H_T_L Posted October 11, 2022 Report Share Posted October 11, 2022 Drop the puck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maas_art Posted October 11, 2022 Report Share Posted October 11, 2022 I actually think we'll play well and may win. Its the laffs after all. To be honest, i wouldnt be shocked to see us start with a decent record until Allen just cant keep up with getting shelled each and every night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H_T_L Posted October 11, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2022 8 minutes ago, maas_art said: I actually think we'll play well and may win. Its the laffs after all. To be honest, i wouldnt be shocked to see us start with a decent record until Allen just cant keep up with getting shelled each and every night. I'm thinking we may just put up a good fight if the refs can somehow manage to stay out of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maas_art Posted October 11, 2022 Report Share Posted October 11, 2022 25 minutes ago, H_T_L said: I'm thinking we may just put up a good fight if the refs can somehow manage to stay out of it. Its easy to think we'll be terrible based on the preseason but we actually ran pretty shorthanded teams in all 8 games. I dont think we were even close to a full roster in any of those matches and I also think a number of players (rookies especially) were working on certain things that management asked them to look at. I dont, by any means, think we're going to be a contender, or even a bubble team (and frankly, i dont think management wants that) but I think we will be a lot better than we looked in preseason. I see us finishing firmly between 25th and 30th which should mean around 30-35 wins. I dont think we're going 0-82 or anything, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H_T_L Posted October 11, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2022 I think the whole season will hinge on goaltending. If we get above expectations, we could be battling it out down to the wire. Allen would have to be healthy for the brunt of the work and Monty would have to somehow morph into an NHL goaltender. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maas_art Posted October 11, 2022 Report Share Posted October 11, 2022 17 minutes ago, H_T_L said: I think the whole season will hinge on goaltending. If we get above expectations, we could be battling it out down to the wire. Allen would have to be healthy for the brunt of the work and Monty would have to somehow morph into an NHL goaltender. Agree. We have the guns up front to be competitive in virtually any system. I dont think forwards is an issue (although its certainly not a "contender" level yet) but in nets and on the blueline its going to be dicey. If a guy like Guhle is suddenly top 4 quality and Savard continues to play like an actual NHL defensman like he did under MSL etc.. you never know. But yeah, there's always Monty to help the tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HabsAlways Posted October 11, 2022 Report Share Posted October 11, 2022 Might as well start the tank right, with a lengthy losing streak to start the season Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramcharger440 Posted October 12, 2022 Report Share Posted October 12, 2022 1 hour ago, HabsAlways said: Might as well start the tank right, with a lengthy losing streak to start the season Meh, I am not interested in that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigTed3 Posted October 12, 2022 Report Share Posted October 12, 2022 5 hours ago, H_T_L said: I think the whole season will hinge on goaltending. If we get above expectations, we could be battling it out down to the wire. Allen would have to be healthy for the brunt of the work and Monty would have to somehow morph into an NHL goaltender. In part, I agree with you. I think if we end up playing lots of Monty and/or Primeau, we'll be a bottom 5 team as we were last year. With Allen, we'll be better, but keep in mind that Allen is still really a league-average goaltender. He's not likely to win us a ton of games by himself, he'll just keep us in more games than Monty. The offence will still have to score goals (which I think it can actually). What the season will come down to for me, moreso than just goaltending, is also special teams. I think the PK is likely going to be awful this year, given the questionable goaltending, the young D corps, and the lack of strong shutdown forwards (like a Danault or a Plekanec). The PP lacks a true quarterback, so does Matheson step up? Do we go 4-5 forwards on the PP? Can anyone actually score there? So yes, agreed on goaltending being a weak link that could boost us if it surprises and then throw in special teams for me as the other huge deficiency that is likely going to sink us repeatedly this season. I think the Habs can play with a team like Toronto at ES. But if each team gets 5 powerplays in the game, I can see Toronto scoring 2-3 times and us 0-1, and that would be enough to do us in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seth505 Posted October 12, 2022 Report Share Posted October 12, 2022 I feel like it's going be a lot of heartbreakers. By that, I mean some nice goals but the other team scoring 1 or 2 more goals (more times than not). I agree with above, will be able to get wins on the nights goaltending is a little more on point. That said, please beat the leafs! haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigTed3 Posted October 12, 2022 Report Share Posted October 12, 2022 We've gotten confirmation that all of Suzuki, Slafkovsky, Guhle, and Xhekaj will be in the lineup tonight. We've also been told Drouin will be a healthy scratch (barring a last-minute injury). I'm assuming Pezzetta will be the other scratch based on practice lines. The only real question is whether Matheson is able to go and if so, whether it's Harris or Kovacevic who comes out. Otherwise, if he doesn't play, we should expect to get CC-Suzuki-Anderson Monahan-Dach-Hoffman Slaf-Dvorak-Gally Pitlick-Evans-Dadonov Guhle-Savard Harris-Kovacevic Xhekaj-Wideman Allen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habs_Hockey_Nutz Posted October 12, 2022 Report Share Posted October 12, 2022 Drouin is a healthy scratch... ??? Geez, he has slipped that far down the line-up... what a waste. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkgoalie Posted October 12, 2022 Report Share Posted October 12, 2022 can we just get rid of him already. waste of a spot, let someone else play that wants to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony5775 Posted October 12, 2022 Report Share Posted October 12, 2022 They may not win tonight, but I would never pick my Habs to lose a game. Just can't do that, ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennifer_rocket Posted October 12, 2022 Report Share Posted October 12, 2022 I would like them to win this game. Season openers are always competitive. I feel like a nice win to start the season will be good. We're going to have so many losing streaks this year, why not start off well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigTed3 Posted October 12, 2022 Report Share Posted October 12, 2022 Matheson confirmed out for tonight. He underwent an MRI today and the team said there will be an update given in 48 hours. So he's likely out at least a few days and probably longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joehabsjoe Posted October 12, 2022 Report Share Posted October 12, 2022 1 hour ago, BigTed3 said: Matheson confirmed out for tonight. He underwent an MRI today and the team said there will be an update given in 48 hours. So he's likely out at least a few days and probably longer. man, this is not good news. Matheson AND Eddie out to start the year? Really throwing the kids into the fire right out of the gate. (to mix metaphors.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennifer_rocket Posted October 12, 2022 Report Share Posted October 12, 2022 20 minutes ago, joehabsjoe said: man, this is not good news. Matheson AND Eddie out to start the year? Really throwing the kids into the fire right out of the gate. (to mix metaphors.) I mean, sometimes you gotta learn under less than ideal situations. Will be good to see how the kids perform against a player like Matthews. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigTed3 Posted October 12, 2022 Report Share Posted October 12, 2022 45 minutes ago, joehabsjoe said: man, this is not good news. Matheson AND Eddie out to start the year? Really throwing the kids into the fire right out of the gate. (to mix metaphors.) I mean at the very least the 4 rookie D men we have can all skate and they're not going to get pushed around either. They'll lack experience, they'll get caught out of position, and I really feel like our PK is going to be an Achilles heal this season. But the upside is that expectations are low. This isn't a young player being asked to play a top 4 role on a Cup contender and if he can't do his job, the team fails because of him. We all know the Habs will be bad this year. So each guy just has to go and do his best, learn from mistakes, and use their skill to play. As long as the coaches use each mistake as a coachable moment and not a reason to be benched, we'll be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joehabsjoe Posted October 12, 2022 Report Share Posted October 12, 2022 1 minute ago, BigTed3 said: I mean at the very least the 4 rookie D men we have can all skate and they're not going to get pushed around either. They'll lack experience, they'll get caught out of position, and I really feel like our PK is going to be an Achilles heal this season. But the upside is that expectations are low. This isn't a young player being asked to play a top 4 role on a Cup contender and if he can't do his job, the team fails because of him. We all know the Habs will be bad this year. So each guy just has to go and do his best, learn from mistakes, and use their skill to play. As long as the coaches use each mistake as a coachable moment and not a reason to be benched, we'll be fine. Yeah i hope you're right. I feel like the kids that made the team all looked very poised and confident. (although we haven't kovacevic play). I just hope its not a debacle if they get behind early and start to lose some of that poise. But definitely excited to see how they fare. I think you're completely right that the PK is gonna be a problem. Harris in particular looked to really struggle there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maas_art Posted October 12, 2022 Report Share Posted October 12, 2022 Guhle, Harris, Xhekaj and Kovacevic have a combined total of 14 nhl games under their belt! And the "vets" are Savard and Wideman, neither of whom are likely to get mistaken for Norris trophy winners, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regis22 Posted October 12, 2022 Report Share Posted October 12, 2022 But savard is a Stanley cup champion . 😂 seriously I hope this isn’t over in the 1 st and Jack-eye takes out Austin cleanly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H_T_L Posted October 12, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2022 6 hours ago, tony5775 said: They may not win tonight, but I would never pick my Habs to lose a game. Just can't do that, ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olddude Posted October 12, 2022 Report Share Posted October 12, 2022 2 hours ago, BigTed3 said: I mean at the very least the 4 rookie D men we have can all skate and they're not going to get pushed around either. They'll lack experience, they'll get caught out of position, and I really feel like our PK is going to be an Achilles heal this season. But the upside is that expectations are low. This isn't a young player being asked to play a top 4 role on a Cup contender and if he can't do his job, the team fails because of him. We all know the Habs will be bad this year. So each guy just has to go and do his best, learn from mistakes, and use their skill to play. As long as the coaches use each mistake as a coachable moment and not a reason to be benched, we'll be fine. Exactly, it will be a learning and bonding experience for the young guys. The main things is for the coaching staff to keep them motivated and learning all the time and for us to keep a good supply of our favorite beverages on standby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
booboo_mtl Posted October 12, 2022 Report Share Posted October 12, 2022 All I wish for is AM not to score Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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