Therrien was waiting in the hallway to fistpump all the players after the game. Price gave him the puck after the game. (Therrien gave it to Bergevin) Plus, the pic with G-Squared was priceless. He's playing the players' coach game. It suits him well. Like you said, let's hope Gallant, Jodoin and Daigneault can bring the technical side. (The D-men's solid performance tonight looks like a good indicator of coaching adjustments.) Then again, Therrien has enough NHL experience not to get outcoached. (* crossing fingers *)
I don't think Therrien will ever be a tactical genius but if he can continue to tone down the intensity enough to walk the line between "passion" and "angry shouter who his team will tone out in a year", and keep an open mind to coaching adjustments discussed with Jodoin and Daigenault (Supposedly Gallant is an awful tactician too), he could grow.
I'm happy to eat crow about how well they played. Of course time will only tell if it sustains but Gallagher looked much more NHL ready than I expected him to and I'm once again impressed at how Prust plays hockey. I assumed he was on the same level as Moen (who was one of my favourite grinders over the past few seasons), but he might be even better.
Galchenyuk was mostly invisible besides his goal, but you can't teach that sense and determination.
Good on ya. I was just giving you a friendly ribbing there. I was excited to see them but I didn't expect it to go this well to be honest.
Absolutely agreed about Prust. He's a different beast than Moen altogether if you ask me. It's only been two games and I'm thinking he's going to be a really important player on this team for a lot of reasons. He brings a lot of respect out there and actually makes the other team think twice.
A kid like Gallagher in my opinion is a can't miss. I don't really remember seeing a kid that involved and driving the net and going to dirty areas like that in his first game with the Habs. He doesn't have any quit in him whatsoever. Smart little player and blazing fast.
And Galchenyuk did good things other than that goal in my opinion. He got back defensively really well a few times and provided puck support to the D at his own blue-line once or twice too. And just before he scored that goal he took a pretty good punishment in front of the net there and didn't seem phased at all by it.
I still don't like letting Pyatt go. He's got like 13-goals in his last 77-games.
Lapierre - Moore - Pyatt was such an awesome line.
It was a good, well balanced line but in his role, in the context of this team, I much prefer White. Heck... I prefer Gallagher and Dumont over Pyatt too!
Its early, but it looks like Markov still has that vision and playmaking ability. He hasn't lost an ounce of that. What he may have lost is some agility and foot speed, but I'll wait to see more games before I say for sure.
This was the biggest positive I took out of this game.
Of course, i'm strictly talking about his vision here. How is the rest of his game remained to be seen but after tonight, there is hope that the Montreal Canadiens got back his general on the blueline. We'll see i guess.
Either way, with such vision, even a physically diminush Markov can offer great minutes on the ice for the Habs
Really impressed with Diaz so far. I think that time back in Switzerland during the lockout did him a lot of good.
If there is one silver lining with subban out, it is that we will see how diaz will fare on the #1 PP unit with Markov. I mean, he's not prolific 5 on 5, and I doubt he will ever be (not that he's terrible either), but its on the PP where we will find his true worth, and he won't get any better chances to prove himself than now.
Really impressed with Diaz so far. I think that time back in Switzerland during the lockout did him a lot of good.
Diaz was awesome. Especially on the Powerplay.
One other player that deserves mention tonight was Bourque. That drive to the net in the first that eventually led to Markov's goal on the 5 on 3 was the result of second effort and driving the net.
If this is MT hockey I have to say I like it. Don't reinvent the wheel, get to the net type of game.
I don't think Therrien will ever be a tactical genius but if he can continue to tone down the intensity enough to walk the line between "passion" and "angry shouter who his team will tone out in a year", and keep an open mind to coaching adjustments discussed with Jodoin and Daigenault (Supposedly Gallant is an awful tactician too), he could grow.
Yeah, I think that Gallant is the 'bad cop' to Therrien's 'good cop'. (I remember hearing about Gallant not getting the most out of his well-stacked junior teams in the past.) We know that Jodoin's the technical one, and I believe that JJ can instill a sound D-system. It's way too early to judge, but I have the feeling that this 'balanced committe' just might work.' We've has too much of one and not enough of the other over the last few years (Martin-Pearn, the Randys, Muller)
Funny part is that if Therrien would have played Eller at center with Prust and Gallagher as his wingers, some would have said that, again, Therrien isn't doing a proper job with him 'cause he doesn't give him the best wingers of the team. Somehow, this Galchenyuk rookie made the best of it with the same 2 guys on his line.
Again, I want Eller to play and I want him to get his confidence again. But people come on...on which reality are you living in? Since when would you take a guy who hasn't really been lights out and just put him right away with the 2 best wingers of the team and demote one of the guy who was right with them the year before? The idea is to have Eller play on his own line, see how he creates stuff with his linemates, as inept they could be, and reward Eller with some time on the PP once in a while to get his confidence going. You then add some time on the PK as well so he ends up playing quite a while. But you don't destroy everything to make room for it. He needs to build it at a regular pace. Now, if we stay with the same lineup, we will lose soon so he will be back. We played an incredibly tired weak team today. Let's not be like some Maple Leafs fans who thought their team was all that and think we are all that ourselves. We're not. But it's better a win than nothing. We're playing in Washington next game...it won't be easy.
At one point, I believe that the odd man out will end up being Armstrong, White and Nokie. Also believe that we're not set on both Gallys. So there is a way to see Eller soon. But Therrien will do need to be imaginative.
Really impressed with Diaz so far. I think that time back in Switzerland during the lockout did him a lot of good.
Kaberle has better vision on the ice but Diaz is able to compensate that by taking A LOT more space on the ice. He doesn't mind spending energy to cover Markov's pitches to the net, and that is one heck of an asset.
Pacioretty is looking awkward out there, not sure what it its..
I hope he finds his timing back
Opposition teams know what the trio did last year and will pay more attention to them and give them less time and space. I suggested Eller centering for this very reason.
