Keys to Series

barry33 · Guru

Keys to Series

jeanthehabtiste · Senior Member

The "60 minutes of hockey" make the most sense there.

barry33 · Guru

jeanthehabtiste wrote:

The "60 minutes of hockey" make the most sense there.

Jean- one of the reasons the coaching change was made earlier this yera was because BG felt that the team was not playing 60 minutes of hockey and that our best players were not playing like they were. It is disconcerting that after 82 games, this is still the case.

JohnM · Guru

We need more than the odd contribution. We need two solid scoring lines and one solid shutdown line to be effective. Our defence can't be on the opposite end of the highlight real as well. Goaltending in my opinion is about the same for both teams.

jeanthehabtiste · Senior Member

barry33 wrote:

jeanthehabtiste wrote: The "60 minutes of hockey" make the most sense there. Jean- one of the reasons the coaching change was made earlier this yera was because BG felt that the team was not playing 60 minutes of hockey and that our best players were not playing like they were. It is disconcerting that after 82 games, this is still the case.

I agree with you on dat, Barry.. I said it somewhere else, and you may not think da same way I do on this..but these guys have to want to win.

That's it...they need to want to take things up a notch.

Turning their jets off before the end of the game is a big problem. Every game against Buffalo I've seen this season is a prime example....or last nights NJ experience....don't get me started.

heet_150 · Guru

jeanthehabtiste wrote:

That's it...they need to want to take things up a notch. Turning their jets off before the end of the game is a big problem. Every game against Buffalo I've seen this season is a prime example....or last nights NJ experience....don't get me started.

That's the one thing that scares me a bit Jean, you think about the last week where they were playing for their playoff lives, and they laid a couple a big stinkers. But hey, it's the playoffs. I think we saw quite a bit of fire in Kovalev's game against NJ (and a couple of other games recently), let's see that emotion catch on with his teammates.

wright · Veteran Member

barry33 wrote:

In my thoughts, the key to this series in Carolina will be as follows: Keep the Koivu line away from the Brindamour line. Brindamour has had tremendous success against Koivu over the years and matches up very well with him. If I am BG I want Koivu matching up against the unproven Eric Stahl as much as possible. Of course Canes have home ice advantage so this makes matchups tough. Stop with the ineffective 1-4 trap. Habs are a team that should be using it's speed. One of the complaints regarding CJ was that he did not allow the team to headman the puck and move it forward. If you watched the game last night, the habs DID move the puck forward but when they got up 3-0 must have been told to stay back and protect the lead. IMHO our team plays much better when on the attack. Our defence are slow for the most part and when not headmanning the puck get caught flat footed Goaltending- whomever Gainey chooses to go with needs to stand on their head Special Teams- Carolina has a potent PP and Habs are 23rd in the league in the kill department. Note to habs- stay out of the box Have said it before and will say it again and again..our best need to be our best. We do not have the depth of a Carolina so our marquee players need to play above their heads. No excuses. If they do that, and get the odd contribution from lesser knowns such as Ribs and Bulis..they stand a chance. 6o minutes of hockey. Not 40, not 55.5...60!!

Agree with most of your points Barry. To me the only area that Carolina has shown some vulnerabilities is on the blueline and in goal. Over the last 7 games Gerber has given up close to 4 goals a game. Carolina's defence in their own zone are not world beaters. Tverdosky and Kaberle will cough up the puck if you put enough pressure on them. To exploit that a 2-1-2 system would be more effective than laying back in a 1-4 zone. Carolina's defence are relatively big, but for the most part do not play a physical game so strong forechecking and creating traffic in front of Gerber (who seems to be fighting the puck a little bit) could create some chances. Some of Carolina's forwards are not a lways that defensively responsible so put the heat on defence and play an aggressive forechecking style!

jeanthehabtiste · Senior Member

Habs need to come out fast against em'. It's the only way I can think of to get these guys under the gun. And no pretty plays...just go straight to the net.

I really think we have the goods to take em'. But it's up to BG to steer these guys through.

barry33 · Guru

John and Wright make good points. Johnny I agree. We need more than the "occassional contribution" from others. I truly believe that this series is "winnable" (sorry grammerman). Any series is winnable. One positive we can take is that there is no "Eric Cole factor". He has been a habs killer his whole career. I think we will get decent goaltending and will score enough goals. My main concern is defence. If Souray and Boillon can stop making errors for a few games behind the blueline then we have a chance. As well, what role will the Koivu line play? Will BG count on them to shut down the Stahl line or will he look to them for offense?

JohnM · Guru

Now those Barry are what I call good questions. It will be nice to see the matchup during game one. I expect to see Carolina come out flying and I hope the Habs can contain them in the first 10-12 minutes. If they can, watch the Habs take over the game.

Like Mackenzie said, don't take the regular season as a preview of this series, throw it out. Is this Carolina team better than the one that went to the Stanley Cup finals in 2002? I don't think so but I do think our team is better.

Time will tell boys and girls, it's just nice to say let's get ready for some playoff hockey.

Johnny USA · Veteran Member

I think if Montreal scores more goals in at least 4 of the next (possible) 7 games then they should have a pretty good chance of advancing.

heet_150 · Guru

Johnny USA wrote:

I think if Montreal scores more goals in at least 4 of the next (possible) 7 games then they should have a pretty good chance of advancing.

Exactly Johnny, the Habs are 42-0 when they outscore the opposition at the end of the game.

AB Habman · Guru

barry33 wrote:

In my thoughts, the key to this series in Carolina will be as follows: Keep the Koivu line away from the Brindamour line. Brindamour has had tremendous success against Koivu over the years and matches up very well with him. If I am BG I want Koivu matching up against the unproven Eric Stahl as much as possible. Of course Canes have home ice advantage so this makes matchups tough. Stop with the ineffective 1-4 trap. Habs are a team that should be using it's speed. One of the complaints regarding CJ was that he did not allow the team to headman the puck and move it forward. If you watched the game last night, the habs DID move the puck forward but when they got up 3-0 must have been told to stay back and protect the lead. IMHO our team plays much better when on the attack. Our defence are slow for the most part and when not headmanning the puck get caught flat footed Goaltending- whomever Gainey chooses to go with needs to stand on their head Special Teams- Carolina has a potent PP and Habs are 23rd in the league in the kill department. Note to habs- stay out of the box Have said it before and will say it again and again..our best need to be our best. We do not have the depth of a Carolina so our marquee players need to play above their heads. No excuses. If they do that, and get the odd contribution from lesser knowns such as Ribs and Bulis..they stand a chance. 6o minutes of hockey. Not 40, not 55.5...60!!

Agree...also stress how important it is to skate hard on the back check for positioning to limit cheap hooking and holding penalties.

hockeyman · Senior Member

If we get the lead....please don't sit on it. Keep pressuring and don't give Carolina a chance to regroup.

Muller93 · Guru

Well put Barry. My Keys are:

1. Koivu will play well regardless of his point production. Koivu's point production will be directely proportional to what that second line does. If they stink like has been the case all year...wave goodbye to the habs in 4 straight and be happy if Koivu gets 3 points. ( ya I'm talkin to you Ribby...).

2. Huet will get the start and will face 30+ shots per game which means he will need a save % of around .915 or higher...

3. We need one of the following 3 to turn into "Claude Lemiuex"...Perez, Plek, Murray. Higgins is already integral to how the habs will do.

4. Zednick needs to regain his form.

5. Komi needs to break out and crack some heads.

jeanthehabtiste · Senior Member

What's with your #5 on that list?

You're joking, right?

Muller93 · Guru

jeanthehabtiste wrote:

What's with your #5 on that list? You're joking, right?

What do you mean?

To clarify, I am saying that Komi with his size and potential could one day be an elite defensive defensman in this league. A guy who nails guys with booming hits and rarely gets beat one on one...now would be a good time to "break out" and become that guy rather than continue as a sophomore with..."potential"

jeanthehabtiste · Senior Member

Yeah.

Com'on. Reality time: Komi won't EVER be an elite defenceman in this league. EVER.

He's what we have.

Sorry...

Ando · Guru

barry33 wrote:

...the key to this series...Keep the Koivu line away from the Brindamour line.

And-o has a better idea...let's just keep the Habs away from the BrindAmour line.

Remember the absolute ridicule And-o received last season for stating how great of an elite centreman that Rod BrindAmour is???

...by the way...Eric Staal is already one of the top 5 centres in the league!

...Kevyn Adams is probably in the top 3 in terms of defense.

In the end, all lines will face a huge challenge Friday!!!

Pablo Honey · Veteran Member

Johnny USA wrote:

I think if Montreal scores more goals in at least 4 of the next (possible) 7 games then they should have a pretty good chance of advancing.

I agree 100% If the Habs put the puck past Gerber more times than the 'Canes put it past Huet/Abby, we've got this series in the bag.

plouf · Guru

Ando wrote:

barry33 wrote: ...the key to this series...Keep the Koivu line away from the Brindamour line. And-o has a better idea...let's just keep the Habs away from the BrindAmour line. Remember the absolute ridicule And-o received last season for stating how great of an elite centreman that Rod BrindAmour is??? ...by the way...Eric Staal is already one of the top 5 centres in the league! ...Kevyn Adams is probably in the top 3 in terms of defense. In the end, all lines will face a huge challenge Friday!!!

Scotty Bowman worked something out in 97 when he saw how physically outmatched he was going to be against Philly's big killer centres. I don't remember what he did in terms of a game plan, but he somehow got pint-sized Larionov to totally take Lindros out of the game. And Brind'Amour was neutralized too. Those two guys had been ON FIRE until the finals. Anyone remember how it was done?

[Answers need not state the obvious about Detroit's superior lineup...let's dream a bit here.]

Note: Brind'Amour and Lindros have been snakebitten in the playoffs ever since: 8 goals and 16 assists in 40 games for Brind'Amour. Lindros only scored 2 more playoff goals in his career - in 7 games mind you. Philly's third line centre, Hawerchuk, who was even more totally shut down, retired after that series.

(WAY TO GO SCOTTY!)

-- Edited by plouf at 23:31, 2006-04-19

-- Edited by plouf at 23:33, 2006-04-19

Saku11 · Senior Member

i think the Key to winning this series and throughout the playoffs will be staying out the penalty box, containing 5 v 5 and capitalizing on powerplay chances. If we capitalize on the PP i think we can do some major damage. If we get 5 PP a game and score on at least 2, i predict a Habs in 6!

plouf · Guru

It's true. Hurricanes aren't particularly great on special teams, but we've been good. Even our PK stepped it up to become adequate by the end of the year.
Still, I think we need Begin to have a real PK.

Saku11 · Senior Member

Saku11 wrote:

i think the Key to winning this series and throughout the playoffs will be staying out the penalty box, containing 5 v 5 and capitalizing on powerplay chances. If we capitalize on the PP i think we can do some major damage. If we get 5 PP a game and score on at least 2, i predict a Habs in 6!

i think that we did exactly as mentioned !!!!! Dont you agree!!!