Seriously right. What is Therrien thinking,. 4 game sweep of Tampa and now tied 2-2 against the best team in the league. Therrien surely has no idea what he is doing.

Or

May Briere is slowed down a little to much, is easily knocked off the puck, is pretty useless in the faceoff circle and is being replaced with much faster and younger players.

Eklund: Therrien's Refusal To Play His Clutch Playoff Player Totally Baffling.
- Eklund

Written like a true homer - Briere doesn't replace Gionta because Gionta is leaned on in a defensive role. Briere played like garbage for most of the season but because of his history he should be guaranteed top line minutes in the playoffs?

Replace our top scorers all season who are playing the toughest matchups with Briere because he's clutch and fire Therrien while your at it for his terrible coaching decisions as Eklund puts it.

Oh and yeah Briere didnt get a shift in OT of game 4...all two minutes of it

therrien is doing a masterful job.
his team is clearly inferior in so many ways, and theyre giving the bruins everything they can handle.

briere hasn't been dangerous at all really. its what have u done for me lately, not big minutes because uve scored lots of playoff goals over the last ten years.


he hasn't played as well as any of eller, pleks or deshar
- hugefemale dog77

perfectly said

curious as to which centre Briere should usurp here...
Desharnais, the guy who played at nearly a PPG pace from the 20-game mark on?
Plekanec, the top defensive centre?
or Eller, the guy leading the forwards in scoring?
- Gary_B.

At this point, for a game or two, Desharnais...

Why not try it?

Put Briere on the wing instead of Bournival and give Vanek bigger shoulder pads so he can go in the corners.
- MathSphere

Bournival is all over the ice

At this point, for a game or two, Desharnais...

Why not try it?
- Flyers_V88

Because Desharnais is much better in the defensive zone. Therrien's system is not run and gun, it's collapse and backcheck. If Briere was with Pacioretty or Vanek then 2/3 of the line would struggle in their own zone.

Seriously right. What is Therrien thinking,. 4 game sweep of Tampa and now tied 2-2 against the best team in the league. Therrien surely has no idea what he is doing.

Or

May Briere is slowed down a little to much, is easily knocked off the puck, is pretty useless in the faceoff circle and is being replaced with much faster and younger players.
- willey101

This is fishing for hits - becasue if this is a serious article Ek has some serious issues.

Bournival is all over the ice
- Gary_B.

Bournival was arguably the best player on the ice. I agree with you, sitting him is a mistake.

25 pts on the yr, and 13 goals in 70 games, and he is the 2nd coming because of his past history, and the reason the Habs lost last night.. yep you bet.

Mike Bossey was great in the playoffs. Very clutch.. Whats he doing right now?

Because Desharnais is much better in the defensive zone. Therrien's system is not run and gun, it's collapse and backcheck. If Briere was with Pacioretty or Vanek then 2/3 of the line would struggle in their own zone.
- willey101

Exactly. The DD line always seems to be the one stuck in their own zone, being bottled up by the Bruins' offense. *Putting Briere there would make it worse

michalek - park - briere

the young guns - future stars line.

Eklund: Therrien's Refusal To Play His Clutch Playoff Player Totally Baffling.
- Eklund

canadiens are 6-2 in the playoffs up to now so it is hard to argue that therrien is making the wrong moves or that briere would make a difference.

Douglas Murray plays in game 3, Montreal wins in regulation for the only time in this series. Douglas Murray plays 13 minutes in game 4. Montreal shuts Boston out through regulation and outshoots them as well. they lose the game on a fluke bounce in OT.

yes. Douglas Murray has clearly been a huge, huge problem the last 2 games. as does not playing a 36 year old who does little to nothing when he actually is on the ice.
- Gary_B.

this!!

ive noticed that comment u speak of a few times. mystifying.
not only have they been successful with him playing, but he's absolutely plastered a few bruins and is providing some physical push back. an area that mtl lacks in relation.

not only does this go along way in keeping a team 'honest', but don't think for a second that the bruin players don't feel these bruises as the series goes on....

But then pay guys like Streit and Vinny.... right?

Your arguemnt is unvalid.... If he was such a STUD, there were ways to keep him, easily
- MrBeanTown

Actually, the Streit signing was quite good... He posted 44 points this year, was by far our best offensive defensemen, and made a noticeable difference on the back-end with our breakouts and mobility.

The market dictated Streit would get that money from us, or another team willing to pay. His play was easily on par with contract value.

Also, Vinny was hurt all year and the assumption was that he was going to be a key piece in Laviolette's system... Well, as we know, that didn't go as planned. BUT, as a fourth line center getting less than 15 minutes a game, HE STILL put up 20 goals...

So no, the experiment didn't go as planned with Vinny, but with Streit, I couldn't have asked for much more, if anything, from him this season.

And no, I'm sorry, you clearly don't get it. Briere HAD to be bought-out, as the Flyers needeed CAP relief. Sure, we could have kept him by trading more valuable assets and selling some good players away, but that isn't the smart thing to do when trying to make a hockey team better....

Bournival was arguably the best player on the ice. I agree with you, sitting him is a mistake.
- willey101

Alternate Bournival and Briere on Plekanek's line because Bournival had great chances yesterday but he's keeping his play way too simple to be dangerous, he won't score whith the shots he's taking.

Actually, the Streit signing was quite good... He posted 44 points this year, was by far our best offensive defensemen, and made a noticeable difference on the back-end with our breakouts and mobility.

The market dictated Streit would get that money from us, or another team willing to pay. His play was easily on par with contract value.

Also, Vinny was hurt all year and the assumption was that he was going to be a key piece in Laviolette's system... Well, as we know, that didn't go as planned. BUT, as a fourth line center getting less than 15 minutes a game, HE STILL put up 20 goals...

So no, the experiment didn't go as planned with Vinny, but with Streit, I couldn't have asked for much more, if anything, from him this season.

And no, I'm sorry, you clearly don't get it. Briere HAD to be bought-out, as the Flyers needeed CAP relief. Sure, we could have kept him by trading more valuable assets and selling some good players away, but that isn't the smart thing to do when trying to make a hockey team better....
- Flyers_V88

Nope I get it, I agree he should have been bought out and thats my point.... You guys let him go because, essentially, he wasn't worth the money. The same way, right now, he isn't worth the playing time on a team who is playing very well.

I agree with your newest point, but the validity of the 1st arguement isn't quite there as the Flyers knew he was a 3rd line max plyer....

Maybe he is sandbagging a little. Quenneville does that all the time.

Nope I get it, I agree he should have been bought out and thats my point.... You guys let him go because, essentially, he wasn't worth the money. The same way, right now, he isn't worth the playing time on a team who is playing very well.

I agree with your newest point, but the validity of the 1st arguement isn't quite there as the Flyers knew he was a 3rd line max plyer....
- MrBeanTown

To be clear though, I didn't say Briere was worth the hit, or was still a premier first-line player, just that in the playoffs, he's consistently shown he's a clutch-performer, and can be relied upon to lead offensively. Sure, his defensive game is terrible, and he cannot play the wing to save his life, but he can be used a bit more effectively I think.

People forget it was actually him that lead the 2010 playoffs in scoring with 30 points...

Good call on this blog, imo

So the Flyers respected him enough to us a compliance buy out on him instead of keeping such a "valuable playoff performer" around to help them try and win the cup?.... Got it
- Yonk1216

Cutting Briere gave the Flyers enough money to sign Vincent Lecavalier (oops) and Ray Emery, and pay 70% of Adam Hall's salary as well. When one guy can be replaced by someone you think might be better, and you can pay an additional 1.5 guys with the difference, you do it, valuable playoff performer or no.

But then pay guys like Streit and Vinny.... right?

Your arguemnt is unvalid.... If he was such a STUD, there were ways to keep him, easily
- MrBeanTown

Don't forget amac.

Cutting Briere gave the Flyers enough money to sign Vincent Lecavalier (oops) and Ray Emery, and pay 70% of Adam Hall's salary as well. When one guy can be replaced by someone you think might be better, and you can pay an additional 1.5 guys with the difference, you do it, valuable playoff performer or no.
- dilbert719

Yup.

To be clear though, I didn't say Briere was worth the hit, or was still a premier first-line player, just that in the playoffs, he's consistently shown he's a clutch-performer, and can be relied upon to lead offensively. Sure, his defensive game is terrible, and he cannot play the wing to save his life, but he can be used a bit more effectively I think.

People forget it was actually him that lead the 2010 playoffs in scoring with 30 points...
- Flyers_V88

Flyers played much better with out Briere down the stretch, that alone says a lot.

Obviously Eklund didn't watch any Habs game this season.