 | HTR Feature Article: Time is right for Habs to give Price a shot |
Sometimes digging out of a hole in a playoff series is about finding a way to break the pattern. Sometimes that takes something bold and unexpected.
Bold and unexpected, it’s fair to say, does not characterize Jacques Martin’s coaching style. Maybe that’s a contributing factor in his sub-.500 playoff record as an NHL coach.
But with his Montreal Canadiens down two games to none in their Eastern Conference final tussle with the sizzling Philadelphia Flyers, Martin does have one bold card to play.
Hint: It wasn’t putting Sergei Kostitsyn in the lineup for Game 2. That was just strange.
No, the move that’s there for Martin is to insert netminder Carey Price in place of Jaroslav Halak .
Risky? Absolutely. Worth the risk? Absolutely.
The Canadiens need to find a way to seize the initiative in this series starting with Game 3 at home Thursday night. So far it’s all been about what the Flyers have been doing and what Montreal hasn’t been doing, which for the most part has been putting pucks behind Michael Leighton.
And what, pray tell, will changing goalies do to help the likes of Mike Cammalleri , Brian Gionta and Andrei Kostitsyn find the net?
Well, nothing, specifically. But Price is a different character than Halak , for better or for worse, a much more confident and aggressive figure in the net. He plays the puck more aggressively. He might take a swipe at a Flyer in his crease.
http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/nhl/article/811877--cox-time-is-right-for-habs-to-give-price-a-shot
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| "Time is right for Habs to give Price a shot" | Login/Create an Account | 13 comments |
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Re: Time is right for Habs to give Price a shot (Score: 1)
by Stuv_Dogg on Thursday, May 20
(User Info | Send a Message) | This would be a puzzling move is the most polite of descriptions.
Unless Price can score like that goalie from Disney's Mighty Ducks (the movie, not the hockey team) then Martin should keep his a$$ nailed to the bench. Not that it needs to be pointed out, but the biggest problem in being shut out two straight games is scoring goals, not stopping goals.
With the exception of the Ville Leino goal in the second game, Halak seems to be playing a decent series and, IMHO, isn't the problem. Replacing him with Price now will kick Halak's confidence, and do you really want to mess around with the main reason why Montreal is this deep at all? Also, Price shouldn't be described as 'confident', more 'c0kky'. Apart from early on in his career he hasn't really proven that much and is a mediocre goalie at best. If he let's in a bad goal early the home crowd will be all over him (see last year's playoffs against Boston), the team will be deflated, and you may as well give PHI the series.
It says here that Damien Cox is an idiot and Halak should and will be between the pipes in game 3.
In other news, what's with all the damn popups on this site? It's getting that you can't move your damn mouse without some window popping up telling me the secret of a flat belly. I appreciate that this is a free site and someone has to pay for server space and hosting and such, but I think it's getting close to the point where the popups are making it difficult to enjoy the site, thus contradicting their purpose (to continue the sites existence for our enjoyment). |
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Re: Time is right for Habs to give Price a shot (Score: 1)
by leafy on Thursday, May 20
(User Info | Send a Message) |
I am sick and tied of the stupid idiotic media. Lucky for the Habs that Jacques Martin didn't listen to Damien Cox.
Halak gets no respect. Right at this moment, he's about 2 times better than Martin Brodeur, YET he has to constantly prove himself every game. No respect.
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Re: Time is right for Habs to give Price a shot (Score: 1)
by HABSSTAR (loserleafs@hotmail.com) on Friday, May 21
(User Info | Send a Message) | I don't get it.
The first two games the Habs scored exactly 0 goals, so obviously a goalie change is necessary. Unless the Habs are bringing Hextall and his scoring ability out of retirement why focus on goaltending when the offence had gone dead.
The last thing the Habs should want to do is get physically aggressive with the Flyers, they need to play to their strenght like they did tonight. Skate, skate all night long and force the Flyers to do the same. It worked well tonight.
Game four is going to be HUGE. I expect we will see one of two Flyers teams come out.
Flyers #1 - Get frustrated and start playing "Flyers' hockey" becoming overly aggressive and heading to the penalty box on a constant basis. That's playing with fire as the Habs are certainly capable of making them pay a very steep price on the PP. (I don't think this team will appear unless the Habs get off to a hot start in game 4)
Flyers #2 - Will take a look at how they went from winning games 6-0 and 3-0 and to losing 5-1 and will make the necessary adjustments.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Flyers #1, but it's very likely we will see Flyers #2 and Montreal is gonna have to bring their A game.
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Re: Time is right for Habs to give Price a shot (Score: 1)
by HABSSTAR (loserleafs@hotmail.com) on Friday, May 21
(User Info | Send a Message) | Off topic a little bit here, but if PK keeps up his play into next season, does Markov become available on the trade market? Finding a home for him and Hammer next year clears up a lot of cap space for the Habs...
I think he has the talent to do it, and I'd love to see PK pull off something like this in these playoffs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9rp-ewJ8mI&NR=1 |
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