Clueless Coaching

[Chuck]

I think it was foolish of CJ to have pulled the goalie so early. I know they were down 2 goals but read in two factors, Montreal’s very crappy back end puck control and Icing being of no concern of the Blues! I would have instead, benched the defence in favour forwards who can skate with the puck because what good is a defence that can’t forecheck nor win battles for puck! Having an empty net is just too distracting for a team that can’t play defence under that pressure. Get one goal first, save yanking Price as a last minute resort. Also if Max Pac isn’t going to the net, yank him off the ice as well. Max Pac we want shots on goal, not more passing from you!

[Nyssa]

Chuck wrote:

> I think it was foolish of CJ to have pulled the goalie so
> early. I know they were down 2 goals but read in two

> factors, Montreal?s very crappy back end puck control and

> Icing being of no concern of the Blues! I would have
> instead, benched the defence in favour forwards who can
> skate with the puck because what good is a defence that

> can?t forecheck nor win battles for puck! Having an empty
> net is just too distracting for a team that can?t play

> defence under that pressure. Get one goal first, save
> yanking Price as a last minute resort. Also if Max Pac

> isn?t going to the net, yank him off the ice as well. Max

> Pac we want shots on goal, not more passing from you!

Yes, you've hit it!

Since Sirius didn't have the game (in English, at least),
I ended up pulling the plug on the sat radio and listening
OTA to KMOX for the game.

When they said that Price was pulled, I turned to look
at the radio (like that would do any good) and said "What
a MORON!" referring to CJ, of course.

Luck out with a 5 minute PP in the closing minutes, only
down two, but with a questionable defense corps, you DO
NOT PULL THE GOALIE!!! Jeez, Coaching 101, fer crying out
loud.

If Weber were healthy, he would have been a perfect one
to send out on this along with four forwards who actually
have a chance of scoring...not passing endlessly...SCORING.

What was that phantom deal for Patches that the Blues
supposedly are offering? Take it QUICKLY!

OTOH, if CJ is actually *trying* to make the team tank
into 30th place (I don't think they have a chance of
going as low as 31st, practically speaking), he's doing
a really bang-up job.

Nyssa, who figures that even the Canes are going to
beat the Habs next and the matinee weekend games are
toast

[Mike]

On 2018-01-31 11:01 AM, Chuck wrote:
> I think it was foolish of CJ to have pulled the goalie so early. I know they were down 2 goals but read in two factors, Montreal’s very crappy back end puck control and Icing being of no concern of the Blues! I would have instead, benched the defence in favour forwards who can skate with the puck because what good is a defence that can’t forecheck nor win battles for puck! Having an empty net is just too distracting for a team that can’t play defence under that pressure. Get one goal first, save yanking Price as a last minute resort. Also if Max Pac isn’t going to the net, yank him off the ice as well. Max Pac we want shots on goal, not more passing from you!
>

Speaking of a crappy back end - check out this stat. The Habs are by far
the worst team in the league for defensive giveaways. There isn't
another team even close.

https://twitter.com/AZadarski/status/958550830759624706/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.reddit.com%2Fr%2FHabs%2F

[Gerry]

That said, I've noticed in the past that Montreal is a particularly liberal place for handing out the Giveaway stat. It used to be a Subban thing for me, but then as I delved into that I noted that they just hand out tons more than some other arenas for many players, both sides.

Montreal's D is visibly bad, and they visibly have had systems for years which involve just dumping the puck away to the other team for free. Some league statisticians will call that a giveaway and others won't.

FWIW, as a caveat. I think we all know the D is a problem either way.

l8r,
Gerry

[Chuck]

Speaking of tanking, what has new Shaw done that McCarron couldn’t! JDLR, another 0 everything game as well as Pleckanec setting back into another slump!

[Chuck]

What is classified as a giveaway? A cleared puck that turns over puck, or a puck turned over due to a fumble or take away, or a gift turnover to initiate a line change. Fans do not need stats to confirm what they can see, along with the air of desperation they show when they try to control the puck

[Mike]

On 2018-01-31 03:21 PM, Chuck wrote:
> Speaking of tanking, what has new Shaw done that McCarron couldn’t! JDLR, another 0 everything game as well as Pleckanec setting back into another slump!
>

Heads up Chuck - there's rumours that the Habs are talking to Plekanec
about re-signing. Craziness accrues.

[Gerry]

Hey, only 9 forwards on the team have more goals than Pleks. Of course, only 3 have more icetime. And no forwards make more $. Sounds like exactly the sort of 35-year old player you don't want to let go to free agency!

Of course, one might normally hope any such rumours might be more a ploy to try to drive up his market value. But with this team, it's a bit easier to actually take it at face value instead.

I guess Plekanec isn't "terrible" per se, and it's not like the team has a ton of prospects ready to break into the lineup. A few, maybe... not a ton. At $1M per, he's perhaps a reasonable bargain for the 4th line. On a 1-year deal, of course. If they are actually talking about re-signing him, I doubt $1M/1yr are the parameters under consideration, however.

l8r,
Gerry

[Chuck]

A sign and trade deal works for me. As for comparing players to team mates. All that does sometimes is highlight how bad a team is when you take it a step forward and compare the player to the entire league. If he signs for an amount appropriate for a 3rd line inconsistently productive centre on a non playoff team fine sign him. But if he resigns for his current yearly average (or higher) show MB to the unemployment office!

[Gerry]

Well, I would guess there's no chance whatsoever that Plekanec signs for his current yearly average (let alone higher)... since he's on that zany $6M deal. My fear would be he gets more of a retirement-style deal, like $3M per for 2 or 3 years, which is also pricey for what he does. And not a good term for a player his age whose production has been in sharp decline.

I would also guess there's no such thing as sign-and-trade in his case, since teams may want his "veteran experience" for a playoff depth run, but would have no interest in extra term for him. They actually want him as a pure rental who walks away in the summer... or at least want to evaluate how he fits on the team first themselves.

Not that a 3rd or 4th or 5th round pick or whatever they could get in a deadline trade for him is likely to amount to much either, mind you. So it's probably not a really big deal either way whether they keep him or move him at the deadline. Just if they lock him up to term past this year... yikes.

l8r,
Gerry

[Chuck]

I’d give him away as to eliminate any chance he somehow manages to have a decent close out of meaningless production damaging the team’s chances for a top draft pick

[Mike]

On 2018-02-01 12:15 PM, Chuck wrote:
> I’d give him away as to eliminate any chance he somehow manages to have a decent close out of meaningless production damaging the team’s chances for a top draft pick
>

Bingo! Not to mention, his continued presence on the team will only
hamper the further development of the youngsters in the AHL. OTOH, there
ain't shit down there anyway so maybe as a 3rd or 4th line centre,
killing penalties and perhaps teaching some youngsters a few tricks of
the trade?? Maybe. All that said, if someone offers me a 2nd for him,
buh-bye. I'd hold off any negotiations with him until after the trade
deadline though. There's no rush at this point.

[Chuck]

What does Mete have to do to get more icetime!!!!!

[Chuck]

Mete is the only Hab not credited a Hit, maybe that’s why his icetime stays 3rd pairing.
And chock up another 0 for everything for JDLR

[Chuck]

It’s too bad Petry couldn’t match his recent scoring outburst with equally strong defence when he isn’t scoring