Game Thread: Habs Host Sabres as Post All-Star Season Begins
by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 5:45 PM EST
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PrintBuffalo Sabres at Montreal Canadiens, Jan 31, 2012 7:30 PM EST
While fans in Montreal have been lamenting over the struggles of the Montreal Canadiens, hockey fans in the Empire City have been doing likewise over the Buffalo Sabres.
With just a pair of wins in their last ten games, grumblings of firing head coach Lindy Ruff or trading goalie Ryan Miller have been just as common in Buffalo as lake effect snow off Lake Erie.
The Sabres netminder, responded to his owners remarks after Monday's practice but has been giving fans every reason to cry, "Trade him!" He's 3-9-0 in his last dozen games, and absolutely nowhere near his once All-Star level ability in his last three starts (5.00 GAA, .836 SvPct).
But like Montreal, the Sabres too have had their share of injuries. They just got defencemen Christian Erhoff and Robyn Regher back before the All-Star break, and Tyler Ennis will return to the lineup tonight. They dtill have several players out of the lineup. Paul Gaustad (upper body), Jochen Hecht (concussion), Colin Stuart (knee) and Brayden McNabb (head) all remain out for Buffalo.
Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News reported Monday that McNabb had his first workout with the team Monday, and Gaustad will be a game-time decision.
Both teams are coming off wins heading into the All-Star break. The Habs decimated an unprepared Detroit Red Wings team, while the Sabres edged the New Jersey Devils 2-1 in a shootout.
The Sabres hold a 2-0 edge in the season series.
Carey Price, getting a day off from practice Monday after a grueling All-Star weekend, gets the start in goal for the Canadiens.
MONTREAL CANADIENS PROJECTED LINEUP
Forwards
Erik Cole - David Desharnais - Max Pacioretty
Mike Blunden - Lars Eller - Andrei Kostitsyn
Rene Bourque - Tomas Plekanec - Scott Gomez
Mathieu Darche - Andreas Engqvist - Yannick Weber
Defense Pairings
Goalies
Carey Price - Peter Budaj
BUFFALO SABRES PROJECTED LINEUP
Forwards
Thomas Vanek - Derek Roy - Jason Pominville
Nathan Gerbe - Tyler Ennis - Drew Stafford
Patrick Kaleta - Brad Boyes - Ville Leino
Cody McCormick - Luke Adam - Paul Gaustad
Defensemen
Robyn Regher - Mike Weber
Jordan Leopold - Christian Ehrhoff
Goalies
Ryan Miller - Jhonas Enroth
SBN Sabres coverage at Die By The Blade
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http://www.puckprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=1242
My main beef with that site is encapsulated right there. Not nearly enough credit to Reghr for being the principle matchup guy for his team.
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I’m surprised Regher is being thrown under the bus. You would think they would be focused on the busts that are Ehrhoff and Leino. Not to mention Roy’s disappointing season.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 6:19 PM EST up reply actions
You think this guy took QualComp into thought when he wrote that?
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 6:44 PM EST up reply actions
More important even is the RelCorsi Qualcomp which has Regher at the top.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 6:54 PM EST up reply actions
They obviously didn’t see what happened when Mike Weber was playing without Robyn Regehr
OPERATION TANK IS A GO. It’s the only explanation for Mike Weber. He’s on a secret mission.
Not good times for Mike Weber?
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 7:55 PM EST up reply actions
See my signature. Though, he looks pretty good when Regehr is there to save him.
OPERATION TANK IS A GO. It’s the only explanation for Mike Weber. He’s on a secret mission.
Ha!
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 7:58 PM EST up reply actions
That site turned me off advanced stats at first.
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They had a couple articles explaining what GVT is which I used as a jumping off point combined with behindthenet.ca. I think I haven’t referred to GVT since the summer when I was looking up free agents though since there’s just not enough context put into the stat. They seem to rely on it an awful lot.
GVT put me off advanced stats for a full year after I read an article saying the Oilers won the Gretzky trade.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 7:33 PM EST up reply actions
Ruff and Ennis audio
via The Buffalo News
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 6:50 PM EST reply actions
So does Gomez finally get one tonight? He’s earned a few goals with his play but hasn’t gotten any.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 7:07 PM EST reply actions
I, for one, would like to see the reaction. I know it’ll be cheered here, but I’m guessing jeers on most sites.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 7:18 PM EST up reply actions
Boone
Says the Sabres could be dangling Derek Roy and Drew Stafford. I’d love to grab Stafford.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 7:19 PM EST reply actions
Bobby Dollas
Just said Montreal is a big team. So we trade Cammalleri for Bourque and we go from tiny to big? WTF?
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 7:34 PM EST reply actions
Aren’t you looking forward to Gill being traded? I expect the small team “analysis” to begin shortly afterwards as well as some locker-room chaos narrative from a “good in the room guy” being traded away.
Of course Gill’s room-goodness did nothing to stop the chaos that the lower than expectations result caused.
by Roke on Jan 31, 2012 7:38 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I’m guessing many of us could write almost an exact transcript of what will be said when that happens.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 7:39 PM EST up reply actions
Things are looking pretty good for next season. The all-star break cured me of the feelings of doom and I’m fairly optimistic again.
Watching the Canadian women do fairly well in Olympic qualifying (soccer) didn’t hurt., it’s hard not to like them. Having the end of the tournament play out during the all-star game nonsense was the perfect vacation from hockey for me.
I PVRed the all star shenanigans so watched it as quickly as possible. Price made anything he was involved in worth it. I’m also not as doom and gloomy right now. I think a large part of that is Rene Bourque playing well, although I’m still not sure that’ll last.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 7:49 PM EST up reply actions
The massive increase in interest I have in Canadians woman soccer over mens is proof that its hard to care about better level of play when the team you follow is terrible.
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by Stephan Cooper on Jan 31, 2012 8:14 PM EST up reply actions
This matchup beautifully illustrates what’s gone wrong for the Habs this year.
Habs: 14th in goals for, 12th in goals against, goal differential without shootouts +2
Sabres: 25th in goals for, 26th in goals against, goal differential without shootouts -31
Those two clubs really shouldn’t be near each other in the standings. So many goal-one losses…
Not to mention the two games we lost against the Sabres, where we completely out played them both times.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 7:44 PM EST up reply actions
What gets me about the whole thing is that the media act as if the Habs were terrible and getting outplayed every night just because their record is bad. They’re not getting outclassed. They’re 9-20 in one-goal and one-goal-plus-empty-net games.
9-20… holy crap.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 8:35 PM EST up reply actions
Maybe I've been unobservant but...
How long has Emelin been playing on the right side with Kaberle?
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 7:46 PM EST reply actions
A couple games at least. I haven’t exactly been paying attention so others would know better.
From what I’ve seen he seems to be adjusting. Hopefully over the rest of the season he can progress there like he did on the left side in the early part of the season.
That’s what I was thinking. If he can adapt to both sides he’s even more valuable.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 7:49 PM EST up reply actions
I had a nice discussion with Boucher on the subject at hfboards. We’ve noted it coincides with a Kaberle’s greatly improving events for/against.
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by Stephan Cooper on Jan 31, 2012 8:07 PM EST up reply actions
It started slowly and awkwardly under Martin; Emelin looked like he was drunk back then. With the Randy shuffle™, he started getting more and more time on the right side of whomever’s name was drawn out of the hat.
For the last 3 games, Emelin’s been paired with Kaberle as the kinda sorta 2nd pairing (still hard to tell with all the people moving around), replacing Diaz/Emelin before that.
I think they should stick with it. Tonight, half of Buf’s scoring chances came in the 1.1 minute 22 spent on ice with 61.
That’s pretty good because they’ve both been solid over that time if I recall correctly.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 7:50 PM EST up reply actions
Yes, I think they’ve been solid playing behind Gorges and Subban. I will be an interesting development if Kaberle can be a passable top4.
Even if we can just make him look like a passable top 4, what we get in an eventual trade would be gravy.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 7:56 PM EST up reply actions
How does Myers not get a penalty there? Never mind Pacioretty got revenge.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 7:50 PM EST reply actions
Sure did!!
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 7:51 PM EST up reply actions
Love that Eller doesn’t take shit.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 7:53 PM EST reply actions
Is anything more annoying than announcers saying a shooter “beat” the goalie when they hit the post? If you beat the goalie it goes in the net. If you hit the post you missed your shot.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 7:55 PM EST reply actions
He did beat the goalie. Price drifted past the post and left a lot open and Pominville missed.
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I always feel I got beat if it hit the post. A degree to the right or left and it deflects in, not out.
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 7:57 PM EST up reply actions
On the replay there it looked like it skimmed right past Price’s equipment, which would tell me he’d have it if it was on target.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 7:57 PM EST up reply actions
I was just going to say, he’s really undisciplined tonight. He’s also an incredibly overrated player.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 7:59 PM EST up reply actions
He and Subban were about as equal as two players could be last season according to the micros but Subban has maintained his footing while Myers has just cratered.
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by Stephan Cooper on Jan 31, 2012 8:09 PM EST up reply actions
Subban carried the play substantially better though as Myers started a ton in the offensive zone.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 8:17 PM EST up reply actions
Whenever Buffalo is losing they try to act like the Bruins.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 8:02 PM EST reply actions
Unless they are losing to the Bruins. Then they act like little bitches.
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Well bullying someone bigger than you is scary, but 6’5" McCormick is safe to go after 5’11" Scott Gomez.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 8:05 PM EST up reply actions
I think the whole bench yelled, “February 5th!” at Gomez, when he skated by.
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 8:03 PM EST up reply actions
Refs are getting in the way a ton tonight.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 8:06 PM EST reply actions
Cunneyworth has improved D-zone coverage Bobby Dollas? HAHAHAHA
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 8:08 PM EST reply actions
Dollas knows that RC won’t be there next season, right? Talking like he wants a coaching job
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 8:11 PM EST up reply actions
Judging by all his analysis that I’ve heard, he shouldn’t be getting one.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 8:14 PM EST up reply actions
He’s going to end up in Edmonton. Edmonton’s going to fire Renney, I’m going to convince Ben Massey right a coaching candidate primer on Cunneyworth and why he would be a terrible hire, and then Tambellini’s going to sign him to a 4-year contract.
It makes too much sense. Not enough of a track record for the Oilers to realize he’s bad and he was in a bad situation (language, injuries, team performing badly) which will look good on him.
I can definitely see that happening.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 8:19 PM EST up reply actions
So it’s a penalty for Gorges to go stick on stick?
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 8:18 PM EST reply actions
I was thinking the same thing.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 8:35 PM EST up reply actions
Sabres trade talk
According to an email I just received, Boone’s mention on dangling Roy and Stafford has been circling in Buffalo for months.
Gaustad, Boyes and Leopold are also in the talk in the Sabres current sell mode.
But it’s also noted that Regier hasn’t made a deal, until deadline day, for about 10 years. So don’t expect anything till then.
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 8:21 PM EST reply actions
Scoring Chances
+3/-6 at ES, nothing on special teams.
2 chances on MaxPac goal, a drive-by from Eller a couple of minutes later and that was it.
Kaberle/Diaz were on the ice for 3 chances against while playing a hair over 1 minute together. I don’t know which Randy is insisting on this, but it seems to me they should stick with 74/22 and 61/75.
Pleks and Bourque +0/-2, Gomez +0/-3, Gill +3/-0 and Desharnais’s line is +2/-2.
Their gap control is off tonight, some 3 on 2 went trough…
3 scoring chances against in about a minute? Why bother with that pairing?
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 8:36 PM EST up reply actions
Vanek
Done for the game (upper body)
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 8:38 PM EST reply actions
They just showed it on TSN but I missed who it was.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 8:40 PM EST up reply actions
You’re right, they just showed it on RDS.
by Statsfanatic81 on Jan 31, 2012 8:41 PM EST up reply actions
Dollas
Where the ____ is Mike Johnson?!!!
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 8:41 PM EST reply actions
I don’t know but its severely diminishing my enjoyment.
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by Stephan Cooper on Jan 31, 2012 8:45 PM EST up reply actions
My GameCenter feed is rather pixilated, couldn’t tell who it was
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 8:44 PM EST up reply actions
Price seems to be over active tonight. He usually is square and in control. Lots of scrambling.
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Yeah I’ve noticed him flopping in his crease, trying to read the play from the point
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 8:45 PM EST up reply actions
He’s too used to the All Star game haha
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 8:46 PM EST up reply actions
myers is an asshole
Yeah, I don't like the Bruins, but I HATE the Flyers!
by courtnall on Jan 31, 2012 8:44 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Does Cunneyworth bench Subban for taking a penalty?
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 8:46 PM EST reply actions
Man that was questionable though.
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 8:47 PM EST up reply actions
Methinks he’ll be coughing up another $2500
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 8:48 PM EST up reply actions
Am I the only one who doesn’t give a crap about slewfoots? Same thing as tripping essentially.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 8:50 PM EST up reply actions
It’s not, actually. When your feet come out from under you like that, you can’t break your fall, and you can land hard on coccyx.
If it’s a worry about a specific injury than any trip along the boards should be a suspension because a player could break their neck.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 8:53 PM EST up reply actions
Apparently.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 8:53 PM EST up reply actions
Do not test me!
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 8:52 PM EST up reply actions
We already know the latter of that argument to be valid, so we can assume he will.
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 8:49 PM EST up reply actions
That was a sick block by Emelin
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 8:49 PM EST reply actions
Great shift all around. Crunches Emelin and saves a goal.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 8:51 PM EST up reply actions
Wait, the Sabres are paying Leino 4,5 Millions per for 6 years? I knew it was bad, but I had forgotten how ridiculous that deal was.
The deal was supported by the metrics. He has a really good GVT!
Hockey Prospectus went so far as to call him the fix for Montreal’s 5-on-5 woes.
TSN also said that deal was better than Cole’s.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 8:54 PM EST up reply actions
Hahaha
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 8:57 PM EST up reply actions
I remember even before I realized how good Cole is I thought it was absurd.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 9:00 PM EST up reply actions
Cole had a 30-goal season once.
Leino had a 30-goal career total.
Yeah, I know goals aren’t everything and the age of the players has to factor in, but sheesh.
Leino isn’t exactly young either, he’ll be 34 by the end of his deal.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 9:00 PM EST up reply actions
To be fair, age at the beginning of the deal is the most important thing. Although you probably should have more confidence in a 32 year old proven quality forward than a 28 year old who just had his first good season in a sheltered role.
Good season in a sheltered role that wasn’t even a 20 goal season.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 9:08 PM EST up reply actions
If you want to use GVT as a measure of a player’s contribution for a given season albeit one that doesn’t seem to account for shooting luck and favorable situations, be my guest. But to use it as a predictive tool? You should know better than that if run a stats oriented website.
They do have a predictive tool called VUKOTA which has output measured in GVT. I’m not sure what all goes into it, though durability certainly does.
http://www.puckprospectus.com/unfiltered/?p=68
The problem is, some of the writers on Hockey Prospectus don’t seem to get GVT’s limitations, including the editor-in-chief. They went so far as to project goaltenders (namely, Price and Halak) based on their GVT.
Bobby Dollas
Is just terrible. Perpetuating this idea that Subban needs to simplify his game.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 8:57 PM EST reply actions
So close for Cole after a great move on Myers
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 9:04 PM EST reply actions
Damn it
Cammalleri commercial on TSN. shakes fist
GameCenter blocks home commercials, and intermissions so I missed that and Francois Gagnon pointing out something anyone with a Habs schedule already knows.
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 9:05 PM EST up reply actions
Bobby Dollas, who never hit double digits in goal scoring in his NHL career, trying to explain how players perform with different teams. Riveting insight!
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 9:08 PM EST reply actions
Is it just me...
Or has most of the solid, short, high percentage passing under Martin disappeared in favour of high risk stuff that rarely works?
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 9:09 PM EST reply actions
Too many risks….and now they’re not doing anything
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 9:10 PM EST up reply actions
The more I watch RC’s coaching the more I think a lot of good things are being undone.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 9:11 PM EST up reply actions
Two season’s worth
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 9:14 PM EST up reply actions
RC is playing with house money. The team’s record under his watch is irrelevant because the Habs are seen as barely better than a lottery pick team. If the young players struggle it’s because that awful Martin guy ruined them (as we all know he was prone to) and every stupid tactical decision goes uncriticized because what he’s doing is apparently more appealing than the boring, losing ways of that dreadful Martin guy who sucked so much.
Everything wrong is due to the players still getting out of Martin’s awesome system.
Everything right is due to the exciting brand of hockey he’s instilling into players that don’t want to be robots anymore.
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by Stephan Cooper on Jan 31, 2012 9:28 PM EST up reply actions
This is being repeated ad nauseum in every facet of media imaginable. Brutal.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 9:30 PM EST up reply actions
That was visible right from the first game versus New Jersey. It didn’t work then either. Whether this is done by coaching mandate or not is another matter.
The first few games I thought it was players being more risky, seeing the coaching change as the leash being cut. Now I’m pretty convinced it’s RC.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 9:30 PM EST up reply actions
Dollas praising Kaberle’s play to block the lane.
I’m pretty sure he fell down accidentally, but that’s just me.
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 9:12 PM EST reply actions
Buffalo must have the smallest top 2 centers in the league. 5’9 Roy and 5’9 Ennis.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 9:12 PM EST reply actions
Yeah but with Gerbe out there, they can be referred to as big centers
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 9:13 PM EST up reply actions
Hahahaha
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 9:20 PM EST up reply actions
I think Darche’s 15 minutes of fame with RC are over. No pun intended
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 9:23 PM EST up reply actions
Plekanec
He’s having a good night in the faceoff circle, but then I noted that he’s won 4 of 6 against Ennis, who is usually on the wing.
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 9:19 PM EST reply actions
Randy Cunneyworth hockey
Outshot 30-15 through two.
Shot attempts are 60-28 in favour of Buffalo.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 9:20 PM EST reply actions
Seems to show that the Red Wings were simply not prepared against Montreal.
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 9:22 PM EST up reply actions
Scoring chances
My oh my…
+6/-10 at ES, nothing on ST
Overall, +9/-16
- Whomever’s matched to Plek’s line is taking them to the woodshed: 11 is +1/-6, 14 is +0/-5 and 27 +1/-4
- Gorges +0/-7, Subban +1/-7
- Kaberle +3/-7, +2/-5, Gill +5/-1, Emelin +5/-4
- Eller +3/-7, his wingmen +3/-4
- Pacioretty +4/-7, Cole +6/-5 DD +5/-4.
MaxPac and Cole both have 3 SC, 45, 81 and 27 with the other.
That’s not pretty.
Ouch. And this isn’t a good team they’re facing either.
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by Stephan Cooper on Jan 31, 2012 9:27 PM EST up reply actions
Not even a mediocre team, and their best player isn’t playing.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 9:28 PM EST up reply actions
My head has been telling me for a while that the season is over, but my heart kept believing that a playoff run wasn’t out of the question. That emotional nonsense is being bludgeoned to death at the moment.
These are team the Habs have to crush to get a shot at the playoffs.
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 9:30 PM EST up reply actions
It isn’t, but Ruff is a helluva coach.
Buffalo was dead in the water for the first 10 minutes. They obviously saw the habs over agressive 2 man forecheck (2 behind the net and one in the slot!) and adjusted quickly.
Now it’s 3 on 2 galore.
That or everybody’s hungover.
What, are you saying that the 2-man forecheck isn’t the panacea to all that ails the Habs?
NONSENSE!
What are the odds that Randy adjusts in the third?
Ruff is probably one of the best coaches in terms of making adjustments
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 9:35 PM EST up reply actions
Price aside, and even he looked shaky through the first half.
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 9:31 PM EST up reply actions
Dollas says it doesn’t matter how the first two periods go, it’s how it ends.
Clearly he’s never read EOTP, or any other decent hockey blog out there.
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 9:34 PM EST reply actions
I’d like to complain about officiating, but with possession as it is Buffalo is earning the PPs.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 9:34 PM EST reply actions
The race for 9th!
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 9:38 PM EST up reply actions
Leafs had a three goal lead with 13:23 to play .
Guess who tied it for Pit with 7 seconds left?
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 9:38 PM EST up reply actions
Remember the good old days when JM would be pissed if the team gave up 12 scoring chances in total? 16 after 2…
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 9:37 PM EST reply actions
This game is painful to watch. Dump and chase, dump and chase, dump and chase…. Even RC has to be smart enough to know….of forget it, know he doesn’t
Yeah, I don't like the Bruins, but I HATE the Flyers!
id blame my iphone for the inadvertant “know” instead of “no” up there, but i am not using it. It is just that I am a moron.
Yeah, I don't like the Bruins, but I HATE the Flyers!
by courtnall on Jan 31, 2012 9:39 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I’ve yet to see an impactful in game adjustment from Cunneyworth.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 9:44 PM EST up reply actions
Yes you have. It is just they are all negative results.
Yeah, I don't like the Bruins, but I HATE the Flyers!
True.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 10:01 PM EST up reply actions
Jersey wins another shootout. Which is the biggest difference between them and the Habs — they win shootouts and the Habs lose them.
I bet we’d win some with Parise.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 9:42 PM EST up reply actions
Saw it coming. Sabres were skating freely all around the net, while Habs just watched
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 9:42 PM EST up reply actions
We are! Maybe sooner!
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by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 31, 2012 9:43 PM EST up reply actions
Probably Gill and Campoli, Moen if he’s healthy.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 9:44 PM EST up reply actions
I can see that. Kaberle I’m expecting to get traded in the offseason, but not the deadline.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 9:53 PM EST up reply actions
That’s good. I can’t imagine how RC could live without Blunden.
That’s who you were referring to, right?
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You have to figure Gill and Campoli go for whatever you can get.
Then decisions on Darche, Nokelainen, Weber, Moen, Kaberele, Kostitsyn. Probably based on what kind of market there is for each.
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by Stephan Cooper on Jan 31, 2012 9:46 PM EST up reply actions
little things
seeing Bourque being the first one back on the backcheck is nice.
Not losing to Buffalo and therefore not driving another nail in to the coffin, that would be better
Montreal’s guys playing hard for Cunneyworth can only be a statement made by someone that hasn’t actually watch Montreal this season.
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Yeah. This guy stinks.
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by Stephan Cooper on Jan 31, 2012 9:49 PM EST up reply actions
Also always says the full team name. “the Montreal Canadiens.”
Its so awkward and annoying.
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by Stephan Cooper on Jan 31, 2012 9:50 PM EST up reply actions
Even if we tie it, I expect a shootout loss.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 9:55 PM EST reply actions
Are Millers pads curved or something? That’s like the fourth shot that’s hit him and gone straight up.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 9:55 PM EST reply actions
more likely is an empty netter, probably by myers so the buffalo announcers can go crazy
Yeah, I don't like the Bruins, but I HATE the Flyers!
I can see that.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 9:57 PM EST up reply actions
Buffalo’s a big strong team? HAHAHAHAHAH My god this guy is clueless.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 9:58 PM EST reply actions
What a joke.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 10:04 PM EST reply actions
Silver lining
Well at least Cunneyworth has improved enough to not have us getting blown out anymore.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 10:10 PM EST up reply actions
Pessimism time
That’s probably just players coming back from injury.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Jan 31, 2012 10:10 PM EST up reply actions
Then who, though? There’s not exactly a surfeit of competent unemployed French-speaking coaches and the Habs just fired the most likely one.
A lot of them aren’t unemployed, just employed in the french language media. Still incompetent though.
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by Stephan Cooper on Feb 1, 2012 12:57 AM EST up reply actions
I’d like to know who’s going to be the GM before I think about the coach. My biggest fear is that the mood is ripe for a snake oil salesman to sweep into town and embark us on a disastrous rebuilding project.
If the next GM dynamites the team we’re looking at between 5 and 10 years of sucking then hopefully we’ll be right where we started. The problem is that a lot of media types genuinely believe this is a profitable strategy.
Who cares what the media thinks? We’ll be making the argument against such a strategy.
As for a coach, there are a few porfessional bi and trilingual candidates in Switzerland…
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And Pierre McGuire would if he was named.
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by Andrew Berkshire on Feb 1, 2012 11:41 AM EST up reply actions
Nightmare scenario
http://melnickblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/bring-pierre-home.html
This is such a promotional piece it is ridiculous. The hyperbole and inconsistency in McGuire’s analysis blows me away.
On Huet
I remain highly skeptical. He’s never been this good at any level. I don’t think he can sustain this high level of play
On Pascal Leclaire
Pascal Leclaire is the greatest goaltender that the Ottawa Senators have ever had
He was skeptical about Huet, but not about Leclaire? This is typical McGuire. Melnick decides to take every statement that McGuire made with any truth and highlight them, while ignoring every ridiculous statement he ever made to somehow come to the conclusion that he is a great GM candidate.
He highlights all of Gauthier’s faults and then lists off all of McGuire’s accomplishments like they are full of successes.
Hartford Whalers – .386 Winning Percentage
Baton Rouge Fish Kings – .486 Winning Percentage
When it is suggested McGuire failed as an NHL coach, it is met with reasons for that failure. When the Canadiens succeeded, it is met with reasons why it shouldn’t count.
This is so biased and one-sided it is ridiculous.
If you want 30 tweets a day, don't follow me. @ChrisBoyle33
Again, as I said on Twitter back when Dreger’s list of candidates came out, why hasn’t Pierre tried to get a job in NHL management as an assistant or involved with player development in recent years to prove his worth? Booth analysis and name recognition is why guys like Ed Olczyk and Barry Melrose were hired in recent years. I don’t see why McGuire is viewed as such a slam dunk candidate for so many.
Anyways, I’m just starting to put together a list of bilingual coaching candidates, and it’s pretty clear to me that there must be significant disadvantages to being a Francophone and succeeding as a coach or manager in North American professional hockey unless you had success as a player… pretty much all candidates are limited to the QMJHL. There are no AHL head coaches besides Joidin, virtually no NHL assistants and just a handful of AHL assistants. In Europe there are a handful of candidates, probably a better pool to be honest.
If Julien Brisebois or Claude Loiselle are the most obvious GM candidates out there, then I’d look to Martin Gelinas as a potential assistant GM (currently Nashville’s directer of player development).
If the Canadiens want to go this route, then it is imperative on them as an organization to take initiative and start the grassroots development by running coaching clinics (and lets be honest, offering English lessons) and awarding scholarships to top Quebec candidates for commerce and MBA programs.
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As I pointed out in other threads, Montreal’s francophone requirement has turned them into a coaching farm club for other teams. Other teams sometimes bring up coaches (largely anglophone) from the AHL, but they heavily employ experienced NHL coaches who’ve operated in other cities. But unlike the other clubs, Montreal wants a coach to speak French more than an experienced coach, and that gives them a chicken-and-egg problem.
Because practically all existing francophone coaches have been developed and brought into the league by Montreal, and the Habs can’t really re-hire their former coaches, they end up continually hiring rookies. The rookies either fail and end up not returning to the NHL, or they become successful and move on to other teams once they’re driven out of town in Montreal. Leaving the Habs to hire another rookie francophone.
Martin was exceptional in this regard, in that he was a credible, experienced francophone coach who hadn’t gone through Montreal before, and why firing him was a bigger mistake than just the immediate hockey reasons.
by MathMan on Feb 1, 2012 10:47 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Well, you have to remember that for these media types Pierre McGuire isn’t just a random candidate for GM. He’s a buddy — and a guy who strikes them as knowledgeable and hard-working. Of course, much of the knowledge is narrative-driven but that’s also part of their perspective.
OTOH, while I think McGuire would be a disaster, I’ll always give him credit for one thing: he is the only color guy I’ve heard seriously mention matchups.
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