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Post by stooy44 on Apr 2, 2014 8:44:24 GMT -4
Before the playoffs began, on our Olympiques board, I picked Halifax to win it all. My opinion has not changed. We are better than our record for sure, but I do not think that your boys are much worse than theirs. As long as the Mooseheads play their best hockey I do not think anyone can beat you. But, the Olympiques are capable of some great hockey, and if your boys are not at their best then you could be in some difficulty. It may come down to who scores the overtime goals, if there are any games that need extra time. In 2008 we won the first two games in your building, both in overtime, with Giroux and Byron scoring, and your guys had nothing left when you got back to our building. To win the series Gatineau would need a split, then two out of three, then another split. Not easy. Of course I am rooting for my boys, but I am also trying to be realistic. And I am really looking forward to seeing your club play hopefully three more games. We have been lucky in the playoffs in recent years in this sense. Last year we saw your powerhouse in the second round. A few years back we took the Sea Dogs to six games in the finals and saw them win it all in our building on the strength of a second game that went to double-overtime before they finally knocked us off. God I love playoff hockey, win or lose!!
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Post by Porkchop on Apr 2, 2014 8:44:56 GMT -4
This is going to Halifax in 6 and my reason's why -Better Defence -PP is clicking know we've won 17 straight -Best Goalie in the league -Our Coach has a great resume which speaks for itself -Our top line is clicking but so is the supporting cast -Everyone except Ashley is healthy -Veterans have been there want to win again, the rookies now have a taste of the playoffs -Halifax will be ready to battle always are, Have been since Dom took over as Coach Your team has a resume that spoke for itself the last couple years.....on the coach, it's really hard to say yet. Yes, he's a good coach, but I want to see him next year and the year after, when the team of superstars has passed. He took over with MacKinnon/Drouin showing up in his first year, and has had star power ever since...Cam Russel and Bobby Smith could have coached that team to a championship last year. Same goes for Gallant that took Saint John to their spot on top......I would have loved to see him with that team last year and this season without the superstar lineup.
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Post by stooy44 on Apr 2, 2014 8:48:25 GMT -4
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Post by CrazyJoeDavola on Apr 2, 2014 9:02:37 GMT -4
This is going to Halifax in 6 and my reason's why -Better Defence -PP is clicking know we've won 17 straight -Best Goalie in the league -Our Coach has a great resume which speaks for itself -Our top line is clicking but so is the supporting cast -Everyone except Ashley is healthy -Veterans have been there want to win again, the rookies now have a taste of the playoffs -Halifax will be ready to battle always are, Have been since Dom took over as Coach Your team has a resume that spoke for itself the last couple years.....on the coach, it's really hard to say yet. Yes, he's a good coach, but I want to see him next year and the year after, when the team of superstars has passed. He took over with MacKinnon/Drouin showing up in his first year, and has had star power ever since...Cam Russel and Bobby Smith could have coached that team to a championship last year. Same goes for Gallant that took Saint John to their spot on top......I would have loved to see him with that team last year and this season without the superstar lineup. Ducharme`s coaching record at AAA and in the Q would suggest he is a good coach. Mediocre coaches would have some issues along the way. Like Phil Jackson in the NBA, its not always easy getting a talented team to play to their fullest potential. Tons of talented team never seem to reach their potential every year, and many fail in the playoffs. Ducharme is always calm, and always has a vision for where the team should be come playoff time. His teams perform very consistently overall. Even in 2012, we were expected to be mid-pack and that was when we thought we`d have Drouin all year. We finished 6th with 3 16 year olds leading the way, and made it to game 6 of round 3 after a 0-3 series comeback against an intimidating opponent in the Remparts. Some coaches can get a mediocre team to be tough to play against in the regular season, but can`t figure out how to win in playoffs even with a good team (see: Jean). The best coaches are the ones who win in playoffs as that`s when the real coaching and adjusting begins. Any contender who hires Ducharme will play to their potential based on what we have seen.
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Post by Reesor on Apr 2, 2014 9:10:09 GMT -4
Before the playoffs began, on our Olympiques board, I picked Halifax to win it all. My opinion has not changed. We are better than our record for sure, but I do not think that your boys are much worse than theirs. As long as the Mooseheads play their best hockey I do not think anyone can beat you. But, the Olympiques are capable of some great hockey, and if your boys are not at their best then you could be in some difficulty. It may come down to who scores the overtime goals, if there are any games that need extra time. In 2008 we won the first two games in your building, both in overtime, with Giroux and Byron scoring, and your guys had nothing left when you got back to our building. To win the series Gatineau would need a split, then two out of three, then another split. Not easy. Of course I am rooting for my boys, but I am also trying to be realistic. And I am really looking forward to seeing your club play hopefully three more games. We have been lucky in the playoffs in recent years in this sense. Last year we saw your powerhouse in the second round. A few years back we took the Sea Dogs to six games in the finals and saw them win it all in our building on the strength of a second game that went to double-overtime before they finally knocked us off. God I love playoff hockey, win or lose!! As much as we love to hate Gatineau (2003 will be forever etched in memory. We beat ourselves in 2008), They are a franchise that other teams should model themselves around. 19 times in the last 22 seasons they've made the 2nd round of the playoffs. President's Cups in 97, 03, 04, and 08. That's amazing consistency.
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Post by stooy44 on Apr 2, 2014 9:34:58 GMT -4
For sure the Hull/Gatineau franchise has been one of the best over the years. We had a great GM named Charlie Henry, but he is retired now. Our current coach, Benoit Groulx, is also the GM. Personally I am not convinced by this guy, but many people are.
Part of our success is the fact that we are a walk across the river from Ontario. Claude Giroux was not drafted in Ontario, they considered him too small. So naturally he is going to get a try-out in Gatineau, he is not going to go any farther than that. The same was true of Paul Byron, he is from Ottawa but was not drafted by the OHL, again too small. (What a joke.) So he walks across the river and joins Giroux!
The Ontario factor has really helped over the years.
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Post by Reesor on Apr 2, 2014 9:40:45 GMT -4
For sure the Hull/Gatineau franchise has been one of the best over the years. We had a great GM named Charlie Henry, but he is retired now. Our current coach, Benoit Groulx, is also the GM. Personally I am not convinced by this guy, but many people are. Part of our success is the fact that we are a walk across the river from Ontario. Claude Giroux was not drafted in Ontario, they considered him too small. So naturally he is going to get a try-out in Gatineau, he is not going to go any farther than that. The same was true of Paul Byron, he is from Ottawa but was not drafted by the OHL, again too small. (What a joke.) So he walks across the river and joins Giroux! The Ontario factor has really helped over the years. The Nepean Raiders have helped us out in the last two years or so. Their Head Coach/GM is our Ontario Scout. Mac Weegar is from Ottawa, and wasn't drafted into the OHL. So he took a cab across the 416 to the airport and boarded a plane to Halifax. Gadoury played for Nepean as well, but is from Quebec.
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Post by stooy44 on Apr 2, 2014 9:45:42 GMT -4
You say that your club beat themselves in 2008. It seemed to me at the time that the acquisition of Brad Marchand was a bad idea. He was disruptive was he not? In game three in our building he was benched, and he watched game four from upstairs. Your team must have sold the farm to get him, and paid for a couple of years after that.
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Post by Reesor on Apr 2, 2014 9:55:40 GMT -4
You say that your club beat themselves in 2008. It seemed to me at the time that the acquisition of Brad Marchand was a bad idea. He was disruptive was he not? In game three in our building he was benched, and he watched game four from upstairs. Your team must have sold the farm to get him, and paid for a couple of years after that. A lot of factors contributed to our down years between 09 and 11. The Marchand deal didn't help, but it wasn't the only thing. We lost all of our good players after 08. Voracek was 19 years old, so he could've come back to Halifax as a 19yo. Instead he stuck in Columbus, so we didn't get a chance to trade him. The only player we got to trade for any value, is MacMillan (Who had a whole shit-disburbing fiasco surrounding him that year). We traded him to Rimouski for the pick we used to draft Andrews I believe. During the year, Marchand was a liability more than an asset. Definitely disruptive.
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Post by CrazyJoeDavola on Apr 2, 2014 10:19:08 GMT -4
You say that your club beat themselves in 2008. It seemed to me at the time that the acquisition of Brad Marchand was a bad idea. He was disruptive was he not? In game three in our building he was benched, and he watched game four from upstairs. Your team must have sold the farm to get him, and paid for a couple of years after that. A lot of factors contributed to our down years between 09 and 11. The Marchand deal didn't help, but it wasn't the only thing. We lost all of our good players after 08. Voracek was 19 years old, so he could've come back to Halifax as a 19yo. Instead he stuck in Columbus, so we didn't get a chance to trade him. The only player we got to trade for any value, is MacMillan (Who had a whole shit-disburbing fiasco surrounding him that year). We traded him to Rimouski for the pick we used to draft Andrews I believe. During the year, Marchand was a liability more than an asset. Definitely disruptive. I think coaching was the #1 reason though. You give a guy like Ducharme that roster, and watch what happens lol. Marchand was fine in Moncton, and fine in Val Dòr. He was always one of our most dangerous players. But coming home, I think he cliqued up with his home town buddies and his personality can rub some guys the wrong way for sure. Once we struggled on the ice (we had lots of ugly games in January and February), the team sort of lost any cohesiveness. Voracek in particular played like he lost his dog - I think he enjoyed being THE guy and when Marchand arrived the offensive leadership roles got blurred. But ultimately, the lack of good coaching was the root of most of it IMO. We had roster issues but should still have been a stronger team overall.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2014 10:25:27 GMT -4
You say that your club beat themselves in 2008. It seemed to me at the time that the acquisition of Brad Marchand was a bad idea. He was disruptive was he not? In game three in our building he was benched, and he watched game four from upstairs. Your team must have sold the farm to get him, and paid for a couple of years after that. A lot of factors contributed to our down years between 09 and 11. The Marchand deal didn't help, but it wasn't the only thing. We lost all of our good players after 08. Voracek was 19 years old, so he could've come back to Halifax as a 19yo. Instead he stuck in Columbus, so we didn't get a chance to trade him. The only player we got to trade for any value, is MacMillan (Who had a whole shit-disburbing fiasco surrounding him that year). We traded him to Rimouski for the pick we used to draft Andrews I believe. During the year, Marchand was a liability more than an asset. Definitely disruptive. Andrews was the 1st round pick we got for Gabriel O'Connor at the 2009 draft. That was a significant move by Cam as it showed we were going young no matter what even if it meant bottoming out which it did in 2009-2010 and a move that Marcel Patenaude would not have done.
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Post by Jacques Strap on Apr 2, 2014 11:25:10 GMT -4
For sure the Hull/Gatineau franchise has been one of the best over the years. We had a great GM named Charlie Henry, but he is retired now. Our current coach, Benoit Groulx, is also the GM. Personally I am not convinced by this guy, but many people are. Part of our success is the fact that we are a walk across the river from Ontario. Claude Giroux was not drafted in Ontario, they considered him too small. So naturally he is going to get a try-out in Gatineau, he is not going to go any farther than that. The same was true of Paul Byron, he is from Ottawa but was not drafted by the OHL, again too small. (What a joke.) So he walks across the river and joins Giroux! The Ontario factor has really helped over the years. Hmmmm Giroux....where did I hear that name before? Was that a true story that we could of had Giroux instead of Marchand? Damn..so close.
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Post by stooy44 on Apr 2, 2014 11:32:57 GMT -4
There was some talk at the trading period that year of us trading Giroux, but I am not sure it was serious. We traded up for a couple of top defencemen and then required only 19 playoff games to win the Q that year. We were undefeated at home. I remember being worried about Halifax, and I was not the only one. In our minds we believed that the winner of that series would be the champs, and we were not wrong.
But this is another year.
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Post by Porkchop on Apr 2, 2014 12:32:43 GMT -4
Your team has a resume that spoke for itself the last couple years.....on the coach, it's really hard to say yet. Yes, he's a good coach, but I want to see him next year and the year after, when the team of superstars has passed. He took over with MacKinnon/Drouin showing up in his first year, and has had star power ever since...Cam Russel and Bobby Smith could have coached that team to a championship last year. Same goes for Gallant that took Saint John to their spot on top......I would have loved to see him with that team last year and this season without the superstar lineup. Ducharme`s coaching record at AAA and in the Q would suggest he is a good coach. Mediocre coaches would have some issues along the way. Like Phil Jackson in the NBA, its not always easy getting a talented team to play to their fullest potential. Tons of talented team never seem to reach their potential every year, and many fail in the playoffs. Ducharme is always calm, and always has a vision for where the team should be come playoff time. His teams perform very consistently overall. Even in 2012, we were expected to be mid-pack and that was when we thought we`d have Drouin all year. We finished 6th with 3 16 year olds leading the way, and made it to game 6 of round 3 after a 0-3 series comeback against an intimidating opponent in the Remparts. Some coaches can get a mediocre team to be tough to play against in the regular season, but can`t figure out how to win in playoffs even with a good team (see: Jean). The best coaches are the ones who win in playoffs as that`s when the real coaching and adjusting begins. Any contender who hires Ducharme will play to their potential based on what we have seen. I said he was a good coach......just would like to see how he makes out without the superstars in the lineup, that's all. You may be right in that any contender would play to their potential under him, but that's not what I'm talking about. Your "we finished 6th with 3 16 year olds leading the way", is hilarious though....One in the NHL now, one regarded as the best jr player in the world, and and other regarded as the best jr goalie in Canada(although that's debatable). It's not like he had 3 5th rounders there that lead the way. lol
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Post by Reesor on Apr 2, 2014 12:42:05 GMT -4
do you guys think these games will sellout quickly? there seems to be quite a lot of hype around the city about them right now. almost as much as last year. You're scaring me. What's the rules on season ticket holder purchasing tickets? Halifax Mooseheads ?@hfxmooseheads 15h Sked will be announced tomorrow. Rd2 tix for ST/15 Pack Holders on sale now until 5pm on Tues. Tickets for Gm1&2 to Gen Public Weds at 10am. Can a season ticket holder with a playoff package purchase extra tickets? I'm probably going to go up on Saturday night which I assume will be game 2. If this means that a season ticket holder can purchase me some tickets then maybe one of you beauties should purchase some tickets for your best pal from Moncton. Tickets went on sale this morning at 10am. Upper bowl is about 1/2 sold for Friday night. Even less tickets gone for Saturday. You shouldn't have a problem getting a ticket.
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