Carbonneau was and is an idiot for having tonight's lineup.
The only line that looked half decent out there was the 4th line, and I wouldn't have put that together or keep it together.
We've hit rock bottom since Higgins came back. Plek, Kov and Kost hasn't worked all year.
This is what I think Carbo should have iced tonight, and what he should ice Thursday.
Latendresse - Koivu - Tanguay
S. Kost - Plek - A. Kost.
Higgins - Lang - Kovalev
Kostopulos - Lapierre - Begin (tonight)/Laraque (Thursday - keep Neil in check)
Lapierre shouldn't have been bench, I have seen him many times the last few games playing great along the boards in the offensive zone behind the net...he's great at protecting the puck.
Dandenault....can skate fast......the rest...aint really there
Jebus....we got to get the PP working again...wait....let me rephrase.......get this team working and showing heart again.....as RDS stated so many times tonight, talent alone is not enough.....
I'm depressed.....we should have won this game........oh wait, and against philly, against TO, Columbus....and so on....
I'm really disappointed by this team so far this year.....not the exciting team we had last year....
1) Gainey trades Kovalev to the Islanders for whatever he can get......
2) Gainey then makes a deal with Florida Horton...not sure who to give up, but the Habs are quite loaded with young talent and Florida is rebuilding....
3) Gainey then makes a deal with Chicago for Barker.......
1) Gainey trades Kovalev to the Islanders for whatever he can get......
2) Gainey then makes a deal with Florida Horton...not sure who to give up, but the Habs are quite loaded with young talent and Florida is rebuilding....
3) Gainey then makes a deal with Chicago for Barker.......
So the Habs get nothing of value from the Isles for Kovalev, they give nothing of value to Florida and Chicago for Horton and Barker, and miraculously they fit all of this under the cap? Holy **** you put a lot of thought into this.
1) Gainey trades Kovalev to the Islanders for whatever he can get......
2) Gainey then makes a deal with Florida Horton...not sure who to give up, but the Habs are quite loaded with young talent and Florida is rebuilding....
3) Gainey then makes a deal with Chicago for Barker.......
1.) Funny, I don't remember you complaining about Kovy last year
2.) Florida is rebuilding so they trade away their best young forward? Good deal for them.
3.) and the Habs want Barker because? He has a huge cap hit, is unproven, slow and has show less then anyone else he was drafted near?
Based on the last few games lineup:
Switch Kovy with Higgins, Kosto with Latendresse?
Latendresse - doesn't/shouldn't touch the puck unless he is with in 10 feet of the net = Great match with Kovy and Pleks.
Higgins - Koviu is the only centre he ever seems to have any chemistry with.
Kosto - who are we kidding, the 3rd line is pushing it, the 2nd line is ridiculous.
So the Habs get nothing of value from the Isles for Kovalev, they give nothing of value to Florida and Chicago for Horton and Barker, and miraculously they fit all of this under the cap? Holy **** you put a lot of thought into this.
Dude, why would have to hurt my little brain and put more thought into it?? Last time I checked I wasn't the GM..........
why make up a bunch of trade scenarios that just get slammed by all the other posters.........my suggestions were pretty straight forward, how they come about is a totally different matter!
And to Adam91, why would I have complained about Hogalev last season, last season he actually looked like he gave a damn.....I'm complaining about his play this year, in case you haven't noticed..........last season has very little to do with what is happening on the ice right now, which is very little from the enigmatic Russian!
If you want something that doesn't involve any kind of trades or player movement of some kind, then the players that have played the majority of the games are what you have to work with. There will be no demotions or long term benchings, it'll be pretty much what we have seen so far this season....
I remember a season or two ago everyone was shouting for a Higgins-Plekanec-A.Kostitsyn line, based on the fact (If I remember correctly) that they played together in AHL and did well. I would like to see that line get a try. I didn't get to see last nights game, but I believe Koivu and Kovalev played together and if I'm not mistaking (which I probably am) that was the first time they've played together since the playoffs in 2004. It worked back then and who knows, maybe if you give them a few games together, it might work now as well. The third and fourth lines probably require a bit of trial and error over the season, but if the top two lines get their job done, it shouldn't be too much of a problem.
Markov - Komisarek (when he is healthy)
Hamrlik - Gorges
Bouillon - Weber
Price
Halak
It'll click eventually.
I like the second line, they all play at the same speed. I would switch Chipchura and Lapierre. And change Higgins with A. Kostitsyn. I think those would be good forward lines.
On Defence I think Carle is more ready to play at this level than Weber, and he could also play on the PP!
Lats-Koivu-Tanguay (started out good, has the right recipe)
Higgins-Lang-Kovalev (Kovalev gets to be fancy pants)
A Kost-Plecks-S Kost (brothers united have best chance to get going IMO)
Lappy-Chips-Laraque/Kosto/Begin (I'd say calling chips up for a home game or two is worth the look)
Markov-Komo
Hamrlik-Obyrne/Call up
Bouillon-Gorges
I don't like TK on a supposed scoring line, I don't like Koivu with Kovalev but I don't think it's relevant right now. Players, no matter who they play with, have to execute fundamental hockey plays. No Harlem Globetrotter fancy thru 3 guys passes, no pouting for 2 shifts because it didn't work. It isn't about matching talent right now, the coaches, imo, should give them a brief message and then make it clear that they're on their own to solve their problems.
Not playing on your desired line right now is the least of their problems. Not competing for consecutive shifts when faced with adversity is what they have to adress, and the players have to do that themselves, if they are indeed what they think they are.
