Pre-Season Game 5 - Montreal @ Ottawa - Sept 25

Karlsson was better than the entire team the Habs iced.

If Wiercioch keeps this up, does he become our best outlet passer in history over Redden?

OK, you guys all need to splash some cold water in your faces. Here's an interesting stat -- Chris Phillips has played 10x the number of games as all of the D-men playing for the Habs tonight. And it was Peter Budaj that was in goal. Two of those goals would have been stopped by an NHL goalie (Budaj isn't one -- or at least he wasn't tonight).

Now, the positives:
- Karlsson was pretty good; not sure I would've given him 1st star but it looks like Karlsson is back -- he has to lay off taking selfish penalties, though; there are plenty of legal ways to get back at Gallagher
- DaCosta was everywhere, doing everything; I was impressed (why he didn't get *any* star is weird
- Zibanejad is going to be special; when Milo's contract is up, that's who takes his place
- Hammond wasn't even supposed to start until Lawson got hurt in the warmups; that first goal was a huge "Oopsie" but he was very good after that
- Conacher-Turris-MacArthur had some sick chemistry
- PP has so much potential it's scary -- but they still need a good PP coach to focus them

I cannot say this enough times -- they were playing against a really, really inexperienced team, especially on the back-end.

SpezDispenser wrote:If Wiercioch keeps this up, does he become our best outlet passer in history over Redden?

Wiercioch was OK tonight but far from great. He was more physical than I remember but perhaps that's more of a testament to the caliber of the competition.

Apparently there were scouts from *9* teams at the game. And Edmonton is not really interested in DaCosta, but are looking for someone, perhaps, like JOB. Calgary, on the other hand ...

Karlsson did not finish the game -- did not come out to wave to the crowd even though he got the 1st star.

Karlsson looks like he has returned to form for sure and it's good he's getting these games in right now along with the reps. The Sens will go as he goes this coming year.

Tonight the habs should be dressing a much better lineup but like last night it doesn't matter what the outcome is as these games are meaningless.

NEELY wrote:Karlsson looks like he has returned to form for sure and it's good he's getting these games in right now along with the reps.  The Sens will go as he goes this coming year.  

Tonight the habs should be dressing a much better lineup but like last night it doesn't matter what the outcome is as these games are meaningless.

While the score/outcome may not matter, after some of the chippiness last night I think this could well be a meaningful game. Were Ryan and Karlsson targeted? Pretty sure Karlsson was. Interesting how the presence of Kassian didn't server as a deterrent. Maybe it's because 2/3 of that lineup will be in Hamilton next week.

wprager wrote:

NEELY wrote:Karlsson looks like he has returned to form for sure and it's good he's getting these games in right now along with the reps.  The Sens will go as he goes this coming year.  

Tonight the habs should be dressing a much better lineup but like last night it doesn't matter what the outcome is as these games are meaningless.

While the score/outcome may not matter, after some of the chippiness last night I think this could well be a meaningful game.  Were Ryan and Karlsson targeted?  Pretty sure Karlsson was.  Interesting how the presence of Kassian didn't server as a deterrent.  Maybe it's because 2/3 of that lineup will be in Hamilton next week.

you never cease to amaze me. Guys were not targeted, the Habs rookies are supposed to finish their checks and fight for a roster spot. Karlsson wasn't targeted. Christ.

Yah, not 100% if you know what target means. That game was played fairly clean for the most part. Only questionable hit was on Ryan and even then he just got jammed a little.

wprager wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:If Wiercioch keeps this up, does he become our best outlet passer in history over Redden?

Wiercioch was OK tonight but far from great.  He was more physical than I remember but perhaps that's more of a testament to the caliber of the competition.

He appears to have gotten a lot stronger. I'm not really looking at the level of competition right now, just being wholly impressed with the way he transitions with amazing passes consistently. And I was skeptical of him being ready to say the least.

Plus, he said he was gonna hold onto the puck a little longer and he's shown that he can do that with success as well.

Impressed!

Ev wrote:

wprager wrote:

NEELY wrote:Karlsson looks like he has returned to form for sure and it's good he's getting these games in right now along with the reps.  The Sens will go as he goes this coming year.  

Tonight the habs should be dressing a much better lineup but like last night it doesn't matter what the outcome is as these games are meaningless.

While the score/outcome may not matter, after some of the chippiness last night I think this could well be a meaningful game.  Were Ryan and Karlsson targeted?  Pretty sure Karlsson was.  Interesting how the presence of Kassian didn't server as a deterrent.  Maybe it's because 2/3 of that lineup will be in Hamilton next week.

you never cease to amaze me. Guys were not targeted, the Habs rookies are supposed to finish their checks and fight for a roster spot. Karlsson wasn't targeted. Christ.

Agreed. That's the Penguins job.

Stone Smith Conacher
Puempel Zibanejad Hoffman
Dziurzynski Grant Robinson
Kassian O'Brien Lazar

Claesson-Borowiecki
Cowen-Wideman
Sdao-Ceci

Anderson

Sorry Flo

Might be tough to come away with a W there, lol.

Ev wrote:

wprager wrote:

NEELY wrote:Karlsson looks like he has returned to form for sure and it's good he's getting these games in right now along with the reps.  The Sens will go as he goes this coming year.  

Tonight the habs should be dressing a much better lineup but like last night it doesn't matter what the outcome is as these games are meaningless.

While the score/outcome may not matter, after some of the chippiness last night I think this could well be a meaningful game.  Were Ryan and Karlsson targeted?  Pretty sure Karlsson was.  Interesting how the presence of Kassian didn't server as a deterrent.  Maybe it's because 2/3 of that lineup will be in Hamilton next week.

you never cease to amaze me. Guys were not targeted, the Habs rookies are supposed to finish their checks and fight for a roster spot. Karlsson wasn't targeted. Christ.

Gallagher *absolutely* went after Karlsson on that play where EK got the roughing call. It was a very, very late hit and, while it was not designed to hurt him, it clearly worked in getting him off his game. I absolutely hate that the refs let that kind of crap continue. Gallagher is no longer a rookie. If you can count One-Mississippi after the puck is gone you should leave the guy alone; if you can spell it out and then hit him, that should be 2 for interference or roughing.

And earlier he (at least I think it was Gallagher, again, but could have been someone else) came up behind him near the blue line and slew-footed him. As they both fell their legs got tangled up and for sure I was concerned. Hitting from behind aside, when you hit it should be with your shoulder, not your shin/stick -- that's a slew-foot.

wprager wrote:
While the score/outcome may not matter, after some of the chippiness last night I think this could well be a meaningful game.  Were Ryan and Karlsson targeted?  Pretty sure Karlsson was.  Interesting how the presence of Kassian didn't server as a deterrent.  Maybe it's because 2/3 of that lineup will be in Hamilton next week.

The whole "deterrent" thing is BS.  Kassian is there so we can throw him out against the other team's goon, they can get their fight and 5min majors in and we don't have Dziurzynski's getting KO'd.

And Karlsson will always be "targeted".  Not to injure him but other team players will always try some rough stuff to intimidate him and get him off his game and maybe get him to take a penalty and get him off the ice for 2 minutes.

Top players always are always focused on, it comes with the territory.

I was at the game last night. It was quite entertaining, and it's always nice to beat up on the Habs.

Lots of guys looked good. Da Costa had much more "chemistry" in this outing with Michalek and Ryan than Spezza did in his. But it's one pre-season game. If 9MM stays healthy, Ryan is Ryan, and Spezza stays healthy, there's no reason all three of them can't be in the top 20 in scoring, especially with the improved powerplay and Karlsson feeding them all year.

The hit on Ryan was HARD. He really got thumped. Hopefully it is nothing serious.

Conacher had a couple points, and that line generally looked good, but I'm still not 100% sold on him. Nothing comes easy for that kid, and he made a couple bad passes, and looked confused a couple other times as to where he was supposed to be on the ice. Not entirely unexpected though, and I'm sure his game will improve as time goes on.

It was nice to see Claesson get involved in a scrap, even if it did lead to him getting kicked out of the game.

Corvo was...well...adventurous.

Methot was in mid-season form.

It was funny seeing Hammond in net, and then realizing the backup goalie was "Greenham". I had zero idea who he was at the time. Apparently he spent last year in the ECHL, playing one game for Bingo.

I joke whether Matt Spezza was available or not.

I don't get why Claesson got a misconduct. There was Neil with two guys trying to fight him, and Claesson just came in to engage one of them. Why wasn't there a second man in a fight penalty?

Methot had a beauty hip-check early in the game. Philly tried it later on Gallagher and it wasn't nearly as pretty (still effective).

Kassian showed some nice hands one a few plays. He's not the fastest skater but I bet he would have banged in that puck that Condra flubbed off the post (open net -- sooooooo open).

I missed the hit on Ryan -- just saw him getting up very slowly, but that guy was involved in a few altercations the whole game.