Game 69: Halak helps Canadiens dethrone Kings
posted by Kevin Mio at 10h43 EST on Mar 8
Rob Blake got one back for the Kings on the power play before the second period was over.
The Habs should have thanked Halak during the intermission as he was pelted with 17 shots in the second period.
Andrei Kostistyn make it 4-1 for the Canadiens 3:49 into the third period before Anze Kopitar narrowed Montreal lead to 4-2.
Tom Kostopoulos, playing against his former team for the first time, scored into an empty net to seal the 5-2 victory.
Kings goalie Erik Ersberg, who shut out the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night, faced only 22 Canadiens' shots, but gave up four goals. The Kings outshot the Canadiens 37-23
The Canadiens were 1-for-2 with the man advantage while limiting the Kings to one goal in five power-play opportunities.
Montreal now moves to Anaheim where they face the Ducks on Sunday night.
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I see alot of posts that are very negative.Posts regarding Smolinski, Latendresse, and Brisebois.Although I believe we as fans we have the right to be critical of our team and its players, I also believe we need to see the situation clearly.Therefore I am offering some glasses to all of the haters out there.To be a successful TEAM each player must have a role and play his role to the best of his ablility.It is the job of the coach and his staff to realize the potential of each player and how each player's skill set can help his TEAM win.Therefore,when Carbo plays Smolinski for 12min. a game he expects Smolinski to do certain things for those 12min.I am sure that he does not expect Smolinski to carry the team offensively or score at a Malkin like pace.Same for Latendresse.Maybe his confidence is not so hot offensively so Carbo has found a way to improve him as a player and help him contribute to the TEAM.In other words, not everyone can be the "go to" guy.This is the key to success for the Canadiens.This is why we are one of the top TEAMS in the league!!!!Every game brings a different hero ... Kovalev, Plekanec, Komisarek, Markov, Kostitsyn, Price, Halak, Koivu, Higgins, Ryder, Streit...now do you see what I mean?Question, do the Lafleurs, Shutts, and Robinsons win without the Lemaires, Lapointes, Gaineys, Jarviss, and Tremblays? MTL 3 ANA 2!!!!!!
I prefer seeing Latendresse in the third line. He can protect the puck on the board and make passes. He also scores some goals. I don't like using him as a checker against a fast forward. Let's see how he plays against the Ducks and the Sens.
Good post POPS. You might also add that certain players are paid according to what expectations they have put on them. You might also add that with 30 teams in the league the talent pool has been somewhat watered down and each team is going to be left with some players that may be on the bubble of being useful NHL players. Not every player is going to be a star.
There ARE limits to what is fair criticism... but none of us would agree totally on where those limits are. Vince makes good points - we deserve to expect more of the veterans. And many of us were saying "why is AK46 benched" when he was - we were right. Many of us were also saying "why is he playing Breezer!!!" early in the season. Look at his numbers - we were right. And Carbo has recognized it - he rarely plays Breezer, first time in many games yesterday and probably because of the flu. The thing is, we need to be smart about trying to understand Carbo's motives - but Carbs is human and makes mistakes. And we all have our peeves... for me, it's players that don't give 100%, either by playing soft (Smolinski) or by not back-checking or playing with a mind to puck control or solid D. Ryder for example who you mention has come a long way in those areas though last year, he drove me crazy. Smolinski is a soft player, who most of the time doesn't even win his face-offs which is what he was brought here for. What's frustrating too is that Carbs is so impatient with some players (Chipchura in the minors while Smolinski is here is a joke and probably has more to do with contract negotiations or money). I can't stand Smolinkski for the way he plays. Period. Other guys I can find a reason - Kostopoulos at least drops the gloves. Breezer even, who like Smolinski makes lazy, dumb mistakes, is just a permanent reserve now. Smolinski makes WAY too much money and does WAY too little for it and seems not to care. Hop on the complacency gravy train! I'm Brian and I'm your guide!
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Habs Fans! The BEST fans with the best team!
I'm sorry POPS, but I'm using your words against you
"To be a successful TEAM each player must have a role and play his role to the best of his ability.It is the job of the coach and his staff to realize the potential of each player and how each player's skill set can help his TEAM win."
In the case of Smokes and Breezby if that is the best of their ability, it is not good enough. Smokes was bought to win faceoffs and he is not producing. Brisebois was bought to be a mentoring role, and he is costing us goals (last night he got a goal and cost us a goal) with sloppy defensive work. If Carbo does not realize this lack of ability, then you need to put the glasses on Carbo, not those of us who see the forest for the trees than make it up.
I refuse to "hate" on young players as they have potential. Grabs and Latendresse are still on a learning curve. The curve Brian and Pat are on involves a Press Box. They can have more than 12 minutes there all they want.
Good prediction of the final score.
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"WE WANT VINCE!
What you call 'cost us a goal' is not being applied fairly to all players. There are dozens of times in a game that players do not finish their checks or let a player walk out of the corner. When some players do it you might notice it and you might even comment on it but when Bresbois does it he gets hammered from every corner of this forums, called a joke and an embarrassment and told he should never play another game in this league.
What really bothers me about this situation is that there are enough games that he does not play well for you guys to dump on him. But that is not enough for you and you also have to dump on him after a game we win, he scores a goal and gets his 400'th career point. You would think for one friggin night you could be happy for him and give him a pass. But instead the same people who have dumped on him 1000 times before have to come out and dump on him some more.
No player who choses to put the Habs jersey on when they had other options and come to the rink with an honest attempt to contribute is an embarrassment to the team. Some of the fans who mistreat them are an embarrassment to Habs fans.
(this post was only directed at the handful of fans that go beyond being objective and into the category of spiteful. It just so happend to fit under the above post but could easily have been posted in 50 other places on here)
Welcome back trader Ryder,good post.
scary thing is that our battle with ottawa for first place in division is also likely to be for home ice in first round and better positioning subsequent to that - the loser will be 5th or lower
If we stay on pace, regardless of whether Ottawa passes us we stand a decent chance at 4th place too. Though first sure would be better... as long as the Rangers aren't in 8th.
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Habs Fans! The BEST fans with the best team!
How come TSN says the Sens win and "keep pace with the Habs" when the Habs are two points ahead with a game in hand? If Toronto had won, would they be "keeping pace with the Habs"?
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Habs Fans! The BEST fans with the best team!
Keeping pace = not falling further behind.
I think we will come back from the road trip playing awful 2 win 500 hockey. The shots on goal are way too high for playoff hockey. If they do that today they will get run out of the rink. I would start Halak again and let Price play the Devils on Tuesday. It looks like the Grabber may not be around long. His contract expires this year and he may go to Russia to play. So we keep his rights like we did with Alexander Perezhogin. Maybe we can trade them both at next years trade deadline for a solid Canadien kid. Or better yet give him his wish and send him back to the Bulldogs and bring Kyle Chipchura back up. He will not complain and he will work hard for the club.
Lets not focus too much on the Leafs and the Devils. I say the Habs aim for the division, I mean, is there going to be a huge difference between the 6th seed and the 8th anyway?
If memory serves most of our remaining games are in division games... With 2 points and a game in hand, lets grind it out and shock the hockey world.
A point a game from here on out and the division could be ours boys! Heres to the Sens staying in their funk!
(On a side note... Think there are any teams kicking themsleves for not picking up Halak earlier in the season? He may not get his shot this year, but I'm pretty sure this kid can play with the big boys and would be a huge asset to a rebuilding team... Man are we ever spoiled!)
amen
Come playoffs Smolinski or Grabovski? Be honest. Personally, I would take my chances with a relatively large, grateful, veteran presence over a relatively puny, given recent news - ungrateful, inexperienced player.
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INSANE!
"Are the Habs ready to pay the Price?"
"Four blind mice, Four blind mice, see how they suck?"
Even people who don't like to criticize seem to want Smolinski off the ice. Is there ONE HIO regular who actually thinks Smonlinski deserves to play? Over Grabovski, Chipchura, Locke, and Kostopolous? Is there ONE??
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Habs Fans! The BEST fans with the best team!
Putting Latendresse and Smonlinski in the checking line against the opponent's 1st line is not going to work. They are both too slow to follow the play. Lapierre and Begin would be a much better combination.
Maybe, from Gainey and Carboneau's perspective, this is why he is playing on a generally very inexperienced team:
Playoff Stats:
GP G A Pts +/-
Smolinski 111 22 27 49 -4
Grabovski 0 0 0 0 0
Locke 0 0 0 0 0
Chipchura 0 0 0 0 0
Kostopolous 0 0 0 0 0
So collectively all the other guys have a better playoff +/- then Smolinski who is regarded as a defensive forward! That should settle it, cut Smolinski because he is crap!! He is by far the worst player on the team and he shows little effort and pathetic judgement which is made all the worse because with his experience he should not make the stupid plays he continuously makes. How the hell as the guy been in the league this long if this season is any reflection of what he brings to a team. Begin, Dandenault, Kostopolous, Grabovski, Chipchura, Milroy, Locke, D'Agostini and quite possibly Maxell, White, Pacioretty and maybe Wyman all have more to offer than Smolinksi. As a fan I find it pathetic that someone can be paid $2 million a year to mail it in like this guy! Admit the mistake of signing the bag of pucks and cut him,.
Other than the Smolinksi problem all is well on the Habs front!!
Go Habs Go!!
I have no real problem with your analysis of the data. But keep in mind we don't know everything that goes on behind the scene (at least I don't), defensive players often play against the other teams best which influences +/-, and last but not least don't overlook what TSN says:
SMOLINSKI IS HOT
2 pts in last 2 GP
Before you guys go off on Smolinski, let's not forget he scored 2 goals in what could be the Habs' turning point game this year against the Devils in NJ. Respect the man. Anyone who says "he should be cut" is a little nuts.
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1. February 19th, 2008, a day which will live in sublimity.
If you put a pylon on th eice for 82 games it would probably break up some plays which would then be interpreted as good defense. Smolinksi has been crap/a liability all year.
A little nuts to go off on him; I believe that you would have to be a little nuts not to go off on him.
Go Habs Go!
Well here's a post which says I'd rather have Smolinski - even at this stage of his career - than Latendresse or Dandenault.
Why? Neither of those two has made close to the erros that Smolinski has; granted Smolinski has been on the PK and playing late in games where is bone headed plays are magnified but he still has made several brutal giveaways. He plays the body far less than Latendresse or Dandenault. I think Gui offers more in the offensive zone than Smolinski, Dandenault offers less offensive output but better effort and speed, he chases down pucks (some sare stupid Smolinski passes that would have been icing) where as Smolinski puts forth no effort. I am not a Dandenault fan nor have I ever been but Smolinski is the biggest dog on the team in my opinion.
Go Habs Go!
I agree Smolinski is the lousiest player on the team.
Just please don't call him a dog, you do dogs a disservice!
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Habs Fans! The BEST fans with the best team!
So happy for Halak to finally get a start and shining like we knew he would. Props to Brisebois who gets ripped a lot but yet accepts his role on the team as a part-timer and contributes once in a while. With us being outshot the last 3 games and not playing our game but yet managing 2 victories, I hope the team shows up tomorrow against the Ducks and give us a 60 minute effort.
Why are so many people so hopeful about Grabovski.
24yrs old, drafted 150th overall, 16 NHL games: 1 goal 3 assists -4, 5 foot nine 172lbs and so far proven to be week on the puck and adherance to schedules.
If everyone is banking on his AHL performance translating to similar success in the NHL, why not keep up the Cory Locke fever:
23yrs old, drafted 113th overall, 1 NHL game 0 goals 0 assists, 5 ft nine 168lbs.
Because the grass is always greener. People become discontent with certain players on the current roster and start to grab at any possible replacements. Anyone who is playing well in Hamilton automatically becomes a hard working skilled player who just needs to catch a break and isn't getting a chance to prove himself by Carbo.
Maybe Grabovski will work out and be a decent player, but at this point he is not a better solution then what we already have. He can get a game or two here or there to help get him experience and continue his development but don't expect him to be dropped in the lineup and rip up the league during the stretch.
The think I find odd is that people want him to replace Smolinski but that is a checking line position and Grabovski is not a checking line player.
I do believe in Smolinski's place almost anyone would be better.... but you have a good point.
But Carbo has juggled the lines so much that people think that he can just insert Grabs and juggle again. I agree with what you've said in tone. They let their very, very good PK group go and have not replaced those guys.... the team is weak there.
I am very surprised they leave Chipchura down there. He was doing well - and is the kind of player that COULD play that spot. Maybe we'll be lucky and Smolinski will have a non-permanent inury that takes him out for the season. It's not nice to suggest it but the guy is just playing so lazy, I feel like he's taking money out of our pockets.
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Habs Fans! The BEST fans with the best team!