Montreal 1 New Jersey 2 OT (Bell Centre)
Goaltenders. We spend a disproportionate time talking about them, particularly in Montreal. Game in and game out, the Canadiens’ offensive shortcomings are masked by the focus on what is happening in the Habs’ crease. Mainstream media have all but ignored the complete failure of the head coach’s so-called “puck-possession” system as they report the latest tidbit of information designed to reignite the Montreal goalie controversy.
So let’s get the goaltending comments out of the way first. Jaroslav Halak didn’t bring his A-game tonight. In the first period he looked nervous and shaky. There was no argument that first New Jersey goal scored by Zajac was soft.
“After the first goal they scored I knew I had to better, because it was a pretty weak goal,” admitted Halak.
As the game went on, Halak mostly righted his goaltending ship although he continued to struggle with rebound control. In that regard, Halak owes a big debt of gratitude to his defense who cleared away everything not allowing second chance opportunities for New Jersey. In the third period, Halak made some tremendous saves to keep the Canadiens in the game.
At the other end, it was a typical Martin Brodeur game at the Bell Centre. Translation: he was sensational and deserving of the number one star.
But Brodeur playing well was to be expected, and hopefully built into Jacques Martin’s game plan. The Canadiens needed bodies in front of Brodeur, and needed an effective power-play tonight to come away with a win. Unfortunately, neither happened.
While the Scott Gomez scored a power-play goal, the Canadiens were 1-for-4 and often seemed disorganized with the man advantage. Tape-to-tape passes were rare. Andre Kostitsyn, the player normally in front of the net and the finisher, is missed more and more each game as he is out with injury.
“We stuck right in there, played a patient game and got the point out of it, we needed that,” Gomez said. “We can play with anyone when we’re all healthy.”
But unfortunately the Canadiens were not at full strength. In addition to Andrei Kostitsyn recovering from knee surgery, Sergei was out with injury and Ryan O’Byrne was home dealing with a family matter.
Despite the players out of the lineup and difficulties on the power-play, the Canadiens showed their best five-on-five play in quite some time. The Canadiens’ defense was also strong tonight, particularly Andrei Markov, Jaroslav Spacek and Roman Hamrlik. Markov had more than 28 minutes of ice-time.
But as Mike Cammalleri is fond of saying “There are no moral victories.” The bottom line is that excluding an empty net goal, the Canadiens have scored a total of four goals in their last four games. With Andrei Kostitsyn out, the Habs have a major problem putting the puck in the net.
So, perhaps we can give the goaltending debate a rest for a spell, and turn our attention to how the Canadiens can generate offense.
The Canadiens will have the next two days off and will return to practise on Tuesday. They play next on Thursday hosting the Dallas Stars.
Rocket’s three stars
1. Martin Brodeur
2. Andrei Markov
3. Zach Parise
Material from wire services was used in this report.
(photo credit: Getty)
Your dislike of Halak is really starting to cloud your overall understanding of what is going on with the Montreal Canadiens.
Montreal needs more goals scored per game that is obvious. We`ve been waiting for someone to step up, one of the young guns but none have. Max, Gui, Dag are all a bust.
As far as the goaltending is concerned you state that Halak had trouble with rebounds, what do you mean? He should not have rebounds? Every other goalie in the NHL gives rebounds, why not Halak? You say nothing of the 5 or 6 game saving stops Halak made. You sir, are a Pricey homeboy, thats obvious too.
Oh well, Dallas next, I just hope we see Halak in nets as he is the better of the 2 goalies atm. Can`t wait to read your take on that one,lol.
I see…we dislike Halak so much at All Habs that we use a photo of him in our banner. Often, Price-haters don't make much sense.
It's unfortunate that so much hate blinds some from enjoying the talent of a truly gifted goaltender like Price. But apparently that blindness also extends to reading compliments about Halak.
Anon, while you write that "You say nothing of the 5 or 6 game saving stops", it seems you skipped over the sentence that reads "..Halak made some tremendous saves to keep the Canadiens in the game."
You may have also missed that Halak was indeed shaky in the first period. He acknowledged it himself post-game. But he regained his confidence in the second period, with a little help from his teammates. The much-maligned Canadiens defense deserves credit for clearing rebounds for their goaltender.
And in the third, Halak was superb.
With respect to rebounds, again,it seems that you didn't read what was posted. Halak has trouble with rebound control. It is a technical flaw in his game, that he needs to devote some practise time to correcting.
As far as "my overall understanding of what is going on with the Montreal Canadiens" being clouded, I suppose it could appear that way to someone who isn't yet caught up to the fact that Gui (Latendresse) was traded by this organization on November 23, 2009.
nice reply ALL HABS!
but then again, I'm a Carey Price fan! :)
I don't know if I'm living in a bizarro world, but it's becoming clear that the mainstream media in Montreal is now starting to side with Halak, period. From the Team 990 morning show, to Red Fisher, Jack Todd (who, by the way wrote a column today that makes me wonder if we've been watching the same team all year), Bob McKenzie, and others, they are all starting to hop on the Halak bandwagon. Whether or not they are softliners that say to simply ride the hot guy, or hardliners that dislike Price, the tides are turning, and I think people are being blind to certain stats.
Halak still has a poor record against good teams, whereas Price plays pretty much only good teams, save for the Leafs, Wild and a couple other games. Halak has had tough games vs Calgary, New Jersey and Buffalo, and has lost all of those games. I'm not saying that he played poorly in all of them, but if people are going to simply sit on the "W's are all that matters" argument, then they are doing themselves a disservice by being utterly lazy. We've seen the goal support that Price receives vs the goal support that Halak receives. It's more than a goal difference. That matters big time.
I want to say that I am a fan of both goalies, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. They both have their talents and weaknesses. That said, I believe Price has a bigger upside than Halak, despite Halak's heroics lately. However, I believe that Halak deserved his Molson Cup for December 2009, and I believe that he has been the team's best player for the past several weeks. Despite his struggles in controlling his rebounds, he has a terrific save percentage. We can't take anything away from Halak. Every goalie has his issues. A goalie can practice to improve, and can only prove himself in the games he's allowed to play in. Halak, to his credit, has performed very well, knowing that if he lays an egg, he's toast. That also matters.
Let's embrace both goalies, acknowledge the good work that they have both been doing and stop with the divisive games that tear at Habs fans. With the language debate that constantly rages in this city, we don't need more reasons to distance ourselves from each other. Right now, our goaltending is saving us, whether it's Price or Halak in goal. Enjoy it!!
Is it really necessary to side with Halak or Price? I don't think so, they both are good, the main difference is in the confidence on the ice.
Please stop the Price or Halak campain!
I agree Kyle that the goaltending successes from both Price and Halak should be celebrated. As has been written here many times, including in this article, goaltending is not an area of concern for the Canadiens.
I would like to suggest that the bizarro comments from the media may have to do with the individuals you have mentioned rather than a turn of the tide.
Somewhere along the path of reason and common sense, Jack Todd took an abrupt left turn. Given that Todd now uses the Boston Globe as his barometer for 'normal', its safe to say that his opinion is irrelevant.
As for Fisher, Red never met a pillory of Price that he didn't like. It goes back to the days of his golden boy, Huet. Seems that Red, is most concerned with ingratiating himself to a certain media and fanbase these days.
Fisher's assertion that Halak is more valuable to the Canadiens than Plekanec, Markov and Andrei Kostitsyn is beyond ridiculous.
Neither Todd or Fisher mention Price's performance in the first half which just means they have kept their eyes closed.
McKenzie is the only objective one of the bunch. And it seems to me that his opinion isn't too different from those that have been expressed here many times.
Halak is on a nice run which not only helps in terms of the standings but also increases his trade value.
I also believe that Marinaro has been very level-headed about this whole thing, and unfortunately, I think he has the highest amount of deaf or dumb callers.
It's hard for me to wrap my head around Fisher having an agenda or biases. He's been around so long and has likely forgotten more about hockey than I'll ever know. But he certainly seems to hold grudges against players who have been portrayed in a certain light and is reluctant to let bygones be bygones, hence his attitude toward Mathieu Schneider's departure from the Canucks.
Jack Todd on the other hand, I don't know what to make of his work as a sports columnist anymore. I like when he calls out some of sports bigger bozos (hello, Tiger), and I like how he brings lesser known Olympians to light. But his take on the Canadiens is usually all over the place as far as I'm concerned.
At this point, there are 3 questions I'm left asking myself about our goaltending scenario:
1- Should Gainey trade Halak at any point this season? Given the way this season has gone, it's not insane to think that Price could go down at any time. Halak would be a very adequate replacement. Also given that there are not many teams out there looking for a #1 goalie, his value as a #2 probably outstrips whatever return he brings in, unless of course he's a part of a bigger package.
2- Is there any scenario in which Gainey is forced to move Price? By this, I mean can Halak play well enough to display that he can take the reigns as #1 goalie with no drop off? Further to this, once Gainey sits down to discuss contracts, Plekanec probably tops that list. Assuming he reels in 5M per season he will probably have give or take another 5-6M to sign the rest of his role players. Not a lot of wiggle room, especially if you want to bring Metro back. If Halak would be willing to sign for less than what Price would sign for (let's say 3M per year vs 4.5-5M for Price), does Gainey then become compelled to think about moving Price for a fat return while preserving some cap space?
Food for thought!
Kyle,
In answer to your questions, I think that at this point if we lost Halak, it would be horrific for the team. Price is not Brodeur or Miller or any of these guys who can play the majority of the games in the season. Maybe one day he will be. But lately he does really well for a while and then goes on a huge losing streak that ends up costing the team a lot. That is not to say that the losses are all his fault, but sometimes a goalie needs to get wins for the team, and we can't afford to have 7-game losing streaks multiple times during the season. Again, not his fault, but I think without a good backup, we'd be in big trouble. If Halak is traded, it would definitely not be in the best interest of the team, and I think that it would be very greedy of Gainey to do something like that for Price at this point, considering he hasn't done anything in his pro career to merit it yet. I also think that trading Price would not be in the best interest of the team either. He definitely is a strong, confident goaltender with great positioning and he brings a lot to the team. They each play an important role. Price has given us winning streaks, and Jaro has dug us out of some of the horrific losing streaks we've faced, with long strings of wins.
You mentioned that Halak is not good against good teams, but Price is generally not good against bad teams, and we need to realise that there are just as many bad teams as good, and if we can't win against the bad ones, it doesn't matter if we win against the good ones, because we won't make the playoffs without those points.
Lastly, about their salaries… your estimates seem reasonable as to what will happen, but honestly I don't understand what Price has done to merit such a high salary. I know people get frustrated when we look at numbers, but the fact is, he and Halak have similar ones. And I don't think it matters who played against harder teams, in the end it's getting the 2 points. But even if we take Halak out of the equation, does Price really deserve 5 million for how he has been playing? His play has been average since he started in the NHL. In his first yr he was 7th in save %age and 19th in GAA, in his second he was 31st in both categories… now he's 19th in save %age and 23rd in GAA… he's also first in losses. He's definitely not bad, but I don't see how those stats translate to that much money. Is it in the best interest of the team to spend it? Who knows. He could become great next year and we could win a cup. But we also could spend 5M and have another Jose on our hands… It's a gamble at this point to get rid of either of them because we don't know how good they actually are. It's hard to judge since the rest of the team is doing pretty bad. How they do when the team is doing well may be an easier measure of their worth… Now all we need is some scoring, some defense, some chemistry and a little bit of Andrei Kostitsyn and we'll be set :P
I just hope Gainey tries to be as unbiased as possible… he definitely has a soft spot for Price, he always has, and I don't think it's fair to Jaro to lose out, just because Price is being seen through rose-colored glasses.
(con't further down)
(con't from above)
Anyway, that's my two cents. Sorry for being so long, I just always feel bad about the goaltending controversy because I feel like the goalies are never properly represented. People always see one or the other as better, but at this point I think it's a toss-up. I'm glad Halak is getting a bit of media support, since they have always been pro-Price, because often when he would do something that Price often did, he would get blasted in the media, and Price wouldn't even be mentionned. Or when he would have a great game, they wouldn't say anything, but when Price did, it would be all they could talk about. Even with the rebounds… Price gives up a few bad ones and nothing is said… Halak does and people go on and on about it. He deserves support, but at the same time, the fact that they are so biased one way or the other discourages me a little.
Anyway, I'd better end this rant otherwise who knows how long it'll last.. I just hope that people realise it doesn't HAVE to be Price OR Halak. Pitting them against each other does no one any good.
Wow. I had hoped that we could be a little more rationale in our commentary.
Let's try to be accurate. Whatever winning and losing streaks have been recorded have much more to do with the play outside of the crease and the level of the opposition. Goaltending has been remarkably stable.
Carey Price is having a remarkable season. He was just as deserving of his Molson Cups in October and November as Jaroslav Halak was in December.
The media has never been pro-Price. The French media have always been critical since, in their view, he took Huet's spot. Halak, being the underdog, has always been the darling of the English media. Those who think that Price is a better goaltender are just stating the obvious, not promoting one over the other. Halak has never had to face the media pressure and scrutiny experienced by Price.
Bob Gainey is not greedy nor does he have a personal fondness for anyone. And he definitely isn't in possession of rose-coloured glasses.
Gainey believes the same thing that 29 other GM's believe: Carey Price is a much more talented goaltender. While fans may have their favorites, that fact is obvious to anyone in the NHL.
Gainey will trade Halak for the simple purpose of improving the Montreal Canadiens. And for many reasons, it is the right move.
All Habs,
I think we've always seen this differently so I guess we're just going to have to agree to disagree.
I never said Price wasn't good… I just think he isn't having a remarkable season. Those are just my standards. He's been amazing at times, and awful at others. Just as Halak hasn't been extraordinary in every game he's played.
As for the media, I really believe they have been on Price's side since the beginning. It's my opinion from what I've seen. I watch L'Antichambre after almost every game (more for the laughs than anything :P ) but they have always been very complimentary to Price, and definitely have shown preference for him over Halak (and I never really thought the media was behind Huet, but that's another story). It's slowly changing though. Now they are siding with Halak often. Again, I don't think it's right that they are so one sided, but that's how it is. As for the English media, I've often noticed that when Price plays well, they repeat it incessantly, yet when Halak is great, he is only briefly mentioned or isn't mentioned at all. Again, this is just what I've noticed. I generally read the gazette articles, tsn, rds, cbc. This is just the impression I have from what I've read / watched.
Overall, I personally can't base my opinions on them on their reputation or on other people's opinions. I like to see their play and come up with my own. Price is great. Halak is great. They have different styles (and yes Price's can be described as prettier) but the bottom line is they are both getting the job done and making the stops. At this point, I cannot in good conscience say that one is better than the other because neither has proven that he is yet.
Halak may be traded, but is it really the best move? I don't think so. I think it would be more for Price's long-term benefit (or development) than for the team's. Again, that's my opinion.
Anyway, I'm sorry if my initial comment came out hostile or angry, I really didn't mean for it to. All along I've tried to stay neutral, and just defend the other side of the situation, whichever it was, depending on who I was talking to. I may come off as sounding pro-Halak, but in all honesty I'm just trying to be as pro-Canadiens as possible. I really like Halak. I find he has a really great attitude and seems to have the respect of his teammates. Price also does. He could be complaining in the media that he wants Halak gone so he could play more, but he hasn't. Both are great guys and great goalies. And the good news is, we can keep them both at this point, so instead of fighting about it, we might as well enjoy it. You never know how long it'll last.
Just a question: do we – and by we, I mean the Montreal media on a whole and the fans in general, and not necessarily us here on All Habs – really have nothing better to do than to talk about the goalies?
I'm just asking.
I think it's clear that goaltending is not the problem with this team. Picking sides and turning this into a Price vs Halak thing is ridiculous and I think it's very unfair to both goalies. Both have been so good for the team this year. Montreal should be thankful that they have two solid guys between the pipes instead of making up issues and creating this needless and pointless controversy.
Weird, lol we wrote our comments at the exact same time EP!!
Totally agree with you though… I think I just get carried away when people make it Price vs. Halak so I try to show them the other side. Most of the time people are set in their ways and that's just how it is.
Anyway, you're completely right and as I said above we are lucky to have both and we should enjoy them while we have them. Thanks :)
It's funny, we all agree that there are far more pressing matters as far as the Canadiens are concerned, yet this topic holds everyone's attention.
Perhaps we should all read this post (it's well worth the 10-15 minutes): http://www.habseyesontheprize.com/2010/1/10/1233023/price-halak-the-stats-december-2009
The author REALLY drills down in to their stats and the results speak for themselves. It is the most in-depth article I've seen on this debate and ultimately leads to the same conclusion: We have 2 excellent goaltenders each with strengths and weaknesses.
After reading this, we should just all be at ease with what the numbers say, and with what we've seen with our eyes. And then, turn our attention to the pressing matters that plague our bleu-blanc-rouge!
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