If Pouliot can consistently produce the way he did for a while with Gomez/Gionta, one problem will be solved. But Gauthier has to believe in it for not making a move this summer to find another winger for G&G.
But I'd rather see one addition on the left wing: either to take Pouliot's spot or AK's.
If Pouliot can consistently produce the way he did for a while with Gomez/Gionta, one problem will be solved. But Gauthier has to believe in it for not making a move this summer to find another winger for G&G.
But I'd rather see one addition on the left wing: either to take Pouliot's spot or AK's.
I'm still unsure if they plan to eventually use Pouliot as a center. So finding a LW can still be an option.
Sorry guys, I'm everything but optimist for the next(s) year(s), and this is why I didn't really want us to reach the ECF...
you wanted to bash the habs, didn't you
but because they went to ECF, you just can't complain
you hoped that they get eliminated in 4 in quarter final I'm sorry for you
the leafs wouldn't disapoint you
----
Pouliot is still young, i think he played a bad playoffs + injuries didnt helped.
He probably was injured to the head 'cause doesn't Pouliot remembered that he sucked tremendously PRIOR to the playoffs as well? So he was injured at a hand. Not sure, we haven't even notice how weak his shot was because of that injury 'cause he never touched the puck to begin with.
Having said that.....he lacked confidence. Like a couple of our youngsters we had this year. Nobody helped him getting it back either. Seems that we need in our roster for kids to take matters in their own hands. Don't wait for anybody to do it for you....you'll wait a very long time.
A normally coaching philosophy when dealt with a struggling youngster who has potential is to keep putting him in opportunities to succeed. Montréal's is to move him around, then 4th line, then bench.
If he comes back 100% and adds a little more muscle, should be a solid year for him.
By far the best part of the article is him wanting to put some weight on. Me and my buddies called him "jambe de spaghettis" all playoff long cause we were sick and tired of watching him lose every battle on the boards and always falling down on his butt. I don't know how a 6'3 athlete can watch a teammate that's 5'7 and 135 pounds crash the net and win battles more then you do.
About the injury. I said it many times on these boards and no one would ever take it into account. I saw the entire habs team 3 days after their elimination and Pouliot had is hand all taped up and bruised, which I'm sure affected his stick handling and shooting as well as overall confidence in his capabilities.
I'm pretty sure every regular in the Finals look worse today than what Pouliot looked like.
After a grueling 7 month season, you start playing once every two nights where the intensity is at an all time high.
Everybody has icepacks and bruises. Sure, some might be more injured than others, but still you should be able to contribute. Pouliot was invisible during the POs. There's really no excuse.
It was a learning experience, and hopefully he will bounce back.
This is idiotic. How can we expect a player to play well when he's injured? We don't know the extent of the injury. Heck, I'm not wasting my time explaining why tihs old cliché that playing with an injury is no excuse is absolutely deprived of common sense.
It is considered not that good of an excuse because around playoff time almost all the players are injured in one way or another.
Contrary to many, I guess, I didn't see Pouliot being soft in the playoffs. He tried to hit as much as possible. His positioning and stick handling (and balance, of course) were pretty bad. He didn't give me the impression of being the type who doesn't show up in the playoffs.
Aye. Despite his lack of offense, which we can now relate to the injury, he still did what he could and even went out of his game to do it. Very rarely did he back off a check, he tried to chip in where he could because something was inhibiting his ability to do what he normally does. I thought he gave a solid effort for a guy who couldn't get *his* game going, unlike say, Semin who packed it in when he couldn't score.
Unfortunately, we had enough chippy players and his scoring was needed more than his frame. Not a knock against him, just a generalized reality.
The fact that he wants to work on lower body strength makes me very optimistic. It's obvious that the kid has natural talent, if he becomes stronger on his skates and with the puck, he'll easily find his groove back.
This is idiotic. How can we expect a player to play well when he's injured? We don't know the extent of the injury. Heck, I'm not wasting my time explaining why tihs old cliché that playing with an injury is no excuse is absolutely deprived of common sense.
An injury to one's hand does not prevent them from forechecking effectively or being physical. Pouliot was lacking in those departments.
An injury to one's hand does not prevent them from forechecking effectively or being physical. Pouliot was lacking in those departments.
And has been since the day he was drafted...you're going to be waiting a long time if you expect to see a "physical" Benoit Pouliot.
But at least he seems to have the right attitude. Pouliot isn't as good as the goal-a-game guy he was when he first came, but I don't think he's as bad as the 3-points-in-24-games guy we saw either. He can be a frustrating player to watch, that's for sure. I hope he settles into the 30-20-50 player he's capable of being.
Your premise for 'pessimism' revolves around what if Pouliot doesn't bounce back and what if Plekanec is not retained, neglecting to take into account that Montreal could potentially replace either of them via trade/free agent acquisitions, or could indeed retain Plekanec.
There is no point in this line of pessimism since it is based exclusively on what if worst case scenarios. Given that there are at least three months before the season starts, you're better off waiting to see how the team looks at least after free agency before complaining about what ifs.
And if you refuse, and want to maintain that line of thinking, you might as well presume the same type of what ifs as stated in my previous post.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hototogisu
And has been since the day he was drafted...you're going to be waiting a long time if you expect to see a "physical" Benoit Pouliot.
Not really. When Pouliot joined Montreal, he was strong on the forecheck and launched a few solid hits. He failed to continue this in the playoffs.
I think he touched on a key thing in one of the quotes, he needs to get stronger on his skates and improve his balance. I remember when Gorges came here, he suffered from similar problems, he still is a bit under average, but he has improved leaps and bounds. If Pouliot takes the advice of the coaching staff and implements a good routine in the offseason, he will do much better. A big part of being effective with your size is being able to be strong on your skates.
Not really. When Pouliot joined Montreal, he was strong on the forecheck and launched a few solid hits. He failed to continue this in the playoffs.
I think it's pretty obvious now you can chalk this up to the high that comes with being on a new team and trying to impress his new bosses. Physicality has never been a consistent part of Pouliot's game and I doubt it ever will be.
Not really. When Pouliot joined Montreal, he was strong on the forecheck and launched a few solid hits. He failed to continue this in the playoffs.
I am not sure I agree. He may have not laid out any big hits, but Pouliot was one of the few forwards that could consistently finish his checks on the forechecks. I would like to see more from him, but in relation to the rest of the forwards, he was one of the better.
Great feature and article on Benoit Pouliot. In it he says that he was injured for most of the playoffs which could explain his play (even if it is a bad excuse to use). I really hope like this article says that he does work hard this offseason and that he rebounds next year (assuming we are going to sign him as he is a RFA).
Its all mental with this guy. Every time he got the puck, he wanted nothing to do with it, and rushed an awkward pass to his teammates. He had absolutely no poise with the puck.
Sure gaining strength and balance will help his game, but his biggest improvement will have to come between his ears. If he can do that, he will not get too down himself during dry spells and that will make him a more consistent player and a fixture on the top 6.
I assumed it was injury. He wasn't the same like he was at a certain point in the season where it seemed he could score no matter what. I believe he'll come back next year and have a good bounce back year. I wouldn't count out a 20 goal season from Pouli next year.
I'm sorry for you
