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Post by Bobs_HABit on Jan 20, 2003 20:24:31 GMT -5
Well, first off I didn't see the game. Got to listen to a few tidbits on the net but that's all.
Some of the things that really jump off the page at me...
I love the fact that Juneau had only 12 minutes of ice time while Dackell had 11. That's more like it. I like these guys and consider them warriers but they just don't have the talent to play 18 minutes a game like we've seen too often. They have a role for this club...some pk, and 4th line minutes. Thank you CJ.
I have been one of the more vocal Perreault backers on here and am glad to see he's getting some recognition. Again this guy plays an important role on this team.
I won't pile on Therrien even though I've wanted him out for over a year but it is nice to see CJ make many significant changes in a matter of games. I can even live with Travesty getting 3rd/4th d-man minutes as long as Markov plays a minimum 3 minutes more a game (5+ would be bettter) and Hainsey continues to see more minutes. (ie. Traverse 20:00, Hainsey 8:00 BAD, Traverse 20:00, Hainsey 15:00 OK, Traverse scratched Hainsey 20:00 EXCELLENT but I'll take what I can get.)
While I'm on the ice time issue, two more points... Saku at more than 20 minutes is a beautiful thing. If he has the stamina to do it, you let him. And lastly Petrov, nice to see him respond to the added icetime. I'd rather him than Audi or Czerk.
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Post by MPLABBE on Jan 20, 2003 20:27:05 GMT -5
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Post by M. Beaux-Eaux on Jan 20, 2003 20:30:32 GMT -5
Julien is just having a good hard look at what he's got right now. He said that the first full-scale practice of his intended system will be this Friday. Pretty impressive improv in his first two games. Sure looks like the players want to play for him.
Looks like players will actually be able to win and lose ice-time on merit rather than by some arbitrary whim.
Smells like team spirit. And healthy, fair competition is brewing.
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Post by MC Habber on Jan 20, 2003 20:31:06 GMT -5
The biggest change I notice (aside from the presence of an acutal strategy : is the energy the team seems to have all of a sudden. 30+ shots on goal in 2 straight games... I expected that a coaching change would light a fire under the players but still I am surprised by how much more energy they have. The last while they seemed like a very tired team that didn't care, now they're playing like they're in a dog-fight for the last playoff spot. I thought they had just tuned MT out but it seems like many of them really disliked him.
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Post by GoMtl on Jan 20, 2003 20:32:46 GMT -5
yeah it went off gilmour's skate. they kept whining about it on cjad, about how it should have been gilmours and so on. pisses me off, cuz zednik doesn't get an assist anymore, one less point for my hockey pool ;D
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Post by Habsolution on Jan 20, 2003 20:46:41 GMT -5
AAAAAAAAAHH Traverse's ice time That's absurd!! CJ has got to stop giving him so much!! As long as they don't look out of place. Tarverse made a few errors ... but we wasn't a nuisance as he used to be. Brisebois was the most used player in the first and never looked bad. It's the best proof things are going into the right direction
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Post by MPLABBE on Jan 20, 2003 20:57:43 GMT -5
Bolts now leading 5-1........
freakin Sens...
edit: now 6-1......
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Post by Habsolution on Jan 20, 2003 20:58:37 GMT -5
Bolts now leading 5-1........ freakin Sens... That is kind for them ... they never win when we expect them too. I guess they don't want to face us in next years playoffs
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Post by MPLABBE on Jan 20, 2003 21:00:26 GMT -5
Habs would win in 6 games vs Ottawa.
I am convinced of that
The difference is in goal...Theodore shines in the playoffs and when the pressure is on while Lalime is always a ?
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Jan 20, 2003 21:07:14 GMT -5
Everybody is happier in Hab Land.
It's like the honeymoon after your second marriage. All is right with the world. Hope it keeps up. So far I like what I see. We all do.
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Post by seventeen on Jan 20, 2003 21:07:30 GMT -5
The optimism of youth! Marc, we still have a pretty bad team. They're pumped right now because of the coaching change. That is part of the renewed energy. As I said, let's wait till game #10. By then, if they're still giving it 90-95% (none of this 110% silliness), then I say the coach is the real deal. I think it will happen because he is rewarding players appropriately, not the reverse, like the coach formerly known as Therrien. That game last year when Asham wreaked havoc in the 1st period against T-O. do you think CJ would have benched him? Or increased his ice time. From a players standpoint, it really simplifies things. Off topic. Ottawa has much better talent than we do, especially on defense. Markov would make their team and perhaps Hainsey as a #6. The rest would be in Binghampton or wherever Ottawa's AHL team is. They are a solid, solid team. Yes Theo is better than Lalime but our edge ends there.
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Post by MPLABBE on Jan 20, 2003 21:10:05 GMT -5
I still remember that game against the laffs when Asham was all over the place hitting everyone and didn't see the ice for the rest of the game... Every time we play the Sens...it's always close...they have more talent for sure, but for some reason HABS just compete with that team real well(and that was before the CJ era)... I really feel we could win a series against them. It's like we are in their heads. Same thing for the bruins.
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Post by Habsolution on Jan 20, 2003 21:18:41 GMT -5
Yup I also believe we could beat the sens. But I would chose someone else in the east division. I think I would even go against Philly. Sens are long overdue for winning in the playoffs. If we can held them away for as long as we can I'll be glad. This team is not like it was last year. Chara makes a world of difference. Even though it's proven that european forwards never really bring their team that far in the playoffs... Alfredson is in a different mold and if Hossa is used correctly he'll still have his share of chances ... THe problem with the sens is their offense. They miss that "roberts" or that "gilmour" or that "claude lemieux".
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Post by MPLABBE on Jan 20, 2003 21:21:54 GMT -5
Philly?
ugh. please no. They would kill us physically. Only way we win is if Checmanek totally sucks.
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Post by Habsolution on Jan 20, 2003 21:23:49 GMT -5
Philly? ugh. please no. They would kill us physically. Only way we win is if Checmanek totally sucks. Yep I'm counting on that ;D Anyway bruins were supposed to kill us physically too ...
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Post by MPLABBE on Jan 20, 2003 21:27:03 GMT -5
they did
But Dafold sucked and their D was full of big pylons who can't catch our smurfs
Like I said...only way we win against Philly...if Checmanek blows it. Their D is better than Boston was
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Post by MC Habber on Jan 20, 2003 21:34:32 GMT -5
Philly has a habit of collapsing in the playoffs. I wouldn't bet on them beating us but we'd certainly be worn down if we had to play them so I hope we can avoid them. Ottawa would be interesting and I think we could definitly win that.
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Post by Habsolution on Jan 20, 2003 21:36:09 GMT -5
they did But Dafold sucked and their D was full of big pylons who can't catch our smurfs Like I said...only way we win against Philly...if Checmanek blows it. Their D is better than Boston was Not so sure ... Desjardins is getting old and isn't that fast. They aren't much faster than Boston one was. In fact they are pretty slow. Hard and though ... but we could expose their speed with our speed just like we did against Bos last year
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Post by Habsolution on Jan 20, 2003 21:38:40 GMT -5
Philly has a habit of collapsing in the playoffs. I wouldn't bet on them beating us but we'd certainly be worn down if we had to play them so I hope we can avoid them. Ottawa would be interesting and I think we could definitly win that. I agree guys like Primeau and Roenick could do game breaking body checks ... (Roenick's hit on modano) ... and him being a star ... he wouldn't be suspended. I could see that happening. Under Ken H. they would be a lot hungrier than they were last year. The sens are less punishing that's for sure ...
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Post by UberCranky on Jan 20, 2003 22:38:14 GMT -5
Guys, guys, take a deep breath. It's only the second game and everyone is giving 120%. Let the star dust settle a bit.
If we are playing like this by the end of February then Julien is for real.
Remember when Tremblay took over? They had 10 game winnning streak. And then what happened?
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Post by MPLABBE on Jan 20, 2003 22:51:17 GMT -5
Not so sure ... Desjardins is getting old and isn't that fast. They aren't much faster than Boston one was. In fact they are pretty slow. Hard and though ... but we could expose their speed with our speed just like we did against Bos last year Their D is more mobile than Boston's IMO Seidenberg is a good young d-man. Very fast Ragnarsson(who is injured now) is very solid and mobile Johnnson is pretty good Desjardins, Therrien and Weinrich are getting long into tooth but ar still competent. and then there's the Hithcock factor. Remember the team was in total dissaray last year. They quit on Barber. That won't happen with Hithcock HA, we are Hab fans...which means we are fickle ;D
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Post by TheHabsfan on Jan 21, 2003 8:28:46 GMT -5
If MT uses Perreault in game 4 of Carolina series with a few seconds to go instead of Juneau...who knows what happens.. you gotta use the best faceoff man in the league in that situation. I loved the way they set that play up. Win the draw, Q banks it off the glass, Zed picks it up and dumps down the ice and chases with his speed... I agree that the set play at the end was well done. I think that the set play went one step further than what the RDS ding-a-lings were saying. By this I mean the following: 1. The draw was won by Perreault 2. The defenseman shot it off the boards to Zed who was waiting for it. (I think the D was Breezy tho... ) 3. As soon as the draw was won, Koivu bolted for the other end of the ice to negate the icing. This is what was missed by the commentators. Koivu's play down the ice was planned as well. Julien is good, very good. cheers,
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Post by MPLABBE on Jan 21, 2003 8:51:14 GMT -5
No Quintal was the one who shot it around the boards(something he excells at..lol)
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Post by TheHabsfan on Jan 21, 2003 10:08:07 GMT -5
No Quintal was the one who shot it around the boards(something he excells at..lol) I sit corrected. True that Q is good at this, but before CJ, they were all trying it, except maybe Markov who actually wanted to keep possession.
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