NHL 2008-09 regular season thread!

[lgna69xxx]

even tho im a Leafs fan first and foremost, i feel bad for Price, the kid was practically in tears in the post game interviews and Guy Carb isnt helping him by acting like a tough coach and saying "what more can i say, he let in 5 goals" in a sarcastic/mad way..... he's only in his second season and has played all of what, maybe 80 games in the nhl? ...... BUT with that said, Leafs looked so impressive tonight, but next game they will look horrible most likely, like i said, give Burke and Wilson 2 full years together and you will see...........

oh and by the way, i found that band wagon parked on rene levesque, and it was empty with a note in the drivers seat that said "i will be back when we win a damn game" and it was signed .......GOHABSGO,

Well, i'll be frank & say that if it wasn't for Carey Price, the game would have been a lot closer. He was absolutely awful!!! What the hell is wrong with him this year? Every shot from around the blueline either goes in or he struggles with it. Bad eyesight?

Many are now starting to wonder if he was worth blowing a first-round draft pick on. I also think that at this point into the season, Halak is the better goaltender. He would have been between the pipes tonight if it wasn't for the flu bug. Not sure the Leafs would have been able to win the game as easily if Halak would have played. By the way, i can't figure Carbo line changes. Didn't George Laracque play a bit too much tonight?? Why??? They'll never win by giving that much ice-time to a marginal player such as George Laracque!

 

[Techman]

The Leafs always pick up their game when they play the Habs. They played well last night but Price was really the reason they won the game. His confidence seems to have vanished and the team isn't scoring any goals to support him. When Halak was in nets he didn't really play that great but the team was scoring enough to pull it out.

After such a long injury layoff, I wonder if it wouldn't have been a good idea to have him rehab with a couple of games in Hamilton before being put back into the thick of things. Whatever way you look at it, I have always felt that he wasn't ready to be the Habs number one and needed at least one more season sharing the load with another goalie. Right now, I don't think he can handle the pressure that has been put on him by the team as well as the press and the fans.

But congrats to the Leafs for a well played game that they deserved to win.

Techman

 

[joelcairo]

The problem is that the expectations for Price were way too high from the beginning. Before he ever played an NHL game he was being touted as a savior.

Pundits should start to realise that the NHL is a whole new place to play and you can't always predict who will be a star. Doug Wickenheiser and Alexandre Daigle are proof in one direction while Luc Robitaille, Mark Messier, Brett Hull and Mike Bossy are proof in another.

Price is okay and will probably have a decent career but don't expect him to be the second coming of Jacques Plante or Terry Sawchuk.

 

[Doc Holliday]

GOHABSGO only shows up when they're winning.

You just discovered this?

 

[Doc Holliday]

The Flyers goaltending coach told the Flyers team to shoot to his glove side last year during the playoffs... he was exposed... and now eveybody is beating him glove side... He's young so maybe he can learn but his confidence looks really shaky... he doesn't even seem to move well this season.

Having worked with goaltenders in the past at both the Midget & Junior level, i noticed last year that Price's biggest asset was his positioning & body movement. He always seemed to be situated in front of the puck & instinctively knew where the shot would go. This is something that is rarely thought, but it's pure instinct. Most great goalies have this instinct, but most often have great glove hands. I've yet to see Price having a great glovehand. Having a great glovehand has to do with instinct, great eyesight & quickness. It's questionable if this can also be thought. Either you have it, or you don't. But what i've noticed this year is that he hasn't moved as well as last year.

Want to know what i think his problem is? His eyesight. He doesn't seem to see the puck when it's being shot from far away.

Last night after the game, he was close to tears. His confidence seems to have reached an all-time low & he's truly not happy. Is his unhappiness due to his goaltending problems, or personal ones? Or are personal problems at the source of his below-par goaltending?

I'm wondering if Gainey won't try to obtain a quality goaltender at the trading deadline if Price doesn't snap out of his funk. Surely the Habs can't be expected to go very deeply into the playoffs if Price doesn't pick up his game. And if he doesn't, are their playoff chances at risk?

 

[Doc Holliday]

Leafs looked so impressive tonight, but next game they will look horrible most likely, like i said, give Burke and Wilson 2 full years together and you will see...........

I agree. That's been the main problem with the Leafs, inconsistency. That's what happens with young teams & especially teams void of veteran leadership.

 

[Doc Holliday]

The problem is that the expectations for Price were way too high from the beginning. Before he ever played an NHL game he was being touted as a savior.

Price is okay and will probably have a decent career but don't expect him to be the second coming of Jacques Plante or Terry Sawchuk.

I totally agree. I'd like to add that i don't believe that Price will ever achieve greatness if he stays in the Montreal pressure cooker. This is why, i believe, that many former habs who were ordinary players in Mtl discovered stardom (for some, superstardom) after being traded away from Mtl. The Habs were criticized for giving up on them (e.g. John Leclair, Eric Desjardins, etc), but they might have never have achieved their full potential if they would have remained in Mtl. Some players are simply not made up to put up with that kind of fan & media pressure in such a huge hockey market like Montreal. Others who were superstars elsewhere became ordinary players once they began playing for Mtl (e.g. Pierre Turgeon, etc)....why? Pressure.

 

[jackd1959]

You just discovered this?

Not just... he was pretty nasty last year running people over with his band wagon but he disappeared when the Flyers knocked out the HABS in 5 games.

I'm a hockey fan and watch any NHL game that is on... I've been a Flyers season ticket holder for 17 years and an Ottawa season ticket holder for three...I do try to be objective as opposed to a homer (I won't say I'm always objective as sometimes the fan in me will get in the way).

Even when the Flyers finished last in the league I stepped up and took my beatings... I have no respect for people that run and hide when things aren't going well.

Ottawa sucks this season but I'm still not hiding... though maybe I should be!!!

 

[lgna69xxx]

hey jackd, if you happen to ever sell ur tics, pm me, looking for feb 28th tics (leafs/sens) ty

 

[Cosmo]

I'm a Hab fan but let's give credit where it's due;
Blake was awesome last night,so were Schenn and Toskala.
I really am impressed by Blake's speed.Man he cut through Habs defense like a hot knife in a cube of butter.
Habs sucked.Only positive is Laraque beating up May.But then again, May showed lots of caracter by dropping with big George.
The Leafs need a legit heavyweight otherwise their good players will get cheapshot.May is no HW neither is Deveaux.
Go and get Boogard and lets get ready to rumble!!!

 

[WoodyWoody]

Montreal in Calgary

Lets see how Iron Mike will outcoach Carbonneau tonight.
Montreal doesnt stand a chance againts The Flames.

The final score should be around 4-1 Flames.

W.W.

 

[jackd1959]

hey jackd, if you happen to ever sell ur tics, pm me, looking for feb 28th tics (leafs/sens) ty

I do sell them (for my season ticket cost since I'm not trying to turn a profit) but I'll be in Ottawa for that game and the San Jose game just before it.

The Only Toronto game I have left is March 9th but that's a Monday.

 

[lgna69xxx]

ok no problem,. thanks anyways

I do sell them (for my season ticket cost since I'm not trying to turn a profit) but I'll be in Ottawa for that game and the San Jose game just before it.

The Only Toronto game I have left is March 9th but that's a Monday.

 

[master_bates]

Lets see how Iron Mike will outcoach Carbonneau tonight.
Montreal doesnt stand a chance againts The Flames.

The final score should be around 4-1 Flames.

W.W.

6-2 flames

WOW

 

[SexyNadya]

Bob Do Something !!!

6-2 flames

WOW

Hello Master Bates !

6-2 ... that's not a good sign ! !

This road trip may turn out to be a real nightmare and place the Habs
out of the top 8 ! I say chances are 50/50 ... I hate it !

BOB DO SOMETHING !!!

 

[JustBob]

BOB DO SOMETHING !!!

I can't, your picture keeps distracting me.

 

[Cosmo]

Hello Master Bates !

6-2 ... that's not a good sign ! !

This road trip may turn out to be a real nightmare and place the Habs
out of the top 8 ! I say chances are 50/50 ... I hate it !

BOB DO SOMETHING !!!

Bob is not the only one resposible here.

But it is obvious this team badly needs character players who can play on the first couple of lines.Players like Brandon Shanahan,Shane Doan,Ryan Smyth,Brendan Morrow,Ryan Malone and....Sean Avery!

Too many average players on the team,they all play the same way.The hardnosed players they have are third and fourth liners;Begin,Lapierre,Kostopoulos,Bouillon...

 

[master_bates]

This road trip is only tough for teams that are strugglling just like montreal

The only real threat on it is the last team vs washington

The rest is edmonton, colorado, vancouver, pittsburgh

I agree Bob still needs to do something fast!

Like hiring a new goalie coach and getting rid of Melanson

 

[jackd1959]

February could prove to be a difficult month for the HABS...this is not an easy schedule with 6 of 9 games on the road and two back to back games thrown in there. Even the Ottawa game isn't a gimme becasue it will be their third game in four nights coming off the raod against Washington and Pittsburgh.

Wed, Feb 11 @ Edmonton 10:00 PM
Fri, Feb 13 @ Colorado 9:00 PM
Sun, Feb 15 @ Vancouver 10:00 PM
Wed, Feb 18 @ Washington 7:30 PM
Thu, Feb 19 @ Pittsburgh 7:00 PM
Sat, Feb 21 Ottawa 3:00 PM
Tue, Feb 24 Vancouver 7:30 PM
Fri, Feb 27 @ Philadelphia 7:00
Sat, Feb 28 San Jose 7:00 PM

 

[lgna69xxx]

Oilers 7 Habs 2.......... geez at this rate we will never see GOHABSGO again!

on another note, Price and his confidence are completely shattered at this point, should Carbo let him play thru it? make him the back up? or should Price be sent to the minors for a couple weeks? ,,,,, very interesting to see what Gainey and Carbo decide in the next few days