Wilde Horses
-Lars Eller and Jacob De La Rose show what size can do, especially when working in tandem on a down-low forecheck. They're just a whole heck of a lot to handle. When Eller has it in his mind to get to the front of the net, he's capable of creating a real mess there. Both are good defensively (ignore Eller's plus minus, he always gets tough line matchups.) But they are in dire need of a winger on the line. What a difference that would make. Look out for when they find a complimentary winger. I believe it can be an excellent line.
- Alex Galchenyuk had himself a game. Best in a long time, as getting goal 20 lifted a weight off him. He hit the iron late in the game looking for the equalizer. He found the slot alone on many occasions on plays that he was not fed a pass. Look for the goals to come at a faster rate as he keeps finding the dead zones.
Wilde Goats
- That line change. Not sure who you want to put the goat horns on but all five guys went and all five guys did it rather leisurely on the 1-0 goal.
- The coaching staff has done a great job this year as the standings will attest but they have brought no adjustments or ideas to the rink to stem the Lightning tsunami. Five games of domination. The second period was an onslaught with the Habs struggling to even clear the puck. One icing and hopeful clear after another as Price tried to hold them in against a barrage of quality chances. It's not as if the Habs are figuring it out. Truth is it is actually getting worse against TB.
- Dale Weise has to be smarter than the double minor. I thought both were marginal penalties: Bishop sold a tap to the chest and a ref should be less sensitive to words in a big game but you can't give the ref the opportunity to give you either of those minors. That's on Weise. He can say the ref got it wrong but neither moment had to happen; neither moment was a part of the run of the game.
- Greg Pateryn wanted to change the game. He wanted to look for a hit to get a rise and make the Lightning respect the blue line. It was his biggest mistake since being called up. Huge gap he gave up for a 2 on 1 on the energy-sapping, building-crushing, comeback-ending fourth goal. The Habs might have tied it. They had energy and belief but it was gone after that bad choice to leave his spot that is his to always respect. Game over. It can turn fast. They made a valiant try and stayed strong but the 4-2 was the real killer.
Wilde Cards
- This is a familiar refrain but we still live in the same world as the entire season so let's talk about this year's long power play issue. You know what is underrated on a power play? Puck winning. You know which centres on the Habs win pucks? Plekanec and Eller. You know which one doesn't win pucks? Add to it, this: Another skill on the power play is a goaltender screen. Again, Eller is a better option than the first C jumping over the boards every power play. Check out what is different about Desharnais making an outstanding overtime play with the extra man vs Florida to set up Pacioretty. It was 4 and 3 and that's puck winning isn't nearly as important. That allows Desharnais to use his best skill - his vision. There are remedies. The power play doesn't have to be this bad. The talent is there full stop as look at the five: sniping D, passing D, sniping winger in Max, passing and hands winger in Alex, puck winner and screener in Eller or Plekanec.
- The trade deadline forwards that the Habs acquired are underwhelming. I am completely without whelm. The players on the farm are better. Christian Thomas brought more than this. Michael Bournival brought more than this. Not sure if they got any whelm in them.
- Loved the hustle and the line changes in the first moments of the third period but they were not enough because the train was not ready to clear the tracks soon enough. The coach looked for solutions to what was not working. That's important for morale to at least feel you could compete a little if you were at your best because the Habs must have felt quite discouraged in the second intermission. The coach has to keep sending a message that the team can still find its better self with adjustments. It might not even be true but you at leader have to try to send that message.
- I have said it before so I will say it quickly: Win the middle. Win the game. Galchenyuk, Plekanec, Eller, JDLR as top 4. Weak on the wings? Sure. So what? How are the Leafs doing with no strength at C and strength at wing or how about the Oilers at wing vs centre. The worst teams in hockey right now have centre strength issues. Win the middle. Win the game. It's an old hockey adage since the original 6 for a reason.
- Overall I feel like the head coach saw some things and his utilization could change soon from what worked in this game and what he was trying in the 3rd period, or he could just go back to what wasn't working for the first two. Either way, you don't want to have to go through Tampa who get a perfect 10 points from the Habs this season.
