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Post by rocky on Jan 8, 2003 12:36:00 GMT -5
Last night's show was the same old nonsense but Marc Bureau did add a little quality. Bureau was quick to point out that our third line is troublesome ( Marc, help me here ). He compared it to the Devs 3rd unit ( Pandolfo?-Madden-Lagenbrunner) which is pretty strong. If you look around the league, especially the playoff contenders, we really don't equal other 3rd lines. JJ & Dacks work hard but their skill level is fading, good penalty killers whom I think are more suited to that role and a 4th line assignment. Problem is none of our other lines can contain the top units on the opposition, therefore too much ice time for JJ et al. Do any of you folks see a solution for this catch22 problem.
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Post by MPLABBE on Jan 8, 2003 13:09:54 GMT -5
They basically bashed the whole team except the goalies.
3rd line, d-men, Koivu's leadership, the team's emotion/pride/guts/heart...
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Post by Doc Holliday on Jan 8, 2003 13:53:49 GMT -5
You're right Rocky, Bureau did bring some interesting points (when the other clowns were letting him talk).
#1 When they score (HABS player) they don't look overly excited, they get scored on, they don't looked pissed, they win or they lose they don't look different. They only time you hear about a HABS player having a reaction is when his icetime gets cut.
#2: Hackett gets run over and nobody does anything... Unacceptable
#3: Koivu had to pick a fight and nobody did anything... Unacceptable
The team is not a team, they don't play for each other.
Again, we need to look at the coach who's ultimately the guy that should get these guys to play like a team.
I don't agree with those who say that Therrien is stupid or can't coach but Therrien needs to go because he lost the team at some point. If Savard can't see that, he'll probably go too trying to protect his coach.
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Post by MPLABBE on Jan 8, 2003 14:22:27 GMT -5
Game 4...Carolina series...3rd period...2-3 minutes in...there's the turning point
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Post by JacquesInFL on Jan 8, 2003 15:27:21 GMT -5
What Bureau says is true, but overutilising physically-challenged guys like JJ and AD was simply a product of a larger "ripple effect" that had been hurting this club the entire season. Too many small, soft one-dimensional players on the top two lines left MT little choice but to match-up JoƩ's line against big, talented horses night after night.
In fairness to Habs decision-makers, the over-reliance on third line is lessening now that Audette and Czerk are floating somewhere other than on Saku's wing. You see, since Kilger or Bulis has been bringing more size, speed and defensive capacity to 1st line, there is far less need to obsess about match-ups. The results have been good too: in Kilger's 11 games on 1st line, the line was +3 and Chad scored 6 points; and in Jan's 5 games with Saku & Zed, the line is +5 and Bulis has 4 points. Those are good numbers. Other lines and the d-corps need far more fixing.
The loss to NJ really has the angst machine working overtime. Yes, Fraser made two idiotic calls and, no, not a single Hab stood up for Saku or Hack (no one did last spring for Zed). And I agree with the premise Therrien lost the room a long time ago -- I golf sometimes with a few wise old front-office and coaching vets and they always say you can't lead without credibility. BUT let's remember the Devils are a resourceful team of hockey players with an elite goalie. Madden's line limited Saku's rushes and puck possession. Burnsie is a smart coach and he put the bulls-eye on Yanic's line because guys like Audette (see the play along board that led to 3rd goal before Fraser allowed open hunting season on Hackett) do not bulldog puck into neutral zone when it is absolutely critical to do.
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