Good Ridence Riberio - Higgins Back to Centre!

Hkydude_77 · Member

Good Ridence Riberio - Higgins Back to Centre!

adam13 · Member

I think it would be a big mistake to move higgins back to centre...That first line has two much chemistry as is.

Not sure how the lines will shake out...my best guess is

Higgins - Koivu - Ryder
Kovalev - Plekanec - Samsonov
Latendresse - Johnson - Perezhogin
Begin - Bonk - Murray

all in all i have no clue....

Figaro · Guru

think that's what they are tonight vs Ottawa. Just need time to build chemistry and it looks good

Traveling Hab · Veteran Member

adam13 wrote:

I think it would be a big mistake to move higgins back to centre...That first line has two much chemistry as is.

Not sure how the lines will shake out...my best guess is

Higgins - Koivu - Ryder
Kovalev - Plekanec - Samsonov
Latendresse - Johnson - Perezhogin
Begin - Bonk - Murray

all in all i have no clue....

Seems ok, but need to switch Lats and Perez to get Lats on his natural wing. Wow... appearantly I love to nitpick.

Johnny USA · Veteran Member

Hkydude_77 wrote:

This is a great deal for many reasons:

1. Riberio - no body can respect this guy in the room, he's embarassed the entire organization with his Soccer Dive in the playoffs 3 years ago, laying on the ice like he was shot, then taunting the Bruins.

2. I highly doubt he's well liked in the room, wearing his hat like a wanna be "thug" and talking like a "gangster" during interviews. A cancer out of the room.

3. This allows HIGGINS to go back to his natural position centre (that's where he played for Yale, the Bulldogs and US World Junior team.

4. Niinimaa is a solid veteran D-man, who can skate and is buddies with Koivu (fellow Finn)

5. This might allow another young forward to make the jump to the NHL this year and get experience.

As you can tell, I'm pumped, it's been a long, long, long time since I disliked a member of the Canadiens as much as Riberio.

Every reason to be pumped. This is a good thing BG did.

Thrice · Member

What the hell does wearing a hat a certain way have to do with anything? Ribeiro was atleast trying to work on his faults because he was fully aware of them.

I hope this trade comes back to bite the Habs in the butt.

Diehardhabsfan · Veteran Member

Thrice wrote:

What the hell does wearing a hat a certain way have to do with anything? Ribeiro was atleast trying to work on his faults because he was fully aware of them. I hope this trade comes back to bite the Habs in the butt.

And you're a Habs fan????

Habtastic · Guru

So is the 3rd line now: Johnson C, Perez LW, Lats RW? It would give us the righty center we have been missing and Perez can be the main puck carrier. Anyone know what the lines were from tonight's game?

Habtastic

Traveling Hab · Veteran Member

Diehardhabsfan wrote:

Thrice wrote:

What the hell does wearing a hat a certain way have to do with anything? Ribeiro was atleast trying to work on his faults because he was fully aware of them. I hope this trade comes back to bite the Habs in the butt.

And you're a Habs fan????

He's just frustrated. This trade seems to have divided Habs fans into three camps:

1) Those who feel we got rid of a cancer in the dressing room and replaced him with a serviceable defenceman who should rebound now that he has had his surgery.

2) Those who feel Ribs was working hard to get back to wear he was two seasons ago and was about to have a breakout season, while Niinimaa is a lazy, deteriorating bum with a bad attitude.

3) Those who feel we traded garbage for barbage, but at least the new garbage has a slightly different smell so it will seem fresh for a while, and the garbage is in an area where we are more weak than the old garbage was.

I think Thrice was part of the second camp, and was just letting his frustration out.

barry33 · Guru

Some things that are very obvious with this trade:

Gainey has helped to fill one gap..defense. But in doing so has made the hole up the middle even more gaping. Higgins will not be moving to Center. Give that up guys. Gainey will continue to try to find a real center for this team because we are still without a legitimate first line center.

I find it just a bit more than "convenient" how the deal was made AFTER they signed Latendresse don't you? He is able to get rid of the french media's former "darling" in Ribs because he now has a new one in Lats. Do not discount how much politics played into making this deal after Lats was signed. I will go so far a sto say it would not have been made had they not kept Latendresse

Time will tell how Nimmonen fits in.He is certainly not the "stud dman" we have been looking for, but is good value for Ribs.

Cleghorn · Veteran Member

I had done a 180 turn on Ribeiro - from loathing him to almost liking him - last season i thought he was one of the feistiest Habs - he threw that Nicole Ritchie body of his around in the play-offs.

I don't think this trade will impact big either negatively or positively.

I would like to see BG try and put together the "Magna Line" by signing Bill Clinton, Peter McKay and Tie Domi but there'd be no left wing. I think Clinton's still a big scorer.

beakermania · Senior Member

Higgins was NOT a centre on the bulldogs. He played C his first two games in Hamilton and then was moved to wing. He is better as a winger. He is not good in the faceoff circle. Also his strength on the boards and ability to get to the front of the net make him an ideal winger. This move Higgins to C permanently talk is nonsense in my opinion, especially with the chemistry that i see in the Koivu-Higgins-Ryder line.

How I think things will work out now is that we have Plekanec on the second line. Bonk on the third, and Begin centring the fourth. In a pinch Johnson and Murray can both play centre, and Higgins can in a pinch too. Kostitsyn will probably be called up now to take that forward place that is available.

Nil d · Guru

Cleghorn wrote:

I don't think this trade will impact big either negatively or positively.

I would like to see BG try and put together the "Magna Line" by signing Bill Clinton, Peter McKay and Tie Domi but there'd be no left wing. I think Clinton's still a big scorer.

Good one, Clegger! Maybe we'll throw Alexa McDonough out there; or I wonder what Audrey McLaughlin is doing these days?

But I agree on the trade; this one is not a blockbuster. And despite adding depth to our defensive corps, it makes our hole at centre even bigger, as Barry has pointed out.

Johab · Guru

barry33 wrote:

Some things that are very obvious with this trade:

Gainey has helped to fill one gap..defense. But in doing so has made the hole up the middle even more gaping. Higgins will not be moving to Center. Give that up guys. Gainey will continue to try to find a real center for this team because we are still without a legitimate first line center.
I find it just a bit more than "convenient" how the deal was made AFTER they signed Latendresse don't you? He is able to get rid of the french media's former "darling" in Ribs because he now has a new one in Lats. Do not discount how much politics played into making this deal after Lats was signed. I will go so far a sto say it would not have been made had they not kept Latendresse
Time will tell how Nimmonen fits in.He is certainly not the "stud dman" we have been looking for, but is good value for Ribs.

I think you're getting 2 players mixed up there barry. Tempo Numminen and Janne Niinimaa....we have Niinimaa

Key Lime · Guru

I'm thinking out loud....

Is this a better team than last year's line up?

Out: Zednik, Bulis, Ribeiro

In: Johnson, Niinimaa, Samsanov

Wow, I think I should stop thinking out loud...

Wait! The french media are going to have a field day just saying his name...Janne Niinimaa. I picture Bergeron and co. on 110% just murdering that name and laughing histerically. Afterall, they found Sundstrom's name hilarious last year...whatever!