Comments on: Pre-Season Game 1: The Habs Review

By: habsoverserver

habsoverserver — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 16:04:23 +0000

I can see Gainey dummping Dandenault, but wan't Brisebois assured he would get a roster spot?

Grabovski, Ferland, Lapierre, Murray, Kostopolous and Begin are all good energy guys but the team seems stacked with that calibre of player and in the end, they are not the problem. No team misses the playoffs because of their third and fourth lines. It's the top two lines that need to improve. Since it's going to be the same six guys as last year, it's all about them stepping up at even strength.

By: habsoverserver

habsoverserver — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 15:46:52 +0000

11 of the 12 forward spots are taken by koivu, ryder, higgins, kovalev, plekanec, latendresse, smolinski, andrei kostitsyn, begin, kostopoulos and lapierre. the 6 defensemen will be markov, komisarek, hamrlik, bouillon, streit and brisebois.

barring injury, this leaves one spot for either a defenseman (streit can be moved to forward) like Dandenault or Gorges or a forward like Chipchura, Grabovski, Murray or Sergei Kostitsyn. At the outset of camp I would have thought Dandenault is a lock to make the team, but Habs mgmt has been critical of his play making me wonder if they don't waive, demote, trade or buy him out. Assuming Dandenault does not make the team, Chipchura has the best shot so far of making the team. Chipchura is a first round pick from 2004. Murray is a third rounder from 01 who has yet to prove himself. Grabovski is a 5th rounder from 04 and Sergei Kostitsyn is a 7th rounder from 05. I think management always gives the roster spot to the first round pick.

the top tow lines for montreal will be made up of higgins, koivu, kovalev, ryder, plekanec and either latendresse or andrei kostitsyn. there is no point to keeping segei kostitsyn to play on the third or fourth line given that he is first and foremost a scorer.

next year, it is likely that kovalev and or ryder will not be with the team. this will open a couple spots on the top two lines. unless montreal manages to sign a decent free agent (ha) sergei will get his chance in 08.

By: habsoverserver

habsoverserver — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 15:11:08 +0000

No, because Gainey stockpiles low scoring defensive forwards like they are going out of style. There just isn't room for another potential 8 goal 12 assist player.

Trust me, I am well aware that evolving the third line center position from Joe Juneau to Radek Bonk to Smolinski to Chipchura isn't going to turn this team into a powerhouse.

No offense taken to your comment. Though I criticize the Habs probably 100x as much as I say anything negative about the Leafs, or their fans.

By: CaptainAvery

CaptainAvery — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 14:47:54 +0000

Fans can't get all worried over nothing, its pre-season. As soon as that puck drops opening night its do or die from there, GO HABS GO!

By: MtlHabs09

MtlHabs09 — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 13:08:46 +0000

I've gotta say the game I went to was pretty pathetic by Montreal

By: Aetherial

Aetherial — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 11:57:23 +0000

… well maybe not "you" in particular …. while I am on the subject of the Habs, what are the chances of the Kotsitsyn's starting the season / sticking with the club?

By: Aetherial

Aetherial — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 10:21:08 +0000

… Yeah because the Habs are such a powerhouse that there is no way they could squeeze him in anywhere. ROFL!

… Had to zing you back for the constant Leafs criticism

By: ferron

ferron — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 22:45:52 +0000

After tonight the HABS are 1-2-0, The Kostitsyn brothers are the only bright side to this camp. Yann Danis is the best goalie so far in training camp, like i said the habs should of given Danis another chance last year but don't count him out just yet , Price has proven that he needs a full year in Hamilton, Huet looked shaky tonight and Jaro doesn't look anything like the Halak of last year! Ferland will never make the NHL, it's going to take many surgery to fix Archer's face, Chipchura's good defensively but pretty slow same goes for Latendresse, Grabovski will get 50-65 pts at most in is NHL career, if any? Carle is out for a while,Valentenko wasn't that impresive, but the KOSTITSYNS sure showed up! I think Andrei is the next Habs 100 pts man, the other good thing was O'Byrne , he prove that he has a place in MTL's regular lineup, He's huge' He's fast and He hits hard, I hope Carboneau doesn't play bums like Dandy, Briseby, Gorgy and River before O'Byrne! Hopefully our defensive pairing will look like this.

Markov/Komisarek
Hamrlik/O'Byrne
Streit/Bouillon

By: rojoke

rojoke — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 19:04:43 +0000

Begin could move to the wing, Streit could move back to the blueline, Murray could be demoted, or Gainey could trade a couple of bodies before camp breaks.

By: AHLoldie

AHLoldie — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:47:02 +0000

These are some of the strangest comments from the Habs fans that I have ever read. First of all, I attended both of the games in Montreal. Second, the Pens did not play a "b" team on one of the nights. They merely split their roster. From what I observed, the Pens totally outplayed Montreal both nights. The first game went to OT, and they lost after taking some dumb penalties. Andrews of Montreal was incredibly stupid enough to challenge Laraque to a fight and end up in the hospital as a result. Last night, the Pens dominated without their first line. Montreal looked listless and frankly, is not a playoff team.