Habs Breakdown Part 2
The Montreal Canadiens are officially out of the post season, here’s a breakdown on the reasons why I believe they didn’t go any further.
Mark Streit, he has some potential, but failed to show up for many games in the post season. Yes he had a couple of good games, but for the salary that he will demand next season, is it really worth it? Streit is a good puck mover, and has a good shot from the point, but he didn’t use it much, and had a hard time against the bigger teams he faced in the play-offs.
The power-play, what in the world happened? Well teams figured out that Andrei Markov always passes the puck to Alex Kovalev, and shut that lane off, then it was to Streit, and teams shut that lane off too, so the power-play was almost non existent.
Carey Price, well, unfortunately he showed that he is still a rookie, he did win his first play-off series, and made some spectacular saves, but also was rattled and let in some cheap goals. Price is only twenty years old, and will rebound from this, he gained valuable experience in the post season, and will have to work on his glove side high holes, although there are unconfirmed reports that he was a little injured as well. Look, you see in this kid that he has the potential to be great, this was a stepping stone, or a learning curve, so do be too hard on him.
Basically the team in the series against the Philadelphia Flyers, out played played the other team, they couldn’t finish. What the Habs needed and need for next season is for Guillaume Latendresse to play like the player he is supposed to be, or to get a player like Milan Lucic, and perhaps if, and only time will tell, if the Habs don’t have gritty decent size forwards in Hamilton, which they do, then they will have to acquire a few. Along with possibly inquiring about Jeff Carter, he would be a good centre for the Habs. The forwards that don’t hit, meaning the scorers, did their job, they got points, perhaps too little, too late in the game, but they did it anyways, you can’t fault them. The fourth line however, was atrocious, and will have to be much better next season.
All the Habs need is a good power forward, and a couple of good gritty players to help Tom Kostopolous, and Steve Begin in the hitting department, as more defense-men are coming up, and they know how to hit. This post season was not a let down as the Canadiens were fore-casted to not make the play-offs, so the team should sort of be happy, however next year is the centennial, and all the media in hockey will be in Montreal, if the Habs don’t want to look like chumps, then they will have to take what they hopefully learned and apply it next season.
They out-played the Flyers, but didn’t get any lucky bounces, but at least they were not dominated, something to look forward to. Let’s hope that Price has a great rebound year next year, and leads the Habs further in the post season.
Author Bio
An avid hockey fan. Favorite team is the Montreal Canadiens.
I grew up in Montreal following the Habs all my life.
My thought is that hockey is the greatest sport.
I eat and sleep hockey.
I watch anywhere between 250-400 NHL games a year.
» View all articles filled by Bryen Owen.
» Subscribe to Bryen Owen's RSS feed here.
» Visit Bryen Owen's website at: http://rumormethis.com
More Articles by Bryen Owen
9 Comments
Keep track of this discussion by subscribing to this post's RSS feed.
Sign in to comment
Not a member of RumorMeThis? Register here.
Bryen your coverage on the Flyers, Habs game is so bias! You barely if any give credit to Flyers. You say that the Habs outplayed the Flyers throughout the series but the Habs only won 1 game and they barley won that 1! Umberger had 8 goals this series this coming from a guy who had 13 all years!!!!Biron stood on his head he made alot of great saves and kept the Flyers in the game when he was needed the most. Price gave up some pretty bad goals and now all i hear is that Price was probably playing hurt?? give me a break if your the coach of this team and your in the playoffs, your goalie is a rookie and hurt would you keep him in the net??? yea i know they pulled him out of 1 game but cmon?? too little to late! The Habs were desperate and lost! Carbonneau had no idea what to do at this point and he scrambled for an answer in Halak but it didnt work. Sure the Habs had a ton a shots on goal but shots are not goals and Biron had an answer for them.
If you watched the same games i did you would of seen alot of shots when wide of the net too. I mean Kovolov is in the slot, open and fires the puck wide of Biron…Koivu shoots wide of the net…lol..this is just terrible coming from players like that and knowing your down in the series.
The bottom line the Habs won only 1 game! The Flyers outplayed the Habs in the series and the Flyers were the better team! Look at it this way at least their wont be any riots in Montreal if the Habs had won!
Bring on the Pens!!
LETS GO FLYERS!!!
by Trig on May 5th, 2008 at 11:04 AM EDT
Well Trig, if you would have read all my articles about the series, I constantly say that the Flyers capitalized on their chances. Considering the fact that the Flyers were outshot in almost every game, that would factualy state that they were outplayed! Like I also said, the Habs didn’t capitalize on their chances, because if they had….. If your going to comment, read everything before you do!
Even though the Habs outplayed the Flyers, they lost amongst other things because they didn’t capitalize on their chances.
by Bryen Owen on May 5th, 2008 at 4:29 PM EDT
I read all your articles and there all 1 way. You didnt give much credit to the Flyers. The only thing you keep saying is that they got out played but still won the games. How do you explain a team (Habs) that out plays another team (Flyers) but loses the next 4 games??? cmon? tell me are the Flyers just lucky?? Umbereger had 8 goals in this series and 13 all year!! …lol…They beat the Caps in 7 that series was alot tougher then this 1…sorry bro but i know the hab fans have alot of passion for their sport and team and i respect that but there sore losers. They just dont want to give any credit to a team that beats them.
Ohh yea forget about Jeff Carter he’s not going no where, He’ll get signed in the off season and remain a Flyer but you can have Smith and Hatcher. I dout Smith will get signed unless its for less money and Hatcher is slow.
by Trig on May 5th, 2008 at 7:21 PM EDT
If you read all of my articles, then you would see that I’m not afraid to single out players on the Habs that aren’t playing up to par. It’s one way yes, but good or bad, I give them praise, or I mention how poorly they are playing, I could start commenting on other teams, but could people handle the abuse, as well as the praise I would give other teams? I’m not a sore loser, why would I be, the Habs went further than anyone would have expected, and did better than they have in years in the regular season, not bad for a team that was predicted to finish in ninth place maybe.
by Bryen Owen on May 5th, 2008 at 8:19 PM EDT
Realistically to say that a team outplayed its opposition based only on shot-count per game is a little short-sighted. Many of Montreal’s shots weren’t even realistic scoring chances, as they came from the perimeter. This is Montreal’s biggest weakness: lacking a big body who can play in the high-traffic areas in front of the net.
Let’s face it Latendresse hasn’t been all that impressive, and he might be the closest thing Montreal has to a power forward.
Montreal didn’t play too bad, but the guys they were being carried by didn’t really have much impact against Philly.
I expect much the same for Pittsburgh. They will get owned physically and eventually collapse.
by Dan Rakusan on May 6th, 2008 at 3:17 PM EDT
Although I enjoy the certain pinache you bring in your comments, you must be hoping the Pens lose, considering what they did to your Rangers, just as I hope Philly loses.
by Bryen Owen on May 6th, 2008 at 4:18 PM EDT
I don’t really hope the Pens lose, or win. I honestly don’t care, since they got into this round by officiating. Sounds like sour grapes, but really, it’s about what appears to be a league-mandate to have Crosby in the finals…
I hope the little punk gets his face knocked in… I hate that whiny little bitch.
by Dan Rakusan on May 6th, 2008 at 5:30 PM EDT
But Malkin is just as whiny, what about him? Detroit, and Pittsburgh have the most talent left in the post season, they should prevail.
by Bryen Owen on May 6th, 2008 at 7:14 PM EDT
Malkin is nowhere near as whiny as Crosby… Dude doesn’t have the mastery of the English language to complain that much… Sure, he protests a lot of calls, but all players do that. Crosby is a whiner because he actually looks like he’s about to cry when he’s talking to refs…
by Dan Rakusan on May 7th, 2008 at 12:49 PM EDT