If it seemed the Canadiens weren't keen on resigning Alexandre Picard, they confirmed that today by signing journeyman defenceman Jeff Woywitka to a one-year two-way deal. As per club policy, we will have to wait until capgeek tells us the contract value later today to find out.
This signing looks good, OK, on most fronts.
Woywitka played in the NHL last season for a start. He was a plus player on a team that wasn't terrible defensively. He averaged a lot of ice and didn't make too much of a mess by letting up way more chances than he was on for.
In other words he did an adequate job for an adequate team.
He may no longer be the prized trade chip that he once was, or the prospect he looked when he came out of junior an all-star. But he has made his place in the league it seems -- or half a place.
The two-way contract is probably the key consideration of this contract. I would imagine that at this point of the summer Gauthier has had the chance to speak with a few free agent defencemen who might have filled an 8th man in role. Sopel probably, Picard maybe. Gauthier probably had the two-way contract as the stipulation, and in Woywitka it seems he found a taker.
From the team's perspective this provides the flexibility to go with the youngsters they're hoping will come through, but the insurance of an NHL body on the AHL team. It's a good insurance policy and one that could be quite fruitful if the relationship is productive at the AHL or NHL level.
I don't know that much about Woywitka's play, and given his days of player profiles are long behind him, I thought I'd share with you something I came across from another blog that was making the case to sign him earlier in the summer.
Showing posts with label Mara. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mara. Show all posts
Monday, August 15, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Game #76
What Is This? 1949?
Details
Date: 26/3/2011
Opponent: Capitals
Location: Montreal
Loss: 0-2
Habs Goalie: Price (L)
Opposition Goalie: Holtby (W)
Habs goalscorers: None
Opposition goalscorers: Sturm, Semin
Play of the game
The Habs just make it harder and harder each game to find greatness. Thankfully, Price had some good plays, otherwise I wouldn't know what to do. The play of the game for me was a glove save that Carey made on Hendricks with 14 to go in the third. It was a great save and kept the Habs within one - something that just didn't seem right.
Dome hockey team
The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the domeForwards
Andrei Kostitsyn
If he played like he did tonight and all those players that should be playing better did too we would be in good shape. Andrei shouldn't be our best, most dangerous looking forward each game, not with the roster we have, but that is what is happening. I am happy that Kost is playing to near his potential, but very upset that his teammates aren't doing the same.
Lars Eller
Lars, like Andrei, is actually playing some good hockey. We need to score goals and he has been our most creative centre of late. I think that it is desperation time now and I think, after 76 games it is time to let Gomez play on a 3rd or 4th line. Give Eller Kostitsyn and another talented winger (no offence Moen, well, a little) and let's see what happens. One or two games with Gionta may do everyone involved some good.
Brian Gionta
He looks tired, he looks to be out of ideas and he even looks to have no lasting chemistry with Gomez. But, he also looked like he cared tonight and seemed to be trying. Sadly, however, his best play was a sliding save in front of the open net and not a highlight reel goal or assist.
Defencemen
Paul Mara
Not Paul's best game, but I didn't notice too much wrong with his play tonight. I am not sure where he fits in to our plans for the next few weeks, but if he plays like he has the past two games (and others continue their sloppy play) I think that he could be a lock to play in every game from here on in.
James Wisniewski
I felt that James played quite well actually. I would appreciate more offence, but I can't really blame him for the PP's ineptitudes or our inability to generate a score of quality chances. He was steady in our own end tonight and his play in theirs was the best of any of our D-men.
Goaltender
Carey Price - Game Puck
Carey looks tired and doesn't seem to be at his best, but is still able to put in a good, solid performance. It has been a long season and it seems that we were worrying about the wrong player getting tired. In comparison to the rest of the team, Price looks like he just had 3 months on a beach.
Comments
Goalscoring, it is always goalscoring. Over the past few (20?) years when things are going badly it always comes down to a lack of offence, a lack of depth. We always say that we have good depth and good players, but at the end of the day we only have one player who has played the whole year with us that has more than 41 points. It is amazing really that had we won 2 or 3 more games we would have a serious shot at the division. See, we obviously don't need big number players to be an above-average team (thanks to team play, defence and Price), but when things go bad it is generally due to a lack of goals. Now, I have watched some offensively challenged Habs teams in my day, but I can't say that I am old enough (I'd have to be 61) to have ever seen the Habs be shutout 3 times in a row. I am not embarrassed about nor am I mad, just a little worried maybe. I am worried that our lack of depth, injuries and fatigue have all caught up with us. I am worried that we may not wake up and find our legs and our touch in time.
So, it can be said; what good are the playoffs if you simply stumble into them? If you can't score a goal to save your life? Well, remembering last year and the struggles that we had to end the season are proof enough that things can (and do) change. All we have to do is get in and then we'll see what happens - that is when the fun begins. Unfortunately for us, however, that means that we actually need some points. We have 6 games left and I think that if we don't get at least 3 points (likely 5) we are in trouble. So, wake up Habs, let's just assume that the playoffs start a few games early this year, so score a goal or two this week please.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Game #75
One To Forget
Details
Date: 24/3/2011
Opponent: Bruins
Location: Boston
Loss: 0-7
Habs Goalie: Price (L), Auld
Opposition Goalie: Thomas (W)
Habs goalscorers: None
Opposition goalscorers: Boychuk, Campbell (2), Horton (2), McQuaid, Kaberle
Play of the game
Really? Can you think of a good play tonight? I guess the two things that stand out are the opening face-off as it was then that we briefly held control of the match (lost the draw, but reclaimed the puck in their end) and Mara's fight as it was the closest that the Habs and the Bruins were in any aspect of play tonight.
Dome hockey team
The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the domeForwards
Andrei Kostitsyn
He tried things in the offensive zone and never really got burned in our own. Most of our forwards were horrible whether they took too many penalties or made too many give-aways, so this dome isn't exactly a ringing endorsement for any of the players.
Travis Moen
Travis managed to play a quarter of the game and not be on the ice for any of the goals. He chipped in with 3 hits and has been playing decent hockey of late.
Brian Gionta
He couldn't finish tonight, but seemed to be in the right place at the right time on many occasions. Scoring goals is all about finding the spots and with a bit of luck it could have been two goals for him thanks to his positioning.
Defencemen
Paul Mara - Game Puck
Mara wants to play and wants to play in the playoffs so he is showing that he can play that type of hockey. His fight with Campbell was decent and I admired him for going after Recchi. There was nothing dirty about targeting the big-mouthed small-man, he was simply sticking up for a teammate, organization and city; at least that was how I saw it.
PK Subban
He skated well and got a few shots off. This wasn't a good game for him really, but I did like him over the other 4.
Goaltender
Carey Price
They both played bad, but Auld played worse. This was Auld's dome until he stepped on the ice; that was when Carey won it back. Just one of those nights I think - forget it, move on.
Comments
I have been in Europe for a couple of weeks and had missed a few games. I kept up with my news and scores, but did miss watching games live. There was added excitement tonight as we would be icing 4 players who haven't played in a while. Surely the addition of Pleks would make a difference, and if we stuck to hockey we would win. Well, it was Plekanec who stood out tonight, but more for poor defensive play and his penalties than for what I had hoped. It is unfair, I guess, to target just Tom as the team, in its entirety, was beyond off. Camms lacked any touch whatsoever, Darche looked about 25 steps behind, Gionta was as bad as can be and the list goes on and on. It was a tough night of hockey with the worse part being the fact that it was a loss to the Bruins. If I needed one positive, though, it would have to be that the Bruins will now be even cockier the next time we meet them. There is a good chance that we will see each other in the first round and I think that we could surprise some people if we play like the team of 2 weeks ago and not like the one of tonight. 7 more games to go until the season really starts, that means 7 warm-up games. Anything that has happened until now is irrelevant, it is now time to prove our worth. I think that we are a good team with good depth, but I will base my final assessment on our April play, not our October-March efforts.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Game # 74
Buffalo Soldiers Through Habs
Details
Date: 22/3/2011
Opponent: Sabres
Location: Montreal
Loss: 0-2
Habs Goalie: Price (L)
Opposition Goalie: Miller (W)
Habs goalscorers: None
Opposition goalscorers: Gerbe (2; 1 EN)
Play of the game
I was hoping to have this determined for me in the dying minutes of the third with something a little more decisive. Without that, I'll go with Cammalleri's steal with a little under 9 minutes left in the third. A man with the power to change the momentum of a game stole a lame Buffalo pass and charged down the ice to get a solid chance on Miller. Sadly, it didn't work out in our favour, but it represents the kind of thing we'll need to see from Cammalleri and others down the final stretch.
Dome hockey team
The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome
Forwards
Scott Gomez - Game Puck
Tonight Gomez was without a doubt our best two-way forward, and in my opinion our best forward, period. He was extremely effective on the PK, especially during our second penalty, and had good forechecking all night. He broke up some transition zone plays and spearheaded some of our best offense. In other words, it's almost as if he was playing like Plekanec out there.
Andrei Kostitsyn
Our most lively offensive player tonight, Andrei even had the RDS boys talking positively about him despite not scoring. His line often looked dangerous tonight and he did a lot of the hard work in creating those chances.
Travis Moen
Though Desharnais also had a good game, I felt that Moen was all over the ice tonight, and he was playing hard for the puck. I saw him making hits, taking shots, digging in the corners, and breaking up plays in our end. He made a big impact in this game and seemed to be really gearing up for playoff-style hockey.
Defencemen
James Wisniewski
Predictable, but he's so consistently good! Again, great hockey sense, really knows when to join the rush and when to hang back. Had some great shots tonight and was part of a rush with Gomez that nearly tied it with about 2 minutes left.
Roman Hamrlik
Again with the tried, tested and true. Although a little boring, I think it's a good sign when we put our two best defenders in here as often as we do. Hamrlik once again logged nearly 25 minutes of ice time but still seemed to be in the right places at the right times up to the end, creating a great chance about halfway through the 3rd.
Goaltender
Carey Price
Price played this one very well, and could have easily been given the game puck for this one. Buffalo's first goal was excellent, and certainly beyond anyone's abilities. It looked like he got a piece of a cross-crease pass that would likely have made it 2-0 a whole lot earlier. Overall though, I didn't think he was challenged much by this Buffalo squad and as a result, didn't get a chance to really shine.
Comments
A pretty tight game overall, there were good rushes and some end-to-end action, but overall play felt stifled as both teams played solid defence. I thought we looked pretty good and played the game we like to play in our own end, no one really jumped out at me as playing terribly (except maybe Mara). It also seemed to me that we had less trouble gaining the offensive zone than I've seen us have in too many games this season, but Buffalo did an excellent job of dismantling our offence. Ruff must have done something right during the intermission after we ended the first with some hard pressure, as we never really got many extended chances after that. Liked seeing Gill doing a lot on second efforts, even if I'd rather he got it right the first time. I could have done without Subban and Mara getting penalized after they've tied up their men. Overall a solid effort, this one could have gone either way. Unfortunately, it didn't fall in our favour, and it hurts to lose this one against a division rival only 6 points back with a game in hand.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
On Habs Defenceman Paul Mara
The Canadiens have moved again prior to the deadline, acquiring Centennial season also-ran, Paul Mara.
He's played with Gill, with Hamrlik, with Spacek even with Weber. Hey, he's probably even partnered Brett Festerling. He is what he is. Depth.
I have a lot to say about this, but fortunately it's already been said for me by the like-minded J.T. at The H Does Not Stand For Habs. As she points out, the Mara move shouldn't elicit too many groans. Certainly no more than the pun in the header...
He's played with Gill, with Hamrlik, with Spacek even with Weber. Hey, he's probably even partnered Brett Festerling. He is what he is. Depth.
I have a lot to say about this, but fortunately it's already been said for me by the like-minded J.T. at The H Does Not Stand For Habs. As she points out, the Mara move shouldn't elicit too many groans. Certainly no more than the pun in the header...
Monday, September 20, 2010
More Food For Thought: 2008-09 vs. 2009-10 (New Acquisitions)
More looks at how players fared from 2008-09 to 2009-10. This time, I'll share the profiles from all those players who were established NHLers but only joined the Habs last summer or afterwards.
New Acquisitions
Legend
You can find a longer explanation of the charts here.
Scott Gomez
Gomez made a transition with the Habs. From a league-leading shot taker and Corsi man, he fell into negative balance for chances while he was on the ice at ES. Strangely, this led to more GF and a better GF:GA differential at ES. I think we'd all be happier if he was on for less shots against, but can we really imagine him upping the shots for, especially if he's the one taking them?
Brian Gionta
Gionta did very similar things up front as he did in 2008-09. What shows here for him is that he was no longer on the Devils. While many a player looks a defensive specialist in New Jersey, it may be that Brian isn't that good at all at defence. After all, last season, he was among the worst at allowing shots and didn't fare too well in GA either. Still, I'll take the top tier offense with that trade any day.
Mike Cammalleri
Cammalleri too missed his old team here. While he still managed to put his line among league average on shots for and in the top tier for goals for, his chart suggests he was as guilty as anyone for allowing the goalies to be peppered night after night. Perhaps an adjustment will come (we've heard everyone has needed a year to become accustomed to each other), but by my memory of his play, this chart doesn't seem out of whack. Once again, I'll take the top tier goals even at the expense of shots against.
Benoit Pouliot
Pouliot had a stunner, even with a slow finish. Top 20% in the league for GF and chances for at ES is great for the young forward. To top it off, he was stellar in the GA column at ES as well, though the numbers suggest that such a low shooting percentage for his opposition (or high save percentage for his goalie) was a one-off gift.
Travis Moen
Moen was a pretty poor offensive player coming in and he comes out one too. That said, he somehow managed to keep GA down at ES with his linemates, albeit with the same goaltending bonus that Pouliot benefited from.
Mathieu Darche
I've misplaced the 2008-09 data for now, so Darche is without comparators. GF:GA for Darche and you can't complain, he's a winner at ES. But he's a Hab in the shots, offering very few going forward and allowing as many as humanly possible at the back. I think stats guys would suggest that his GF:GA might be a little less rosy if he keeps up the shot dance.
Dominic Moore
No comparator for Moore either, and loads of Panthers data polluting things. Still manages the purple, dark blue bottom half, though. New colours for the Canadiens.
Jaroslav Spacek
Spacek went from being an offensive generator with great Corsi balance to a steadier defenceman with decent Corsi (all relative to the Habs standards, of course). These charts are reflective of the new role that Spacek took on. Whereas in Buffalo, he was the point man on the PP and expected to contribute at ES to the rush, his partnerships in Montreal were more often designed to be steadier. As things go, above average offense and average D is pretty good, and very underrated in Montreal.
Hal Gill
Hal Gill left Pittsburgh and it shows. The offense that used to just happen during his on-ice minutes completely evaporated. That said, he still posted a stunning GA/60 number below 2.00 with the usual Habs methodology of allowing chances.
Paul Mara
Mara nearly managed to be bottom tier in every category. I think we know now he wasn't carrying his partnership in New York when he was on for as little as 2.04 GA/60 at ES. Not back this year, I'd say that's a good decision.
Marc-Andre Bergeron
No comparator again. Bergeron's chart is still interesting. Consider this, when you describe Bergeron, did you ever say "below average offense and average D"? No you didn't. For all his bravado on the PP, I think this chart shows just how much trouble the Montreal defenders had in integrating his style into their group. The purple top corner is living proof of his ability to stifle rushes before they began.
General trend
There were a couple of general trends that came from looking at these. The first and most obvious was the shift every player seemed to have in chances against at ES. This is nothing new to us, and we all knew it happened. However, it's still striking to see in living colour. Gomez, Gionta and Cammalleri went in one season from being top bets for preventing shots to allowing among the most in the league.
The second general trend is stranger. It appears that several players actually got better at preventing goals at ES. A group that included Brian Gionta, Cammalleri, Spacek and Gill. And all this with more chances allowed. Consider now they came from teams backed by Brodeur, Kiprusoff, Miller and Fleury. Shows what a year Habs goalies had, or perhaps how excellent shot concession is as a strategy?
And, because I forgot him last time...
Max Pacioretty
Not much change in the chances for and against department, but the story of Pacioretty's 2009-10 is available in full colour on the top half of these pies. Where he once muddled on offense and defence as a youngster, he went all in on D as a second year posting outstanding GA/60, with pathetic GF/60 at ES. Still think moving him from forward is daft?
New Acquisitions
Legend
You can find a longer explanation of the charts here.
Scott Gomez
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
 |  |
Gomez made a transition with the Habs. From a league-leading shot taker and Corsi man, he fell into negative balance for chances while he was on the ice at ES. Strangely, this led to more GF and a better GF:GA differential at ES. I think we'd all be happier if he was on for less shots against, but can we really imagine him upping the shots for, especially if he's the one taking them?
Brian Gionta
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
 |  |
Gionta did very similar things up front as he did in 2008-09. What shows here for him is that he was no longer on the Devils. While many a player looks a defensive specialist in New Jersey, it may be that Brian isn't that good at all at defence. After all, last season, he was among the worst at allowing shots and didn't fare too well in GA either. Still, I'll take the top tier offense with that trade any day.
Mike Cammalleri
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
 |  |
Cammalleri too missed his old team here. While he still managed to put his line among league average on shots for and in the top tier for goals for, his chart suggests he was as guilty as anyone for allowing the goalies to be peppered night after night. Perhaps an adjustment will come (we've heard everyone has needed a year to become accustomed to each other), but by my memory of his play, this chart doesn't seem out of whack. Once again, I'll take the top tier goals even at the expense of shots against.
Benoit Pouliot
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
 |  |
Pouliot had a stunner, even with a slow finish. Top 20% in the league for GF and chances for at ES is great for the young forward. To top it off, he was stellar in the GA column at ES as well, though the numbers suggest that such a low shooting percentage for his opposition (or high save percentage for his goalie) was a one-off gift.
Travis Moen
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
 |  |
Mathieu Darche
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
 |  |
I've misplaced the 2008-09 data for now, so Darche is without comparators. GF:GA for Darche and you can't complain, he's a winner at ES. But he's a Hab in the shots, offering very few going forward and allowing as many as humanly possible at the back. I think stats guys would suggest that his GF:GA might be a little less rosy if he keeps up the shot dance.
Dominic Moore
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
|  |
No comparator for Moore either, and loads of Panthers data polluting things. Still manages the purple, dark blue bottom half, though. New colours for the Canadiens.
Jaroslav Spacek
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
 |  |
Spacek went from being an offensive generator with great Corsi balance to a steadier defenceman with decent Corsi (all relative to the Habs standards, of course). These charts are reflective of the new role that Spacek took on. Whereas in Buffalo, he was the point man on the PP and expected to contribute at ES to the rush, his partnerships in Montreal were more often designed to be steadier. As things go, above average offense and average D is pretty good, and very underrated in Montreal.
Hal Gill
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
 |  |
Hal Gill left Pittsburgh and it shows. The offense that used to just happen during his on-ice minutes completely evaporated. That said, he still posted a stunning GA/60 number below 2.00 with the usual Habs methodology of allowing chances.
Paul Mara
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
 |  |
Mara nearly managed to be bottom tier in every category. I think we know now he wasn't carrying his partnership in New York when he was on for as little as 2.04 GA/60 at ES. Not back this year, I'd say that's a good decision.
Marc-Andre Bergeron
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
|  |
No comparator again. Bergeron's chart is still interesting. Consider this, when you describe Bergeron, did you ever say "below average offense and average D"? No you didn't. For all his bravado on the PP, I think this chart shows just how much trouble the Montreal defenders had in integrating his style into their group. The purple top corner is living proof of his ability to stifle rushes before they began.
General trend
There were a couple of general trends that came from looking at these. The first and most obvious was the shift every player seemed to have in chances against at ES. This is nothing new to us, and we all knew it happened. However, it's still striking to see in living colour. Gomez, Gionta and Cammalleri went in one season from being top bets for preventing shots to allowing among the most in the league.
The second general trend is stranger. It appears that several players actually got better at preventing goals at ES. A group that included Brian Gionta, Cammalleri, Spacek and Gill. And all this with more chances allowed. Consider now they came from teams backed by Brodeur, Kiprusoff, Miller and Fleury. Shows what a year Habs goalies had, or perhaps how excellent shot concession is as a strategy?
And, because I forgot him last time...
Max Pacioretty
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
 |  |
Not much change in the chances for and against department, but the story of Pacioretty's 2009-10 is available in full colour on the top half of these pies. Where he once muddled on offense and defence as a youngster, he went all in on D as a second year posting outstanding GA/60, with pathetic GF/60 at ES. Still think moving him from forward is daft?
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Markov's Return
How The Habs Must Shuffle
As I excitedly tweeted yesterday, Markov will be back. RDS and just about everyone else is saying it will be tonight vs. Streit and the might Islanders.
It could not come at a better time. With the Canadiens on the road, their struggle to return to winning will be met with less all around angst and ire than it might have in the confines of Centre Bell. Markov can adjust and find his legs in time to be the returning hero the baying mass expects by the New Year's return home.
In the face of this return, it is natural to get excited. Still, many issue caution, patience. Yet, the reluctance to pin too much hop on Markov's return, is in my opinion, taking things too far the other way.
Now I am not saying that Andrei will come in and eclipse the performance of every player from either team as he sometimes would in full health. However, let's remember what this means in practical terms: a healthy Markov returns to join the 5 other healthy D, bumping one of Bergeron, Gill or Mara to the kerb. Achilles tendon r not, that's an upgrade for this team. Achilles tendon or not, Markov's passes are still several orders of magnitude more accurate than any, which means standing still he's a massive improvement at 6th Dman.
As it's been so long, let's just remember who Markov is (as per the season preview):
Andrei Markov
Some things to note from Andrei's stats:
1) Offensive explosion
The last 3 years show the continued progression of Andrei Markov into the ranks of elite offensive defencemen. In fact, his 171 points over that span are second best in the NHL – lagging behind only Nicklas Lidstrom.
(Only Bergeron has come close in this department for the Habs, and off the PP, he's been less helpful. Barring passing amnesia, Markov's impact should be tangible)
2) Defensive steadiness
Not quite so elite in preventing goals, and perhaps the reason he never gets a Norris nod. Andrei's plus/minus is virtually neutral. As mentioned, most of his points do tend to come when he has been running the best PP in the league, so those ones don't appear in the black ledger. Even so, it might be nice to see Andrei escape the mediocrity of all those GA at ES and put up a big juicy +/- like that guy ahead of him in the points race.
(As I said, better than the guy who sits, so a positive contribution in the less minuses end of things too)
3) Takeaways, not hits
Those takeaway numbers may not mean anything to you, but you should know that they are very high. Last season, Markov was third in the league for Dmen in takeaways, as he was the year before. Three seasons ago, he was the best defender in that regard. This is because Markov prefers the poke check to the body check – and when you consider his partner, he makes a good case for the more subtle form of defence.
(My goodness how we've missed this. Maybe not tonight, but some time in the next couple of weeks you'll all be reminded of how a team really prevents itself getting pinned down for minutes at a time)
Who should Markov play with?
Those of you who can remember the preseason through all the tears that have transpired, will recall that I tried to rationally look at lines and pairings in an ideal, injury-free lineup. The way I did this was to trawl some data that many individuals collect and put on the internet and do some sums.
Basically, on last year's data I was able to broadly see whether a player made his partner better or worse offensively and defensively. I was also able to see what kind of partner (style) each player seamed to thrive with, or seemed to struggle with.
At that time, I selected Spacek for a number of reasons. Firstly, Markov played better with players who skated than with big lumbering men (including his usual partner). What seemed to let him be at his best is actually playing with a player more like himself, who can dart around and make a good quick pass – covering more ice with movement as opposed to mass. That for me ruled out O'Byrne and Gill right away, and based on the stats from when they played together, Hamrlik too.
I can see from the message boards that Martin might be considering Ryan O'Byrne to start with Markov this evening. I think this would be a mistake based on the above.
I wouldn't be so haughty if Jacques himself had not come to the Spacek conclusion himself. But that was his evaluation in October, as they started the season together and played most of the preseason together too.
The worry I suppose from some is that Markov and Spacek together means breaking up the current number one pairing of Hamrlik and Spacek. However, these two, while consistent aren't blowing anyone away, as they clock about 2.4 GA/60 - which also happens to be the team average on what I think we'd all agree has been an underwhelming defensive outfit so far. Breaking this combo up, therefore, should not be something to lament. it would be progress for the team, and progress hopefully for Spacek.
Incidentally, Hamrlik is not like Markov. He likes playing with a big guy. What's more, he's been excellent all along with O'Byrne - this season and last (ES and PK). If O'Byrne is to be deployed with a top pairing, it surely must be with Hamrlik.
Luxury goods
Markov's comeback has more implications for the team than simply first pairing conundrums. It also brings about a potential log-jam of 8 defencemen on the team. One question is who might sit out. Another, considering it possible that 7 or even 8 Dmen could be dressed per game, is how many luxury items can the Canadiens afford to carry?
We already carry a fighter we don't use (or need), forwards who are doing apprenticeships in lifting the puck, and two young goalies still learning the ropes. When it comes to winning games, we are starting to run out of place for functional parts to fill the roles. Can we thus afford to play a defender whose only use is on the penalty kill and another whose only use is on the PP?
Or, should we be looking to better exploit the all-round ability of 4 or 5 of the other options?
We've all been complaining about this injury so long, it's time for the team to give us the proper ammo we need to back up those arguments on single player value. Let's hope it's a good one tonight.
Allez, Allez. Go Habs Go.
It could not come at a better time. With the Canadiens on the road, their struggle to return to winning will be met with less all around angst and ire than it might have in the confines of Centre Bell. Markov can adjust and find his legs in time to be the returning hero the baying mass expects by the New Year's return home.
In the face of this return, it is natural to get excited. Still, many issue caution, patience. Yet, the reluctance to pin too much hop on Markov's return, is in my opinion, taking things too far the other way.
Now I am not saying that Andrei will come in and eclipse the performance of every player from either team as he sometimes would in full health. However, let's remember what this means in practical terms: a healthy Markov returns to join the 5 other healthy D, bumping one of Bergeron, Gill or Mara to the kerb. Achilles tendon r not, that's an upgrade for this team. Achilles tendon or not, Markov's passes are still several orders of magnitude more accurate than any, which means standing still he's a massive improvement at 6th Dman.
As it's been so long, let's just remember who Markov is (as per the season preview):
Andrei Markov
| NHL Season | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | Hits/60 | BkS/60 | GvA/60 | TkA/60 | Gv:Tk | PIM |
| 08-09 (MTL) | 78 | 12 | 52 | 64 | -2 | 1.91 | 3.47 | 3.21 | 1.87 | -1.34 | 36 |
| 07-08 (MTL) | 82 | 16 | 42 | 58 | +1 | 1.73 | 3.72 | 2.70 | 1.76 | -0.94 | 63 |
| 06-07 (MTL) | 77 | 6 | 43 | 49 | +2 | 1.21 | 3.79 | 2.77 | 2.39 | -0.38 | 56 |
| Even-strength profile | |
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Some things to note from Andrei's stats:
1) Offensive explosion
The last 3 years show the continued progression of Andrei Markov into the ranks of elite offensive defencemen. In fact, his 171 points over that span are second best in the NHL – lagging behind only Nicklas Lidstrom.
(Only Bergeron has come close in this department for the Habs, and off the PP, he's been less helpful. Barring passing amnesia, Markov's impact should be tangible)
2) Defensive steadiness
Not quite so elite in preventing goals, and perhaps the reason he never gets a Norris nod. Andrei's plus/minus is virtually neutral. As mentioned, most of his points do tend to come when he has been running the best PP in the league, so those ones don't appear in the black ledger. Even so, it might be nice to see Andrei escape the mediocrity of all those GA at ES and put up a big juicy +/- like that guy ahead of him in the points race.
(As I said, better than the guy who sits, so a positive contribution in the less minuses end of things too)
3) Takeaways, not hits
Those takeaway numbers may not mean anything to you, but you should know that they are very high. Last season, Markov was third in the league for Dmen in takeaways, as he was the year before. Three seasons ago, he was the best defender in that regard. This is because Markov prefers the poke check to the body check – and when you consider his partner, he makes a good case for the more subtle form of defence.
(My goodness how we've missed this. Maybe not tonight, but some time in the next couple of weeks you'll all be reminded of how a team really prevents itself getting pinned down for minutes at a time)
Who should Markov play with?
Those of you who can remember the preseason through all the tears that have transpired, will recall that I tried to rationally look at lines and pairings in an ideal, injury-free lineup. The way I did this was to trawl some data that many individuals collect and put on the internet and do some sums.
Basically, on last year's data I was able to broadly see whether a player made his partner better or worse offensively and defensively. I was also able to see what kind of partner (style) each player seamed to thrive with, or seemed to struggle with.
| Pairing #1 | Effect O/D | |
| D – Andrei Markov |  |
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| D – Jaroslav Spacek |  |
|
At that time, I selected Spacek for a number of reasons. Firstly, Markov played better with players who skated than with big lumbering men (including his usual partner). What seemed to let him be at his best is actually playing with a player more like himself, who can dart around and make a good quick pass – covering more ice with movement as opposed to mass. That for me ruled out O'Byrne and Gill right away, and based on the stats from when they played together, Hamrlik too.
I can see from the message boards that Martin might be considering Ryan O'Byrne to start with Markov this evening. I think this would be a mistake based on the above.
I wouldn't be so haughty if Jacques himself had not come to the Spacek conclusion himself. But that was his evaluation in October, as they started the season together and played most of the preseason together too.
The worry I suppose from some is that Markov and Spacek together means breaking up the current number one pairing of Hamrlik and Spacek. However, these two, while consistent aren't blowing anyone away, as they clock about 2.4 GA/60 - which also happens to be the team average on what I think we'd all agree has been an underwhelming defensive outfit so far. Breaking this combo up, therefore, should not be something to lament. it would be progress for the team, and progress hopefully for Spacek.
Incidentally, Hamrlik is not like Markov. He likes playing with a big guy. What's more, he's been excellent all along with O'Byrne - this season and last (ES and PK). If O'Byrne is to be deployed with a top pairing, it surely must be with Hamrlik.
Luxury goods
Markov's comeback has more implications for the team than simply first pairing conundrums. It also brings about a potential log-jam of 8 defencemen on the team. One question is who might sit out. Another, considering it possible that 7 or even 8 Dmen could be dressed per game, is how many luxury items can the Canadiens afford to carry?
We already carry a fighter we don't use (or need), forwards who are doing apprenticeships in lifting the puck, and two young goalies still learning the ropes. When it comes to winning games, we are starting to run out of place for functional parts to fill the roles. Can we thus afford to play a defender whose only use is on the penalty kill and another whose only use is on the PP?
Or, should we be looking to better exploit the all-round ability of 4 or 5 of the other options?
We've all been complaining about this injury so long, it's time for the team to give us the proper ammo we need to back up those arguments on single player value. Let's hope it's a good one tonight.
Allez, Allez. Go Habs Go.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Game #36
Minnesota Is The Latest To Take Two Points Away
Details
Date: 17/12/09
Opponent: Wild
Location: Montreal
Loss: 1-3
Habs Goalie: Price (L)
Opposition Goalie: Backstrom (W)
Habs goalscorers: A. Kostitsyn
Opposition goalscorers: Earl, Koivu, Clutterbuck
Play of the game
No beating around the bush tonight, let's call a spade a spade, shall we? We had one good play all game which works well for this section of the report at least; that play of course is Andrei's goal. The goal itself started with a swift pass from Gomez near the offensive blue-line. Kostitsyn then went up the right-side, on his backhand and was only thinking 'shot'. The sniper now has confidence which means that he will try backhands from beside the net, and tonight that is what worked for us. It was a quick reply to Minny's opener, but we couldn't keep the game tied for long.
Dome hockey team
The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome
Forwards
Scott Gomez
An assist and some pretty decent play earns Scott our top-centre award. It is nice to see him playing well, but I do fear that the Habs don't seem to be playing as well since his return - coincidence? I hope. He chipped in with a team-high 5 shots which, although some were NOT scoring chances, shows that he is at least trying to get things going.
Glen Metropolit
I was happy to see that Martin went back to Glen tonight and I actually thought that he did an alright job. He wasn't our best centre, but he did bring some diversity to our attack with bouts of inspiring play. The two things that I really liked were his ability to bounce back from a couple of rough games and his face-off abilities; he went 9-3.
Andrei Kostitsyn - Game Puck
Someone said that they would like to see Andrei do well in wins and not just losses and I tend to agree. He is, however, on quite a roll and I believe that he just happened to get hot while the team was slumping. For now I will refuse to admit the two are related, but I really hope that we can see both happen at once in the near future. Tonight he scored his 9th and had a very impressive 4 take-aways.
Defencemen
Jaroslav Spacek
Our reluctant #1 did a pretty good job tonight. I doubt when he signed with us he thought that #3 would become #1 so fast, but, I suppose, you gotta do what you gotta do. The Habs only let up 21 shots and you have to thank Jaro for some of that. Sound play in his own end and no-risk hockey meant that he was giving our goalie a chance to be good to great for an easy win. Of course the result was different, but at least he tried. Jaro ended at +1, he was on the ice for nearly 26 minutes.
Paul Mara
I wasn't ecstatic to see Mara back, but I did realize tonight that he is a decent piece to the puzzle. In an all healthy environment one has to think that he has his place while Bergeron and O'Byrne move over to the 4th line and press-box respectively. He was our other D-man to end at +1 and played 22+ minutes of calamity-free hockey.
Goaltender
Carey Price
I can't blame Carey for the team's shortcomings, but he really wasn't that great tonight. That said the offence is welcome to win us a game from time to time. How about a 7-4 win? 6-5 perhaps? How come Edmonton and Phoenix and all these other 'weak' teams can do this and we can't. Our D did the job tonight by letting up less than 25 shots, Price gave us a decent chance at OT with 3 goals against, but when you never score a big amount those efforts seem to get forgotten.
Comments
We live through these streaks every year, sometimes more than once and, you know what, we aren't the only team to do it. Playoff teams do it, Cup champions do it and so we can do it and we'll be aright. It isn't fun to lose, it isn't fun to not score, but that is sports, the important part is the learning to be better than you've been. Tonight could have been period 4-6 of the Devils game as far as I was concerned, it was a defensive battle in which neither team really attacked the net. There were chances here and there, but this was far different from a Caps or Pens type game. There are 3 things that I picked out tonight that I would like to share. Latendresse - he was better than he was this year with us, but not better than he once was. He is still slow and lacks creativity, I believe he had no place on our team and, although he may be slightly better than some of our current players, I stand by that as we aren't at full capacity right now. The Habs are too clean of a team to win - we got two calls all night and one against. I am not suggesting that we take more penalties, and am glad that we didn't, but we really have to get a little grittier to draw some. We have to force the opposition to take their own dumb penalties instead of allowing them to play us clean. Martin - it was a great call to have Price out with 2:30 to go in the third. You don't see that much in the NHL so I applaud him for giving it a shot. Plus, all of the Wild's wayward attempts on goal should show that an empty net doesn't necessarily equate to a goal. I believe it gives you a much bigger advantage than it is thought to and that it really doesn't make the situation as bad as some would have you believe.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Game #34
Too Many Dumb Penalties Cost The Habs...Again
Details
Date: 14/12/09
Opponent: Sabres
Location: Montreal
Loss: 3-4
Habs Goalie: Halak (L)
Opposition Goalie: Miller (W)
Habs goalscorers: A. Kostitsyn (2), Cammalleri
Opposition goalscorers: Sekera, Kaleta, Kennedy, MacArthur
Play of the game
18 seconds after Buffalo took a a 1-goal lead the Habs answered. It was, once again, Plekanec's line that supplied the goal that tied the game. This goal was started by the hard work of Cammalleri who rushed towards the Sabres' blue-line after having just won the puck. Waiting there was Andrei Kostitsyn who promptly returned a pass to Mike after having just received one himself. Cammalleri took the pass from behind himself very well and then showed us all that incredible wrist-shot that he has, beating Miller cleanly on the blocker-side.
Dome hockey team
The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome
Forwards
Mike Cammalleri
Mike played a big part in all 3 of our goals as he not only got points on the last two, but also served up a brilliant dumby on Kostitsyn's first. He was clicking with his linemates tonight so much so that it was shame whenever we had to watch the other three lines at work. With 18 goals in the bank surely I can't be the only one who thinks that he may just add more to Team Canada than say a Ryan Smyth or a Shane Doan.
Tomas Plekanec
I think we over-taxed Tomas a bit tonight. He was wonderful, yet again, on the PK, but when you ask your #1 centre to play 6 minutes short-handed (most in the second half of the game) you may realize why he has nothing left to give on a game-ending PP. I love the fact that we have a player that can do it all, but his teammates could really help him (and the team) out by taking fewer dumb penalties. As for numbers he was a star tonight - 2 assists and 23-3 on face-offs.
Andrei Kostitsyn - Game Puck
Andrei is probably playing some of the best hockey of his career right now and that probably has a lot to do with the fact that he is playing with 2 great linemates. Many people would have had him traded, sent-down, benched or, at the very least, placed on a lower line. Martin, however, listened to us when we insisted that he had to be on a top-2 line and that he, even when he isn't scoring, is a much bigger threat than any of Latendresse, Pacioretty, D'Agostini or Lapierre will ever be. Tonight his hot play brought his points total to a respectable 19 as he added 2 more goals and an assist.
Defencemen
Marc-Andre Bergeron
Marc-Andre is not only holding his own in his own end, but he is actually doing quite well. He would be hard-pressed to ever be a top-4 defensive guy on this team, but I do think he has the potential to be a top-6 (ahead of 2 of O'Byrne, Gill and Mara). Tonight I actually thought he was a top-4 in our own end anyway. Add to that the fact that he is likely going to be our #2 offensively and all of a sudden we have a decent #5 on our hands. Tonight he supplemented his strong defensive play with some more good PP work as he was in the mix for both goals.
Jaroslav Spacek
Spacek was very good in our own end tonight, particularly at blocking shots. He may have posted 4 less than team-leader Ryan O'Byrne, but he also put forth a solid all around effort on top of the BS (Blocked Shots). In a game like this, against his former team, when he is playing well I actually think it is silly to use him for only 18 minutes while over-taxing other key defenders. Markov's imminent return may have a big impact on Spacek's role and ice-time, but I do believe that he has proven himself as a very capable #3 or #4.
Goaltender
Carey Price
Halak, I felt, could have done a bit better tonight. This was a rare off-night from Miller and I felt we didn't take advantage. The Habs did take quite a few penalties, and two of their goals (essentially) were scored with the extra man, but Jaro probably could have been stronger to not let at least one of those in. I wouldn't say that he was bad tonight, but he wasn't good either. For that reason I take my chance that Price continues his hot play and stops more than 85% of the shots directed towards him.
Comments
A bit like Saturday night in that we were in this game the whole way and then we put ourselves in a unnecessary hole. In all we gave Buffalo 6 PP chances (50% more than we earned) and that included a 5-on-3. Two of the penalties were by O'Byrne who seems to be more likely the player we saw for 82 games last year than the one we saw for 4 games in September. He is having trouble keeping up with the play and his methods of compensation are costing the team. 6 minutes by Metropolit, especially after the penalty on Saturday that led to the OT goal, is a bit too much. He is a valuable player, but not so valuable that he deserves his spot regardless of how he plays. If stupid penalties continue then you can rest assured his ice-time will drop, as it did tonight. The Habs seem to have a big problem as of late and that is the fact that we are out-fouling other teams; this is happening on a near-nightly basis. We are having a hard enough time drawing penalties that is seems stupid to give the refs so many 'no-choice' calls to make against us.
This week may be a bit of an uphill battle to get to the .500 mark, but if what I am hearing is true, and Markov is indeed almost ready to return then I really think we may be able to turn some of these 1-goal losses into wins.
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Game #27
The Habs Did What? Lost At Home To Toronto?
Details
Date: 1/12/09
Opponent: Maple Leafs
Location: Montreal
Loss: 0-3
Habs Goalie: Price (L)
Opposition Goalie: Gustavsson (W), MacDonald
Habs goalscorers: None
Opposition goalscorers: Orr, Finger, Stajan
Play of the game
Geez. I could choose one of our 26 mediocre shots, a so-so defensive play or even the fact that Komisarek, once again, was booed every time that he touched the puck, without fail. I will, however, avoid all of those as they are weak. Well, this was a weak game so I'll go with something equally as weird anyway. It was during the pre-game, it was the reception that our crowd gave to the Alouettes. It was great to see them get some recognition for winning the Cup and it was also neat to see the Grey Cup and Stanley Cup in the same building at the same time - anyone know the last time that happened?
Dome hockey team
The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the domeForwards
Mike Cammalleri
Picking this dome was a stretch as I really didn't think that any Habs played all that well; just some not as bad as others. Mike, as it should be on most nights, was better than most of his teammates. He had a few good chances and actually almost put one by the Leafs, which for him shouldn't have been so hard.
Scott Gomez - Game Puck
Scott played better than all of his teammates tonight, but this will go down as the least properly-earned game-puck of the year thus far. It was nice, however, to have him back as it seemed to give our attack some balance.
Ryan White
It is finally time to applaud the work that this kid has been doing. He is what Laraque could have been, what we hoped Stewart would have been and what Latendresse wasn't - he is energy. Each shift he seems to be playing for his NHL life and I for one am taking notice. In all he had 6 hits which was 3 more than any other player on the ice. I already see him ahead of a few of our other players such as D'Agostini, Stewart, Wyman, Laraque and Pyatt. I, thus, fully expect him on the 4th line of this team come February.
Defencemen
Paul Mara
None of our D did so great tonight either, so this too is a least-bad of the bunch type scenario. First off Bergeron and O'Byrne, in my opinion were quite bad, so that leaves 4 choices. I chose Paul because he kept his game pretty clean. There were no giveaways and although he was there for Orr's goal I wouldn't call it his fault as much as either Gorges' or Metropolit's (as the centre of that line - Chips at that moment was on the wing).
Jaroslav Spacek
Let's give Roman a rest tonight. In fact, Hammer didn't really do much tonight and I thought did indeed look worse than his countryman. Jaro did have 3 giveaways and was -2 however, so it shows what type of game our D had if he was #2. His dome inclusion is mostly due to the fact that he took 11 shots (4 more than anyone else) of which 3 went on net.
Goaltender
Jaroslav Halak
Could have Jaro stopped all of the shots tonight? No. Would he have given us a better chance to win? Probably not. I do, however, think that tonight was the night for him to see some action. After 8 straight starts I thought Carey could use a rest as December will be one hell of a busy month (both he and Huet have been injured, thanks to overplaying, in this month). Also, if Halak is our back-up, which I think we can all agree on now, he should play against the worse teams, that is what back-ups do.
Comments
I always talk about games that should have been won. Well, there are two types of those games. The first are games like Saturday where you had the lead, where you played a good game and where one or two little mistakes cost you. The second, like tonight, are games that you see on the schedule and basically pencil them in as wins. The second category, for the Habs, tends to be the most dangerous. Maybe not so much this year, but in recent memory we are generally more competitive against stronger teams and have always struggled against the basement-dwellers. Tonight was example of how we simply weren't prepared to win. We were weak in the offensive zone, weak on the puck and, worst of all, weak to respond to the Leafs' attacks. The game seemed to come and go with very little excitement or emotion (thank goodness I wasn't there) which seemed to suit Toronto just fine. I will call this game a blip and I'll move on; I just hope that the Habs can do the same. We have a big weekend ahead of us and it would be a shame to end our first 100 years with efforts as poor as that.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Game #25
Habs Run Out Of Gas Against Sid + Co.
Details
Date: 25/11/09
Opponent: Penguins
Location: Pittsburgh
Loss: 1-3
Habs Goalie: Price (L)
Opposition Goalie: Fleury (W)
Habs goalscorers: Pacioretty
Opposition goalscorers: Crosby, Guerin, Gonchar
Play of the game
Not much to report here and it's not like I had a tough choice. Price didn't make any real spectacular saves and the D didn't really do anything out of the ordinary, so it will be our goal then; pretty simple play really. It was Metropolit who broke out of his own end sending the puck up to Sergei. The younger Kostitsyn then fed Pacioretty who was able to continue his strong play with another goal (he now has 3). The pass also happened to be Sergei's 2nd point in as many games this year.
Dome hockey team
The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the domeForwards
Glen Metrpolit - Game Puck
Glen was used in all different scenarios last night and even saw time on the first line. In all he played 18 1/2 minutes, was a +1, took a team-high 5 shots (3 more than anyone else and over 1/4 of our total) and picked up his 7th assist on the year.
Max Pacioretty
Max quietly has 2 goals and 3 assists in his last 5 games. I am not sure exactly what has happened, but he is looking better and better all the time. The way he played in this one shows to me that maybe, after all, he can hack it in the NHL, but again we must be careful. If we don't want to lose him like we lost Gui we must be patient (more so than we already have been). Play him on a top-2 line when there are injuries, but ideally on the 3rd. He seems to be working well with Metro and the addition of Sergei to that line makes me very excited for what could turn out to be a permanent, quality 3rd line (2nd for the time being).
Travis Moen
Travis is mainly in here in recognition for the work he did filling in on the first line. Sergei was definitely not up to the task of filling his brother's skates, but I felt that Moen did an admirable job. He may lack the hands to be more than a 4th-liner, but last night he worked hard, won battles and got the puck to his more talented linemates. He ended the game 1st on the team in hits (6), and 2nd in shots and blocked-shots (2).
Defencemen
Paul Mara
Our D didn't look great in this game, but no one really stood out for bad play either. Bergeron, Leach and O'Byrne all looked quite capable at times, but did have bad moments too. Mara, however, played a pretty invisible game. He was on the ice for Sid's goal, but balanced it out by being on for ours. He led the team with 4 blocked-shots and clocked over 22 minutes of play.
Josh Gorges
Josh was invisible to good tonight. I didn't really notice him much and when I did it was because he was doing something responsible and/or solid out there. He, like Mara, played over 22 minutes and was our only D to not be on the ice for a goal-against. To top it off he was on the ice for our goal and, thus, was the only D man to end the night at +1.
Goaltender
Carey Price
Carey couldn't have really won this game for us. He did play a good game and looked good for the most part, but to hold a rested Penguin team to 1 goal or less in their building is not likely to happen. Once again he faced 30 shots and, once again, he let in 3 or less goals. So, he would have given a more competitive team a serious chance to win. It would have been nice if he stopped goals #2 and #3 as I think at his best he stops those, but he did make up for it by stopping some that should have gone in.
Comments
Right from the get-go Montreal looked tired and Pittsburgh didn't. Whether or not you think that NHL teams should be able to handle two games in two nights (I do) is beside the fact as what we now know is that the Habs will always have trouble at it (especially when travel is involved). It would, however, be nice if these professional athletes were able to exert themselves for 15-20 minutes over a 3-hour period two nights in a row, but I guess that is something that we must work our way up to. That said there were a couple of other things that bothered me. The first is that we can't seem to draw penalties. This was magnified last night as our hustle wasn't really there, but in general we do not do a very good job at this. All it takes is persistence, hard-work and effort and eventually you will get some calls. Being weak on the puck, afraid to go into corners and unwilling to get a little cheap/dirty yourself will likely hurt our chances at going on the PP. The other issue I had with last night's game was the fact that Price wasn't pulled. Why on earth, with the puck in their end and a minute to play, would you leave the goalie in? The fact is that there is nothing to lose by pulling him, who cares if you lose 4-1 or 5-1? I, like the rest of you, could recognize that we were probably not going to win the game, but why not at least take your best shot? Who knows maybe one last-minute win will be the difference at the end of the year. I can stomach this if it just happens this once, but if this repeats itself then I'll be quite upset at Martin's apparent lack of hope. After all, all you need is luck.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Game #22
Good Start To Tough Weekend; Who Saw That Coming?
Details
Date: 20/11/09
Opponent: Capitals
Location: Washington
Win: 3-2
Habs Goalie: Price (W)
Opposition Goalie: Neuvirth (L)
Habs goalscorers: Moen, Plekanec, Cammalleri
Opposition goalscorers: Fehr, Morrison
Play of the game
When playing the Caps in Washington it is a good idea to have more than a one-goal lead coming into the home-stretch. So, getting a PP with 8 minutes to play presented a very interesting possibility for the Habs. A goal here could really kill two birds with one stone. It served as a chance to get the PP going and gave us the opportunity to jump ahead in the game. The whole time it seemed like the idea was to get the puck to Camms. So, there the puck came, from Pleks, to Mara at the point and then to Mike. He was able to unload a perfect one-timer that gave us the breathing room we would eventually need.
Dome hockey team
The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the domeForwards
Tomas Plekanec - Game Puck
Dominant again. I wouldn't say that he was more noticeable than Ovechkin, but he was definitely in the same league. He scored a goal, picked up an assist and was once again our best on the PP and the PK. Can someone give this man the 'C'? Please.
Mike Cammalleri
Mike showed his true worth on the PP with a tantalizing one-timer. We are going to need that type of shooting on a near-nightly basis as the forwards continue to drop like flies. He also picked up an assist on Moen's goal and was entrusted with more than 20 minutes of ice-time.
Andrei Kostitsyn
I felt that Andrei, along with Pleks and MaxPac formed our best line all night. They were offensively threatening and pretty decent in their own end. Andrei made a couple of great passes - one ended in a goal, another in a 'how-did-you-miss-that' by Pacioretty. A single point tonight by Kostitsyn may not seem like much, but seeing as he is more and more engaged I don't really care how many points he collects.
Defencemen
Paul Mara
Paul is quietly playing some decent hockey as of late. He has been our 4th best defender all year and tonight was a top two. He contributed offensively tonight with an assist and a few good passes. He was very solid in his own end and was a reason that Ovechkin was held off the scoresheet.
Roman Hamrlik
If you needed a bigger reason why Ovy didn't get a point (other than Plekanec's sublime coverage of him on the PK) you needn't look further than Hammer. He, along with Price, controlled our own end. We may have let up 34 shots, but let's not forget that a shot isn't always a shot. Tonight, when Roman was on, the shots weren't too difficult for Price to control.
Goaltender
Carey Price
I am very happy with Carey tonight and as of late for that matter. This was the Price I was calling for before, this was the goalie I knew we once had and that I knew, somewhere, somehow, still existed. He looked so comfortable in goal and never backed down from anyone. He played the odds on goal #1, but that is his style and inevitably a few will go in. That is OK though because the rest of his game was great.
Comments
The Habs didn't play a great game tonight (outshot 34-22), but they competed and that is a big step from this club. To be able to go into one of the toughest buildings in hockey and to play it's greatest player and come out with a regulation win is quite the feat. It seems that we may have to deal with yet another injury though as Gomez left at some point and didn't return. Our team is doing well to find results with it's limited resources, but I feel that it can only last for so long. At some point we need to catch a break and have no new injuries and get more players back or the team will suffer, for real. Speaking of which, O'Byrne and Laraque made their returns tonight. Ryan played a decent game and I think we can all see a slight upgrade from Jay Leach. Georges was his usual self; didn't add much and had a boring fight. All in all it was a better team than we iced on Tuesday, so there is hope for us yet. Tomorrow is a huge test as Detroit roles into town. A win against them would make this a perfect week and would give us reason to think playoffs again. A loss, however, wouldn't be the end of the world as I feel we are still holding our own in the race to April.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Game #18
Halak Makes It Look Closer Than It Was
Details
Date: 10/11/09
Opponent: Flames
Location: Montreal
Loss: 0-1
Habs Goalie: Halak (L)
Opposition Goalie: Kiprusoff (W)
Habs goalscorers: None
Opposition goalscorers: Iginla
Play of the game
There aren't too many positives to be taken out of this one, but I will hand it to some of our boys for showing some heart and good camaraderie at times. My favorite incident took place when McGrattan, known for his dirty play, hit Plekanec at Calgary's blue-line for no apparent reason. The hit was dirty in my opinion as it came when Tom didn't have the puck, had his head down and was in open ice. Seeing that his smaller teammate had just been knocked over for the second time in a matter of minutes (Phaneuf laid a big one on Pleks in the corner) he decided to take the matter into his own hands (God knows the refs weren't about to do anything). So Paul dropped his gloves and jumped onto McGrattan. There were a few punches thrown, but in reality it wasn't much of a scrap. What it showed me, however, was that these guys, even though they are still getting to know one another, will go to war for each other and that, my friends, is the basis of any solid team; it is a tried, tested and true fact of sport.
Dome hockey team
The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the domeForwards
Mike Cammalleri
Mike was by far our most dangerous forward tonight. He had a few spectacular moves, but came up just short on a couple of occasions. I think that Martin thinks the answer is for him to play with Gomez and Gionta, but I really like him with Plekanec and hope that that experiment hasn't, yet again, been aborted. I also think that you should end a game with the same lines as you started with, something that was not the case tonight at all.
Andrei Kostitsyn
One of these days I really need to see a goal from Andrei, but I can live with how he played tonight as it was head and shoulders above most of our other forwards. His 4 shots led the team and at least 3 were very dangerous; they were shots that created rebounds and forced the Kipper to come up big.
Glen Metropolit
Glen did well on the third line tonight and also featured predominantly on our special teams. You can't fault him for not scoring as who would have expected that we would even be hoping for that outcome. He has exceeded expectations all year and tonight was an example of how he is one of our most solid, responsible and reliable players.
Defencemen
Roman Hamrlik
Hamrlik didn't bring much to the table offensively, but I felt did a good enough job against Iginla's line. He played for over 26 minutes and, although he was on the ice for some chances, never got himself into major trouble. Playing almost half the game against a team like Calgary, however, will wear you down, so I can only hope he will be good to go for the rest of the week. He is, because of Markov's injury, being used more than we would like, but so far, so good.
Jaroslav Spacek
Spacek had a few weak moments in his own end, but there was nothing too catastrophic. Our defence, on the whole, wasn't great tonight, but I also didn't think their effect was too negative either. Jaro's upside came in the form of offence as he took 4 shots and also played semi-decently on what was an otherwise pitiful power-play.
Goaltender
Jarolav Halak - Game Puck
Halak could have let in 3+ goals tonight or probably could have had a shutout. It was one of those nights where he wasn't great, but got most of the bounces. The bottom line, however, is that he made some big saves down the stretch and he gave us a chance to get points we didn't really deserve. The goal against was weakish, but, then again, an Iginla wrist shot is often quite hard to stop. A loss is a loss, but 1 GA and a .967 Save % has likely earned him a start before the week is over.
Comments
You never like to see your team lose a game 1-0 (first shutout of the season) as it then becomes very easy to say the 'what ifs'. What if Gorges stays with Iggy. What if Halak stops that shot. What if Gomez lifts the puck on his breakaway. What if Gionta drops to Kostitsyn instead of going cross-ice (and broken up) to Gomez on a 3-on-2. You see, I could go on and on. This is it though, Calgary was better than us tonight. They had the better goalie, the better offence and by far the better D. We tried hard at times, but one look at either our PP or PK will tell you that we were simply outclassed. I think, however, it is time for Martin to find a way for us to be able to compete against good teams. The season is almost 1/4 of the way through and we still have trouble against quality teams, we still seem to lack a defensive system and we are still struggling to find lines, combinations and a team identity. Markov being injured is a great excuse, but it is so played by now. The lack of chemistry with new players isn't a great November 10th excuse either. And, being told the players (professionals I might add) are still learning a system 2 months after its introduction is starting to look worse on the coaches than on the players. Things will certainly have to line up for us over the next 2 months if we want to stay in the top 10 (or get back to the top 10 I should say), but I believe that we have the potential and the will to get it done which, in reality, are paramount to anything else at this point in time.
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