Pop Quiz
posted by Chris Aung-Thwin at 10h13 EST on Apr 29
Questions, questions, questions. (THE GAZETTE/John Kenney)A) Dynamite the line-up
B) Dynamite the line-up, but just a little
C) Nothing, but tell everyone to play “better”
D) Tell Carbo to wear the lucky tie
E) Other (please explain)
I thought the Habs played pretty well last night. They shot the puck at the net, generated scoring chances (dang post, again!), and scored a couple on the powerplay.
They didn’t, however, capitalize on early chances (including the worst-looking 5-on-3 I’ve ever seen), or let Price see the puck (he was screened on the first two goals).
Montreal out shot Philadelphia 34-14. They’re getting chances, but not burying them. Besides those pesky post-season posts, both Higgins and Kovalev had great chances but didn’t get the puck on goal. The Habs best players have to be their best players. And speaking of which, what’s happened to Andrei Markov? He’s looking like a 6th-round draft pick out there. Everyone has been denying that he’s playing hurt, but…
So, armchair GM, what do you do?
Do you go drastic? Insert Halak and rest Price?
How about this for a shake up: play Gregory Stewart and sit Maxim Lapierre; play Michael Ryder and sit Mark Streit (move Sergei Kostitsyn to the point on the powerplay); and play Patrice Brisebois, if he’s healthy. Guillaume Latendresse had 5 shots on net and 5 hits, he finished with 12:40 of ice-time and had an even (+/-) rating. He deserves another game.
The lines could be:
Higgins – Koivu – Kovalev
A. Kostitsyn – Plekanec – S. Kostitsyn
Ryder – Smolinksi – Kostopolous
Stewart – Begin – Latendresse
Markov – Komisarek
Hamrlik – Brisebois
Gorges – Bouillon
…
Or do you just ride out this hump and tell the players who’ve been on the ice that you have faith in them and let them go to work?
One thing that HAS to change is the absence of Habs in front of Martin Biron. The Flyer’s netminder has been getting a ton of easy point shots which only builds his confidence. There’s hardly any traffic in front of the net to either screen the shot or re-directed it, and there’s definitely no Sean Avery-like pressure on Biron. He’s a great goaltender, but if you can get into his head you can beat him. Maybe Ryan O’Byrne should be dressed as a forward and told to plant all 6’5” of himself on top of that blue goalie ice…
Whichever players make it into Wednesday’s line-up, one things for certain – we need that ‘W’. The Habs can play their worst game of the year for all I care – as long as they even up the series before coming back home for Saturday’s game.
As for the pop quiz, please have your answers in by no later than Wednesday, 7:00P.M. Cheating off your neighbour is not allowed - unless, of course, your stolen answers are the solution to the Canadiens woes.
Tags:
Comments
Submitted by smart42 on Wed, 04/30/2008 - 20:57.
E.
Chance is not an option, ie, lucky tie. $180 Hermes? NOT
Blow up lines, not so much. Every player wants to know who and where their line mate is.
Gotta know your buds.
Play Halak; everyone else play like it means the world.
Do it boys.
Submitted by Habs-Kat on Wed, 04/30/2008 - 08:52.
Lucky tie! Lucky tie! They're doing everything right, they're just missing the magic.
Submitted by Arturo on Wed, 04/30/2008 - 03:25.
I don't have a problem with sitting someone like Streit. He's supposed to be a key to the power play ... it isn't happening. He doesn't seem to be doing much as a forward either. The two options to replace him are Ryder or Stewart. Ryder could help to wake up the power play and you never know when that guy's gonna suddenly decide to score goals. When he does score, the goals come in bunches. As for Stewart, well he's kind of a mystery. But he can skate, hit and stir the pot. Maybe he's the guy who will get to Biron and dislodge the horseshoe from his arse.
I think the D is doing fairly well, as a few people have mentioned. But who should start in goal? I know that many people have said that sitting Price will undermine his confidence. But right now I think he needs less pressure, not more. Throwing him back into the cauldron might not be what he needs. Remember Halak during last year's playoff push? He was incredible. Totally solid. I think Halak has some untapped potential. Plus, what if Price has another sub-par game and we go down 3-1? Then we put in Halak and ask him to work a miracle? Or turn to Price yet again, setting him up for failure? The key to nurturing young talent like Price is setting him up to succeed, not to fail.
Now, not to sound negative because with one win the Habs are right back in it, with home-ice advantage. So, whatever Carbo comes up with, I'm behind it all the way.
Submitted by Mickey on Tue, 04/29/2008 - 22:16.
Higgins – Plekanec – Kovalev
A. Kostitsyn – Koivu – S. Kostitsyn
Begin – Smolinksi – Kostopolous
Latendresse – Lapps – Ryder
Markov – Komisarek
Hamrlik – O'Byrne
Gorges – Bouillon
Price
Thats the lineup i suggested for game 7, I'd still liek to see that. Only thing I would think about changing is somehow getting Streit in there.
Submitted by Sammy on Tue, 04/29/2008 - 20:58.
Are you stupid? Why would you take out Lapierre? In my opinion, he has been one of the best Habs throughout the playoffs. Although he does not have that many points, he has played with grit and intensity and does not stop working.
Submitted by 24 Cups on Tue, 04/29/2008 - 14:53.
Chris - This is totally off topic but I was just wondering if any HIO posters selected any Flyers or Stars in their draft pools? Not looking for a statistical answer, just a general idea.
The Original 24.4 Cups
Submitted by frank81 on Tue, 04/29/2008 - 16:35.
I chose Ribeiro. I'm also tied for the 59th spot, so my choices probably aren't indicative of any broad trends. haha
Submitted by likehoy on Tue, 04/29/2008 - 18:05.
i chose 6 habs, no flyers, no stars and i'm in 12th place.
Submitted by Connecticut Man1 on Tue, 04/29/2008 - 14:30.
"Do you go drastic? Insert Halak and rest Price?"
What is so drastic about showing your rookie backup goalie that you have confidence in him to step up when your starter rookie is in a major 3 game slump? Price is a big part of the teams' future but he has to do his part.
This is a team game and Halak is a part of this team. I would have preferred that they put Halak in with the team up three games to none but that isn't going to happen in this series, and it is largely due to the soft goals Price has let in.
Submitted by ebk on Tue, 04/29/2008 - 14:47.
drastic....
inserting a goalie who has not played a meaningful minute of hockey in over a month in the most important game of the year fits my idea of drastic.
who knows it might work but that is not a conservative move by any means.
Submitted by cautiousoptimist on Tue, 04/29/2008 - 14:25.
I don't know what to do, but I know what I would do:
We've invested in Price as the goalie of the future. The real deal, the whole nine years, the second coming, whatever you like. Pulling him in the playoffs after a couple of shaky games is no way to nurture that investment. I'd take him aside, calm him down, get him a backrub and an hour in the sauna, and tell him again that we'd never put him into a situation we didn't think he could handle. Then, I'd play him.
Price is a calm guy who's had a jittery week - that doesn't make him a jittery goalie. Happy people have sad weeks - doesn't make them sad people. Give the kid a shot to redeem himself, otherwise you hurt his confidence and damage the goods for the rest of the playoff run. We traded Huet because Price is the present and the future, so let's act like it.
Oh, and I'd choose "D" :)
1. www.flickeringpictures.com - not a hockey site, but still kinda neat
2. Josh Gorges on Montreal's attack: "They're comin', they're comin' and they keep comin'. Just line after line, wave after wave..."
Submitted by 24 Cups on Tue, 04/29/2008 - 14:45.
co - Pretty well sums up the goalie debate. Good post.
The Original 24.4 Cups
Submitted by 24 Cups on Tue, 04/29/2008 - 14:18.
Andrei-Pleks-Kovy
Sergei-Koivu-Ryder
Higgins-Laps-Lats
Begin-Smolinski-TomTheBomb
Markov-Komi
Hamrlik-O'Byrne
Bouillon-Streit
Price
P>S> Don't like to leave Gorges off the list but that's what happens when you want to insert new players. If you're moving Streit back you have to keep some kind of muscle on defense. It's the price we pay to have both Ryder and Lats in the lineup.
P.S. Chris - Is this quiz going to be an open book test?
The Original 24.4 Cups
Submitted by nightmare_49 on Tue, 04/29/2008 - 20:40.
Two Four - Your forward lines are marvelous and perfect and i know what you mean about muscle but i'd switch Gorges for O'Bey cuz of experience. Now Streit is screwing up our "D". I'm going to tell you something, MR.24 Cups, i'd rather have you coach with your lineup than that ebk guy and his s**ty mixed up lineup without Lapierre, lol.
Submitted by ebk on Wed, 04/30/2008 - 00:52.
hey now, and like I said what the hell do I know
Submitted by 24 Cups on Tue, 04/29/2008 - 21:24.
NM49 - Here is my response (from a thread that has disappeared) to your earlier question as to whether I would ever fall off the Habs' bandwagon. "No chance of me jumping - I've been here since the 1950's - when we celebrate our 100th anniversary next year I will have been around for half of it! Most marriages don't last that long:-) Of course, the bad news is that means I must be getting really frackin' old. No, I'm keeping the faith, I just like to be realistic about our boys. I don't cry in my beer, I drink it instead!" By the way, thanks for using the words 'marvelous' and 'perfect' to describe my last post. Made my day.
The Original 24.4 Cups
Submitted by nightmare_49 on Tue, 04/29/2008 - 23:41.
Two Four - You have been a Habs fan longer than the laffs been without the cup, amazing ,so next year you'll celebrate two anniversaries (50/100) so you'll have to have a pint in each hand. It's great to discuss strategy with you knowledgeable guys. Go Habs Go.
Submitted by nightmare_49 on Tue, 04/29/2008 - 20:41.
Semi Double Post.
Submitted by Vid on Tue, 04/29/2008 - 18:51.
I like your lines but say hypothetically that Brisebois were also ready to play, would you play him in place of someone else or leave Brisebois out?
Submitted by 24 Cups on Tue, 04/29/2008 - 19:00.
Vid - that's a hell of a good question. You can't have Brisebois and Streit both on defense so I guess that would mean that poor old Ryder would have to sit and Streit would go back uup front. These are the tough (and unpopular) decisions a team has to make when they have a lot of depth.
The Original 24.4 Cups
Submitted by McPine on Tue, 04/29/2008 - 13:34.
I hate to do this because I dislike his rantings as much as the rest of you, but I think Don mentioned this a few games back. We are doing a great job of screening Price but we are not hassling Biron at all. We need a strong skater to sit in Biron's face and, whenever possible, tip the point shots when they get through.
I also think the guys might do a little better having Halak in nets for one game. I don't know how much confidence the D will have with Price next game, whether it be conscious or subconscious, after allowing 3 goals on 12 shots.
I think as a coach I would tell the guys that when they work hard and are first on the puck, the get goals. Mixing up the lines during the games also seems to confuse the Flyers D, allowing the Habs to get some sustained pressure.
Submitted by coutNY on Tue, 04/29/2008 - 12:39.
Why sit Lapierre, after having his best game of the series? He won 4-5 face-offs and did well with adding energy when the Habs seemed totally deflated following the 3rd goal... We out played them in virtually every category but got beat 3G on 16 Shots... Stewart isn't going to help in the areas we were deficient in last night. If anybody looked weak it was Smolinski. I hate to point the finger at a guy that has played well earlier in the playoffs but he seemed to revert to his floating ways of the regular season. Move him back to stablize the BEGIN KOSTOP line or replace him... and BEGIN is not a good enough as a faceoff man or dynmic enough to handle the responsiblities of a Center; it makes me cringe hear suggestions he be moved back to that position...
Submitted by Timo (not verified) on Tue, 04/29/2008 - 12:36.
yeah... tell the stiffs like kovalev, pleks and streit to start pulling their weight. I don't suppose we can get a decent coach, can we?
Submitted by Fansincebirth on Tue, 04/29/2008 - 12:33.
We can shoot from any and all angles all night long and as long as Biron gets to see the puck like he has been, no goals.
We scored last night when we were tight to the net (ours not included) making him look around players and banged away at the rebounds.
How many goals was Carey screened on? Most?
Time to saddle up boys and give it all ya got.
I'm not all that impressed with Lapierre so maybe we let him sit the next one out and bring Ryder in and leave it at that.
Submitted by likehoy on Tue, 04/29/2008 - 12:25.
i dunno if this would work but we dress price as a defenceman and halak in nets...maybe we have a good chance of blocking more shots.
Submitted by ebk on Tue, 04/29/2008 - 11:45.
Andrei-Plekanec-Kovalev
Higgins-Kouiv-Sergei
Latendresse-Smolinski-Ryder
Streit-Begin-Kostopoulos
Markov-Komisarek
Gorges-Bouillon
Hamrlik-O'Byrne
but what the hell do I know?
Submitted by 24 Cups on Tue, 04/29/2008 - 14:50.
ebk - "but what the hell do I know?' Are you making a statement or are you asking a question that needs answering:-)?
The Original 24.4 Cups
Submitted by ebk on Tue, 04/29/2008 - 15:11.
a little of both
Submitted by HABSALLTHEWAY2103 on Tue, 04/29/2008 - 11:40.
Totally agree Have O Byrn in front of Biron just like they are doing to Price. We need to have one Guy like that per line who is ready and willing to go in front of the net and bother the goalie.
Share the agony and ecstasy of Habs fandom and read live blogs from every game with Gazette columnist Mike Boone.
Habs Inside/Out main RSS feed