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Established in 2006 as a Community of Reality

Welcome to the Neno's Place!

Neno's Place Established in 2006 as a Community of Reality


Neno

I can be reached by phone or text 8am-7pm cst 972-768-9772 or, once joining the board I can be reached by a (PM) Private Message.

Established in 2006 as a Community of Reality

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Established in 2006 as a Community of Reality

Many Topics Including The Oldest Dinar Community. Copyright © 2006-2020


    What was on the Habs list for Santa?

    jedi17
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    • Post n°1

    What was on the Habs list for Santa? Empty What was on the Habs list for Santa?

    Post by jedi17 Mon 26 Dec 2016, 7:26 pm

    What was on the Habs list for Santa?
    I would like to extend my best wishes for a Happy Chanukah, Merry Christmas and a wonderful holidays to all of my readers and fellow bloggers. I hope everyone has had a wonderful time celebrating the holidays thus far. 


    Despite going into the holiday break on a two game losing streak, the Montreal Canadiens are still in a better than expected place in the standings considering how badly the injury bug hit the team this December. The Canadiens entered the break with a record of 21-9-4 and 46 points, good for first place in the Atlantic division and three up on the still surprising Ottawa Senators and six ahead of the third place Boston Bruins. If at the beginning of the season you were told that the Canadiens would be where they are today with long term lower body injuries to Alex Galchenyuk, David Desharnais and Greg Pateryn, Andrew Shaw out with a concussion, Andrei Markov out day to day and Alexei Emelin missing the last two games due to the birth of his baby daughter, you would have taken that and run. Especially considering how the team fell apart in December of 2015 shortly after Carey Price and Brendan Gallagher’s injuries.


    This year’s team is resilient. There is very little quit in them and whenever they have had to face adversity the team has for the most part pulled together and met the challenge head on. They likely deserved better fates than the 2-1 and 4-2 recent losses to the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets respectively. If ever there was a game that the losing team warranted some kind of point just for effort it was in those games where the Canadiens outplayed their opponent for the majority of the game.


    To help the team overcome their obstacles, here is what should have been on their list for Santa Claus:


    For the team:


    Shooting targets for accuracy. How many times have Canadiens players whiffed on their shots or on open nets this season? It seems like not a game goes by that a player does not miss a glorious chance. Time to go back to the basics and practice shooting.


    For Al Montoya:


    Better play and luck in front of him on the ice. Montoya has not won a game since late October and it is hard to fault him for the losses. The team still owes him a big ‘W’ since that embarrassing 10-0 loss to the Blue Jackets back in November. They played well on Friday night for him but they could not find the back of the net nearly enough. He has been put in very difficult situations this season and it would be nice if the team could help give him a few wins in the New Year.


    For Kirk Muller:


    The magic key to the Canadiens power play. The injury to Galchenyuk combined with the Shea Weber’s cold shooting could not have been foreseen. Muller has tried countless variations since the beginning of the season and it is good that he is always tinkering, trying to find the right solutions. I still strongly believe that Artturi Lehkonen deserves a few chances with Alexander Radulov and Max Pacioretty on the first unit with Shea Weber and Nathan Beaulieu on the backend. The team has tried Jeff Petry alongside Weber a number of times this season and it just has not clicked. Considering right now that the power play’s greatest weakness is controlled entry into their opponent’s zone, this is where Beaulieu can help. Lehkonen will aid with winning puck battles and hanging around the net while his passing is very underrated.  


    For the team:


    Their health. Enough said.


    For Tomas Plekanec:


    The DeLorean from Back to the Future. It is almost confounding at just how much his level of play has dropped since the first half of the 2015-2016 season. A way to go back in time to recapture his touch and bring it into the present day would be terrific and would help solve a number of the Canadiens issues down the middle.


    For Brendan Gallagher:


    Alex Galchenyuk. He has not looked the same since being taken off the wing next to his friend and it is the first time in his career that he has had so much trouble producing. In the past it used to be that Gallagher was the spark plug that made any line go. Nowadays, he could use a boost from Galchenyuk to get going again…


    For Max Pacioretty:


    People to stop questioning his leadership. No matter what he does it is near impossible for Pacioretty to get the credit when he deserves it the most. He has come a long way, maturing into the captaincy and has shown improvement in the leadership department this season. Pacioretty has the respect of the room and that is most important to him. Here is a player that loves being a Montreal Canadiens, wanted to be the captain and wants nothing more than to win a Stanley Cup. He has a phenomenal support group within the room and has especially risen to the occasion on and off the ice over the past month.


    For Alexei Emelin:


    A cure for his metal plate in his face. Emelin has been called a chicken far too many times for backing down from a fight because of his metal plate. When he is at his best, Emelin is playing hard, physical hockey. Before he required the plate Emelin never backed down from a fight, he was always game. His hits sometimes look brutal because he is built like a tank and is incredibly strong. It is hockey. Get over it.


    For Shea Weber:


    An end to the P.K. Subban comparisons. Weber is going to be subject to them for as long as he is in Montreal. Despite Weber’s excellent season thus far, fans still miss Subban’s personality on and off the ice. It is okay for people to be happy for Weber in Montreal and likewise Subban in Nashville. You are not betraying one by supporting the other. Celebrate Weber’s accomplishments thus far in Montreal and continue to cheer on Subban in Nashville. Everybody wins, at least in the short term.


    For Carey Price:


    Whatever his heart desires. Keep him as happy and as healthy as can be. The Canadiens will need him to be at his best to continue their success into the new year.


    For Marc Bergevin:


    A miracle trade. The Canadiens need help down the middle and scoring goals. However, it will be difficult for him not to mortgage the little depth that the Canadiens do have. It’s a tricky slope to navigate and Bergevin will only pull the trigger if it is right for the team.


    For Michel Therrien:


    A new blender. It likely has more to do with the Canadiens lack of depth through all of their injuries, but as it stands right now the Canadiens have a second line with two or three third lines. They have exploded for goals at times but they need more consistent scoring from their group. My suggestion:


    Pacioretty-Plekanec-Radulov
    Lehkonen-Danault-Gallagher
    Carr-McCarron-Byron
    Terry-Mitchell-Flynn


    Danault and Radulov have even less chemistry than Radulov with Plekanec. I would give him another opportunity there. I hesitate to give McCarron additional responsibility just yet on the second line but he would get time on the power play. Lehkonen deserves to be playing closer to 15 minutes a night.
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