What is the team's biggest roadblock to make the playoffs next season?

[slybel]

Other - Goaltending.

And I'll freely admit I'm biased...or at least, conditionned to think like this as a Hab fan. But as far back I can remember following this team, we've always relied on exceptional goaltending to manage anything. This was true with Roy....than Theodore in his run where he got the hart....Halak got hot in 2010...and Price was great for his career.

So for me - it feelds weird being able to do anything without stellar goaltending. So I think that's what's missing the most.

Not sure Montembeault or Primeau are good enough.

I have the same feeling. We are entering another timeline in Habs Goalie land (Wamsley, Penney, Thibault, Huet) ....
The D will have a "I need to cover, else he might not make the save" thinking...

 

[Sorinth]

I have the same feeling. We are entering another timeline in Habs Goalie land (Wamsley, Penney, Thibault, Huet) ....
The D will have a "I need to cover, else he might not make the save" thinking...

Huet had a SV% of 0.929, 0.916, and 0.916 in his 3 seasons in MTL, he was a very good goaltender for us and not at all causing the D to think that he might not make the save.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Youth in key places. Still learning on the job. Everything spins off of this. PK, PP, 5/5, compete/grit/maturity

 

[Scriptor]

The 16 team format for the playoffs. 24 teams was prety good to the Habs

 

[sampollock]

Got to get two lines scoring and get a better power play

 

[NewDef]

Got to get two lines scoring and get a better power play

Yep, Healthy Dach, +1 top 6 rw, Newhook/Roy keeping improving, Barron actually putting it all together + Hutson/Mailloux pushing Harris/Kovacevic down the D lineup and there you have a much better PP.

And all this for the cost of a Necas/Cozen type of player. It would cost but we've got 12 choices this year, multiple over assets... that one ready top 6 winger is a big deal at this point.

The 5th OA of this year we draft it but i'd give up next year 1st + this year Winnipeg 1st for that player NOW as drafting these picks would make the player ready in what? 2-3 years... maybe...

For PK add a badass lw 4th liner to improve on Pezz (FA, trade) and push RHP to 13th and the team gets just a bit more competitive and has time to groom Tuch/Florian/Beck/Mesar/Heineman/Davidson in the A.

 

[hvac412]

Burrows.Robidas , but apparently both have been offered extensions.

 

[Laurentide]

Burrows and Robidas really need to go. They aren't credible. They're only there to fill the quota (and we all know which quota I'm talking about) But at the end of the day this team, aside from 3 or 4 guys (one of whom is a defenseman) doesn't score nearly enough. Not enough to support the average goaltending we now have. There isn't a Price back there to clean up the mess anymore. We can't count on winning every game 2-1. We need more scoring. A lot more.

 

[Le Barron de HF]

I don't agree with those criticizing Robidas. He's done a good job with the defense IMO. Just look at Savard before and after Ducharme. Matheson progressed too. System might be an issue but defense isn't.

 

[LaP]

I see the Bruins, Pens and Caps regressing, probably not enough to affect the Habs. I see the Habs, Sabres, Senators and Devils progressing. I don't see us in the playoffs next year.

bruins will regress a bit but only because they played over their head a bit this year. They'll still be a 100 points team and easily fnish top 4 in the division. Strong defense in its prime. Strong goalie in his prime. One of the best player of the league in his prime. Marchand will regress but a strong defense, goalie and a top winger is enough to dominate the regular season.

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

I don't agree with those criticizing Robidas. He's done a good job with the defense IMO. Just look at Savard before and after Ducharme. Matheson progressed too. System might be an issue but defense isn't.

Matheson has been good offensively but let's not say he's been playing good defensively. Robidas has ton of jobs to do because we have one of the worst defensive team

 

[Le Barron de HF]

Matheson has been good offensively but let's not say he's been playing good defensively. Robidas has ton of jobs to do because we have one of the worst defensive team

I don't think how young team is defensively should be understated. Boudreau used to say it took 400 games for a D to get used to NHL, it's probably even more now with the speed todays game is. Matheson makes as many mistakes due to minutes he plays. Ryan Suter used to make mistakes because he was playing so much. It comes with the territory.

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

I don't think how young team is defensively should be understated. Boudreau used to say it took 400 games for a D to get used to NHL, it's probably even more now with the speed todays game is. Matheson makes as many mistakes due to minutes he plays. Ryan Suter used to make mistakes because he was playing so much. It comes with the territory.

Relatively young but i think we have too many passengers , we'll see i guess

 

[angusyoung]

If management has the wherewithal to make the proper additions and subtractions.

 

[JianYang]

Huet had a SV% of 0.929, 0.916, and 0.916 in his 3 seasons in MTL, he was a very good goaltender for us and not at all causing the D to think that he might not make the save.

Agreed on huet. It was totally unexpected from him too, but he was the main driver behind the 06 team making the post season. That team was going nowhere fast but got on a streak down the stretch once huet came into the picture and played lights out.

 

[Scintillating10]

Bad contracts probably cut them down. If we get injured a lot next season? I would sell hard at deadline go for the draft. It looks like great draft. Will have 20 million caproom next summer. Could add two core pieces.

 

[schwang26]

I have the same feeling. We are entering another timeline in Habs Goalie land (Wamsley, Penney, Thibault, Huet) ....
The D will have a "I need to cover, else he might not make the save" thinking...

I disagree. I myself have confidence in those 2 guys in net and I believe the D does as well. This will be the first full year without Allen, so we’ll see how they do. Honestly, I don’t see what difference goaltending could’ve made the past couple years anyway. A supposed better name wasn’t going to drag this team into the playoffs. As it stands, Monty actually got them worse draft picks! It’s team D, not goaltending that’s the issue.