Game 2, Round 1 - Ottawa @ Montreal

I don't think Michalek's done. His knee is bothering him no doubt, but he's doing the exact same thing he did vs the Rangers = not much driving through taffic. He needs to exert himself out there. Their D is keeping him to the outside, drive the damn net. You're 6'3", get your arse in motion and make the D rive with you towards Price. Of course Price was amazing last night when he's getting good clear looks.

Smith and Neil both have to bite back Sunday - hard. They can't let a tiny little team push us around. That goes for everyone out there.

And for Diddle sake, put Conacher back in there.

yeah Kassian in there in this series? might have been exactly what they wanted.

does anyone know what is the time line on gionta or Pacioretty drawing back in? i would imagine the habs would be tight lipped about why exactly they were taken out but i think it would be great to have them out longer.

I'm not sure michalek is done but if we can it might be an idea to package him for a 1st line winger this summer. his value not being incredible I know.

tim1_2 wrote:

wprager wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:Weren't gonna sweep. Lets do this Sunday.

But Brooksie said we were

Nah, Brooksie picked us to win in 7. I said we'd sweep. Now I think we'll win 4-1.

All I have to say about tonight is .

You nailed it!!!

I'm not sure why people are surprised. We figured it out a long time ago: Michalek is a great 2nd line winger who can slot in next to Spez on line 1 from time to time, but he's injury prone AND he's incredibly streaky, so we need a top line scoring winger.

We all knew this pretty much at the beginning of this season and in this off-season the hunt for one begins. Still think Briere can draw in here and be effective, but we all know someone has to be acquired.

SpezDispenser wrote:I don't think Michalek's done. His knee is bothering him no doubt, but he's doing the exact same thing he did vs the Rangers = not much driving through taffic. He needs to exert himself out there. Their D is keeping him to the outside, drive the damn net. You're 6'3", get your arse in motion and make the D rive with you towards Price. Of course Price was amazing last night when he's getting good clear looks.

Smith and Neil both have to bite back Sunday - hard. They can't let a tiny little team push us around. That goes for everyone out there.

And for Diddle sake, put Conacher back in there.

You seriously think Conacher has brought anything more than the Kassassin? I disagree. At this point they are a wash. Bring in an improvement on either guy, please. Shouldn't be too hard. I can think of a certain healthy scratch that's better than the two of them put together.

SpezDispenser wrote:I'm not sure why people are surprised. We figured it out a long time ago: Michalek is a great 2nd line winger who can slot in next to Spez on line 1 from time to time, but he's injury prone AND he's incredibly streaky, so we need a top line scoring winger.

We all knew this pretty much at the beginning of this season and in this off-season the hunt for one begins. Still think Briere can draw in here and be effective, but we all know someone has to be acquired.

This has been the story of Ottawa for years, you can never have everyone "going" at the same time. Latendresse has really stepped up his game but it adds nothing because all it does is compensate for an ineffective Michalek rather than complement or supplement him. Same goes for Pageau vis a vis Turris.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:I don't think Michalek's done. His knee is bothering him no doubt, but he's doing the exact same thing he did vs the Rangers = not much driving through taffic. He needs to exert himself out there. Their D is keeping him to the outside, drive the damn net. You're 6'3", get your arse in motion and make the D rive with you towards Price. Of course Price was amazing last night when he's getting good clear looks.

Smith and Neil both have to bite back Sunday - hard. They can't let a tiny little team push us around. That goes for everyone out there.

And for Diddle sake, put Conacher back in there.

You seriously think Conacher has brought anything more than the Kassassin? I disagree. At this point they are a wash. Bring in an improvement on either guy, please. Shouldn't be too hard. I can think of a certain healthy scratch that's better than the two of them put together.

I think Conacher's speed and his willingness to drive the net hard is much more useful than Kassian. Conchar did some good things last game in the 2nd half, let him loose!

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:I'm not sure why people are surprised. We figured it out a long time ago: Michalek is a great 2nd line winger who can slot in next to Spez on line 1 from time to time, but he's injury prone AND he's incredibly streaky, so we need a top line scoring winger.

We all knew this pretty much at the beginning of this season and in this off-season the hunt for one begins. Still think Briere can draw in here and be effective, but we all know someone has to be acquired.

This has been the story of Ottawa for years, you can never have everyone "going" at the same time. Latendresse has really stepped up his game but it adds nothing because all it does is compensate for an ineffective Michalek rather than complement or supplement him. Same goes for Pageau vis a vis Turris.

Yeah, pretty much exactly this.

SpezDispenser wrote:I wasn't sure what Mac was doing calling Diaz player 61 in the first place, but now it looks like he rattled the Habs cage a bit. Gotta be prepped for Sunday.

He was just trying to be polite and not call him out by name, saving him a bit of public flogging. Instead that blowhard Therrien comes out and says his name, like it was some kind of knock against MacLean. I hope MacLean lets it slip that he just didn't want to call a player out by name.

P.S. I was still living in Montreal when the Habs hired Therrien the first time and I couldn't believe it. Such a classy organization (still, at the time) hiring this guy who looked like a truck driver (and not the BJ and the Bear kind).

Guess he is not a big Aretha Franklin fan.

"Respec!"

SpezDispenser wrote:I don't think Michalek's done. His knee is bothering him no doubt, but he's doing the exact same thing he did vs the Rangers = not much driving through taffic. He needs to exert himself out there. Their D is keeping him to the outside, drive the damn net. You're 6'3", get your arse in motion and make the D rive with you towards Price. Of course Price was amazing last night when he's getting good clear looks.

Smith and Neil both have to bite back Sunday - hard. They can't let a tiny little team push us around. That goes for everyone out there.

And for Diddle sake, put Conacher back in there.

The guy who cross-checked Neil in the head was 6'6".

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:I don't think Michalek's done. His knee is bothering him no doubt, but he's doing the exact same thing he did vs the Rangers = not much driving through taffic. He needs to exert himself out there. Their D is keeping him to the outside, drive the damn net. You're 6'3", get your arse in motion and make the D rive with you towards Price. Of course Price was amazing last night when he's getting good clear looks.

Smith and Neil both have to bite back Sunday - hard. They can't let a tiny little team push us around. That goes for everyone out there.

And for Diddle sake, put Conacher back in there.

You seriously think Conacher has brought anything more than the Kassassin? I disagree. At this point they are a wash. Bring in an improvement on either guy, please. Shouldn't be too hard. I can think of a certain healthy scratch that's better than the two of them put together.

#FreeJOB?

wprager wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:I wasn't sure what Mac was doing calling Diaz player 61 in the first place, but now it looks like he rattled the Habs cage a bit. Gotta be prepped for Sunday.

He was just trying to be polite and not call him out by name, saving him a bit of public flogging. Instead that blowhard Therrien comes out and says his name, like it was some kind of knock against MacLean. I hope MacLean lets it slip that he just didn't want to call a player out by name.

Do you really believe that?

SpezDispenser wrote:

wprager wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:I wasn't sure what Mac was doing calling Diaz player 61 in the first place, but now it looks like he rattled the Habs cage a bit. Gotta be prepped for Sunday.

He was just trying to be polite and not call him out by name, saving him a bit of public flogging. Instead that blowhard Therrien comes out and says his name, like it was some kind of knock against MacLean. I hope MacLean lets it slip that he just didn't want to call a player out by name.

Do you really believe that?

I think he was trying to make Montreal players seem like insignificant unknowns.

SpezDispenser wrote:

wprager wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:I wasn't sure what Mac was doing calling Diaz player 61 in the first place, but now it looks like he rattled the Habs cage a bit. Gotta be prepped for Sunday.

He was just trying to be polite and not call him out by name, saving him a bit of public flogging. Instead that blowhard Therrien comes out and says his name, like it was some kind of knock against MacLean. I hope MacLean lets it slip that he just didn't want to call a player out by name.

Do you really believe that?

That's how I took it. Saying "Diaz gave him a suicide pass; if I was Eller I'd be made at Diaz" would have been more harsh. Listeners outside of the 514 area code (and about half of those within) have no idea who #61 is. Kept it anonymous.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

wprager wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:I wasn't sure what Mac was doing calling Diaz player 61 in the first place, but now it looks like he rattled the Habs cage a bit. Gotta be prepped for Sunday.

He was just trying to be polite and not call him out by name, saving him a bit of public flogging. Instead that blowhard Therrien comes out and says his name, like it was some kind of knock against MacLean. I hope MacLean lets it slip that he just didn't want to call a player out by name.

Do you really believe that?

I think he was trying to make Montreal players seem like insignificant unknowns.

I seriously doubt Mac is like that at all. He's way too down to earth for that.

wprager wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

wprager wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:I wasn't sure what Mac was doing calling Diaz player 61 in the first place, but now it looks like he rattled the Habs cage a bit. Gotta be prepped for Sunday.

He was just trying to be polite and not call him out by name, saving him a bit of public flogging. Instead that blowhard Therrien comes out and says his name, like it was some kind of knock against MacLean. I hope MacLean lets it slip that he just didn't want to call a player out by name.

Do you really believe that?

I think he was trying to make Montreal players seem like insignificant unknowns.

I seriously doubt Mac is like that at all. He's way too down to earth for that.

Apparently not. I'm not going to be so much of a homer do pretend that "Mac" didn't handle this thing callously and classlessly.

Nothing I like more than to $hit all over opposing players and wish nothing but misfortune on them but I'm a fan. There's a line, isn't there?

wprager wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

wprager wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:I wasn't sure what Mac was doing calling Diaz player 61 in the first place, but now it looks like he rattled the Habs cage a bit. Gotta be prepped for Sunday.

He was just trying to be polite and not call him out by name, saving him a bit of public flogging. Instead that blowhard Therrien comes out and says his name, like it was some kind of knock against MacLean. I hope MacLean lets it slip that he just didn't want to call a player out by name.

Do you really believe that?

I think he was trying to make Montreal players seem like insignificant unknowns.

I seriously doubt Mac is like that at all. He's way too down to earth for that.

I dunno....that was the first thing I thought of as well. It wouldn't have hurt anyone's feelings if he had just said Diaz made an bad pass to Eller and Eller got hit by my player. We feel bad for Eller, but we don't think that's a penalty or a suspension.

I turned to my wife when he was saying it and I said that it showed major disrespect for the Habs. Mac knows who 61 is - and if he doesn't, he really should.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

wprager wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

wprager wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:I wasn't sure what Mac was doing calling Diaz player 61 in the first place, but now it looks like he rattled the Habs cage a bit. Gotta be prepped for Sunday.

He was just trying to be polite and not call him out by name, saving him a bit of public flogging. Instead that blowhard Therrien comes out and says his name, like it was some kind of knock against MacLean. I hope MacLean lets it slip that he just didn't want to call a player out by name.

Do you really believe that?

I think he was trying to make Montreal players seem like insignificant unknowns.

I seriously doubt Mac is like that at all. He's way too down to earth for that.

Apparently not. I'm not going to be so much of a homer do pretend that "Mac" didn't handle this thing callously and classlessly.

Nothing I like more than to $hit all over opposing players and wish nothing but misfortune on them but I'm a fan. There's a line, isn't there?

Whether I agree with out or not, I wish you'd post like this all the time.