Its easy to be stubborn when Andrei - Pleks - Kovalev was among the top lines in the entire league last year. They really didn't start lighting it up till the end of November.... I think we should give them 20-25 games to really get going.
I mean the start of the year has been tough for them... long layoffs coupled with Andrei's injury. This is a good stretch where they can actually find some consistency in their games; and its not like its hurting us at this point either... we have 18/22 points.
You nailed it Beaker. Everybody loves the fact that the Kostys will have natural chemistry together but you can't dismantle a line that was so effective last year, just to play them together. In order for the Habs to succeed, it's critical for Kovalev to succeed and produce. I don't think that the same thing can be said about S. Kost yet. If the line begins to struggle and new lines are tested, then it's a excellent viable option to play the brothers together, but at this point it would not be the smartest coaching move.
I prefer to look at it as encouraging that they at least had 1 period in which they produced, just as people are looking at the NYI game as encouraging for Higgins.
I don't think that there are many of us that fault Carbo's decisions anymore. The man is an excellent coach who lets his players create offence, as long as they don't forget to forecheck and backcheck. Makes for an exciting brand of hockey. With the addition of Lang and Tanguay this season, it opens the option of 3 solid offensive lines.
Due to the 2 multi break periods the team was dished this early in the year by the scheduling it has been difficult for the team to sustain a proper flow to their game. Add to that the Higgins injury and it is no surprise that at this point in the season the only untouched line has been A. Kost/Pleks/Kovy.
Personally, I think that starting with the game against the Leafs tonight is where Carbo gets to assess the direction he needs to take in regards to the 4 lines.
When the time is right, it will happen. Carbo feels it's not the right time yet, then so be it.
I don't know why poeple go nuts with all that. If it doesn't work, then what? What will be the next thing? What will the whinning be about?
Andrei with Alex and Plek form one of the best line in the NHL last year and Carbo wants to give them more than 10 games to get them going again and I see nothing wrong with that right now.
Sergei Kostitsyn reminded me something yesterday, when in a post-game interview he said "I was crashing the net and I knew my brother would pass me the puck, it's a strategy we practiced a lot."
Why does he keep on insisting of separating the two Kostitsyn brothers ? They seem to know perfectly where each other is on the ice.When they do play together, the passes they do and their strategies are marvel to see. They even stole a point out of Columbus yesterday. So, why wouldn't Carbo try that ?
Higgins - Koivu - Tanguay
Latendresse - Lang - Kovalev
Sergei Kostitsyn - Plekanec - Andrei Kostitsyn
random fillers
Put Kovalev on that line and he will probably sign with the leafs next season.
I say play the brothers together on the PP more to test the waters.
Anyone know how many games Sergei and Andrei played together at a high level before they both became members of the Canadiens? I'm thinking maybe 10 or 20? Far less than the number of games Andrei has played with Pleks and Kovy. Is it just because they both have Kostitsyn on the back of their sweater that everyone thinks they have to play together?
No, re-read the quote in the original post please.
ROFL ok that's funny
Please let's not talk about Kovalev going to the leafs
Habs at the start of playoff :
Higgins-Koivu-Tanguay
Pacioretty-Plekanec-Kovalev
S. Kostitsyn-Lang-A. Kostitsyn
Latendresse-Lapierre-Kostopoulos
Quality backup
Laraque-Begin-Dandenault
Max Pac is gonna have to do more than he is doing in Hamilton to get the call...
He's 19 and he played 40 something games last year.... why are we rushing him??
