Comments on: Habs Make Final Cuts

By: ferron

ferron — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 20:56:41 +0000

Plekanec on the 3rd line? Plek not only deserve 2nd center but I think he should be our first center, he's been the most productive player with the Habs ever since Carboneau stop torturing him by playing him with Samsonov and Kovalev, even in this preseason he was explosive. One more thing Brisebois wasn't a top 4 defenseman with the Habs 10 years ago why would he be now, Streit and O'byrne where much better this preseason, THEY are the one who deserve top ice time not washed up talentless Briseby! We bood the Muthaf--ka
out of Montreal and now after having an horrible preseason, Briseby will be back and not only as a 3rd paring defenseman but now he(Brisebois) will have Roman Hamrlik as his partner? Yes the same Hamrlik who was playing along Phaneuf last year , shounld't the habs let a youngster(O'Byrne) play along elite D-Man like Hamrlik so they grow into future Markov and Komisarek not Asses like Briseby!

By: rojoke

rojoke — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 19:34:07 +0000

I think you could see Carbo roll all four lines more than he did early last season, for the first month or so. Plekanec is a great two-way player, and if Carbo chooses to play a more assertive forechecking style instead of the hurry-up-and-wait style from last season, that line could generate its fair share of offensive opportunities, from turnovers and in transition.

By: rojoke

rojoke — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 19:29:27 +0000

Only if he gets hurt. Huet will play more than 60 games this season.

By: PointMeAtTheSky

PointMeAtTheSky — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 17:08:09 +0000

Plekanec definitely deserves the number 2 center spot.

Halak is staying a Hab. Huet is a UFA next summer, they need both Price and Halak. They probably want to give Price the chance, at least for 9 games, to see what he can do. I can envision a 50/25/25 split, Huet 40 games, Price 20 games, Halak 20 games.

It's odd..Murray, Dandenault and Brisebois are kind of dead weight. give the spot to a young guy, save some cap room.

Even Kostopolous, I'd rather see Lapierre develop. He had 6 goals in 40-some games. Over a full season that's 12..solid 4th liner.

By: mtl_prince

mtl_prince — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 15:04:54 +0000

if a goalie is traded, it will be Huet. His contract is up at the end of the year.

By: mtl_prince

mtl_prince — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 15:04:15 +0000

if a goalie is traded, it will be Huet. His
Contract is up at the end of the year.

By: Rico420

Rico420 — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 11:31:14 +0000

I guess I have to eat my hat in saying that Price would be in Hamilton, I guess that Gainey is planning on a 50/50 split in playing time for his tenders, I don't necessarily agree with Price even sitting on the bench for half the games because he could have been the starter in Hamilton and who knows he may be the starter as the season progresses..

Not really a big surprise on Gorges making the team, Gainey would be lynched by some Habs fans if the NHL ready player that we received for Rivet was sitting in Hamilton, it's also kind of interesting that we have Streit and Dandenault who could be either on the third pair D or on one of the forward lines, still would have liked to see Corey Locke make this team but that may be another year and in another city.

I was also really hoping to see the Habs pick up Gauthier off waivers - we really need a guy with a mean streak like him on the Blueline.

Anyway I guess I will leave all the decisions up to Bob and Guy to make and the one Bob will make come the middle of the season end of the season is if to give Muller the head coaching job or bring in a guy with some experience to run the bench.

By: habsoverserver

habsoverserver — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 10:25:58 +0000

to me this season is less about the standings and more about how gainey's core guys perform. we need to see markov, plekanec, grabovski, latendresse, price, higgins lead the team. if the rent a vets like huet, smolinski and kovalev lead the team, then the rebuilding hasn't taken hold.

Gainey is fine unless attendence drops. I think you are right that Carbo can't go two years without making the playoffs.

By: modk09

modk09 — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 09:05:34 +0000

very true, we would have been better off having downey instead of Murray but then wed have to find someone who wanted to take on murrays contract...

its easier to convert fronm center to wing because you dont need to learn to take faceoffs. if you look, most NHL forwards were centers when they were younger because when they dominated the youth leagues, its best to be a center so you have the most freedom. they get moved to the wings later when they start playing with people who match up with them (higgins is a great example)

By: DoubleDown

DoubleDown — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 07:47:32 +0000

i'm pretty sure grabovski was kept because kovalev likes playing with him, and motivating kovalev is A) key if the habs want any chance of making the playoffs and B) almost impossible. also heard in passing on 110% that Grabovski went Anton Stralman on the Habs and said he'd go back to Russia...but--it WAS 110%...

i don't think he'll have much success. guy is just too small and frail and will get smacked around. centres will end up being koivu-pleks-smolinski-chipchura.

hopefully gorges is ahead of bouillon and dandenault on the depth chart, but this is a team that signed a player that no other team even contacted and handed him the #4 D slot after missing pretty much all of training camp (Brisebois)...so i doubt gorges will be seeing any playing time, which sucks because he has some size and has been playing really well.

gainey and carbonneau's a$$es are really on the line this season. they need to show some systemic improvement. can't just stagnate in the middle 7-10 position year after year and call it progress..