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State Of The Habs 2008-09


franck5890

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The times they are a changing (mind you, were early times this season). Remember when 5-on-5 hockey was the bane of the Habs (not that long ago)?

http://www.nhl.com/ice/teamstats.htm?fetch...iewName=summary

And while it is still early this season, all the teams at the bottom are the same ones the Habs used to be mired with on this stat.

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Then check out face-off %: http://www.nhl.com/ice/teamstats.htm?fetch...iewName=summary

6th, at 53.8%; Koivu and Plekanec both in the top 12 !!: http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?fet...iewName=summary

Lang is pulling the team down at 41.6% (I haven't been impressed with his casual stance at the face-off circle -- it's OK if the results are still there; so far, they're not, for him.)

Anyone get the feeling that Lang had it easier in the face-off circle in another conference. Hmm? But he does seem to draw a much tougher assignment than the other guys on a more regular basis.

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Sweet, the top 3 +/- players in the league are all Habs !!!

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/stats/bycatego...=NHL&sort=3

We have five guys in the top ten:

Saku Koivu MON 6 3 6 9 8 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 11 .273

Andrei Markov MON 6 0 9 9 7 4 0 2 0 1 0 0 14 .000

Alex Tanguay MON 6 3 3 6 7 4 1 2 0 0 0 0 9 .333

Niclas Wallin CAR 5 0 5 5 6 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 .000

Alexander Edler VAN 6 1 2 3 6 8 1 0 0 0 0 0 8 .125

Sergei Fedorov WAS 5 0 4 4 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 .000

Alexander Semin WAS 5 6 4 10 6 2 0 1 0 1 0 0 20 .300

Mike Komisarek MON 6 1 0 1 6 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 .167

Eric Staal CAR 5 3 2 5 6 8 0 0 0 0 1 0 24 .125

Guillaume Latendresse MON 6 1 5 6 5 9 0 1 0 0 0 0 8 .125

***

Meanwhile, Andrei Markov is tied for 1st with Paul Statsny and Evgeni Malkin with 9 assists,

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Last night's game v. FLA was the first I could watch down here in 'Sconsin. Sure needed that fix! (God I got spent on highlights and only reading about 'em!)

While the Habs seemed more cerebral than passionate last night, I was struck solidly by three things:

1. I like our goalie situation. Seems 31/41 will be the girders we (like all teams) will need this season. We got the right guys now: Let's let them play.

2. Me likey Lang a Lot!

3. (I was releived to see...) our team-D doesn't appear to scramble as much as last year (except for O'B and Chip when they 'oopsed').

My snapshot showed me a lot more fluidity w/in our D, in a pretty blahzay affair.

My hope is that the more spirited tilts will find this an even greater, subconscious focus.

If they coagulate under pressure, rather than get frazzled,.... :D!

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The power play? Here's how you fix it:

  1. Move Markov back to the left point.
  2. Units have to keep their feet moving after the zone is set up.
  3. Shoot more. Whether it's Hamlrik, Tanguay, Kovalev, Markov, or Sergei, I want more shots on net and less pretty feather passes that get picked off and cleared.
  4. Designate a few set plays for a few players in order to execute an effective zone entrance. This is actually where we miss Streit the most, because he was the one who carried the puck into the zone and set up the most often and the most effectively.
  5. Skate like you have a purpose. The unit too often looks lazy and disoriented until the final 30 seconds of the power play, when they wake up and start playing more like last year's squad. You can't waste 3/4 of your man advantage being stripped of the puck in the neutral zone.
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Win against Florida was Habs 21st straight, when leading after 2 periods. (Means I can hopefully go to bed after the 2nd period this coming Saturday! :D ).

re: Hab PP my two cents ... give the status quo some more time; no changes for now. Let the experienced players sort themselves, each other, the situation out. That two minute full zone Hab PP last night was a sight to see -- just couldn't get the puck into the Florida net.

The one / most frustrating part last night on the PP was indeed the development of the play coming up ice. Streit was so much better than Souray at that last year. But I've seen both Markov and Tanguay do fine with that so far this season (just not last night), so the PP should be fine with them. Habs weren't executing on many fronts last night, not just the PP.

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This is something that has been on my mind since the start of this season and it's something I want people's opinion on: Let's say the Habs win the cup this year...What do you suppose the chances are that Koivu and/or Kovalev decide to retire?

I just don't see either of them retiring, they still have a lot of game left and I'm 100% certain that they won't pull a Sundin. Both are UFA's at the end of the year and they are both the type of players that would accept a hometown discount to stay. Kovy loves it here and for Koivu, this is home. They are both rich and don't need the money, therefore I see them both staying for a lot less than they are worth.

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This is something that has been on my mind since the start of this season and it's something I want people's opinion on: Let's say the Habs win the cup this year...What do you suppose the chances are that Koivu and/or Kovalev decide to retire?

My feeling would be ,,,,slim to none. Why not try for 2. ;):D

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This is something that has been on my mind since the start of this season and it's something I want people's opinion on: Let's say the Habs win the cup this year...What do you suppose the chances are that Koivu and/or Kovalev decide to retire?

i think they might....i guess it all depends on what BG can do with signings. if he can convice them to take a pay cut to help out the team...

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My feeling would be ,,,,slim to none. Why not try for 2. ;):D

hehe my thoughts exactly. i would guess though they would take shorter contracts of one or two years. For whatever reason though i see kovy going before koivu, just cause he seems to get tired more. ah well both can stay as long as they want as long as they stay! :D

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This is something that has been on my mind since the start of this season and it's something I want people's opinion on: Let's say the Habs win the cup this year...What do you suppose the chances are that Koivu and/or Kovalev decide to retire?

id go with Kovalev, but he has said recently that he wants to play until he is 50 so lol

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I certainly don't want to rain on the parade, but even though I'm thrilled with our record thus far, I'm truly worried about the number of shots on goal we're allowing, especially against lower tier teams like Florida the other night. This needs to be addressed.

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I certainly don't want to rain on the parade, but even though I'm thrilled with our record thus far, I'm truly worried about the number of shots on goal we're allowing, especially against lower tier teams like Florida the other night. This needs to be addressed.

And I noticed how we have these little "moments" of playing good defence and then creating offence with it. But the rest of the time, we seem to be running around and being just one step slower then having our goalies bail us out. It might just be that they need to find their legs but yeah, it is a concern

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I certainly don't want to rain on the parade, but even though I'm thrilled with our record thus far, I'm truly worried about the number of shots on goal we're allowing, especially against lower tier teams like Florida the other night. This needs to be addressed.

And I noticed how we have these little "moments" of playing good defence and then creating offence with it. But the rest of the time, we seem to be running around and being just one step slower then having our goalies bail us out. It might just be that they need to find their legs but yeah, it is a concern

This might be incorrect, but haven't we been giving up more shots on average than we've been taking for what seems to be every season since the lockout? I seem to remember last season this being a huge concern, too. We did fine then. :)

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I certainly don't want to rain on the parade, but even though I'm thrilled with our record thus far, I'm truly worried about the number of shots on goal we're allowing, especially against lower tier teams like Florida the other night. This needs to be addressed.

QFT. There is no way a team like Florida should be outshooting and outplaying us for most of a game, in our own rink to boot.

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QFT. There is no way a team like Florida should be outshooting and outplaying us for most of a game, in our own rink to boot.

I wouldn't be comparing our season based on the Florida game. For whatever strange reason Florida has our number just like we've have Boston's number for decades. Makes no sense but Florida seems to play like Detroit every time they face us.

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I wouldn't be comparing our season based on the Florida game. For whatever strange reason Florida has our number just like we've have Boston's number for decades. Makes no sense but Florida seems to play like Detroit every time they face us.

True enough, but we are getting consistently outshot this season by all teams, not just Florida. If we're a Cup contender, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect at least a few games where we outshoot and outchance the opposition. Gorges has admitted that they need to improve defensively in their own end.

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True enough, but we are getting consistently outshot this season by all teams, not just Florida. If we're a Cup contender, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect at least a few games where we outshoot and outchance the opposition. Gorges has admitted that they need to improve defensively in their own end.

I agree with you, but I was only making reference to your statement about Florida outshooting us ;) since you stated that teams like Florida shouldn't be outshooting us. Had you generalized, like you did with your statement above, I would have full-heartedly agreed with you :)

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True enough, but we are getting consistently outshot this season by all teams, not just Florida. If we're a Cup contender, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect at least a few games where we outshoot and outchance the opposition. Gorges has admitted that they need to improve defensively in their own end.
have to agree, and good to see Gorges 'not happy' with the stat either. Looking at NJD and Detroit, they give up 20-25 shots a game. Then you put in Brodeur or Osgoode stopping the few shots they allow, and well, yes, it's a shutout like the Devils earned last night.

One thing I have cringed at in several games this season (most notably the last two), is Hab players panicking too much once they finally get their stick on the puck in their own zone. Just when a light tap of the puck is called for, to a teammate unguarded up the boards, they instead whale the puck way beyond him right to the unguarded opposing defenseman waiting at the blueline for it, and on goes the play stuck in the Hab zone. :blink:

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This might be incorrect, but haven't we been giving up more shots on average than we've been taking for what seems to be every season since the lockout? I seem to remember last season this being a huge concern, too. We did fine then. :)

actually all those shots price faced last season caught up to him in the playoffs, we cant burn our goalies out night after night needing 38 saves

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This might be incorrect, but haven't we been giving up more shots on average than we've been taking for what seems to be every season since the lockout? I seem to remember last season this being a huge concern, too. We did fine then. :)

actually all those shots price faced last season caught up to him in the playoffs, we cant burn our goalies out night after night needing 38 saves

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This might be incorrect, but haven't we been giving up more shots on average than we've been taking for what seems to be every season since the lockout? I seem to remember last season this being a huge concern, too. We did fine then. :)

actually all those shots price faced last season caught up to him in the playoffs, we cant burn our goalies out night after night needing 38 saves

have to agree, and good to see Gorges 'not happy' with the stat either. Looking at NJD and Detroit, they give up 20-25 shots a game. Then you put in Brodeur or Osgoode stopping the few shots they allow, and well, yes, it's a shutout like the Devils earned last night.

One thing I have cringed at in several games this season (most notably the last two), is Hab players panicking too much once they finally get their stick on the puck in their own zone. Just when a light tap of the puck is called for, to a teammate unguarded up the boards, they instead whale the puck way beyond him right to the unguarded opposing defenseman waiting at the blueline for it, and on goes the play stuck in the Hab zone. :blink:

exactly, there is a ton of panic going on trying to get the puck out of our zone

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