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Post by sergejean on Nov 3, 2010 21:00:18 GMT -5
Was watching RDS tonight (not sure which program -- it was around 7pm) and apparently Max Pax said he was glad to be with Hamilton and he expects (hopes) to stay there all year so that he can rebuild his confidence. He admits last year was though on him confidence wise and although I didn't think it was a shot at coach Martin, he's quoted as saying that as soon as he would make a mistake, he was benched and now, the Hamilton staff will do everything to make him feel at ease... If that's true, it's good to see him back on track. The NHL is obviously not so much of a development league and hopefully Max gains in confidence and graduates with the big club next year -- or who knows (keep dreaming), during the playoff as a wildcard who plays a major role in our stanley Cup run....  |
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Post by seventeen on Nov 4, 2010 0:12:30 GMT -5
That's one thing you can count on with Martin. Very similar to Carbonneau. If a young, cheap player makes a mistake, it's pine time. The size of your contract makes a difference to Martin. The only young guy he's put up with in that regard is Subban. Dogs beat the Moose tonight in a squeaker. Palushaj 2nd star with 1 goal dn 2 helpers. Max with 3rd star, one goal, one assist. He keeps putting up the points. theahl.com/stats/game-summary.php?game_id=1007475 |
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Post by Boston_Habs on Nov 4, 2010 9:16:33 GMT -5
12 points in 10 games for Pacioretty. A nice start. I haven't seen him play, but he's clearly very involved. He looked lost in MTL last year.
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Post by Skilly on Nov 4, 2010 11:14:11 GMT -5
12 points in 10 games for Pacioretty. A nice start. I haven't seen him play, but he's clearly very involved. He looked lost in MTL last year. Of course he did ... he was asked to play a position he has never played before in the most elite league the sport has ... when Ryder, Latendresse, Higgins, and Pouliot were all asked to play on the lower lines (and keep scoring mind you) they looked lost too. You put Pacioretty on the top line with Gomez and Gionta and he won't look lost at all ... |
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Post by jkr on Nov 4, 2010 15:28:14 GMT -5
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Post by seventeen on Nov 5, 2010 1:28:07 GMT -5
I'm listening to the Team 990 broadcast of that interview and Pacioretty was pretty clear on a couple of things without directly blaming Martin.
1) He says he wants to stay all year in Hamilton because he feels the coaching is excellent in Hamilton and it's helping him develop really well.
2) He is being allowed to 'play his game' in Hamilton. If he made a mistake in Montreal, he'd be in the doghouse. He feels a big problem was not having the coach's confidence. He didn't like the way he was handled (I'm paraphrasing, but I'm trying to make the intent correct). He liked Carbo because he could make a mistake but not be benched or dropped down a line as a result. He didn't specifically mention Martin, but the meaning was clear. Martin chose to demote him or bench hiim for a mistake, not put him out again to try and improve.
3) He doesn't think being called up to Montreal to play on the bottom two lines would be of any benefit to him. If he was called up to play as a top 6, he'd sprint to Montreal.
Wellllll.....
Firstly, I agree totally with Max. That is the way Martin has handled the younger players in Montreal. Subban is the only guy he hasn't done that with, but Subban's one of those special players who gets treated differently. I've seen posters on other boards point out that Martin developed such young players as Alfredsson, Spezza, Havlat, Hossa, Chara, etc. They forgot that Ottawa didn't have a lot of depth then and Martin was basically forced to play those guys. Now, he has big contracts to deal with and, unfortunately, the money makes some of his decisions for him. He also persists in using the Moen's and Pyatt's of the world as his spare part on the Gomez line. That might work for a game, but not any any kind of consistent long term basis.
Secondly, Max is going to have a very hard time breaking into the Hab line-up, even if he developed into another Bobby Ryan. The kind of comments Max made (while true) don't engender a lot of love from the current coach. It takes a strong man to admit he's wrong and I don't really get the feeling JM is going to say he mishandled Max. Worse, he may genuinely feel he's handled Pacioretty the right way. Which means MaxPac is probably going to get traded and be another one of our shining examples of poorly developed potential. I think he can be a very good player. He's strong, a good skater and has good hockey sense. He's trying to adjust to better and better leagues and he's a power forward. Those guys just take longer. I wondered if Bobby Ryan was every going to take that next step and when he did.....wow.
Thirdly, when MaxPac was asked if the Habs sent him down with instructions to improve on this or that, the answer was no. They didn't say anything to him. That is pretty damning IMO. That's not managing....that's a decision to move the guy somewhere else, so why waste the time and effort helping him get better.
The key point I got out of this (assuming that Pacioretty is telling the truth, and it didn't sound like he was disseminating) is that the Habs are pretty bad at developing guys and it's not getting any better. Which is really disappointing when we look at a guy like Eller.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Nov 5, 2010 14:29:01 GMT -5
The Dogs are in Montreal for their game tonight in the Bell Centre, which is their first of two visits to the big rink this season. They are riding a four game winning streak (and 8 game points streak) after wins against Toronto and back to back against the Moose this week. They are now back in first in their division and second overall in the AHL, despite having played fewer games than most teams. Of interesting note, Wilkes-Barre Pens have only played 8 games but are a perfect 8-0-0 so far this young season.
As for the Dogs, they have also been getting wins and points on the back of a very young (and inconsistent!) goalie tandem, as Curtis Sanford has only played one game so far. As he recovers, I expect he will see a lot of the load from here on in. I would expect too that Peter Delmas heads off to Wheeling in the ECHL. Robert Mayer seems to let in a shaky goal or two a game, so he keeps things interesting. Probably not ready for a steady starting job in the AHL quite yet!!
Weber is getting a lot of points from the back end, and the killer P's and Desharnais are getting it done up front. Andreas Engqvist is developing into quite the excellent penalty killer and two way forward, with good size and smarts. Avtsin just returned to the lineup in the last game and saw very little ice time, although he scored in the shootout to help leads the lads to victory. He is coming back from a minor wrist injury, although he has missed quite a bit of time over the last season and a bit with a bad wrist. Hopefully this is not a longer term trend.
Go Dogs Go!!
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Nov 5, 2010 21:21:25 GMT -5
Habs win, Dogs win. Yeah!! 5-2 in front of over 13K in the Bell Centre tonight. Palushaj with another multi point night (1+1) and Weber with another blast from the point. Sanford gets his second win of the season in only his second start. The last two goals were in the last minute of play and into the empty bucket. Dogs did manage 39 shots so were getting them on net. Mr Max Media was held of the scoresheet tonight. Guess he wasn't reading his press clippings. theahl.com/stats/game-summary.php?game_id=1007482 |
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Post by seventeen on Nov 5, 2010 23:52:15 GMT -5
But Max did have 6 shots on goal, so that's good. He keeps shooting, one of his weak areas. Palushaj with first star. That kid keeps impressing, and he hasn't annoyed anyone by telling the truth yet.  |
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Post by seventeen on Nov 13, 2010 21:59:28 GMT -5
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Nov 14, 2010 3:11:13 GMT -5
This team is close to top of the league, but they stunk earlier this week with a sub-par Mayer performance on 5 goals on 25 shots when he just did not have it going. Time to ride Sandford and let the rest of the kids flourish in a winning situation. Time to keep Mayer to playing a similar sched as Auld...veryyyy lilttttttle. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Nov 16, 2010 22:03:00 GMT -5
Habs beat the thugging Fleas and Dogs beat the Baby Laffs tonight. Superb night. Only blemish is that it took to a shootout to decide the Dogs game, despite outshooting the Marlies by 20 shots. White in regulation and Avtsin and Desharnais in the shootout were the difference. Sanford with the W. theahl.com/stats/game-summary.php?game_id=1007560 |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Nov 19, 2010 1:41:08 GMT -5
Tough stretch in the schedule for the Dogs coming up, with three in three (and with two being afternoon games, that is technically three games in about 66 hours).
They are coming off a 2-1 SO win against the Marlies on Tuesday, and those two teams will likely not like each other by Sunday. With a game against Rochester tomorrow night to mix things up, the Dogs then do a home and home with the Marlies on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Three games against the Baby Laffs between Tuesday and Sunday.
Sunday's game time is 1:00 pm eastern, 11:00 am mountain - and CBC is covering this game on its national network. This will be the second of four Bulldogs games included in CBC's new AHL coverage.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Nov 20, 2010 0:42:35 GMT -5
Dogs win again. 5-3 against Rochester to start their 3 in 3 marathon. Those bums in blue and white up for the next two. CBC shows Sunday afternoon's tilt.
Strange but true: Desharnais, Pacioretty and Palushaj have a cumulative 38 assists and 51 points so far. Knock, knock, PG.
Avstin was 1+1 tonight and finally got a bit more PP time and some non-4th line ice time. He has been injured on and off and has not been getting a lot of ice time, but now has 6 points in his first 8 AHL games as a 19 year old rookie a long way from home. Could he be the Russian that stays? I hope so, he is intriguing to say the least.
Brendon Nash is the best defensive prospect most Hab fans have not heard of. He has looked really solid in the games I have seen. Our best Cornell selection since some tall goalie.
Jimmy Bonneau, ex-PEI teammate of Lappy and the big dud Cory Urquhart has played in 16 games and still is seeking his first point. He leads the team with 41 pim. With him, Henry, Conboy and Schultz (when the kid can play), this team does not lack in toughness. Throw in all round guy like Ryan White, and this is a decently balanced team.
Sanford getting more starts...that is both good and big in my books. Not totally sold on Mayer yet, so give the vet lots of starts and ease the kid in and see what he can do. Mayer needs to cut down on the really soft goals. He is young, so I give him some leash.
Andreas Engqvist is a big 22 year old Swedish rookie who has done well in the SEL. He is now the teams top defensive forward and seems to be adapting to NA hockey. Still probably not quick enough or skilled enough to crack a top six spot in the bigs, he is learning the game over here and seems to be darn good at what he does. Let's see what he can do.
The Two Randies are doing a good job, and with only two real bona fide AHL vets (Henry and Sanford), this has been a good run so far. I do miss Boucher as I was thrilled by his signing in the summer of 2009, but these guys are no slouches either and seem to be delivering so far. Our prospects still seem to be in good hands.
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Post by duster on Nov 20, 2010 16:26:08 GMT -5
I think the Randies have done a good job considering the lack of experienced veterans on the team and some goaltending issues.
On the subject of goaltending, I'm not sold on Mayer and I really hope Sanford is durable. Otherwise, it could be a long season in Hamilton. I'm not convinced Delmas is the solution either. Call it a hunch, but I don't see Price's backup next year coming from the farm.
Another question mark is Maxwell. I think of him as a player who has all the tools to succeed at a higher level. Based on a good training camp, I thought this would have been his breakout season. Instead, he seems to have regressed a bit. Another instance of poor development or is it a nagging injury?
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Nov 20, 2010 17:26:00 GMT -5
Pacioretty with three goals today. 3-3 in the last minute of the third.
He seems to like playing on his birthday...happy B'day kid!!
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Nov 20, 2010 17:28:04 GMT -5
I think the Randies have done a good job considering the lack of experienced veterans on the team and some goaltending issues. On the subject of goaltending, I'm not sold on Mayer and I really hope Sanford is durable. Otherwise, it could be a long season in Hamilton. I'm not convinced Delmas is the solution either. Call it a hunch, but I don't see Price's backup next year coming from the farm. Another question mark is Maxwell. I think of him as a player who has all the tools to succeed at a higher level. Based on a good training camp, I thought this would have been his breakout season. Instead, he seems to have regressed a bit. Another instance of poor development or is it a nagging injury? Yeah, Sanford is the key to this season. Mayer and Delmas are both big question marks for sure. Not sure what is going on with Maxwell. He had a pretty decent camp and has slowly started to disappear since. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Nov 20, 2010 23:24:30 GMT -5
The Bulldogs lost to the Marlies 4-3 in a shootout today, spoiling Max Pac's birthday party and three goal effort. He also scored in the shootout, so they were going in for him today for sure. Mayer took the loss in net.
The two teams renew hostilities tomorrow, for the third time this week. The battle will be on CBC at 1:00 pm eastern, 11:00 am mountain.
Go Dogs Go!!
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Nov 21, 2010 14:45:06 GMT -5
Dogs leading 1-0 over the Marlies in the second intermission. Pacioretty with his fourth goal in two games with a beautiful wrister top corner on a lovely rush on the fly. Max's shot sure seems to have improved, as that was one part of his game that really let him down at the NHL level to this point.
Maxwell probably was the best player in the first, and Sanford and the Dogs' PK were the story in the second for sure. Dogs will have a short PP to start the third, as they almost got a buzzer beater from Desharnais.
With the Als winning big at half time, it's a good day all around!!
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Nov 21, 2010 15:37:13 GMT -5
Dogs pull one out 3-1 in Toronto this afternoon. Sanford was great, and he needed to be as he made two game savers with less than one and a half left in a tied 1-1 third period. The Dogs came right back next shift and Gabriel Dumont fired a rebound into the net with just over a minute left. With the empty net, the Dogs turned it over again and Max Pac made a lovely saucer pass to a flying JT Wyman who blew past the Marlie defender and popped it into the empty cage.
Als running away with things in the fourth quarter now. Let's make it a bleu blanc rouge sweep this weekend!!
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Post by CentreHice on Nov 21, 2010 15:37:25 GMT -5
Dogs win in 3-1 (empty net). Late goal by Dumont after a couple of great saves by Sanford.
MaxPac with 3 points.
With the Als crushing the Argos, and the Habs blanking the Leafs....looks like a trifecta weekend over Taranna!
The Fan 590 will be fun listening tomorrow morning.
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Post by jkr on Nov 21, 2010 17:22:12 GMT -5
Dogs win in 3-1 (empty net). Late goal by Dumont after a couple of great saves by Sanford. MaxPac with 3 points. With the Als crushing the Argos, and the Habs blanking the Leafs....looks like a trifecta weekend over Taranna! The Fan 590 will be fun listening tomorrow morning. that's what I was thinking but the thought of tuning in Krystal makes me gag.  |
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Post by seventeen on Nov 21, 2010 18:50:07 GMT -5
I've taped the game, but saw Max's goal live. That was a major league goal. Firstly the nice little tip to push the puck past the pinching defenseman, and then the finish, top corner far side. That's very tough shot to make and he did it perfectly. Skilly, he's giving you a ton of ammo. It's going to be very difficult for the Habs to keep him in Hamilton much longer. Betcha he would have buried some of the chances Pyatt's had lately. IN any case, either he's going to be part of a trade package, because he's suddenly upped his value tremendously, or he's going to replace someone like AK, who gets a new opportunity in a new city.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Nov 21, 2010 22:44:19 GMT -5
That's 4g 3a in Max's last three games. This is the first time in his pro career that he is showing off that great shot...this is really good to see. He has been playing with Desharnais (3rd in AHL scoring right now) and JT Wyman. The coaches split up the Killer P's and now have Palushaj with Maxwell (who looked much better today) and Russell.
Keep gaining that confidence Max, your time will come.
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Post by seventeen on Nov 22, 2010 0:44:57 GMT -5
Honestly, Maxwell disappointed me. He was far more creative than most of the other guys on the ice and he's a really smooth skater, but he couldn't finish if his life depended on it. If the guy was a better scorer, he would have had 3 points today.
Pacioretty showed good hands, strength along the boards and patience with the puck. One thing I noticed about him in Montreal as well. He can look like he's got no leverage, digging the puck out of the boards against an opponent and he still wins the battle. He must have really strong arms and wrists as he does that without much body involvement. Nice little tip of the puck around Jeff Fingers, who's a good AHL defenseman and should be in the NHL. He's got to be better than Komi.
Other guys I noticed were Palushaj, though he didn't produce any points and Gabriel Dumont, who was throwing his short body around like it was silly putty.
Another guy who's not there yet, but displayed a lot of skill was Avtsin. He made some excellent passes and he has a nose for the net and good hands. Better than average wheels too. Man, just 19 years old. I wouldn't be surprised if he makes the big club next year at training camp.
It was a pretty good game today. The Marlies are an experienced team with a lot of speed and we took 3 points to their two in the weekend series.
On defense, St. Denis played well, but he's kinda small. Of the bigger guys, Nash looked ok. What did you think NWT?
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Nov 22, 2010 1:11:03 GMT -5
Seventeen, Nash and St. Denis are very good. Nash has nicely replaced Belle (who just got called up to the AHL Oilers) and is likely the most balanced defender of the bunch. This is just his first pro season, but I am already a fan and think he should make the Habs one day. St. Denis has gone from AHL contract to NHL contract and was a big fave of Guy Boucher, and he is really solid despite not being the biggest guy out there. Both Nash and St. Denis know when to pinch and play solid enough in their own end. These Dogs have a really solid D corps with Henry, Weber, Nash, Carle, St. Denis, Klubertanz and Petruic. I would expect that both Nash and Carle should end up in the NHL, and Weber is on the bubble depending on his ability to get stronger, faster and better in his own end.
Your comments about Avtsin are good and accurate. I have not been pumping the kid lately as he is only 19 playing in a men's pro league, but boy does he show glimpses of his abilities out there with the ice time he gets. The CBC crew have now officially taken notice, and that's a bit too bad as it would be good for this kid to develop without any real media pressure...but this is the Habs after all, so good luck. He is big, solid and has really good hands for a young, but big, kid. I see this young guy playing with the big club within a few years, as long as some oil-rich czar does not lure him back home. The kid is good, but no need to rush him (pun intended!). The "other" Euro Engqvist is also really solid. Big kid, decent as a shutdown centre, and some decent overall skills. If he does not bolt home, I think we have a solid bottom six centre on our hands.
As good as this win was, it is always important to ground the fact that the Dogs are a really young and inexperienced team compared to other AHL teams that are stacked with NHL wanna bees and vets. Kudos to the organization to let the kids play, and surround them with the few vets like Henry and Sandford. Their success to date is even more impressive.
Go Dogs Go!!
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Post by duster on Nov 22, 2010 17:58:49 GMT -5
Entertaining contest between two teams who know each other well. Too bad Desharnais is so small. He has plenty of skill but his lack of size is too much of an obstacle given how he plays. I really don't see him making the Show. Ditto Maxwell and Palushaj. Perhaps I'm not seeing it, but there seems to be something missing in their game. That said, I think this year's edition of the Dogs is superior to last year's veteran laden club.
Like the parent club, collectively the Dogs play well but no one really stands out except perhaps the goalie. I like the idea that most of the roster is young and they are trying to emulate the big club's style of play.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Nov 24, 2010 17:35:04 GMT -5
Max Pacioretty's good play of late has not gone unnoticed, as per this recent article on the NHL's website. It is a good read and provides some insights into what Max was thinking when he talked to the Montreal media earlier about preferring to stay the year in Hamilton. I think he is starting to get it. I have no problems waiting for him either. If he keeps doing what he has been doing lately in Hamilton, he will be really hard to ignore. www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=544449 |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Nov 24, 2010 22:50:45 GMT -5
The Max and Sandman show continued again tonight on the road against the Phantoms (the farm team of those orange and black guys). Max netted two more goals (6 in his last three games) and Sandford made 39 saves for the 3-2 victory. Their road trip continues with two more games before returning the friendly confines of the Copps. www.hamiltonbulldogs.com/article/bulldogs-power-past-phantoms-3-2 |
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Post by seventeen on Nov 25, 2010 0:54:02 GMT -5
Here's the AHLbox score: theahl.com/stats/game-summary.php?game_id=1007610The part that interested me was at the 17:10 mark of the 3rd; Schultz picked up a minor for roughing, a 5 minute major for fighting and a game misconduct for leaving the bench. Now that's my kinda guy! Looks like we were really gypped on the penalty front. Must be training NHL refs in the minors for dealing with Hab games. Especially against the Philly juniours. Patches is now 3rd in league scoring, tied with Desharnais and two other players, both with one more game each. |
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