Les MiserHabs- Canadiens year in review

[yave1964]

PRESEASON OUTLOOK: The Canadiens have established themselves as a top tier Eastern conference team and they were expected to compete for the conference championship.

 

FINAL RECORD: 50-22-10 110 points, division winner and second overall in the East.

 

HIGH POINT OF THE YEAR: The entire season was a highpoint, al the way down to holding off the Bolts for the division title. Then they excised the demons from two years ago by beating the hated Senators to exact revenge.

 

LOW POINT OF THE YEAR: Losing in six games to the hated Bolts in round two, a series that really was not that close.

 

WHAT WENT RIGHT: Max Pacioretty scored 37 goals and led the team with 67 points. Plekanec was a solid number one center, a faceoff king and scored 60 points. Gallagher proved his rookie year was for real with 24 goals. Weise is a nasty hard hitting lower liner who can take on all comers. Carey Price (44 wins) is a mortal lock for the Vezina and a good bet to win the Vezina. Subban (60 points) and Markov (50 points) were an absolutely dynamic one two punch on the back end. Little Desharnais played big with 48 points and Galchenyuk (20-26-46) looked like a future all star. Brandon Prust was a hard hitter all year long. Smith Pelly provided sandpaper and grit in a late season trade.

 

WHAT WENT WRONG: Jeff Petry never seemed to catch on and was out of sync after being the teams big trade addition. Gonchar, Bryan Allen and Mike Weaver all look to be done. P.A. Parenteau was a big bust with only 8 goals. That is about it, overall, the team was rock solid.

 

STRANGE STAT OF THE YEAR: Money!! When Subban scored a goal, the team went 12-2.

 

UFAs:

Bryan Allen

Torrey Mitchell

Manny Malholtra

Jeff Petry

Mike Weaver

 

TOP PROSPECTS FOR 2015-16:

Nathan Beaullieu and Jared Tinordi both are going to demand to claim full time jobs on the back end. They are solid defensive prospects. Sven Andrighetto should claim a top nine role on the wing next year. Jacob De La Rose will be given every chance to take the 4th line center spot vacated by Malholtra.

 

OFFSEASON QUESTION MARKS:

 

As currently composed, can they take the next step? If not, who do you deal? The biggie, is what to do with Jeff Petry? Do you resign him or make him the scapegoat for the shortened season?

 

 

[ruxpin]

I am so glad they lost. They are pretenders playing in front of a great goalie.

They frankly have a lousy coach and a fan base who deserves to lose more than any outside the Washington beltway (if the Caps also lose I'm going to have a really happy week!).

Seriously, they have very little on offense, a fairly average defense after Subban and a lot of douche in Prust.

If they can add some offense and trim some deadweight and find some players with constitutional strength (something I said they lacked going in and that that lacking gave them no chance) they'll do better. They also need a playoff coach.

If those things happen I may have to suffer watching that fan base win.

Ole Ole

Oh hey

Go away.

[Podein25]

@ruxpin

 

#harsh

[ruxpin]

@ruxpin

#harsh

LMAO thank you. Kind of what I was going for but meant every word. I love the uniforms, especially the home, and historically I liked the team. But about ten years ago (maybe as many as twenty) they became one of the most annoying teams and fan bases for me.

Now, I just like to see them suffer.

I'd even cheer for the Penguins against them if that tells you anything (I'd cheer for the Habs against the Caps, though).

[Podein25]

I'd even cheer for the Penguins against them if that tells you anything (I'd cheer for the Habs against the Caps, though). 

 

That says quite a bit actually, lol. I think everyone has a hierarchy of hatred. I grew up hating the Habs, but don't seem to mind them so much these days. Not sure why. I agree with you about their fans though: knowledgeable but insufferable. Their latest that got me was singing that stupid ole song when they were up but one goal with over 2 min to play in Game 5. Dumb.

[ruxpin]

@Podein25

One of my favorite moments was Flyers fans singing it to them in the playoffs a few years back. They were the first fan base to do that, I think, and it cracked me the hell up.

[JR Ewing]

One of the worth things about Canadian hockey, is that the rest of us to have to endure Habs fans talk about Stanley Cups as if it were the team's manifest destiny. Gets old after awhile.

[Holymakinaw]

I am so glad they lost. They are pretenders playing in front of a great goalie.

They frankly have a lousy coach and a fan base who deserves to lose more than any outside the Washington beltway (if the Caps also lose I'm going to have a really happy week!).

Seriously, they have very little on offense, a fairly average defense after Subban and a lot of douche in Prust.

If they can add some offense and trim some deadweight and find some players with constitutional strength (something I said they lacked going in and that that lacking gave them no chance) they'll do better. They also need a playoff coach.

If those things happen I may have to suffer watching that fan base win.

Ole Ole

Oh hey

Go away.

 

Yup.  Even the "great Goalie" tag is debatable, though.  Price has some nice regular season statistics, but his playoff numbers?  Not so amazing.

 

IN 54 career playoff games played......23-27-5,  2.62 GAA,  .912%.

[yave1964]

@Holymakinaw

 

welcome to the forum! good to see a Leaf fan, invite your friends.

 

Price to me lost this series as much as anyone. He simply was not Vezina worthy against the Bolts.

[ruxpin]

Yup. Even the "great Goalie" tag is debatable, though. Price has some nice regular season statistics, but his playoff numbers? Not so amazing.

IN 54 career playoff games played......23-27-5, 2.62 GAA, .912%.

Great point. I was trying to be nice, but I don't do it often and don't do it well.

[ruxpin]

@Holymakinaw

welcome to the forum! good to see a Leaf fan, invite your friends.

Price to me lost this series as much as anyone. He simply was not Vezina worthy against the Bolts.

Honestly, I was thinking regular season when I wrote it to explain their point total during the regular season. He gets them a lot of points on his own. But he hits the playoffs and turns into Ryan Miller.

[Podein25]

@Podein25

One of my favorite moments was Flyers fans singing it to them in the playoffs a few years back. They were the first fan base to do that, I think, and it cracked me the hell up.

That was magic, I remember it well.

[Podein25]

...the rest of us to have to endure Habs fans talk about Stanley Cups as if it were the team's manifest destiny...

Yeah, that and the Liberal Party as the natural governing party....

[ScottM]

Montreal is one of the biggest disappointments to me this year. They should have been great, but their offense was anemic at best. I think I'll have to see to believe next year.

Btw, I think this is my favorite title for one of these threads yet. Lol

[ScottM]

Yeah, that and the Liberal Party as the natural governing party....

As someone who enjoys following Canadian politics, I got a good laugh out of that comment.

[Podein25]

As someone who enjoys following Canadian politics, I got a good laugh out of that comment.

You live in Mississippi but are a Senators fan and follow Canadian politics?! Quite the iconoclast you are.

[yave1964]

Montreal is one of the biggest disappointments to me this year. They should have been great, but their offense was anemic at best. I think I'll have to see to believe next year.

Btw, I think this is my favorite title for one of these threads yet. Lol

thanks Scott!!

[ScottM]

@Podein25 I also keep up with the CFL, have an interest in Canadian history, write books set in Canada, and enjoy making cracks about Toronto (I can't say I know any Newfie jokes, though). Oh yeah, and I wear shoes. 

 

@yave1964 No, thank you! I've been looking forward to each one of these for two reasons. One, you've got great content. Two, you've had some clever and creative titles. On this one however, you outdid yourself. This one was hilarious!

 

Anyway, let's get back to ripping the Habs. It's almost as much fun as ripping the Leafs!

[ruxpin]

@ScottM

I have to echo your comments about both the write ups, the title, and specifically this one.

This title was great and made me smile. One because of the play on words, two because it's the Habs losing, but three because I happened to be listening to "One Day More" when I first saw the thread title.

Good job, yave!

[yave1964]

@ruxpin@ScottM

 

Thanks fellas, I have a blast doing these, the wife came up with the motif for the titles, but most, including this one are mine.

 

Rux, the Habs are the Eastern conference version of your Blues, a different talent pool but same results. I would have to disagree with you on the lack of offense, Pax had 37 goals, three players had sixty points, throw in the Uber talented Galchenyuk and the gritty Gallagher and Desharnais and defenseman Markov, they have plenty of offense.

 But like the Blues, they sucker me in every year, as a matter of fact I think I had the Blues and Canadiens for the cup in the challenge thingy. NEVER AGAIN. Remind me never to make a bet with you.

[ScottM]

I feel ya, @yave1964. The Habs and the Blues were my preseason picks to make the Finals. I don't know any other franchise in any other sport that currently manages to disappoint year in and year out the way those two do. I can't see myself picking either of them next year either. The paper never seems to translate to the ice.

I've said for about 2 or 3 years that if a Canadian based team was going to win the Cup anytime soon, it would be Montreal. At this point, however, I'd say Ottawa and Calgary look like better picks. I just don't think I can trust Montreal anymore.

[J0e Th0rnton]

PRESEASON OUTLOOK: The Canadiens have established themselves as a top tier Eastern conference team and they were expected to compete for the conference championship.

 

FINAL RECORD: 50-22-10 110 points, division winner and second overall in the East.

 

HIGH POINT OF THE YEAR: The entire season was a highpoint, al the way down to holding off the Bolts for the division title. Then they excised the demons from two years ago by beating the hated Senators to exact revenge.

 

LOW POINT OF THE YEAR: Losing in six games to the hated Bolts in round two, a series that really was not that close.

 

WHAT WENT RIGHT: Max Pacioretty scored 37 goals and led the team with 67 points. Plekanec was a solid number one center, a faceoff king and scored 60 points. Gallagher proved his rookie year was for real with 24 goals. Weise is a nasty hard hitting lower liner who can take on all comers. Carey Price (44 wins) is a mortal lock for the Vezina and a good bet to win the Vezina. Subban (60 points) and Markov (50 points) were an absolutely dynamic one two punch on the back end. Little Desharnais played big with 48 points and Galchenyuk (20-26-46) looked like a future all star. Brandon Prust was a hard hitter all year long. Smith Pelly provided sandpaper and grit in a late season trade.

 

WHAT WENT WRONG: Jeff Petry never seemed to catch on and was out of sync after being the teams big trade addition. Gonchar, Bryan Allen and Mike Weaver all look to be done. P.A. Parenteau was a big bust with only 8 goals. That is about it, overall, the team was rock solid.

 

STRANGE STAT OF THE YEAR: Money!! When Subban scored a goal, the team went 12-2.

 

UFAs:

Bryan Allen

Torrey Mitchell

Manny Malholtra

Jeff Petry

Mike Weaver

 

TOP PROSPECTS FOR 2015-16:

Nathan Beaullieu and Jared Tinordi both are going to demand to claim full time jobs on the back end. They are solid defensive prospects. Sven Andrighetto should claim a top nine role on the wing next year. Jacob De La Rose will be given every chance to take the 4th line center spot vacated by Malholtra.

 

OFFSEASON QUESTION MARKS:

 

As currently composed, can they take the next step? If not, who do you deal? The biggie, is what to do with Jeff Petry? Do you resign him or make him the scapegoat for the shortened season?

Wait, what?

 

Petry was their best defenseman in the playoffs and played well for them in the regular season too.

 

Habs fans everywhere are clamoring for them to resign him even if it takes 5.5-6 million a year for 5 years

[J0e Th0rnton]

One of the worth things about Canadian hockey, is that the rest of us to have to endure Habs fans talk about Stanley Cups as if it were the team's manifest destiny. Gets old after awhile.

It is even worse if you live in Halifax Daryl.We don't have a team other than the moose. So the bulk of fans around here fall into Habs/leafs territory. ll delusional too. Every year is "The year' for leaf fans and habs fans are unbearable with the "We have more cups than anyone.

 

They do get annoyed when you ask how many they have in the past 20 years and claim they only have so many cups because before the draft they had a monopoly on players

[ruxpin]

@ruxpin@ScottM

 

Thanks fellas, I have a blast doing these, the wife came up with the motif for the titles, but most, including this one are mine.

 

Rux, the Habs are the Eastern conference version of your Blues, a different talent pool but same results. I would have to disagree with you on the lack of offense, Pax had 37 goals, three players had sixty points, throw in the Uber talented Galchenyuk and the gritty Gallagher and Desharnais and defenseman Markov, they have plenty of offense.

 But like the Blues, they sucker me in every year, as a matter of fact I think I had the Blues and Canadiens for the cup in the challenge thingy. NEVER AGAIN. Remind me never to make a bet with you.

 

Yep.  I made that comparison at some point (I think on the Blues eulogy thread).   Completely agree. 

 

I don't think the Habs have enough secondary scoring.  I really don't think they have enough juice up front.

 

If I actually make a bet I am guaranteed to lose.  I'm half decent at predictions (honestly, am wrong at least as often as I'm right), but I'm guaranteed to be wrong if there is something on the line.

[yave1964]

@J0e Th0rnton

 

I think Petry was a fourth defenseman, nothing more or less.

19 regular season games, 20 minutes a night, 3 goals 4 assists and a minus 3. He took awhile to acclimate, staying off the score sheet for his first 12 games with the Habs but in his defense, he did score 7 points in the final 7 regular season games.

 

Postseason, 12 games, 2 goals, 1 assist, his ice time did go up a tick or two in one game, the overtime loss to the Bolts in the series opener, but he really was nothing more than a number three or four.

 

 No way, no how, would I ever consider signing him to the five year five million dollar deal that he will likely command. The offense is sporadic, he was okay in Montreal but that is about it.