes of the Detroit Red Wings' forwards.
He's one of the biggest in the league, with a long reach that will come in handy on the PK.
I agree with RS, if Martin uses him in the appropriate situations, he'll be fine.
I think our image of him stems from his Bruins' and Leafs' days, when we hated and picked at him, as we did every teammate he had.
He played well for the Pens....solid...that's all I care about....and I'm willing to give him a chance in the CH.
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Post by jkr on Jul 2, 2009 8:58:17 GMT -5
He was good enough to be used all the way to the Stanley Cup championship against the likes of the Detroit Red Wings' forwards. That says a lot to me.
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Post by seventeen on Jul 3, 2009 1:28:04 GMT -5
I know I'm very good at picking holes in players of teams I hate. Gill has a problem in dealing with shifty, quick forwards, but we have very few d-men who can handle big guys, so it's good we have him. I'm really looking forward to having a more structured, disciplined, well conditioned team. That alone will earn us 10 points a season.
In another thread, there was a long discussion on how much scoring we'll need to make the playoffs. I am convinced we will spend a lot less time in our own zone. That fact alone means we'll spend a lot more time either in the neutral zone, or the other teams end. It's much harder to give up goals and much easier to score when the puck is in those other 2 zones. I think Jacques Martin was Gainey's best move so far this year.
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Post by habsask on Jul 3, 2009 2:53:51 GMT -5
I know I'm very good at picking holes in players of teams I hate. Gill has a problem in dealing with shifty, quick forwards, but we have very few d-men who can handle big guys, so it's good we have him. I'm really looking forward to having a more structured, disciplined, well conditioned team. That alone will earn us 10 points a season. In another thread, there was a long discussion on how much scoring we'll need to make the playoffs. I am convinced we will spend a lot less time in our own zone. That fact alone means we'll spend a lot more time either in the neutral zone, or the other teams end. It's much hard to give up goals and much easier to score when the puck is in those other 2 zones. I think Jacques Martin was Gainey's best move so far this year. I think that's a good point about what Martin will bring. Last season as long as the Habs were going great guns they were able to keep a lot of the play out of their zone by simply attacking. That allowed them to paper over their horrid own zone play. But when Lang went down that all fell apart. They were no longer good enough offensively to play fire wagon hockey. So when the Habs actually had to defend they had no idea what they were supposed to be doing. That should change under Martin and as you say it's much better to play the majority of the game in the neutral and offensive zones. I don't know how many points that will add up to but hopefully I won't be changing channels frequently in utter disgust as I tired of watching a bunch of stumble bums doing a great impersonation of headless chickens.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jul 3, 2009 8:06:00 GMT -5
Guys, I didn't follow Pittsburgh all that much in the regular season, but were Hal Gill and Rob Scuderi their number-1 defensive pairing? I was surprised hearing this on the radio this morning. Is this true?
Cheers.
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Post by seventeen on Jul 3, 2009 9:41:06 GMT -5
They would have been the #1 shut down pair, not overall.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 3, 2009 10:26:52 GMT -5
Scuderi and Gill ranked 5th and 7th respectively on the team in total on ice time. They were 1st and 2nd on PK average time on ice. In the whole season, Gill spent 2:59 on the PP.
Looks like he was well managed based on what he brings, and most importantly, what he does not bring. I expect a lot of the same in Montreal under a bright man like Martin.
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Post by gy on Jul 3, 2009 11:36:45 GMT -5
Gill won't be an All Star for us and he won't be counted on to play big minutes but he is what he is, a big body Dman and a stop gap until the young guys take his place. 2 year deal. Unless I'm missing something, the young D prospects we seem to be counting on seem to lack something: mass and physicality as well as mobility. Alas, McDonagh might have supplied them. We won't see the first two of those qualities from Subban, Weber, or Fischer.
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Post by gy on Jul 3, 2009 11:45:47 GMT -5
I know I'm very good at picking holes in players of teams I hate. Gill has a problem in dealing with shifty, quick forwards, but we have very few d-men who can handle big guys, so it's good we have him. I'm really looking forward to having a more structured, disciplined, well conditioned team. That alone will earn us 10 points a season. In another thread, there was a long discussion on how much scoring we'll need to make the playoffs. I am convinced we will spend a lot less time in our own zone. That fact alone means we'll spend a lot more time either in the neutral zone, or the other teams end. It's much hard to give up goals and much easier to score when the puck is in those other 2 zones. I think Jacques Martin was Gainey's best move so far this year. I think that's a good point about what Martin will bring. Last season as long as the Habs were going great guns they were able to keep a lot of the play out of their zone by simply attacking. That allowed them to paper over their horrid own zone play. But when Lang went down that all fell apart. They were no longer good enough offensively to play fire wagon hockey. So when the Habs actually had to defend they had no idea what they were supposed to be doing. That should change under Martin and as you say it's much better to play the majority of the game in the neutral and offensive zones. I don't know how many points that will add up to but hopefully I won't be changing channels frequently in utter disgust as I tired of watching a bunch of stumble bums doing a great impersonation of headless chickens. It was my impression that the Habs spent too much of every game in their own zone. So how will they get better at advancing the puck? Markov and ...?
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Post by clear observer on Jul 3, 2009 12:07:06 GMT -5
It was my impression that the Habs spent too much of every game in their own zone. So how will they get better at advancing the puck? Markov and ...? Komi - out, Spacek - in. Hopefully Hamrlik will re-find his game and PRESTO, a better puck-advancing team!
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Post by gy on Jul 3, 2009 12:40:21 GMT -5
It was my impression that the Habs spent too much of every game in their own zone. So how will they get better at advancing the puck? Markov and ...? Komi - out, Spacek - in. Hopefully Hamrlik will re-find his game and PRESTO, a better puck-advancing team! Hamrlik isn't getting any younger or better. Spacek isn't much of an offensive Dman. If we're being hopeful, there's a slim chance that Subban might be effective this season.
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Post by clear observer on Jul 3, 2009 12:48:13 GMT -5
Komi - out, Spacek - in. Hopefully Hamrlik will re-find his game and PRESTO, a better puck-advancing team! Hamrlik isn't getting any younger or better. Spacek isn't much of an offensive Dman. If we're being hopeful, there's a slim chance that Subban might be effective this season. Hammer need only be marginally better than last season and Spacek needs only to complete ONE more forward-pass than Komi and we're automatically better. Subban's a loooooooong way from making the Habs; sorry.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 3, 2009 16:34:41 GMT -5
Subban is a long way away, but will learn lots from Boucher in Hamilton this year. It's a big step for a defender to go from the CHL to the AHL. Players are bigger, you need to react much faster, and you pay for all mistakes when you gamble wrong. The kid has great upside though and his development has been impressive, so I would not count him out from knocking pretty hard on the door in year or two though.
I still cannot believe I am going to be cheering Gill for the next two seasons!!
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 3, 2009 16:39:05 GMT -5
Hammer need only be marginally better than last season and Spacek needs only to complete ONE more forward-pass than Komi and we're automatically better. Subban's a loooooooong way from making the Habs; sorry. I agree on Hammer, he had an off year last year (along with a whack of the kids), so I expect more of a normal year from him. With a good coach and a much better team system, I expect he will be good at puck retrieval and getting that first pass to start the transition game. Spacek will fit nicely into that role too, and provide another element on the PP that was sorely lacking all year. Don't count on Gill to do much beyond the little chip off the glass, but he will do so similar to Komi last year but with a lot less ice time. O'Byrne later in the year got his confidence back and wasn't feeling as rushed and was showing that he has a decent first pass as well. Too bad he spent a whole whack of the season battling confidence and not wanting to make another big blunder (a little self fulfilling prophecy for young guys in the NHL). I see him looking quite a bit better this season. That all spells improvement to me.
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Post by blny on Jul 28, 2009 6:37:24 GMT -5
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 28, 2009 15:32:17 GMT -5
And he likes Great Big Sea!! A whole new side to the big lug.
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Post by Skilly on Jul 28, 2009 18:50:25 GMT -5
And he likes Great Big Sea!! A whole new side to the big lug. Alan Doyle is good friends with Bob Gainey ... he might get to see them. Doyle is also a good friend of Russell Crowe, but I digress
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 28, 2009 20:17:11 GMT -5
And he likes Great Big Sea!! A whole new side to the big lug. Alan Doyle is good friends with Bob Gainey ... he might get to see them. Doyle is also a good friend of Russell Crowe, but I digress Alan Doyle is a big Habs fan...the six degrees of separation, Habs style!! I definitely digress.
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Post by CentreHice on Jul 28, 2009 21:06:47 GMT -5
Hard to believe that GBS has never won a Juno award. 3 nominations for Group of the Year....1998, 2005, 2009. And likely several other nominations......can't find those.
Nice how they cleaned up at the East Coast Music Awards from 1996-2000, then didn't enter in 2001 to give other groups a chance. Have they won more since?
Anyway, a great band that's enjoying a long, successful career. Good on 'em.
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Post by Willie Dog on Aug 13, 2009 8:57:47 GMT -5
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Post by franko on Aug 13, 2009 10:45:47 GMT -5
so . . . does he walk in wearing a Pens jersey?
let's hope he has the privilege of returning again next year.
[and yes, while I did not like this signing to begin with, and while the jury is still out, he's ours now so I'm hoping for the best]
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Aug 13, 2009 10:55:57 GMT -5
so . . . does he walk in wearing a Pens jersey? let's hope he has the privilege of returning again next year. [and yes, while I did not like this signing to begin with, and while the jury is still out, he's ours now so I'm hoping for the best] If Martin can throw him out there late in a game to preserve a lead and keep my heart rate down below the levels that those guys had it at last year when they played Carbo's "retreat" strategy, then he's good in my books. That role is a big reason he has the Stanley Cup in his possession today, and not some Swede in a red and white jersey.
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Post by blny on Aug 13, 2009 13:55:17 GMT -5
The way he played for Pittsburgh in the playoffs shows me that he's learned a HUGE amount since his Boston days. Maybe even as recently as his Toronto days. He was part of their big shut down pair, killed penalties, and logged 20 mins a game, or thereabouts. If Martin continues to use him as he should (between the hash marks and in front of the net) I think he'll be a great asset.
No, he can't skate. But, we're not going to ask him to. Stay in front. Pulverize people who try to stand in front of our net (something he's always done well). Be his big and mean self. The money we spent on him was money we were paying Dandy and Cube. As a piece of the puzzle, he'll bring much more of what we need for the same price.
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Post by sergejean on Aug 17, 2009 22:19:51 GMT -5
The way he played for Pittsburgh in the playoffs shows me that he's learned a HUGE amount since his Boston days. Maybe even as recently as his Toronto days. He was part of their big shut down pair, killed penalties, and logged 20 mins a game, or thereabouts. If Martin continues to use him as he should (between the hash marks and in front of the net) I think he'll be a great asset. No, he can't skate. But, we're not going to ask him to. Stay in front. Pulverize people who try to stand in front of our net (something he's always done well). Be his big and mean self. The money we spent on him was money we were paying Dandy and Cube. As a piece of the puzzle, he'll bring much more of what we need for the same price. I do agree with your assessment... I honestly was buying into this "mobile, good first pass" defense but then again, while playing teams like Philadelphia and Toronto and having all kind of difficulties scoring goals, my opinion changed. In the NHL, the way the referees are calling the game, being slow for a defensmen is not much of an issue if you can be smart about it. I'm really curious to see how Gill and Mara who are both considered to be slow, do this season. I'm not conviced it will be as bad as we'd be tempted to think...
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Post by blny on May 12, 2010 5:58:20 GMT -5
Here ya go CO!
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