Personal Note: I am far to busy in my personal life, so I highly doubt I'll have the time to keep this blog active. I'll reserve it for when my rants and ravings are more than 140 characters can contain.
This time of year, as the sun shine lessens, the nights grow longer and the days colder is being reciprocated by the on ice product our Habs are currently delivering. Admittedly, I haven't had much opportunity to watch the Habs so far in this short schedule-skewed season, but the games I've watched, there are three things that caught my eye.
1) Lack of effort/heart or just plain timidness: I notice this the most in nearly any puck battle. It seems as if we're always 2nd to the puck or just get knocked off it. Where's the fight?, Where's the passion? You can't win hockey games if you don't win battles...
2) Defensive zone break out: This is something we all know... with Markov down and PK trying too hard, The Habs are getting pinned in their own end far too often or are turning the puck over in the neutral zone. This was painfully evident last night every time Brian Campbell touched the puck. I don't know if it was the style of play in Chicago or his contract but my god can that man skate. His first pass is crisp and accurate and he DOES NOT over skate. His timing, read of the play is fantastic.
THIS is what PK needs to work on. He's young, full of confidence and perhaps feels he needs to take the game over. How many times have we seen him skate a little too far with the puck... How many times has he caused an off-side by trying one move too late near the blue line... How many times has he take the puck in the offensive zone, skated around the head with a head of steam only for nothing to happen.
Please don't think I'm bashing him.. his talent ceiling and abilities are so high. the only thing he needs to work on, which all young defence man learn, is his timing. when to make the pass, how far to skate up, etc.. It'll come, but it could be a painful learning experience. This is one key reason why I'm really hoping for Markov to come back sooner than later, so he can help relieve PK of the pressure that young man must be under.
3) Carey Price and the fuck show that is the Defensive zone coverage.. I'll be honest.. kid still makes amazing saves.. I don't know if he's shell shocked or it's the pure mass confusion going on in his end. Either way, he's getting frustrated with his play and the D in front of him and it's becoming evident. Diaz is showing promise, Emelin I really haven't seen much off so I can't pass judgement and well Weber's never been given a chance to fully work on his defensive game.. A quality, veteran Defensive D-man is needed...badly
Folks we can get as pissed as we want with Jacques Martin and Pierre Gauthier, we can beg for a new coach and some amazing trade to right the ship, but doing neither of these things will do anything more then get us 8th place and a first round ticket punch.
Fire JM and replace him with who? another out of work Bi-lingual talking head from RDS or someone over in Europe...Replace him with another young coach out of the Q who will wilt under the Montreal spotlight and then go on to be successful in other markets with the lessons they have learned? This team has the quality, but needs a coach who knows what he is doing because he's been there before.. (I'm looking at you Ken Hitchcock, Columbus hasn't been the same since you left)
Fire PG and then what? Bring in Patrick Roy who may be too hot headed for his own good? and Trade what? The Habs aren't exactly swimming in riches in the development pool and the few shining stars we do have would only mortgage our future as other teams know the Canadiens could be desperate and/or are dealing from a position of weakness...All we'll get is some other teams parts they don't want or another overpaid contract
(PS..I hate, with an ungodly passion, how the coach HAS to be bilingual.. it's pure bullshit and we're handicapping our search parameters for the best and brightest. The only language they need to speak is hockey.. )
If this team doesn't right itself in the next few weeks, this Winter will be a lot colder and darker
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