You have St. Louis as number 2 however by your previous comments surrounding 'doing anything in the postseason' they couldn't possibly be a contender. The same holds true with winnipeg and nashville. Washington could also fall into that category as they havent beaten a true contender in the playoffs in some time.

I have no issue with people thinking the Habs are pretenders - if you base it off of their corsi and GF last season you'd be right that they were in the bottom half of the league and without Price they likely would have been a bubble team.

However this is not last season and system and personnel change year over year. 6 games is a tiny sample size but the habs are playing dominant hockey right now and the pickups or Petry, Semin, Fleischman are paying dividends along with the growth of Galchenyuk and the new line combinations and systems that they are employing. They do not play dump and chase hockey like they used to.

So if you provide some cogent arguments as to why they are pretenders i will certainly listen but based on what we have seen of the 2015-2016 season they are most definitely contenders.
- Joel_Eh

I did


I said I didn't believe you were contenders last year and then you added kassian, Fleishmann and semin. which hasn't changed my opinion about the team. Is that unreasonable?

however, I did mention the caveat of galchenyuk developing much furthur and that could change my opinion. but that remains to be seen.

as far as playoff success, I never once said that's my entire measure. far from it actually. In fact, I believe the west is so strong that the kings who didn't even make the dance last year coulda won the whole thing had they snuck in. I also don't put much sway in st.loo and nashville losing early. those two teams in the last few years have had the misfortune of facing the hawks/kings etc in the very first round. brutal.

an this still goes along with my earlier point. the habs making it to the second round after beating the sens doesn't prove anything more than the preds losing in the first to the hawks. but as soon as the habs did face what I consider an elite team in the bolts, they lost.

regular season/president's trophy, etc all meaningless; just get in the playoffs. a whole new season at that point....

But thats just it. Price didnt have to stand on his head. There were almost 2 50 shot vs bishop games and price gaced 19 or 20 and the habs lost. The wgole series was marred by the habs almost doubling the shots posession and hits but still lost.

The bolts do tho have such an awesome scoring threqt. Some very clutch plyers no question.
- munky123

dude......

game 1
44-37 mtl

game 2
29-25 mtl

game 3
31-21 mtl

game 4
40-24 mtl

game 5
29-25 mtl

game 6
28-19 tampa

the only game u were close to 50 was the first game and that's cause it went to double ot. and u never outshot them by anywhere near 30.

they never had less than 20 shots. that only happened once in the series and it was montreal that did it.

the only game that wasn't close and anything of real consequence was game 4. and you won it handily anyways

ill even give u the ten shot spread in game 3. but that's still a far cry from your contention.


id also be remiss if we forgot to mention how much better their best defenders were than yours. stralman and hedman thoroughly outplayed subban. and markov was flat out bad.
petry was quite good though

Anyone that says they are pretenders is just a pathetic hater.

Anyone that says they are contenders is just a pathetic fanboy.

Anyone that says they are pretenders is just a pathetic hater.

Anyone that says they are contenders is just a pathetic fanboy.
- Mashadar

Well, this is the internet so....yeah pretty much.

I don't know what happened from last year, it's not like there were sweeping changes, but the team looks drastically different out on the ice. They've got 4 lines that are all pushing the play and doing what's expected. I can't remember the last time I could say that about a Habs team. They used to "get by" when they won a game, so far this year they've gone out and won games convincingly.

I'm crossing my fingers this isn't just some weird phenomena, and that it will be relatively consistent them throughout the season. Either way, there's a long way to go, but I haven't enjoyed watching Habs games as much I have to start this season in a long time.

I don't know what happened from last year, it's not like there were sweeping changes, but the team looks drastically different out on the ice. They've got 4 lines that are all pushing the play and doing what's expected. I can't remember the last time I could say that about a Habs team. They used to "get by" when they won a game, so far this year they've gone out and won games convincingly.

I'm crossing my fingers this isn't just some weird phenomena, and that it will be a relatively consistent them throughout the season. Either way, there's a longboard way to go, but I haven't enjoyed watching Habs games as much I have to start this season in a long time.
- ehabs9

So... pathetic fanboy?

Isint any team that makes the playoffs often a contender?? Why are the habs different?? Plus that goaltending. How cant you say contenders, Can we get serious.

So... pathetic fanboy?
- Pat1993

Guess so.


I'll call them contenders if they're playing the same way in April. But I'll wait and see, cause the improvement still seems to good to be true.

Guess so.


I'll call them contenders if they're playing the same way in April. But I'll wait and see, cause the improvement still seems to good to be true.
- ehabs9

No this is called players in there prime. Its about (franking) time. 😀

Guess so.


I'll call them contenders if they're playing the same way in April. But I'll wait and see, cause the improvement still seems to good to be true.
- ehabs9

It sure is nice to watch them play. They seem to have taken a step up in their game, and they have a lot more confidence as a group.

Just kidding about the fanboy thing lol

It sure is nice to watch them play. They seem to have taken a step up in their game, and they have a lot more confidence as a group.

Just kidding about the fanboy thing lol


- Pat1993

I know you were, dontcha worry

Ek should wait until the 20 game mark to ask this question.
They look like contenders so far because

In a perfect world anyone 25-26 or younger is still developing and I'm improving. So far it's looks like they have.

Moving 27 to center has been very successful. Truth is, he's just bigger and better, he would look just as good on the wing IMO.The domino effect is that everyone is finally playing where they should be. overachieving bottom six players are not being moved to the top six, theyre left there to continue dominating their match ups.

The bottom six has been excellent, rolling 4 lines has spread out the workload. DSP couldn't keep up last year, he's shed some weight and now doing great.

Therrien has them playing a different system. The offence has is more run n gun, no sitting back and protecting the lead and no more dump and chase, which essentially giving the other team the puck. They are skating it in with success. More o zone possession means less time in the d zone and less work for the defence and Price.

Only six games, so far so good.

I don't know what happened from last year, it's not like there were sweeping changes, but the team looks drastically different out on the ice. They've got 4 lines that are all pushing the play and doing what's expected. I can't remember the last time I could say that about a Habs team. They used to "get by" when they won a game, so far this year they've gone out and won games convincingly.

I'm crossing my fingers this isn't just some weird phenomena, and that it will be relatively consistent them throughout the season. Either way, there's a long way to go, but I haven't enjoyed watching Habs games as much I have to start this season in a long time.
- ehabs9

Therrien changed the system - the line-up is marginally better with players playing their correct roles (DD on the 3rd) - however the major change is they are carrying the puck into the offensive zone which is generating way more shots.

Dump and chase is a safer play as it results in less neutral zone turnovers but it also results in losing the puck a whole lot more. Now that we're carrying it in we're improving our zone time and getting more shots which is leading to us putting way more pressure on our opposition.

The teams always had enough talent to compete they just werent optimizing it.

maybe sprinkle in a few Hooked on Phonics tapes between hockey games
- drexel

Why not lend him yours...

FIRST!!!














any habs rumours?!?














nuff said

the ole " you cheer for a bad team so u must be wrong"

I hadn't heard it in awhile and kinda assumed the masses had wised up to how idiotic this retort was.

1. were u under the impression im peter chiarell or craig mactavish just lurking on hockeybuzz??sorry bro. im not.
I didnt construct the oilers. I have no say in the building of the team I happen to cheer for.

2. by your estimation- looking at your contention from the other side-
if you cheer for a good team then u automatically are the most knowledgeable fans in hockey?
so if hawks or tampa fans or the kings fans over the last few years say something, you were always deferential to their opinion cause they obviously must know the most right?? by acquiring hedman/stamkos etc their fans were given that hockey IQ through osmosis?


you really teed that one up for me...
- Ihateallofu

Anyone that says they are pretenders is just a pathetic hater.

Anyone that says they are contenders is just a pathetic fanboy.
- Mashadar

This guy gets it!

I did


I said I didn't believe you were contenders last year and then you added kassian, Fleishmann and semin. which hasn't changed my opinion about the team. Is that unreasonable?

however, I did mention the caveat of galchenyuk developing much furthur and that could change my opinion. but that remains to be seen.

as far as playoff success, I never once said that's my entire measure. far from it actually. In fact, I believe the west is so strong that the kings who didn't even make the dance last year coulda won the whole thing had they snuck in. I also don't put much sway in st.loo and nashville losing early. those two teams in the last few years have had the misfortune of facing the hawks/kings etc in the very first round. brutal.

an this still goes along with my earlier point. the habs making it to the second round after beating the sens doesn't prove anything more than the preds losing in the first to the hawks. but as soon as the habs did face what I consider an elite team in the bolts, they lost.
- Ihateallofu

So far they aren't doing anything to make last season look like a fluke.

This is the second blog I've seen like this and it's equally worthless. Saying the Montreal Canadiens are contenders at this point is like saying the Penguins are a bubble team and Crosby is no longer elite. If the Stanley Cup Finals were played tomorrow then the Canadiens would have a pretty damn good shot at the title... but its not. No one knows if Carey Price will keep up his numbers, and no one knows if Montreal will go back to its low scoring ways. Let's at least wait until the 50 game mark before making assessments on teams' cup chances, aye?

Therrien changed the system - the line-up is marginally better with players playing their correct roles (DD on the 3rd) - however the major change is they are carrying the puck into the offensive zone which is generating way more shots.

Dump and chase is a safer play as it results in less neutral zone turnovers but it also results in losing the puck a whole lot more. Now that we're carrying it in we're improving our zone time and getting more shots which is leading to us putting way more pressure on our opposition.

The teams always had enough talent to compete they just werent optimizing it.
- Joel_Eh

It's not because DD plays on the 3rd. It's because Eller is finally on the wing.

They won't win the Cup but they will make the 2nd round at least.

Ottawa lost their number 1 and made the playoffs
Rinne got injured for a while and Nashville was still a top seed
Lundquist was injured and Talbot stepped in seamlessly
Mrazek stepped in for Howard and they didn't miss a beat

This is just last year...

We see it happen constantly and teams continue to do well. Quick was out a couple years ago and Jones posted awesome numbers. Rask filled in for Thomas for nearly an entire season. The list goes on.

Point is that Price being injured will hurt these teams worse than any of these other scenarios because Montreal's backup is not as strong, and their team isn't as skilled.
- Videoj

Other than Talbot, the goalies who stepped in were all unknowns, so assuming Condon would lead the Habs into the tank is also what was assumed about the others.

1st couple of games were easy, let's slow the roll.

If they pull the trigger on a first line centre, for once. They can contend. If not it will be another unfulfilled year. Management hopes it will pan out but they are beyond delusional. Start playing teams in the west on one of those long road trips and people will be thinking otherwise, I am sure.