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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jan 16, 2015 7:04:39 GMT -5
Wow ... no post-game thread until this morning ... guess they got into Ottawa during the wee hours ... our club had no gas in the tank ... things aren't that bad me thinks ... Islanders on Saturday, Nashville on Tuesday ... two big games coming up ...
Cheers.
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Post by blny on Jan 16, 2015 7:33:28 GMT -5
I didn't watch, so I can't offer much. According to Max's post game comments to media, the first period was the factor.
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Post by Disp on Jan 16, 2015 7:40:03 GMT -5
They sucked.
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Post by jkr on Jan 16, 2015 7:52:31 GMT -5
I thought Gallagher , in particular, played poorly. In the 1st he through a blind backhander up the middle that led directly to the 2nd goal. He had a couple of giveaways in the 2nd including a poor pass to Markov that led to a penalty, negating a PP.
There just seem to be too many guys that are terribly inconsistent. It seems like Pacioretty is the only one that can be truly counted on to score.
The only good thing about last night is that it pushed Ottawa two points closer to the Leafs.
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Post by BadCompany on Jan 16, 2015 8:13:45 GMT -5
I thought they were totally dominated in the first period, but had some nice push-back in the second. The power-play looked pretty good too, generating some chances, but alas the bounces didn't go their way. I think that was probably the HabsRus turning point; get a goal there and I think you're looking at an entirely different game. But Anderson made some key saves, the Sens regrouped and there wasn't enough magic left for a 3rd period comeback.
I'll agree with those who thought Gallagher had a bad game, though I think he wasn't alone. I'll disagree with PTH though, as I thought Eller had a good game, and he had Sekac were the only two that were consistently generating chances. After telling everybody how good Subban has been this year he's played a couple of really bad games these last two nights, his goal notwithstanding. Oh well.
I am concerned about Tokaski though. He seems to give up a lot of rebounds, in my opinion. He's got good positioning, but he doesn't swallow up enough of those shots, in my expert goaltending analysis. I don't think we win the Cup with either he or Joey MacDonald in nets, so it's Price or bust, and given that if somebody wants to give up something of substance for Tokarski because they see him as the next Halak then I would seriously consider it. But that's just me, and I have to keep in mind that the goal-tending market is never a good one.
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Post by franko on Jan 16, 2015 9:21:32 GMT -5
interesting, BC.guys on the morning show in Montreal were arguing about Eller, one saying "wait until the playoffs where he'll shine like he did last year", the other saying"he's a bust, he's a bust, he's a bust". no scoring the key, I think . . . 1 assist in the month of January, and -1 in each of the last 2 games.
interestingly enough, nothing about DD, who has 1 goal in January, and was -2 last night -1 the night before (ya, I'm back on the "what in the world" bandwagon re DD -- who I saw was on the ice with Max when the Habs were pressing with the 6th attacker).
and if I'm back on the "what in the world" bandwagon, then it's back to wondering about coaching too, not because of 1 game, but because MT just frustrates me to no end. 4 year contract extension for DD, 4 years for MT . . . sigh.
on the bright side of things, MB didn't signed Kessel for 8!
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Post by Boston_Habs on Jan 16, 2015 9:23:46 GMT -5
I thought Eller had a good game, and he had Sekac were the only two that were consistently generating chances. Eller continues to deliver good advanced stats.... but little production. He was on the ice for 14 even strength shot attempts and a Corsi of 52% but only 40% of his zone starts were in the offensive zone. Contrast that with Pacioretty who was on the ice for 19 ES shot attempts but 62% of his zone starts were in the offensive zone. Eller is a key piece of our success on the goal prevention side, but it's frustrating that his line doesn't produce more. I thought he had some nice shifts and made some nice plays but he needs to get on the score sheet. Emelin frustrating to watch. I think Tinordi would be a better option on the 3rd pair with Gilbert.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jan 16, 2015 9:50:10 GMT -5
I thought Eller had a good game, and he had Sekac were the only two that were consistently generating chances. Eller continues to deliver good advanced stats.... but little production. He was on the ice for 14 even strength shot attempts and a Corsi of 52% but only 40% of his zone starts were in the offensive zone. Contrast that with Pacioretty who was on the ice for 19 ES shot attempts but 62% of his zone starts were in the offensive zone. Eller is a key piece of our success on the goal prevention side, but it's frustrating that his line doesn't produce more. I thought he had some nice shifts and made some nice plays but he needs to get on the score sheet. Emelin frustrating to watch. I think Tinordi would be a better option on the 3rd pair with Gilbert. Easy for me to say because I`m not in his skates, but I don`t know what Eller was thinking of when he had that clear path to the net but chose to make a high-risk pass instead ... like I said, it was easier for me to say that from my vantage point ... I'll agree with you too insomuch as it is frustrating not to see his line score more ... but to be honest, I don't know what his line is ... Therrien doesn't keep his lines in tact from one practice to another, or so it seems ... Prust/Eller/Sekac was arguably our best line at one point so why split them up ... all three of them were producing when they were together ... Pacioretty/Plekanec/Gallagher did very well against Columbus but how long will they be together ... I won't argue with results, but I'm getting tired of hearing blame being heaped on this or that player especially when they don't know who they'll be playing with from one game to the next ... having said that I still feel that our club could be doing better than what they've shown to this point ... that's just me though ... Cheers.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jan 16, 2015 10:47:01 GMT -5
I guess there was a good reason I flew home from Ottawa and did not stick around an extra day to try and go to the game.
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Post by habsorbed on Jan 16, 2015 10:49:16 GMT -5
we reverted to the no show in the first - and were completely dominated in every aspect: chances, hits, turnovers, shots. Lucky to be down only one goal. Had some push later in the game but couldn't get that second goal which could have changed things.
Pleks was the opposite of his great game against Columbus. I give him one make game with Max but if he's not up to it move on.
Chucky has been awful since taken off Max's line. Confidence?
Subban has not been playing well. In each of the last 2 games they showed him on the bench and he was just staring off into space - no focus at all. That's not PK. Something is on his mind: all-star snub? MT? Love?
No one had a strong game. I thought Gally played well and was engaged as always. Perhaps not the best decisions but he showed up. others seemed disinterested - perhaps fatigue from Columbus.
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Post by Polarice on Jan 16, 2015 11:04:01 GMT -5
Watched the game, wasn't totally surprised by the outcome. Habs in the first period looked very tired and sluggish...2nd period they found some energy and made a big push. Third period they hit the wall. Game over.
You could see how tired they were because they were making poor decisions with the puck, it's like they were zoned out mentally.
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Post by blny on Jan 16, 2015 11:17:26 GMT -5
I realize they played the night before, but there was a healthy gap between the Pens and Columbus. I can see the sluggish start, but there should have been plenty of stamina to finish imo.
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Post by Willie Dog on Jan 16, 2015 12:03:55 GMT -5
we reverted to the no show in the first - and were completely dominated in every aspect: chances, hits, turnovers, shots. Lucky to be down only one goal. Had some push later in the game but couldn't get that second goal which could have changed things. Pleks was the opposite of his great game against Columbus. I give him one make game with Max but if he's not up to it move on. Chucky has been awful since taken off Max's line. Confidence? Subban has not been playing well. In each of the last 2 games they showed him on the bench and he was just staring off into space - no focus at all. That's not PK. Something is on his mind: all-star snub? MT? Love? No one had a strong game. I thought Gally played well and was engaged as always. Perhaps not the best decisions but he showed up. others seemed disinterested - perhaps fatigue from Columbus. PK is not playing his game, he's not playing using his instincts, he is trying to play an all around game and that requires thinking, which can mean the difference between success and failure on any given play. This must be very frustrating to him... and having your coach call you out doesn't help. What a laff MTs explanation of PK's game in Columbus... basically, he said PK had a bad game and then went on to blow sunshine up DD's ass about how good a job DD did screening the goalie and that PK would not have scored if not for DD... what a buffoon.
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Post by seventeen on Jan 16, 2015 12:12:17 GMT -5
I realize they played the night before, but there was a healthy gap between the Pens and Columbus. I can see the sluggish start, but there should have been plenty of stamina to finish imo. Yup, entirely with you, blny. Fatigue can be a factor when there's a string of games, but two games, even back to back, over a week, say, should be manageable for professional athletes. No, I think it's a mental issue, not a physical one. I think Eller's having a pretty darn good year. If he and DD's offensive and defensive zone starts were reversed, Eller would have more points and we'd have more goals against. And probably be worse off for it. Inconsistency with a team is usually a product of lack of talent. I'm not sure that's the case with the Habs. Throughout the line-up there's a good range of talent. Top goalie, two excellent defensemen (most of the time), a goal scorer, the key ingredients are there, and I'd put up our bench strength against a lot of teams. Something's missing, though, to cause this inconsistency. When we look at the youngsters, we're seeing a lot of flashes of good play, but you can't count on it from one game to the next. Galchenyuk is concerning me. I think he's slowed down since taking several big hits. Yes, he has to look after himself, but he could also use some protection, and I don't want it to be Prust all the time. I chuckled at Dis' comment about how late the game day thread was. I stopped watching after the 2nd period last night because the end seemed clear and I just wasn't interested in starting a game day thread. I wonder how many other fans are feeling that way? Not interested because the club can't seem to make that next step without Price. Re Tokarski, despite the fact he seems to win at every level, I've not liked him. There are far too many instances of poor rebound control and he has to be one of the luckiest goalies I've ever seen at having pucks not go in. It's hard to explain, but there are so many cases where I'm surprised we weren't scored on, when he's in net. The other team just misses. I don't like depending on that kind of 'skill', so I'd move him anytime the right opportunity came along. I think Condon is a better long term solution than Tokarski, though he may not be ready quite yet. For a back-up, you really need a guy like Budaj, but better. A vet who's happy with 20 games and $1MM year. Are there such goalies?
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Post by Tankdriver on Jan 16, 2015 12:52:56 GMT -5
I too, turned off after the second. At one point I couldn't even tell what line Galchenyuk was on. Was he playing with Eller and Prust? Also, when I saw Tokarski in net, I thought the camera was zoomed out, because he was so small looking (bent down, squatting position, top of head just under the crossbar). Then they showed Anderson and in the same stance his head and shoulders were over the crossbar. There's a lot of open space to aim at, and I am also willing to trade him if something better comes up in the future.
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Post by halihab on Jan 16, 2015 13:50:15 GMT -5
That is probably the worst first period I have seen them play this year. Lucky we weren't playing a skilled team.
Couple of observations:
1. Galchenyuk tries to do too much when he is on the lower lines. Too many dekes east-west.
2. Is it just me or is PK much slower ? I think he has bulked up and lost some speed. When he first came up, he could fly. I think we have the slowest D in the league now. Not good for the Play-offs - IMO. I look at Chicago's D (not very Big) but everyone of them are excellent skaters.
3. Thought Patches and Eller both had good games. The only two who had any legs. Eller's hockey IQ is not quite there though.
4. This team w/o Patches will struggle to make the Play-offs.
5. Thought Tokarski played quite well - Could have been a lot worse after the first.
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Post by frozone on Jan 16, 2015 14:00:47 GMT -5
I'm with you guys - Tokarski scares the daylights out of me. It seems like he's always searching for the puck. I don't know if he sees even half the shots that come his way. Maybe his positioning is phenomenal, I really don't know... but even if he ends up being a career .930 goalie, he will always make me nervous. It takes nerves of steel to watch him and I just can't do it.
With respect to Eller, I still see him as a key cog on this team. I think Berg sees it that way too, not just because of the structure of his new contract, but also the way MB rushed down to see if Eller was ok after the Gryba hit (and yes, I think we would have won that series if Eller had stayed in the lineup). But really I think the most important thing for Eller right now is for the coaching staff to have a plan for him. And for Pete's sake, let him keep his linemates at least once. Sure there was the EGG line, but this goes back to Moen-Eller-Kostitsyn (granted, that was before MT). It seems like everyone except Eller can be promoted. No wonder his offensive development stalled.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jan 16, 2015 14:22:29 GMT -5
I chuckled at Dis' comment about how late the game day thread was. I stopped watching after the 2nd period last night because the end seemed clear and I just wasn't interested in starting a game day thread. I wonder how many other fans are feeling that way? Truth be told I was going back and forth between the game and this great CBC show on cats (Mrs Dis was in her glory) just about went to bed at the beginning of the 3rd period ... I stuck with it to see if they had another comeback in them but they were just gassed ... never saw the empty-netter ... by that time it looked like les boys couldn't get to bed fast enough ... I managed to beat them to it though ... Cheers.
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Post by Doc Holliday on Jan 16, 2015 15:39:53 GMT -5
I think it goes well beyond the “they were tired” scope. Pacioretty aside, this is what scoring looks like from our main forwards:
Gallagher, 1 goal in 8 games Desharnais, 1 goal in 8 games Plekanec 1 goal in 9 games Galchenyuk, 1 goal in 11 games Sekac, 1 goal in 12 games Eller, 1 goal in 13 games Parenteau, 1 goal in 22 games
…just plain awful…
Frankly the “Desharnais on the wing” experiment is not working out for the team… Plain and simple. Why? This team does not have the luxury, IMO, to “shelf” a 50pts player. Don’t need to play him on the first line… don’t need to put Galchenyuk back on the wing… For me, I’d put DD into Eller’s spot, as the third line center, between Parenteau and Prust. …yeah but Eller is better defensively… big maybe… but so what... this team does not need “better defensive forwards”, they need production. Badly. And in any case, when we need big defensive assignment we turn to Pleks and Malhotra who are taking the lion share of the PK minutes. Not to Eller…
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Post by seventeen on Jan 16, 2015 18:08:11 GMT -5
Something needs to happen because I can't be the only one sick of the lack of scoring. We have scored half our goals in the 3rd period, half! That's not a big deal to me, but only scoring half in periods one and two, is.
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Post by Disp on Jan 16, 2015 21:25:13 GMT -5
Nothing wrong with Toker. I think you guys are just used to watching Price. He isn't as good, obviously.
There aren't many backups I'd take over him. Most of his games have been on the tail end of back to backs, haven't they? I don't find that the team plays very good in those games, but we've managed to win a few.
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Post by CentreHice on Jan 16, 2015 21:32:51 GMT -5
Nothing wrong with Toker. I think you guys are just used to watching Price. He isn't as good, obviously. There aren't many backups I'd take over him. Most of his games have been on the tail end of back to backs, haven't they? I don't find that the team plays very good in those games, but we've managed to win a few. Good point, Disp. He stepped up to the plate and performed as well as one could hope vs. the Rangers last year. It's the rest of the team's collective psyche that worries me in Price's absence. He and Price are different heights….have different statures/styles in goal...but Waite seems to be coaching the best from both of them. Sign of a solid coach.
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Post by jkr on Jan 16, 2015 22:09:20 GMT -5
I think it goes well beyond the “they were tired” scope. Pacioretty aside, this is what scoring looks like from our main forwards: Gallagher, 1 goal in 8 games Desharnais, 1 goal in 8 games Plekanec 1 goal in 9 games Galchenyuk, 1 goal in 11 games Sekac, 1 goal in 12 games Eller, 1 goal in 13 games Parenteau, 1 goal in 22 games …just plain awful… Frankly the “Desharnais on the wing” experiment is not working out for the team… Plain and simple. Why? This team does not have the luxury, IMO, to “shelf” a 50pts player. Don’t need to play him on the first line… don’t need to put Galchenyuk back on the wing… For me, I’d put DD into Eller’s spot, as the third line center, between Parenteau and Prust. …yeah but Eller is better defensively… big maybe… but so what... this team does not need “better defensive forwards”, they need production. Badly. And in any case, when we need big defensive assignment we turn to Pleks and Malhotra who are taking the lion share of the PK minutes. Not to Eller… I had mentioed the slumps in an earlier post but was too lazy to do the research for players other than Parenteau.. BTW, I believe Plekanec's goal was the empty netter in Jersey.
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