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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McLean’s Pub Call of the Wilde – Crowned by the Kings

October 26, 2017

By Brian Wilde

The Habs took to the Bell Centre ice with a 2-6-1 record Thursday night against one of the hottest teams in the NHL at 7-1-1 the Los Angeles Kings. Montreal was coming off a 5-1 win over the Panthers trying to build on their first positive momentum of the season. So to the Wilde Horses to see how they did collectively and individually:

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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.

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  • Pino Marcovecchio says

    Another excellent game analysis Brian.
    I think you hit the nail on the head . Last year’s top five defence was dismantled, middle of pack offence stayed essentially the same AND they have 9M in cap room. I don’t see how Bergevin survives this? Your thoughts.

    • Brian Wilde says

      Yes for sure but the survival part is up to one man. Molson. He may be a patient man or apoplectic. I don’t know. No one can. Someone says that he’s on the verge of being fired …. well they better be Molson’s buddy because he’s the only canary that can sing actually.

  • Dan Adams says

    Hi Brian,
    When you read a sports article one expects to now and then be given real insights into the game . I feel very grateful to my friend for giving me your website as a gift. At least, if The Canadiens win or loose you pretty much know why without all the ranting and melodrama of sports radio.I think your analysis of Alzner’s type of game certainly opens up another reason why The Canadiens seem to not get the puck up the ice quickly many times. This type of waiting and freezing the player on the boards possibly allows the opponents forecheck to continue at a much higher level without fear of transition. As you said in your article “the puck has 2 sides” but after the abject failure of Mark Streit I think we desperately need another puck carrying defenceman. Mete may be the answer to this someday ,but just not quite yet. Bergevin just did not replace the defence properly. Maybe he had no choice, but now I am starting to see that the signing of Streit was a really a desperate move and probably has led to some very shaky play by Price. Two men never make a team but the desperate signings of both Hemsky and Sreit threw off the chemistry of all already fragile Price -centric system. The defense for the most part look slow and confused. Julien just kept playing both Hemsky & Sreit. I think to possibly to try and cover up the some glaring issues. It did not work. It diminished The Canadien’s start. Again ,you look at Alzner and when he freezes a guy on the boards the puck is still in our zone. The Canadiens need to take advantage of their speed in transition and they need defenseman to get them the puck quickly. Good old Markhov did. All this makes me think of that famous quote by the goalie Gump Worsley when playing for a very poor Ranger team- when asked : “who are the two most dangerous players in the league?” And he responded : ” My two defensemen”.

    • Brian Wilde says

      Thank you for the thorough comment. Yes. My take is that the balance of this d corps is off. Here’s what’s kind of weird to me. If I finished last season as a GM I would say okay my defence is the third best in the nhl but my offence is 16th. So which one should I overhaul? Ya feel me ? The d got almost a full overhaul not that I liked Emelin so much but why overall what is so good at 3rd best yet that 16th ranked offence is essentially untouched. I am not pretending to be a GM or a genius but the make up of the defence seems out of balance

  • Paul Crites says

    Great analysis Brian – especially on Alzner. He’s been very underwhelming. With his price tag he needs to be a difference maker in the defensive zone, but he seems content to let opposing players dance around on the perimeter until a pass or scoring chance opens up.
    The core leadership group is Pacioretty/Weber/Price….and they’re all the same: extremely stoic and great at clichés. We’re several clichés away from being out of the playoff hunt.