Recrutes

Recrutes: Hockey scouting from a professional perspective from Grant McCagg and Habs coverage from a 33 year veteran covering the NHL from Brian Wilde.

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Call of the Wilde: Home Sweet Home

October 8, 2017

By Brian Wilde

Wilde Horses


– The Plekanec line continues to play well. Not any goals to show for it but a lot of zone time. The coaching staff will be quite pleased with Hudon’s defensive game. He worked on it for three years. He knew it was stopping him from having an NHL job. It seems he figured it out. Hudon’s offence shouldn’t be far behind.

– Brandon Davidson had a poor camp and didn’t make the starting roster but in his first start he was strong. He was a massive upgrade on Mark Streit and certainly deserves a second straight start. The arrival of a steady Davidson would go a long way in stabilizing the blue line.

– Victor Mete once again no issues. I saw very little difficulties in his game. Kind of remarkable considering the mess that most others are making.

Wilde Goats

– I don’t have a long scouting report on Jordie Benn but does he always start slowly in a season? This Benn doesn’t look at all like the Benn who came on the scene for Greg Pateryn and looked good right away. He’s painfully slow at the moment.

– Where is the good Jeff Petry? The good Petry is a heck of a good player in my mind but I can’t find him at all this season. Not even a little bit. He was bad in the pre-season and that was entirely who cares but now it’s a major concern. He’s counted on for stability; not countless errors. On the second goal, just an extremely soft hockey player. Didn’t tie up his man. Didn’t respect the danger of the pass. Just soft hockey and that’s the ball game.

– The best line can’t be Plekanec every game because it means too many top quality players aren’t doing enough. It means Drouin isn’t being himself and Pacioretty himself on the top line. It means Galchenyuk’s skill set isn’t having an impact on the game. It means the Habs are most likely losing hockey games.

– No one wants to hear this but Jonathan Drouin is not doing much so far. He’s been good on the power play even though it hasn’t connected. However 5-on-5, there is very little going on for him. He isn’t setting the course of the game. He isn’t able to get off the perimeter to impact the game. This is only three games but nothing at all what I expected so far. I really did expect big things and so far the best member of the line is Gallagher. Drouin has been neutralized and if that continues it will be a long year. Defensively he lost his man on the second goal. He was standing alone in front of the net. The goal was more on soft Petry but Drouin not finding his man was also a problem.

– Alex Galchenyuk fans will blame it all on anyone but Galchenyuk but if the fellah is so damn good then he should be able to create something, right? I don’t buy it when his linemates are better than him. He’s picked it up where he left off last season. I guess we will still keep calling it the knee because I don’t recognize this player from the one who got 30 goals or was pretty damn good before the knee injuries. This Galchenyuk has shown nothing in three games.

Wilde Cards

– Ales Hemsky was pulled from the line up for a better defensive player Torrey Mitchell. Hemsky had done little offensively, and also hurt the Habs taking four minor penalties in the first two games. That’s a liability and he’s not long for this team that can’t score much if he’s hurting that much to keep the puck out of the net.

– Mark Streit was also justifiably out of the lineup with poor play. Streit is 39 years of age and he can’t skate and he can’t check. He’s too slow and he’s not strong enough. He was a terrific NHLer but his time is up now. The club will have someone like Morrow or Jerabek or Davidson eventually step up.

– Andrew Shaw had a goal called back because it was kicked in. It was hard to see on the replays with the exception of one that showed it from the other side that I wonder if the refs even saw. This replay showed without a doubt that Lundqvist redirected it. It can’t change direction like that without his contact. Who knows, man? I sure don’t.

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About Brian Wilde

Brian Wilde has worked in hockey since he was 20. He was the rink side host for the Edmonton Oilers at CTV and Ottawa Senators for Sportsnet. He was also lead reporter on the Montreal Canadiens for 17 years at CTV Montreal.

View all posts by Brian Wilde

  • Chris Loreto says

    I don’t know Brian, I do not feel this is a playoff team. I like Drouin but in Tampa he was not expected to carry the load. He had loads of offensive talent around him, and unlike Radulov ,he never was a bonafide playmaker. He can score and he can dish but he needs help and there is none on this team. So any thoughts that he would lead this team out of the offensive desert were misguided. This team still can’t score and now it’s once free flowing D is slow, chaotic and inept.
    At year’s end , our GM will have to make a tough decision about this team and it’s core. It is not good enough and to get talent, we need to move talent that is better served elsewhere. To me that means Max, Petry, Weber, Alzner and yes Price. Star goalies are the last addition to a team that is ready to contend for the cup. We do not have that team, and with the current crop and the bodies on the farm, we will not have one for a while. So make trades ala Toronto, go find that elusive 1 and 2 C, those puck moving D and a few capable bodies for the farm.
    To me MB has taken this team backwards.

  • Terry Fisher says

    This is precisely what happens when you have an owner and a management team that feel if you make the playoffs, anything can happen. Man am I tired of this bullshit reasoning. You either want to win a Cup or you don’t. This team is a mess from top to bottom. They probably make the playoffs again because of #31 but no hope of any long push once they get there.

    I guess I’m spoiled. I grew up watching my heroes win Cups at will. Now it’s just a pipe dream. They are so far from being a contender, it’s maddening. And they can’t even bottom out like all those shitty Leaf and Oiler teams who finally got it right and lucked out in a draft year where they got a generational talent.

    We should be so lucky!!!!

    • Brian Wilde says

      I don’t think Terry that management ever ever said that they were satisfied with making the playoffs, but hockey men everywhere in the NHL know that the second goal can not be achieved without the first goal. As far as bottoming out, that is never ever a plan by any organization, it happens really because a lot of people are sucking. As a follower of the Oilers, that was never a plan, it was simply a lot of horrible people making horrible decisions year after year after year. then finally better people came in. Look what Chiarelli has done to alter the look of that team on defence. Someone finally got it. The Habs management actually has 4 plus 100 point seasons and their scout is after thorough research on everyone’s draft history is one of the best in hockey finding more gems in the late rounds than just about anyone. Anyway, I get the frustration. It is an ugly start to the season, but it is just the start.

  • Darren Dembicki says

    Honest hard takes here. Frustrated & disappointed. Only positive is maybe they start slow and get better as opposed to the last 2 years’ hot starts?

  • Dave Trembley says

    Amidst all of the euphoria among Habs fans regarding the acquisition of Drouin, I did not see a single person engage the possibility that he might underachieve. Not saying he will, only three games after all, and might turn around and put up great numbers. But the possibility was and is always there that it could happen.

    • Brian Wilde says

      Drouin is going to do big things on the powerplay for sure. I simply can’t see him not clicking on the powerplay. It has been too good to not score. I think like everyone else that Galchenyuk should be the guy cross seam for the one timer, but this is not the greatest concern. The puck will go in. Five on five here, a little patience is required. Remember this is the first he’s played center in an extended way since juniors. A little bit of a learning curve is completely normal. Many fail at center at the NHL level for a reason…. it’s hard. And so far, he doesn’t have that many gaffes. The one gaffe that turned it over at the blue line for the Rangers break out was simply unlucky. The lost man on the 2-0 happened also because Drouin wasn’t prepared for Petry to play that one so incredibly soft. The Habs had possession on Petry’s stick two seconds prior before he heard footsteps. A little patience…. I don’t see anything here that tells me that he can’t be fine at 5 on 5 and outstanding at the PP. Time for a longer leash than 3 games. Galchenyuk’s leash off and on was five seasons.

  • Brian Wilde says

    Just one comment of my own here that shows how the negatives can get pretty heavy and the positives ignored on the back of a result. The Plekanec line was simply outstanding last night and absolutely dominated the Rangers. They had 16 shots at goal to only two when they were on the ice.
    This is a line that has Plekanec who was written off after last year and has come back as a steady hand leading two youngsters to some dominant hockey.
    It also has a young man in Lehkonen who when you step back you have to realize that this is a player who is only in his second year of hockey and has such dominant tendencies without the puck. He has just a ridiculously bright future with the Habs.
    It also has Charles Hudon who despite so many defensive gaffes all over the place by other Habs and who most wondered if he could even have a career because of that deficiency without the puck, is putting on a tremendous effort here.
    So you have two surprises here: the resurgence of Plekanec and the complete game of a skilled Hudon to go with the continued development of Lehkonen.
    The glass can get half empty when the results aren’t there, but this is a real good half full moment to have this line clicking.
    They need to get more out of Galchenyuk and the top line and then this will not be this bad offensively. Not even close.
    Imagine this bonus though as a line with this contribution 5 on 5 when the others find their way as they are too talented to not find their way. If you think Pacioretty forgot how to score or Drouin forgot how to create…. nah. However, they have to find something from Galchenyuk this has lasted too long.
    but back to the Plekanec line…. the coaching staff has to be elated that two players they didn’t know if they could contribute are absolutely dominating out there…. 16 shots at goal to 2… that’s powerful stuff.

    • Elisabeth Di Niro says

      I was actually avoiding going online today because I thought I would only read he horrible the Habs have been. Glad to see that isn’t the case here! Very realistic analysis and honest. Totally agree on the Galchenyuk perspective. He needs to find his confidence and just play his game. They need him to be that 30 goal scorer, otherwise he’s gonna be in big trouble too.

      Quick question, odds of Habs landing Tavares? Seriously, do we even have a good chance?

      • Brian Wilde says

        Honesty, there are only so many teams that actually have the money. The Habs are one of them. However, he has to have the will to do it. His will I don’t know we can know.

        • Elisabeth Di Niro says

          Thanks for getting back to me! It will be interesting to see how this story ends. I personally would like to see him on our team as many others. We can actually afford him and I believe he would fit in well with the team- Weber and Price since they played together on Intl teams. Let’s see how this shakes up and hopefully he will choose us.

  • Trevor Birtch says

    Claude needs to stop changing his D pairings through out the game. This D is completely different than last season and these guy’s need to keep playing together to understand where each guy likes to go and their strengths. Petry has looked aweful! It’s like after playing with emelin for so long last season he forgot how to play good defense. Jordie Benn is a good defenseman, but not a top pairing guy. Mete in my mind deserves to play with Weber right now because there’s no one else better suited for it. It’s going to be a tough couple weeks ahead (chicago, toronto, san jose, LA, Anahiem) but i’m still hopeful..

    I must say though, i like what Charlie Hudon has done so far. The guy isn’t scared to shoot the puck, he’s skating well and he’s not a liability on defense either. Lots of potential with him!

    • Brian Wilde says

      Yeah, and I think for sure that he will. It’s early in the year. For him to be experimenting is normal. I wonder if he has seen enough of Alzner and Petry. Petry is struggling badly.

      • Trevor Birtch says

        who plays with who if they’re split up though? Alzner and Weber doesn’t make much sense and Petry can’t handle 2nd pairing duties right now so i doubt he can handle 1st pairing duties. Hopefully when schlemko is healthy he can bring a boost to the back end.