Go Habs Go!

[Doc Holliday]

Well...some had big big dreams with WRIGHT and LAFRENIÈRE,,,,,,,,there is never a sure warrenty......could b a long long process....i much prefer to let the chips fall....lol...

Well i did warn everybody prior to the last draft that this year’s crop was a poor one & because of the lost junior season due to covid the middle round picks may end up having better careers than the top picks. The lost year really affected their development & also greatly hurt scouting.

So no surprise on my part that both Wright & Slafkovsky have struggled badly so far. But it’s still way too early to give up on any of them. Some of the past superstars either came out of nowhere or took a few years to reach their potential. The draft more often than not is a crap shoot.

I’ve also repeated often that the habs picked the wrong year to finish last & end up picking first. The next draft is THE year to finish in the basement. There are many gems that will be available in next July’s draft. Connor Bedard appears to be a generational player but there are several others who may be franchise players & future stars among the top 10 ranked picks of the 2023 draft.

The habs should end up with a great pick (even better than Wright or Slafkovski) if they can pick in the top 6. Worst-case scenario for them would be to miss the playoffs but only end up picking outside the top 8.

 

[EagerBeaver]

The habs should end up with a great pick (even better than Wright or Slafkovski) if they can pick in the top 6. Worst-case scenario for them would be to miss the playoffs but only end up picking outside the top 8.

If the Habs pick #6 that is right about where Matthew Wood of UConn is projected to go:

Matthew Wood - Men's Ice Hockey - University of Connecticut Athletics

Matthew Wood (71) Forward - 2022-23 Season: Played in all 35 games during his freshman season... Scored 11 goals with 23 assists for 34 points… Generated 102...

uconnhuskies.com

 

[EagerBeaver]

BTW not sure if you guys have noticed but Cole Caulfield now has 7 goals in 9 games. I think he could be a 40 goal scorer as soon as this season.

 

[Cap'tain Fantastic]

Slafkovsky have struggled badly so far

I dont see Slaf struggling that bad so far, yes he can be a bit lost at times but the kid is able to catch up, we can see it every additional game he plays. He wont be a Crosby but he still will be a very good asset in a few years.

 

[Cap'tain Fantastic]

BTW not sure if you guys have noticed but Cole Caulfield now has 7 goals in 9 games. I think he could be a 40 goal scorer as soon as this season.

Exactly my thoughts at the end of last season, he's a 40 goal guy for sure.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Exactly my thoughts at the end of last season, he's a 40 goal guy for sure.

Do you think Cole Caulfield will achieve the status of best American born player to play for the Habs, taking that status away from Max Pacioretty? Max never had 40 goals for the Habs. 39 was his best season.

 

[gaby]

WOW....quel divertissement again.....honnêtement hier je n'y croyais pas vs les imposants/robustes BLUES....et de plus tiraient de l'arrière 3-1...et wow....se sont mis au bouleau et ont frappé un grand coup.....congrats....et une petite pensée pour le coach qui à ce jour
fait des miracles....lol

 

[EagerBeaver]

Observe the pass on this goal from Suzuki to Caulfield. It's an excellent pass by Suzuki who spotted Caulfield rushing to the net and threaded the needle to him:

Caufield's second goal of game | Montréal Canadiens

Nick Suzuki makes an excellent cross-ice pass to Cole Caufield, who goes top shelf on the power play to notch his second goal of the game

www.nhl.com

In basketball this would be called movement without the ball where a shooting guard runs off a screen and into the corner where he is open and needs to be passed to- if someone is looking for him.Moving without the ball in basketball is itself a denoted skill as some guys can run endlessly and/or run their defenders into screens.

I think in hockey Caulfield has a similar type of skill, moving without the puck and putting oneself into position to score. It's nice to have a guy like Suzuki to feed you dinner when the meal served is goals.

 

[Chouin95]

Observe the pass on this goal from Suzuki to Caulfield. It's an excellent pass by Suzuki who spotted Caulfield rushing to the net and threaded the needle to him:

Caufield's second goal of game | Montréal Canadiens

Nick Suzuki makes an excellent cross-ice pass to Cole Caufield, who goes top shelf on the power play to notch his second goal of the game

www.nhl.com

In basketball this would be called movement without the ball where a shooting guard runs off a screen and into the corner where he is open and needs to be passed to- if someone is looking for him.Moving without the ball in basketball is itself a denoted skill as some guys can run endlessly and/or run their defenders into screens.

I think in hockey Caulfield has a similar type of skill, moving without the puck and putting oneself into position to score. It's nice to have a guy like Suzuki to feed you dinner when the meal served is goals.

Yeah I guess we can called it a hockey alley-oop! That play from Suzuki was all-world and the way Caufield is able to find the free space is just unmatched, it is safe to say that they’re gonna be one of the best 1-2 punch in the league if they are not already.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Yeah I guess we can called it a hockey alley-oop!

That's a good analogy, the actions involved in that play between Suzuki and Caulfield required very good coordination and visually communicating between 2 teammates. Suzuki knew exactly what Caulfield was doing and where he was going and that pass was right on the money. In basketball alley oop plays its very important for the pass to be on the money as it has to hit the players hands at the apex of his leap. Certain players who have extraordinary leaping ability like Vince Carter or Michael Jordan could collect and dunk alley oop passes that were a little off target because they can stay in the air longer, for other players the pass needs to be threaded. In this case with Suzuki he really had to thread that pass through traffic to the streaking Caulfield who was rushing the net and he put it right on his stick. It was perfect. Suzuki should have gotten 2 assists for that pass.

 

[gaby]

Hey....un doublé/2 victoires en 24h avec une belle combativité.....BRAVO les boys....semble qu'on ait peut-être un VRAI 1er trio avec DACH comme ailier et même un bon potentiel 2ème trio avec HOFFMAN qui nous étonne....bon jeu d'ensemble...et des défenseurs
qui font le travail....de même que nos gardiens.....crédit aussi au coach ....qui ne cesse de m'épater et qui a sa propre philosophie..''le martinisme''...lol.....et ça porte fruit....

 

[Doc Holliday]

The Habs are looking good! Unlike the Senators which have been a large disappointment so far. A large share of the blame falls on Pierre Dorion since he failed to address the biggest problem: defence. And goaltending was always to be a big question mark. Unfortunately the coach will likely end up paying the price for the team’s lack of success.

 

[EagerBeaver]

The Habs are looking good!

They look like they could be a .500/middle of the pack team for the season. Which of course means no Conor Bedard, no Matthew Wood, and no lottery pick. This means that for the Habs to get better as in elite/Stanley Cup sip-worthy, they will need to sign top free agents. That's a problem because top free agents do not wish to share half their income or more with the Quebec taxing authorities. So they sign with American teams a la Johnny Gaudreau, or force trades to them like Matt Tkachuk. So Hab fans have to be careful what they wish for. The best way to get better fast is the tanking model in which you stockpile draft picks after sucking for a number of years. When the sucking stops, so does the stockpiling of higher draft picks.

 

[Chouin95]

They look like they could be a .500/middle of the pack team for the season. Which of course means no Conor Bedard, no Matthew Wood, and no lottery pick. This means that for the Habs to get better as in elite/Stanley Cup sip-worthy, they will need to sign top free agents. That's a problem because top free agents do not wish to share half their income or more with the Quebec taxing authorities. So they sign with American teams a la Johnny Gaudreau, or force trades to them like Matt Tkachuk. So Hab fans have to be careful what they wish for. The best way to get better fast is the tanking model in which you stockpile draft picks after sucking for a number of years. When the sucking stops, so does the stockpiling of higher draft picks.

I’d rather have a winner mindset and attitude than quote on quote tanking especially in November. I don’t really get what your asking for, do you want the coaches to tell the players to skate slower and make bad passes…
The way the Habs are playing this season is the right way, win or lose.
If they overachieve and end up making the playoffs, it’s gonna be positive experience for the young players much like Caufield/Suzuki in the Stanley Cup run.(both 15 and 13 overall pick)
If not every teams out of the playoffs have a shot at Bedard.

 

[EagerBeaver]

I don’t really get what your asking for, do you want the coaches to tell the players to skate slower and make bad passes…

I am not asking for anything. I am just stating the big time REALITY of how to build a Stanley Cup winning team. History has taught these lessons over and over and over again. Either you study history and learn from it or you are doomed to repeat past lessons not learned.

 

[Chouin95]

I am not asking for anything. I am just stating the big time REALITY of how to build a Stanley Cup winning team. History has taught these lessons over and over and over again. Either you study history and learn from it or you are doomed to repeat past lessons not learned.

I really think the management and coaches are doing a great job at building a winning franchise.
For example, the team is not missing a player like Romanov and having Kirby Dach in return at 6’4’’ 21y.o. is a very interesting gamble.
Let’s beat a disappointing Pittsburgh team on Saturday night and keep the ball rolling.

 

[Cap'tain Fantastic]

The best way to get better fast is the tanking model in which you stockpile draft picks after sucking for a number of years.

Oilers, Sens, Sabres have been tanking for years where's their cup?

 

[gaby]

I much prefer the model/DEVILS qui ont bâti une équipe solide à l'intérieur de leur propre organisation.....pour moi c'est la route qui mène au succès.

 

[EagerBeaver]

The Devils haven't won a Stanley Cup since 2003. When they did win 3 Stanley Cups, in 1995, 2000 and 2003, they had a Hall of Fame goalie in Brodeur, a HOF defenseman in Scott Stevens and a number of great acquisitions by GM Lou Lamiorello. A key to the 1995 Stanley Cup champion coached by Jacques Lemaire was Claude Lemieux, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy after scoring 13 playoff goals. That year in the playoffs Brodeur had a 1.67 GAA and a .927 Save %. Was by far the best goalie in those playoffs.

 

[bobbyc]

They look like they could be a .500/middle of the pack team for the season. Which of course means no Conor Bedard, no Matthew Wood, and no lottery pick. This means that for the Habs to get better as in elite/Stanley Cup sip-worthy, they will need to sign top free agents. That's a problem because top free agents do not wish to share half their income or more with the Quebec taxing authorities. So they sign with American teams a la Johnny Gaudreau, or force trades to them like Matt Tkachuk. So Hab fans have to be careful what they wish for. The best way to get better fast is the tanking model in which you stockpile draft picks after sucking for a number of years. When the sucking stops, so does the stockpiling of higher draft picks.

i understand what your saying but we got caufield 14th or 15th if i remember well