tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-703672817425686916.post8764832560013865645..comments2023-11-03T09:15:38.743-04:00Comments on The Daily Hab-it: Yes, I'm a party pooperArpon Basuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11896844844557916169noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-703672817425686916.post-45824772745662126722009-10-21T12:39:53.162-04:002009-10-21T12:39:53.162-04:00Well, let's not pretend Atlanta was some sort ...Well, let's not pretend Atlanta was some sort of world-beater because of a 4-1 record. All signs point to a mediocre-to-bad team on a hot streak. They were allowing an average of 10 shots more than they took even before landing in Montreal, and were getting by solely on unreal shooting percentage, incredible power play efficiency, and improbable goaltending... sort of like the reverse of the Canadiens of this season.<br /><br />Unfortunately for the Thrashers, that tends to catch up to teams, as we know from previous Habs teams. Just like the Habs' shooting problems, that trend should even out over time. I don't foresee Atlanta being a factor in the playoff race despite their hot start, unless their overall play improves.<br /><br />Montreal had been outplaying better teams than Atlanta and I would have been very disappointed if Montreal was outplayed last night. Winning was a different matter given the discrepancy in percentages between the teams, but I expected Montreal to be the better team on the ice, and they very much were.<br /><br />I remain convinced that Montreal does not have a real problem generating offense. The puck possession and the chances are there; all that remains is a matter of finish, and from what I saw it's only a matter of puck luck, not anything they could really do differently. All those chances and shots Montreal are creating will eventually turn into goals, through luck if not through sheer volume. It is not normal that a guy like Cammalleri has only one goal on over 30 shots and as the season progresses, this kind of thing will get much closer to a reasonable average. Really, what can Martin tell the Habs to work on to fix this? "Score more"? "Shoot straighter"? "Miss the post" -- what was it, four, five last night?<br /><br />The power play can probably use some new tactics and practice, and some mobility. But the 5-on-5 offense is looking quite good.<br /><br />Keep playing like they have, even improving game-to-game, and good things will come. A Habs team that doesn't get constantly owned at evens is a welcome change of pace, too.MathMannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-703672817425686916.post-33467348332462972382009-10-21T11:59:48.352-04:002009-10-21T11:59:48.352-04:00Party pooper, but also a bit of a realist. Montrea...Party pooper, but also a bit of a realist. Montreal was catching Atlanta in the final game of a five-game road trip. Yes, the Habs did some good things and that top line's chemistry is starting to show, but without secondary scoring, or scoring period, work remains to be done. That's all I'm saying.<br />Also, MathMan is bang on as to why Kovalchuk was a total non-factor. He barely ever had the puck because Gomez had it on his stick all night. One thing that really impressed me from that line was night was its ability to force turnovers off the forecheck and snuff out breakouts. Not allowing Kovalchuk to play off the rush takes away his greatest asset.Arpon Basuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11896844844557916169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-703672817425686916.post-18439075754154941062009-10-21T11:48:42.236-04:002009-10-21T11:48:42.236-04:00Mathman - really enjoying your perspective and com...Mathman - really enjoying your perspective and comments. Keep them coming please.<br /><br />Partypooper - pretty light poop if you ask me. Sounds like a weary, ink-stained wretch (in a bad jacket) with a little optimist inside just dying to burst out in kid-like exuberance and support. <br /><br />Just a thought on why the carry-overs, i.e. Lats, Laps, et al from the purge may be struggling more than the new people. The new people are more familiar with the Martin system than the encumbents. When you look at the difference in one year in shots on goal (for and against and the quality of the shots) there has been a sea-change in our system. Once the incumbents get more familiar with it and their new team mates, they should be fine.Vnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-703672817425686916.post-65610214249233094932009-10-21T11:18:11.459-04:002009-10-21T11:18:11.459-04:00Credit Gomez for Kovalchuk's silence.
What ma...Credit Gomez for Kovalchuk's silence.<br /><br />What makes Gomez a true first-line center is that he can go out against top opposition and still drive puck possession and positive results, even if points do not happen. Tonight was a perfect illustration: not only did Gomez and company buzz in the Thrasher's zone all night and create numerous chances that should have generated more than one goal... but Martin matched Gomez's line against Kovalchuk's all night so that when the Habs' top line were pinning Atlanta in their own zone, they also rendered Kovalchuk ineffectual by forcing him to cover the point man all night rather than being an offensive threat.<br /><br />That's Gomez's schtick, and I'm really looking forward to seeing more of it. He's a puck possession ace, plain and simple, and puck possession has not only offensive virtues but also defensive benefits (ie. Kovalchuk is no threat when he doesn't have the puck). In a game where the checking line is almost extinct and coaches play strength against strength, having a guy like Gomez is a bigger benefit than his point totals might indicate.MathMannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-703672817425686916.post-12727519742071427582009-10-21T10:19:52.348-04:002009-10-21T10:19:52.348-04:00Anyone know who can be credited with shutting down...Anyone know who can be credited with shutting down Kovalchuk for much of the game. I barely noticed him most of the time. Was there a defensive pairing or a forward line that was used against him all night, or was it more of a team effort?TKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05770876682490016264noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-703672817425686916.post-46683739444633978712009-10-21T10:06:36.282-04:002009-10-21T10:06:36.282-04:00i'd like to believe that if they master this p...i'd like to believe that if they master this puck-possession game than it won't be about the unlucky bounces or posts. those chances will go in because, as gionta said, they won't be getting frustrated when they don't. <br /><br />solid effort last night. something to build on. <br /><br />nk.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-703672817425686916.post-15413463878410946732009-10-21T09:06:54.386-04:002009-10-21T09:06:54.386-04:00sign shannahan. bring up sergi. or trade sergi and...sign shannahan. bring up sergi. or trade sergi and andrei for frolov- he was healthy scratch the other night.pmknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-703672817425686916.post-50060870932985698332009-10-21T08:57:44.964-04:002009-10-21T08:57:44.964-04:00My concern is that the lack of goals on so many sh...My concern is that the lack of goals on so many shots reflects the...well, wee-ness of the top three. Other teams will put a lot of shots on net and depend on someone battling in front to tuck in the odd rebound. This is especially necessary when facing a hot goalie. The Habs simply don't have a forward willing (Latendresse) or able (Gionta, for all his spunk, isn't the guy) to do this. The Wee Three generate a lot of buzz in the offensive zone, its true, but I still feel they need some size to break up the middle. A lot of the Habs' shots are being blocked; if we had a forward hunkering down in front of their goalie, the opposition would have something else to worry about than following the puck for an easy block.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-703672817425686916.post-31422314485061617632009-10-21T08:07:06.939-04:002009-10-21T08:07:06.939-04:00Party pooper indeed.
The Habs dominated most of t...Party pooper indeed.<br /><br />The Habs dominated most of the game, out-shot their opponents by a large margin, out-chanced them by an even larger margin and kept one of the league's most prolific scorers completely at bay. Both the PP and the PK looked good (even of the PP didn't actually pay dividends). <br /><br />If the Habs keep playing like they did last night they'll be filling the net all year long. True, they haven't been getting the bounces, but as anyone that's ever heard a quote from a slumping forward knows, you only need to worry if you're not getting chances. ;)<br /><br />Why not focus on the fact that the New Habs are now the aggressive, forechecking team you spent most of last season pining for (remember the ol' 0FC we loved so much)?<br /><br />How about the fact that our best players are our best players, night in and night out (granted, with varying results)? The "Wee Three" (you heard that here first!) show up every night and give it their all, and they don't spend their days off giving later-to-be-denied interviews to Sovietsky Sport.<br /><br />Overall, although I was starting to worry a little when the losing streak hit five games, I'm feeling pretty good about the new Habs.Sliver24https://www.blogger.com/profile/02625997571544935023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-703672817425686916.post-46379428517359192882009-10-21T06:36:22.349-04:002009-10-21T06:36:22.349-04:00On the bright side, they are holding other teams t...On the bright side, they are holding other teams to few goals and almost always giving themselves a chance.<br /><br />Could it be that Laps, Lats and some holdovers are having more trouble adapting to the new system than the newer guys? Perhaps the concept of a system is foreign to them?Anvilcloudhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07974744042579564912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-703672817425686916.post-59932093585644839702009-10-21T00:38:44.476-04:002009-10-21T00:38:44.476-04:00Still snakebit, but they eke out a win this time.
...Still snakebit, but they eke out a win this time.<br /><br />Just as Atlanta wasn't going to keep scoring 4 goals a game and winning while giving up 10 shots more than they took every game, the Habs aren't going to keep outplaying the other team, holding on to the puck, and generating so many chances without some of them going in -- from sheer luck and volume if nothing else. At some point there'll be a mini-explosion offensively and lots of ink will be used trying to explain what the Habs did differently, when really it'll just have been a return to normal. 10-to-1 it gets attributed to confidence though. ;)MathMannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-703672817425686916.post-76040024014587169812009-10-21T00:31:10.130-04:002009-10-21T00:31:10.130-04:00Agreed re: Lapierre, Latendresse and Sergei. That ...Agreed re: Lapierre, Latendresse and Sergei. That said, the Habs hit the post about five or six times. If half of those shots move an inch in, it's not quite a blowout, but the score more accurately reflects the effort (and is more in line with the rest of the stats).<br /><br />Not that it's all good news. Hal Gill continues to suck, pure and simple. I counted one decent takeaway against at least half a dozen plays where he was lazy, out of position, passive or unable to move the puck quickly. For a team that will live and die on the rush, there's no room for a giant defenceman who doesn't hit (and yes, yes, Markov, O'Byrne, etc.). Further, Marc-Andre Bergeron was terrible from his first shift on. I assume he will get better, but the sight of him and Gill watching as the Thrashers crawled back into the game was incredibly dispiriting. <br /><br />Cam Barker, eh?Beeghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02751224858860811207noreply@blogger.com