Game Analysis: Pregame And Postgame Discussion

[fourtrax]

i know this probably goes without saying but watching the sabres score after winning the f/o on a 5-3pp was disheartening. against run and gun teams our low f/o % could (will) be very damaging.

To be fair, one of our better faceoff men (Saku) is currently injured, and Higgins hadn't played centre in quite a long time. The 5-on-3 PP goal was annoying in that it ruined Price's bid for consecutive shutouts, but it was through a screen and those kinds of goals will happen, unfortunately.

On another note, the officiating in last night's game was abominably bad. Seriously, even Pierre and Yvon were commenting on the absurd level of tolerance for anything the Sabres did.

[Guest GreekHockeyCoach]

To be fair, one of our better faceoff men (Saku) is currently injured, and Higgins hadn't played centre in quite a long time. The 5-on-3 PP goal was annoying in that it ruined Price's bid for consecutive shutouts, but it was through a screen and those kinds of goals will happen, unfortunately.

On another note, the officiating in last night's game was abominably bad. Seriously, even Pierre and Yvon were commenting on the absurd level of tolerance for anything the Sabres did.

You're right but we also got away with a few. The most obvious being the Begin hit and the Kovalev hit from behind. Even though the Buffalo player turned and even though most times you're not supposed to call a penalty like that, it is often called in today's NHL. I just feel the refs had the "let them play" mentality since Buffalo was fighting for a playoff spot and they didn't want to be the deciding factor. If I had to choose, I'd choose to "let them play" as opposed to calling every single minor infraction and having the refs dictate the outcome of the game.

[Guest bigsby]

To be fair, one of our better faceoff men (Saku) is currently injured, and Higgins hadn't played centre in quite a long time. The 5-on-3 PP goal was annoying in that it ruined Price's bid for consecutive shutouts, but it was through a screen and those kinds of goals will happen, unfortunately.

On another note, the officiating in last night's game was abominably bad. Seriously, even Pierre and Yvon were commenting on the absurd level of tolerance for anything the Sabres did.

i was mainly concerned for the playoffs...if koivu can't start then we're going to have to improve on that front. but you're right, it had been some time since higgins had played centre so hopefully he'll be working on it in practice in case we need to rely on him.

i was actually more disappointed about our perfect pk record over the last three games. if it had been the dying seconds that would have been one thing but with over five minutes left i don't worry too much about shutouts. (was it not f/o, back to the point, shot goal? that's what i worry about. quick shot through a screen off the faceoff is a killer)

the officiating...good grief. i have nothing relevant for this thread as i think the reffing has consistently worsened since the west coast road trip. they're bad every night now it seems. i'd love for them to just let them play in the playoffs but, it seems to me, that these refs have bigger egos than the players these days and like to show off .

[fourtrax]

Periodic reposting of the thread rules.

What's the Purpose of this Thread?

While the game threads in the Gameday section are fun and provide immediate gratification for members following a Habs game in real time, it might be a bit frustrating to see your well-crafted, 1000-word post disappear within seconds as 12 more members posted quick hits about the game in progress. To encourage thoughtful, in-depth analysis of individual Habs games in a format that prioritizes substance over style, we are introducing the Game Analysis: Pregame and Postgame Discussion thread.*

* Special thanks to GreekHockeyCoach for coming up with the idea for this thread.

What You Can Post

When posting in this thread, there are two golden rules to remember:

1. You can discuss individual games in whatever detail you want, provided that the discussion is centred on a particular game and not a free-range general discussion that belongs in State of the Habs, If I were GM, or any of the player threads.
2. One-liners are frowned upon. The point of this thread is to generate in-depth discussion. If you just want to show support for the Habs by cheering them on, please visit the appropriate game thread.

Some examples of acceptable content*:

Statistics

• Past history of the team we are currently playing
• Head-to-head records this season
• All-time records for individual players
• Who's hot and who's not
• Playoff/standing implications, if applicable
• The other team's top scorers' stats against us

Analysis

• Individual player performances
• Comparing player performances
• Officiating
• Coaching
• Line matchups
• Special teams
• Game summaries for members who missed the game

* These are just examples. Feel free to come up with different topics for discussion.

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While a Habs game is in progress, this thread will remain locked. At all other times, this thread will be open for discussion. For ease of use, one of the moderators will periodically re-publish the rules for posting in this thread.

Remember...

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[Guest JL]

Periodic reposting of the thread rules.

What's the Purpose of this Thread?

While the game threads in the Gameday section are fun and provide immediate gratification for members following a Habs game in real time, it might be a bit frustrating to see your well-crafted, 1000-word post disappear within seconds as 12 more members posted quick hits about the game in progress. To encourage thoughtful, in-depth analysis of individual Habs games in a format that prioritizes substance over style, we are introducing the Game Analysis: Pregame and Postgame Discussion thread.*

* Special thanks to GreekHockeyCoach for coming up with the idea for this thread.

What You Can Post

When posting in this thread, there are two golden rules to remember:

1. You can discuss individual games in whatever detail you want, provided that the discussion is centred on a particular game and not a free-range general discussion that belongs in State of the Habs, If I were GM, or any of the player threads.
2. One-liners are frowned upon. The point of this thread is to generate in-depth discussion. If you just want to show support for the Habs by cheering them on, please visit the appropriate game thread.

Some examples of acceptable content*:

Statistics

• Past history of the team we are currently playing
• Head-to-head records this season
• All-time records for individual players
• Who's hot and who's not
• Playoff/standing implications, if applicable
• The other team's top scorers' stats against us

Analysis

• Individual player performances
• Comparing player performances
• Officiating
• Coaching
• Line matchups
• Special teams
• Game summaries for members who missed the game

* These are just examples. Feel free to come up with different topics for discussion.

How It Works

While a Habs game is in progress, this thread will remain locked. At all other times, this thread will be open for discussion. For ease of use, one of the moderators will periodically re-publish the rules for posting in this thread.

Remember...

The Code of Conduct still applies in this thread.

So if I understand this correctly, this is a mega game thread for smart comments only, while the individual game threads are for non-sense, or one-liners, or just dumb discussions, but we can't post here during the games. Got it... I think.

[tmash]

So if I understand this correctly, this is a mega game thread for smart comments only, while the individual game threads are for non-sense, or one-liners, or just dumb discussions, but we can't post here during the games. Got it... I think.

It's just GHC's idea, but named differently. Basically the justification for its own thread being that well thought out posts shouldn't get lost in the mess of a game thread (which is mostly one liners).

[Guest bigsby]

It's just GHC's idea, but named differently. Basically the justification for its own thread being that well thought out posts shouldn't get lost in the mess of a game thread (which is mostly one liners).

like the gdt right now...

i'm worried the leafs are going to goon it up tonight. we can't afford any more injuries and i don't want stewart having his face broken on his first shift.

i saw the replay on alfie's hit and while it looked like an elbow it didn't look like an intent to injure. i didn't see what happened to fisher? fluke injuries or leafs playing spoilers?

i'd like to see a decided improvement in the circle tonight and a strong pk. otherwise, i'm just going to enjoy 60min of pressure-free hockey before the dance starts .

[Guest GreekHockeyCoach]

Toronto (36-34-11) at Montreal (46-25-10)

Game info: 7:00 pm EDT Sat Apr 5, 2008 TV: CBC, RDS

The Montreal Canadiens haven’t had a Calder Trophy winner as rookie of the year since goaltender Ken Dryden in 1972.

A strong finish in net by Carey Price could end that drought.

With a chance to move atop the Eastern Conference, Price leads the Canadiens into their regular-season finale on Saturday night at the Bell Centre against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Montreal (46-25-10) hasn’t finished first in the conference since 1992 - the year before its 23rd and most recent Stanley Cup championship - but enters this contest tied with Pittsburgh for the East lead with 102 points.

The Canadiens are just 3-3-1 against Toronto this season and have lost two straight in the series, including 4-2 last Saturday. Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau said a win in this game will put added pressure on the Penguins, who conclude their season Sunday in Philadelphia.

“(We have) a chance to finish first,” he said. “We don’t know what will happen on Sunday, but if we win on Saturday, it will force Pittsburgh to play their best players.”

The Canadiens’ best player over the final six weeks of the season has been the 20-year-old Price. The NHL rookie of the month for March came within 8:30 of his second straight shutout on Thursday in a 3-1 win over Buffalo.

Since taking over as the No. 1 goaltender on Feb. 26 after veteran Cristobal Huet was traded to Washington, Price is 11-3-0 with a 2.20 goals-against average, two shutouts and a .930 save percentage.

Carbonneau told the Canadiens’ official Web site that he’s not surprised by the success from the fifth overall pick in 2005, who helped lead Hamilton of the AHL to a Calder Cup title last season.

“You often hear about a goalie being in the zone for a period of time. Carey certainly was at the World Juniors, in Hamilton, and even with his junior team,” Carbonneau said. “And now since the trade deadline, Carey has been in that zone.”

Price, 23-12-3 with a 2.60 GAA overall, is part of a stellar rookie class that includes Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews of Chicago, Washington’s Nicklas Backstrom and Peter Mueller in Phoenix. Price is 3-1-0 with a 2.46 GAA against the Maple Leafs, but lost in his last start versus them on Feb. 7 in Montreal.

Toronto (36-34-11) is out of the playoffs in three straight seasons for the first time since 1926-28 and will be looking to avoid a third straight loss to end 2007-08. The Maple Leafs gave up three short-handed scores, and tied a season high for goals allowed in falling 8-2 to Ottawa on Thursday in their home finale.

“It’s a real disappointing end,” coach Paul Maurice told the Maple Leafs’ official Web site.

Darcy Tucker assisted on goals by Mark Bell and Dominic Moore, while Vesa Toskala played the entire game and stopped 29 shots.

The Maple Leafs close 2007-08 without captain and leading scorer Mats Sundin, who’s out with a groin tear. The 37-year-old Sundin has 32 of Toronto’s 230 goals this season, and may have played his final game with the team

Team G W L OTL Pts Standings GF GA Road/Home

Toronto 81 36 34 11 83 5th, Northeast 230 257 18-17-5 Road

Montreal 81 46 25 10 102 1st, Northeast 259 221 21-13-6 Home

- D Pavel Kubina has an eight-game point scoring streak. ...

- Captain C Mats Sundin said that the groin injury that has plagued him over the last several weeks will prevent him from playing again this season. As for the future, Sundin isn't tipping his hand. "I think everyone is screaming for changes," said Sundin, who will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. "My contract runs out this year, so all of us will have to wait and see, including myself."

- C Bryan Smolinski recorded eight goals this season - with half coming in a pair of two-tally games. ...

- RW Alexei Kovalev is fifth in point production since the All-Star break with 38 points. He has 14 goals and 24 assists in that stretch. ...

- Rookie G Carey Price was named the NHL rookie of the month for March, posting a 7-3-0 record while backstopping the Canadiens to their first division title since 1992. Price had a 2.67 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage for the month.

My take on tonight's game (GHC):

The Leafs are going to try and play spoiler and come at us real hard. We have to stay focused and not allow them to get under our skin. With 1st place on the line we have to continue doing the little things that have gotten us to this point. Strong forechecking and backchecking, first on the puck most important of all, run and gun like we've being doing all year. Our confidence level is real good after strong showings against Ottawa and Buffalo. With all four lines contributing we should be able to end this game early.

We have to be aware at all times where their goons are as they will try and take cheap shots at our star players just like they did against Ottawa. These are exciting times in Habland and expectations are flying high. Let's focus on tonight's game and give ourselves a chance at a conference title.

GO HABS GO

[Guest 1970 Habs]

like the gdt right now...

i'm worried the leafs are going to goon it up tonight. we can't afford any more injuries and i don't want stewart having his face broken on his first shift.

i saw the replay on alfie's hit and while it looked like an elbow it didn't look like an intent to injure. i didn't see what happened to fisher? fluke injuries or leafs playing spoilers?

i'd like to see a decided improvement in the circle tonight and a strong pk. otherwise, i'm just going to enjoy 60min of pressure-free hockey before the dance starts .

Fisher suffered his knee injury after a hit from Bell on his second shift of the game.

As for Alfredson here is what he had to say about the hit:

"I don't know if it's a head shot or not, but I think it's more my responsibility to be aware of where everybody is on the ice," Alfredsson said.

The league did review the hit as requested by Ottawa and ruled it a legal hit. Here is what Murray had to say:

"The league doesn't agree with me and it doesn't matter at this point in time," Murray said Friday. "I hear on the Toronto radio station they got their pound of flesh and they did. But it doesn't matter if Mark Bell is suspended or not, it doesn't affect us anyway and I could care less. I just wanted to get an opinion from the league and they said it was a legal hit."

Source: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=233499&hubname=nhl

[Guest shamrun]

Im taking notice that teams started adapting to our pp. They collapse on Kovalev taking away his cross pass to markov and his shooting lane. His only other options are to send it to the icing line or back up to his defencemen.

Last night we got a goal on the pp because kovalev was able to get the puck to the point and streit and he just shot it. I think we are going to need to ask markov and streit to use their shots a lot more in the playoffs.

I think our pp will get even better when koivu comes back. For now we might have to consider a rework.

On the other hand our pk is ripping it.

[Guest bigsby]

Fisher suffered his knee injury after a hit from Bell on his second shift of the game.

As for Alfredson here is what he had to say about the hit:

"I don't know if it's a head shot or not, but I think it's more my responsibility to be aware of where everybody is on the ice," Alfredsson said.

The league did review the hit as requested by Ottawa and ruled it a legal hit. Here is what Murray had to say:

"The league doesn't agree with me and it doesn't matter at this point in time," Murray said Friday. "I hear on the Toronto radio station they got their pound of flesh and they did. But it doesn't matter if Mark Bell is suspended or not, it doesn't affect us anyway and I could care less. I just wanted to get an opinion from the league and they said it was a legal hit."

Source: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=233499&hubname=nhl

thanks for the info.

well, it seemed clean enough but alfie hurt his knee, no?

[fourtrax]

Im taking notice that teams started adapting to our pp. They collapse on Kovalev taking away his cross pass to markov and his shooting lane. His only other options are to send it to the icing line or back up to his defencemen.

Last night we got a goal on the pp because kovalev was able to get the puck to the point and streit and he just shot it. I think we are going to need to ask markov and streit to use their shots a lot more in the playoffs.

I think our pp will get even better when koivu comes back. For now we might have to consider a rework.

On the other hand our pk is ripping it.

Good analysis. We do need to start milking the point shot more. The good news is that Kovalev draws so much coverage that those point shots will almost always be open for Streit or Markov.

[Guest overlords]

Just heard that bergeron has the green light, kinda makes me a bit worried.

[Guest bigsby]

Just heard that bergeron has the green light, kinda makes me a bit worried.

oh brother. that makes me a bit worried too. at least our winning streak against them goes back to last season when bergeron was playing and he's missed a lot of time...but that's not great news.

[Guest bigsby]

edit: bergeron is cleared for contact. he will not play in game one but may be back as early as this week. (tsn playoff preview show)

[Guest GreekHockeyCoach]

oh brother. that makes me a bit worried too. at least our winning streak against them goes back to last season when bergeron was playing and he's missed a lot of time...but that's not great news.

The way we've owned the Bruins in the past year and a half and as pumped as Les Boys will be, the Bruins can bring Bobby Orr out of retirement and we'll still have our way with them. I don't understand how some of you are still having doubts about this Montreal Canadiens team. We're for real, we've proven it and we'll continue to prove it.

[Guest GreekHockeyCoach]

IT'S THE PLAYOFFS HAB'S FANS.

FROM TSN:

Game Date Matchup

1 Thursday, April 10, 7pm et Boston @ Montreal

2 Saturday, April 12, 7pm et Boston @ Montreal

3 Sunday, April 13, 7pm et Montreal @ Boston

4 Tuesday, April 15, 7pm et Montreal @ Boston

*5 Thursday, April 17, 7pm et Boston @ Montreal

*6 Saturday, April 19, TBD Montreal @ Boston

*7 Monday, April 21, TBD Boston @ Montreal

* If Necessary

MONTREAL CANADIENS

Regular Season Record: 47-25-10, 104 pts

Head-to-Head Record: 8-0

Last Stanley Cup Win: 1993

Last Stanley Cup Final Appearance: 1993

Last Postseason Appearance: 2006

Players with Stanley Cup Rings: Alex Kovalev, Mathieu Dandenault (3), Patrice Brisebois

A reason to cheer for the Canadiens: Captain Saku Koivu is the Habs' heart and soul - a player who has done so much to earn the respect and admiration of fans without hoisting the Stanley Cup. He battled injuries, endured media pressure, won a hard-fought battle with cancer and turned that battle into something positive for his community. He's one of the game's true good guys, and a Stanley Cup win would be icing on the cake for his long-lasting legacy in Montreal.

What They Bring To The Table: The Canadiens were the biggest surprise of the regular season, finishing with a 104-point campaign and their first conference title in 19 years. A big factor for this was their top-ranked offence and power play, led up front by the top line of Alex Kovalev, Tomas Plekanec and Andrei Kostitsyn. They also have scoring depth with Chris Higgins, Michael Ryder and swingman Mark Streit, but things could get tough if Saku Koivu is out of the lineup for a prolonged period of time. Coach Guy Carbonneau will count on youngsters Sergei Kostitsyn, Mikhail Grabovski and Maxim Lapierre to step it up and they'll have plenty of support from veterans Bryan Smolinski and Steve Begin. The defence is rock solid, with Andrei Markov and Mike Komisarek as the top shutdown duo. Roman Hamrlik has been earning his pay well as a stabilizing blueliner and rookie Ryan O'Byrne is quickly following suit. With so much youth in their lineup, playoff inexperience could be an issue, and no where is it more obvious than in goal. Rookie Carey Price has been everything the Canadiens expected and more, but there's pressure from the fans and media to duplicate the Stanley Cup-winning success that Ken Dryden and Patrick Roy did in their first seasons.

BOSTON BRUINS

Regular Season Record: 41-29-12, 94 pts

Head-to-Head Record: 0-7-1

Last Stanley Cup Win: 1972

Last Stanley Cup Final Appearance: 1990

Last Postseason Appearance: 2004

Players with Stanley Cup Rings: Aaron Ward, Shawn Thornton

A reason to cheer for the Bruins: The New England Patriots carried a perfect record into the Super Bowl, the Boston Celtics are odds-on favourites to head to the NBA Finals and the chances of the Red Sox winning their third World Series in five years are pretty good. Having the Bruins mentioned in the same breath would be a great story for a city that can easily call itself the best sports town in North America.

What They Bring To The Table: The Bruins are a great story this season considering the injuries they've had to endure. They lost the services of playmaker Patrice Bergeron very early in the season and also had to play stretches without Glen Murray, Marc Savard and Chuck Kobasew. With that considered, head coach Claude Julien spent the campaign employing a defensive game. It wasn't fun to watch on most nights, but it certainly helped get the wins necessary to make the playoffs. Up front, Savard stepped up on offence with 60+ assists while Marco Sturm tallied a career high in points. Where Boston lacks scoring, they certainly make up for it with toughness and grit. Shawn Thornton and Jeremy Reich give opponents a tough time on most nights, while rookie Milan Lucic has quickly become a fan favourite with his fearless style of play. That toughness has also trickled down to the defence, with Andrew Ference, Shane Hnidy and captain Zdeno Chara patrolling the blueline. Tim Thomas displays a great deal of athleticism in goal, and it will be interesting to see how he handles the rigors of postseason play.

Statistical keys to the series

- Montreal ranked first in the league on the power play, with a 24.2% success rate. Boston ranked 16th at 20.6%.

- Montreal ranked 15th in the league in penalty killing, with an 82.5% success rate. Boston ranked 28th at 78.6%.

- Montreal ranked second in the league with 3.13 goals per game.

- Montreal ranked 26th in the league with 31.6 shots allowed per game.

- Mike Komisarek (266), Francis Bouillon (168) and Roman Hamrlik (138) are the Canadiens' leading hitters.

- Zdeno Chara (223), Milan Lucic (181) and Aaron Ward (143) are the Bruins' leading hitters.

- Saku Koivu is the Canadiens' top face-off man -- 52.3%.

- Marc Savard is the Bruins' top face-off man -- 51.6%.

- Boston's Marc Savard ranked third in the league with 63 assists.

- Montreal's Alex Kovalev tied for fourth in the league with 17 power play goals.

- Boston's Zdeno Chara ranked third in the league with 26:50 of ice time per game.

- Andrei Kostitsyn led the Canadiens with 11 points in seven games against the Bruins this year.

- Marc Savard led the Bruins with nine points in eight games against the Canadiens this year.

- Montreal's leaders in power play ice time (per game):

Andrei Markov 5:10

Mark Streit 4:52

Alex Kovalev 4:09

Saku Koivu 3:30

Tomas Plekanec 3:25

Chris Higgins 3:12

- Boston's leaders in power play ice time (per game):

Zdeno Chara 4:20

Marc Savard 4:11

Glen Murray 3:44

Patrice Bergeron 3:44

Dennis Wideman 3:43

Marco Sturm 3:19

- Montreal's leaders in penalty killing ice time (per game):

Mike Komisarek 3:21

Andrei Markov 3:10

Roman Hamrlik 3:06

Francis Bouillon 2:42

Steve Begin 2:14

Bryan Smolinski 1:51

- Boston's leaders in penalty killing ice time (per game):

Zdeno Chara 3:37

P.J. Azelsson 3:13

Dennis Wideman 2:57

Glen Metropolit 2:49

Andrew Ference 2:45

Aaron Ward 2:28

This is it folks, Habs - Bruins, first round. I don't know about the rest of you but I'm really excited. Let's get ready to rummmmmmmmmmble!

[Guest bigsby]

The way we've owned the Bruins in the past year and a half and as pumped as Les Boys will be, the Bruins can bring Bobby Orr out of retirement and we'll still have our way with them. I don't understand how some of you are still having doubts about this Montreal Canadiens team. We're for real, we've proven it and we'll continue to prove it.

don't get me wrong, i have faith in this team. i always get nervous when the playoffs roll around. i can't help it. lol.

[Guest GreekHockeyCoach]

don't get me wrong, i have faith in this team. i always get nervous when the playoffs roll around. i can't help it. lol.

I hear you Bigsby, I guess we're all nervous wanting the Habs to succeed and it's been a long time since we've been in this position but as nervous as I will feel when game 1 starts I also have alot of faith in this team because no matter what's been thrown at them all year, they never seemed to quit.

Important keys to this game in my opinion:

- Even though people don't like Chara, the fact remains that he's one of the best defensemen in the league and he has proven to be a true leader for the Bruins this year. If we get under his skin like we've done in the past we'll maximize our chances of winning.

- We have to use our speed against a slower Bruins team, they can't keep up with us therefore we need to set the tempo of the game.

- Captain Koivu will be the added spark we need for this series and here's hoping that he returns.

- Kovy just needs to take over and be the dominant force that he's been all year. There's no one on the Bruins that's a match for his talent.

- The veterans like Smokes, Dandy, Breezer need to step it up since they've all been here before and they also need to mentor and be the calming force for the youngsters.

Even though we won the season series 8-0 we can't take this team for granted. They've battled all year and earned a spot in the playoffs after every expert picked them to finish last in the east. They cannot be taken lightly in this series, we need to step it up even more.

[Guest bigsby]

I hear you Bigsby, I guess we're all nervous wanting the Habs to succeed and it's been a long time since we've been in this position but as nervous as I will feel when game 1 starts I also have alot of faith in this team because no matter what's been thrown at them all year, they never seemed to quit.

Important keys to this game in my opinion:

- Even though people don't like Chara, the fact remains that he's one of the best defensemen in the league and he has proven to be a true leader for the Bruins this year. If we get under his skin like we've done in the past we'll maximize our chances of winning.

- We have to use our speed against a slower Bruins team, they can't keep up with us therefore we need to set the tempo of the game.

- Captain Koivu will be the added spark we need for this series and here's hoping that he returns.

- Kovy just needs to take over and be the dominant force that he's been all year. There's no one on the Bruins that's a match for his talent.

- The veterans like Smokes, Dandy, Breezer need to step it up since they've all been here before and they also need to mentor and be the calming force for the youngsters.

Even though we won the season series 8-0 we can't take this team for granted. They've battled all year and earned a spot in the playoffs after every expert picked them to finish last in the east. They cannot be taken lightly in this series, we need to step it up even more.

what makes me most nervous: the habs taking the bruins lightly. (which i don't think they will. i'm thankful that the last time these two teams met it was a tight battle. that should be a bit of a wakeup call).

what makes me least nervous: playoff kovalev vs. playoff chara

[Guest .habsolutly25]

Good analysis. We do need to start milking the point shot more. The good news is that Kovalev draws so much coverage that those point shots will almost always be open for Streit or Markov.

Definitely, and i think thats something that the habs will have to exploit in the post season. The option for our pp are so numerous, each one having amazing potential. Like having streit take a slapper while kovy draws attention, have higgins backdoor to the net and get a kovu pass through the crease, etc. Im so happy with the pp, and hopefully they'll adapt to the way teams kill penalties against them.

[Guest Onzeee]

The guys are not cocky, they are very level headed and know that the slate is clean now and it will be a hard fought series as Komisarek stated today.

They have some big physical guys like Lucic,Thornton,Chara who will be leaning on Kovalev,Plekanec,Ryder so thats a concern over a long grueling series.

It will be up to us to take it to them and force them into mistakes and penalties, we have to use our speed every shift, also you know they will be trying to rattle Carey so it will be up to Hamrlik,Komisarek,Bouillon to be laying down the law in our crease.

[Guest jefflee]

what makes me most nervous: the habs taking the bruins lightly. (which i don't think they will. i'm thankful that the last time these two teams met it was a tight battle. that should be a bit of a wakeup call).

what makes me least nervous: playoff kovalev vs. playoff chara

from what I read on NHL.com about the ducks and there tough style , it seems that alot of teams are going to try that physical brand of play. chara will have to be wached very closely, if our boy's are skating by like fire on ice, then i look for the goon squad to come out. I may be mistaken but from what I have seen this year you never know. I just don't want our boy's to have to fight it out half the time because the other team can't match there speed. one other thing , I would not put it past the ruins to try and take out our goalie early, w/ the jolly green giant out there he needs someone to stalk him ! I have no doubts that are guy's can take care of them selves, but if the ruins start this in game 1, then it is going to be a long series. getting into a fight is one thing, goon hockey from the ruins is something else.

[Guest .habsolutly25]

The guys are not cocky, they are very level headed and know that the slate is clean now and it will be a hard fought series as Komisarek stated today.

They have some big physical guys like Lucic,Thornton,Chara who will be leaning on Kovalev,Plekanec,Ryder so thats a concern over a long grueling series.

It will be up to us to take it to them and force them into mistakes and penalties, we have to use our speed every shift, also you know they will be trying to rattle Carey so it will be up to Hamrlik,Komisarek,Bouillon to be laying down the law in our crease.

as well as price. they're going to be running into him, we all know it. hopefully the refs are competent enough to call goalie interference

[Guest FREDDYBEACH HAB]

In reading other posts throughout the forum. I've come to the conclusion that this first game is a must win, and let me tell you why. I don't expect Koivu to play the first game, and perhaps even Komisarek will be out, and from what I read yesterday "The Bubble" tried to skate twice and couldn't do it, so he's out for sure. Win the the first game and the urgency to rush a player back from an injury isn't there. The longer the players can rest the better off it is for everyone. So, with that in mind I say it's a must win for the Habs.