FeedThe Remaking Of The Team Has Done Wonders
February 1, 2010 in Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, Toe Blake Tags: Alex Kovalev, Alex Tanguay, Guy Carbonneau, Mike Cammalleri, Orillia Byer's Bulldozers hockey team, Robert Lang
Yes, the blowing up of the team, bringing in new players, and hiring Jacques Martin as coach has really done wonders.
After 56 games, this year’s more-than-disappointing bunch of underachievers has a record of 25 -25-6 for 56 points.
Last year after 56 games, the team which consisted of players cut loose such as Alex Kovalev, Alex Tanguay, Robert Lang, Tom Kostopoulos, Saku Koivu, coach Guy Carbonneau and a handful of others, had a record of 30-20-6 for 66 points. TEN MORE THAN THIS YEAR.
The year before, it was 29-18-9 for 57 points, ELEVEN MORE than this year.
And those teams, with more points than this year’s, stunk and went nowhere in the playoffs, especially last year when they were swept four straight by Boston.
The plundering of the team, the hiring of so many new guys – Gomez, Cammalleri, Gionta, Moen, Spacek, Gill, Mara, Bergeron,etc. etc, has made the team worse.
And the coach, Jacques Martin, has proved to be no Guy Carbonneau. Heck, he’s not even Wayne Pypher, my coach when I was a smallish yet shifty right winger for the Orillia Byer’s Bulldozer Midgets.
Now, to play devil’s advocate with myself, and I know I shouldn’t be playing with myself, but Montreal has experienced one injury after another since game one – Markov, O’Byrne, Gionta, Kostitsyn, Mara, now Cammalleri, and a cast of thousands, and maybe even Toe Blake couldn’t do much with this team.
On second thought, maybe he could.
February 1st, 2010 at 12:24 pm
Bruins have had a few injuries as well.
Last year at this time 78 points, this year
55 points. Got no choice but to stay the coarse.
Everybody say draftpick.
February 1st, 2010 at 1:18 pm
Dennis, you have every right to be angry as does every Hab fan. But, as you pointed out, injuries have been a big factor.
The partial list includes, Camalleri, Markov, Gionta, Gomez, D’Agostini, O’Byrne, Hamrlik, Serge Kostitsyn, Andre Kostitsyn, Spacek, Gill and on and on…
Have we ever played with a full roster for more than a game or two?
Don’t you think things would be different if we were not plagued with so many injuries to key players? I know everyone gets their share of injuries but this is ridiculous.
There are 26 games left to play and we need 34 points to reach 90 points which is what is expected to be what you need to clinch eighth place in the Eastern Conference.
The schedule ahead looks tough. Vancouver, Boston, Pittsburgh, Boston, Washington, Philly, Philly then the Olympic break.
One things for sure, Canadiens fans deserve a gold medal for sticking with their team this season – and not rioting.
Hope Camalleri isn’t hurt too bad because we are going to need him.
February 1st, 2010 at 2:08 pm
DK, I told you last year it was a big mistake tying the can to Carbo & I still feel the same way if not more so! Your stats validate my views.
Cheers from the East !!
February 1st, 2010 at 2:27 pm
Well I’m not very pleased either, but I think I will save my break down for the end of the season. I’m curious to see if they will pull their shit together down the final stretch, pending injuries of course.
February 1st, 2010 at 3:27 pm
I don’t think this team can pull it together this year. I have seen two games this year where the team forchecked like crazy and never fell into their crap er trap defence. Those games were a 5-1 win over Boston and a 6-0 win over the Rangers. The style of game that Martin seems to prefer them playing does not bode well for the team. Besides being boring and incredibly frustrating from a viewers perspectice the results on the ice are rather pathetic. I hate to admit it but I would rather watch the Leafs play as they tend to play a more agressive and entertaining game. The Bulldogs play an uptempo forchecking game and the results are great. To listen to the Montreal sites we have no talented players in the minors other than PK and yet the Dogs continue to win so maybe just maybe its the system Boucher is using.
February 1st, 2010 at 5:23 pm
Hey dennis, I’m not sure if you or any other commentors over here have spotted this already, but Robert L. at eyes on the prize posted a good documentary provided by the NFB. It is in french but is still worth watching.
February 1st, 2010 at 6:45 pm
Hey Dennis;I am leaning towards Martin as being the reason for the demise so far this season,although injuries have become part of the norm in Montreal,but in the past we have had guys on the farm who have come up and really played well.I dont know what to say except “go Habs go”
February 2nd, 2010 at 8:44 am
Derry, I just see no personality with Martin, along with his questionable decisions. I k ow personalities don’t win games (I think) but I still think it’s important. Hockey is suppose to be entertainment. And he hasn’r won here, didn’t win in Florida, and couldn’t get it done in Ottawa with teams that had the talent to go all the way. (except, of course, for some shaky goaltending.)
February 2nd, 2010 at 8:46 am
Don – the style of play matches the coach’s personality. The bottom line is, they need to climb out of this pit and start playing with anger. I want to see a team in a foul mood.
February 2nd, 2010 at 8:48 am
Danno, they can start by clobbering the Canucks. It’s good for them and good for me because I have to listen to Canucks fans every day.
February 2nd, 2010 at 8:49 am
Mike, I wish Carbo was back.
February 2nd, 2010 at 12:29 pm
the worst thing was Gainey pulling his coach and placing himself in. Not saying Guy didn’t have to go, but tapping his own back, and putting himself in… unfortunately for your own team he deserves what happened
February 2nd, 2010 at 1:35 pm
But Sandy, sometimes these things have to happen. Gainey had coached before, and he didn’t have another replacement in place yet. So he did it himself.
February 2nd, 2010 at 3:44 pm
Gainey also used that time to assess the team and get a feel
of who is who on that roster. I still think he jetisoned tha right
people, and brought in (what he and alot of us) thought was some
quality players with real caricature.
#1 Hall Gill, guess what, he is slow, he’s been in the league
for quite some time now. Everyone NEW that, get over it.
#2 Scott Gomez, BIG contract, anyone who thought he was going to earn that money no matter where he played, is drinking his bath water.
#3 Roman Hamrlik, Not paid to be Andre Markov, Just steady and he’s
been that, for the most part.
#4 Spacek, check his stats for the last 5 years, right on pace. If you expected more from him, Stop inhaling.
#5 Cammalleri, He’s done everything but sew the “C” on his own
sweater.
Paul Mara’s plus minus, well….
February 2nd, 2010 at 3:45 pm
sorry that character…
February 2nd, 2010 at 3:59 pm
Thanks, Marc.
I can’t imagine drinking Gomez’s bath water.
I’m not saying these guys should be playing better, or that Gainey made bad decisions. I’m saying that they haven’t made the team better. They’re ten points off last year. I understand that many of those guys had to go – Tanguay, Kovalev, Schneider etc.. And the new guys are good. So why is the team not doing as well? Could it be the coach?
February 2nd, 2010 at 5:04 pm
thanks for the spell check Dennis
February 2nd, 2010 at 5:17 pm
I’m not crazy about laying this on Martin although that could very well be the reason but after seeing what happened to my Blue Bombers with their GM and coach at this point if Martin has to go then we likely lose Bob as well and I think that would be a mistake. Now it’s not entirely fair to do this but if you took the guys from last year who were not brought back and looked at their stats they haven’t done much that would have helped us this year. The new guys have been productive or like Big Tits were getting there and having both scoring lines intact would have helped. Key injuries that disrupt both big lines has to leave a mark. A secondary casualty would be the third and fourth lines which have been in a constant state of flux as they are called upon to fill in on the top 2 lines. Those guys also benefit from playing with the same line-mates for more than a shift. This team is better than it shows, at least in personal, take away the injuries to key people and then we would know if it’s Martin’s system or lack there of. Until then, relax people and focus on the positives however small they may be.
February 2nd, 2010 at 6:22 pm
You’re right, John. The injuries have disrupted pretty well everything. I like what I see tonight after the first period in that two guys who need to chip in have, Sergei and Lapierre. We need all these grinders to step it up. The team is better, as we’ve seen periodically throughout. I have faith in Gainey too.
February 2nd, 2010 at 6:34 pm
One day it’s where’s the razor blade; the next day it’s plan the parade.
February 2nd, 2010 at 6:49 pm
i have to agree with john to, its gotta be tough.
But damn, everyone’s got injury’s. The difference
is simply logistics, this is Montreal and things work different
here. Time to call on guys like Mike Keane and Craig Ludwig
and bless ‘em Mike Mcfee. Fast forward to 2010….
Go Habs