All Habs, All The Time, Game 4
Posted 11:25 PM ET | Comments 4
Greetings and happy Canadian Thanksgiving!
Game 4 - Habs vs Bolts
If you are like me, then you watched that train-wreck of a game until it was over. I'm sorry you had to see that. There are games that we enjoy as fans, and then there are those like tonight where our time would have been better spent cleansing our colons. The end result would have been the same... nothing but a heaping pile of poop and a feeling that the night could have been oh so much better...
Now that my rhetoric is done, let's get to breaking down what was supposed to be a close game. What I saw was a team that skated hard for the first few shifts, didn't get what they wanted, broke down and then collapsed. I still feel that when the score was 2-1 in the first, had the Habs actually capitalized on that late powerplay it would have been a different game. Instead we were forced to watch as every single player passed the puck incessantly and refused to shoot when given the opportunity. The powerplay stinks. It was bad in the preseason, and now 4 games in, it's still making donuts faster than a Tim Horton's.
We're only 4 games in, but I've watched the coach now and he seems to becoming easier to rile up when there is a bad bounce or call against the Habs. He needs to regain that calm demeanor when speaking with the officials or it will cost the team in the long run. You don't need to be able to read lips to understand what was coming out of his mouth, and I can't imagine that the refs won't remember that abuse. I'm all for making officials accountable, but this game wasn't on them. Could they have called back that goal in the first for goaltender interference? Yes, they could have, but they didn't. Sometimes you to just agree to disagree. I know a ref and he takes kindly to fair criticism, but not to abuse like that. Keep calm. There are still 78 games left, and you don't want the zebras pissed off at you.
So I normally would call out individual performances, but tonight can we just agree that it's better if I didn't. I would like to mention that in no way, shape or form should Tokarski have had to deal with that mess tonight. It's hard enough being a goalie, let alone a backup one, but to have to endure that kind of shelling and non-commitment by the men in front of him is beyond tragic. He's a young goalie, and these are the moments where your mental fortitude will be tested, let's just hope he can overcome tonight and continue to be that confident young goalie from last spring. Shame on the rest of the team for leaving him out to dry.
Here are some numbers from tonight... they are not pretty;
17-41 that was the shot total at the end of the game in favor of the Bolts
1 number of shots the Habs had in the 3rd period
0/4 powerplay totals that show a complete lack of execution
3 the amount of times we were fortunate enough to see Stamkos score (talk about making use of those lemons we were dealt..)
It's only game four. If anyone were to tell me that the Habs would go 3 for 4 on this road trip I would have been overjoyed at the start of the season. We're all disappointed because it could have been a perfect 4 for 4. But let's take solace in the fact that the Bruins are 0 for 3 to start the season, and the Habs are scoring even strength goals. Those are things we couldn't have anticipated. So chin up, the home opener is on Thursday against those same Bruins and the phone booth (Bell Center) should be rocking!
Final score 7-1 Habs lose...
Thanks for reading,
Cheers!
Jonathan
Game 4 - Habs vs Bolts
If you are like me, then you watched that train-wreck of a game until it was over. I'm sorry you had to see that. There are games that we enjoy as fans, and then there are those like tonight where our time would have been better spent cleansing our colons. The end result would have been the same... nothing but a heaping pile of poop and a feeling that the night could have been oh so much better...
Now that my rhetoric is done, let's get to breaking down what was supposed to be a close game. What I saw was a team that skated hard for the first few shifts, didn't get what they wanted, broke down and then collapsed. I still feel that when the score was 2-1 in the first, had the Habs actually capitalized on that late powerplay it would have been a different game. Instead we were forced to watch as every single player passed the puck incessantly and refused to shoot when given the opportunity. The powerplay stinks. It was bad in the preseason, and now 4 games in, it's still making donuts faster than a Tim Horton's.
We're only 4 games in, but I've watched the coach now and he seems to becoming easier to rile up when there is a bad bounce or call against the Habs. He needs to regain that calm demeanor when speaking with the officials or it will cost the team in the long run. You don't need to be able to read lips to understand what was coming out of his mouth, and I can't imagine that the refs won't remember that abuse. I'm all for making officials accountable, but this game wasn't on them. Could they have called back that goal in the first for goaltender interference? Yes, they could have, but they didn't. Sometimes you to just agree to disagree. I know a ref and he takes kindly to fair criticism, but not to abuse like that. Keep calm. There are still 78 games left, and you don't want the zebras pissed off at you.
So I normally would call out individual performances, but tonight can we just agree that it's better if I didn't. I would like to mention that in no way, shape or form should Tokarski have had to deal with that mess tonight. It's hard enough being a goalie, let alone a backup one, but to have to endure that kind of shelling and non-commitment by the men in front of him is beyond tragic. He's a young goalie, and these are the moments where your mental fortitude will be tested, let's just hope he can overcome tonight and continue to be that confident young goalie from last spring. Shame on the rest of the team for leaving him out to dry.
Here are some numbers from tonight... they are not pretty;
17-41 that was the shot total at the end of the game in favor of the Bolts
1 number of shots the Habs had in the 3rd period
0/4 powerplay totals that show a complete lack of execution
3 the amount of times we were fortunate enough to see Stamkos score (talk about making use of those lemons we were dealt..)
It's only game four. If anyone were to tell me that the Habs would go 3 for 4 on this road trip I would have been overjoyed at the start of the season. We're all disappointed because it could have been a perfect 4 for 4. But let's take solace in the fact that the Bruins are 0 for 3 to start the season, and the Habs are scoring even strength goals. Those are things we couldn't have anticipated. So chin up, the home opener is on Thursday against those same Bruins and the phone booth (Bell Center) should be rocking!
Final score 7-1 Habs lose...
Thanks for reading,
Cheers!
Jonathan
Thanks for the post :)
That game was a nightmare
On the bright side there is plenty of time to work on some things before the home opener. Special teams have been horrendous so far.
PK Surpaye