The team made significant changes last summer, so entered the season with some unknown quantities in Domi and Tatar along with the surprising kid from Finland sticking around. Newly minted captain Weber was going to be out for at least a couple of months recovering from knee/foot surgeries.
October went well with a winning record and Petry did a great job of filling Weber's skates.
November kind of sucked. TFS was't great. Nor was his defence.
December was busy with 15 games (ok i looked that up). Captain came back somewhere around the first of the month and the team seemed rejuvenated from it.
February sucked. We were in a deep freeze. I only remember the Habs lost twice to the putrid leaf, including that blown 3-0 lead. Silver lining is had they won that game, they would have had 98 points and still not made the cut. Actually (and ironically) had they won that game, game 82 would have meant something and we probably wouldn't have seen Poehling.
March/April - they finished the season well, just not well enough. And now here we are.
Biggest positives of the season: resurgent play of TFS, Domi, Tattttaaaarrrrr, kidKo/KoHo, Mete
Needs improvement: Drouin (head and heart), the fucking power play
Additions required? That elusive #1C, top 3 dman, quality backup (CHarlie? - not sure)
QUICK AND DIRTY GRADES
Goaltending - B
TFS - B+. Middle of the pack numbers. Definitely an 'A' goalie the last 3 months but the slow start hurt. As good as he is, still the odd soft one gets by that ends up hurting.
Aunti - D. Nice that he was able to get a couple more years out of BBB. But goodbye.
Defense - C
BBQ - B-. I think he came back too early. While effective after a couple of weeks and contributed defensively and scored some big goals, looked slow by the end. Hope a full off season of rehab and training gets him back to full. He ain't no spring chicken.
Dish - B+. Mostly for his work during 'the absence', but he also put up his best offensive numbers and was top 12 in hits by a dman.
Meat - B-. Kid's made strides. Needs to add offence to his game as a top pairing dman.
Kulak - C. Solid. Some turnover issues at times.
J&B - C+. Settled into 3rd pairing well. Hence fewer mistakes.
Folin?. Passing grade. Haven't seen enough to judge him.
Forwards - C
Domi - A. Pleasant surprise
TUNA - A-. See above.
kidA - B+. Career high in goals.
Drouin. C+. Career high in points, but disappears too often, can lack heart or effort. High potential, but needs to keep learning and improving.
kidKo - C. Only 18 but still only 34ish points. Ran out of steam. Long stretches off the scoresheet. High potential.
SSR - C+. Contributes offensively, good defensively. Needs to stay out of the box.
Leko - C-. Expect more offense, but is proving a good defensive player.
Army - B. Didn't know what to expect, but adds some offense and was often the best forechecker and/or penalty killer.
Dano - B+. One of several players to reach career highs, but most important is his ever improving face off percentage.
4th line mix - C. They deserve more effort, but I'm not Bergy.
I would give Dish and A. Thats about it because I am having a hard time turning the page.
ReplyDeleteJackal attempts to behead Debrusk, he is going down. Ten games at least.
Couldn't give out any A's on defence.
ReplyDeleteAlso couldn't grade the coaching. As excited as I was about the off season upgrades, there are still issues on D and how can a PP be that bad? There were positives but too many negatives for me to give an honest opinion.
Look, I'll give credit where it's earned, Montreal performed way, way beyond my expectations. I had them as bottom 5 at least to start the season. But, Price regained his form and the forwards were quite excellent actually. The 5 on 5 play was outstanding, but as Saint Paddy said, the PP was horrid and probably cost them the playoffs. The D, once they weeded out the likes of Alzner and Schlemko and put Benn on the bottom 3 it was ... adequate. To be a true contender they need an elite finisher an a defenceman that can actually run a power play. Weber is not a #1 anymore and neither is Petry. It's up to the dumpster diver to address those two problems, either by drafting and development or the free agent market or a trade. The ball is in his court.
ReplyDeleteGreat recap St. Pad!
ReplyDeleteI agree almost entirely.
Excellent grades...
ReplyDeleteI may be baised but this is the most outstanding, exhaustively researched analysis of the draft I have read or written. Bet on pure wool.
ReplyDeletenot trying to tick you guys off... but again i repeat:
ReplyDeletewhy do ALL OF YOU think we would have been 1st round fodder?!? i said it then, ill keep saying it now until i convince ALL OF YOU. our boys coulda done damage in this new nhl. nothing matters except making the top 8. NEVER TANK! never rebuild. go for broke, each year, every year! all my proof is in NYI, CBJ, LV, STL, COL, DAL. all those walkovers have already proven ALL OF YOU wrong. the first two are especially relevant for what coulda/shoulda been for our dear habs!
i am not a hopeless optimist like ALL OF YOU think i am. i am a realist. i see weaknesses on our team, but which team doesnt have weaknesses!?! if only a few 3pts went our way, this WOULDA been our year!!!!
When I am asked to explain "ice hockey" to my English co-worker I explain that they play 82 games in a season and if they finish top 8 in their division they get to the playoffs to play for the Stanley Cup - greatest trophy in pro sport - then I explain that the playoffs are like a mini tournament - 1st team to win 16 games takes the Cup...simple. Remember that over here all they have to go on is the Premiership of Soccer - 38 games and whoever is at the top at the end wins...simple...but nowhere near as exciting
ReplyDeleteoleg, I don't "think" you can tick anybody off in here. But hey I don't really 'know' these folks - could be ticking time bombs all around. What I do know is this. I value diverse opinions. I think it's great that you have such confidence in the Habs. I have less so. I think had they snuck in with the 8th spot, they 'could' have upset TB, but don't think they could have gone all the way. It's a question we'll never have an answer for. What I do KNOW is this however. Just like LVK last year, Columbus and NYI are proving that if you make the playoffs anything can happen.
ReplyDeleteThere should only be one goal for every team, and that is to win the Stanley Cup. But you gotta make the playoffs to do that. Finishing 2nd is no better than finishing 17th or 31st.
Doesn't bother me at all if oleg thinks the Habs are a Cup contender. Like Coach Bill Parcells said: You are what your record says you are... and the habs ain't good enough.
DeleteI don't consider the NYI beating Pit an upset at all. They've been playing well all year under Trotz, most people would give the Pens the edge because of Crosby and Malkin but they aren't any guarantee. Columbus, yeah, that's an upset but they are a big, skilled team and their goalie suddenly got hot. They have a lot of free agents playing for contracts too. Tampa thought all they had to do was show up to win. Wrong. Still, neither of those series is over just yet.
Columbus is a bus, and they have two first class D men, a goalie arguably in the Price Class, a bevey of forwards that would make anyone drool, with size size size and a little grit. Plus Trotz in another life ran the Spanish Inquistion, and nobody expected that.
Deletethnx for the insight. good counter points, but u guys three make arguments supporting my thought also.
Deleteim confused by the bit: finishing 2nd is no better than 17th-31st. (u mean in regards to winning the cup right?) cause if you didnt mean that, then all i gotta say is the minimum requirement is to finish 16th so that you get that chance.
we agree 8th = could have. blah blah daydream, blah blah. but thats what sports is right guys? everybody knows who should win. everybody know who is better... but you gotta play the games. LVK, NYI, PGH, CBJ, COL, CAR heck... even tiger! once an underdog starts ignoring the talking heads and gets a bounce or some momentum, anything can happen. all im begging is for everybody on this board to never count out what powers the ghosts of st. catherines street have over the ice hockey gods. ice hockey is a religion and god wears red, white, bleu.
oh... and i like AV. he totally got screwed over by having landed his mtl gig when the team was pretty crappy. it was in the thibault years wasnt it? ive always thought AV was the best of all recent coaches sans carboneau.
Imagine if Sid the Kid got as much fucked up SFU coverage as kadri. JFC!
ReplyDeleteRegardless how distant, weird how we can be attached to important architecture like the Notre Dame de Paris going down in flames. Sad day.
ReplyDeleteVery sad day for us all...
DeleteUnbelievable.
DeleteGood news. Jewel healthy and back next season.
ReplyDeleteGOOD news. AV signs with Philthy. Thought he was the next retread when CJv2's time is up.
DD is the next one and yes we will have FHFun with the nick 'DD'
Deletestop it! DD was awesome and patches demise was triggered by DD becoming the scapegoat. u all know that.
DeleteThat was DDD, eMTy's little lap dog.
DeleteDD = Dom Ducharme.
Its not a total loss, good thing about stone. Still all these old buildings, can we not get some sprinklers. 80 million people a year visited Notre Dam.e
ReplyDeleteI am enjoying the schadenfreude of the leaf playing politically incorrect, yes they are playing like girls. The Jackal tried to bitch slap and got slapped down hard. He he had put up the dukes he would have been a man like LB. Instead he is done as a leaf, and likely faces a Tiger like Challange to be considered a playoff man again. So lets hope Columbus or Wash can do a team hernia on the Broons.
ReplyDeleteDavid Desharnais as the #1 center for the Montreal Canadiens was a complete and utter farce ... and incompetence on the part of bergevin and arrogant fuckface.
ReplyDeleteAgree...he was a good Hab but that's where it ends...
Delete1. MStL is identical in physique with DDD. DDD had comparable numbers in juniors and minors with MStL. the only difference is MStL walked onto offensively stacked teams. you cant argue DDD didnt also play with his heart on his sleve.
ReplyDelete2. patCHes had his highest goal totals with DDD as his centre (or as some of you would say: despite of...)
3. be fair guys. the only reason why DDD gets criticism is b/c he was often in funks in his later years. you dont think MStL would have struggled the same on those habs teams?
4. screw u guys. i have my goggles on. u guys may fire at will.
* you guys arent gonna like this, but im gonna comment soon (again) on our habs and what shoulda/coulda been.
Oleg, this place of ours welcomes comments. Our opinions are all valid and received graciously.
ReplyDeleteIf I was a Tampa Bay fan I would be beside myself. How awful, just shows that the regular season means nothing except get enough points to get in the dance.
ReplyDeleteTampa was on cruise control for way too long, or assumed they just needed to show up to win.
ReplyDeleteColumbus, on the other hand, played desperation hockey for a month or more and were battle hardened. I recall two years ago Washington won the President's trophy and were promptly booted out by Pittsburgh. last year, the Caps laid back a bit and went the distance. There may be some correlation here.
And before some Habs fans get excited that our team would have matched what Columbus did ... It's possible, but highly unlikely. I guess we'll never know.
I wouldn’t think that we would have swept them but they turned out to be an easier opponent than most thought. It would have been interesting but unfortunately as you said we will never know.
DeleteIt's almost unbelievable that with all that firepower they couldn't even win one game. If Montreal had made it I thought they could win a game or two, but that would be it. Did Columbus clear a path for the leaf or br00nz? Personally, I still think WSH is the team to beat.
DeleteI watched most of the CBus game/series. They were relentless. They might just be clicking at the right time.
DeleteA Trotz vs. Totz series would be fun.
Also, whilst here, I seriously hope tva goes bust. Fucking racist fuckers.
Hey moe, what the heck is going on with this TVA/Bell thing? I was reading a Twitter feed by that Fagstein guy ... some back and forth stuff between PKP and the CRTC. Something about blocking playoff games?
ReplyDeletetva blocked NHL playoff games to BELL subscribers not on Videotron. This is against a CRTC laws on the books. PKP went to Ottawa with cup in hand and got zilch. CRTC needs to step up and revoke their sports broadcasting license. tva also has some of the weirdest, sickest biggest media fuck ups on Francophone tv. These wads are spewing inane shit at RDS.
DeleteAlso, BELL gave its subscribers 'free' snet game feeds after being blocked by tva/Videotron/Quebecor/PKP/racist séparatistes.
DeleteThanks! Basically a service provider feud.
DeleteI dont worry about those things because I watch at a friends house who is a pirate
DeleteI have to get a friendly little dig into FHFriend Steve ... after the Alberta election last night, the Right Wingers are taking over!! Left Winger JT has no Centers to help him this October, I don't know where he is going to get his goals from.
ReplyDeleteHey M. Yes Canada is now the only country in the world where a pair of Premiers can beat a full house. Being the first openly Gay Premier in Canada is ap ray pro given we are making a Gay Looney. Right left or Center, way to much effort is spent on a political game, instead of making a just society, a great society. Most of the other countries outside the American influence are focused on that. A great society is what democracy is all about.
DeleteChanging the subject slightly... can anyone here telling how many games that POS Kadri was suspended for? Or was it "just to the end of the 1stbround" ?
ReplyDeleteReply until he is finished shaving his balls or the end of this series whatever comes first.
DeleteChristian Frolin signs a 1-year deal for the 2019-20 season.
ReplyDeleteDeal reported to be worth $800,000 on a one-way contract.
Needs an official nick.
Here's my call...call him NoR...swidt
DeleteSexy.
DeleteA useful player but I'll be interested when it's a much bigger name, if ... bargainbin can drag himself out of Philene's basement...
ReplyDeleteI've been to Filene's, maybe 3 times. Great deals and it is literally in a basement. Bought a few silk ties, when I wore them.
DeleteBoston is a great city to visit.
I have been to the TV set of CHeers and they overCharge for beer, but sitting in Norms place priceless.
ReplyDeleteI was joking above of course. I need to figure out the sarcasm font.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, Erik Karlsson is a big fucking fish but man, he has been a pylon against Vegas ... he has been on the ice for literally all the goals against.
MALKIN IS IN THE WIND I REPEAT MALKIN IS IN THE WIND. Okay dont get too excited, he is a $9.5 cap hit for 3 more years, he is 31 years old and comming off a 21 year - 29 year. Pits wants a D man, we have a perfectly good hardly used Alzner. It has to be something for Bergy to think about.
ReplyDeleteLets say we can trade EAPD for Malkin. Sign DuCH for 8 Million, we still have 4.5 million to get a good left D man, and money left over for the parade.
https://fourhockeyfans.blogspot.com/2019/04/sexy-season-sexiness-with-added-recap.html
ReplyDelete