Episode 15 – Ok Guys, Quit Playing Around Now!
January 19, 2010 | 3 Comments
Crunch time starts now for the Habs. Question is, can they handle it? We rant about the goal-tending, the GM, and Pat goes OFF on Martin. Oh and we are finally only submitting ONE part per podcast now! Gotta love it.
3 comments ↓
First, enjoy your podcasts even more than the ones on HIO. Your insights and opinions are much appreciated.
Just came from HIO and Price is starting and Darche replaces D’Agostini on the second line (so much for building from within). No Laraque for the Blues game tonight. St.Louis is a good road team 12-6-4 and must be licking their chops as I write this. Hope the Habs at least put up a fight but am not optimistic.
Was interested in your discussion of where the Habs should go from here. I tend to agree with Pat that the Habs lack 3rd & 4th line grit. It’s all well and good to say build from within but that has not worked as the cupboard is bare of prospects save Subban and maybe Desjardins. The Canadiens have tied themselves to Gomez, Gionta, Cammalleri and will probably pin future hopes on AK46, Pouliot and Plekanec for the next couple of years. So there we have our two top lines set and if healthy that’s not so bad. Not great but certainly good. Now comes the problem. the third and fourth lines are horrible at this point and are the reason the Habs can’t win two games in a row let alone go on a streak. Lapierre hasn’t been good but I think he needs players like Begin and Kostopoulus to be effective. We have Moen so just need one more guy in that mould and we’ve got something. Laraque is ok for one more year
(he’s good in the playoffs, if we ever get there) so Bob only needs to add a couple of low salary guys et voila. Metro is ok but a little small so i’d look to let him go along with D’Agostini who seems useless. With SK74 chipping in we’re not that bad. If Gainey can add a player or two like Colby Armstrong this team can compete and be entertaining for the next couple of years while management can try once again to forge a team identity and draft accordingly.
I personally feel that with Desjardins and Halak the Habs could deal Price out west for a good third line player or a pick and move forward. Also, Markov is valuable and could be used in the next year or two if Habs can somehow get bigger and younger on defense. Maybe Bob can grab someone for the Hawks in the off season. They seem to be overloaded with tough young players.
Anyway, I’m trying to be optimistic for the next few years because this season is all but lost.
Great comments. The issue is whether or not young guys like Laps, Max, Dags, SK, etc are not developing cause they aren’t that good, or because of other reasons (ahem, coaching). The Habs need a 4th line, and they need to get younger, bigger and faster on defense if they want to play the style coach wants them to play. Bob is married to Price, but if he did trade him, he would get a lot in return. This trade deadline will be very very interesting. Does Bob go for broke and try to make the playoffs, or pave the way for the future?
I have a feeling that the Habs will be out of playoff contention very soon so going for broke will not be an option.
In my earlier comment I left Max Pac out because he never even crossed my mind which shows how much I notice him in a game.
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