Man, you're telling me. With a strong pp we'd quickly become a force. I'm pretty confident we're going to figure it out though. They came damn close in the first tonight and with Markov on the verge of returning things are only looking up.
Good news is, our PK is awesome. Gill in particular was brilliant tonight.
But at 12 or so % right now on the PP that has to be imo the main area of focus.
I just can't understand the total lack of creativity going on during the PP, they have no confidence. Instead of working it around and looking for a good opportunity, they just take low percentage shots, and their entries have been poor as well.
Its basically only been pass back and forth between the Ds with a bad shot, or try the down low play, which usually gets taken away.
Funny part about this is believe it or not I played hockey tonight (beer league) and one of the boys pulled an O'Byrne and I got credited with the goal because I was closest. Buddy tried to pass the puck to his goalie who was obviously elsewhere and there you go. Only difference is that there was actually a goaltender in the net in this case. lol.
I just can't understand the total lack of creativity going on during the PP, they have no confidence. Instead of working it around and looking for a good opportunity, they just take low percentage shots, and their entries have been poor as well.
Its basically only been pass back and forth between the Ds with a bad shot, or try the down low play, which usually gets taken away.
You're right and its strange because as fans we've been accustomed to a team that capitalizes on the PP and is run of the mill at even strength last couple years. Yet right now we seem to be much, much more comfortable at even strength. They need to figure out the PP there is no doubt. I really think it could put the Habs at that next level.
Ehh, Gomez wasn't that good. He was directly responsible for the SHG by Weber. Granted he was playing LW so not his usual position, but after Nashville won the draw he skated directly at Suter who was not his man and left Weber wide open.
That's one guy in the league that cannot be left alone no matter how far away from the net he is in your zone.
Other than that, no complaints for the game tonight. Diaz is still learning, that much is obvious.
more a communication problem than anything,considering Gomez isnt used to play wings they should have clarified who goes where before taking the draws.
Besides that play he was OK, not great or amazing but had a solid game overall none the less. If anything playing on a 4th line might forces him to lose his old habit of carrying the puck to the blue line by himself all the time, tonig he didnt do it as much wich is a good start, and he was making passes while skating wich is new also...
now lets hope he keeps playing that way... so while he may not put up lots of points he may be useful still.
Didnt think we were gonna win any of these 2 games, way to hustle out there. This team has character, I like it! Nice seeing DD quiet out the haters too.
I missed the last two games because I'm at my parents house where we don't get RDS but man, how much more exciting is an overtime win that shootout? I love it.
they are like bizarro habs this season, awful pp and pk, great 5on5
Actually, the PK has recovered from its rough start, and is now 9th in the league. This is not really surprising. The Habs were, and are, the very best team in the league at limiting shots against on the PK (34.7 shots per 60 minutes -- a full three shots less than Philly, the runner up, and almost certainly unsustainably good) but had given up a few goals on really good shots and bad luck play. This happens in small samples, but in the long run, shot volume drives special team success -- since the Habs have good goaltending and ridiculously low PK shot rates, it was inevitable the PK efficiency would become better.
Same thing applies on the PP -- long term, shot volume drives success. Montreal is currently third in PP shot production at 59.4 shots per 60 minutes (contrast that with their PK rate!). Their shooting percentage has been ridiculously bad -- 4.4%, which is not only worse than anyone else on the PP, it's worse than anyone else 5-on-5, too! Needless to say, that won't last -- eventually pucks will start going in at a more normal rate and because of their shot volume, the Habs will rocket up the PP charts just like their PK did.
As for their five-on-five, they had already improved a great deal last season, so what we're seeing here is a continuation of that progress. They are a fair bit better 5-on-5 than last year, but especially, their 5-on-5 shooting percentage was abysmal last year. This year, like shooting percentage usually does, it went back to normal. And so we're seeing a lot more 5-on-5 goals for, and since Montreal was already very good defensively 5-on-5...
Yep, that means we could conceivably end up with a team with really good 5-on-5, really good PP, and really good PK. We're already at 2 out of 3. That is not exactly the worst recipe for success...
And perhaps the scariest part is that this is all happening with PK Subban carrying the defense 5-on-5, aptly seconded by Gorges. The other two pairings are unremarkable at evens. Relying so heavily on a single pairing would normally not be a good thing, except that the other two include some very young players who could easily improve. More importantly, it really makes me wonder what will happens when Andrei Markov comes back and provides the Habs with another top-pair D-man...
In short, despite the team's lackluster-but-improving record, there's very good reasons to be optimistic.
Other then Weber, I thought the majority of others played pretty good. A few stood out for me..
PK - Great feed and was really solid all night. A workhorse once again.
Gorges - ...'nuff said.
DD - Still easy to knock off the puck, but played a smart and efficient game tonight. Great goal too.
Cole - Didn't hear much of him but that pass was gorgeous.
Budaj - Great saves on a few occasions and solid all game long.
Gill - That PK job was tremendous.
PK was fantastic, but a workhorse might be overdoing it a little. Tonight was one of his easier nights (ice-time) in awhile. Weber & Gorges played the most minutes on the blueline tonight.
Desharnais could of also had 5 or 6 points tonight. The pucks he was passing had eyes of their own. Yes, he needs to improve on his balance and strength, but how people see this kid as nothing more than an AHL'er boggles my mind.
Budaj did his job perfectly. Awesome game.
Gorges is my favourite player (or Plekanec, too close!) on the Habs for a reason. Just so much heart and just so smart.
I also thought Palushaj looked pretty decent. And that means something coming from me because I was really hard on him since I was such a mark for D'Agostini.
This is what more size up front will do...
4th best team 5 on 5.
Makes sense. So if you have the chance to be bigger up front, don't 'cause we have a good record NOW 5 on 5. Logical.
So let's address every other issue then ok? We're 21st at the faceoff circle, shouldn't we get other centermen? We sucked when we outshoot the opposition, so let's stop shooting. And we're 7th when we let the opposition shoot more, so let's give them the puck so they'd shoot. We're actually 25th when we score first....who says it's important then?
See? You can make stats stay so many things....Being bigger was NEVER meant as a recipe that would change everything. But it addresses a weakness to make that team with a better mix so they could not only be on top of a 5 on 5 stat in November but a better overall team all year long and ESPECIALLY in the playoffs and it would permit you to win with different kinds of style if your usual type of hockey doesn't work on a certain giving night.
We played really well on this small road trip. Much better than I anticipated. Despite a PP that is not working. This is the "good" of what this system might bring. Remains to be seen that they could be consistent with it and that it could bring you to another level. But as of now, we're 12th, close to as high as 6th....which is always what the Habs have shown throughout the years. If that road trip is a sign of better things to come, so be it. Until then, we still are a 6th to 10th place team.
But hey, we are 5th on a stat, why trying to improve?
