Game 75: Sabres/Habs

Can the Habs string together 3 wins in a row?

The Sabres will be hungry as ever tonight. Anything less than 2 points for them will pretty much be the end of their slim playoff chances.

The Habs can move up into 7th with the Rangers and still hold a game in hand.

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6 Comments

#1 Donnie says:
March 29, 2009 at 10:01 am

Seems the worse thing we can do is get a lead…esp. a 1 goal lead. We played some of the best hockey we played in months in the 1st and 2nd, and then changed our game around and tried this defensive cr*p again?
Gainey watched from the pressbox as Carbonneau’s style of trying to defend a 1 goal lead for an entire period failed over and over again….but yet, learned no lesson from this and now, tried it again?
We don’t play this way, our guys are not good at it, nor do I think they like playing it…and it shows. One more solid period of great hockey would have solidified the 2 points and basically bounced Buff from the race. That was a huge points we let slip away last night, and was something that was totally avoidable…this is a prime example of what has been frustrating fans this entire season.
Let our guys play their game…lets get up by 3 goals before trying this style. We went from hard forechecking and crashing in the first 2 periods, to sitting back again. This is also a double edged sword…cuz not only do we concede the tying goal almost always, but this sit-back style of hockey caused bad habits to carry over to OT. This is a style where we don’t skate, then our guys get lazier, and when we need offense again in OT, it’s not there…even the shoot-out looked lazy on our behalf.
These desicions have been the bane of our exsistence this whole season, losing precious points at this point of the season becuase of failed to abandon a style that DOES NOT WORK is the same thing as cutting our own throats.
We can still make the playoffs, those 2 periods were fantastic….but coaches….let our guys play 3 periods from here on out…the rest should take care of itself. A very needless loss of points again last night…can’t help but get upset at the total stubborness of this teams decision-makers.

#2 Joseph says:
March 29, 2009 at 2:59 pm

Yep. And I’ve always loathed that style of play – get a slim lead and sit back on it. And you know that it’s coming every time the Habs do go up by one either late in the second or in the third. When they got the 3-2 lead last night, I began to futilely plead with them to keep pressing the attack and get at least another goal. I knew what was coming in the third, as we all did, as it has become all too predictable a pattern with this team.

A critical point lost indeed. And because of it, I am not so optimistic about the near future. Montreal has the Blackhawks, Islanders (spoilers), Maple Leafs, (big time spoilers), Senators (always dangerous as of late), Rangers, Bruins and Penguins to contend with in their 7 remaining games, only two of which they’ll face at the Bell Centre. Meanwhile, Florida, who can now smell 8th place as if it were cooking in their kitchen, has the Senators, Thrashers, Penguins, Flyers, Thrashers and Capitals to face in their remaining 6 games, 4 of which they will play at home.

We’ve still got a game at hand, sure, but with Florida now sitting only one point behind us, we can ill afford a single let down or we’ll be outside looking in.

#3 emadraouf says:
March 29, 2009 at 7:28 pm

Well they cam close, let’s hope they have better luck on Tuesday against Chicago. Go habs Go

#4 Mats Naslund says:
March 30, 2009 at 2:50 pm

Getting a solid effort from the second line will go a long way to making this team stronger. Plekanec has now fallen back into a scoring funk. Andrei’s troubles began long ago. Now that Sergei has returned, the line is precarious at best. The potential is there. If the guys can figure it out, we will be in a good position. The top line is already very dangerous. Being able to sustain that kind of pressure with the 2nd unit would make our attack formidable and would ease some of the pressure defensively. The 3rd and 4th lines are already doing their jobs, and even Carey seems to be back (somewhat). Plex, and the Kostitsyns may be the key to a successful end to this regular season. Montreal has been bad on the road this year. If they have any hope of hanging on and then performing in the post-season, they will need to be much better.

#5 Senet1 says:
March 30, 2009 at 10:59 pm

I am not entirely sure if is the coach, it almost seems like the players fall into this shell themselves and as you say they are not very good at it. Gainey felt that the team played nervous in the third. Anyway it sure is frustrating.

#6 Mats Naslund says:
March 31, 2009 at 11:44 am

Habs are 7 games from the playoffs and should probably look at the 7 game stretch as a playoff stretch in itself. The goal should absolutely be to go at least 4-3 over that stretch, not only to ensure a playoff birth, but to have confidence heading into the second round with a difficult and motivated opponent.

It was interesting this morning when I looked at the standings as I didn’t watch any games last night, I noticed that the ‘cream of the Eastern Conference’ those New Jersey Devils that everyone is fawning over are currently riding a 5 game losing streak. Anyone think they can’t be beat now? It just shows how easy it is even for the pundits to get caught up in emotional times like Brodeur’s record. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll take Brodeur as my goalie in the post season over pretty well every other goalkeeper in the league, but the East is wide open. I’m still going to stand by my prediction of Pittsburgh in the East because no matter what their position, they are going to have a hungry Malkin, Crosby, Gonchar and Fleury. They made it to the finals last season, and I think this year they are peaking (consistently) at just the right time. If the playoffs started today they would face the Devils, which I think would be a crazy series.

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Last Message 19 hours, 20 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.