Recrutes: Hockey scouting from a professional perspective from Grant McCagg and Habs coverage from a 33 year veteran covering the NHL from Brian Wilde.
February 1, 2018
By Brian Wilde
The Habs with a third game against the Hurricanes this season. They went 6-5 Carolina just before the all-star break. This game was decidedly different.
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This is the night they lost me. I’ve been patient and tolerant this season, certainly more than many. I’ve known since the debacle against Arizona that they weren’t making the playoffs. Now I just want to see some compete, some desire, some willingness to show some pride in the CH and one another.
When Jordie Benn shoved/pushed/“defended” the Carolina player right into Price in what could have been a dangerous collision I screamed at my monitor. First because Benn could do something so stupid and second because he just stood there after with no motion towards Carey to apologize or to exact an ounce of flesh from the Carolina player. Same thing we saw after Paul Byron got sent head/shoulder first into the boards on Tuesday and not one player did a damn thing about a reckless play. At least after Gallagher was dropped and then punched in the head while on the ice, Drouin made an effort to get in there and put a stop to things.
I’m not one that advocates fighting in sports. When it comes to concussions and player safety I’m much more on the Ken Dryden side than the Colin Campbell. But I do believe in contact sports there does exist an acceptable level of violence. And if the opposing team is taking liberties with your stars, there needs to be a response that shows you support your comrades out there. This team doesn’t seem to have the fortitude to do that to defend Carey Price or Paul Byron or Brendan Gallagher.
We’ve talked a lot about low-event hockey this year and the team’s inability to manufacture offence. These games are becoming non-events for myself and a lot of people. Life’s short and better spent doing other things than watching boring hockey where more than likely the team I’ve supported for nearly 37 years is going to lose and look bad in the process.
Well put, read my mind
Two things, If we fall out of the top 5 then I would move the pick….if we don`t get a centre back for Max I will be very…very…very disappointed!!!
Its just brutal how i feel about the habs.personaly ive been a huge habs fan forever.more so when i was 13 and we moved to northern ontario (kirkland lake) in 1977. Others there luvd the leafs,i luvd the habs,ya in 77 they were a frickn powerhouse for yrs. moving back to mtl in 83 i got free tix from my dads work,in 83-’84 i went to 13 games,free. I live,breathe,follow,bleed the habs,my buddys are bruin fans,were always rippin each other as you can imagine,im gettin ripped this year.i mean when they lose i go to bed pissed off,it effects my mood,when there winning,im cheery as hell braggin to my bruin buddys. This ssn is deadly demoralizing for me.so its great to belong to a group,just like me,others who feel the same.i know theres tens of thousands of us out there. To have your spirit crushed like theyve done to us this ssn is just unforgiveable.to see this go on..and on..and on..is..is..arghhhh..i go to twitter first thing every am,just hoping to see the headlines..habs make big changes….i try to poke the bear sending out tweets to get fans to wakeup and rally,force these sleeping zzzzz hibernating management to DO SOMETHING…but nope,now im hearing,hey keep plek,hes not so bad,omg..if i had any hair left id be pulling it out. They are putting the allmighty $ before the heart of our great city. Sad.
Sorry you have to cover this sad boring team Brian. I put the Habs stream on & do other things more interesting like dishes or typing reports.
I see Mete as the best Habs D-man cause Oiler Petry shows up far too often for a player of his experience. I agree on the soft Price goal but shrug as 0 goals vs shaky Cam Ward is beyond ridiculous.
I am definitely a coach basher but, at one point, one has to turn to coaching staff and strategy to explain the poorest offense of the league! I can’t accept that it is a coincidence that all players production went dry this year!
The number one mission of all players in Montreal is to not get scored on while on the ice, it seems! So they work hard, they don’t take chances, until they’re trying to fight back after trailing in the score.
My opinion of course but the hockey we see game after game is simply sub-par.
20 games with 1 goal or less! It is not a coincidence.
Meant to say I am definitely NOT a coach basher…
Thanks for the summary Brian. I think you captioned it well when you mentioned “low event hockey.” This has got to be the most boring hockey I have ever seen. I can’t sit through a game anymore.
It is literally popgun offense that is actually quite sad. What worries me is that every single forward is trending down this season. That is not a good sign and I wonder if the systems may have something to do with it. They just cannot score.
It is incredible isn’t it. People are asking a lot whether it is Julien. I don’t think we can know unless they improve their talent, but if they improve their talent, especially some talent on the blue line and it’s still as boring as this then those people are right. I maintain that Julien knows he can’t win with high event hockey so he hopes to stay close on the back of his goalie, but I am open to being wrong as always.
Why not try Sherback with Drouin and Galchenyuk and see if he could be a real option as a 1st or 2nd line winger in the NHL? Can’t be worst than this offence right now…
So are you saying Drouin should play the wing?
If the Habs don’t get a Center back for Max, I think the fans would burn down the Bell Centre. MB can’t miss on this one, he just can’t.
I guess a good question for bergevin in April will be….”are u concerned that this brand of low event hockey will lead to an epic level of apathy amongst habs fans?”