That's who should be our number one line next game. (no KKK comments please)
Also, you guys should be hit over the head for bashing Begin all night - sure he may have made an error in judgment but remember all the shots and bruises he's taken for this team. Steve Begin bleeds the CH and you all should realize it.
I'm all for it !!
Chris Higgins needs to get out of the first line and fast, because he has been a useless puke so far in this year's playoff !!
Mine is as follows with some adjustments to your original:
EVEN STRENGTH -- FORWARDS
Andrei Kostitsyn - Tomas Plekanec - Alex Kovalev
Guillaume Latendresse - Saku Koivu - Michael Ryder
Christopher Higgins - Mikhail Grabovski - Sergei Kostitsyn Smolinkski - Maxim Lapierre - Tom Kostopoulos
EVEN STRENGTH -- DEFENSE
Roman Hamrlik - Mark Streit
Francis Bouillon - Josh Gorges
Andrei Markov - Mike Komisarek
GOALTENDER
Carey Price
POWERPLAY #1
Michael Ryder - Saku Koivu - Alex Kovalev Markov - Streit
POWERPLAY #2
Andrei Kostitsyn - Tomas Plekanec - Sergei Kostitsyn
Hamerlik - Gorges
POWERPLAY #3
Christopher Higgins - Saku Koivu - Mikhail Grabovski
Andrei Markov - Roman Hamrlik
The PK.. just use Pleks, Higgins, Koivu, Kostopolous, Streit (forward).
that works perfectly by me. I hope carbo will do something, i know that we have been doing alot of things right...except putting in it, but he should boosting his finishers a little bit
I posted his stats as well a few threads ago, funny thing is his best career numbers are against our first 2 opponents but Carbo goes with his Lappies, Lats, Dandies and Begin's...wonder why???
Wow, I looked at his games/teams/points and he is almost a Point per Game player in the West...something for him and his agent to look and think about.
Lapierre had one of his better games of the playoffs yesterday and Latendresse needs to park his ASS in front of the net and bang away at garbage goals - I hate to say it but I think it's time for Higgins to sit
If I were Ryder and Carbonneau asked me to play game 5, I'd tell him to go **** himself and play Smolinski, Kotsopoulos, and Latendresse with 1:30 left and behind by 1.
Let's look at last night's game, and the series for a sec.
Why are the Habs trailing despite controlling most of the play and getting lots of shots?
(1) Martin Biron is the best player in the series
(2) Habs hit 5 first period posts in games 2/3 in the first period + bad bounce with open net -> not getting the breaks
(3) Habs not capitalizing on opportunities
(4) PP not working early in games (or at all)
(5) Flyers PP working and they have been opportunistic
(6) Habs best players are not carrying this team (with the exception of Captain K)
(7) Habs not getting enough traffic in front of Biron
So, in addition to giving Biron and the opportunistic Flyers some credit, I don't think the Habs need to change much except:
(1) Go to the net for traffic and rebounds - pay the price
(2) Get a lead
(3) Flyers are collapsing 4 players low to clear rebounds -- so, Habs will be outnumbered down low, limiting rebound chances. Still, get guys in front of net, look how Koivu got a couple of goals -- good bounces will happen
(4) Keep pinching the D-men -- it worked in game 4. Force the game, don't wait for it to come to them
(5) Get that PP working -- Simplify with point shots -- rebounds and traffic
In last night's game, I thought Latendresse was brutal. Up until the last shift of the first period, he put together some of the worst play I have seen in a while. At least he found someone last night he could beat in a foot race (Hatcher)
Time for Carbo to shorten the bench...Go with 3 lines mostly. The 4th line should get limited ES ice time but have players who play special teams.
OUT: Latendresse
IN: Ryder
Higgins-Koivu-Kovalev
Kosty Sr-Pleks-Kosty Jr
Begin-Smoke-Kotso
Streit-Lapierre-Ryder
If you were Carbonneau and knew you needed to stir the pot offensively, what lines would you change? Who would you call up?
I think I'd bring up Chipchura if possible (I heard he's injured???) and give Gregory Stewart one final shot this season to play. That kid played with a lot of intensity and I think maybe he could get our offense going. Who knows, but what ideas have you guys got? One last ditch effort to win.
Grow some balls, screen some shots, and crash the net.
It's too late now, of course, but that's what I'm sure he said before the last game. Only the third and fourth lines got the memo, of course, but again they are the only one with their heads out of their *****.
Always and I mean ALWAYS have someone in front of Biron while in the offensive zone...see how well you got the two goals when doing it? Prior to that, no one was ever there and no one scored any goals.
Get Stewart in there for at least one game, put Ryder back in, take out Streit from the forward line. Bench Dandy.
I would avoid drastic changes. Other than goaltending, the Habs have dominated play, no reason to tinker with the forwards and defence. Put Price back in, and keep spraying Biron with shots - he's not superhuman, as we proved in the 3rd period last night.
