Hello my fellow HabAddicts.
Watching the Sens/Habs game with me the other night was my son who has been a Habs fan since the late nineties. I was really frustrated watching the game because the Habs were playing poorly. So as I usually do during a Habs game, I voiced my opinion towards the TV. I stated rather loudly that these damn Habs are just an average team and will not go far in the playoffs. That is when my son retorted and said to me that I had to be kidding. This Canadiens team is in the top three in the league!! With the best goalie in the league!!! And the best defense in the league!! I chuckled.
Well that is when I had to enlighten my son who did not have the pleasure to watch the Canadien teams that were assembled in the 60's and 70's. I began by telling him about the Big Three who made sure no one came near Roggie Vachon and Ken Dryden back in the 60's and 70's. No one would dare run our goalie when Larry Robinson, Serge Savard and Guy Lapointe were on the ice. Something which is sorely lacking on our defensive line-up today. Our toughest defenseman is Alexei Emelin and compared to the big three he is a marshmallow. Man would Carey Price love to have those three in their prime in front of him today.
Today's team is small and soft with one big offensive weapon, Max Pac, and pray he does not get hurt. And looking at the farm team, there really is no big, tough, talented players who can come up and make an impact on the team. I went on to tell my son about when the Canadiens called up Doug Risebrough and Mario Tremblay just before the playoffs and they went on to make huge contributions to the team with their toughness, hustle and goal scoring. And this was the Canadiens 4th line at that time. Look at our fourth line today. When was the last time they scored a goal or challenged an opposing goon. Speaking of goons, Ottawa exposed a big weakness the Canadiens have that will prevent them from winning a Cup until they address it. The Senators were just hitting and smacking around every Canadien player that came near them. It was ridiculous to watch, it was like watching a Pee-Wee team trying to take on a AAA team. The Sens did what ever they wanted and Montreal could not respond because they are just too small and lack toughness. Besides Brandon Prust and Dale Weise which Hab could step up and turn that abuse around? None. This would have never happened back in the 70s.
That is when I introduced my son to the Canadiens/Flyers Stanley Cup final of 1976. The Big Bad Broad Street Bullies who had just won two straight Stanley Cups by intimidating the opposition were now facing the Habs. The Flyers were big, mean, tough, SOBs who could score. They thought they were going to just run over the Habs (like the Senators did other night). Well, guys like Risebrough, Tremblay, Chartraw, Bouchard,Wilson, Lambert, were not going to be pushed around. The Habs went on to spank the Bullies in four straight games to take the first of four cups. No one on today's roster comes anywhere close to those warriors Montreal had in their line-up back in the 70's. I respect Prust, and Weise but they are not heavy weights and they are the only "tough guy" Montreal has. In the 70's Montreal's tough guys were tough but could also score. Risebrough, Tremblay and Lambert combined for 64 goals; and they were a fourth line. Guys like Lafleur, Shutt, Lemaire , Gainey, Mahovlich were taking all the top spots on those 70's teams.
Look what happened the last couple of times the Canadiens got close to the cup. In 2010 they beat out skilled teams like Pittsburgh and Washington; but then against a physical team like the Flyers they got their butts kicked. Then last year against the Rangers, Kreider runs over Price and our season is over. Now back when the Big Three were watching the blue line Kreider would have never came near our goalie. If he did get lucky and did touch our netminder, he would face the wrath of the whole team. He would be lucky to get off the ice in one piece. Last year, Kreider just walked away smiling knowing that he just killed the Habs playoff chances with no payback, shameful!!
Bergevin has a lot of work to do. He needs to make our team bigger and tougher to play against, and get some scoring punch out of that line-up. So, hopefully through a combination of trades and good drafts we will get there.
So then my son tells me we have Max Pac, Plekanec, Gallagher, etc. We have Subban and Markov on defense. And of course we have Price in net. We are a great team. We will compete for the cup, We have beaten the Bruins, Rangers, Islanders, Penguins. We are a top team!! I am just too spoiled by the great teams of the 70's. Unfortunately I have to disagree with my son.
So what do you think? Who wins this argument me or my son? Am I spoiled as a Habs fan of the 70's? Let me know?
22 comments:
As a fan of the Montreal teams dating back to the 50's, I love your references to the great teams of the 70's. Ahh, memories!!!
As a fan of the 70's Habs, I have to agree with you Mike.
I agree that Habs 2014 - 2015 are an average team with an above average goalie. The Glory years featured "fire-wagon" hockey with an emphasis on controlling the game in the visitors end of the rink with for-checking and offence. At the very least the successful Habs teams had a balance of offence and defence. This years team has one of the worst offences in the league. I don't believe a team can ever win a cup without a balanced team. I find it disappointing that management continues to add to defence when the team totally lacks offence.
habs are too timid.need a strong center and r/w and a rt.handed d.
mb stop teasing hab fans and do something. eller des.emielin have to go.
trade tikorski if needed.
Your son needs to sit down and watch some games from those 70's teams, then he will know that you are right in this argument
I would say that Subban is as good as Lapointe was. And Markov equal to Savard. However no one in today's lineup comes close to Robinson.
As good as Price is, Dryden was better. Just go on utube and look up the 71 series against the Bruins and the Blackhawks. Perhaps some of the best playoff goaltending of all time.
As for the forwards, not even Pacacerity could hold his own against the team in the seventies, they were just too good.
So here's the question, if the Canadiens are top 3 in the whole league, how can they be as bad as you say Mike? You are comparing the present Canadiens to the past Canadiens rather then to the other NHL teams. Perhaps NHL players as a whole just aren't cutting it like they used to in the 70s. The current NHL players of today just aren't like they used to be. To be honest, I think the NHL players of today are just spoiled. Hockey just ain't what it used to be!
I'm on the fence with this one, Mike.
I agree with you that the Habs were a dynasty in the 70's with elite players that changed the face of the game forever.
However, now the Habs have to compete with a different system in today's hockey. The rule changes, the increase of hockey IQ, the speed in players, the focus on training and nutrition, the size of goalie equipment, the hybrid icing rule, the instigator rule,and the changes of the shoot out and OT.
Teams are so focused on building their defense that it remains very difficult for skill players to make an impact on their own. In the 70's it wasn't uncommon for a skilled forward to dance around the defense and score on an average goalie with small equipment. Today, the defense are bigger, the goalies are better, the equipment is larger, and the forwards back check. It's a different world now.
I feel that the Habs are doing very well so far in the season and are adapting to the system quite well. They are a well rounded team with a lot of compete level left. My only worry is that because of their size, will they run out of gas before the playoffs even begin? What do you think?
The habs of the 70's were the best of the best. It would be very difficult today to build a dynasty like that Mike. I loved watching Lafleur and Shutt score all those goals, and Mahvolich stick handle through a whole team ( like he did against the Russians in 72). I guess we were all spoiled by that fabulous talent we watched in the 70's
Your right MIke and your son is right to. You can't compare that's not fare. The 60's and 70's Habs owned all players that came out of Quebec. You noy gonna have a big 3 like that anymore on one team. I think you should add good scrapper to Nathan Beaulieux and Tinordi. Those are going to be 2 tough D-men for years to come. Michael McCarron isnt far off and is having a stellar year. Bergevin is doing his due diligence and feel very comfortable with him at the helm.. Were getting bigger but you cant do it over night.
I believe the Habs are a better team today then they were in the 70s. Today's players have better systems, technique, equipment, intelligence..they would skate circles around the players of old and exploit their weaknesses.
Great post, Mike! Love the unique take on a common debate in my household as well. I agree with you 100%. Our team lacks grit and grit is that key X Factor that is needed to go deep in the playoffs. Without it, a team needs a HELL of a lot of luck, because skill won't do it in the playoffs.
Good morning by fellow HabAddicts. I want to thank everyone for all the comments. I see from the discussions going on that I hit a hot spot among us hab followers. What I also noticed is that the camp is split in support for me and support for my son. Anonym, @5:36 I too miss the old fire-wagon days. Arnold I glad you agree with me that the habs are way too timid. Anonym@7:07 I watch tapes of old games all the time also. Anonym @7:31 I like your comparison of todays defense to the Big Three and I somewhat agree with your assessment. Once again, thank you for all your comments and keep them coming. I guess something that would make both sides very happy would be another Stanley Cup run, but this time ending with a cup parade down the streets of Montreal in June. As always go my habs go !!!
The comparison is fun, but moot. Robinson threw big hip checks (from the little I remember), but those are 100% illegal now. With increased suspensions, fines and penalties for "goons", those have all but been eliminated from the game, too. The salary cap has made a difference, too.
This is not really apples and oranges, but more like grapes and wine. The current team is still quite young compared to those older years, so let them age a little bit, and see what they can do.
I have to agree with you on this one Mike. We are average at best and MB has to take care of this if we are ever to have that "cup parade" down the streets of Montreal. Here's hoping it sooner than later.
Tell your son that he missed some of the greatest hockey games played and greatest players to ever lace up the skates. Today's players are all about the money and no loyalty to the fans.
Wish there were some habs fan on here under 70 years old.
The habs of the 70's , and yes I watched them in the 60's and the 70's.........would not be together today............you could not afford to have the big 3.............today they would be around 21 million for the 3. Never mind , Dryden/ the flower/shutt etc...........its not the same game anymore!
Hey John
Thanks for commenting. But heck I am only 54. Yes I followed the Habs at a young age. But when you are way watching the great ones like Big Jean, The Big M, JC, Henri Richard, Lemaire, Cournoyer,just to name a few; you never forget watching them control the game.
Thanks John, keep commenting and viewing, much appreciated.
Hey Mike, you seem to love the 70's team so much. Tell me what would you do differently from what MB has done to create a new team of the 70's?
Hi anony@7:31.
That is a tough question. But as I have also pushed for in my comments is that all the great teams had a good balance of scorers and toughness. Right now I think the Habs are one player away for each department to make them a true balanced threat to be a real Stanley Cup contender.
Thanks for the comment and question; keep them coming, I can have dialogue on the habs 24-7, 365 days a year.
This team reminds me of the '75 habs... They are a very good team but don't quite play a 60 minute game yet. The one thing they're missing is a high flying winger a la Cournoyer (Kessel). I think they have the potential and chemistry to be an elite team. Bergevin will have a lot of options this summer with so many teams having cap issues.
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