Is There an End in Sight for the Habs Woes?

[RGM81]

Things are getting messy in Montreal the past couple weeks, to say the least. Eight straight losses is a mark of mediocrity that hasn't been seen since 1939-40. Ouch. Rock bottom was the Boston 8-1 drubbing, of course, but that was three games ago now and while the team has looked better this past weekend they still fell. This week gets no easier as they face the Islanders, Avalanche, and the team that really made things look bad, the Rangers.

Pressure has been mounting on Bergevin to do something...and today he did. He sent down the backup goalie. LOL

It doesn't take a genius to recognize that Carey Price's workload has to be managed better. People have been saying for years they need to get him down to 55 games per year. Last year he appeared in 24 of 25 games down the stretch because they lost all confidence in Niemi. This year they've shown already they don't count on Kinkaid, who has allowed 4+ goals in every game he's played. This is all a recipe for disaster.

Those who have more optimism than I do (and they're out there!) still point to the depth in the system, that better days are soon ahead. This has been the story for too long. “[Player] is coming, the future is bright, we’ve got great depth...” It all just gets a little tiresome and the guys incoming will be good but aren’t the game changers needed or else they’d already be here. I’ve lived and loved the Habs my whole life. I’ve absorbed this mantra for close to thirty years now. “Better days ahead” can only be a formula for so long and selling hope can only carry so far. 2013-14 and 2014-15 are fading, distant memories for Habs fans now. Those are the last years this team was good and a contender. It’s reaching my limits as to what I’m willing to endure with this team.

Folks, if this thing reaches ten games, it's going to fall to Cayden Primeau on Friday night to stop the bleeding. I don't know if that's entirely fair to a kid to throw him into that for his first NHL game. Hopefully they can snap the skid tomorrow and get some motivation from all the former captains that are going to be in the house.

[mq13]

At least you not a bottom dweller like my Red Wings 0-8-2 last ten.

[Cunnuc]

Yes Red Wings are by far the worst team in the league right now. Not sure how they are being outscored by 56 goals, they really do have some good talent on the team. Blashill is a terrible coach, not sure how he coached Grand Rapids so well. I think Grand Rapids would do better in the NHL than Detroit would right now lol

[icefields]

the end is in site... golf season is right around the corner lolol

[leafer70]

If you think you're reaching your limits, just imagine us Leafs fans. I've been preaching "optimism" and "better days ahead" my entire life.

[jverreault]

Does it will be the rookie cards year for Primeau ?? If yes , we will have a great hobby year !

Habs rookies this year ! Poehling + Suzuki + Fleury + Primeau !!

Hope always Hope !

[RGM81]

At least you not a bottom dweller like my Red Wings 0-8-2 last ten.

Yeah you guys have a very strong start in the Lafreniere sweepstakes.

[30ranfordfan]

Zero confidence in the backup is definitely an issue..... but the forward group is WEAK compared to the rest of their division.

An 8 game skid (most of the time) is fluky. The group is not THAT bad, but this is a team that was always going to be in a dog fight to make the playoffs, and and I honestly don't see how the most optimistic fans could have picked them to finish any better than 4th in the division, and more realistically 5th.

If I look at the forwards of the 4 teams ahead of them in the standings, and the team right below them, I'm going to highlight the top 3 or 4 players:

BOS (Bergeron, Marchand, Pasternek)
FLA (Huberdeau, Barkov, Trochek)
BUF (Eichel, Skinner, Reinhart)
TOR (Matthews, Tavares, Marner, Nylander)
TB (Stamkos, Kucherov, Point)

Is there a forward on the Habs, anyone thinks is as good as any of the forwards I listed from BOS, FLA, TOR, or TB? I don't. Buffalo (who I don't believe will be a playoff team) I could make the argument for a couple of the MTL guys over Skinner or Reinhart, yes.


Kinkaid + lack of awesome forward = BAD stretch.

[sports4-ever]

Bergevin should come see Melnyk about the likes of Chabot , Tkachuk , Pageau, Duclair and Brown ....... Now that they are beginning to make their mark , he's probably ready to give them away , as he done with most of his previous stars

[subban7677]

Zero confidence in the backup is definitely an issue..... but the forward group is WEAK compared to the rest of their division.

An 8 game skid (most of the time) is fluky. The group is not THAT bad, but this is a team that was always going to be in a dog fight to make the playoffs, and and I honestly don't see how the most optimistic fans could have picked them to finish any better than 4th in the division, and more realistically 5th.

If I look at the forwards of the 4 teams ahead of them in the standings, and the team right below them, I'm going to highlight the top 3 or 4 players:

BOS (Bergeron, Marchand, Pasternek)
FLA (Huberdeau, Barkov, Trochek)
BUF (Eichel, Skinner, Reinhart)
TOR (Matthews, Tavares, Marner, Nylander)
TB (Stamkos, Kucherov, Point)

Is there a forward on the Habs, anyone thinks is as good as any of the forwards I listed from BOS, FLA, TOR, or TB? I don't. Buffalo (who I don't believe will be a playoff team) I could make the argument for a couple of the MTL guys over Skinner or Reinhart, yes.


Kinkaid + lack of awesome forward = BAD stretch.

On paper yes, that makes sense. But their forward group is playing quite well. Scoring by committee. It's their defensive group that is letting them down, bigly. Weber has been great for the most part. Petry has been atrocious the last little while. The revolving door that is Reilly/Kulak/Folin and now Olofsson? Terrible. Kinkaid has been awful and Price has not gotten much help, but at his salary he needs to be covering up mistakes, which he is not.