Here we go again folks. Our jerseys have been washed, our TV time booked, our beer fridges stacked and the speed dial updated to include the pizza guy who delivers the tastier New Yorker pizza. another season is upon us and I say it's about time. This summer's hockey drought was way too long, and I for one hope this year the boys should drive further in to the post season to ensure this tragedy does not repeat its self. and thus we face the question everyone is trying to answer: Can the Habs make the playoffs? Are we a better team? We've read the so called experts' articles on it, and now here is HLD's take on the subject:
Goaltending
By now most of us can agree that Huet's performance to overtake Jose Theodore's job two years ago was not a flash in the pan. He is a NHL calibre goalie and will serve us well as the bridge to close the gap as our young guys develop into star goalies. There is no guarantee that he will remain as brilliant as he was in his stretch to earn a spot on last years All Star team, however one thing is for sure; he can and will steal games and can and will make key plays.
The decision to keep Price at the NHL level is a good decision. Even though he did not spend too much time in
With Halak in the AHL ready to jump in at any time (we all saw what he can do last year) our goaltending is as solid as last year, and even more consistent. We can pretty much guarantee we won't have 10 game stretches with Aebischer mishaps.
Defence
The tandem of Markov and Komisarek…enough said. They are solid, they have been and will be. Hamrlik and Brisebois are reportedly the second pairing. I don’t care what people say about Brisebois, and I don’t care what happened three years ago (although I still have some lingering ill feelings there). He is an established NHL veteran defenseman and is a great addition to our second line. Togeather with Hamrlik, they will be an experienced line which should play solid in their own end and move the puck comfortably out of our zone. For the third pairing, we have chouices of Bouillion, Dandenault, Streit and Gorges. I thinks these are pretty awesome names to have for a third pairing on D, and it gives the coaching staff various tools to use on a given night against teams with different strengths. Our first two lines will be able to move the puck up the ice, creating chances for our forwards. In other words, not only is this defensive roster FAR superior to what we had last year (and has more depth), but also it will contribute to our 5 on 5 offense in that the top two pairings will have an immense impact on our transition game.
Offence
Higgins-Koivu-Ryder will be as effective as last year, but even better. They cannot rival other star #1 lines around the league, however we can expect a consistent input from all three of them, both 5 on 5 and special teams.
Kostitsyn-Grabovsky-Kovalev will have the most part of my attention tonight. There is so much potential and talent on this line that point production is inevitable. The only question will remain as to how many points they will put up. I sure hope that Kovalev can be motivated by playing on a line with others he can speak Russian with. This might even be an advantage when they speak to each other in Russian on the ice without the opposition understanding what they are communicating to one another.
Latandresse-Plekanec-Smolinski will have big shoes to fill following the Bonk Johnson show last year. They were undoubtedly a great shut-down line in 2006-2007, however this year’s line has potential. Plekanec has proven to be a superb assets defensively, Smolinski has a reputation for shutting down big names, and Latandresse is a young kid trying to find a niche, who can hit and HURT the opposition. This line not only has the potential to shut down lines, but to put up a considerable number of goals in net (hopefully the oppositions net).
The fourth line, much like the third defensive line, has many names that it can accommodate: Begin, Chipchura, Kostopoulos, Muray, Dandenault, Streit. All are more than worthy (maybe not Muray) to be on a NHL team’s fourth line, and they all offer different tools to the coaching staff. Having this flexibility on our third D and fourth O lines gives the coaches an asset which, in my humble opinion, is worth a lot more than people give it credit for.
Coaching Staff
The coaching staff went through a training period last year. They have openly admitted to making mistakes and learning from them. Given the characters up there (Carbonneau, Muller, Jarvis, and Gainey) I cannot doub t for an instant the hockey knowledge, the work ethic, and the will to win that is present at the top. Furthermore, given those four names, our special teams can be expected to perform at a high level yet again. Everyone can keep talking about Sheldon’s shot we will be missing on the PP, but let us not take credit away from where it’s due. Given the myriad of tools the coaching staff is presented with, we will undoubtedly shut down the opposition on the PK, and perform at a high level on the PP. We may not be 1st, but we will remain in the 75th percentile and that’s all a team really needs.
Summary
As this first post of the season turns into a novel, I’ll gather my thought and present you with my conclusion. This team is marginally better in offense, marginally better in goal and far superior in defence. Further more we are better 5 on 5 (mainly thanks to our new found transition play) and will remain as competitive on special teams. The icing on the cake (and the reason why I am confident we’re making the playoffs) is that we have dramatically reduced our areas of weaknesses. I expect a more modest beginning to the season, but a more consistent output through out the year.
As I always say, we can all speculate, but….only time will tell.
Let’s go les Glorieux! GO HABS GO!
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