Wednesday, February 27, 2008

CH is for CHemistry

CH is for Chemistry...we are not a team of one player, we are a team of many players...many players who seem to believe in each other. Chemistry, right now, seems to be our biggest asset, and it was kept at the deadline.

I sided with Bob Gainey at 3PM and I'm glad I can do it again tonight. I would have loved to get Hossa but if there is one GM in the league that we don't have to question its Gainey.

With Gainey you can be sure that he explored every avenue and thought about it long and hard, the man knows what he did and I think he did right. Look at the game tonight, the players were so happy to be with each other and the chemistry on the ice was evident. Give time to Grabs to get settled, expect Ryder to get back on the top line if this re-newed confidence grows, and Sergei will drop w/ Grabs and Latendresse (this is a line where #84 can actually do something with his size)...

This gives us 4 complete attacking lines;

Kovy, Pleks, Andrei - This is our big line, it has been shut down recently, so we need secondary scoring.

Higs, Koivu, Ryder - On the PPlay tonight this line clicked and brought back visions of last season. If this line can start producing now, everyone would forget about the awkward start to the season and would give us the very much needed secondary scoring.

Sergei, Grabs, Lats - This would be our energy line, you have speed and grit w/ Sergei, size and decent finishing w/ Lats and Grabs is just a VERY complete player (I'm very happy we didn't let him go). Yes this line may get caught in transition coming out of the D-zone, and may sometimes get burned for the offensive-mindedness, but this line is meant to boost the guys on the bench as they see the youngsters getting into it.

Begin, Laps, Streit - This is our checking line, we know Begin CAN throw the body, and we know Lapierre CAN get feisty, and we know Streit is so versatile...this line can go up against 2nd or 3rd line opponents and play a good cycle deep, keep opponents off the scoreboard and get some ugly goals...if they don't perform we'll have the always hungry, Dandenault and Kostopoulos to bring in energy to the next game and Smolinski for.......... well he's useless, maybe they need a centreman in Hamilton

On defense we're fine as long as Brisebois stays "rayez de la formation" and everyone stays healthy. But Carbo...if you're reading this...say someone gets injured...play Streit or Dandenault on D before going to Breezer...PLEASE!!!

In nets...Price knows it, even though he won't say it, he is the number one man, this season, next season and for many more to come. And for the complainers...what did Huet do this season? He didn't steal one game all season, he may have even lost some for us. He may be a loss in the locker room but he isn't one on the ice. Price knows what he has to do and he is great under pressure, history shows us that, this is another level of pressure and I think he will handle it well. Most importantly, the guys in front of him have confidence in him, as they should, and that really does make all the difference.

This is our team going into the playoffs, I do believe that we are serious, I do believe that we are for real, however there is still one element missing, but don't kid yourself, that element IS NOT Marian Hossa.

K_cardi.

4 comments:

Max Power said...

Congrats Karl on popping your HabsHockeyTalkey cherry...it took you time, but you held out for that one special someb--eurh, article.

Listen, I want to make it ABSOLUTELY clear that I am NOT losing hope in the team in any way, shape or form. In fact, losing hope in them is impossible, as I've poured so much time and care into them since the age of 7 really. All I'm saying is (as you pointed out) they need secondary scoring due to the fact that teams are FINALLLLLLY catching on that Pleks, AK 46 and 27 is our top line, and they are checking them much more effectively lately, and the deadline was the simplest way to do it. We've waited over 60 games for Ryder to get going, and one outbreak in a miracle NY comeback still doesn't cut it enough for me to pour my trust into him again. We could have acquired a decent secondary scorer, a la Vinny Prospal for example, and taken a much needed chance on him for what could have been a prospect and a pick, not affecting the chemistry (CH) whatsoever. But, what's done is done - ironic, as nothing is done - and they still won 5-1 tonight, which does go to show that this team is in it through thick and thin, and seem to be ready for the playoff gauntlet. They've (for the most part) come up together through the years through the same farm system, so the comradery is there. A message was passed today by Gainey, indirectly, saying: I acquired no one, because I know you guys can do it. Now, they have to make sure he doesn't look like a fool, which I very much so believe they will.

The intrigue of a Habs/Caps first round series has me by the brain right now! I would LOVE it!

vin914 said...

hey guys, ill have to agree with Sal on this one...not that Karl said anything wrong. but we needed to pick up something yesterday..vaclav prospal?? i dont know maybe its just my bias but i hate that guy, not to mention i cant remember him doing anything when he didnt play with Lecavalier. now was the answer hossa? i think he would have helped but i guess i would not have wanted to give up what pittsburgh gave up for him...wow they got murdered i think. so where was the middle ground? i know that Karl you said with Gainey he looked everywhere and went through all the options but it doesnt change the fact that he promised us someone, gave us nothing and then said "oh its cause i beleive in the team" it seems like a cop out to me. but what do i know. where was marleau and jokinen yesterday, maybe they didnt move because their price was too high also i cant say. what i can say is that after yesterdays deadline the montreal canadiens are the same if not worse off than they were before. the only thing giving away huet did was give Price the chance to be a number one goalie, at 20 years old!!!! thats young and you guys know that. hes not Patrick and these fluky young goalies are a rariety. and if it does happen, IF it happens, he may go too high too fast and then be ruined for a long time...Cam Ward, and Jose Theodore to name a few. Theodore more because we all know what this city can do to a player.

Unknown said...

Im actually REALLY happy we didn't trade for Hossa. Very good sniper, but I beleive we needed a real powerforward with skill & grit (hmmm very very hard to find!). Did you see the price to pay for a UFA Hossa?? Imagine also the negative change/chemistry in the dressing room...Expectations are the greatest source of pain they say...Bob shouldn't have gone public about an Impact Player, but Atlanta changed their demands in the middle of the day. À propos de Huet, it was a shock, especially that apprently it was only Washington that had interest (hence the low return). It's a roll the dice sort of situation. Brzygalov 3 years 12 M$, Huet's big payday would have got him at least 4,5M$/year so they knew they weren't signing him + their objective is to make the playoffs (which im sure they can with Halak/Price). They could have lost him for nothing or give Price the net now. Either that or Bob got screwed big time. Anyways i'd rather keep the core and trade next year, but at one point it should be about the cup, not only the playoffs...

Max Power said...

LECAVALIER in two years baby...lecavalier in two years...