Post Game Thread: Columbus Blue Jackets at Montreal Canadiens – 16 Nov 2024

46 comments

1. *GOOD*

   – Good win against a team you should expect to beat as they were on a back to back. Habs did their job.

   – Some nice little goals out there. Like to see Evans get one who has routinely been excellent on the year. Condotta gets one. Anderson going to the front getting one.

   – The defensive structure was quite on today. Cbj had a lucky goal through a screen but other than that a relatively easy night for Monty.

   – Good to see them put away the other team while playing better. A lot of times the other team hangs around.

   – Gallagher every game even if he didn’t score looks like the old Gallagher

   *BAD*

   – Didn’t really see anything that stood out as bad tonight. Some players still going for a skate and existing (two forwards in particular I want more from) but nothing that warranted putting them in the bad.

2. more games like this plz

3. ##WE’RE SO BACK

4. Our legs did the thing tonight.

   Moved.

5. Suzuki 😍😍😍

   Caufield 🤩🤩🤩

   Armia 👍👍👍

   ​

   ^^(VIBES​​📈📈📈)

6. nice to blow someone out and outshoot them.

   also looking like a real hockey team was pretty cool too 🙂

7. Can Shea be in the building every game?

8. Chose a good game to start doing a 1.5Km every goal scored challenge

9. We looked better with Savard sitting. He’s slowed down a ton. Barron actually did well. Maybe it’s just that Columbus sucks, but imo we should keep trying these pairings at least a few more times to find out.

10. takeaways in no particular order:
    – it’s fun to beat up on a bad team sometimes, and this game wasn’t an exception. we needed a nice big scoring win and for this team to feel rewarded for playing a tight system the past couple games. i’ll take it
    – Matheson shutting me up with a bomb on the PP. still think it should be Hutson but wtv, Matheson had a good game today
    – Slaf is fighting it a bit out there. he needs to simplify his game – forecheck hard, shoot the puck when you’re open, go to the net. not worried about him but want more
    – fun to see Caufield get a couple apples, especially the nice pass on Evans’ goal. his goals will come back but good to see some more effective play today, especially at 5v5. i thought him and Newhook played a good game, Evans is a solid defensive centre for them
    – Barron was good! i liked putting him with Guhle. is it just me or was Barron not much worse than Savard is usually? not to say Savard has been so bad, and he’s got the shutdown reputation, but his age is making me wonder if he should always be playing, especially since Xhekaj/Struble has been solid lately
    – hopefully this gets the ball rolling for some better play going forward. fun game!

11. Good for their confidence, played with grit, played as a team and played tight. Coach must be happy. Good one for the fans. Well played. We need more efforts like this!

12. Plan the cup parade

13. winning is better than losing

14. Beating up on a team on the second half of a back-to-back is something this team has struggled with consistently in recent years, so this is an improvement.

15. Xhekaj was 2/3 of the way to a Gordie Howe hat trick, I was so hoping for it haha

16. Complete effort, Gary Galley actually put it well when he said “they stuck with it”. Montreal need to stay focused and competitive in tight games, and to win like this at home is huge!

17. Tank commanders going to be sad, but winning is more fun than slightly improving odds of a higher draft pick.

18. If only we could play CBJ more than 3 games. They’d be the best team

19. Seeing michkov dominate im getting worried that draft is going to haunt us more than kotkaniemi>hughes and tkatchuk

    At this point im not even sure bedard is better than him

20. Hutson 11th point. Looked great all game. D core was consistent all night. Solid team win.

21. Well that was much better.

22. I woke up at 3AM randomly, so I watched the Habs even though I didn’t plan to as I am travelling to Czechia at 5AM. I don’t need sleep, I need to watch the Habs.

23. no one posted the condotta goal still poor guy :((

24. Let’s make every night Shea Weber appreciation night!

25. Quality showing. They worked hard and got the job done.

    I know Dach doesn’t have the longest leash atm but remember he missed an important development year. It’s not like he was 30 and knew what he could bring when he slotted back in.

    On top of his timing and execution he still needs to figure out his role and usage, get some confidence, etc.

    I’d like to see him play on pp2. I’m not a fan of where he’s playing on PP1 and might give him more time with the puck on his stick.

26. Nice win. It’s just crazy to me how big that first line is with Slaf and Dach and yet they lose damn near every contested puck. Hopefully, they can keep building off these last few games.

27. A very nice win tonight.

28. Habs scored 12 goals in 3 games this week and got shut out once.

29. Hell of a first game to go to. Great energy all night from the crowd. Team lost all momentum in the 2nd, but brought it back around in the 3rd. Nice to see a decisive win from this squad.

30. Labanc is a guy I will watch Columbus games for going forward. One of those odd guys who could probably replace pezzeta and RHP collectively to manage contracts and open some space. I am a little intrigued by him

31. Very glad the game I picked for my yearly pilgrimage was this one

32. Assist machine Cole Caufield showing up stong

33. Small question what happen at the end of the game with Heineman?

34. Slaf is worrying me this season. Gets a big contract and disappears for the most part so far. I wondered if he’s nursing something

35. Patient stable defensive structure and feasting on turnovers is a nice change of pace. 5th game in a row our defensive game looks disciplined. GG

36. Our defence seems to keep improving each game. Over the first 13 games we were by far the worst (3.66 xGA/60 5on5), since then, in our last 5 games, we are ranked 3rd in the league (1.79 xGA/60 5on5). It’s quite a turnaround. Wonder if it’s players getting used to the hybrid D system. Now if only the offense can start clicking and generating more chances

37. There will be no Matheson or Anderson slander tonight

38. I honestly believe Joel Armia may have the best puck possession ability in the NHL. How he routinely fights out two people is beyond me. Now if he could score more, that would be sweet

39. We did the hockey thing!!

40. Am I the only one that didnt like the Matheson-Hutson pairing? Matheson didnt fucking pass to Hutson once this game I swear to god. (The defensive side was ok tho)

41. Strong game all around from Xhekaj. Good defensive plays, solid fight against one of the toughest guys in the league, and a terrific stretch pass on the Suzuki goal.

    Oh, for people saying he “got destroyed” in the fight against Olivier, just no. Olivier won with that one great shot that put him down on one knee, but it was an even fight. “Destroyed” is what happened the last time X fought Olivier lol. Glad to see him step his game up in this one.

42. Xhekaj’s been playing very well lately!

43. 1-0 with me
    In the building LFG!!!!

44. Just a solid win tonight. Love to see it on a Saturday night.

45. I humbly eat my words with all the shit talking I did about the defensive scheme needing changes. They have really done well the last few games. It has been nice watching them be a hard team to play against defensively. Now they need to get the offence going on a regular basis. 

46. It was a good one.