Is anyone excited about this season?

SensFan71 wrote:Lehner, who is 3-0 with a 2.00 GAA and .935 SV% with the Soo.

SensFan71 wrote:very well said SpezzD, Price is broken at this point and will continue to be broken as long as he starts in Montreal. Price being broken is the fault of Gainey believing that Price is the 2nd coming of Roy, therefore trading away the only starting goalie they had at that time, then refusing to promote the real talent in goal (Halak) to #1 status. (which could have been an issue leading up to Carbonneau being fired, just my thoughts anyway)

Price hasn't looked too bad recently.

He had a great rookie season and then struggled in his sophomore year and didn't have his head on straight.

That's not unheard of. I don't think it's fair to dismiss the guy.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:I'm personally more excited about the future. Once the team has Karlsson, Cowen, Weircioch, Silfverberg and Lehner (among others), all playing together in prominent rolls this will be one kick arse team. Sprinkle in some veteran leadership and season to taste. Them's good eats.

That's way in the future. Wiercioch should IMO have two more years before joining the team, and then he'll only be a rookie.

You're talking five years down the line. Who knows what the rest of the team will look like then.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SensFan71 wrote:Lehner, who is 3-0 with a 2.00 GAA and .935 SV% with the Soo.

the future looks very bright indeed. an Elliott/Lehner duo would be excellent, the post Leclaire days that is anyway. That being said, it puts quite a bit of pressure on Leclaire to preform this year and next because he knows if he doesn't play up to standards, Ottawa just won't sign him back and go with Elliott and Lehner instead.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SensFan71 wrote:Lehner, who is 3-0 with a 2.00 GAA and .935 SV% with the Soo.

He's looked unbelievable, the real deal.

Real Estate!

I'm very excited about this season, but I understand that it will take a few games for everyone to be comfortable in the roles they are playing. Particularly the new guys having to learn everyone's habits (especially Michalek with Spezza) and the new system etc...But, all in all I think we have a very strong forward group here and mediocre D. Hopefully the D will come together as the season progresses and that Leclaire can turn in more performances like the 1st period of game 1.

I don't want any excuses from anyone this year, I want this team to make the playoffs. There is no reason for us not to. The East isn't as strong as the West. Spots 5 through 8 are a crapshoot, IMO. We should definitely be in the thick of things throughout the season.

GO SENS!!!

asq2 wrote:

SensFan71 wrote:very well said SpezzD, Price is broken at this point and will continue to be broken as long as he starts in Montreal. Price being broken is the fault of Gainey believing that Price is the 2nd coming of Roy, therefore trading away the only starting goalie they had at that time, then refusing to promote the real talent in goal (Halak) to #1 status. (which could have been an issue leading up to Carbonneau being fired, just my thoughts anyway)

Price hasn't looked too bad recently.

He had a great rookie season and then struggled in his sophomore year and didn't have his head on straight.

That's not unheard of. I don't think it's fair to dismiss the guy.

well recently is just 2 games, how long before things start going wrong again and the wheels fall off. Price looks like a broken man most nights, now last year was a big distraction, more due to lifestyle choices by some of the younger players, so maybe that was it, however, once there is any big of adversity in Montreal, I definitely see Price falling back into the broken mold and things just keep sliding from there.

I feel sorry for Price and the position he was put in.

It's like he was Jim Carey'd by the Habs.

I agree with Price sucking and it's not just because he plays for Montreal. That guy is done, point finale. He is looking worse and worse everytime I see him, with some flashes of brilliance at times. He never even got to Theodore status when Theo was good. This guy just started very well and went downhill from there. I don't know what they are going to do, but he is not a Number 1. They really need to rethink things and put Halak in there as Number 1 this year, he's proven that he is that way more than Price has. None of this is Price's fault either, it's all Gainey. I actually think that he should be fired for that reason alone. Talk about killing his career before it even started.

SensGirl11 wrote:I agree with Price sucking and it's not just because he plays for Montreal. That guy is done, point finale. He is looking worse and worse everytime I see him, with some flashes of brilliance at times. He never even got to Theodore status when Theo was good. This guy just started very well and went downhill from there. I don't know what they are going to do, but he is not a Number 1. They really need to rethink things and put Halak in there as Number 1 this year, he's proven that he is that way more than Price has. None of this is Price's fault either, it's all Gainey. I actually think that he should be fired for that reason alone. Talk about killing his career before it even started.

the bell will toll for Gainey's head sooner rather than later, he made all those moves this off season which deflected some attention this year for awhile, but how soon will the smoke clear, the losing starts again, and then they realize they still have Price between the pipes. Halak is the true # 1 there, or the closest thing they have, I have seen times when Halak is a game breaker, Price, definitely not.

SensGirl11 wrote:I agree with Price sucking and it's not just because he plays for Montreal. That guy is done, point finale. He is looking worse and worse everytime I see him, with some flashes of brilliance at times. He never even got to Theodore status when Theo was good. This guy just started very well and went downhill from there. I don't know what they are going to do, but he is not a Number 1. They really need to rethink things and put Halak in there as Number 1 this year, he's proven that he is that way more than Price has. None of this is Price's fault either, it's all Gainey. I actually think that he should be fired for that reason alone. Talk about killing his career before it even started.

So Price is done because in his first two seasons in the NHL, he failed to win an MVP award?

He's 22, and he's won Canadian Major Junior goalie of the year, AHL playoff MVP, NHL all-rookie team and played at the NHL all-star game (granted, this was probably not deserved).

He's younger than Peter Regin or Brian Elliott. He had a kick-arse rookie season with a .920 sv%age and a 2.56 GAA, had a sophomore slump where he made some poor life choices and still had an somewhat respectable (for a 21-year-old) .905 SV%age and 2.86 GAA, and now through two games he's got a .951 SV%age and a 1.89 GAA and people say he's done?

Also, even if his numbers/performance did suck (and they don't), MAF's career thus far should point to the idea that age 22 is way too early to write a goalie off.

SensGirl11 wrote:I agree with Price sucking and it's not just because he plays for Montreal. That guy is done, point finale. He is looking worse and worse everytime I see him, with some flashes of brilliance at times. He never even got to Theodore status when Theo was good. This guy just started very well and went downhill from there. I don't know what they are going to do, but he is not a Number 1. They really need to rethink things and put Halak in there as Number 1 this year, he's proven that he is that way more than Price has. None of this is Price's fault either, it's all Gainey. I actually think that he should be fired for that reason alone. Talk about killing his career before it even started.

Let's not exagerate, He`s still very good and will probably get better

asq2 wrote:

SensGirl11 wrote:I agree with Price sucking and it's not just because he plays for Montreal. That guy is done, point finale. He is looking worse and worse everytime I see him, with some flashes of brilliance at times. He never even got to Theodore status when Theo was good. This guy just started very well and went downhill from there. I don't know what they are going to do, but he is not a Number 1. They really need to rethink things and put Halak in there as Number 1 this year, he's proven that he is that way more than Price has. None of this is Price's fault either, it's all Gainey. I actually think that he should be fired for that reason alone. Talk about killing his career before it even started.

So Price is done because in his first two seasons in the NHL, he failed to win an MVP award?

He's 22, and he's won Canadian Major Junior goalie of the year, AHL playoff MVP, NHL all-rookie team and played at the NHL all-star game (granted, this was probably not deserved).

He's younger than Peter Regin or Brian Elliott. He had a kick-arse rookie season with a .920 sv%age and a 2.56 GAA, had a sophomore slump where he made some poor life choices and still had an somewhat respectable (for a 21-year-old) .905 SV%age and 2.86 GAA, and now through two games he's got a .951 SV%age and a 1.89 GAA and people say he's done?

Those 2 games were against offensively challenged teams, sure the Leafs had a lot of shots, but not a great many of them were high quality shots. The other game was against the Sabres, again, not a high offensive power. You keep those numbers up consistently against the high powered Bruins or Pens and for more than 2 games, then I will be impressed Price. I realize he is young, but that is part of the trouble he is having, a load of expectations put on someone that young, he didn't deliver the Habs a cup, and the worst job besides cleaning up crap is being a goalie in Montreal, you get crucified for one bad move, that pressure has and is ruining Price, you are very impressionable when you are as young as he is.

for my 2 cents, i'll add that i'm very excited about the upcoming season. leclaire i feel will be dinamyte if he can stay away from injuries.
if regin stays on the second and fisher wings for him we might see a career year in goals(ok so i'm basing that on the pre-season and international tourney).
kovy looked alright and showed off his typical puck posetion skills.
spezza looks more comited and if you notice around the room in interviews the team seems to really have a weight off it's shoulders. could it be that the poison is finally left the locker room?
i 'm in no way surprised that we don't win from the get go. this team is still finding itself with all it's new players.

I disagree, there were quite a few very good shots from the Leafs during that game, plus his poise and positioning were excellent.

At the end of the day, I don't really care lol.

Flo The Action wrote:for my 2 cents, i'll add that i'm very excited about the upcoming season. leclaire i feel will be dinamyte if he can stay away from injuries.
if regin stays on the second and fisher wings for him we might see a career year in goals(ok so i'm basing that on the pre-season and international tourney).
kovy looked alright and showed off his typical puck posetion skills.
spezza looks more comited and if you notice around the room in interviews the team seems to really have a weight off it's shoulders. could it be that the poison is finally left the locker room?
i 'm in no way surprised that we don't win from the get go. this team is still finding itself with all it's new players.

Spezza was actually backchecking quite well, battling for the puck in the defensive end, I don't think I saw any no look drop passes, or maybe I just don't notice them anymore