Re: 2009-2010 NHL Playoffs Thread Part II: Dan Boyle's fate rests in the balance...
Dovah, If Price is leaving Montreal I'm in favor of it. When former GM Bob Gainey sent Cristobal Huet to Washington at the trade deadline a few seasons ago he was betting that Carey Price was ready to be the team's #1 goalie. My opinion is that Price wasn't ready for the role then and is still not ready for the role now. He's also young enough that Montreal should be able to find teams willing to listen to trade possibilities involving Price.
It's fair to say Price hasn't played well at times. It's also fair to say the team in front of him hasn't played well at times either. It may be best for Montreal and Price if they go their separate ways.
Price has not earned the number one job during his entire career in Montreal. It was given to him, which was a huge mistake. I don't think Montreal would find it difficult to get value in return for Price, but I'm not so sure that's the direction I hope they go in. I think his upside is higher than Halak's. Alas, it certainly appears the direction they're going in. Note: I'm talking the future, not for this series - where I would have rode Halak.
I was impressed by Halak when I was able to see him play in the Olympics earlier this winter. When NHL play resumed following the Olympics I thought Halak, as much as any player for Montreal, was responsible for helping Les Habs secure a playoff spot. He outplayed Price and "won" the role as the team's #1 netminder.
Unquestionably. Halak vastly outperformed Price this season, and is singlehandledly repsonsible for their appearance in the playoffs.
I'm not a bit surprised that Washington is manhandling Montreal in the series. In fact my only surprise is that Montreal has won a game in the series. Yes, Halak hasn't played well in his past two games, but neither has the team in front of him. Montreal has many areas to address before it becomes more competitive in its division and conference.
Well, I wouldn't go as far as to say that Washington is manhandling Montreal. The Canadiens have carried the play for large stretches of time, more so than the Caps, something even Boudreau admits. The difference is that it takes the Canadiens 20-40 minutes of solid play to get a goal, and Washington seems to only need 5 minutes. And more often than not, it's not just one goal...it's three! Part of that should be a credit to Washington's explosiveness, but part of the blame should fall on Montreal and Martin, especially (hello call a timeout!).
But your main point is spot on - they have areas that need addressing - namely their D and bottom 6 forwards, IMHO.
Last summer Gainey oversaw a huge exodus of free agents from Montreal and welcomed a host of new players in an effort to retool the team. When the "facelift" didn't work well enough/quickly enough the failure led to his dismissal from the GM spot.
Well, technically he resigned; but yes, the writing certainly appeared to be on the wall.
If Les Habs can improve their offensive output for the 2010-2011 season that will relieve pressure from the defensemen and goalie. As a lifelong Montreal fan I'm content to see if Halak can be an effective #1 goalie for the team if asked to start fifty or so games next season. If Montreal can find a suitable #2 goalie in its farm system or through free agency this summer I think the team will be just fine in goal.
They actually have a capable goalie in Hamilton...Desjardins' development has been a major surprise. Plenty of available veteran goalies, too, to mentor whichever goalie they keep.
My opinion is that Montreal's most dire liability is a lack of goal scoring rather than the absence of a #1 goalie. I hope Jacques Martin will declare Halak the team's #1 goalie and let the front office address the need for getting some goal scorers through free agency this summer. Good luck to the team this evening and in the free agent market this summer.
Hmm. I don't think Montreal is going to be a player in the off-season for any UFA's - heck they may not be able to even keep their own (Plekanec). We're basically screwed at the cap for the next four years, so what you see is what you get. Personally, I'm ok with the top 6 - they had major injuries to Cammalerri, Gionta, Kostitsyn, and Pouliot. I think if they stay healthy they should be fine. The bottom 6 is a mess though, and they could stand a Volchenkov on the blue line.
Anyhow - glad to have another Habs fan on board here. It gets a little hectic sometimes trying to fend off the hordes of Bruins fans, especially when the teams have met in the playoffs.
