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I must correct my previous comment regarding RYDER. He scored a 100 goals his first four seasons. He was in the pressbox more than 14 times as I previously stated when you factor in the playoffs. Actually he was given little chance of scoring and the Habs powerplay fell apart in the playoffs due to the fact that Ryder wasn't out there as in previous seasons and scored a majority of his 100 goals on the powerplay with his stellar shot.He only played four playoff games and his line wasn't scored on during those four games. I can't believe that you forgot how well he played for the Habs over the last several seasons and Carbonneau basically destroyed any success he may have had if given fair icetime this season. He held a grudge against him and probably cost us a trip to the cup. What other team in the league benched a 100 goal scorer this season. The answer is none , and he will be welcomed elsewhere. Shame on the fans for using Ryder as an excuse and shame on the coaching staff for making such a stupid mistake. It affected Koivu and Higgins as well for most of the season and the chemistry they had in previous seasons as the number one line was all but destroyed as a result. Again I think a lot of fans missed the signifigance of destroying the chemistry of our number one line this season. A few knowledgable fans did state the stupidity regarding the Koivu-Higgins-Ryder line being separated and questioned the coaches motive behind it.I am a lifetime Habs fan but this certainly tests my loyalty as a Habs fan , similar to the time Roy was forced to leave and was unappreciated.
I guess the Ryder Higgins Koivu line was out of Carbonneaus plans from the start. Apparently Ryder and Carbo havent spoken since xmas time. A guy who scored 99 goals his first four seasons sitting out most of the regular season 14 pressbox trips,limited shifts when playing and lack of play in playoffs is unacceptable. I feel John Leclair ,Ribeiro and now Ryder coming back to haunt us over and over again. He will go to either San Jose, Boston or Toronto and we will see him at his best when he plays us. Carbo you are a fool and should have left the most successful line the Habs have had in last four yrs alone and let it mature. Instead you constantly juggled the lines and played guys like Dandenault and Latendresse . You should be fired for losing in the playoffs. Closest in regular season only counts in horseshoes.Very disappointed fan to say the least!
Hickey's "Stellar season ends on sour note" is unavailable. Any ideas why?
Very observant, and very interesting, and intriguing.
Well, it was a great season and it's too bad it's over, but anyway, as others have said, they've learned a lot and the future looks great.
I hope managment can see what I see in terms of need. I think, in order to win the Cup, you kind of need two teams. You need a regular season team made of guys like Kovey, Pleks the Kostitsyns etc. They get you your home ice advantage by playing a finesse style that suits the regular season. Power play is key during this time.
In the playoffs, they are still valuable, but the guys who take the forefront are gritty tough, big and mean (with hands and speed). The power play needs to change from a finesse to a banging type power play. You need guys to go to the front of the net and bang hard, all game long. We lost this series because we did not go to the front of the net consistently.
What I'm saying is Hossa is not the answer, as many have already pointed out. For the record, I said this at the trade deadline too. What they need more of is the second type of player. Ryan Getzlaf types. That's what we need to make a real run.
Or, perhaps, someone like Brad Richards?
It's not like he wasn't there for the taking, and that Montreal couldn't have easily beaten what dallas offered to get him...
That pretty much made it clear that Bob Gainey thinks he is running the Blackhawks, not the Habs. All his moves are salary dumps. He keeps promising to get marquee free agents, and never does.
I absolutely agree with the type of player you say tyhe Habs need. Problem is, Gainey will never ever do that. He's satisified getting "value-added" garbage like Brisebois, Streit, Dandenault, etc. He'll say that the team learned a lot and doesn't need any additional help next year. Take it to the bank, the Habs will NOT get a free agent costing over 2.5 million.
"Just because you are wearing a new Maple Leafs sweater, does not mean you make the rules around here, young man."
and i can't believe how many gainey loyalaists still support him meanwhile the habs are golfing-every summer or deadline its 1 excuse after the other-
Come on - Gainey offered the farm for Hossa, but Pittsburgh threw in the house, too. Would you really have traded three prospects (Colby Armstrong, Eric Christensen and Angelo Esposito) and a 1st-rounder for two months of Hossa? That's a Leafs-style move if there ever was one, except that they haven't yet offered him $7M a year for five years with an NTC.
I don't get the critics who seem to think the GM had nothing to do with the team's 1st-place showing. Give me a break. This team not one player away from a Cup - if our guys had played to their potential, we'd be gearing up for a battle with Pittsburgh right now, without Hossa or Richards or whoever.
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..."
you got to be kidding me-meanwhile pitsberg is still playing and the habs are on the golf course-you think next year teams like washington, boston etc are not going to be better-give it a rest
At this point in time they have a better team than we do. Forget the points. They were closer to a Stanley Cup than we were.
As for Gainey... No one knows what happens in these negotiations. Management only tells us what they want us to hear. I am sure he tried some trades and they didn't come through...
Players win games, teams win championships.
- Bill Taylor
i couldn't say it any better-I emailed this website many times stating that he has to go-
I tend to agree to the extent that Gainey is very conservative in his approach. To make a BIG move forward requires a GM with huge balls and a willingness to risk it all. Gainey is of the slow incremental style. Unfortunately small risk usually equates to small moves upward if at all. The window of opportunity in the new NHL is extremely limited. I believe we have a Cup contender with the addition of a superstar forward and big defenseman. But to make this possible will require Gainey to change his basic philosophy of building from within.
Price and Kovalev for Vinny!
correctemendo, there is no doubt that Gainey can be compared like this-he never plays for the river card, he only plays strong hands-well, this way you will never lose 1st but you will never win the poker game
every year its the same story with him-its time for a change-aside from having a good year this year, what else has he done in the past 4 years
when serge savard was GM-he went for the river card and he liked grit and muscle-napier/acton for bobby smith, courtnall for kordic, drafting patrick roy in the 3rd or 4th round, 2 stanley cups and 1 final-thats a GM and best of all nobody muscled us-lets get serge savard back
Considering that the brains are Gainey, Carbonneau, Jarvis and Muller, I find it odd that this team only seems to consider players that are unlike what they were as players/winners.
They wanted Smyth and Shanny.
Not unlike the players they were.
I agree Big Bird. I can't see the habs trading Koivu or Kovalev. Hossa isnt the answer either, dont we have enough of these type of players? We need workhorses, Wouldnt mind Shanahan. We could ship Markov to Washington to be with his buddy Ovechkin, they got some good below the radar talent on that team.
While i could see kovalev moving on if there is a lot coming back I can not see Koivu moving. Anyone know of the one Hab who had more than a point a game in the playoff? Saku.
"Anyone know of the one Hab who had more than a point a game in the playoff? Saku."
I see how this works. Kovalev misses the "point a game in the playoffs" by one and he should be traded...okay
you figured it out zep, good on you
It's not what he did guys. It's what he DIDN'T do.
yes, adriano, we get it!
He's gotta go.
Well, I just watched the Stars take down the Sharks. Turko and Nabokov faced a combined 117 shots and the game ended 2 to 1. Watching the goalies tonight left me with a clearer realization that the goaltending the Habs got during the playoffs was amateurish at best. Many of the goals against the Habs would not even have rated as scoring chances tonight. Hopefully next year I don't hear the term "tracking the puck" as much. It fine if some want to say that he is only twenty years old. That only makes me question the wisdom of those who put the fate of the Eastern Conference champions in the hands of trainee. Watching Ribeiro fly around again tonight (assisting on the game winner) makes me question even more. Yes, I've heard the theory that he never would have "developed" in Montreal. I'm not sure I follow the logic given that he was also one of our top point getters. Tonight they tell me he is even very tough to knock of the puck - who knew?
isn't it the GM's job to know-isn't that the reason he is the GM-dallas should be charged for robbery-yet Gainey gets his passes again
Pretty clear from the playoffs, if your goalie is NOT one of your best players, your team is going nowhere. Not saying all the blame is on Price, heck he is only a 20 year old rookie. But Gainey, should have never put him and the team in that position. You can't compare it to the Roy and Dryden situation, both of them had a veteran to back them up.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but if Koivu plays a full season for the Habs next year, wont he then be our longest serving captain of all time? Robert L. you out there?
Go Habs Go
No, it's still Beliveau from 1961 to 1971. I think Saku is closing in on 2nd in total games as captain, and as for years, 2005 doesn't count.
Thanks for the clarification RL.
Go Habs Go
Lee, I have a confession... I MISS DOOBERS!!!
Me Too!
Go Habs Go