Game 39: Habs/Panthers

Quick note for tonight’s game in Florida..

The Habs will try to end off the 2011 portion of the NHL season tonight against the Panthers. Both teams have been struggling of late so it will be interesting to see how the Habs rebound after another game lost in which they had a 2 goal lead. Frankly I’m not expecting the team to make the playoffs so my interest lies in assessing which peices of the team the Habs will want to keep going forward.

Go Habs Go!!!

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3 Comments

#1 Senet1 says:
December 31, 2011 at 6:54 pm

I agree that it will be difficult to make the playoffs, however, being somewhat of an optimistic person, I always keep the faith. There are so many teams playing badly in our conference who knows how many points you make need to get into the PO. Two years ago you only need 87, same the year before that. So although some say 95 I think it will be less. I have suggested a few times now that Cammy and Gio are prime trade bait. I have been criticized for suggesting Cammy because he lead the league two years ago in playoff scoring. However, that was two years ago and he did score 26 goals that year in the regular season. The thing I see is that we need more production out of $6M and so in order to free up cap space he would be the most marketable player at the trading deadline. Gionta is another matter, for a team captain he needs to be more influencial as well as more productive especially for $5M price tag. I hate to do it but Gomez is going to have to be sent to then minors at least by next year. He has not been able to play and therefore, he cannot prove that he is marketable even if we had a chance to trade him. It is somewhat classless but what do you do with a $7+M player who cannot contribute to your team. Gil could be marketable at trading deadline for a playoff contender, we should know by then whether we have a chance. Camponi as well could help some teams. Players I would keep would include: Everyone under 27 years old. Everyone else would be gone either by trade or not signed as FA.

#2 Senet1 says:
January 1, 2012 at 12:39 am

Here is who I keep.
Price, PK, Emelin, Diaz, Gorges(although he could garner a good player or draft pick) Markov right now is not tradeable nor do we know what to expect from him.FORWARDS: Plekanec,Cole, Pacioretty, Desharmais, Eller, LeBlanc, White. Maybe some on the fourth line. But Gomez, Cammy, Gionta, AK46, Moen, Darche, Gill, Camponi, Kaberle. Could all be traded at the trading deadline. Who goes first, AK46 not because he as played bad this year but he is FA and I doubt he will want to come back the a rebuilding team. Cammy is next because I believe he is the most marketable. Gomez would be given two options, player coach in Hamilton with possible option to become an assistant coach. OR a buyout, I would prefer the first option because his salary would not affect our cap space. Second option would affect out cap space between 1.5M and 3M. Gionta could hand around because a young team needs some experienced players to help the young guys along. The rest of the guys could be traded for draft picks. I believe that Gill could be a hot commodity at the trading deadline for many playoff bound teams who have injuries or just need help on the PK.

#3 Senet1 says:
January 1, 2012 at 10:44 am

Balance of this season I would try some of these big guys down in Hamilton and as soon as possible. Players like Conboy, Nash, Berger. These guys would add muscle to the team and give us some idea against real NHL competition whether they are ready for prime time or are they just minor leaguers. Tinordi and Beaulieu to Hamilton next year for develop.

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Last Message 19 hours, 2 minutes ago

goalie : I don't know when they'll announce it but the Oilers will be signing Sutter (Flames ex-coach) to coach their team - that's why Kevin Lowe chose him to coach in the World's. That was the world's worst kept secret.
Senet1 : I guess I wish we could get it done so all the speculating was over and we can get to building out team.
goalie : I can't type.... what a faux pas on my behalf...
goalie : I just realized what I said adn didn't say yesterday. What a fayx as on my behalf. Regarding coaching Randy Cunnyworth MUSDT stay as an assistant- he deserves at least that after the tremendous job he did in the latter part of this past season. I'd still mlike to have Robinson, Carbo adn Allard on the staff also.
Avatar37 : I agree Senet, my choice if we can't have Cunneyworth would be Crawford, Robinson on defense, Cunneyworth for offense, and Carbo as offense/faceoffs .
Senet1 : I think if I had my choice it would be Crawford and see if he could get Carbo and Robinson as assistants. That would be my idea coaching team.
goalie : I witnesed Marc Crawford MANY times when the Avs, etc. played against Oilers and let me tell you - he is constantly on the referees asses virtually game after game. He is the complete OPPOSITE of J. Martin. Crawford is calm on TSN but he is one excited coach behind the bench. A friend of mine who was an NHL linesman for 26 years said they dreaded Crawford he was so tough on the officials!
goalie : You know, I've bee thinking about the coaching situation. I'd be really excited if the Habs had Hartley as head coach and Carbo adn Robinson as his assistants. I also read it somewhere about a month ago that Toronto's goalie coach Allard (?) wants to relocate back to Montreal where he has his goaltending school/business. Add him to the mix and I'd say the Habs would be in great shape coaching wise.
Avatar37 : Well, from what I recall, Hartley didn't do all that well with the Thrashers. But, I don't know enough about him to judge one way or the other. Crawford I do know, and he always seemed to be a good, level headed coach to me.
Senet1 : even Pacioretty two years ago did not impress any of us. Younger players have to play and make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. If they sit in the press box they are learning nothing.
Senet1 : Of course if he have some good assistants like a Larry Robinson to teach the young defence and someone like Carbo to teach faceoffs etc. then your coach does not have to be as good at teaching. If Hartley fits the bill you get no argument from me. My only previous point is that if he is impatient with your younger players to the point that he does not play them, then we are right back where we were with Martin. Martin was a good coach too, but how he handled Emelin, PK and even Pacioretty two
goalie : I would like to see the Habs sign a coach who realizes that our team isn't tough enough (we need to get bigger and somewhat more nastier),the coach needs t be a great TEACHER and be a coach who can get the players to understand and buy into his system. Other than that I couldn't care what lingo he speaks. I wnat to see our team become a ligitimate contender fast!
HabsLoseAgain : Well we dont know if he is or is not a teaching coach. I woukd just hate to paint Hartley something that he is not. There will always be questions but if Hartley was hired as the habs new bench boss i for one would not be overly upset.
Senet1 : My thoughts are not that he is or is not a good coach but rather that when he won the cup he had an experience team of superstars on that team. Where as we have a group of young inexperienced players, is he a teaching coach or a tactical coach or both? I am not question whether he is a good coach, but my question therefore is he the coach for us at this point in the deveopment of our team?? Not sure we are all purely speculating at the moment?
Senet1 : Something happened to my first post. I will try again.
Senet1 : That is why I said I am not sure he is the coach for us at this time? Right now we are all speculating including yourself, because non of us know for sure?
HabsLoseAgain : Crawford also won a cup with Patrick Roy so would you say he is a good coach or did he just have great players and one of the best goaltenders of alltime?
HabsLoseAgain : Senrt so please give me some reasons why you think Hartley is not the coach the habs need right now. What is it that you do not like about him or his coaching style?
HabsLoseAgain : Well all great coaches had great players playing for them so i guess you you add a a pile of other coaches to that list including Bowan......
Senet1 : Hartley, was he a good coach or did he just have great players and one of the best altime goaltenders of all time. I am not sure that he is the type of coach that this organization needs right now. Unless of course we sign a ton of free agents.
Avatar37 : However, my feelings may completely be wrong, Hartley may turn out to be a good fit.
Avatar37 : I didn't say Hartley was unknown, I said we demoted a good coach in Cunneyworth and now have an unknown quantity because we don't have a coach. I don't have that great a feeling about Hartley, I'd be much more comfortable with Crawford.
HabsLoseAgain : In my opinion i think he might be a good fit in montreal. Oh and he also likes to have a tough team.
HabsLoseAgain : Also this year he coached the ZSC Lions to the swiss championship title.
HabsLoseAgain : lol the so called "unknown" won a cup in 2000-2001 with the colarado avalanch.
HabsLoseAgain : lol Bob Hartley is not an unknown lol.....sheesh.
Senet1 : I think he has until the trading deadline to show us that he deserves to be on this team. If he does not get back on track then he could be simply a 2nd round draft pick to whoever we can trade him to.
Avatar37 : Bourque reminds me of Pouliot, size, skill, and invisible. He needs to get back to playing a physical game and bang people around and maybe he'll start getting some of those garbage goals again. Need to get to the front of the net. I hope he can find his game again.
Avatar37 : We had a good coach in Randy Cunneyworth. Now we have an unknown, with Bob Hartley rumoured to be the front runner. I'd rather have Cunneyworth.
goalie : A player like Rene Bourwue has al the physical attributes of what would be a beter than average player. Hwever, he certainly didn't play that well especially after being in Montreal about three weeks. We NEED players like Rene to play hard AND produce points on a REGULAR BASIS in order for us to be competitive.
Senet1 : MONTREAL – Rene Bourque had a rocky start to his career as a Hab, but he’s planning on using the next four years to make up for it. After arriving in Montreal under less-than-ideal circumstances in January, Bourque spent the following 38 games hoping to find the spark he needed to rekindle his offensive production. Despite flanking Tomas Plekanec on the team’s second line to close out the season, the 30-year-old sniper suddenly found himself firing blanks in his new NHL home.
Senet1 : I think we have to be patient and not expect too much too soon. Let's get a strong management team in place, make a good choices in the draft get a good coach and then see what we need at the free agent market. I will not be too disapointed if we miss the playoffs again next year if it means a long term team success. We have the opportunity to make some major strides over the next two years at the draft table. Then we fill in the holes.
goalie : I certainly agree that we need to get some impact forwards who will sign for 5 years, not for a season then walk away. That's not going to help us.
goalie : I wouldn't trade PK for Ovetchkin no matter what. He is a coach's NIGHTMARE and a poor team player.
Senet1 : I believe he will as we graducally put better players around him and build this team.