Montreal Canadiens

[Dingy]

I mean't more so who's in the line-up, but yeah they are strange combinations.

The Eller, Flash, DSP line...I don't know how I feel about that. The optimistic part of me thinks they can use their size and control the play, the pessimist in me thinks they won't get more than 10 minutes of ice time.

Max Pacioretty – David Desharnais – Dale Weise
Alex Galchenyuk – Tomas Plekanec – Brendan Gallagher
Tomas Fleischmann – Lars Eller – Devante Smith-Pelly
Ghetto/Lessio - Mitchell - Flynn

Does seeing this forward roster written out ever depress any other Habs fans? I know the lines themselves could use some tweeking but I mean just the personnel assembled is not a champtionship team. The roster seems kind of stuck in middle of the pack land. I get excited every season to see Eller, Alex, Gallagher, Deharnais develop into consistent top 6 guys but it just hasn't happened yet. I know they're still young and it still may but I am getting impatient wasting years with Carey in his prime.

It's time to move Alex to first line center for the rest of the year. Let him sink or swim without the constant line juggling and see what he can be with some pressure over a longer period of time then he's been given. Pleky is the perfect 2nd line center on a good team and a great veteran leader let him play this role.

Davey for all the heart he has is best suited to a top 9 role, offensive boost from the bottom 6 with Eller Weise Flash.

The fourth line I actually like, Mitchell Flynn and insert AHL call up here is fine for a bottom 3 IMO.

Ideally I would love to see Montreal add to the current group OR find trade value in guys like Eller to improve. It seems like it is time to decide if there is a push for the Cup coming or a mini rebuild

[yougo]

@marcdumont
The Eller-Galchenyuk-Andrighetto line had 5 EV goals in 85 minutes this year. Pacioretty-DD-Weise have 1 EV goal in about 100 min

Yet Therrien keeps going back to 67-51-22 while Ghetto is in the pressbox/4th line.

[evans334]

as per HockeyInsideOut

Emelin scratched, Gilbert in and paired with Barberio, Condon starts.

Here’s how the Canadiens lines and defence pairings are expected to look against the Flyers:

Pacioretty – Desharnais – Weise
Galchenyuk – Plekanec – Gallagher
Tomas – Eller – Smith-Pelly
Lessio – Mitchell – Flynn

Markov – Subban
Petry – Beaulieu
Gilbert – Barberio

[ericdaoust]

They're even juggling lines between games!!!

[blayze]

Can't decide if the new line is a good or bad thing for MaxPac's production.... Eric?

[J0e Th0rnton]

They're going back to last year's lines. Pac-Desh-Weise and Galch-Plek-Gallagher. I think they tried this combination two or three times already during the slump. At this point they're just playing Bingo in the back to determine the line combinations for next game.

It is french player favoritism and Therrien has been showing it to him for years. DD is not top line material. He is a perfect 3rd liner and a passable 2nd liner. But he is a midget and gets rewarded for nothing while Therrien continues to bury Galchenyuk and ignore the mandate to play him as C.

[ericdaoust]

The DD/Pac pairing is pretty obvious because they've had chemistry since their AHL days. It's a flawed line but those names drew out of the hat today so they're forming a unit tonight!

[Thunder]

Why do I even bother?

[ericdaoust]

Why do I even bother?

More line juggling for next game!

[JohnScott AllStarMVP]

They should call Scott up. It would give the team a boost. They could use his presence in the locker room.

[JagrBomb]

I posted this in the Oilers thread...if the deal was on the table would you want Bergevin to trade Price for McDavid straight up?

[newfcollins]

I posted this in the Oilers thread...if the deal was on the table would you want Bergevin to trade Price for McDavid straight up?

No. Habs need a new coach before anything. But I don't think the Habs can afford to be without Price for the next five years, even if it means getting McDavid.

[ericdaoust]

Andrighetto in for Lessio tonight. Emelin in for Barberio. Condon in again.

[Thunder]

Tabarnac!

[ericdaoust]

Tabarnac!

When does the hot dog toss begin?