AnotherHabsBlog

A whole lotta nothing

2009-03-04T15:14:00.001-08:00

Well the deadline has come and gone and Bob Gainey did nothing, not even a depth move, nothing, nada, zilch. As a fan, I am disappointed, I felt he was going to do a little something, address at least one of the needs on this team, but he didn't, nope, nothing, nada, zilch. I am a pissed off blogger, I will keep this short, les boys better win tonight, or I may unleash the fury. BOO!

Confirmed deals...

2009-03-04T09:08:00.001-08:00

Calgary reacquires Leopold from the Avs. Taking them out of the Jokinen sweepstakes?

Pittsburgh gets Wozniewski from the Blues for Richmond... minor deal at best.

Tellqvist to Buffalo for a 4th. Help for Miller, who has a high ankle sprain.

Leafs claim Gerber off waivers. Good luck with that Bud fans.

Morrison to the Stars off waivers.

Jokinen to the Flames for Lombardi, Prust and a 1st round pick. Damn, I was sorta interested in Olli.

Montador to the Bruins for Nokelainen.

Recchi a Bruin. Wouldn't be a trade deadline if Rex wasn't moved.

Guerin to Pittsburgh, for a conditional pick, 5th or a 4th or a 3rd depending on how far the Pens go. Bob misses out again.

Carcillo to Philly for Upshaw and a 2nd rounder.

Antropov to the Rag$ for a 2nd and conditional pick.

Confirmed deals...

2009-03-04T08:55:00.001-08:00

Calgary reacquires Leopold from the Avs. Taking them out of the Jokinen sweepstakes?

Pittsburgh gets Wozniewski from the Blues for Richmond... minor deal at best.

Leopold back to the Flames

2009-03-04T08:47:00.001-08:00

Calgary reacquires Leopold from the Avs. Taking them out of the Jokinen sweepstakes?

Live Blogging the Deadline

2009-03-04T08:31:00.001-08:00

Quiet, really, really quiet. A couple of signings, the Sens lock up Kuba, the Sabres Connolly. The only deal so far is Vermette to Columbus for Leclaire and a 2nd round pick. More to come....

What Will Bob Do?

2009-03-03T13:34:00.001-08:00

It's that time of the year again, yes, the wonderfully mad Trade Deadline period. A time when anyone who calls themselves a true hockey fan scours the Internet is search of any and all rumours. Web sites such as TSN, Spectors, Eklund, and the Fourth Period are visited and revisited all in the hopes that a deal has been struck, that the first shoe has dropped, hell even the waiver wire is exciting right now. Up until this point, I am still waiting, it's eerily quiet..refresh, reload, refresh, reload, still nothing.

So what is Bob Gainey going to do? Surely he isn't finished. Schnieder was a heck of an acquisition, one that has paid huge dividends on the powerplay already, but there are still some glaring holes in the Habs lineup. The Habs have to be looking to add a big talented center... Jokinen's name keeps popping up, he is a definite possibility, but he is also a guy that has never played in a playoff game, and has played poorly all year in Phoenix. I'd love to see BG land Tkachuk, he is both physical and can score, the problem is that the Blue's are still in the playoff picture and look to maybe be buying not selling. Then there is Vinny, who was the darling of the rumour world during the All Star break, but Brian Lawton (can he be trusted?) seems adamant that Vinny is not being shopped. Vinny landing in Montreal would be the trade of the century, will it happen? I doubt it, but again, it's that time of the year, anything is possible, salary cap permitting.

Those were a few names for the hole at center, what other holes might Bob try and fill? Defense: I think BG would like to land a big stay-at-home defenseman. The names out there are Derek Morris, Brendon Witt (still suspended, but tough), and Jay Bouwmeister. I think Morris ends up in Boston. Witt I believe can be had, if BG wants him. As for Jay Bouw, every GM in the league is wetting themselves for his service, aside from Vinny (which is all speculation) he is the biggest name out there. I am not convinced the Panthers will move him, they desperately need to make the playoffs and he is their best player. But, if Jacques Martin does move Jay Bouw he is going to ask for the moon, and Jay Bouw is probably worth it. I doubt BG sells the farm unless he has Jay Bouw locked up in a new contract, which is not going to happen. If he goes anywhere it will be Philly, or a team from out of nowhere with an offer which was impossible to refuse.

Any other holes, sure, what about a tough physical forward. The Habs tend to get pushed around by bigger more physical teams, a top six forward who is tough as nails would be a great addition. Ryan Symth might be available, so too Laperriere (not much of a scorer, but grit to spare). Bill Guerin is in limbo, two days ago it looked like he was going to be traded at any moment, things for whatever reason have fallen apart, that said he is a gritty forward with top six capabilities. Gary Roberts (too old) is on waivers, and Recchi (as is the case at every deadline) is also on the block. I could see BG taking a run at Guerin, I love Ryan Symth, but I just can't picture him coming back to play in the East. If Bob makes a move, or moves I bet he tries to land a center or defenceman first, but what do I know?

Ok, sure, those are some names that might go the Habs way, who might be headed out of Montreal? If BG makes any sort of significant move I think the one big piece moved would be Chris Higgins. Higgy was stripped of his 'A' earlier this year, and his offensive game, has well, been offensive. Other possiblities are the Kostitsyn brothers (one or both), Halak (his stock has never been higher), Dandy (he is a goner), O'Bryne, and any prospect (especially on the defensive end). Pure speculation on my part, but isn't that what makes this time of the year fun? Ok, back to refreshing every possible hockey site on the web. Enjoy the madness fellow puckheads!

Early Season Reflections

2008-10-31T08:18:00.001-07:00

I haven't written in awhile, life has a way of holding back my words, chalk it up to bed case of writer's block, and the demands of raising a couple of kids. Anyway, yes, this is a hockey blog, not a diary entry, so lets get down to it.

The Habs are off to a blazing start, after last night's 2-1 victory over the Wild the Habs are sitting pretty with a 7-1-1 record, not too shabby. What pleases me the most about the Hab's fast start is that I believe they have yet to play their best hockey. Last year's top line of Kovalev, Plekanek, and Kostitsyn has yet to show the magic that it had the last year, and the powerplay, which was the bread and butter of the Habs last year, is a shell of its former self.

What then explains this fast early start? First and formost, I think the Habs are scoring goals outside of their top line, Saku and Tanguay seem to be a great fit, the third line (although it hasn't yet jelled with the return of Higgins) is always a threat, and the pluggers, although not putting up big numbers, have enough jam and energy to change the pace of any game. Secondly Carey Price is living up to expectations, this kid time and again comes up with big saves at key moments. He has a bit of a bad habit of over-handling the puck, but I believe that in time, he could have comparable puck-handling skills to a Marty Broduer, or at the very least a Marty Turco. And finally, I am impressed with the Habs defence this year, sure I would love nothing less than to see Brisebois sit in the press box and not as the Habs sixth defenceman every other night, but as a unit they have played some solid hockey. Huge props to Markov, who seems to have gone from an all-star defenceman to a Norris Trophy candidate.

Enough about the Habs for a bit, I'd like now to talk a little about the NHL in general. I haven't watched all that many games, and the games I have watched have really only been those inwhich the Habs were playing... but damn is it just me or are the refs really over officiating? Yes, its early in the season, the zebras have their marching orders from the league to call anything and everything, but damn, talk about ruining the flow of a game. Take lastnight's Habs-Wild game for example, the wild were rewarded 3 almost back to back 5-3 advantages... yes most of the calls were legit, but the refs have to swallow their whistles every now and then, just for the sake of the game. The idea that more powerplays will lead to more goals is a myth. Sure if each team has 5 powerplay chances a game, there is a chance that each team, if their units are functioning well will score a couple of goals each, but the Wild had 10 chances against the Habs lastnight and failed to score a goal at all. The special teams guys are a select group, if you have your 10 best guys on the ice for 15 minutes a period, they are going to wear out, it defeats the purpose. Give me an end to end 2-1, hardly any penalties called barn burner any day.

Thats all I have got... oh ya, Go Habs Go!!!

Off Season

2008-07-10T11:55:00.001-07:00

I have kept a keen eye on the off season developments of the Habs and the rest of the NHL, but haven't found, or made time to comment on any of it. I have a few spare hours today so, in an attempt to keep this blog relatively relevant, I will throw my one or two cents out there.

First I'd like to give a little tip of my hat to Bob Gainey for being as active as I have seen him for a long time. The Sundin soup opera, as exciting as it is, has me a little nauseated, all the power in the world to Mats to sit and reflect about his career, and what he wants to do next, but shit, he has Bob and the Habs over a barrel right now. The conspiracy theorist in me thinks this is yet another situation where a big named UFA is simply using the Habs as leverage to land a larger contract. Similar to what Brett Hull, Brendon Shanahan, and Martin Lapointe have done in the past. Mats my simply be suffering from a crisis of consciousness, he is as you know an all-time Leaf great, the idea of signing with the Habs may have him questioning everything he knows. It would be much easier, at least on his Leaf plagued soul to resign with the Leafs, retire, or sign on the dotted line with the Canucks, who have reportedly offered him a ridiculously bloated 20 million smackers for 2 years. Perhaps Mats has been adequately wooed by Bob Gainey, the Habs, and the prospect of living in Montreal, but I just have this feeling that Mats won't sign with the Habs, I can't put my finger on why, maybe its because I feel he is still loyal to the Leafs, maybe its because this is probably the last chance for Mats to cash in large in his career, maybe its because its taking too long....shock me Mats, shock me.

I am content with the other moves Gainey has made this year, Alex Tanguay is a big improvement over Michael Ryder, and the addition of Big George Laraque gives the Habs an elite enforcer that they have been so sorely missing for years. Gainey has also been able to resign a number of key RFAs, like Kostitsyn, Halak, and Gorges. The departure of powerplay specialist Mark Striet remains a bit of a concern, unless either a forward like Tanguay or Kovalev, or a dman like Gorges can be fill the void at the point.

So here we are, the Habs are in a sort of void until Sundin shits or gets off the pot. Rumour mongers like Eklund would have you believe that if Sundin does not sign on with the Habs, that Gainey has a plan B, which would be say Marleau, or the artist formerly know as Forsberg, but I believe that if Sundin does not sign with the Habs, then Gainey will stick with what he has got, and fiddle if need be throughout the regular season. I think the Habs still have two pressing needs, the elusive first line center, and a puck moving defenceman that can man the point on the powerplay. Gainey has feelers out for the centerman, as for the dman, well he might have to try to fill that hole with a guy from within the Habs organization, or wait and trade for one later in the season.

Do I believe this team is as good or better than the 2007-08 squad, hypothetically yes. If Gainey can reel in the big fish that is Sundin, the Habs instantly become an early favorite for the Cup, if not, well the talent level of this team is on par with that of last years squad, as to whether it can perform like it did last year well that is a question that is impossible to answer at this point.

Post Sript

2008-05-12T08:30:00.001-07:00

Its been a couple of weeks since the Habs hit the wall, had their season end with a resounding THUD. I have digested it all, actually I have been busy enough with life to not have given it too much thought. But in an attempt to keep this blog relevant, it would be best, I guess, that I break the 2007-08 season down. Time for me to reflect on the good the bad and the ugly. So here goes.

On to the positive first. The Habs surprised everyone this year, there wasn't a pundit, however delusional, that expected the Habs would finish a top of the Eastern Conference. I believe that I wrote in the 2007-2008 pre-season that I expected that this group of guys would finish anywhere from 6th to 10th, I was not going to be shocked (disappointed of course) if the Habs failed to make the playoffs. But, but, surprise, surprise, surprise, not only did they make the playoffs, but they won their conference. How did that happen? Lets start at the top; shame on me for questioning Carbo's coaching, the 2nd year man, not only lead a young (not riddled with superstars, by any stretch) team to the top of the Eastern Conference, but he has also received recognition for the job he did from the hockey press, by securing his first Jack Adams nomination. Truth be told I do not believe Carbo to be that shit hot a coach, but then again I don't believe in a lot of stuff, so what do I know? O.k., I put the cart before the horse, I should, if I meant to start at the top, started at the top, and Bob Gainey is at the top of the Habs organization. Gainey it has been said has a plan, he is building, so its been told, a championship team for the centennial season, which if you look at your watch, is next year. If this season is not an aberration, then hell, it looks like BG's plan is working. How, what did he do or not do to make the Habs a contender? First he was brave enough to stick with the youth, the Habs have drafted extremely well in the last 4 or 5 years, and Gainey has made sure that the young skilled players in the organization cut their teeth at the NHL level. The emergence of Carey Price, and Kostitsyn brothers are a testament to Gainey's youth movement. Experience is only going to make this young and talented crew all the better. The veterans, hmmm, Kovalev had a comeback player of the year style season, he was key to the Habs success this year. Roman Hamrlik, Mike Komisarek and Andrei Markov provided stellar veteran leadership on the backend. There was just enough a dynamic between veteran and youth this season to float the Habs ship.

I believe aside from Kovalev, Hamrlik, Markov, and Komisarek (hard for me not to think of him as a kid, but Komi is all growed up), it was the kids that were key to success in 2007-08. The Kostitsyn brothers added a spark offensively and with their speed. Guys like Gorges, and O'Bryne filled important holes in the blueline, and Carey Price gave glimpses that he may be a force between the pipes for years to come.

O.k. enough with the sappy feel good stuff. Why did the Habs flame out in the playoffs? How could a plodding team like the Flyers make short work of a much faster, seemingly more talented Habs squad?
One word, TOUGHNESS! The Habs are too soft to survive the war that is the playoffs. Speed and reliance on an effective powerplay works in the regular season, the playoffs are a different beast. When the line of Smolinski, Kostopulous, and Begin is your most effective line in the playoffs, you can not expect much playoff success. It was far too easy to lean on the Habs, Carey Price was run at will. The Bruins figured this out, and almost stole the first round series, the Flyers followed the Bruin blueprint, and the smaller, weaker Habs had no answer.

The other disappoint was the disappearance act of key players like Markov, Hamrlik, Higgins, and to a lesser extent Kovalev (I believe he tried to do too much). I was also upset that Ryder (who was atrocious in the regular season) did not get a shot in the playoffs, the guy can score goals, and well goals were hard to come by in the playoffs. Perhaps guys like Markov and Komisarek were playing hurt, but the disappearance of veteran leadership was along with the lack of size and toughness the main cause of the playoff disappointment in 2008.

What to expect for next year? I expect BG to add some size up front. Yes, yes, and yes every true Habs fan on the planet has been screaming this for years, but damn it, its what is missing on this squad. The Habs need someone with hands that will sit their arse in front of the net and take the abuse needed to win big games. Aside from added size and toughness, if the Habs young players can continue to develop, the 2008-09 season should be just as exciting as the season just passed. GO HABS GO!

Philly It Is

2008-04-23T07:09:00.001-07:00

I will admit that I have yet to become full engaged in the 08 playoffs. I watched the Habs game 7 victory over the Bruins, I was in full Hab regalia, and I even have a playoff bread, but my life outside of the world of hockey is, well, far more exciting at the moment. Why its exciting um, that story is meant for a different blog, so I will not get into it here.

As for round 2, I am content that the Habs are matched up with the Flyers. As much as I believe that the league would have loved a Crosby vs. Ovechkin battle in the second round, the idea of the Habs squaring off against the Rangers had me worried. I think the Hab's speed gives them the edge against the slow plodding Flyers. If the Habs play their game, and if Price holds up, which I think he will, the kid is something special, I believe the Habs can win this series in 5 or 6.

GO HABS GO!!

Eastern Conference Champs!!!

2008-04-08T06:34:00.001-07:00

Who'd have thunk it? Not this fella, last fall I believed that the best that this team could do was creep into the playoffs, wow, was I and every other pundit in the hockey world wrong. If anyone of us had of predicted that the Habs would finish at the top of the heap in the Eastern Conference, we would have been called delusional, or at the very least uber-optimistic.

Tips of my hat have to go out to Bob Gainey, Guy Carboneau, Alex Kovalev, Carey Price, Tomas Plekanec, Andrei Markov, Mike Komisarek, Roman Hamrlik, the Kostitsyn brothers and Mark Striet. There are names left of the list, my hope is that guys like Saku, Higgins, and Ryder can come up big in the playoffs, they as well as those mentioned on my hat tip list, are key to playoff success.

I am worried about the Bruins, yes, the Habs have owned the Bruins all season, and historically, but the law of averages says that the Bruins are gonna win a couple of games at least. Godspeed Les Boys!

Thank you Bruins

2008-03-23T08:05:00.001-07:00

The Habs have made the Bruins their bitch this year. The regular season sweep of the Bruins has netted the Habs a free and easy 16 points, which have gone a long way in propelling the Habs to first place in the Eastern Conference. As it stands right now it would be the Habs vs. Bruins in the first round of the playoffs, although that sounds like an enticing match up, I have grown rather tired of Habs vs. Bruin playoff match ups. I am going to have to hope the Bruins miss the playoffs, as nice as it would be for the Habs to have a free pass in the first round, it would be nice to see the Habs to match up against someone different for once in the playoffs. Go Habs, thanks Bruins.

Losing and Gaining

2008-03-19T08:48:00.001-07:00

The madness that is the charity point for an overtime, or shootout lose, worked in the Habs favour last night. I am philosophically against the idea of rewarding a losing team with points, it tends to lead to boring hockey late in the third period if the game is tied, teams sit back and try and insure themselves' of at least the point. I want my team to play for the win at all times. The charity point has lead to NHL parity, which the NHL brass was striving for, it sees teams that should have no business competing for a playoff spot, for example, the Oilers, the Bruins, the Coyotes, and the Panthers, still in the playoff race. Great if you are a fan of those aforementioned teams, but not good if you are a fan of hockey played at a high level. I will take the point for a lose last night, it has propelled my guys into a tie at the top of the Eastern Conference, but I would love the NHL brain trust to rethink the whole thing. The playoffs are approaching, and I can't wait, no more playing for a point, no more skills competition shootout, its win or lose, and thats how I like it.

Plugging Along

2008-03-17T08:24:00.001-07:00

Les Boys are still keeping pace, sure a win against an injury depleted Islanders team isn't much to write home about, but it was one of those trap games, that had the Habs not shown up might have sent them on a tailspin, not something you want to see with less than 10 games remaining in the regular season. Hat tip to Halak, who has seen very little ice time on the big team this year, but when he has been called upon, he has preformed admirably. I was pretty confident that Huet was going to be moved at the deadline (would have liked a warm body, and a pick, but what ya gonna do?), and it looks like Bob made the right decision. The future is now, Price and Halak look like they can carry the load. The playoffs are a different beast, it will be interesting to say the least to see how the kids react to the added pressure.

Hrrumpp

2008-03-14T07:39:00.001-07:00

I am going to try and make an effort to update this blog more regularly. Its a good way to keep my skills fresh, and hell, the NHL season is getting down to the brass tacks, the playoffs are just around the corner.

I really haven't much to say about the Habs vs. Sens match up last night. I didn't watch it, I am superstitious, I have noticed lately that the Habs seem to perform better when I don't watch. All bollocks of course, I was busy doing other things last night (namely flirting with the ladies, a guy needs to play). I turned on RDS, it was late in the 3rd, Les Boys were down 3-0, seems I didn't miss all that much. It was a big game, to bad the boys were a no show, it happens, lets hope it is not the beginning of a trend. The Sens are a topsy-turvy squad, they are hot right now, give them a few games, they will deflate again. I mean really, how far can Gerber get them?

As for my guys, they need a few days off. I'd rest them, they are fresh from a Western road trip, and a fantastic 4-0 victory over the Devils. They were due for a let down game. Too bad it was versus the Sens. They will get them next time.

What a difference a couple of months makes

2008-03-12T09:54:00.001-07:00

I have been away. Off to Europe I went, passport in hand, backpack on , well ya, the back. It was fantastic, I could tell stories, but this is a hockey blog, its the wrong medium. Ok, focus, when I left Canada in January, the Habs were floating around 5 or 6 place in the Eastern Conference, things looked eerily similar to years past. The Habs looked like they might play .500 hockey and squeak into the playoffs, or once again fall into their all to typical post-Christmas swoon and be on the outside looking in. It hasn't happened, the Habs have been one of the hottest teams in the NHL for the last couple of months, and after last night's 4-0 victory over the Devils they see themselves on top of the Eastern Conference. Who'd have thunk it? Not me, nope I am forever the pessimist, its innate for a Habs fan, it protects us from the inevitable soul crushing that is watching the Habs being brilliantly mediocre year in and year out.

Right so there are 11 regular season games remaining. I am positive that my boys will make it into the playoffs, as for winning the Conference, of that, I am not as confident...see there is the pessimism again. Right now there are 4 teams that are competing for the top spot. The Habs, the Devils, the Sens, and the Pens. The Habs, who are riding a hot Carey Price, and a rejuvenated Alex Kovalev, are going to have to shore up their defense, and pray for secondary scoring outside the top line. This may sound absurd, considering the way he has played all year, but I think the play of Michael Ryder, might be key to the Hab's success during the stretch. The Devils, what can you say about the Devils? Any team that has Marty between the pipes is going to be successful. The are a bore to watch, and a bitch to play, I think they will finish at the top of the Eastern Conference pile by game 82. The Sens, oh the enigma that is the Sens. When the Sens are on, they are deadly. They have the best top line in the NHL (when Alfie is healthy), but after that the Sens are vulnerable. The soap opera that is Ray Emery, and a defense that is very suspect, might just keep the Sens from the top spot. They are however, very streaky, it would not surprise me if they finish anywhere from 1st-5th. The Pens, even when Sid was out the Pens found a way to win. Malkin solidified his status as a legitimate NHL superstar. They made a splash at the deadline by adding Hossa. When the Pens get healthy the are going to be one off the most exciting teams in the league to watch. My fear with the Pens is their goaltending and defense, both are average at best. I don't think the Pens are quite ready to win the Conference. But with the amount of skill that is on that team, like the Sens anything is possible.

There you go, my first hockey blurb in months. I haven't been this excited about my Habs in years. There seems to be something special in the air, what with the parallels that can be made to Dryden, Roy, and Price, and the fact that the last time the Habs were in first place this late in the regular season was 1993, and well every Habs fan knows what happened that year. Oh but I am a pessimist, a pessimist damn it! Go Habs!

Same Tired Script

2007-12-12T12:24:00.001-08:00

If the Habs were a television drama, people would quickly be tuning out. The Habs of the last five to ten years have become so formulaic that they have become mundane. The typical fast start, which leaves the experts shaking their heads, hopping on the Habs bandwagon (which has worn out shocks by now), then oh ya, the holiday season approaches, and whammo, the Habs look like a shell of the team that they were at the 10 to 15 game mark. You can almost set your watch to them.

Why does this happen? Is it a conditioning thing? Are they unable to maintain their legs past game 15? Is it a question of talent? Is this team simply not deep enough to compete for extended periods? Is it coaching, are the Habs simply that easy to figure out?

I could rant, and rant. It looks right now that Koivu is both tired and disinterested. The Habs have to be the worst passing team in the league. They are too small up front, and too dependent on 3 guys on the back end. This team is too easily manhandled. They are not tough enough mentally or physically, and egad how hard is it to shout the God damned puck and drive the net for a rebound, forecheck, and chip the puck off the boards in the defensive end? Hockey basics is sourly lacking on this club.

What can be done? A couple of weeks ago, their arch enemies a few hours up the 401 looked like they were on the verge of blowing everything up. Is this the only option in Montreal? Is it time to erase the play book, rework the whole game plan? Do Gainey and Carbo have a game plan? I am not going to hold my breath, patience at the executive level is about as predictable in Montreal as the inevitable December meltdown. YAWN.

What is Going on in the North East?

2007-12-02T14:52:00.001-08:00

It has been a difficult couple of weeks for the 3 Canadian teams in the North East Division. Much has been made of course of the soap opera that is the Toronto Maple Leafs (don't look now, but they have won 2 in a row), but things are not going all that much better in Montreal or Ottawa. I haven't much to add to the Maple Leaf circus, as a Habs fan it does my heart some good to see the Leaf Nation in turmoil.

It is hard to fathom what is wrong with the Senators, this was a team that was 16-3 to start the season, there were comparisons about two weeks ago to the 1976-77 Habs who only lost 8 games. Oh how things can change, the Sens are in the throws of a 6 game losing streak, some of the demons of years past seem to have sneaked back into their game, namely average goaltending, and the whole question of heart. I believe the Sens will soon straighten things out, they are an elite team in this league, but they are in no way the 1976-77 Habs.

As for Habs, I could go on and on, there are as many negatives as there are positives with their line up. Morale has dipped to a level similar to that of the disastrous December 2006. Carbo can try his best to shake things up (pairing Saku with pluggers like Smokes and Streit, was a bit over the top, me thinks), he can bench this guy or that, nothing seems to work at this point. Could a true shakeup be in order, say maybe a trade, or at the very least a call up from Hamilton? Things are not going to get any easier for the Habs, Detroit comes to town on Tuesday, and if Les Boys come out with the same sort of effort as they did against Nashville, they will be run out of the rink.

The Big Game

2007-11-26T09:13:00.001-08:00

It is still early in the year, and really each and every game of the season is a must win, but tomorrow night's Buds vs. Habs tilt, is more important then the rest so far this season. The Leafs have been struggling all season, the Leaf Nation, the media, pretty much everyone who gives a damn about the Buds (exclude moi from the list), are screaming for whole scale changes in the TDot. A lose to the Habs tomorrow night maybe be the last straw, it may force the hand of the fine people of the MLSE to actually do something, in an attempt to right a sinking ship.

As far as what this means to my Habs, well things are not as dire in the MTL, yet, but a lose to the Buds always stings, and would be a 3rd lose in a row. It may not lead to panic, but it certainly will be a wake up call to the Hab's brass that things may be coming off the rails. The Buds always give the Habs trouble, they play Les Boys hard and seem to find a way (whether it be lucky bounce, or dominant physical play) to win.

I see this going one of two ways, the Habs either blow the Buds out, setting the ball rolling on the reconstruction of the Buds, or the Buds show up, like they always do against the Habs, and squeak out a victory, hence handing JFJ, Maurice et al. yet another temporary reprieve. It should be fun!

Deja Vu?

2007-11-25T12:27:00.001-08:00

I have once again been negligent to this poor old blog of mine. Let it be known that I still love my Habs, warts and all, but, life, maybe a touch of the writer's block, and hell perhaps a case of the what the hell is there to say, have prevented me from posting lately.

Lets get down too it then. is it just me, or do the Habs circa 2006-07, give off the same odor then that of the Habs 2005-06 team? Once again they explode quick out of the gate. They zoom all the way up to 4th in the Eastern Conference, then egad, and shite, guess what, the wheels start to fall off.

What does it all mean? How come? Lets start with the positives. The Habs have 3 of the best defensemen in the Eastern Conference right now. No one can blame Markov, Hamrlik, or Komisarek for their play thus far. The powerplay (which has disappeared the last 3-4 games) has not missed Souray one bit. The goaltending has been above average, no complaints there. Last year's whipping boy Alex Kovalev is playing his best hockey as a Hab. Kovalev's linemate Thomas Plekanec just keeps getting better and better, he has been the Hab's best forward many a night this season. Have I missed anything? Um, Higgins, well he has also had periods of brilliance, but to this point, I'd have to give him only a C+, he has to be great every night, he is that important.

Right, so now the bad news. As good as the Habs big 3 on defense have been, the bottom 3, or 4, Brisebois, Streit, Boullion, and Gorges have been really soft. I will reserve judgment on Gorges, he sees the least amount of playing time, and except for one brutal giveaway this year, he has been ok. Brisebois, what can I say, he might be my least favorite Habs player of all time. Why Bob Gainey brought this waste of space back I will never understand. Mark Streit, this kid was the best Hab during the pre-season, he was solid in the first ten games of the season, but he seems to be squeezing the stick now, he will be fine. Finally Bou Bou, oh poor Bou Bou, I know its not easy being a smurf, this guy is out of his league, there may be a spot for him on a TimBits Hockey squad.

Lets talk offense, or the lack of there in. This team, like last year's team, and well any Habs team for say the last ten to fifteen years can not put the puck in the net 5 on 5. It starts with the fact that the Habs 'sniper' Michael Ryder has been God awful all year. The '1st' line of Saku, Higgins, and Ryder have been non-existent for the last ten games, and well, how they go the Habs go. The Habs need some help up front, how that is going to happen, I have no clue. My only hope is that Gainey sees what I see, and finally makes this happen. Trade Huet, trade Ryder, dangle some picks, this team is in drastic need of scoring.

Thats it for now, seems I had a lot to get off my chest. Lets hope that the Habs can get their act together, it pains me to think that I am watching a rerun of last year. Yuck!

5 Days Away

2007-09-24T13:28:00.001-07:00

I have been rather silent lately. The Habs off season has been meh at best. I am always guarded in my optimism when it comes to my Habs. I find it much easier psychologically to be pessimistic of my team's chances. It is much better to be pleasantly surprised, for me, then it is to have my heart broken again by misguided hope. All that said, I looks to me that, with yet another quiet off season from "Stand Pat" Bob, it is going to be a long season for we in the Habs Nation. They have not gotten any better, and yet they probably aren't any worse. They are mediocre, and we the fans have sort of got used to that, haven't we?

Breezer, bashing instead of Souray bashing this season. Oh and I am loading up on my Bou Bou ammunition as well. Blargh!

The Hammer and a Little Smoke

2007-07-07T15:22:00.001-07:00

The frenzy has all but ended. Bob, did a little, as is his way. He signed Hamrlik and Smolinski. I like Roman Hamrlik, I am not sure he is really worth all the pennies that Bob threw his way, but that is Bob's way. The GM of the Habs has to throw extra pennies in order to entice players to come to Montreal. Brian Smolinski is a solid hockey player, he is not the upper end center I was hoping for but, well, that is Montreal's way.

My nemesis Sheldon Souray has yet to find a new home. Funny, I get a lot of grief for my disdain for Souray's defensive play, and yet, and yet, it seems that the NHL GMs agree that he is a liability in his on end. That or his agent is looking for the moon, and well, the sky is quickly falling. Boo Hoo.

Sammy Dealt to the Hawks..WooHoo!!

2007-06-16T10:48:00.001-07:00

The Habs shipped Sergei Samsonov to the Hawks for winger Tony Salmelainen and defenceman Jassen Cullimore (whom the Habs will buy out). This is a great move, not that Salmelainen is going to be the next big thing in the MTL, but because it rids the Habs of the headache that Sammy had become, and also freed up a little cap space.

Higgins and Komisarek have both also been signed to 2-year deals. Lets hope this is a sign that BG is going to have a productive off season. Now what to do with those two 1st round draft picks...hmmmm??

2007-06-13T12:29:00.001-07:00

My apologies dear blog 'o' mine. I have been a neglectful parent. I have been too engulfed in life, to write, well at least about the fastest game on ice, or more specifically about my Habs.

So here it goes. Now that the yawner that was the Stanley Cup Playoffs are over. They were not dreadful, but there wasn't a hell of a lot of drama. Cinderella, not only lost her slipper, but she could not find it, I am not sure if she made it to the ball at all this year. Yawn! Its now the time for salacious rumours, the time were fans from every team screams and yells, jumps up and down and pounds their chests, demanding that their team's GM signs this UFA or trades this washed up veteran for the 1st round prospect who is going to be the next big thing.

First things first, Gainey locked-up the Habs best defenceman in Markov. There has been an offer made to Souray, some say it is a low ball offer. I think 4.5 million, or whatever it was, over 4 years, or whatever it was, is about right. That said there is many a GM in the NHL that will throw huge money at Souray, and therefore, unless this original offer was just away to begin the discussion, well I think Souray is going to look elsewhere. That really doesn't upset me. I'd rather see Timmonen or Hannam in a Habs uniform in the first place. Slap shots be damned.

Finally Yashin. Egad, no. Have not the Habs their full of moody, enigmatic Russian 'talent'? If it comes down to Gainey coming up empty in the UFA market, and it might, Yashin may be an affordable option. But, geezus I hope not.

Enough with the Canada's team crap....

2007-05-24T11:03:00.001-07:00

Ok I get it TSN and the CBC have a vested interest in pimping the Ottawa Senators as Canada's team. Its a matter of garnering interest in the Stanley Cup Finals, sure it makes sense. The more bandwagon jumpers the better, its all about ratings, ad revenue, but fawk, get over it already. The majority of Canadian hockey fans are either Habs fans or Leafs fans, true Habs fans or Leafs fans have an awful time cheering for the Sens..it just doesn't seem right. So Sports Center cobble together as many Top Ten reasons why Ottawa should be Canada's team as you like..I am sick of it. Go Ducks.

Hockey vs. Basketball

2007-05-17T10:41:00.001-07:00

Two nights ago there were two separate body checks in two separate sports that lead to a sum total of 4 athletes being suspended. Lets chat first about the Pronger hit, I agree that Pronger should have been slapped with some discipline, he may be 6'6'' but he was headhunting and there is no need for that in the game.

Next lets gab about the Robert Horry hipcheck on Steve Nash, it was dirty for sure, Horry should have been t-ed up, an ejection was the right call by the refs. I find his 2 game suspension a little harsh, sure basketball in principle is a non-contact sport (ever play..non-contact, my ass) but, Nash was not hurt. The scandal here is not Horry, it is the league's one game suspensions of the Sun's Boris Diaw and Amare Stoudimire for leaving the bench and going on the floor. Rules are rules says the NBA commish, but geezus if you can't protect or check on your team's best player after they have been flagrantly fouled, how does that stop things from boiling over. The Suns get hit hard for a flagrant foul on their best player...time to rethink that rule I think.

I am Canadian, Meaning I Have to Cheer for The Sens...

2007-05-15T08:19:00.001-07:00

Um, well no. Sure I want to see the Sens take care of the Sabres, I can't stand the Sabres, no-brainer there. If the Sens match-up against the Wings in the Finals, I am all Sens, but, but, if the Ducks land in the Finals the Ducks are my team.

I have had a hard time getting emotionally involved in the NHL Playoffs 07, there are no underdogs, the 4 teams remaining in the dance are the 4 teams that are arguably the top 4 teams in the NHL...where is the drama? I suppose if I were a Sens fan, I could get excited about the fact that the Sens have not blown a tire as per usual in the post season. I could bandwagon jump, the Sens being the soul Canadian team left in the big show...similar to the Oilers last year, and the Flames before that..difference being that the Oilers and Flames were gritty underdogs, they both had something special. Bah, Go Sens, I guess.

Playoff Thoughts

2007-04-17T10:59:00.001-07:00

I haven't yet been all that engaged in the 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs. I can't seem to find a team to cheer for. I have minor crushes on the Wild, Isles, and the Flames, but from how it looks none of those teams are going to survive the 1st round. My pick to win the Cup, the New Jersey Devils are in peril of also bowing out in the 1st round...Marty where art thou??

I am sure when the dust settles, when I can get a clearer feeling as to who the contenders are versus the pretenders, say after the completion of the 2nd round, I will catch playoff fever. I am just not all that interested yet.

All Over But The Crying....

2007-04-08T09:49:00.001-07:00

I have not blogged much lately, there seemed to be a strange connection between my lack of posts and the way the Habs played. Well, superstition aside, the Habs came up short in the biggest game of the year, and will be on the outside looking in, in terms of the 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs.

The 2006/2007 Habs team was a disappointment, at one point early in the season the Habs were solidly 4th in the Eastern Conference and looked to be sneaking up on the Buffalo Sabres for perhaps 1st in the North East. Cue the post-Xmas collapse, starting goalie Huet gets injured longterm, the Habs penalty killing goes in the tank...they are unable to score 5 on 5, constant distractions like that of the Samsonov soap opera, the benching and then trading of Craig Rivet, a no show season by Kovalev and a GM who sat on his hands at the trade deadline...there is more of course, as to why this team didn't make it to the show, but I am suffering from a big lose hangover, I have yet to find levity, I can not yet digest the 06-07 season objectively. Give me a few days, hell I may even point out some positives. SIGH!

Good Old Bruins...

2007-03-23T11:35:00.001-07:00

Nothing like a couple of games against the Bruins to get the Habs right back into the playoff hunt. I wouldn't say that I feel for the boys from Beantown, hell that is akin to cheering for the Leafs...you have to wonder when the Bruins are going to figure it out, you simply cannot blow up the roster every year and hope to succeed in this league.

The kids continue to lead the way, Halak has been solid, Pleks has been the unsung hero, hell it looks (if last night is any indication) that Higgins might be getting his groove back. Egad, these late surges to make the playoffs, you can set your watch to them.

Halak Shuts The Door

2007-03-21T07:22:00.001-07:00

Jaro Halak obtained his first career NHL shutout, and the Habs disposed of the Bruins 1-0 last night. Habs rookie Gui Latendresse scored the lone goal, and it looks like the Habs may be peaking at the right time. This plot has been written over and over again the last few years..the Habbies bite, scratch and claw into that last playoff spot. The difference this year may be that the surge this time around is being lead by youth...the kids have really stepped it up the last couple of weeks. Here is hoping that vets can catch some of their enthusiasm and that the Habs can make yet another improbable push for the playoffs.

Les Boys Are Still Hanging Around...

2007-03-19T11:30:00.001-07:00

The win against the Leafs on Saturday, albeit another one of those cursed 3 point games, has keep the Habs tenable playoff hopes alive. They remain on the outside looking in, but the win was an important positive step. Funny how a good goaltending performance can make things a whole lot easier. The Habs seem to play with a lot more confidence in front of rookie Halak, then they do Abby...whose on ice flopping makes everyone nervous. I believe it's time to ride the rookie, let Abby rot on the bench.

Every game at this point is a must win...the Habbies face long time rivals the Bruins on Tuesday night, if they can get the same kind of goaltending, if they can play a full 60 minutes, the B's are beatable. To say I am confident of the Habs playoff hopes would be a gross exaggeration, but a Saturday night win against the Leafs always brightens a fella's mood.

OK A Post To Post

2007-03-15T16:33:00.001-07:00

Seems that the smattering of spring-like weather the past week or so has distracted me from blogging about my Habs. I of course, always have an eye out, I know what is happening, I simply have not felt compelled to write. The Habbies throughout the distraction that is Sammy's whining, and Kovalev's vertigo are riding a 2 game winning streak and remain in the playoff hunt. They are in 11th in the east, but only sit 2 points out of the 8th spot...there is hope. I will try and be more vigilant with my coverage, this is not a good weekend for me though, seems there is a little thing called St. Paddy's day forthcoming, and a boy has to represent his Irish roots. Cheers!!!

Glad I missed it.....

2007-03-09T14:31:00.001-08:00

I played basketball last night, ran around, got sweaty, stole the show...upon arriving home, I of course knew les boys were playing, I checked the box scores, only to see that the Habs were down 6-1 at the end of the 2nd, that was enough for me to tone them out for the night. If the players wearing the bleu, blanc et rouge refuse to honor the uniform, why should I waste a Thursday night watching them.

This team has quit, I could make a list of the problems from top to bottom as to why this team is so bad right now, but, to hell with it, read the other posts in this blog, its all there. Seems the Habs organization is content on securing a top 5 or 6 draft pick. Hey everyone needs a goal.

Much to do about Kovalev....

2007-03-07T18:56:00.001-08:00

The Habs are in the tank, they have not played a hockey for close to a week...so what is the Montreal sports media to do but raise a huge stink over a Russian interview that Alex Kovalev took part in. Seems that if the interview is 'liberally' translated, Alex K has some rather derogatory things to say about the team, and his teammates. He may or may not have said some nasty things about Francophone hockey players, he may or may not have called out Carbo.....my take, its all bollocks...the the Montreal sports media, because of a rather slow news week Habs wise, needed to dig up some dirt to sell copy. I mean come on folks, how reliable is the Russian press??? Its time for the boys to get back on the ice, if the media have to sink to these kind of lows in order to fill their sports pages.

Same Old, Same Old

2007-03-04T08:54:00.001-08:00

The Habs Vs. Bruins game last night was a pretty good game all and all. Both teams skated hard, there was the typical passion that one might expect from these two long time rivals. The Habs lost the game because of 3 poor decisions by their dmen. The first goal, may have looked like a softy that Halak failed to snag with his trapper, but if you watch the shot, it was clear that the puck deflected off Souray's stick, and changed direction enough to freeze the young tender. The second goal was created when Komisarek unwisely pinched in the offensive zone and failed to keep the puck in, it resulted in a 2 on 1 and well Halak had no chance. The Third B's goal, was just a brainfart of a pass in the defensive zone by Souray, the errant pass went right to a Bruin who then centered it to Glenn Murray, et voila game over.

The Habs wasted a fine performance by their young goaltender, and well they are not going to win too many games when only scoring a single goal, I don't care who is between the pipes.

A spot in the post season is fast slipping away from les glorieux. If they do not find away to step it up, they will be on the outside looking in....and the 2006/07 season will be simply a wasted effort. Try as I might to put a positive spin on things, if it stinks, it stinks, and these guys in the bleu, blanc et rouge are pretty ripe right now.

Upon Reflection

2007-02-28T17:40:00.001-08:00

I was spitting mad all day yesterday. I spent a good 10 hours of my day refreshing TSN, and listening to the Team 990 in the hopes that Bob Gainey might pull a rabbit out of his hat, or at least make a deal that would shake up the Habs roster...didn't happen. But wait, it gets better, I then spent 3 hours of my night listening to Habs game on the radio (Idol night, not worth the battle), only to hear the Habs get white washed by the Rangers. The sound everyone heard last night was the vein in my forehead pulsing...arrrgghhh I was. It is a good thing I resisted the temptation to post last night, it would have been ugly, I would have spit fbombs, I would not have had anything good to say about the state of the Habs nation. What has changed?? Nothing really, I am still not at all impressed with the Habs roster. I still do not believe that they are good enough to compete for playoff spot. But I have decided to wait and see. I will give Gainey and his cabal until the end of the summer to fix the mess that they have made. If Bob has a plan, if he makes a splash signs a Drury or a Briere, or if he does something with that extra 1st round pick all may be forgiven.....now back to my deep breathing exercises, serenity now!!!

Gainey Does Nothing......

2007-02-27T14:52:00.001-08:00

Ok ok sure he picked up a goalie that was waived from the Flyers. Michael Leighton was Bob's big splash. Egad, he neither bought nor sold...Souray stays, Sammy stays, Janne stays...and the Islanders score Ryan Symth, ugh, not a fun day if you are a Habs fan.

Nothing Better Then Beating The Leafs.....Eeeeeks DDay.

2007-02-27T06:53:00.001-08:00

Try as he might, Abby could not throw away a good performance by his teammates, and the Habbies won a huge game 5-4 over the Leafs. It is hard to describe how awful Abby was in nets in the 3rd period, he sure had myself and every other Habs fan watching the game on pins and needles...I have said it before I will say it again, a win, is a win, is a win...but phew.

Well the trade deadline ends at 3:00 p.m. eastern, it should be exciting. I have a feeling that Bob is not quite done. He can make a huge splash by moving Souray, he may pick up a stop gap goalie, he might be able to move some weak links like Sammy or Janne. The Habs are still on the bubble, they currently sit in 7th, it is unclear if they are buyers or sellers......time will tell.

Rivet Sent To San Jose...Is Bob Done??

2007-02-25T16:19:00.001-08:00

Long time Hab and assistant captain Craig Rivet was traded to San Jose along with a 5th round pick, for little known dman Josh Gorges and a 1st rounder. Not the huge move alot of us were hoping for between the Habs and Sharks, Souray to the Sharks would have yielded a larger return...my feeling on this deal is lukewarm...Rivet is UFA, and has had a mediocre year, the 1st round pick is nice, this kid Gorges is nothing but added depth at the defensive end. I am sad to see Rivet go, he is a long time Hab and has always worn the CH with pride.

So the question now is, is that it, is this the best Bob Gainey can do? Is this the start of a selling spree? Or is Bob going to flip this pick in an attempt to land a playoff (should the Habs make it) rental, or that illusive center? Time will tell, only a couple days left, and the madness will be over, as fun as it has been.

2 In A Row

2007-02-21T17:55:00.001-08:00

Watch out world, Da Habbies are streaking. But seriously, funny how a couple of games against sub-par competition, coupled with steady goaltending and production from the first line tends to shake a team out of a funk. Nashville will be a serious test, the Preds just might be the best team in the league. This is still a fragile group, if the Preds jump out to an early lead, this one might get ugly.

Bob Gainey has still not blinked, is he a buyer or a seller?? Is it Souray, Markov or Rivet? Is Ryder on the block? Will anyone bite and take Sammy off Bob's hands? Gainey never tips his hand, leaks rarely occur from his office. He will do something, the question is will that move be a major or a minor? I couldn't tell you, a week ago, I was screaming sell, sell....now, I am not screaming....I am more in the sell high camp now. If the Habs squeak into the playoffs, I would not like to see them completely gutted.

Habs Win, Habs Win!!!!

2007-02-19T10:42:00.001-08:00

Wow, yep Les Boys pulled one off. Sure the were playing a God-awful Blue Jackets team, and sure they made it very very interesting almost blowing a 3-0 lead in the 3rd...but at this point a win is a win is a win. Rookie netminder Jaro Halak looked good, a little early to make the claims that he might be the second-coming of Dryden or Roy (and a few delusional fans already have..wishful thinking), but all and all I like his game, he is very composed and seems to be a real battler in the crease.

Wow is it ever nice to report some good news for a change...keep it going boys. Onward and upward!!

Wait It Gets Better...Er I Mean Worse

2007-02-18T07:54:00.001-08:00

Make it six loses in a row...a wasted great 1st period, ou!!! it's hard to watch. Then just to add insult to injury (or injury to insult, in this case) turns out that Huet is to have surgery today to repair his injured left hamstring, meaning he is probably done for the season.

So all a Habs fan can do at this point is wait....scour the rumor wire, dream up as many wacky and wild trade scenarios as they can...it's all that sustains us at this point. GM Gainey continues to be silent .. hmm Silent Bob..apt. C'mon Bob get'er done, do something, sell if you must, do anything to distract the fan from the ineptitude that is this team on ice.

Locker Room Meltdown

2007-02-16T11:33:00.001-08:00

There is a lot of rumblings, mostly from the French media that the Habs locker room has become dysfunctional, that the 29 minute player's 'meeting' was more of a battle royale that pitted captain Koivu against Alex Kovalev...reports are that Kovalev called out Saku, and Saku for his part told Kovalev to bring it on. Rumour has it that Souray then stepped in and may have been the 'cause' of Kovalev's elbow injury. Again much of this is hearsay, I would not doubt that the player's meeting might have been very heated, and not all lovie dovie, but it might be a stretch to think that it got to a point where one 'star' player attacked and physically injured another.

It seems at this point that there is absolutely no good news eminating from Mtl. The player's have folded up tent, management seems content to sit on their hands and the coaching staff seems incapable to get any kind of message through. If in fact the locker room has melted down to the point where 3 of its 'leaders' have resolved to settle things in confrontation instead of communication, is there any hope left that this team can get its shit together and make a last gasp push for the playoffs??? Can anyone say fire sale???

Um On The Bright Side.....

2007-02-15T09:43:00.001-08:00

The Habs scored 2 goals 5 on 5, and hmmm oh ya Sammy scored a goal for the first time since the lunar landing. Grasping at straws I know...but geezus what else can a Habs fan do at this point?

and On...

2007-02-14T10:57:00.001-08:00

Devils tonight...and on, and on...

On and On it Goes.....

2007-02-11T10:33:00.001-08:00

When will the bleeding stop??? I have and could analyze the Habs woes, shit I have been doing it all year long, but I have run out of words, I am left dumbfounded... when is the management going to step up??? What is Bob waiting for???? Patience is fine, sure it's a noble virtue...but the sky is falling, the time for a GM to act is now. I am sick and tired of writing negative posts...I want something exciting, positive to write...c'mon Bob renew my love for my Habs, please give me something to look forward to.

More of the same.....

2007-02-09T12:30:00.001-08:00

It has become hard to be optimistic if you are a Habs fan. They continue to play the same uninspired hockey night in and night out. Where is the sense of urgency, the pride in uniform?? I bleed bleu, blanc, et rouge, but I am finding it increasingly more difficult to support the guys wearing the CH. Never in my life have I felt so unattached to a Habs roster....there were always a few guys on the Habs that I felt were genuine heros. Saku was the guy for a long time, but his play of late has done nothing to inspire me...he may be tired, he might have an injury, but he has gone through worse in his life then a rough patch in the dog days of an NHL schedule...if Saku has given up hope, if he has mailed this season in, what hope is there for the rest of the guys on this roster who have half the heart that he has???

Who Is To Blame....

2007-02-08T11:55:00.001-08:00

The Habs have been on a steady decline since Xmas...Why? What is to blame, who is to blame, why the malaise?

First things first, I would like to point out that the Habs roster from top to bottom does not scare anyone. There is not one superstar in the line-up. This begs the question, is it not possible for a team to succeed without at least one marquee player on the roster? And if so, why haven't the Habs, a historical organization, the most successful hockey team on the planet, been able to not only attract marquee talent, but also develop marquee talent within their system? There is of course the political/cultural/linguistic challenges that the city of Montreal poses (all bunk, of course, I am an Anglo, and I loved my 9 years in Mtl), there is then the taxation issue (The province of Quebec has the highest taxes in Canada). But is it more then that?? Are superstar players leery of playing in Montreal because of the overwhelming media scrutiny? Hell Toronto is hockey mad as well, but our cousins in the TDot have come to expect failure...failure is not well received in Montreal. So a lack of superstar talent on the Habs roster may be a large part of the teams inconsistent play...but there is more to it then that.

Before I take the veterans to task..and yes their play has been lackadaisical at best lately.. I think I would like to focus on management. I believe Bob Gainey is a good hockey man, I believe he might even be the best GM the Habs have had since Serge Savard, hell maybe better then Savard (win a couple of cups Bob, and you will surpass old Serge in my books.), but this is Bob's team, he has been at the helm long enough to have his fingerprints all over it. Frankly the product that Gainey has put on the ice this year, aint all that great. Where is the right handed centerman that Gainey has been promising to acquire for years, where is the offence, and how can a man who was the reason for the creation of the Selke Trophy not address the glaring need for quality defencemen on this team? I will give him a pass, I have already mentioned how seemingly difficult it is to attract marquee talent to Mtl...he does the best with what the market has to offer. Sure ok, so lets address his spending habits..3.75 million for Samsonov, whoops, close to 2 million for Bou Bou..eeeks, the Radek Bonk deal, Janne Ninnimma who was acquired via trade yes, but is the 3rd highest payed dman on the team, and yet is almost always a healthy scratch. Is Gainey not fiscally responsible enough to work within a salary cap construct?? From Gainey, to his coaching staff.

Guy Carbonneau is not yet an NHL caliber head coach in my books. He is yet another in a long line of rookie head coaches that the Habs have rolled out almost yearly for the last decade or so. I will give props to he and his assistants for really shoring up the Habs specialty teams (in a funk now mind you..part of the blame??), but his constant line juggling, his inability not only to keep his team disciplined, but also control his own emotions when his team is called on an infraction (Carbo's constant smirk, and bitching at the officials has done nothing to endear the Habs to the zebras). I blame Carbo largely for the mess that is Sammy, sure Sammy hasn't earned his millions, but he has been Carbo's whipping boy all year long, a good coach does not pick favorites...there is no way in hell the Latendresse deserved to be bumped up to the 1st line, before at least Sammy or for that matter Kovalev got a chance to skate with Saku. The Habs are out-coached pretty much every night, and their play 5 on 5, and their record over the last month or so reflects that. Carbo bash over, lets move on to the players themselves

When you are paid millions of dollars to do a job (especially if that job is in fact a game) you better show up to work every night, and work your hardest. This has not been the case for the Habs. To many guys on this team take nights, heck weeks off. Sammy is the most glaring example, Kovalev is the second biggest example after him. There is far to much quit in the Habs right now. When faced with adversity, instead of gritting their collective teeth, they fold up tent. Saku Koivu God love him, is a gutsy guy, and has had to face nothing but adversity his whole career, but I am beginning to question his ability to lead this team. Rivet and Souray, Saku's assistants try their best some nights to lead by example, and stand up for their teammates, but it takes more then 2 or 3 guys to buy into a team concept for a team to be successful. What can be done...are the Habs in need of a large scale shake up?? Is there just no chemistry or team togetherness?? Of that I am unsure. A solid couple of nights by Huet (who has stunk), maybe a few goals from the top two lines (Saku, Ryder, Higgins, Sammy where art thou??) would be nice, hell a few crisp passes out of the defensive zone might work (Markov hurt, Bou Bou needs to be benched, Striet back on the back end might not be a bad idea).

There is more wrong then right on the Habs right now...the blame can't be placed squarely on any sole person or factor. Unless the ship is righted soon, whether via trade, or simply the team finally coming together, the Habs are perilously close to falling out of playoff contention.

2007-02-06T08:11:00.001-08:00

Habs owner George Gillett and Dallas Stars Owner Tom Hicks have all but been given the green light to purchase the Liverpool Football Club. I only follow English Premiership footie casually, so thanks George for picking me a favorite team. Looks like I will have to keep an eye on Steven Gerrard, Peter Crouch, and Craig Bellamy. This is a fine read though:

When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don't be afraid of the dark
At the end of the storm
Is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark
Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Tho' your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone
You'll never walk alone.

Oh those crazy Euros. How they seem so strange to those of us in the new world.

Sammy Wants Out.....

2007-02-06T07:22:00.001-08:00

Surprise, surprise, the enigmatic Sergei Samsonov wants to be traded. This is of course not the first time that Sammy has complained via the press that he is unhappy in Montreal...he bitched and whined earlier this season when Carbo demoted, albeit for a brief period, to the fourth line.

So what is Bob Gainey to do....this is his mistake, he did sign Sammy to a fairly heavy 2 year deal, one that sees Sammy earn 3.75 million next year. There have been the rumours that Sammy is going to Chicago for Aucoin, their salaries match up and it would be a pure problem for a problem swap. There are a number of problems with this deal, the biggest being that Aucoin is a shell of his former self. He is now longer the type of dman that can eat up 30 minutes a game. He has been plagued by injuries, and it seems he maybe be too slow for the "New NHL". I believe this is a rumour fueled by the media...name one time where the media, or a rumour site has predicted a move that Gainey has made...you can't Bob is a private man, leaks never leave his office. So this deal is not going to happen.

So pontificate away...do I believe that Gainey would like to move Sammy, maybe, I am also under the impression, that he may be a stubborn old bugger, one who does not like to admit his mistakes...Sammy's deal, the money he threw at Boullion, and to a lesser extent the Janne deal are all stinkers. Gainey will do something sooner or later, he is working the phones like every other GM in the league, but don't expect anything too earth shattering. I can see him picking up some grit, maybe some depth at center (don't look now but the Habs number 2 centerman, Pleks, has been their best player for the last month...funny how that works) and maybe a young dman..considering the trouble he may have signing his 3 ufa dmen next year. But who knows, this is silly season in the NHL, anything can happen.

A Lose To The Islanders???

2007-02-03T13:51:00.001-08:00

Ugh, nuff said. Huet is quickly losing his spot as the Habs number one goalie, meaning of course that the Habs have a 2(a) and a 2(b) between the posts...sigh.

and then a hockey game broke out......

2007-02-02T08:15:00.001-08:00

Ok I will admit it, I missed almost all of last night's Pens vs. Habs game. To bad, from what I have read it may have been the best game of the season. I did however catch the Souray-Armstrong blow up. Props to Souray for standing-up for his captain (I know, I know, I am not usually all that nice to the big guy, but I will tip my hat to him for that),I believe the zebras went a little overboard with the penalty calls, how about maybe just a 5 and a 10, the instigator penalty should not have been doled out, because hell Armstrong turtled, and was not given a fighting major himself....so how can one be called an instigator, if there was no one compelled to return any jabs? I believe the Armstrong hit on Saku was a direct result of the Habs pounding on Crosby...the problem with the whole thing is that, if either team had any tough guys, the running of each team's best player wouldn't happen, each team's enforcer would meet mano et mano and the cheap shots would be held to a minimum.

Looks like there is some animosity between the Habs and Pens, which is great, the Habs need to play with a chip on their shoulder, emotion has seemed to be lacking on this team for the last month or so. If the Habs are going to make a push for the playoffs, and have any success in the post season, they are going to have to play with that kind of emotion night in and night out. Sunday's rematch should be a doozie..... hmmm seems to me there might be another big game on Sunday, oh right damn, the Super Bowl, looks like I will have a sore clicker finger.

Seesaw

2007-01-30T11:59:00.001-08:00

The Habs continue to play up and down hockey. Last night they looked as good as they have looked in over a month. They took care of the streaking Ottawa Senators 3-1, sure it took a Drydenesque effort from the much maligned Abby, but the Habs skated hard and won the game fair and square. Flash back to Saturday night, were the Habs were outclassed, by a Leaf team that is even more inconsistent then the Habs, and you can see why most Habs fans are a little worried about the Habs version 06-07.

Does it take bitching to the media by Souray and the coaching staff to get this team's emotion up....has the locker room which Souray not long ago described as as tight as he has ever seen it, started to come off the rails?? Is this just a normal mid season malaise??? Or are we seeing the true Habs, worts and all???? I tend to think that this team is middle of the road, and if they don't out skate, and out work each and every team they face...well they will be embarrassed, like they were against the Leafs. So what can the coaching staff, and management do?? Does Carbo have to call them out every time they get in a funk?? Please, these are grown men, and professionals, they should be above all that. Does Bob Gainey have to plug his nose, and make a deal, sacrificing the future for the short term?? I am well aware of the Forsberg rumours, and I am not a supporter of the idea. Sure a quality center would do the Habs a world of good, but there are umpteen other teams looking for the same piece of the puzzle....the asking price will be too high, and the reward is a question mark.

I haven't the answers, I believe Gainey will be active on the trade front, the question is will he be a buyer or a seller?? And the answer to that question will depend on which end the seesaw is tilted come mid February.

2007-01-26T11:24:00.000-08:00

Okay Okay Drop The Puck Already

Now that the smoozefest that is the AllStar break is over, can we please get back to some real hockey. Sure watching the league's best smile, and hug and get along for a few days might be good for the soul, it might put the whole hockey is only a sport thing all into perspective..but damn it, I am jonesing for some blood, guts, and competition.

My Habs haven't played a game for a week..retarded how long the AllStar break is for some teams..heck they could have had half a world championship for something with all that time off...anyway yawn, I am bored, time for the real stuff, time for some wacky trade rumours, time for les boys to separate themselves from les petites, it's crunch time. GO HABS GO!!!!

2007-01-21T14:53:00.000-08:00

Squeaked One Out....

Blood pressure high, finger nails all but chewed off, hair being pulled out, when the final horn sounded after 60 minutes of last night's Hab's 4-3 win over the Sabres all I could say was PHHEEWW. The Habs came out flying in the first period, opening up a 2-0 lead. Early in the second, the Habs were up 3-0, it seemed that the Sabres were tired, the Habs seemed to have them right where they wanted them....and then the penalties began, a series of 4 on 4s, got the Sabres skating again, the Eastern Conference's best team had awoken from its slumber. The Sabres tied the game early in the third...thats is when the chewing of the nails started, and my loathing of Danny Briere intensified....Mike Ryder scored the Habs 4th goal, and the eventual game winner mid way through the period, but man oh man, it was a nerve racking last 10 minutes or so. Can't complain about the 2 points I suppose, but geezus, these Habs are the cardiac kids, they sure don't leave the fan feeling that they are going to come away with a win.....inhale, exhale...phew.

2007-01-19T14:22:00.001-08:00

The Bleeding Stops....For Now

Habs win, Habs win. Les Boys took care of the Thrashers last night, ending a 2 game goalless streak, and more importantly picked up a couple of much needed points. Funny what happens when a teams 2 all stars, actually play like all stars. Huet kicked out 44 pucks, his best performance since being named an all star, and Souray picked up a goal and a helper. Rivet and Sammy, who 2 games ago were healthy scratches, both played solid games....if only the first line could find some of that early season magic, the Habbies just might start to roll again.

All this said the Habs are going to have to play much better on Saturday night if they want to beat the Sabres....if they give up 45 shots against the Sabres, it could get very ugly..holy inflated score sheet Batman.

p.s.... I am using a new blog add on offered on Firefox, if the fonts are a little wonky, that is why...cheers.

2007-01-17T10:23:00.000-08:00

Brand New Lows....

A whooping 0 goals in their last two games, only 4 wins in their last 13 games, an assistant captain who was benched, then left the rink in a huff, a hot shot free agent signing who has also been benched, an all star goalie who is playing like an AHL back-up and an all star dman who is more fit to play in the beer leagues.......things have gone from bad to worse in Montreal, and I am unsure if there is any relief in sight.

All the bad habits that I have been bitching about all year have finally come and bite les boys in their collective asses....luck and strong special teams work can only get a team so far...sooner or later the luck is going to run out, and the special teams will go in a funk, and then what??? Well then the mid season slide begins... the question is, how are Gainey, and his buddies on the coaching staff going to end this slide? Does Gainey trade a couple unproductive veterans, namely Rivet, and Sammy, or does he move some prospects, mortgaging the future, in the hopes of short term gain??? Does he try and solve things within the organization, waiving players, moving players up and down to the farm?? What can the coaching staff do....practice, practice, practice..drills on going to the net, breaking out of their own zone, general 5 on 5 play?? I am not sure, all I do know is that the Eastern conference is tight, and if this slide continues all that much longer, the Habs will be on the outside looking in at a playoff spot.

2007-01-13T16:43:00.000-08:00

It's Getting Ugly

It is one thing to play ugly and win, say when the opponents are the dreadful Flyers, but a team can't play ugly against the surging Ottawa Senators. This afternoon the Habs played ugly, the result, an embarrassing 8-3 walloping, on national television no less....ugh.

I turned this one off after the first period, the Habs were down 4-0, and you had the feeling that things were not going to get any better in the periods to come. Les Boys were a no show, the were being forechecked to death, they were being beat to every loose puck, they were outclassed all over the ice. So was this just one of those games, a temporary blip, or have the real Habs emerged, you know the team that was supposed to finish, say 10th in the Eastern Conference. Again I think the Habs are good enough to make the playoffs, I do not however envision them finishing in the 4th spot....this is a team that is going to have to look over their shoulder for the rest of the season, and I suspect they are going to have to fight tooth and nail until the last couple of weeks in the season to secure a playoff spot.

Finally, congrats to Huet and Souray for making the Eastern Conference all star team. Huet deserves the honor, and well one can't argue with Souray's numbers. To bad that Saku didn't receive any all star love, he has been stellar this year...and personally I would much rather see Markov represent the Habs defence, he is the true cog at the blue line. Oh ya can anybody explain to me how Justin "I will poke your eye out" Williams gets an all star nod, geez Brind Amour is the guy in Carolina, not that putz. Rant over....go Habs go, sigh.

2007-01-07T17:24:00.000-08:00

Brodeur Adds To Habs Woes

Make it 6 losses in 8 games. The Habs are free falling, stomach flu aside, the all too common Hab mid season slide has begun. Many thought, with the way the Habs had played in December, and hell throughout most of the early part of the season that they might avoid the slump this year. However, here it is in all it's mediocre glory. There really is no need to panic, the Ducks are going through a similar slide, and I don't think anyone is too worried about them...the lose of one Chris Pronger is a kick in the arse for sure.

Why the free fall, are the Habs playing any worse then they have been all season long? I don't believe so, I believe that this team has been playing on the edge all season long, they have been winning games despite themselves. There are some glaring deficiencies in this team's game, namely the lack of puck moving defense men (sauf Markov, of course), lack of scoring 5 on 5 (not enough finishers on this team), the lack of a second line center, and maybe most importantly, piss poor team discipline (no way a team that is as soft as the Habs should draw so many penalties). The Habs as a unit have in my opinion played above their heads all year long, the other shoe has dropped...I believe this slump was inevitable. Do I believe it will continue, nah, this team has enough talent to play above .500 for the rest of the year, and they will make the playoffs easily. They are not, like some would have you believe an elite team yet, there are some pieces still missing...thats what Bob Gainey is there for.

2007-01-07T08:17:00.000-08:00

Flu Bug To Blame For Slump??

The Habs have dropped 4 of their last 5 games....is this an all too typical mid-season free fall, or can this slump be attributed to the nasty flu bug that has been floating around the Habs locker room? I believe it is probably the combination of the 2, these are the dog days of the NHL schedule, the part of the year where the men are separated from the boys. If a team isn't completely banged up (and the Habs are surprisingly healthy at this point), many have hit the wall, and are in prolonged slumps, were bad habits, and hoo hum laissez faire play abounds.

If Les Boys are still struggling when this flu bug subsides, I believe it may be time for the Bob, and Carbo to shake things up. Whether it be through trade, or call up, management has to let the players know that they are expected to fight through the tough days ahead, and complacency is not an option. That is how I see things going down in the next few weeks at least.

2007-01-05T11:17:00.000-08:00

Too Much Turkey and Stuffing???

Oh poor neglected blog of mine....it has been difficult to find the head space, or personal space to write about my Habs lately, funny their play of late has done little to inspire a person to write anyway. They have lost 3 of 4, they seem to be mired in a post Xmas slump, the work effort has been there but the bounces aren't going their way.

Good to see Bob Gainey has come back to work, now lets hope he can get something done in order to propel this team into the playoffs and beyond. The trade market seems to be opening up, could a January surprise be about to happen??? Time for a shake up, Les Boys have become complacent, stir the pot Bob....onward and upward.

2006-12-20T07:29:00.000-08:00

Beating The Best

Just a quick note on last night's jaunt. I have a full house, blog time is limited. It was fun sitting down with a couple of beers and Alan my brother-in-law who is from Ireland, last night's game my have been his first 60 minute NHL hockey game. Cheers to Les Boys for winning a game against the Sabres, wouldn't have been as fun if my guys lost.

All and all you have to be impressed with the Habs game last night. They put together a solid 60 minute performance, and the win moved them within 5 points of the conference leading Sabres. It is awful nice to see Higgins back on the ice, he was stellar last night, hasn't missed a beat. Onward and upward Les Boys, the Sabres have seemed to level off, why not make the push to be the beasts of the East. Go Habs Go!!

2006-12-17T07:01:00.000-08:00

Habs Shut Down The Kid

The Kid came to the Mtl riding a streak of 10 points in his previous 2 games, the Pens themselves were on a 4 game winning streak. Oh well, like they say all good things must come to an end. Sidney Crosby did pick up an assist in the 1st period, but the Habbies kept the NHL's leading scorer at bay most of the night, and when it was all said and done, came away with an impressive 6-3 victory. The Habs were flat in the 1st, the Pens grossly out shot them 17-3, and the Pens held a 2-1 lead over les boys after 1 period...Carbo must have said all the right things in the 1st intermission, because from the start of the 2nd period on, it was all Habs. Funny, this game was hyped to death, the prodigal son's return.... the thing is Sid and his Pens looked tired, they had played 4 games in 6 nights, we were not blessed with Sid at his best, too bad because when this Kid is on his game, it is a true joy to watch...as a Habs fan I will take the 2 points, as a hockey fan, I feel a little ripped.

My 3 Stars of the week....1st star..Saku, the captain had an awesome week. 2nd star..Huet, after a little blip of inconsistent play last week, Huet had a nice week of puck stopping. 3rd star..Lapierre, the rookie gets a call up from Hamilton and has 3 points in 3 games, works his buns off, may have earned a permanent spot on the big squad.

Joe's Doghouse...hard one this week, Les Boys, played well collectively, but if I must pick my dogs, here it goes...Bou Bou, the Cube, was dinged up a little this week, he missed a little time, all that said he is a defensive liability, I for one would like him to sit in the press box..Striet is the better player. Mike Johnson, I love his hustle, I just want him to chip in a little more offensively. Finally, Rivet, sure he is a long time Hab, sure he wears the 'A' with distinction...but the defensive brainfarts, and dumbass penalties are adding up, he has been a hindrance lately.

2006-12-15T08:04:00.000-08:00

Huet And Saku Steal One....

The Habs had no business being in last night's game after two periods; they were thoroughly out shot, out worked, heck they were out classed. Huet was stellar, he kept Les Boys in the game, and after an atrocious first 40 minutes the Habs only trailed by a goal. Had CSI not been a repeat, had I not had a solid supply of beer, I might have given up on the game after 2 periods, the Habs were that bad, it was painful to watch.

Cue Saku, who was playing his 600th NHL match (congrats Saku!!), after rookie Maxim Lapierre tied the game early in the 3rd on a nifty deflection, Saku once again put the team on his back, scoring the game winner, and topping it off with the empty net insurance marker. Good teams find ways to win, and don't look now, but the Habs just might be a good team.

Carbo has some roster decisions to make. Chris Higgins is set to return on Saturday, Bou Bou, and Begin are also day to day. I fear that with the return of these 3 bodies, that young Maxim Lapierre will be sent back to Hamilton. To bad really, the kid has been a breath of fresh air, he works his tail off, he hits, and he even chips in offensively (1st NHL goal last night). That said, the coaching staff seem content to dress Garth Murray (???), so there does not seem to be any room for the young fella. Looks like Carbo is going to put Higgy on the 4th line until he gets back in game shape...when he is healthy, Carbo has some interesting line up decisions to make. Higgins is a top 2 line player, so, Lats or Pleks are going to have to be moved down to the 4th line. Here is what I would like to see:

Higgy Saku Lats
Sammy Kovy Ryder
Johnson Bonk Perez
Begin Lapierre Pleks
Komi Markov
Souray Dandy
Rivet Striet

But what do I know....if that doesn't work, Pleks goes up on the 2nd line, Lats to the 4th, forming an all Quebec line with Begin and Lapierre, and Ryder is with Saku and Higgy again. Carbo has some juggling to do, should be interesting.

2006-12-13T08:48:00.000-08:00

Sammy Comes To Play

Nothing like a well played hockey game to help ease the pain of an emotional and tragic past week for both the Habs and the Bruins. The search for Laura Gainey has been called off, it is safe to assume that she has been tragically lost at sea. My thoughts go out to the Gainey family; and I would also like to note how wonderful not only the Montreal Canadien organization has been, but also the hockey world in general. I am sure the Bob Gainey and his family appreciate all the support that they have received. As for Phil Kessel, he has already had successful surgery, and it is said that he is recovering nicely, here is hoping that the Bruin's youngster gets back on the blades soon.

Right, enough doom and gloom already. Last night's hockey game was another beauty. Once the zebras finally swallowed their whistles midway through the second period, the Habs and B's put on a great show. Sammy was stellar, he potted 2 goals, his first goals in 19 games I believe, he was flying out there, and had a smile on his face, a smile rarely seen thus far this season. The young Maxim Lapierre saw his first action of the year, and I must say I was impressed with this kids game. He has good wheels, doesn't shy away from bumping some bodies, and he made stuff happen whenever he was on the ice. Except for Kovalev, and well Murray (who is a waste of roster space in my opinion), each member of the Habs came to play. The bad habit of disappearing for a period at a time seems to have been addressed by the coaching staff, and the results are showing in the standings. Go Habs Go, and stay strong Bob.

2006-12-10T08:27:00.000-08:00

Thoughts And Prayers For Laura

2006-12-10T07:41:00.000-08:00

One Helluva Game

Regardless of the fact that the Habs were beat by the Sabres in a Shootout; last night's game was without a doubt the best hockey game I have seen all year. Fast paced, lots of hits, the shots were even, the Habs and the Sabres match up very well...this game was fun one to watch.

If I were look for negatives, I would point out that Danny Briere, is a horrible diver, he over acts, I will agree that Rivet twice went over the line with the Sabres captain, but Briere's reaction to being hit is shameless....he makes you want to hit him all that much harder, I really dislike that kid. Souray, who tied the game up, with an almost carbon copy goal which he scored on Miller earlier in the year, minutes later was slashed on the wrist by Gaustad, and did not return....not much is known at this point, it did not look all that serious, but one never knows with Mr Souray.

So there you have it, the Habs did not come out with 2 points versus the class of the Eastern Conference, but they played the Sabres as hard as anyone has this year. This game should have ended in a tie..the farce that is the shootout, did a disservice to this game. The Habs and the Sabres were even all game long, this was a stalemate...neither team deserved to lose.

Its that time of the week...time for the 3 Stars, and Joe's Doghouse...first the good, 1st Star, Saku Koivu, Kaptain K was a warrior all week, he put the team on his shoulders and all I can do is tip my hat to him. 2nd Star, Mark Streit, with the glut the Habs have on defence, Streit has been put on the wing, he has made the best of the situation, a quiet surprise all year. 3rd Star, Radek Bonk, typically stellar as usual all week. Now the ugly... the doghouse, hmmm, Boullion, Bou Bou, the Cube, whatever moniker you wish to attach to him, he stinks. Huet, Huet, Huet, I am sure this isn't a permanent spot, just serving him notice, some of the bad habits from early in the year reemerged, smarten up. Finally Sammy, he may be working his way out of the house, he has shown some signs of life, keep it up, and I might have to find a new dog...Kovalev you have been served notice.

P.S. Thoughts and prayers from all Habs fans out there, for the safety of Laura Gainey.

2006-12-08T08:56:00.000-08:00

Saku!!!!!

Chirp, chirp..... it is a good thing that the Habs tend to bring with them a strong contingent of fans; or the only noises that would have been heard in Long Island last night would have been those of skates on ice, thundering body checks, slap shots, and Saku cursing at the zebras. The New York hockey market is drying up, it is in a sad state.

As for the game itself, the Habs came away with a victory, thanks in large part to Kaptain Koivu, who finished the game with 2 goals and an assist. Carbo juggled the lines (the 2nd line remains ineffective) in the 3rd period, putting Kovalev on the 1st line with Saku, and Ryder on the 2nd with Pleks and Sammy...Saku and Kovi have definite chemistry (Saku makes everyone better), the problem is the 2nd line is no better with Ryder on it, then it was with Kovi...Pleks God love him is a good kid, he can skate, and he works hard, but he is not a 2nd line center, there in lies the problem (that an Sammy, who is an enigma). Chris Higgins is expected to return after Xmas, that is when Carbo is going to have to make some real decisions as to who plays on which line. There are some people who believe that Higgy should center the 2nd line, I for one think he was great on the wing on the 1st line...all that said, his return will be a real shot in the arm. Whichever line he is assigned to, his energy, and work effort will rub off on his linemates.

Big game on Saturday night, the Sabres fresh from a lose to the Panthers (pesky buggers, they took out the Habbies as well), and will surely come out flying at the Bell Centre. A win against the Sabres would be huge for the Habs...but like the cautious Habs fan that I am I will not get my hopes up.

2006-12-07T08:43:00.000-08:00

Yawn.....

Looks to me that the Devils have not yet received the memo...the "New NHL" has yet to catch on in the swamp. The Devils continue to play, their trademark trap, clog the neutral zone, clutch and grab hockey, and they play it well. The Devils played rope a dope with the Habs for 45 minutes last night, then after lulling the Habs to sleep, they tied the game up late in the 3rd....I could go on a rant about the colossal brainfart that golden boy Souray made with 11 seconds left in o.t., but screw it..the Devils played their game, and regardless of the changes the NHL has made to make the game more open, more exciting, and higher scoring, stifling defence wins 9 times out of 10. Too bad for the Devils that playing boring, yet winning hockey, does not put butts in the seats..there were what a 106 people in the crowd last night...pathetic.

2006-12-05T08:13:00.000-08:00

An Old Fashioned Barn Burner....

The Habs score 5 goals and lose...waaaaaah?? Yep Les Boys came back from a 3 goal deficit, and almost survived a bad night from Huet....but Brad Stuart popped in 2 goals in the third....waaaaah?? and the Habbies lost an up and down, barn burner, 6-5, to their long time rival Bruins.

Huet looked tired and was pulled in the 2nd. Abby was unable to make the key saves, when his team needed them. This lose came down to goal tending...had the Habs had a solid performance by Huet, they would have won this game big.

So what does this mean for the rest of the week?? Does Carbo sit Huet, against the Devils on Wednesday? Does he then start Huet on Thursday, and Saturday against the Islanders, and Sabres? Hard to say, Abby has not won a game in months, but Huet looks tired, and may need a break. This is going to be a tough week...the Habbies way end the week with 4 straight loses....gut check time in the MTL je pense.

2006-12-03T08:17:00.000-08:00

A Win Against The Leafs Is Always Nice.....

It wasn't pretty, heck the Leafs took it to Les Boys for 2/3s of the night, but a face smash of Tucker by Franky Boullion, and a brilliant 3rd period by Captian Koivu...oh ya and I heard that Raycroft's soiled jockstrap (caused by Souray's fake slapper in the s.o.) is on sale on Ebay...the Habs pulled it out, a win is a win is a win.

I have to admit, I did not pay much attention to the game last night, in between debating the Liberal Leadership Convention, sharing drunken prose with a buddy, and consoling a friend that was pissed off at another friend for standing her up...the game was more back ground noise then anything else. I saw Bou Bou k.o. Tucker, that brought me to my feet, and I saw Koivu take his Habs on his shoulders in the 3rd....I was glued to the shoot out (debate its effect on the game all ya want, but when your boys win, its great fun). The Habs ended the week on a high, they have still yet to lose 2 games in a row...like I said a win against the Leafs is always nice.

Weekly 3 Stars time. 1st Star, gotta give it to Huet, he has been a monster. 2nd Star, Saku, Captain K, is paired up with a rookie and a snake bitten winger, yet he still produces when it counts. 3rd Star.....hmmm screw it, let Huet have that star as well, nuff said. Joe's Doghouse... Sammy, he has moved in, and seems comfortable there. I guess I will put the 7 headed monster that is the Habs defence on notice...too hard to single any one dman out, but I have my eye on these guys, Huet can't save their bacon every night...clear the zone for shit sakes. There is always room in the Doghouse, Sammy doesn't take up all that much room.

2006-12-01T10:34:00.000-08:00

Glad I Missed It....

Well all of it except for say the last 12 minutes of the 3rd period, which were the critical moments of the game...7 straight minutes of penalty killing, and a game winning goal by public enemy number one in Habsville, one Justin Williams...and I am left thinking damn, why was CSI a repeat lastnight. Meh......bring on the Leafs.

2006-11-29T15:27:00.000-08:00

Huet Getting The Shaft???

Habs net minder Cristobal Huet currently has the both the best goals against average, and save percentage of any net minder in the NHL. He has a personal six game winning streak, and he is fresh from a shutout of the Panthers. How then, is Huet not on the All Star ballot??? I am asking any Hab fan out there, or any hockey fan who views this as a travesty to write Huet in, go here:
http://www2.nhl.com/allstarballot/
Help a guy out will ya.

2006-11-29T08:06:00.000-08:00

An Old Fashioned Goaltending Dual

Was a bit of a yawner last night. The Panthers played Jacques Martin hockey, and both goaltenders, Huet and Auld played solid games. There are a bunch of Hab fans out there worried about the Habs lack of scoring 5 on 5, it is a concern for sure, but I don't think it is a Habs problem alone, every team in the league has adjusted their game to account for the powerplay chances, for and against. The Zebras swallowed their whistles last night, and the result was a 1-0 win via a shoot out pour les Habs.

I was impressed with the way the Habs threw their bodies last night, Begin and Komi were hitting everything that moved. Although, the Habs were not lighting the lamp, they skated well, and more importantly for a full 60 minutes....2 more big games this week, against the Canes, and the Leafs, I don't expect anymore 1-0 games. That's all I have got, it was that kind of game, the goalies stood out, other then that...um well it was a chess match between Martin, and Carbo..checkmate Carbo on this night.

2006-11-28T11:19:00.000-08:00

Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Cold

The Habs face the Panthers tonight. A week and a half or so ago the Panthers spanked the Habs 5-1, in an unspired game, that saw the Habs disappear in the 2nd period and never recover. Change venue, tonights game is in Mtl, not the sun shine state, and change netminder, Huet gets the start tonight, not the struggling Abby...and I expect the Habs to play a much better game tonight. Say what you want about the way the Habs play against the league's lesser lights, this should be a relatively easy 2 points pour les boys. I will recap the game tomorrow morning, try my best to break down the good, the bad, and the ugly......go Habs go!!!

2006-11-26T07:54:00.000-08:00

And Now To Complete The Trilogy.....

Sometimes, you go to the well too often...sometimes it is better to tell a story in 2 parts instead of 3....cliches, cliches, cliches, I know, but like my Habbies, I have had a running theme all week, and like my Habbies, it would probably be better to quit when ahead...whoops nah, that cliche doesn't work so well in this case (the habs were up 1-0, in the first, and well quit, that didn't turn out so well). Know what..I think thats all I will say about the game lastnight, it was ugly from say the 10 minute mark in the 1st to say well the 10 minute mark of the 3rd. The Habs only showed up for half a game...ding ding ding....hence the lose.

Lets skip to some fun stuff. There is alot of rumour chatter out there right now, teams have had time to evaluate their rosters, and well except for the hinderance that is the cap, alot of GMs are itchy to tweak their lineups. So when I need a rumor fix (sorry no offence faux), I visit Spector's site, today's Sunday Rumor Round Up, has Habbies sprinkled all through it.....take a look.........
http://spectorshockey.tripod.com/default.html. Okay, time for my 2 cents....the names bandied about are Abby, and Souray...the returns are Seabrook, a fresh body from Pheonix or the King's, and Dupius from the Wild. If I was Gainey I would move Seabrook for Souray in a minute, that said, Chicago is looking for a center to play with Havlat, and Montreal is also in dire need of a centerl...this deal helps the Habs in terms of their glut of UFA defencemen, but I can't see how it would help Chicago in the long term. Abby is another matter, the market for a back up goalie has been heating up. The Yotes, the Kings, and now the Predators are all jonesing for help between the pipes. The stellar goaltending of Huet, coupled with the average netminding of Abby, makes it alot easier for Gainey to ship Abby out of town, agian it will depend on the return, the cap hit, etc, etc, but I would not be shocked if Abby gets moved. It is good to see some names being thrown around, I expect that nothing will get done before the trade deadline, but its always fun to pontificate.

Okay time for my weekly 3 Stars, and Joe's doghouse lists..lets get down to it. My 1st star of the week is Huet, he was stellar in all 3 of the Hab's modest 3 game winning streak, he has been great, good to see. My 2nd star, Markov, he has solidified himself as the Habs top defenceman, he and Komi have being excellent for the last month or so. 3rd star, Bonk, Bonkers has been fantastic all year, a game winning goal, and the continued amazing work by he and his linemates in shutting down the best line of opposing teams could have merited him and heck his linemates, Johnson, and Perez, all 3 stars this week. Who let the dogs out, who, who, who...ah yes the Doghouse, lets see, Mike Ryder, listen buddy, I gave you a vote of confidence last week, I went out on a limb and projected that you would be a star this week...pffft, and this is how you repay me, for shame. Sammy, Sammy, Sammy, you are digging a hole my friend. Finally I am going to have to take Carbo to task...sure the Habs are 5th in the East, sure the Habs special team work has been stellar..but, damn Carbo, quit bitching and whining at the refs, you are setting a bad example, and well the Habs now have a target on their chests....and what is with the second period let downs....figure this stuff out, the dog days are approaching, this product aint gonna sell much longer.

2006-11-25T13:45:00.000-08:00

Two Thirds Effort Part Duex

Well scratch my back with a hacksaw....if you were to tell me that the Habs would disappear for a whole period, and hold the Sabres to only one goal, and also beat them in o.t. I would have called ya nuts.

Again I predicted doom and gloom if the Habs failed to play a full 60 minutes, and again the Habs pull out a win. It was at times ugly, but another win nonetheless....dare I make a similar prediction tonight? HaHa nah, the Habs should have no problem beating the Flyers with only 2/3 effort. However, yep there is always a however, this game has all the other trappings of a lose. First it is the second of a back to back. Second, well it's the Flyers, the Habs tend to play down to their competition (see Chicago, or Florida). Lastly, Huet gets a rest tonight, meaning Abby gets the start, and well Abby has not been all that good in his last 3 or 4 starts....conclusion, the Habs win 5-3.....or not, seems I can't predict what my Habbies are going to do lately.

2006-11-23T07:54:00.000-08:00

Sometimes Two Thirds Effort Is Enough

Thankfully my doom and gloom post from yesterday did not come to fruition. The Habs beat the Wild 4-2. A fast start in the first, and a solid performance in the third sealed the deal. However, the Hab's disappearance act in the second period, must be cause for concern. The wild out shot the Habs 22-7, and scored 2 goals (would have potted more, had Huet not brought his A-game). The Habs can not afford to pull a similar disappearing act on Friday against the Sabres, the Wild, are a banged up team, their 2 top scores are injured, the Sabres however, average almost 5 goals a game, if Huet is left out to dry against the Sabres, the Sabres are going to fill his net.

On a positive note, Kovalev played his best game of the season. The pleks back up on the second line, seemed to light a fire under the enigmatic second line. Sammy, and Pleks were on the ice for both wild goals, but plugged away all night, can't complain too much about their games overall. The Habs third line still comes up big when it matters, Bonk scored the game winner, and Markov, and Komi, have solidified themselves as a true 1-2 combo on defence.

The Habs have not won 3 games in a row all season long, and that quest does not get any easier against the Sabres on Friday night. If the Habs, simplify their game, limit their defensive zone turnovers, and put in a full 60 minute effort...they might, and I stress might, beat the red hot Sabres.

2006-11-22T09:17:00.000-08:00

Beware

Tonight's game versus the Wild, has all the trappings of a lose. First, the Habs have not played since Saturday night...which often leads to a sluggish start. Second, the Wild are fresh from a lose to the Senators...Mr lemaire will have his boys ready for action. Add to all this the Manny Fernandez from Montreal connection (Quebec goaltenders always play huge in Montreal), the historical connection that Lemaire, and Trembley (arch enemy number one in my books) the stars seem to line up in the Wild's favor.

The Wild are without their superstar Gaborik (nothing new there), but this is a team whose forecheck, and team speed can get the best of any team in the league. If the Habs are going to pull this one out, they are going to have to have a fast start. The Habs are going to need a relentless forecheck themselves, and most importantly they are going to have to avoid their nasty habit of being trapped in their own end for extended periods. If the Habs bring their A game (one never knows with the Habs, see previous post), this game has all the makings of a thriller. If however, the Habs come out flat, and can not get the puck out of their own end...Huet et al are in for a long night.

This is how I work, I prepare myself for the worst...that way if les boys play a stinker I am prepared, and if they pull one out its all gravy...lets hope for the later.

2006-11-19T06:44:00.000-08:00

Bipolar

Will the real Montreal Canadiens please stand up?? Two nights ago the Habs were fresh from a stinker of a lose to the Florida Panthers....this morning, after a night that saw Habs great Serge Savard's number retired, the Habs are enjoying the after glow of their best 60 minute performance of the season. What gives, do the Habs collectively forget to take their meds every now and then.

Last nights game was a good one, Les Boys in my opinion, played their best horn to horn game of the season. Sure they only scored 3 goals, sure they still took too many penalties, but the Habs to a man (except Kovi, see dog house) all played hard.

Alright, ladies and gentleman, time for my weekly 3 Stars/Joe's Doghouse picks. First my 3 Stars of the week, here it goes: First Star, Huet, he has claimed the starter role, he has been excellent for the last couple of weeks, he looks like the Huet of last year, all great news for the Habs. Second Star, Markov, if you squint hard, and can look past the huge shadow that is the Souray slap shot, you will see that Markov is leading the Habs in scoring, and effectively shut down, not only the dynamic duo of Vinny L/St Louis, but also the 3 headed beast that is Altlanta's Hossa/Kovalchuck/Kozlov, Markov has emerged as the Habs best dman. Third Star, Perezhogin, the kid is not filling the net, but his plus 11, is tops on the Habs, and top 5 in the league as well. He works hard every shift, he and his line mates Bonk and Johnson, have developed into a stellar checking line.

Time for Joe's Doghouse, geez, when your favorite team is as bipolar as the Habs are, the doghouse ebbs and flows, guys are on it mid week, only to redeem themselves late in the week. all that said, here it goes....Kovalev, he is a charter member, I believe he has been in the doghouse every week this year, nice work, at least you are accomplishing something Alex. Abby, I gotta put you in the doghouse this week, your poor play has forced Carbo to change up his inane 2 games on, 2 games off goaltending tandem system, hat tip Abby, I never liked that system anyway....finally, hmmm this is a rough one but I guess I have to call out Ryder (broke out last night), the newf hasn't been the same since Higgins went down to injury...if last night's game is a sign of light, I expect Ryder may be a star next week, who knows, being bipolar, only time will tell. Thats it, thats all I have got. Go Habs Go.

2006-11-17T08:17:00.000-08:00

Oh ya......

Don't look now, but the Bruins, and the Sens are heating up. The Habs, and the Leafs better get their collective shit together. The North East division is going to tighten up fast. Its going to be a horse race, the Eastern Conference as a whole is wide open, a .500 record will probably sneak a team into the post season, all five teams in the North East should make a push for the playoffs...well maybe not the Bruins, but who knows?

2006-11-17T07:33:00.000-08:00

What A Change A Day Makes

Yesterday, the Habs where fresh from an impressive road win, they were winners of 2 consecutive games, for only the second time all year...all was well in Habsland. This morning, things don't seem so rosy. The Habs had their asses handed to them by a Panther team that was riding a 4 game losing streak, and well by most accounts were supposed to be the inferior team.

Okay, I will admit it, I did not watch this one, I saw maybe 30 seconds in the second period...actually saw the Habs lone goal by Pleks. I also saw Jokinen's hat trick goal with 30 seconds left in the third. Yesterday I played basketball, and well Thursday is a huge night for tv watching. So, it is difficult for me to analyse what went wrong last night. All I have to go on, is what I have read on Habs boards, and from snippets on sportscenter. I guess this one can be credited to the usual excuses, 2 games in 2 nights, the usual struggle the Habs have in Florida, the final game of the year's longest road trip. All valid excuses, but all cop outs as well.

I blame this one on coaching. The team that the Habs had on the ice against the Lighting was impressive, why change it? Huet played a great game 2 nights ago, sure it was a second game in 2 nights, sure Carbo probably wanted Huet fresh for the Thrashers at home on Saturday, but, but, I am a firm believer in riding the hot goalie. Carbo's rotation system has lost its effectiveness, Huet has earned the number one spot, time to ride your horse. I disagree with the other roster changes that Carbo made as well....sure it seems to make sense to sit Janne; on paper it was a no brainer. That said, Dandy on the wing on the fourth line, made that fourth line, probably the fastest in the league, they gave the Lighting fits, why change it??

Okay, so the Habs longest trip of the season is over, they return home for a Saturday night tilt, against the high powered Thrashers. Huet should get the start, I think Janne will ride the pine again, he is done. What have the Habs learned on this trip, what issues have been brought up? Thinking positively, it looks like Huet has earned his raise, and has given the Habs a solid number one in goal. The kids, Lats, and Kosti, look like keepers. The powerplay is still rolling. Dandy is back, and Janne is sitting. On the negitive side, Ryder is playing the worst hockey of his young career, Kovi is still an engima, the team still disappears for long stretches every game, and they still are racking up far to many penalty minutes...mediocracy as usual.

That is all I have got. Saturday's game against the Thrashers, is a big one. Carbo if he is smart (the jury is still out on that one) will practise this team hard, work on defensive zone coverage, back checking sans hook, trip, or obstruction. Time for the Habs to keep things simple, use their speed, and forecheck damn it. Rant over, I am out.

2006-11-16T06:32:00.000-08:00

Road Warriors

The Habs won consecutive games for only the second time all year, and are 2-1 so far on their longest road trip of the year. Tonight's game against the Lightning, saw the Habs come out with their all too typical slow start. First period heroics between the pipes by Huet, and yet another powerplay blast by Souray, allowed the Habs to sneak out of the first period, tied 1-1.

The Habs outplayed the Lighting for the remaining 2 periods, and pulled out a 3-1 victory, against a hot Lighting team. All and all a good road win for the Habs. The defensive play of Markov, and Komi was stellar. The defensive duo was on the ice every time the duo of Vinny L, and St Louis were on the ice, and did a fantastic job shutting down the hot pair. Souray, although ugly at times in his own end, scored 2 more powerplay goals, and Rookie Gui Latendresse, continued his hot scoring, when he tallied the Habs 3rd powerplay goal of the night, a laser beam of a shot to the top hand corner, which helped the Habs seal the deal.

The standouts tonight, were Markov, and Komi. Hat tip to Souray because of the pp goals, and Huet who was great again tonight. I liked the way the second line looked tonight, Kosti is a keeper. Dandy who played the wing, had great jump, and hit everything, and Begin who played on a line with Dandy, played his best game of the year. As for the guys who are struggling, Ryder, is really fighting the puck, he hasn't been the same player since Higgins got hurt. Janne well ya Janne, Janne had another sub par game, he sat and looked at Vinny P, and allowed the Lighting forward to deflect in the only Lighting goal....he whined when he got a penalty, he was crap, I expect that that may have been his last game as a Hab for awhile, barring injury of course. Other then Ryder, and Janne, the Habs played a solid team game, Carbo was able to roll 4 lines, and they all contributed in their own way. I wasn't blown away by the Habs performance tonight, but I wasn't disappointed either..this was a good honest road win. Go Habs Go.

2006-11-15T08:27:00.000-08:00

Dandy Ready To Return To Action

Habs defenseman Mathieu Dandenault is reportedly ready to return to action, either tonight against the Lighting or at home Saturday versus the Thrashers. Dandenault's return, means the coach Carbo has a decision to make, as to who he will scratch on d to make room for Dandy. The Habs top four dmen, Markov, Komi, Souray, and Rivet are of course safe, Carbo has to pick between Striet, or Niniimaa. Mark Striet, who is by no stretch of the imagination, a physical presence on the back end, has not looked out of place on the Hab's blueline this year. He has 5 assists in I believe 11 games, and judging from the games I have seen this year, has made only a limited amount of defensive brainfarts. This of course brings me to Janne, oh Janne, you are the Habs new whipping boy (you replaced Ribs, whatya expect). Niniimaa, has been the worst dman on the Habs thus far this year (quite an accomplishment, really), Janne's play of late has not only pissed off the fans, and the media, but there are numerous reports that coach Carbo is not all that impressed with him either. So what does this all mean, logic would dictate that Janne sits for Dandy, and Striet stays on until the Cube returns...something tells me though that it will be Mark Streit that rides the pine. Its awful hard to sit a 2.4 million dollar asset in the press box.

2006-11-14T07:00:00.000-08:00

A Win, Is A Win, Is A Win

It was at times ugly, and it certainly was nothing to write home about, but the Habs took care of business against the shockingly lowly Senators last night. The Habs came out flat in the first period, the Sens had all the jump, but Huet kept the Habs in it early, and the tide slowly changed from the second period onward.

I saw this game as a snap shot of both teams performances thus far this year. The Sens, came out of the gate, guns blazing, only to be spanked in the third period yet again. There is something wrong in the Nations Capital. Whether it be chemistry, leadership, goal tending, guts, or coaching, a shake up is eminent in Ottawa, of that I am sure. As for the Habs, this game was typical of their early season performance thus far...they came out flat, listless, Mike Komisarek's huge hit on McGratton, and his shorthanded goal woke the Habs up, but the Habs continue to play with fire, with their undisciplined play. Yes their special team play has been stellar, but you can not continually allow the other team to have powerplay chances....this game should have been over when the Habs were up 4-1. A steady Habs stream to the penalty box, allowed the Sens to make it close, when they scored 2 powerplay goals in the third to make it 4-3. Mike Johnson thankfully put it away with his unassisted wrister. If you are a frequenter of any of the Habs forums out there, you know that many fans believe that their team is being singled out by the refs...I wouldn't go that far, yes I believe the refs are inconsistent, and well piss poor, but I will not succumb to a conspiracy theory yet. The time has come for Carbo and the rest of his staff, to study game film, and try and teach this team how to stay out of the box.

So yes, a win, is a win, is a win. The Habs once again did not show up for a full 60 minutes, but I was impressed, not only with the kids, Lats, Kosti, and Perez, were stellar, but, Komi, Huet, Saku, and the whole 3rd line played excellent games last night. As messy as this game was at times, the right team won. Go Habs Go.

2006-11-13T09:31:00.000-08:00

Congrats Patrick

Earlier today fromer Habs netminder Patrick Roy was inducted into the Hockey Hall Of Fame. Love him or hate him, Patrick Roy's accomplishments speak for themselves. Most regular season wins, most games played, most post season wins, 3 Conn Smythe trophies, 3 Vezina trophies, 4 Stanley Cups, oh ya and he revolutionalized his position with the butterfly style.

Patrick Roy supplied me with some of my favorite hockey memories. He will forever be one of my hockey heros. Debate all you want about his arrogance, or whether he quit on the Habs, Patrick Roy was a competitor, a warrior, and a winner. This is his big day, and I just want to say thanks Patrick for the memories.

2006-11-13T09:03:00.000-08:00

Tonight's Game Is A Good Test.....

The Habs are in Ottawa tonight to play the enigmatic Senators. This game ought be a good test for both teams. Although the Habs have a better record, their play of late, has closely mirrored the struggles of the Senators. Neither team has been able to put together full 60 minute efforts as of late. Could this be the game where the Sens finally prove that they are in fact the class of North East Division (them and Buffalo, whose bubble has to burst some time right)? Is this the game, where the Habs mediocracy is once again exposed by a superior opponent? Or do the Habs have the pride to bounce back from a horrid performance against the Leafs, and take a big bite out off the struggling Sens. This tilt is a big one, this a tone setting game for both teams. I expect a tight game, both teams lost their last games, and must be hungry for some points, and position.

2006-11-12T07:27:00.000-08:00

Les Miserables

I could spit adjectives, throw in a few f bombs, even throw in a tabernac...Last nights Habs performance against the Leafs, was by far their worst showing thus far this year. The Habs played with no emotion, there was no desire to win, they seemed unprepared, and what's worse they seemed not all that concerned.

This should have been a game for the taking, the Leafs were down their captain and best player, Mats Sundin, the were also playing sans starting netminder Andrew Raycroft. Sure the Habs have injury issues themselves, the lose of leading scorer, and best all around player Chris Higgins, is a kick in the pants. But, but the Habs were a no show lastnight.

So what went wrong??? Aside from the fact, that the Habs were listless, and seemed disinterested. I will start with discipline. How can a team, that does not play a physical game, be the second most penalized team in the league??? The Habs game, when successful, is speed driven, they should be drawing penalties not getting them. Sure the Habs have the best p.k. in the league, practice makes perfect right??? But, to continually be behind the 8 ball, to limit the ice time of the skilled keys, simply because the same 8 guys are on the ice for 60% of the game, is not a formula for success. I have no problem, with tough, physical hockey, I would love nothing more then to see my Habs, smashing guys all over the ice. This is however, not how the Habs are getting their penalties. They had 2 delay of the game penalties, both Souray, and Markov, shot the puck over the boards in their own end (worst penalty on the books in my opinion), the rest of the penalties were lazy penalties, hooking, tripping, or interference. Time for some hard practice, time for the coaching staff to bust some heads, work on fundamentals, punish laziness, there is now reason that the Habs should be the second most penalized team in the league.

So, the Habs are on the road, for the next 3 games, the play the Sens, then 2 games in Florida, this trip is important. Road trips can act as team building experiences. This team needs an identity, they need to develop a style of play. Time for coach Carbo to coach.

3 stars of the week: I have been in Ottawa for the last couple of weeks, so I really haven't watched my boys, that said, here it goes. 1) Lats, yep Lats, why? Well because he has scored his first goal of the year, and had a pretty assist lastnight. 2) Huet, nice to see this guy start to get his game back, earn his raise. 3) ummm Saku, because he is Saku, I guess.

Joe's doghouse: Janne Niniimma, yep, I was warned, and well he hasn't impressed. Kovi, this guy has earned permanent status here, sure his line had a couple of good scoring chances last night, but he has played so uninspired that, I just wanna shake him. Downey/Murray, the fourth line, has been useless, I'd give them a free pass if the were hitting, but they aren't even doing that.....Crap.

2006-11-07T09:04:00.000-08:00

Man Down

Chris Higgins, who in my opinion is the Habs best all around player, is expected to miss up to six weeks with a high ankle sprain. This is horrible news, not only is he leading the Habs in scoring this year, but he is also a huge part of the reason that the Habs penalty kill has been so stellar early on this year. It looks that his spot on the top line will be filled by rookie Gui Latendresse. Lats who has failed to impress anyone (okay, maybe some delusional members of the French press), I believe will spend maybe a shift and a half on the top line. Expect either Kovalev, Sammy, or maybe Perezhogin, or even Plekanic to see time with Saku and Ryder.

Will this injury, force Bob's hand? Will he be having serious discussions with his fellow GMs at their little sit down? Hard to say, It has been reported that the Habs had scouts at the Wings, Flyers game the other night. But were the Habs scouting the Wings or the Flyers, I figure every team in the NHL might be eyeing the Flyers right now, they are about to be blown up, and who knows where the the scrapnel may land. I for one believe that the Kings and Habs might be suitable suitors..Souray, for Conroy, problem with that deal being, that the Kings are already flush on defence, and the Habs are weak on the back end. A multiplayer deal perhaps envolving Souray, an Nhl ready prospect forward, maybe a pick, for Conroy, and Tverdosky?? Speculation of course. Bob is a patient man, he may sit on his hands, see how his team plays sans Higgins. All I can tell you is that, the lose of Higgins is huge. He is a big reason that the Habs have had such a respectable start. He can not be replaced via trade, but, it may force Bob to address other holes in his line up.

2006-11-06T08:53:00.000-08:00

Thoughts Of The Sens Vs. Canes

I had the opportunity, thanks to my friend Angela to see the Senators Vs. Hurricanes game on Saturday night. We had fantastic seats, in the 100 level, almost ice level toward the west end corner of the boards. The Scotia Bank Center, although far to far from Ottawa, is a beautiful rink, smaller then I am used to, the Centre Bell, seems huge in comparison, but oh well, the Sens sold it out, and that is all that matters right.

As for the game itself. The Sens, and their struggling captain Daniel Alfredsson came flying out of the gate. Alfie scored an early goal, and it looked like the Sens were back on their game. The Sens played a solid first period. The second period was dull. Early in the third the Hurricanes seemed to find there game..helped greatly by a parade to the penalty box by the Sens, eventually leading to Ray Whitney's second goal of the game, and the game winner.

My impressions of the 2 teams that most thought would be among the class of the Eastern Conference. First Ottawa, Ottawa can skate with any team in the league. They are still blessed, with elite level offensive talent. Their problem, they over handle the puck, and they do not shoot enough. I was sitting surrounded by die hard Sens fans, and all I heard the whole night was shoot the freaking puck. I also heard alot of anti Heatley rumblings, stuff like why did we trade Hossa for this guy, and I haven't been impressed with this guy since he arrived. The player I was most unimpressed with was Spezza, he seemed lazy, and uninspired. Overall, I still believe the Senators have the goods to make the playoffs, there is far too much talent on this team to think otherwise. They need to learn to shoot the puck, and crash the net. They still lack that killer instinct, that desire to go for the jugular. But by the end of the year when the smoke settles, they will sit near the top of the Eastern Conference, probably with around 100 points.

As for last years Stanley Cup Champions the Hurricanes, first impressions, the first thing you notice is how god awful ugly their white away jerseys are. But seriously, the Canes are a solid team. I was really impressed with Rod Brind Amour, who just so happened to score his 1000 point on Saturday night. Brind Amour does everything well, he is complete hockey player, a rare beast in this day and age. Eric Cole was also impressive, and Stoll, although I believe he was held of the score sheet, looks like the real deal to me. The Canes although they had a slow start, I believe will also be at the upper edge of the Eastern Conference come years end. If Cam Ward can play anywhere near the level he played in last years playoffs (hangover in full effect with this kid), and if Rutherford can pull off some trade deadline magic like he did last year, the Canes are still contenders.

Oh ya Go Habs Go.

2006-11-02T09:38:00.000-08:00

Going To A Sens Game

Just a little, how do you do. Turns out I am going to get to see a game after all. I am going to see the Senators play the Hurricanes on Saturday night. Would have much rather have went to see my Habs play the Sens, early next week, but not only is that a premium game, with inflated ticket prices, but looks like it is pretty much completly sold out...d'oh. So in my abscence, it seems the Habs have dropped one in o.t. to the Leafs and beat the aforementioned Sens the other night. Can't really give you my impression of either game, only caught snippets on Sports Desk.

I will try to report in, with my impressions of the Canes and the Sens, perhaps, Monday morning. Neither team has impressed at all this year, I will break down why I think they are struggling. Keep your stick on the ice all.

2006-10-27T09:22:00.000-07:00

Upper Canadian Invasion

I will be blogging rather lightly for the next week or so. I am on my way to Ottawa, and then a short stint in the Mtl. The trip is not at all hockey related, the Sens are on the road most of next week, and budget, and lack of planning (except for the charming of a girl in Ott, and the drinking of a ton of beer in Mtl) have made the viewing of a game pretty much out of the question. Oh well girls and beer, are not such a bad thing, I will catch a coupla games later on in the season.

As for last nights game versus the Bruins, I missed almost all of the first 2 periods. When I finally turned the game on, I just missed the Kovalev meltdown..I did however witness the Bruin powerplay goal that tied the game up. This was yet another stinker, it had the same feel as the Chicago game a week or so ago. I am not sure if the Bruins, and Hawks, play a similar game, maybe the game plan against the Habs, is to play a clutch and grab, old school Nhl game, and hope that the Habs get the majority of the penalties. Which of course was the case lastnight. The Habs have a discipline problem, and the continued whining by the coaching staff right on threw the line up, is certainly not going to endear the Habs to the refs.

Good on Huet for playing playing a solid 60 minute game, good on Higgins for being well Higgins, and good on Markov, for scoring the game winner. Hat tip to some of my buddies in the blogosphere for warning me about the inaptitude of Janne Niinimaa. He certainly is an early candidate for my doghouse, add Kovalev, Lats, and Carbo to the early list as well.

Leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again. Cheers.

2006-10-25T09:48:00.000-07:00

Carbo Shuffles Lines

Coach Carbo, in an attempt to get production out of his second line, has decided to promote rookie Gui Latendresse to the second line, and demote Samsonov to the fourth. I for one think that this is a brainfart of a move, Lats has yet to prove anything at the pro level, Sammy although not lighting up the score sheet, has at least shown some wheels, and I think was just beginning to feel comfortable in the Habs system. The problem with the second line is twofold, first Pleks is not a second line center, he is responsible defensively, and can skate, but he can not distribute the puck, and has hands of stone. But the the number one problem on the second line, is Kovalev, he is a floater, and he has seemed disinterested all year long.

Until Kovalev learns that there are 4 other line mates on the ice with him at any given time. Until he stops over handling the puck, and losing it in the corner, or worse at the opposing teams blue line, the second line is never going to be effective. I see Carbo's experiment lasting all of maybe 3 shifts, Lats, can not keep up with NHL caliber skaters, and Kovalev being Kovalev, will cough up the puck, leading to potential 5-3s whenever that line is on the ice....Why promote an under achieving teenager, demote a guy that is just getting his feet wet, all in an attempt to accommodate, a diva that should be the focus of the punishment, screw the star treatment, time for Kovalev to earn is millions in my opinion .

2006-10-24T08:20:00.000-07:00

The Janne Jinx

Dear Mr Niinimaa, the hockey god's have spoken, never, ever, ever, meddle with Kharma, it has a funny way of coming back and biting you in the ass. Yep, the Habs played a stinker lastnight. First Huet lets in a Tommy Saloesque goal off his head, Souray then rings one off the post, Markov, well he coughed up the puck leading to a Chris Drury goal...the jinx was on lastnight, thanks Janne.

I could go on a triade about how Huet looks like a one year wonder, how he spends more time on his knees then a 2 dollar...eeks better stop there. How Markov is not playing like he knows it is his contract year, how Kovalev, is a greedy player, who over handles the puck, on how Lats looks like an 18 year old playing in a man's league..oh right whoops no triade right, my bad....this one was over as soon as Huet let in the floater off his mellon in the first. I switched it off early in the 3rd to watch CSI Miami, which was advertised to be all spooky, it wasn't shoulda known that show never fails to disappoint...Mondays suck.

2006-10-22T10:16:00.000-07:00

Jose Gets Smoked

Windy and cold, bundled up in a hoody, togue, sick as a dog..Heck the fireplace was even roaring. Habs down 3-1 after the first, that's when the cough came, 2 beers left in the fridge, damn it was going to be a long night. Then, like only Jose Theodore can do, the flood gates opened, my Habs score 2 in the second period, still phlegmie, still out of beer. Early in the third Craig Rivet, ha yes Rivet of all people goes in on a breakaway, and scores 5-4 Habs....I am out of my seat, the Bell Centre is in full Jose taunt, phlegm be damned.

When it was all said and done, when the dust settled, when the Jose taunts, and the NA NA NA NA's hey hey hey good byes stopped, the Habs embarrassed Theodore and the Avs 8-5. Souray, yep Joe's favorite whipping boy has a 2 goal and 2 assist night, shoot even the Russians scored a coupla points each. Fun night, the stage was set, this game could have gone either way, Jose could have had one of his rare starts, where he looks like the MVP, and Veniza trophy winner, but it didn't happen, the Jose that we as Habs fans have grown to despise showed up....I for one couldn't have been any happier, come back soon Jose, you are always welcome.

Joe's 3 Stars of week 2:

1) Sheldon Souray, hate to do it, but I have to give props to Souray, he is putting the puck in the net, has the Hab's power play rolling. He still scares me in the Hab's end, but well at this point, every dman on the team is rather scary down low.

2) Radek Bonk, playing a killer defensive game this year, and heck he is even chipping in offensively.

3) Koivu/Higgins/Ryder, the first line, yep all of them, couldn't single one out, they are all playing well, a cohesive unit..Good to see.

Joe's Doghouse:

Hate to do this to, but Andrei Markov, has to get his head out off his ass, he played a nice game lastnight against the Avs, and he has 7 assists so far this year, but his defensive play has been average at best. Kovalev, again played a pretty good game against the Avs, but he needs to play hard every shift, and bring the best out of his linemates. Finally Steve Begin, I am not entirely sure if he is playing through injury, but Begin has not been the impact player he was last year.

2006-10-21T12:11:00.000-07:00

La Grande Retour De Jose Le Beau

The most hyped date on the Habs early season schedule has arrived. Jose Theodore, and Patrice Brisebois, are back in Montreal, as the Avs battle the Habs tonight. This is a hot ticket, Theodore, love him or lump him, is a media darling. He puts bums in the seats. The crowd at La Centre Bell, should be all a buzz tonight. I for one am not a Theodore fan, and I never liked Brisebois either. Here is hoping Les Boys, expose Brisebois for the soft dman that he is, and score at will against Mr Hair Tonic. The only thing that could make this game even more appealing would be if the Avs would wear some throw back Nordiques uniforms, oh ya, and maybe if Dale Hunter and Pierre Mondou dropped the ceremonial first puck. Should be a fun one, I will of course, blog my impressions tomorrow, and break down my Habs second week performance. Salut.

2006-10-20T10:37:00.000-07:00

What Is The Deal With......

The Flyers, Senators, and the Flames. The biggest surprise early on in the 2006-07 season, is not the fast start of the Sabres, the Wild, or even the Black Hawks, it is the utter inaptitude of the Flyers, Sens, and Flames. First, lets break down their seasons so far, the Flyers in their first 7 games are 1-5-1 (ouch), they have scored only 13 goals in 7 games, less then 2 a game (ouch), and have given up 30 (eeeks). The Senators in their first 6 games are 2-4-0, they have scored only 11 goals, yep less then 2 a game (whhaaaa!!!), and have given up 16 (meh, not bad). The Flames in their first 7 games are 2-4-1, the have scored 15 goals, a smidgen or 2 a game (the famous Tanguay effect), while surrendering 21, or exactly 3 a game (Kipper where art thou).

Okay the Flyers, oh the Flyers, are in a mess, Snider is pissed, Clarke is amiss, and Hitchcock, according to his backup goalie, is empty up there. The fit is going to hit the shan in Philly, methinks. The demotion of Nedved, and 2 other lesser lights (I know their names, but its too much of an effort to try and spell them..One sounds like a terrorist attack on a gardener, the other is all Greek to me), was only the opening volley. Snider from what I have read is about to blow up the whole thing in Philly (the garden as well). But where to begin, is there a quick fix, would firing the coach, give the Flyers that new coach bounce? What about finally taking Bobby Clarke to task, for his inability to assemble a team that can compete in the "new NHL". I think it is time to kick both Bobby, and Hitchcock to the curb, sacrifice this season perhaps, and start anew. But well I am not a Flyers fan, and I know Bobby Clarke is sacred and all in Flyers lore, so who knows???

The Sens, those kings of the regular season, talent to spare, but the hearts of mice come playoff time. The Sens took it in the ass because of the salary cap, they were forced to choose between Chara, and Redden (book is still out on that one), and the dealt away Havlat, who just so happens to be the NHL's early season points leader. I think the Sens front office has to be blown up, Muckler, like Clarke has been able to compile consistently competitive regular season teams...However, the Sens playoff failures, and their slow start this year, must have Mucks, and Murray on a short leash.

Finally the Flames, the Flames, have the best collection of young defensemen in the league, and the reigning Vezina trophy winner behind the pipes. Offence has and still is the Achilles Heel for the Flames. Alex Tanguay, is a solid hockey player, and will fit in nicely with the Flames, once he gets used to the system, but he was not exactly what the Flames needed to stem their offensive woes...The Flames need a center, and until the find a capable center, offence will always be tough to come by in Calgary.

Of the 3 teams I mentioned I think the Flames have the best chance of getting there act together, too much grit and heart on that team to think other wise. The Senators will make the playoffs, but I think the Flyers might be toast.....Should be fun to watch, I think the Flyers blink first.

2006-10-19T09:41:00.000-07:00

Blinded By Handzus' Lid

Oh man sitting through last night's Black Hawks vs. Habs game was like trying to sit through a 3 hour Cornation Street marithon. Boring, wow, I was actually knodding off. See, I expected this one to be a goal fest, the Hawks were supposed to have no d, and the Habs were supposed to make them look like an AHL affiliate. But nope, the bizzarro land that has been the Habs this week, have seen a 5-4 thriller against the Flames, and a meh, 2-1 snooze fest against the lowly Hawks.

I hate it when the Habs, lose games against inferior teams, I would not have been all that upset had the Habs went down swinging in a lose against the Flames, who many see as amongst the league's elite, but the Hawks, ugh, there goes 2 points which I am sure will be much needed down the stretch. Sure this was a back to back game, the Habs had to travel to Chicago, after a tough, balls out game against the Flames, but this was only the sixth game of the season, their legs should still be fresh. Ugh, ugh, poop, and hey Handzus, do something with that lid, this isn't FIFA, and big hair rock is dead.

2006-10-18T07:59:00.000-07:00

Wild One Lastnight

Had you told me that the Habs and the Flames would score 9 goals combined in one game, I'd have said you were nuts. I predicted that Flames would come out of this contest with a 2-0 win. I figured Kipper who was coming off a soft game against the Leafs, would bounce back, and shut down the Habs offence. Boy was I wrong, to rip off a Maguirism, the book seems to be out on Kipper, he doesn't seem to like the high hard ones...Makes him blink, Sundin blasted a coupla high hard ones by him the other night, and he certainly seemed to blink on Kovalev's slapper that was the game winner lastnight.

Lastnight's game certainly wasn't one for goaltenders, as much as the refs tried to steal the show (15 powerplays, swallow the whistle already), this was an extremely entertaining game to watch. It was up tempo, lots of hitting (the Reghr hit on Downey, legal yes, Scott Stevens on Lindros esque, Downey had is head down, and Reghr took it off), good rough stuff, no fights, I think everyone wanted to see Komi and Iggy go, or Rivet and Phaneuf. All and all the best game I have seen so far this year. It had a playoff feel, both teams wanted to win this one, and it showed.

I have to tip my hat to Radek Bonk, not only has he been doing an admirable job shutting down the other team's top liners all year, he potted a couple of goals tonight. Okay, as much as it pains me to do it, I will tip my hat to Souray as well, he sure does have a blast from the point, and tonight he didn't look like the worst dman on the planet, Markov did, whats with that???

Great game all around, Les Boys, are still undefeated in regulation, bring on those Black Hawks, my brain tells me this should me a 6-4 win for the Habs, but after lastnights bizzarro land score, it just might be a 2-0 win....Who knows.