6th ??

brew · Member

6th ??

Key Lime · Guru

brew wrote:

Should Mtl aim for the 6th place?? i would think they are and will try hard cause it would mean NYR rather than Ottawa or Carolina. They're only 3 points behing New Jersey right now with the same amount of game played. What u guys and gal think?

The Habs have the leaderboard in their dressing room. It stares at them all the time...They must be thinking of 6th place. After tonight, they know they need that 6th place. The analysts had the Habs finishing in 6th place in their conference before the season started. It will be tough but we do have a shot. Keep picking up points boys!!!

Andy · Veteran Member

It is not out of reach because we do have 2 games remaining with Jersey this year.

Caper_hab_fan · Veteran Member

I think what would be "playoff perfect" for the habs would Buffalo pick up on Ottawa for division leader. Buffalo, a hot team, but we played well against them all year, so i'd say that would be nice, but NY Rangers for sure if not.

Jay1982 · Guru

I was talking to a friend last night, and for some reason he fears Carolina and Ottawa. Both teams are very beatable if we play like we have been playing as of late. Even NYR, as seen by last night's performance is beatable. I don't think there is any unbeatable team in the east to be honest. Because even if we do play, lets say, Ottawa in the 1st round. We would need to win that, and afterwhich, face another strong team in either NYR, Philly, Carolina, etc..

heet_150 · Guru

I don't think any of the top three are going to be unbeatable in a seven game series. Rangers and 'Canes have playoff unproven goaltending. The Sen's may not Hasek back right away (anyone hear what is going on with him lately?). I feel that the east in the playoffs is wide open, and hottest goaltending wins.

Key Lime · Guru

heet_150 wrote:

I don't think any of the top three are going to be unbeatable in a seven game series. Rangers and 'Canes have playoff unproven goaltending. The Sen's may not Hasek back right away (anyone hear what is going on with him lately?). I feel that the east in the playoffs is wide open, and hottest goaltending wins.

i think Rangers are ok with their goaltending. Lunquist is the best netminders in the league so far this season.

24 Rings · Guru

I don't think the boys are thinking about finishing in any particular place but just making the play-offs at this point. When they have a 8 or 10 point lead on the 9th team, then we can start worrying about where we finish.

Buffalo is only 2 points back of Ottawa. The Habs don't match up well against Carolina so anything better than 8th place is a gift. Buffalo, NYR or Ottawa - still gonna be tough to get by any of those teams, but we have a better chance than vs. Carolina.

plouf · Guru

6th would be something though, the Rangers or Flyers, two teams we've done fairly well against.

barry33 · Guru

brew wrote:

Should Mtl aim for the 6th place?? i would think they are and will try hard cause it would mean NYR rather than Ottawa or Carolina. They're only 3 points behing New Jersey right now with the same amount of game played. What u guys and gal think?

Right now, like early in the season. we are winning games by the skin of our teeth. A 3-0 win in Boston (Huet's doing) and a resounding 1-0 spanking of the Rangers (again, Huet's doing) are NOT what playoff teams are made of. Unless the guys on that team who are PAID to do something with the puck, START doing something with the puck then we are in big trouble. Think about it. If Huet had been even "average" the past couple of weeks we would be down there with Toronto. Let's be realistic here. We are so reliant on him that no one even wats to put Abby in for a game.

Nil d · Guru

barry33 wrote:

brew wrote: Should Mtl aim for the 6th place?? i would think they are and will try hard cause it would mean NYR rather than Ottawa or Carolina. They're only 3 points behing New Jersey right now with the same amount of game played. What u guys and gal think? Right now, like early in the season. we are winning games by the skin of our teeth. A 3-0 win in Boston (Huet's doing) and a resounding 1-0 spanking of the Rangers (again, Huet's doing) are NOT what playoff teams are made of. Unless the guys on that team who are PAID to do something with the puck, START doing something with the puck then we are in big trouble. Think about it. If Huet had been even "average" the past couple of weeks we would be down there with Toronto. Let's be realistic here. We are so reliant on him that no one even wats to put Abby in for a game.

Barry lives! Are you on your "golfing vacation" with Claude?

I think you're too hard on the boys. I'd say many of them - Bonk, Ribeiro, Zednik, Dandenault, Bouillon, etc. - are playing their best hockey of the year, and the last two games notwithstanding, they have been potting a few goals. Yes, Huet is the catalyst, but the boys are playing with more confidence in front of him. The key is staying healthy (Markov?)

-- Edited by Nil d at 14:30, 2006-03-13

Jonny G · Senior Member

barry33 wrote:

brew wrote:
Should Mtl aim for the 6th place?? i would think they are and will try hard cause it would mean NYR rather than Ottawa or Carolina. They're only 3 points behing New Jersey right now with the same amount of game played. What u guys and gal think?
Right now, like early in the season. we are winning games by the skin of our teeth. A 3-0 win in Boston (Huet's doing) and a resounding 1-0 spanking of the Rangers (again, Huet's doing) are NOT what playoff teams are made of. Unless the guys on that team who are PAID to do something with the puck, START doing something with the puck then we are in big trouble. Think about it. If Huet had been even "average" the past couple of weeks we would be down there with Toronto. Let's be realistic here. We are so reliant on him that no one even wats to put Abby in for a game.

Barry, I gotta disagree with you there. That's exactly what makes up playoff wins -- scraping by with lotsa help from the goalies and the posts. Let's discount the Red Wings and the Avalanche for a moment. If Roy had been average, the Habs wouldn't have won their last two cups. Look at the Devils, Lightning, etc ... one common thread is awesome goaltending. Look how well Buffalo did with Hasek. It's all about grit and great goaltending. With the exception of off-nights, teams aren't gonna blow by their competition. It's the little things, includng big 'mo, that will lead to wins.

The Habs have been getting tonnes of offensive opportunities, and they're not gonna be able to convert on all of them, or even most of them. Few teams do. However, good things happen to a team when it spends time in the offensive zone, as the Habs have been doing.

Finally, this is nothing like early in the season. Habs are playing a totally different brand of hockey. Everybody is getting their feet wet in the corners, which wasn't the case early on.

barry33 · Guru

Nil d wrote:

barry33 wrote: brew wrote: Should Mtl aim for the 6th place?? i would think they are and will try hard cause it would mean NYR rather than Ottawa or Carolina. They're only 3 points behing New Jersey right now with the same amount of game played. What u guys and gal think? Right now, like early in the season. we are winning games by the skin of our teeth. A 3-0 win in Boston (Huet's doing) and a resounding 1-0 spanking of the Rangers (again, Huet's doing) are NOT what playoff teams are made of. Unless the guys on that team who are PAID to do something with the puck, START doing something with the puck then we are in big trouble. Think about it. If Huet had been even "average" the past couple of weeks we would be down there with Toronto. Let's be realistic here. We are so reliant on him that no one even wats to put Abby in for a game. Barry lives! Are you on your "golfing vacation" with Claude? I think you're too hard on the boys. I'd say many of them - Bonk, Ribeiro, Zednik, Dandenault, Bouillon, etc. - are playing their best hockey of the year, and the last two games notwithstanding, they have been potting a few goals. Yes, Huet is the catalyst, but the boys are playing with more confidence in front of him. The key is staying healthy (Markov?) -- Edited by Nil d at 14:30, 2006-03-13

Nahhh--been busy with the new love of life

plouf · Guru

barry33 wrote:

Nil d wrote:
barry33 wrote: brew wrote: Should Mtl aim for the 6th place?? i would think they are and will try hard cause it would mean NYR rather than Ottawa or Carolina. They're only 3 points behing New Jersey right now with the same amount of game played. What u guys and gal think? Right now, like early in the season. we are winning games by the skin of our teeth. A 3-0 win in Boston (Huet's doing) and a resounding 1-0 spanking of the Rangers (again, Huet's doing) are NOT what playoff teams are made of. Unless the guys on that team who are PAID to do something with the puck, START doing something with the puck then we are in big trouble. Think about it. If Huet had been even "average" the past couple of weeks we would be down there with Toronto. Let's be realistic here. We are so reliant on him that no one even wats to put Abby in for a game. Barry lives! Are you on your "golfing vacation" with Claude? I think you're too hard on the boys. I'd say many of them - Bonk, Ribeiro, Zednik, Dandenault, Bouillon, etc. - are playing their best hockey of the year, and the last two games notwithstanding, they have been potting a few goals. Yes, Huet is the catalyst, but the boys are playing with more confidence in front of him. The key is staying healthy (Markov?) -- Edited by Nil d at 14:30, 2006-03-13

Nahhh--been busy with the new love of life

So busy, I think you haven't been watching the games. The Habs dominated Boston and outplayed the Rangers too. They also massively outplayed Philly and were unlucky to lose that one. And were killed by penalties against the Leafs, who they still outchanced. This team is playing quite well, with emotion and grit, with a team-first mentality, and yes, above all, good goaltending. They are just a better team out there lately.

Also...these "scrape-by" wins are good for the team's mental readiness. They know they'll have to scrap, and they're getting good at it. Just think of the Chicago White Sox of last summer. A lot of people said they weren't good enough, because they won so many of their games by one run....and then, they just had the clutch mentality in the end.

-- Edited by plouf at 15:28, 2006-03-13

24 Rings · Guru

I remember a team that in 1993 that just scraped-by 10 times on the way to winning the Cup.

No one asks how, just how many. 1 goal win, 2 goal win...who cares! You get 2 point either way.

NEWFIEHABSFAN · Senior Member

6th? habs are going to finish 5th!!