Missing Andrei Markov, Mike Cammalleri and Roman Hamrlik, the Canadiens came close at the ACC.
Jean-Sebastien Giguere made 26 saves – including two in the dying seconds to preserve the win.
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hey fellow habs fans haven’t posted on here in a while due to lack of working computer so i bought a ps3 so i can and watch the games online lol. i hope whichever goalie is in net tonight ty hey don’t get killed or boo’d out there and they win which would show that at least we wont be worse then the laughs
I agree with shilo the cbc TO is pro TO to the point of boredom nobody else exist.
Today, I am just so happy that hockey is back. Can’t wait for tonight, it’s gonna be great! At this point, I don’t care how good we are…but it would be nice to beat the *&#@ Laffs….
Family event?
CJAD is usually 5-15 seconds ahead or behind RDS/CBC. All that speed of light/speed of sound/radio wave/microwave stuff.
___________________________________________
Note the new digs! but yeah I’m still on Twitter!
Eyes deceive. “Clutch” is in the eye of the beholder. Human observers are fantastic at finding patterns, even where they don’t exist. And it’s virtually impossible not to insert one’s biases in one’s observations, whether this observer is you, me, or Scotty Bowman. You say you saw him do X, I say I saw something different, and we won’t figure out who’s right just by looking at him.
Generally, whenever one says “forget the statistics”, that should be a clue that the argument is on shaky ground. Statistics are only ever a measure of what happens on the ice, and so long as they are complete (G-A-P is a very shallow statistic). If one’s observation does not match what was recorded to have happened on the ice, what’s more likely to be wrong, really?
For instance, you say he’d never score a game-tying goal… yet I distinctly remember one he scored against Washington in a game the Habs lost in overtime to an Ovechkin who’d ended the game with 4 goals and five points. This is purely an anecdote, and it’s worthless for that reason, but it illustrates that what sticks out to your mind and what sticks out to mine may well be different.
Or, to use a semi-useful statistic, when you say he never seemed to score a go-ahead goal… it’s interesting to note that 8 of his 48 career
goals with the Habs were the proverbial “first goal of the game”, which
are go-ahead goals by definition (and only a subset of those). Are those “clutch” goals? We keep being told the first goal of the game is so very important, after all, and over 10% of Lats’ goals with the Habs were first goals.
Or how about that he was consistently a leader in even-strength goals on a team that struggled to get them? Aren’t PP goals easier to come by than ES goals? Wouldn’t Lats propensity towards 5-on-5 goals point to a certain level of ability in scoring in tough situations?
The reality is that hockey is such a low-scoring game that there’s practically no such thing as an unimportant goal.
Price in Net tonight.
——
Canadien en 5!
Never go Full Retard
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svwGRJA28lY&feature=related
MAN I missed hockey!!!!
Goalies in Montreal have two roles, netminder and scapegoat.
I do not think so…he is just one of those players who needed a change in scenery, he had his chances in Montreal but could not keep it up…it is too bad he could not be consistently successful but at least he is being successful somewhere.
This may also apply to Price depending on what happens.
“I am guilty of using elipses…”
I’ve grown tired of the players who didn’t seem to care what way the game was going. Fine, I didn’t really watch much of his opening season but the point is, as it went on in his career it’s hard to find times where he was a consistent, active player on the ice, making the moves that you can see, forget the statistics of it, forget looking at TOI versus goals, just watching him you didn’t see a player who was doing the things that you expect to see from a regular player with top minutes, a guy who’s playing on every shift and making good moves.
He never seemed to score in any clutch moment, a tying goal, a go-ahead goal when the the team really needed it. He was there, he scored now and then with some game-winners but it was never when it came down to the wire that you looked to Latendresse, you just didn’t expect to see him doing anything because he didn’t. He seemed to just be fine playing on the Canadiens but he didn’t seem to be that invested like Koivu or Gionta is in the win. You can throw out as many numbers as you like, but to someone who’s watching, you don’t get the impression that he was giving it all he could and he really had a love for the team and wanting to do all he could, because he was often not delivering any impact to the games. There’s something to be said for watching the game and throwing away statistics and Latendresse’s numbers showed a guy who could have been much better but his own on-ice efforts showed he wasn’t interested in being better, for Montreal anyway.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
http://habsandhockey.blogspot.com/
He scored a goal going to the net. The same thing the Habs tried to get him to do consistently for 3 1/4 years and he never wanted to do here, goodbye to Tenderness and his soft attitude and crybaby ways in the media.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
http://habsandhockey.blogspot.com/
Scott Burnside of ESPN has zero faith in Price, but he never had much faith in the Habs in general anyway, in any case, this is what he had to say about Price as #9 of stories to watch out for:
“Having been handed the No. 1 netminding job in Montreal based on something other than level of play, Carey Price spent some of his offseason doing rodeo work. Does that sound like a good idea? Does that sound like someone who has the right mental focus to be a No. 1 netminder in one of the toughest hockey markets in the game? Uh, no. And having watched him mope about during the playoffs last spring, firing pucks in anger at Washington Capitals’ players and generally looking ill-equipped to get the job done, this season looms as a great litmus test for the fifth overall pick from the 2005 draft.
What’s worse for Hab fans, who were aghast when GM Pierre Gauthier dealt playoff hero Jaroslav Halak to St. Louis, is Plan B appears to be Alex Auld, who has never been anything other than a Grade B backup. Yikes. Price may seize the moment and silence the legion of doubters in the media and throughout Hab Nation, but we doubt it.”
“I am guilty of using elipses…”
drop da puck!!
FYI – jacques martin comin up on http://www.fan590.com w/ his old pal doug maclean on hockey central
Habs will regret that trade….
——
Canadien en 5!
Never go Full Retard
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svwGRJA28lY&feature=related
Frankly, this would be a waste of time; your mind is already made up, and I don’t trust that you would accept anything I came up with regardless of whether I was right or not. I could point to, say, the 10-game stretch starting with his first NHL goal, but you’d probably claim he was dogging it even though he was a 19-year-old rookie carrying his own weight on a top line at the time. Latendresse wasn’t dogging it; it’s just that you decided he was. The amount of bad faith and irrational hatred heaped upon him would be surprising if it weren’t almost a yearly thing for the Habs to pick a player to pick on like this. I wonder if it’ll be Price or Andrei K this year.
Bottom line is this: objectively, Latendresse was productive. Your subjective (and frankly, clearly biased) observations about how he “seemed” to be dogging it or “seemed” not to be able to finish when he had the puck on his stick are only informed by your preconceived notions; they plainly don’t weigh up against his goal-scoring rates (near the top of the team by icetime). He actually “seemed” to me to be one of the most reliable Habs on
breakaways and penalty shots, but really, what is an observation like
that worth? I put more stock in how much he produced while he was on the ice, and whether he was driving possession the right way. Which he was.
16 goals in 73 games on 12 minutes a night is actually a lot of goal-scoring, and one that definitely warrants expansion of the player’s role. As is 14 goals in 56 games while playing 13 minutes a night. Usually, scorers who produce at this rate are recognized and given 16ish minutes or more… like what he got in Minnesota.
But what’s the use? It’s clear that your irrational hatred of Latendresse won’t be swayed by any amount of reality.
I bet he keeps it up too.
I think he’s a great example of a player who just couldn’t handle Montreal – not because there was too much pressure (which is sometimes the case), but because he was too comfortable with all the praise he received just for being drafted. He never had to work and was guaranteed a roster spot. Then he’s traded to Minnesota where if you don’t perform, the name on the back of the jersey won’t save you. Hence he goes to the net now and scores goals.
It never would have worked in Montreal.
—
Chris
Why can’t I be happy for him, It pisses me off
“It’s not an obsession, It’s a way of life..”
First goal of the year! He’s had a couple good shifts already. People seem to think hes gunna get lazy again this year but I think hes gunna have an even better one.
——–
http://www.easports.com/media/play/video/24279250
My spinorama shootout goal with Cammy
Really, name that 10-game stretch, please tell me of the 10 straight games where he was a standout on the team and nobody could say he was dogging it. His results proved to be maybe half of what he was actually capable of in Montreal because he played lazily, slow skater and he couldn’t win the board battles, so what good was his size really? His hits weren’t that remarkable either, often out of place or just irrelevant to what was going on in the game.
He didn’t work hard, he was not Koivu, Kostopoulos, Gorges, Gionta, Markov, Lapierre… the guys who played all out even when the game was out of reach. He was on and off and he didn’t have the talent that justified that kind of performance. He rarely seemed to finish when he had goals on his stick either. Difference between MIN and MTL is that he is actually playing like he did in the games where he scored for Montreal each game so the scoring opportunities actually more often, he’s doing the same thing each game, not having lazy nights out where he skates around, gives away the puck and throws a useless hit 30 feet from the action. “Goal scoring in spades” is not 16 goals a year either. You don’t get ice time for having a good game, than 4 soft ones. Night in, night out effort is something he didn’t feel like doing here.
In Minnesota, that organization is so poorly handled and drafts so badly that a trade that brings in a 20+ goal scorer could be their best ever because it would just about the first time they managed it. Latendresse is finding it easy play away from the spotlight or it was his wakeup call but he can score as often as he likes in Minnesota, it doesn’t matter because he could never bother to give Montreal an 82-game effort, or a 50-game effort really.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
http://habsandhockey.blogspot.com/
The only tool he’s missing is between the ears. If he can work on that…
__________________________
I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend your right to make yourself look stupid.
Better to get this shit out of the way early in the season…
__________________________
I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend your right to make yourself look stupid.
Guillaume scores.
(facepalm)
—
Chris
You wouldn’t expect LaSlugesse to exert himself, would you? He can’t seem to find the energy to skate or hit anybody, but he’s got enough in him to raise his stick and pump his fists to celebrate Koivu the Younger’s work getting him the puck.
I could go back and point at a 10-game stretch, but what would that prove? You’d merely claim he was dogging it. But frankly, not only do I think this argument is a load of crap, even if it were true I wouldn’t particularly care. He was giving the Habs results and his play in Minnesota shows that he could’ve been a very useful player — which we knew because he was visibly on that path in Montreal.
It seems to me “he has a bad work ethic” is invariably the argument that gets used to diss players that one doesn’t like when one can’t find a better (read: real) reason to diss them. Funnily enough, that complaint still gets directed at players that are effective in spite of those supposed problems. There’s also a marked tendancy to mistake skating and skating speed for “hard work”. I give work ethic complaints little credence as a result.
I don’t think Latendresse “flat out refulsed to go to the net”. He actually did go to the net, though perhaps not with the frequency that fans might have liked, but here’s the kicker: there wasn’t much of a chance for him to go to the net productively. Apparently Martin wanted him to be Holmstrom, but the problem is that Holmstrom is not as good a player at even-strength as Latendresse already was, and only cracked the 10-goal mark at even strength with Datsyuk. Latendresse was more effective in his usual style than in the Holmstrom style, especially when he was paired with Lapierre and similar grinders when #84 had by far the best puck skills on the line. People were complaining about him refusing to go to the net when it did not make sense for him to do so.
(This obsession with “going to the net” makes for a convenient cliche, but it’s plainly untrue that it’s always the best play.)
Like I said, feel free to continue to come up with excuses to justify the organization’s bad trade if it makes you feel better, but it won’t change that it was a blatant mistake, one that was visible when it happened and is still visible now.
Carbo and Martin both handled Latendresse poorly. Besides his size and
hitting (something which we keep being told the Habs lack), Latendresse
demonstrated goal-scoring skills in spades. He was one of the very best
goal-scorers on the team every season he played in Montreal. Yet, oddly,
this did not lead to him being given icetime commensurate with those
results… until he landed in Minnesota. Funny how he immediately started racking up counting numbers even if, really, he’s not actually playing any better or different.
You know they call him “BTE” on Minnesota blogs — “Best Trade Ever”?
That goal was all Mikko!
“It must be love!”
I never quite got that about Shiloh either.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
http://habsandhockey.blogspot.com/
I want the Habs to win…but I really do not know what to expect from them this season…all I know is that I will join the ride and either love it or hate it at every point of this coming season.
“I am guilty of using elipses…”
This is odd…AK46 has had a bad year and a half and you still have some faith in him…Price has had a bad year and a half and many are throwing him to the wolves….
“I am guilty of using elipses…”
Notice how Gui!’s goal was thanks to him being in front of the net? What a coincidence! Who’d have thought a guy would score more goals if he stayed around the crease?
Also, Mikko made a great play to set it up.
Great. I’m a huge JC fan, I hope this doesn’t ruin him for me. Thinking of Dion P every time I hear that song. That is bad.
don’t ask.
Game day , uh events…
Go to work in the morning hungover- Check
$31.27 in my pocket to buy a case of beer- check
Yell at kids on bikes from my truck as i drive to liqor store- check
Head to buddies tralor with beer and steak, swear at Habs ineptitude, laugh at Leafs ineptitude…- can’t wait
Ya i’m set too
Why do you need the kids?
Anyone in the GTA they’re showing the game beside the ACC in Maple Leaf Square on a big screen outdoors. There’s free food and drink to commemorate the opening of the shops and the square. We need some Habs fans to break up the blue and white party!
Lapierre played with a lot of guys besides Latendresse that year and he wasn’t a constant linemate of Laps until the second half of the season, otherwise he might have contributed on more than two of Max’s goals several months apart from each other. That line’s offence cartered also because hey, Lapierre’s ankle was hurt and it didn’t get right for quite some time in the 09-10 season as well, without his speed Lapierre isn’t much and he couldn’t get it going with the bad ankle.
Latendresse’s goals in Minnesota came from effort as well, effort! as I have said for so long name a stretch of games in Latendresse’s career, under either Carbonneau or Martin where he played hard, relentless for 10 games. It doesn’t exist, he never had the work ethic in Montreal, he was enigmatic as Kovalev at times but didn’t have the magnificent skill that made it tolerable because he could put on such spectacular efforts when he was on his game. Blame Martin, blame Carbonneau, he never tried half as hard as a player like Koivu did. Higgins wasn’t a good shot but at least he kept shooting at the damn net and hit his 20-goal seasons because he kept trying. Plenty of players had bad work ethics and produced but it’s how often they produce that matters and Latendresse when he played well in MTL looked like he could do a lot more, but then he wouldn’t do anything for the next 5 games. He set a bad example in the locker room and couldn’t have been liked for such hack efforts by character men like Gorges and Gionta.
He flat out refused to go to the net here. Here’s a concept, do what the coach tells you to do for the extra ice time and then with that extra time, prove you can do more than just what you’re told to do. If you’re not too lazy or self-entitled that is to try it out, which he didn’t do.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
http://habsandhockey.blogspot.com/
We’ll be alright Shylock, injuries and illness, are bound to happen…
AK46 – looking for him to have a great season. He’s only 25, and despite him having a down season last year, was still plus for the year – surprisingly he’s +15 for his career. He hits as well as most of our forwards and has solid offensive skills. I’ve often thought that he has the tools to be a big centre, but maybe he hasn’t got the playmaking skills – although he passes well enough.
He has been disappointing the last year and a half, but he sure seems to have all the skills.
Game day family event.
Apple pie in the oven – check
Two dishes of cannelloni ready for the oven – check
Home baked bread dough rising – check
Shrimp appetizers ready in the fridge – check
Kids arrive at 6. I’m set.
If anyone has Sportsnet Ontario keep your eyes peeled for this new Leafs commercial I just saw. I nearly pissed myself laughing. The music is Johnny Cash’s cover of Won’t Back Down and it features dumb dumb Dion taking a slapshot in slow motion where the puck rises and shatters the screen. Truly laughable material, a perfect match for that player and that team
guaranteed a neutral +/- rating, anyhow
Lats may not have assisted on Lapierre’s goals directly, but Latendresse was the guy who drove possession on that line and was the major reason they ended up in the offensive zone where Lapierre could end up scoring his goals. It is no surprise that the line’s offense cratered when Lats was injured and that Lapierre likewise cratered offensively when he was traded.
Latendresse is scoring in Minnesota because the Wild let him play his style (an all-around offensive player) and not the style the Habs projected him as (a Holmstrom-style banger) which would have actually made him a worse player. More importantly, though, the Wild are giving him icetime based on his results and not on whether he’s adapting his playstyle to the hare-brained image the coach had of him.
Latendresse was badly mishandled by the Habs’ coaching staff (read: Jacques Martin), and his success with Minnesota is neither surprising nor something he could not have done for the Habs with more competent coaching.
(Here’s a very good article on the subject posted in March: http://hockproject.blogspot.com/2010/03/new-latendresse.html — the comments of that are also very good. )
Ultimately, they traded a promising young player for a guy who was the same age, only a worse hockey player. But by all means, feel free to make up stories about his work ethic
to make you feel better about a clear fumble by the Habs’ brass. (Funny how the supposed lack of work ethic never prevented him from being productive, though, but then excuses don’t have to make sense.)
It’s either that or you can start hounding RDS to do their broadcasts in English
Missing our best goal scorer, our best defenseman, another top defenseman and perhaps our starting goalie – tough way to start.
they aren’t doing it anymore… been like 2 years now (i think).
——
Canadien en 5!
Never go Full Retard
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svwGRJA28lY&feature=related
Good article by Hickey on Ryan White — makes me a bit mad that White essentially had very little chance no matter how he played to make the team because of the number of one-way contracts we signed. It doesn’t seem like very good management when you tie your own hands in terms of the roster.
We finally got RDS put through on cable this year. It was a fight, but enough of us hounded the cable co. for two years. Now available. Cogeco and Rogers in the Kingston, Belleville and Trenton area.
Now if only I knew how to synchronise CJAD to the play. It is as much as 15 seconds difference. The play is at the other end sometimes. But in french, I can get about 25%. So its all good
Go back over Lapierre’s goals from 08-09, he did not get carried by Lats, he got good ice time from Carbonneau and Gui was only involved on 2 of his 15 goals (I had this argument a while ago elsewhere and had to check it out). Max Lapierre was credited with the 4th star Beauchamps trophy after his 08-09 campaign because he defined the bottom 6 so well, scoring 15 goals including a couple shorties and some slick SO goals as well.
Latendresse is scoring in Minnesota from the same place the Habs told him to play in Montreal, go to the net! He goes there in Minny but he never did in Montreal, hence his lack of production. He scored today on a feed from Mikko Koivu sitting in front of the net, when was the last time he did that in Montreal? He didn’t work hard, there is no stretch in his Canadiens career where he worked for ten games straight and forced the coach to play him because he was out there every night playing hard. He didn’t want to try or felt his roster spot was an entitlement he didn’t have to work for, either way he was a bad example on the team, a soft teammate and wasting roster space. He was given chances to succeed on the top lines under both Carbonneau and Martin but he never showed the kind of effort he should have. Sooner or later, he has to be held accountable, not the coaching staff for being lazy on the ice.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
http://habsandhockey.blogspot.com/
I’ve got it on Shaw as well, but I’ve heard RDS sells online coverage, and I’m not interested in anything else TV related.
I am not an animal, I just reproduce that way.
Good news…. Eric Engels will now have a blog with CTV.ca Montreal! No excuses for going to that clown Eklund’s site!
Congratulations! I’m happy to hear to found your other half, I’d be lost without mine. I’m not going to the game this year but perhaps we’ll run into each other at Hurleys.
I am not an animal, I just reproduce that way.
I get it on Shaw Cable – three French stations for $2.49 a month – or just RDS for $1.95 a month.
Carolina, undefeated so far this season, now sits in sole possession of first place overall in the standings.
“Hey Richard, two minutes for looking so good!”
I will most definitely be there with my lovely bride.
Comment was not aimed AT you, but your comment gave me the fodder to throw out the generalization.
“I am guilty of using elipses…”
Howdy Chuck, you going to the Summit this year?
I am not an animal, I just reproduce that way.
Sorry, that theory may make Habs fan feel better but it’s just technicolor dreaming. The problem with it is that Latendresse is not more productive, really, for Minnesota than he’d been in 2008-2009 for the Habs. His scoring numbers per minute of icetime for 2009-2010 are remarkably similar to his numbers with the Habs for 2008-2009. Moreover, he basically carried Lapierre and gave the Habs a credible third line almost entirely by his lonesome.
The big difference is that Minnesota has better coaching (at least in the context of handling Lats, if not in general) that recognized Latendresse’s achievements and ability and gave him more, well-deserved icetime. And more PP time, which Latendresse put to productive use (which he hadn’t with the Habs). And that’s why he looks like he exploded, but the key takeaway here is that he is not really playing better, he is just being put in a position to succeed.
If he had been handled well, there was exactly no reason why Latendresse couldn’t have been as productive for the Habs than he’d been for Minnesota — which we know because he already had.
Bad, bad trade, a clear mismanagement by the Habs.
6 game wining streak to start the season please.
They will, it was entirely predictable, and the trade was completely unnecessary.
That trade looked bad the moment it was made, I really wonder what the Habs were thinking.
Good to see you around here again, EM! Stay for a while and take a load off! (Or drop a load off, as the case may be…)
Does anyone know if RDS sells Habs packages for online streaming, not interested in Center Ice.
I am not an animal, I just reproduce that way.
Tonight we will see that the Habs are severely lacking toughness. Montreal will get knocked around, as is the usual with this team.
We will also see that the Leafs are severely lacking at centre and will not make the playoffs as a result. Would Bozak/Grabovski/Brent/Mitchell make the Habs this year? I doubt it.
He’ll still have a better game than most of the Leafs’ forwards though.
Fearless prediction: Cammalleri held scoreless tonight.
Panic!
/\\ike
GO HABS GO!
Finally….been looking forward to this for a while!!
That’s true… he’s being consistent when he gets good minutes and good players around him.
He would look good with Gomez and Gionta.
Prediction: Latendresse scores 30+ this season. Pouliot… 20 or less.
——
Canadien en 5!
Never go Full Retard
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svwGRJA28lY&feature=related
I don’t really have a ton of faith in AK46 – he just has so much talent that you think he will break out. I have a soft spot for someone who’s overcome his medical condition (epilepsy) and still soldiers on. I wonder sometimes whether his meds put him in a zone…With Price, I never thought he earned the promotion to Number 1 the first time he got it, and especially not this time. Hope he turns it around, though. I disliked LaSlowesse for the same reason – he never earned his spot. Ryan White has shown more determination than LaTenderness ever did – but he has to wait on the farm. AK46, with five times LaUseless’ talent was buried in Hamilton and Belarus for awhile as well. He eventually earned his spot.
I don’t like when a player is given a spot and then goes through the motions like they’re the chosen one.
And – I see where LaGluesse scored a goal – big deal. He may pop a few on a last place team, but he plays soft and pouts if he doesn’t get top status.
Exactly!! No regrets here!
……………………………………………………………….
YES HABS CAN!!
Just thinking about a freshly zambonied ice surface sends chills down my spine, getting to see my Habs put the Leafs in their place on that ice surface is even better.
Starting tonight at 7 is a journey we’ve all been waiting all summer for. During this journey boys will become men, some will crumble under pressure (hopefully not Price), others will rise to the challenge. Some nights will seem like they couldn’t win a game, other nights it will be hard to imagine anybody beating them. There will be highs and there will be lows, glorious celebrations and burning disappointments.
One thing will be constant. Throughout all these trials and tribbulations, I and many others like me will be supporting our Habs, pushing (perhaps harshly at times) for them to be the best they can and rewarding them with near God-like reverence when they play well. Tonight it starts, let’s enjoy the ride no matter where it takes us.
BRING ON THE 2010-2011 SEASON!!
GO HABS GO!!!!!!
The struggles of today will make the victories of tomorrow that much sweeter.
MacLame in Dumbass Square lol!
I just didn’t want him in front of the camera and I was very happy that he took the job with the PA, but alas it didn’t last very long for him.
man after watching that price feature i realize that he still speaks like an 18 year old. i hope he’s still here when he’s 30 and grown up .
Mr. Boone, here we go again. Good luck starting a new season.
i would rather pull out my own fingernails than listen/watch to Hedley
Bozak has to be the most over-hyped player in the league. Just because you are a team’s number one centre doesn’t make you a number one centre. Well…technically it does but you know what I mean. He’s 24 and has only played 37 NHL games. Gimme a break.
“Takes forever to wheel out surviving Leaf Cup winners.”
Oh, Boone, that is precious!
————————
Nigel Tufnel: It really puts perspective in things, doesn’t it?
David St. Hubbins: Oh, too much. Too much fu*king perspective.
–This is Spinal Tap
All the best to everyone who comes here. And all the best to the H I/O reporters who keep us talking about the team we love.
And all the best to the Habs.
All the way!
“Hey Richard, two minutes for looking so good!”
Let’s rock this town!
“Without the strength of the past, the team may face a choice – to win, or to be French-Canadian?” — Ken Dryden
Ryan O’Byrne
“Hey Richard, two minutes for looking so good!”
Boooooo!!!
Hedley??? C’mon just drop the biscuit!
___________________________________________
Note the new digs! but yeah I’m still on Twitter!
Good catch, Boone: “To say things moved ahead goes without saying”
Maclean is a horse’s patoot. What the heck is this sentence supposed to mean? The only purpose for saying something like that is to sound cerebral. But it just sounds pompous – and dumb. Benny Brunet saying “Ai-yi-yi” is smarter than that.
What’s all this music crap on CBC! Back to RDS I go then.
Because nothing says hockey like some pansy singing falsetto in front of a bunch of teenage girls…
Anyone else think it’s hilarious that bagpipes, an instrument that you mostly relate in your mind to funerals is used to kick off the opening of the Maple Leafs season?
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
http://habsandhockey.blogspot.com/
Why? Didn’t most of them die by now?
Is it just me or is J-S Giguere getting huger everytime I see him?
“It must be love!”
It’s called strapping a mattress to your chest and calling it a chest protector.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
http://habsandhockey.blogspot.com/
Or this
I think the bagpipes dates back to the Conn Smyhte era during the second world war.
___________________________________________
Note the new digs! but yeah I’m still on Twitter!
mmmmmm… it’s so good to be back and it’s sooo good to see hockey season about to begin! Raise your glasses folks: GO HABS GO!!
It’s hilarious for us, but probably painful for Leaf fans signifying another year of smashed delusions of grandeur.
ll take potent potables for 500, Alex” JB
ME!!!! FULL BREEZER!!!!
Ha-ha, I was thinking the same thing. WTH was that?
The definition of a gentleman is someone who can play the bagpipes…
But doesn’t.
“Hey Richard, two minutes for looking so good!”
CBC intro: Phaneuf “You get that itch again.” Cue the Elisha Cuthbert/Sean Avery jokes.
___________________________________________
Note the new digs! but yeah I’m still on Twitter!
Anyone else care to explain why some people think Dion Phaneuf is hot? Coz I don’t see it!
“It must be love!”
LOL, I’ll have to remember that.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
http://habsandhockey.blogspot.com/
Ach, lad! Do ye nae like the pipes?
Speed bonnie boat
Like a bird on the wing
Onward! the sailors cry
But I digress…..
cute dog!!
“I’ll take potent potables for 500, Alex” JB
Bagpipes are the perfect tibute to Harold Ballard — an old windbag who made lots of noise.
“Hey Richard, two minutes for looking so good!”
Bagpipes are good in short bursts, but never prolonged.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
http://habsandhockey.blogspot.com/
hahaha, and more entertaingin too!! MacLean is turning into a know it all blow hard. They really need fresh blood on that program. NHL on tsn kills it!
“I’ll take potent potables for 500, Alex” JB
The Faux-Hawk does him wonders.
thanks! I go through a lot of lunges and razoe blades keepin’ it lookin’ like that!! haha
“I’ll take potent potables for 500, Alex” JB
Fixed.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
http://habsandhockey.blogspot.com/
Does anyone know if they show the game at Brutopia on Crescent?
can anyone help a brotha out with the rds online stream? I cant do HNIT
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Avon Old Farms: 2007, 2008 & 2010 New England Division I Hockey Champions – #5
So who gets the first goal of the season for the Habs? I say the captain.
who’s commentating the cbc feed???
AK
Looks like Simpson and Hughson
___________________________________________
Note the new digs! but yeah I’m still on Twitter!
Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson, Bob Cole’s still in his cryogenic chamber.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
http://habsandhockey.blogspot.com/
go habs go!!
“I’ll take potent potables for 500, Alex” JB
Cammalleri………. God i hope not. I will be so pissed. It will be PLEKS or ELLER.
There may be other teams, but only ONE Club De Hockey…
I can’t think of there even being a TV in there. That being said, I haven’t been there in 6 months. Go to Hurley’s downstairs.
There may be other teams, but only ONE Club De Hockey…
I would if I could! McGill party at Brutopia tonight, I’m kind of an organizer – but I wanna see the game!
God I hate Healy. Wish he’d stayed in the NHLPA!
You hate the players that much? I was hoping he’d end up in the unemployment line.
…Wait, he did, because if you can’t do anything right after an average to mediocre NHL career, HNIC will give you a job no questions asked, no qualifications necessary.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
http://habsandhockey.blogspot.com/
amazing.. hughson is best in the business
Celine Dion Phaneuf sounds like such a dufus. No personality whatsoever.
Another bullshit penalty
“Hey Richard, two minutes for looking so good!”
Geez – they better call those jammy little penalties on the Loafs too.
Get outworked and outskated, then trapped for long periods in your own end a penalty is inevitable. Some people mentioned the Habs have more speed. Sorry, I am not seeing it.
‘Cogito ergo doleo’
The PK is looking good.
hey, i thought brunet got canned at rds?
Should have been icing – instead we get a lucky breakout. The refs are comatose.
Habs are really missing the puck moving speed and agility of thei 5.5 million dollar man. Roman Hamrlik.
He’s a homer because he’s actually the Leafs’ radio announcer. That makes sense
It gets embarassing when supposedly-neutral national networks like CBC and TSN are blatantly pro-Toronto though.
Try harder.
We’ve won more of the puck battles; a few breakdowns have cost us. Our speed will help us take over the longer the game goes on.
first period like last season …hardly any scoring chances
Careful. Dissension is not allowed on HIO anymore.
Repeat the approved mantra. Habs will win division, Habs will win Eastern Conference, Habs will win Cup.
‘Cogito ergo doleo’
Just wondering…..do you keep canned goods on hand for the the inevitable apocolypse??……………………………………..”People build teams in certain ways. I’ve always traded for futures – not pasts.” – Sam Pollock
The reason we are Hab fans http://www.habsworld.net/article.php?id=1476
Just giving my honest opinion on how I saw the first period. You are making it a huge deal not me. Being critical of a team in one period of play is equal to an apocolypse in your mind? Wow!
By the way I guess you have a more objective view of the game over the radio.
‘Cogito ergo doleo’
If it is like last season…that means the Habs are winning in overtime!
“I am guilty of using elipses…”
…and, Carey Price is the best goalie ever. Don’t forget that.
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I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend your right to make yourself look stupid.
Of course! How could I forget that one. It must be selective amnesia. LOL
‘Cogito ergo doleo’
And we always get the first penalty. Surprised it took this long.
Guess they can mug our guy on a scoring chance but we can’t do anything. Don’t help them you hopeless zebras!
JM wants to know where the Leafs penalty is, me too
“It’s not an obsession, It’s a way of life..”
lol Healey – so you would have caught that? Is that it? Let’s throw a glove on you and see if you can catch it. Goaltenders just need to stop the puck and avoid rebounds. Doens’t matter how.
I’m calling Pleky with the shortie!
“It must be love!”
WTF, hows that not a penalty on Armstrong
“It’s not an obsession, It’s a way of life..”
Another great avatar Harani!
weak, weak, penalty. f’ing pathetic!
O’Byrne and Picard on the PK???
That power play was pitiful. Great PK by our boys.
Really solid PK, hopefully they’ll build on it
Listening on the radio while driving in Ontario….God Joe Bowen is such a homer Geez! Actually said Johnny Bower “the greatest goalie of all time” during pregame ceremony…………………………….”People build teams in certain ways. I’ve always traded for futures – not pasts.” – Sam Pollock
The reason we are Hab fans http://www.habsworld.net/article.php?id=1476
for what it’s worth, Price currently has a better save % than Giggy
Just tuned in, How’s it been so far ( otherthan the deficit) How’s everyone playing
Gill is just too slow at times.
well that was a dive if I ever saw one
What tghe Hell was that?
Good to see we’re gonna have another season of bush NHL reffing.
Same story with the forwards. Can’t hit the net, too many shots from way outside with zero traffic. Pleks playing well atleast, the rest of the “skill” is MIA.
NOW our Captain is 0-1
______________________________________ Gionta IS Captain.
Looking-up at the Leafs in the standings.
Get used to the idea.
loser Laffs needed the ref’s and us to be missing 3 of our top players to win. F’ing pathetic.
Leafs better team in every position tonight. For those of us without the unicorn/rainbow flavored sunglasses, not a suprise. Habs will struggle to beat teams like the Leafs all year.
First time in a decade for the C***suckers. It was bound to happen.
I think some people forget the difference Andrei Markov makes in a game.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
http://habsandhockey.blogspot.com/
1 player does not make a team, it takes a team effort to get the Win and Toronto did it tonight with a team effort,
Our smurfs are just not big enough to compete a gruelling 82 game season,
Should we not destroy Toronto on the scoreboard based on our speed and skill?
“We will win the Cup one day only with ? in the nets “
…and Cammy!!
Huh??
Who eats their sunglasses? Weirdo.
Go Habs Go!
We’ll remember you told us!
Markov runs our PP to incredible efficiency and can take control of a shift every time he’s on the ice, he is an impact player and our skilled team drawing penalties but not able to execute because we’re lacking our PP quarterback is going to hold us back.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
http://habsandhockey.blogspot.com/
*yawn*
A team missing its top D man and one of it’s top 4 forwards. Puh-lease RM. You can do better than that.
Look at the Habs record last year with Markov out of the line-up versus with him in it. Now do the same with Cammy.
Now go get yourself an argument.
the game went back and forth. the canadiens were over them in the third i thought. i remember a sequence where toronto couldn’t get out of the zone three times. then the penalties. still, our penalty kill got some chances, creating turnovers. they were lucky with the broken stick. ”if it’s in the game, it’s in the game.” and you have to believe the team would be better with markov on the ice. cammy too.
price was pretty good. made some important stops to keep them in the game. even after going down two to zero. i’ll regurgitate the markov sentence here. ”but he let in the third one,” i hear. true. but the more important thing is he didn’t let in the fourth one. 5 out of 10 times at the least, gio would get that last second opportunity by giguere (he had to play decent to win this one). tie game. in overtime anything can happen. the aforementioned is hypothetical, of course. it’s a game of chances and montreal had theirs. they just didn’t bury them all the time.
i can be optimistic with this team so far this season. all one game of it. eller caught my eye. i want to see him skate with gomez and gio next game.
Would you be giving”credit where its due” to the habs if they barely beat the leafs despite being outshot,out hit and outchanced with the leafs missing kessel,kaberle and some other top 4 dman from their lineup? But before you give one of your lame assed “or so they say” posts,here is your post from a game in went to in toronto on boxing day when the habs were outplayed. Hypocrite much?
I was embarassed wearing my jersey with Toronto deserving the win.
“bad analogy- when he first played those wins/losses ??? how many goals did crosby and malkin score that year?”-Observer. When asked why Marc Andre fleury had been sent to the minors when he struggled in his 3rd season.
Getting tired of the same tired moves from Gomez.
Price is average, not great but not awfull. I think he can be better
“It’s not an obsession, It’s a way of life..”
PK Subban is most certainly my favourite player to wear a Habs jersey since Mike Keane.
Did not take long for Benny to be removed. But he had a helluva shift there. Just needs to play like he wants to win.
I expect Pleks and Andrei to have great shifts, you’ll see.
Eller…great 1st game in a Habs uniform.
Thanks for answer re Gomez Boone.. I have said that before.. Gomez loves to skate.. but…
It’s going to be a long season of misery for our club…..but hey give credit to the Maple Laffs!
“We will win the Cup one day only with ? in the nets “
Glen Healy has faulted Price for going down too early on two goals (first and third). I strongly disagree on the first (tip in), but might give him some validity on the third one.
___________________________________________
Note the new digs! but yeah I’m still on Twitter!
As much as I hate the leafs as a whole and each individually, for some reason I can’t seem to hate Guigere..until he acts like an butthole,the guy earns my respect..is it bad??
……………………………………………………………….
YES HABS CAN!!
Price: got no issues: Mama Let Him Play.
(yes, a Doucette reference)
You’re basing that on one game where we’re missing 2 of our best D-Men and our best goal scorer?
You will always be a Canadien in my eyes, Saku
Gomez…battle of the blades called, they have a hockey player they want to pair you up with.
Giggy’s a good person, and the family story makes him a tough guy to hate.
Go Habs Go!
He’s a good guy. I actually partied with him in Nova Scotia when he was with the Mooseheads.
An even game, but TOR’s 1st line is the best line on ice.
Also, 2 goals each for the pluggers, with Kessel’s goal a difference-maker. We need more contribution (read: goals) from our top-6.
Gak. Huge kill coming here. Enormous sequence coming up for Price, Gorges, and Gill.
Go Habs Go!
BS calls. This is gettng annoying now
ITS OVER
Did the refs lose their whistle there?
Habs touched the puck several times. Play went on. More bullshit.
“Hey Richard, two minutes for looking so good!”
Plex. Shorty.
aaand there’s the game.
ITS OVER
Forgot how bad the habs are at scoring
Even if we had 2 of our best DMen and best scoreras you say, the score would not change.
We are losing to a bunch of no namers on the Leafs, who are playing good hockey!
Come on! Give credit where it’s due!
“We will win the Cup one day only with ? in the nets “
Very questionable call.
Nice one!
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I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend your right to make yourself look stupid.
Typical Habs/Leafs game: close, could go either way. I ‘d say the Leafs have generated the better chances and you have to give them credit. The Habs managed to fall behind early and that was their downfall.
Full Breezer 4 Life
Can Spacek please hit the efin net already,
“It’s not an obsession, It’s a way of life..”
i wish i had rds im stuck with cbc unless this ps3 can handle live games online
It’s RDS here, although with my son, three daughters, daughter-in-law and grandson coming over to watch the game, they may want to see it en anglais. I have a hard time watching the Toronto love-fest that CBC has become – although it’s delightful to tune in late to hear the horrific whining if the Habs have a nice lead.
At least Burke’s thugs can’t put Cammy or Markov out for a long stretch with a cheap hit.
I’ll last two minutes if Cole’s calling it. Then it’s back to RDS. Too bad it’s not on TSN tonight…I was looking forward to Pierre McGuire’s Homoerotic Comment of the Period. It’s been too long, Pierre.
http://habsloyalist.blogspot.com
What a finish! Good game overall. Looking forward to the ride, it’s going to be another fun year.
Not one fight. They beat us playing hockey.
What a shame.
We missed Cammy.
Awesome game aside from shite calls. So what if they lost, one goal and almost tied in the last couple of minutes.
One thing that irks me is this homer network. I’m really getting tired of CBC’s drooling over the leafs.
No Markov. No Hammer. No Cammy. No win. No wonder.
Leafs still suck.
“Hey Richard, two minutes for looking so good!”
god i cant stand gomez… what a unbelievable waste
Leafs showed nothing. Habs were mostly very good.
Giguere was great. Carey was weak.
Nice job by Giguere with the clutch goatending. He made sure his team never trailed and made the big stops when needed: if he keeps it up, I could see the Leafs making the playoffs.
Full Breezer 4 Life
Good game by the Habs. Sad about the loss though. Price played well though Giguere saved the Leafs bacon this game. Having Markov and Cammy makes the Habs all that much better. I hope Montreal fans prove Cherry wrong and support Price all the way. Nice to see the new guys score.
Haha great catch, Clay!
Eh? He let in one stinker. He made a game-saving save – they just couldn’t cash that last goal. C’mon dude, had they tied and won it you’d be singing praises. It’s only one game lost by a single goal.
In today’s parity NHL, injuries really decide the outcomes of games for the most part. Leafs – full roster. Habs – no Cammy, Hamrlik and Markov: 2 out of the top 5 or 3 out of our top 10 players.
Talk about the Leafs without Kessel (Cammy), Kaberle (Markov) and Beauchemin (Hamr).
Not a terrible game, but need points in the next one and the next one is the Pittsburgh Penguins!
A tough start of the season..
I’m happy with Price’s performance. Wasn’t spectacular but wasn’t the reason we lost either. Probably still has the flu and had an enormous amount of pressure on him which definetly made an impact. All in all, he had a decent game. There’s room for improvement and im sure he’ll get better as the year goes on. Would of been nice to win the first game, but one game doesnt make a season.
Just curious how Carey was weak on those 3 goals.
I want to hear those who blame this game on Price…seriously!?!?
“It must be love!”
Giguere made the saves that Carey didn’t
what does that say about the habs?
As much as this SUCKS……….. I still feel like we had a good game. JS Giguere saved the game for them 3-4 times. Price kept us in it. Without 3 of our top players, I still feel like we outplayed them. 2 defensive errors cost us the game. Good things from Eller, Boyd, and Halpern.
We will stick it to the Pens…………
There may be other teams, but only ONE Club De Hockey…
I only saw periods 2 and 3, but I’d say MTL was the better team on balance. Them’s the breaks. Markov and Cammalleri would make the PP so much better.
Difference? Goaltending. Price did not play badly at all, really…but the Habs had average to OK goaltending, and the Leafs had very good goaltending. Some thought it wasn’t that important, but it is, and will continue to be. We need Price to play better.
__________________________
I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend your right to make yourself look stupid.
FACK!
2 posts? Is that what cost the Habs the game?
Go F yourself you old F. Get off my TV *shuts off TV*
I WIN! Sorry but Cherry gets on my nerves
Fu*k, I hate losing to the Leafs. Gomez is a lot of nothing, I hate him. Just think for that money we could have a guy who will score 30-40 goals, not skate stupidly up and down the ice. Game one and Im this pissed. I need a drink
“It’s not an obsession, It’s a way of life..”
Price made the massive save with about 2 minutes left to give the team a chance to win.. That’s what a good goalie does makes the big save to keep the team in the game.
Overall i was impressed with the team.. really look forward to having markov and cammy back though.
Relax.
I actually didn’t mind losing that one. High tempo throughout, especially that last minute. Some of the Habs looked lost at times, but I think they’re still shaking the dust off. It was already a close game, and it would’ve been completely different if TO had been missing Phaneuf, Kaberle, and Kessel and Montreal had dressed Cammy, Hamrlik, and Markov.
Overall, I’m happy with how we competed. Not perfect, but very solid goaltending, isolated boneheadedness, and flashes of offensive brilliance.
You know what. I’m sad we lost. But this was an entertaining game to watch.
The boys played hard. Good effort tonight. Shaking off the rust still. Eller’s gonna learn to finish.
Cammaleri will be ripping on the PP.
We’re alright.
Difference? Scoring. Gionta/AK/Pouliot/Eller/Gomez did not play badly at all, really…but the Habs had no top-6 scoring, and the Leafs scored 1 top-6 goal (a difference-maker). Some thought it wasn’t that important, but it is, and will continue to be. We need Gionta/AK/Pouliot/Eller/Gomezto play better.
Really, it could have been 4-2 late in the game, I thought Price was average but came up big in the end.
“It’s not an obsession, It’s a way of life..”
Except for the two brain cramps I thought we were the better of the two teams. I’ll give them credit but we’ll just see what the next game is like with a full line-up.
Price is sick and only is playing because there’s nobody else. I give him this one, he tried hard.
The leafs suck, and the only reason Giguere looked so brilliant was the usual French goalie trying to beat his hometown team thing. At the end of the year, the Habs will be in and the leafs will not.
http://habsloyalist.blogspot.com
I agree – he overcommitted to the deke on the Kessel goal, and that was the difference.
That said, our PP stinks without Markov & Cammalleri.
Go Habs Go!
why did habs lose?
2 reasons. 1) their inability to score.
2) Price couldn’t come up with the big saves when needed.
notice Giguere was able to save a hab on a breakaway. when’t the last time Price stopped anyone on a breakaway?
your goalie needs to come up with that crucial save, and Price can’t ever do it.
it’s going to be a long season for the habs.
This is just getting pathetic! I’m out!
I think everyone who is complaining about Gomez and his ridiculous salary and lack of contribution needs to REMEMBER that he is the only reason Gionta and Cammalleri signed in Montreal … ahaha, sorry, I tried to say that with a straight face!
Full Breezer 4 Life
Don’t mind losing, I wish I had your positivity, I efin hate it, especiallyi to the Leafs
“It’s not an obsession, It’s a way of life..”
Well…it was a disappointing loss…but at least Price did not let in any softies…that Clarke MacArthur goal was a beauty…the Habs almost tied it, they never gave up…this should be an interesting season. People may draw on the negative and say this is how the season will be (might as well say that they go 0-82)…but there are another 81 games to go and that is why they play the games and not base everything on our guesses…for all we know the Habs could go 81-1. The Habs worked hard enough but will need to up it just a bit more to get the wins.
In any case, the Leafs looked good except defensively, they were still sloppy just like the Habs and they always bring their best against the Habs, good for entertainment….plenty of time for revenge – five games’ worth. It was a good win by the Leafs and the loss for the Habs was not such that they should hang their heads in shame.
Positives for the Habs: the PK was perfect and Eller looked very good out there…and the Cup-contender Penguins lost by the same score, so we are tied with a Cup contender in the standings
…also JM actually gave OB and Picard a chance to keep playing despite the 2nd goal…but he had Pouliot on a shorter leash that’s for sure.
“I am guilty of using elipses…”
Really? Bc Boyd’s goal was awful and should have been stopped. Such a hypocrite!
and what do you call that save on kessel with about 2 minutes left. That was money
We’ll have Eller playing in Pouliot’s spot next game. Cammy back and hopefully Hammer.
Good news tonight too: no season ending injuries against the Laffs.
PG: please go and trade for a goalie please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Being a HUGE Medicine Hat Tigers fan (and I worked for them for 6 years) I think I might notice this more than some others…but doesn’t Clarke MacArthur score EVERY F*#$ing game he plays against us? DAMN!
Eller with a great game..I love this kid. Laps and Moen also with good games.
Came close, and I’m always mad after a loss to the Leafs…but I think we played prety good tonight. Carey played well, with some VERY big saves.
GO HABS GO!
The loss sucks but not a bad game overall……..81 to go! Hopefully we will have our best players on t5he ice for most of the season.
“People build teams in certain ways. I’ve always traded for futures – not pasts.” – Sam Pollock The reason we are Hab fans http://www.habsworld.net/article.php?id=1476
there be a lot of nights like this we lose 3-2 we win 3-2…just like last year…ak46 and pouliot playing well but not scoring is meaningless as we have enough ahl players in hamilton who can play well but not score.
Thats’ 2 points we lost. You can’t get them back. Like time. We cannot afford to lose games. The Leafs won and thats the way to start your season. Not by losing.
Doom and Gloom…Really?
Yeah it really sucks to lose to the Leafs, but its worse when they lose to the Bruins.
Completely agree. Probably the first time I haven’t felt completely dejected after a loss to the Leafs…..
Well, that goes without saying. But if JS made huge saves, that may account for that, no?
__________________________
I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend your right to make yourself look stupid.
Not going to get any easier, Pens want revenge on Saturday and Wednesday it’s the “I Love the idea of playing in Montreal but I love money even more” Quebecois squad in Tampa.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
http://habsandhockey.blogspot.com/
Only the people who booed him after the 1st preseason game are the ones blaming him and saying he should have stopped a perfect tipin, a breakaway, and a backhander 3 feet from him…
Give me a frickin break. He makes those saves he is on every highlite reel tonight…
People wanna throw blame. How about Pleks for throwing the puck up the boards and then the D not covering the front of the net…Or Gill coughing up the puck and letting Kessel go in all alone…Or Spacek waiving his stick at MacArthur…
I guess Price needs to score goals, play D and stop the puck to get these idiots off his back.
Don Cherry is right. Habs fans will never let Price succeed in Montreal.
It is like they dont want him to.
Oh and Darche better start playing or, francophone or not, he’ll be passed by White.
Leafs win the cup.
Leafs win the cup.
Leafs win the cup.
Well, this game was the closest they’ll get to one for a long time to come.
Hey,
Habs tried hard for a brief period near the end but were pretty sloppy
for most of the game. No momentum, no great team effort. missing
players, and by that I mean more than just Cammy, Marky and Hammer…a
bunch of our guys either forgot to tighten their skates or are coming
down with Price’s flu. Overall that was a C- effort at best.
On to Crosbytown.
Bill I love ya baby and I dig your posts, but your position on this is getting as tired as the Halak/Price debate.
Instead, just say “Gomez sucked tonight.” It’s a lot less annoying.
Critics will be critics…..I have no time for ‘em. Enjoy your misery. lol
“People build teams in certain ways. I’ve always traded for futures – not pasts.” – Sam Pollock
The reason we are Hab fans http://www.habsworld.net/article.php?id=1476
habs dodn’t lose because they were missing 3 players.
I did not think he over committed at all on the breakaway, if he did it would have been a 5-hole goal…it was a toe save…it was a shotoout goal…again, that Clarke MacArthur goal was a beauty.
“I am guilty of using elipses…”
Darche won’t be playing tommorow because Cammy’s back in the lineup.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
http://habsandhockey.blogspot.com/
A descent game by the Habs and with a full team would have beat the laffs. If this all the laffs have it will be a long season for them. I realy like Ellars play in both ends of the ice. The laffs defence sucks big time and with a few bounces the Habs would have left the ACC with the win. As usual the refs helped the home team plenty. The non call on the slash to Plex’s face was unbelieveable. On to the weekend and our first win.
Finally had a good flurry in the last 30 seconds, but too little, too late.
Gio has been relatively unvisible since he got the “C” until those last 30 seconds.
Benny has already had a forgettable start to the season, he needs to step it up. AK46 had a decent game.
The bright spot of the game for me: Eller. He will be a gem.
Hereos: Eller, PK, Gorges (another quietly effective game), Halpie, Boyd
Zeroes: Spacek, Darche, OB, Benny
Oh man, I hate losing to the Leafs but my favourite whipping boys stood out as crapola central – Tomas Plekanec & Andrei “I Suck” Kostitsyn.
Plackanack couldn’t win a faceoff to save his life and KosTITsyn played his usual brain dead game without the puck.
Too funny, losing to the 29th place Maple LAFFS…
Officially a member of Anti-Leaf Nation,
Pete
Ha, as long as you love me, I’m fine with the criticism. Actually, Gomez didn’t suck at all, just didn’t really complete many plays, and as usual, it’s not him, it’s his salary for what he does.
Full Breezer 4 Life
That was well done, I agree.
But he made only one big save all game. Is that “money”?
With that said…our offence will improve with Cammy back, and even more so when markov returns. Let’s hope that happens soon.
__________________________
I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend your right to make yourself look stupid.
Lots of positives:
Price played well. Eller was very good. Subban was, well, Subban. Giguere had to be very strong. Boyd and Halpern were a nice adition. Lapierre played a solid game.
Power play needs work, but it showed some good flashes.
Many will be very negative, but I was actually not totally dissapointed with the game. I think 9 out of 10 games we play the leafs like that, we’ll win. Yes, we do have to step it up a notch against stronger opponents, but we all know, a Habs-leafs game is unlike any other. We could be first, and they last, or vice-versa, and it will be a good, tight game.
On to Pittsburgh with Cammalleri, and hopefully Hamrlik!
Go Habs Go!! “Fans are great, but the quickest way to start losing is to listen to them.” – Sam Pollock
after sat either the habs or pitts will be 0-2 unless o/t…but reality is we will have many one goal games this year…making the playoffs will depend on pp scoring…
Its just about as frustrating to watch Gomez as it is to try and figure out exactly what he’s doing wrong. Is it a coaching problem? He hits the line with speed, but his linemates aren’t. What gives with the little shovel dump-ins to a corner with no forcheck? Bad shots from bad angles… the time without the puck he is kind of responsible for was probably the difference.
the game went back and forth. the canadiens were over them in the third i thought. i remember a sequence where toronto couldn’t get out of the zone three times. then the penalties. still, our penalty kill got some chances, creating turnovers. they were lucky with the broken stick. ”if it’s in the game, it’s in the game.” and you have to believe the team would be better with markov on the ice. cammy too.
price was pretty good. made some important stops to keep them in the game. even after going down two to zero. i’ll regurgitate the markov sentence here. ”but he let in the third one,” i hear. true. but the more important thing is he didn’t let in the fourth one. 5 out of 10 times at the least, gio would get that last second opportunity by giguere (he had to play decent to win this one). tie game. in overtime anything can happen. the aforementioned is hypothetical, of course. it’s a game of chances and montreal had theirs. they just didn’t bury them all the time.
i can be optimistic with this team so far this season. all one game of it. eller caught my eye. i want to see him skate with gomez and gio next game.
JM needs to imbue The System with a bit of truculence. Oh, and staple Darche’s behind to the bench!
I hate losing badly. But that was a hard-fought game, and came within centimetres (look at the replay of that last Gionta hustle!) of being resolved in OT, which is much less stinging. No massive giveaways or bobbled easy saves decided anything on our side, which leaves me a largely happy fan!
couldnt agree more
Also, doesn’t a PK Subban rush just remind you of Larry Robinson?
Annnnnnnd Latendresse scores for the Wild.
Full Breezer 4 Life
What do you do if the leafs win the cup……..Turn off your XBOX
—
Captain Gionta
the leafs were okay but not great…we did not have high goal scoring chances …we would not have scored more goals vs any team in the nhl based on our chances..
Plekanec delivered this team offensively last season, he can and will do it if we all wait more than 1 game.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
http://habsandhockey.blogspot.com/
I agree with everything you said, but would put Halpern as the first “hero”, and ass Pouliot to the “zero” list.
Eller looked great, though.
__________________________
I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend your right to make yourself look stupid.
AK had lots of hustle on the forecheck (completely stripped the D at least once) and had several excellent SoGs because of good positioning in front of the net. Plekanec wasn’t up to his usual level, but his overall play was quite competent. I didn’t notice his faceoff %-age.
yeah. the black and whites missed that shave job. maybe the refs were thinking it wasn’t worth it, seeing as how ineffective our pp is. still, the refs should give them a chance. markov come back.
I normally tend to agree with you J.T., and even when I disagree you make valid points. But this? There was nobody else? Excuse me?
PG hired Auld to be the backup. If he is so incompetent that he can’t replace Price against the 29th best team last year, then what good is he? That is simply nonsensical, sorry.
‘Cogito ergo doleo’
His first save of the game he ROBBED Kessel. Funny how you “forget” that one huh. WHat a joke.
The other positive…all the new guys did a pretty good job…Halpern and Boyd with the goals and Eller with good play to show why he was drafted in the first round…either AK46 or Pouliot for sure are on the bubble.
“I am guilty of using elipses…”
darche didn’t help himself tonight. let the second guessing commence.
Good point, I know this has been beaten to death but his salary for what he brings just doesn’t add up. So I get pissed at him when we lose. He is my personal scapegoat.
“It’s not an obsession, It’s a way of life..”
Good observations.
I’m with you that the last big push from Gionta & Co. was within inches of pushing it all to OT, where the end result would’ve felt much different. Overall, this was a good game with our team showing a bit more rust than the other side. Can’t wait for more.
Think about it…
Done? Read on, smart people only please.
The guys who played well:
- Boyd
- Eller
- Halpern
- Picard
- Pyatt
- PK
The guys who played sub-par:
- the rest of the team
What I am getting at, for the laymans, is that our top players are going to be top players and having the new crew (just like last year) come in and play well…Good things are coming.
Markov, Camms, Hamr added to the lineup? Hands down win. Just sucks we could not open up the new Crosby Arena…
Goaltending/scoring. Always a 2-side coin.
Were our shots as good as the Leafs shots..?
I don’t know.
But I am all right with Price in this game. I didn’t like our top-6 (except for Eller) tonight.
right now price looks like a very competent nhl goalie but not an elite goalie…he looked more confident in his first year and half….i know he can handle the puck but still many bad decisions made and communiction with the d has to improve
just what I said…the new guys.
What’s your obsession with trashing on the CBC Mike? There must be more of a story behind it then just your dislike of their broadcast?
no team can afford to lose games, but no team can avoid a loss. not in this age of parity that we live in. everyone is going to lose. we got one early. the train is still on the track. and smoother rails lie ahead. cammy to start, then hammer, then markov.
No question about that
Jeff Halpern is trending second in Canada after Grey’s Anatomy! Woah!
“It must be love!”
Price did not lose the game, but he did not win it either. Like I said, the Habs are a bubble team and need great goaltending to make the playoffs. Good is not good enough.
JS won the game for the Leafs. A number one goalie has to steal a few games. The season is early so no need to panic. Price is more than capable of stealing games.
‘Cogito ergo doleo’
Yes, I agree about the PP. It will improve, and I have no doubt about that. Cammy is a big loss, but not so big as markov.
On another note, nice of you to look at my words objectively. I know we don’t often get along, so respect for that. I wish some below would follow your lead.
__________________________
I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend your right to make yourself look stupid.
He’s the best two-way forward on the team, scored 70 points last season despite absorbing massive PK time all year, missing good wingers for stretches and worked to shut down AO and Crosby in the playoffs. I’d say he’s a wise investment and I didn’t say a damn word about defending AK.
Sorry his name isn’t Thomas Peters.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
http://habsandhockey.blogspot.com/
Because guys who produce 70-point seasons are a dime-a-dozen? Why *wouldn’t* you want to lock up your best point producer? This makes no sense…
If it is unfair to judge Price after one game, why is it ok to judge Pleks and AK after the same number of games?
‘Cogito ergo doleo’
Gotta call ‘em as I see ‘em – I think Carey was half-expecting Kessel to cut back to the blocker side and slid too far over in that direction to recover. But hey, Kessel is the League’s best 40-goal scorer to have never scored 40 goals, he’s going to get some like that from time to time.
We’ll see what happens Saturday – hopefully we can find much more to agree with, preferably the positives in a Habs victory.
Go Habs Go!
Today is a good day! Like many I’m sure, I couldn’t sleep from excitement. The hours will feel long and slow today. Can’t wait for 7. To all my friends out there in Habs Land, It’s going to be a fun and exciting year, no matter what happenes. Enjoy it! To all the Players: Have a great, and healthy season. To Cary Price: Even the loudest critics just want you to do well, relax, and show ‘Em what you got!
Go Habs!
-The Marlboro Man
Nice guy but signing this guy for 6 years (!) is awful!!! AK46, he’s clueless and lost forever.
lapierre had a very good game
More like Brad Park
I said Price played OK, so what do you want? Should I lie and say he played as well as Giggy? Because he didn’t.
Agreed about the top 6, and Eller. He looks good so far.
__________________________
I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend your right to make yourself look stupid.
If Price was sick, then Auld should have played. Simple. If Auld can’t play the Leafs, what good is he (as TripleX points out)?
__________________________
I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend your right to make yourself look stupid.
They’re infernally biased towards the Leafs. I don’t know if you watched Coach’s Corner or even the intro, but that was some truly blatant butt-kissing.
Go Habs Go!
Come on. You don’t lose to this team. They where a turn over machine all night. They looked unsettled
and sloppy. Yet they win. That 3rd goal given up was brutal. No fault of Price. The D looked weak and
lost on that goal. These are the types of plays that sink average teams in the end if not corrected now.
Where was the top 6 in this game? They looked outmatched most of the night. Just a sorry game by a
Habs team that should have won fairly convincingly IMO.
Now it’s on to Pittsburgh and hopefully a better all around game by this team. Let’s see how much rust
was removed against the Leafs in that lackluster performance.
Go Habs Go!
This loss means absolutely nothing to me. I mean, the Leafs beat us by one goal, with a healthy lineup. Whatever.
Price had a solid game. Loved how Eller was looking today but Darche…man. No bueno.
Have faith people, and once you get it…try and keep it.
That laff guy Mike Toth on CJAD with Abe Hefter talks too much. Abe’s givin it to him pretty good.
the concern about this game is that while the habs/leafs games are close the leafs did not play that well …had little fire and physical play and still won…
Gorges?
Yes! They are totally disgusting with their bias and it keeps getting worse every year. Mr. Boone is absolutely right. The CBC is a joke.
You are the only “real” fan. All other fake fans should cower and
tremble before your majestic vision of fandom. You are truly the epitome
of what all fans aspire to be. All other fans pale in comparison! All
hail the anonymous user who won’t even post his real name, or any other
information! How can we not take you seriously? All fans aspire only to
be worthy of your respect. All fans are but a mere shadow of your “real”
fandom. You are truly the fan to end all fans. People who know their
fans choose you as their unquestioned leader. Unlike the not “real”
fans, I know that you are a decent, god-fearing, patriotic Habs fan –
but those “fake” fans? Not even close. Why, I bet that they don’t even
believe in God! Why would anyone listen to someone who doesn’t hold the
same traditional,
patriotic values that you hold dear? There are two kinds of people –
those who emit light, and those who absorb it. We mere mortals are held
in awe by your shining example. Please, teach me how to be a “real” fan!
o_0
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I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend your right to make yourself look stupid.
And so the season begins, as does the battle for a playoff spot. They’re going to lose a lot of games, but they should be an entertaining team if they don’t fall behind early. Every game will be tough.
Remember, the team that beat them is tied for first place.
It’s the TBC now.
Looks like we played well, of course I dont get to watch games here in Cali but Boone is my savior on these nights, thanks again Sir! Price seemed a little tense and as well he should be, he has a lot to prove to us thats for sure. Eller is gonna be a beast I do believe. PK is gonna shine as well. I am sure the absense of Cammy was a big factor in this one. Shake it off, chill the beers and lets kill the damn flightless birds again on Saturday!
anyone not watching the Oilers right now is really, really missing out…….they are fuuuun to watch….remind me of the Haeks of a couple seasons back….all out offense and pure excitement
you can get all the games streamed on-line for free. Just come here at gametime and ask for a link. If I can see them in Shanghai, you can see them in the states…
__________________________
I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend your right to make yourself look stupid.
My take on the game:
- A close tilt. The Habs lost, but they weren’t outplayed, outhustled or outhit. Some big defensive miscues/lapses tilted the game in the Leaf’s favour.
- I’m impressed by what both Boyd and Halpern bring to the team. Above average on the PK, good defensively, some toughness and it looks like they’ll contribute some badly needed secondary scoring, 5 on 5. Based on early results, they could be an upgrade over Metro and ??? (sorry, forget his name).
- I thought Lars Eller played well. He has nice size, he’s got a nose for the puck and he has that long, efficient Sundin-like stride when he skates. This kid is gonna be a keeper and it may be hard to keep him out of the top 6 for long.
- Price played well and gave the Habs every opportunity to win the game. He has tough skin to augment his talent. IMO, he’s going to prove his many detractors (Don Cherry included) dead wrong.
- Similar to last year, it takes a while for Gill to build up his cardio (read 2-3 months). He was caught out of position badly three or four times during the game and he didn’t have a hope in hell of recovering. Let’s hope he doesn’t do too much damage until then.
- Pouliot is adding little to the team. If he’s not scoring, he should at least be using his big frame to throw some body checks. But, there were instances during the game that he shied away from contact. He should take Lapierre’s lead.
- Overall, I see the potential for a better, more well rounded squad than last year. Much better depth than last year once the injured and suspended players are back.
plekanec was playing without the benefits of mike cammallerri tonight. the leafs no this. it’s easy to key on one player. keep pleky in check, you keep a line with AK and eller of the sheets. with cammy on the wing, you have to know where both of these players are when on the ice. that gives plek some more breathing room. eller played fine, but he’s not as much of a threat as cammalleri is. not to say he won’t be. i bet plekanec will be better on saturday. bring on the pens.
go habs go.
We’re watching the same game!
So what they are biased towards the Leafs. They always have been. It doesn’t mean that they don’t also provide content for all the other Canadian teams too.
I’m a Habs fan living in Toronto. Believe me I know what it is like to be drowned in pro Leaf B.S!, and I get that CBC is a national network but their headquarters is accross the street from the Air Canada Centre, most of their hockey staff is based out of Toronto, the largest population of their viewers are in the greater Toronto area and probably the highest ratio of their corporate sponsership money comes from Toronto. Besides that, almost all sports media are annoyingly bias towards the teams they cover the most. TSN is bias towards the Leafs too but people don’t bellyache about that all day. At some point you just have to get over it.
The CBC’s bias towards the Leafs does not prevent them from providing a fair amount of coverage and insight on all the Canadian teams. In fact you could argue that they have as much bias towards the Western teams (Calgary, Edmonton & Vancouver) then they do the Leafs. How do you think Senators fans feel? The nations capital and they are probably the least coverd Canadian team.
I have been a Habs fan all my life and I am sympathetic to our plight at times but some of us do far too much crying in the sand box for my liking.
Hall and Eberle are going to be the next dynamic duo
Whether the 1st or 82nd game, you should not have to struggle against and much less lose to a
team like Toronto which is not in the same class in skill and talent as the Habs. Yes, there are off
nights but not like what happened tonight. The Habs in many stretches where unable to possess
the puck and where often outmuscled and outfought for the puck. They did not use their speed to
retain the puck and subsequently press and hammer the Leafs relentlessly all night. Perhaps open-
ing night rust or fatigue limited their game? Still the premise stands that the Habs can’t afford to
lose to weaker teams like they did last year and expect to be better and improved. They must be-
gin to demonstrate that they have taken the next step in their evolution as a team and that begins
by beating consistently the Toronto’s of the league.
Go Habs Go!
You write exceptionally well for a 3 year old!
(For those of you who wonder what I’m on about, read the profile!)
__________________________
I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend your right to make yourself look stupid.
Thank you much Sir! I will do just that!
The Habs are going to be a perpetual “bubble” playoff team for the foreseeable future. The lack of depth of quality prospects in the organization is inexcusable. Before everyone goes off and starts pointing at PK Subban as proof of Trevor Timmins’s genius, remember this one thing. He’s a rookie. Sure, he’s great with the media but that doesn’t mean he’s a sure fire Norris Trophy contender. The organization’s inability to draft and develop a true number one centre has handcuffed the team for what seems like an eternity. Gomez and Plekanec eat up a ton of cap space. Defense isn’t much better when you consider how much cap space Hamrlik and Spacek (two more years at way too much money) take up.
There is still room for significant improvement in the organization in terms of drafting and identify and developing talent. Don’t forget Ben “The Bull Dog for Life” Maxwell was selected by Timmins ahead of Milan Lucic.
And that’s not even getting into the whole Searching for David Fischer draft selection.
Well, to me, it makes no sense that “teh experts” at TSN have us slotted for 9th in the east. This is a team that went to the conference finals last year. Sure we got outstanding goaltending but you have to, don’t you? I think we have a bit better team this year all around. I say we finish 7th or better if intangible things work in our favour. Anyway, hoo ha! No more get ups! Go Habs!
HAHAHA…but it WAS a heads up play by Phaneuf and a great tip by Brent.
“I am guilty of using elipses…”
It wasn’t a fluke goal…but Price was in the center of the net facing the player in the slot, where he is supposed to be…it was a great tip by Brent…Price could do nothing about it…just a good play, period.
“I am guilty of using elipses…”
Period?? Well, that settles it, then. Why didn’t you just start with that, and save yourself some writing?
__________________________
I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend your right to make yourself look stupid.
I say he takes a run at Subban, considering how Markov is already out it makes sense they target our next top D-man. Thing is that P.K. sees it coming pulls a spin-o-rama and Armstrong crashes face first into the boards and breaks his nose. Komisarek uses this as an excuse to pick a fight with Moen who dispatches him with ease leading to another season of Komo hiding in a corner all season.
The struggles of today will make the victories of tomorrow that much sweeter.
So who does Armstrong injure tonight? Maybe we should start a pool?
haha my guess is he aims for gionta but gets it from laps
Boy, what a difference a year makes. NHL reffing still on par with the beer leagues.
Yeah…that mugging on the 2nd line by the Leafs that led to the Eller penalty…I could not believe that they did not call it.
“I am guilty of using elipses…”
Actually, there were two obvious Leaf infractions on that play that the refs missed. Only to call a soft one on Eller. And the second call was as phantom as they get.
Go Habs Go! Not great but decent. Price looks like he’s settling in for a good game. Time to exploit the Leafs overatted defence.
double post sorry.
The Loafs were allowed to mug our guy as he broke free into the slot – and we can’t get near them without a penalty being called. Just one f*&$$ing time I’d like to get honest refereeing when we play these clowns.
Early on, I like what Eller brings. Good things seem to happen when he’s out there. Used his size very well to gain or keep posession on a couple of occasions in the first.
I think 30 seconds is to long to talk about the Habs
“It’s not an obsession, It’s a way of life..”
so Don Cherry is observer?
STFU CHERRY YOU A$$HOLE!
WOOO CHERRY TAKING THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED!!! HALAK!
Oh wait he just spewed out the same nonsense people have been bitching about for months. He gets paid for this? Jesus H
Cherry definately had some strong opinions for the Price/Halak thing
Cherry says “Price good” “Montreal bad”. I have to disagree and point out that Price would be under the same kind of pressure in Cherry’s beloved Toronto.
Cherry says “Price good” “Montreal bad”. I have to disagree and point out that Price would be under the same kind of pressure in Cherry’s beloved Toronto.
Don Cherry saying the Habs should have kept Halak… Maybe PG made the right move after all.
I was kinda looking forward to scab refs.
______________________________________ Gionta IS Captain.
What did he say – I’m on RDS?
Did he pronounce Jaro’s name correctly? Not “Havlak”, like last spring?
Of course, he’s no longer a hab. Now he wants to know how to pronounce it. Didn’t stop him from calling plek “Plutonic”
hey don cherry? what happened to respecting the “canadian way”? im not sure, but I dont think halak is from canada
_________________________________________________
Avon Old Farms: 2007, 2008 & 2010 New England Division I Hockey Champions – #5
First period thoughts:
Habs D is pinching too high, Spacek got caught on the first Leafs foray, Gill, OB… Spaceman and OB had a bad preseason and their underwhelming play has continued.
Eller will be a player, I like his hustle and he drives to the net.
Poor Carey, he’s having a tough start and that spotlight on him won’t get any dimmer.
Can’t wait for Cammy to get back so Darche can be in the press box. Why he deserves to play over White is a question I cannot answer.
Ask Mr. Boone that. I don’t get it either, I think White is better than Darche or Halpern.
‘Cogito ergo doleo’
Lol…………………………People build teams in certain ways. I’ve always traded for futures – not pasts.” – Sam Pollock
The reason we are Hab fans http://www.habsworld.net/article.php?id=1476
Eller has a good work ethic out there. If he keeps it up I think he may pot one.
He was actually on Carey’s side dude.
‘Cogito ergo doleo’
Boy Phaneuf is a whiner.
oh man………. gomez
What a pass by PK
That’s twice MacArthur got away with interference.
We gotta get one with this pp.
gomez is a good passer but he tries some questionable passes on the powerplay and we loose the puck..we need to win faceoffs when the pp starts
They should have AK or Pouliot out there for the 1st PP, save at least one ace for the 2nd unit.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
http://habsandhockey.blogspot.com/
Giggy does not seem to be tracking the puck very well, but we’re not getting high quality shots on him.
Pouliot can’t make a play.
he also shoots at absolutely the worst time.. he panics…. i cant take another year of him
Eller-Plex-AK46 should be wave 1 and Gionta-Gomez-Pouliot the 2nd
Mario Tremblay calls out the zebras – right on!
First Cherryism of the season, Plutonic for Plekanec and goes right after the Euros. Get that senile racist off the air and away from being government-funded it is a stain on the country.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
http://habsandhockey.blogspot.com/
I heard that too, awesome SF
“It’s not an obsession, It’s a way of life..”
Didn’t they have Brent last year? Cherry doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
I think I only noticed Versteeg once out there in the first.
It’s one thing for Boone to write his column about Montreallers using “WE” in context of the Canadiens.
It’s a whole ‘nother for Cherry to use “we” when talking about the Leafs on the CBC. Old story, I know, but SO SO happy *my* tax dollars aren’t used on Cherry’s salary.
/\\ike
GO HABS GO!
dang nammit yours is so much better then mine and more realistic too because he would aim for a dman not a forward
Haha, I could easily see him aiming at a forward to. I really believe Leafs players will take anything they can get. In fact thats why most of them are leafs players because it’s the only contract they could get :p.
The struggles of today will make the victories of tomorrow that much sweeter.
lmao. good one.
I’d rather watch RDS intermission in a language I don’t understand that well than watch Cherry and MacLame now.
You’ll catch on, plus we have more fun.
Vivre le Quebec.
I thought I was watching CBC, not Leafs TV, STFU Cherry
“It’s not an obsession, It’s a way of life..”
I’m in Boston, it CBC on Center Ice right??
Will Center Ice have the CBC feed tonight? Ugh!
“Start the season with a clean equipment bag and a freah bucket of febreze!”-CharlieHodgeFan
For us on the other side of the border, its the CBC. Yeah i get to here how great Colby Armstrong is while they show clips of nothing but blindsides and head shots lucky mee.
Is it christmas already? Look at Cherry!
“It must be love!”
Oh christ, here we go. MOST IMPORTANT GAME EVER YOU MUST WIN
It’s one game buddy. 82.
Ron MacLean certainly made no effort to hide he’s not much of a Price fan…..
Let me guess, water from across Canada in th ACC ice?
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Note the new digs! but yeah I’m still on Twitter!
Definitely better than from the Gulf of Mexico.
Go Habs Go!
They should have just made the ice with the disappointed tears of Leafs fan.
Oh… COMPLETE rip off of the Canadiens’ torch effect on Bell Centre ice from the playoffs.
Boy, do they stink at everything or what?
/\\ike
GO HABS GO!
2nd call was tough..could be called either way…but the stick and skate were there together.
“I am guilty of using elipses…”
What the hell is this “Canada’s team” malarkey that they’re trying to push on us? Pass the barf bag.
Go Habs Go!
If the CBC says it, it must be true, right?
Not like most Canadians think the Habs will be the next Canadian team to win the Cup or anything…
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Survey-Fans-put-faith-in-Habs-Canucks-to-retur?urn=nhl-274971
/\\ike
GO HABS GO!
Johnny Bower, the only Leafs goalie still alive to have won a Cup, at the ACC.
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Note the new digs! but yeah I’m still on Twitter!
Don’t tell me she’s going to.. ya she did.
Using music from Rudy? Lame…
Good Lord! Is this a hockey game or the bloody Canada Day celebration? I’m expecting to see Ukranian dancers and Native Canadian drummers in a minute.
http://habsloyalist.blogspot.com
seriously, what kind of crap is this…. and I didn’t get the water thing, can someone help me out here?
I grew up a 15-minute drive from Cape Spear, but that dirty ACC ice ain’t mine =)
i hate the leafs more than anything else in this world… except maybe terrorists
Gee someone puts water in the center of the ice, and it splashes out across in a light show….
Hey the Habs should do that with a torch and flames and ……
___________________________________________
Note the new digs! but yeah I’m still on Twitter!
Next up is jonie mitchel and a dude suspended above a wheatfield
———————————-
Fate leads the willing, and drags along the reluctant.
This intro was almost as bad at the Sens one
How symbolic. The dock and water represent the long summers the leafs have between regular seasons.
We shall have to counter with the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch!
Go Habs Go!
Ya… seems someone copied someone’s lame model. Can we have that beat poet again?
Did that girl just dump salt water at centre ice?
Did he say ten thousand??
I hope the boys didn’t have to watch that intro … they would all be puking their guts.
So, so bad.
Managed to stay away from all hocket stuff except Team 990 for past day or two. Just couldnt bear all th epundits being sour on habs. So stewe din my uncertainty and fear anticpating this game. God I hope we beat Toronto tonight. Would be a lousy day tomorrow if we dont. Gonna sit right here and follow game on Boone’s Blog. Cant watch.. well unless is 3rd period and we up 4-0.
Please Boone .. Make my Day.!!
Go Habs Go!
The ceremony is killing me..START THE GAME! WE NEED SOME HOCKEY, STAT!
Meet the Toronto Baldies!
The fans at the ACC sound lost. If you can’t do a ceremony, don’t do anything!
“It must be love!”
Boone is in mid-season form tonight!! I keep cracking up.
komisarek is a goof
Opening Ceremony = Epic FAIL
Poor old Bower didn’t know if he was foot or horseback….
Allright, so I thought it over and I think what they’re trying to say is… no wait, I got nothing.
Is it just me or Giguere and Armstrong seem nervous?
Like everybody sitting at home watching on TV, they’re probably all thinking, “What the deuce is this crap?”
Can tell there’s a good bunch of Habs fans in the audience with the booing of the traitor Komisarek.
Go Habs Go!
thats some great cheering for their own players
I wonder what Kaberle was thinking… “Thank god this is the LAST year I have to go through this”.
agreed
I hate to break it to the Maple Leafs, but i think that their ice is actually made of toilet water
The Price is Right
Is it me or my HD TV… These guys look Pretty big….
Is it me or my HD TV… These guys look Pretty big….
Hey Kevin, just a heads-up that the link for your blog is broken in your signature =)
Kulemin looked like he wanted to cry…
bahahahaha. should have had the chick in the leafs hat dipping it into the toilet.
That opening almost made me vomit.
Look at his line mates!!! wouldn’t you cry?? haha
“I’ll take potent potables for 500, Alex” JB
No kidding. That building was insanely quiet, especially for a big market like Toronto. I think I heard some boo’s for grabovsky, maybe just me though.
lol that would’ve been classic for sure….and then a Hab player walking out of the john
The Price is Right
I wonder how much time they put in to that intro, rivals that spartan from Ottawa.
That is epic!
Go Habs Go!
Pouliot handling the grenade like it’s a live grenade. That explains why he keeps giving it to the Leafs I suppose.
Maybe because it’s a grenade. Give him a puck and see what happens.
Go Habs Go!
Good pressure & chances on the PP, but they need to finish.
Keep it going boys!
Go Habs Go!
if Moen would have scored there it would have been so sweet!
I love Darche, but there’s no way he should be on this team before Ryan White.
agreed.
Gomer needs to learn to hit open nets lol
Wow imagine if Eller had tucked that in!
Another PP – bury it!!!!
Go Habs Go!
Another post!!
Man PK is damn impressive. How many teams sitting there saying “why the hell didn’t we draft this kid?”
The PK and Eller show tonight
How did that not go in. Pretty good game to start the season eh people? Need to pop one though.
Loving Eller – he’s spent more time in the front of the net tonight than about 90% of our forwards did all last season combined.
Sweet shift by Moen, he almost had the rebound on his shot.
Hardly seems fair to stick Eller with Pouliot and Kostitsyn on the PP.
Dear Andrei Markov – please come back soon, we need you. Signed, Habs PP
Go Habs Go!
Eller is strong on the puck!
“Start the season with a clean equipment bag and a freah bucket of febreze!”-CharlieHodgeFan
Some may not be feeling it, but I find it comforting to look at the screen and see a #11 on ice for Montreal.
The number will hang in the rafters one day with Saku’s name on it, but Gomez will also be retired by then.
Plekanec and Gomez don’t work together. Just send out the regular lines, each PP unit needs a forward to run them and Eller isn’t there yet.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
http://habsandhockey.blogspot.com/
Can we please give Eller some toys to play with.
Nattering nabobs of negativity .. it’s the 1st game fercrissake
Eller is playing Pouliot out of a job.
Listen, I love Koivu too, but he’s done nothing to deserve having a number retired.
how long before Pouliot is off this team. his passing on the PP is awful, just like him!
Eller is going to be a good one. I can see why PG got him.
Lars Eler! Wow! Where did they get this guy. What a steal!!
When Cammy returns Eller should be on the second line, he has shown a lot of grit and skill. Pouliot? Not a top six forward, at least not now.
‘Cogito ergo doleo’
not exactly a steal, haha
I dont get these PP combos —
Three small guys Pleks, Gomez, Gio (none of whom can really block the goalie), and three larger bodies, Benny, AK46, and Eller.
Mix it up! Cleraly the small/large wave has not worked, we are 0 for 3.
Benny, not a good start, buddy.
Darche wtf cmon
Merde.
Seriously, how can you not know how to chip that out?
Ugh, come on now Darche, second minor? That’s ugly
its okay Mathieu, you’re french. you won’t pay for that.
Cue the “stupidest penality in hockey” chants. Reality, people: It’s not difficult to keep it in play. He should be penalized.
Makes you wonder why the 600,000 raise and the one way contract. Makes it impossible to move him down and to trade.
‘Cogito ergo doleo’
Darche did a nice job of filling in for Hamrlik seeing as he isn’t in the lineup to fire the puck over the glass.
/\\ike
GO HABS GO!
Is it too soon to call White?
Darche!! Stay in the pressbox, my friend.
Good save Pricey.
LOL!
______________________________________ Gionta IS Captain.
Agree, to me he still plays soft. Although he is getting better and we know he has the skill
“It’s not an obsession, It’s a way of life..”
Ya well…guess we’ll follow it through the years..we both hope it’s a steal though, eh?
Disagree. Second longest serving captain (not that that puts you in the rafters), who carried this team on his back at times. His actions on ice and off showed the drive and love he had for game, city and team. 6th in team history for assists, 10th for points.
Sure, he never won a Cup here, a true disappointment, but I’ll bet no one is more disappointed about it than him.
I remember a game against Toronto where we were down two going into the third and he just owned the third and delivered the win.
That’s more than nothing.
So what ? EVERY game is important !!
Blah blah blah blah blah. I heard it all last night. I say we make the play-offs. Want to bet?
lol yes that is what I meant. Benny is having a terrible game
Not his finest 40 minutes, that’s for sure. Ah well, 20 minutes to overcome!
Go Habs Go!
Cute Habs chick in the ACC!
Who are they gonna have for Newfoundland, Todd Gillingham? Harold Druken?
Oh wow, Bob Cole……ugh
They went with the Ultimate Leafs Fan ™ instead.
/\\ike
GO HABS GO!
Like the Habs turnout in Toronto!! Respect!
Longest intro ever
ACC announcer”In any sport, nowhere is the captaincy more important than in hockey”
Meanwhile team A hadn’t had one for two years and team B for one year.
___________________________________________
Note the new digs! but yeah I’m still on Twitter!
And it drags on and on…
Derlago looks like he’s had a few beers in the last 20 years.
Why isn’t Bob Cole wearing a Leafs jersey like the one he wears in the booth?
/\\ike
GO HABS GO!
i am at work, but why the hell is Cole there??
“I’ll take potent potables for 500, Alex” JB
You do know that Cole is a Habs fan, right?
__________________________
I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend your right to make yourself look stupid.
i think their plan is to bore the habs to death and make them fall asleep
These guys do not represent my Canada, not one bit.
Potvin looks like Matt Bellamy!
Start the game already!!!!!!
67 67 67 67 67 67 67 67 67 67
Boone: Cole was a classic, and what was that lame “go Leafs go”?
This is a very badly produced opening – just laughable.
That ceremony needed more cowbell. Or badly acted gladiators.
I’m starting to think they just can’t figure out where they put the bucket of pucks & they’re stalling
One of the bigger problems with the Leafs’ pre-game presentations (and there are SO many) is their P.A. announcer. He’s awful. I keep waiting for him to tell me I’m listning to the Nation’s Rock station or something.
Just dreadful.
/\\ike
GO HABS GO!
Was it just me or did all the Leafs players look completely miserable?
Wow the leafs are trying so hard to paint themselves as “Canada’s team”…so weak
lol
haha!
Go Habbies!
<3
You will always be a Canadien in my eyes, Saku
It sounded more like the gravel-voiced guy in the ad for the Monster Truck Show… Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!
Could they possibly crank up the echo chamber any more?
“Hey Richard, two minutes for looking so good!”
Boone, your description of Wilson still has me laughing!
“McLame in Dumbass Square”… hahahahaha nice.
All that intro by the Leafs proves, is that NOBODY does ceremony like the Habs.
It’s posts like this that make me feel we need a “like” button.
Russ Courtnall was one of my fav’s back when he came over from TO. GO HABS GO!!!
This sounds better than SNL anyone got a web link to watch ?
Hilarious stuff ! Actually the leafs losing every year is more Canadian than Niagra falls.
Is Errol Thompson doing the ceremonial faceoff ?
Web link please
Ooh Aah Habs on the war path
Wow, well at least the fans saved the opening ceremony by singing pretty well.
I have to say the water pouring across the rink was a horrible knock-off of the Habs torch. I thought they were going in a different direction with all those bodies of water being showed in that they had made the ice with water from a major lake/river from each province or something, that would have been cool. instead all we got was, “and when water gets cold enough something magical happens”
I was like, yeah you get a solid less dense then its liquid?
Amazing first shift for Eller
Brutal opening, thank god its started….Anyone notice Price’ new mask!? Looked pretty sick!
I like our jump to start!
Nice hit, Max!
Good start so far, WOW PK!
Game On!
he didn’t look out of place at all. and he looks like he’s a fast skater with big strides.
Eller can fly.
Did Healy actually claim that Brent “laid out” Gorges by missing his check and falling on his butt?!
Hey Glenn Healy, did you see Brent “laying out” Josh Gorges? Because I coulda swore I saw Brent down on the ice and Gorges skating away….
Haha, glad to see I’m not alone
I hope the coaching staff let’s Subban find his own balance and not stifle him too early. He’s going to shape up to being a real threat as a 4 the forward.
Nice save, Price…
Healy’s a moron.
If need be, someone on this team better stick up for Subban, if he needs it. Great stop by Price. He looks sharper this period.
“It’s not an obsession, It’s a way of life..”
Darche won’t be playing next game with Cammy back. Hopefully Hamrlik’s knee is feeling good to go as well.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
http://habsandhockey.blogspot.com/
Actually the thought of adding Cammy, Hamr and Markov to what we see here makes me smile
Nice hustle
Nice save by Pricey.
I’d like to watch the EDM-CAL game but man, its over sooo late on the east coast.
______________________________________ Gionta IS Captain.
Grow a pair, Oleg
Quick thoughts:
I miss Markov. The Habs are actually playing better than I expected! I miss Markov.
But the PP has TO IMPROVE DRAMATICALLY!!! I miss Markov
Did I mention that I miss Markov?
“So why call her bad? From her, Kings are born”
he makes the powerplay.. always has
Markov is that steadying force on D, like a Doug Harvey. Would help the pp for sure.
is it just me or does darche seem like the slowest player on the ice.. and gill is playing
They had a “theme” of Maple Leafs across Canada and had representatives from every province. Newfoundland’s rep was Bob Cole and he was wearing a HNIC powder blue jersey.
/\\ike
GO HABS GO!
WOW!! That looks kinda bad, even tough we know he bleeds blue1 Thanks for the update, i’ll get the 2nd and thris periods
“I’ll take potent potables for 500, Alex” JB
Great point…. But I really want to win this one… 4-2 habs cmon boys…. we need a captains goal.
There may be other teams, but only ONE Club De Hockey…
Honestly? If they lose by a goal it’s not so bad. I like what’s going on here. I expected a lot worse. I’m seeing hard hits, amazing passes and our rookies are awesome.
Ugh, Worst Part of the Game? Those Cheetah Power Surge commercials with that self-promoting grease ball Frank D’Angelo.
I really want eller to score. he looks like the best habs forward out there tonight
Question for the second period — how many games do we give Benny to step up before he sits?
From what I’ve seen, Martin gave him exactly a period and a half. And rightly so.
give him at least 5. i can’t see him lasting long on that top line
i’d be generous. 10. can’t panic too early. but, just because he’s not sitting, wouldn’t mean he’s on my second line. i hope martin plays eller with gionta and gomez. at least a shift or to. clearly cammalleri will be skating with pleks and AK starting saturday. might as well show pouliot how short his leash really is. eller looks good.
markov.
damn you matt cooke.
Price will be fine, Definately Miss Markov, Hamrlik and Cammalleri…hope we can tie it in the 3rd
Subban is apparently playing bad (which I don’t agree with ), and he’s still our best defenseman.
If Edmonton can manage to be brutal enough to get one more lottery pick they can be the next Pittsburgh. I said this summer Edmonton will win the Cup before Montreal.
‘Cogito ergo doleo’
Bold prediction: Paajarvi will score points goals than Hall or Eberle
Come Eller high water we’re going to win this game.
I can feel it.
“Hey Richard, two minutes for looking so good!”
Anybody got MAB’s phone number ? Make the call please.
We’re playing like the score is 0 – 0. It’s not and we have to score 2 goals to win.If Leafs score next its over.And they probably will. Hello operator…yes Bergeron, Marc Andre, Trois Rivieres I think.
gomez needs to produce this year not just show off his skating ability…
…if we’re going that way…
Book it, Danno?
Still no defence or decent prospects for goal, their starting man is close to 37 and has a bad back.
Pittsburgh drafted two generational players in Crosby and Malkin, no proof that Hall will be a generational player yet, or Paajarvi, or Eberle. They’d need to get Adam Larsson and he’d have to be another young defensive superstar for certain.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
http://habsandhockey.blogspot.com/
Bad? He’s made like one glaring mistake at the blue line. He’s been energetic, he’s kept the puck in well, he finds awesome passes…..I think people expect too much here. He’s not going to score 50 goals and stop every goal against
One hand clapping.
eeeh-oooh
I am not liking Darche so far..
Slow, won’t score and already took 2 penalties.
Cammy – that was a stupid thing to do in a preseason.
Eller’s for Heroes.
habs downfall last year, was that they couldn’t score 5 on 5.
deja vu.
wonder if that’s ever going to improve.
How about waiting more than 1 game before deciding their 5-on-5 sucks?
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
http://habsandhockey.blogspot.com/
Thanks for making me spit my beer all over my phone.
Really? I thought the story thus far was the lack of a powerplay v. 09-10.
Darche you french beauty! take two penalties, get promoted to the top line!
some jitters. but he’s playing pretty well. handling the chirping and the after whistle ‘how do you dos?’ if we could get the powerplay going… that said, i don’t think he’s panicking. the second they kept the leafs at bays. the pps help. the pps (see 4th sentence sentence).
We are the better team, so what the heck is the problem here. Put the puck in in the net boys.
Blog is great MIKE.
You are making the assumption that the roster will not evolve over time. Pittsburgh did not get great as soon as they drafted Crosby and Malkin, it took time. I am just saying the Oilers have the potential building blocks in place, combined with a friendy salary structure. Plus the owner is one of the richest in the NHL so money is no problem.
‘Cogito ergo doleo’
double tap
T his is going to be a looooong season!!!!
Why wait when he has fresh data. lol.
I thought we were getting rid of Brunet this season?
let him walk right in…
_________________________________________________
Avon Old Farms: 2007, 2008 & 2010 New England Division I Hockey Champions – #5
Spatch played that horribly.
GAME OVER
Heh,
I wonder if the “experts” here on HIO are still wondering who McAurthur is?
Terrible move they said, no offence, etc…
Guess what, skill isn’t the only thing you need to play hockey.
Could Price suck more??????
HALPS!!!
______________________________________ Gionta IS Captain.
EEEEETTTTTTT LEEEEEEEEEE BUUUUUTTTTTTTTTTT
_________________________________________________
Avon Old Farms: 2007, 2008 & 2010 New England Division I Hockey Champions – #5
There you go, one of the few Habs I like, Halpern showing the “skill” guys how its done.
This game is the battle of the 3rd and 4th liners.
New guys are scoring. Comon old guys, help them!
Nice push back.
SHUT UP
_________________________________________________
Avon Old Farms: 2007, 2008 & 2010 New England Division I Hockey Champions – #5
Tim Brent AND Clark MacArthur? How many times will that happen this year?
Mr. Boone insists Darche is having a great game and Price had NO chance on the backhand. Really? Rose colored glasses tonight?
‘Cogito ergo doleo’
Why do you take it personally? Are you Price? How childish.
__________________________
I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend your right to make yourself look stupid.
We’re barely the better team healthy – are we with injuries (and Cammy out as well?)
__________________________
I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend your right to make yourself look stupid.
it’s childish that people blame a goaltender for allowing goals that were shot inside of 5 feet from him. montrealers pride themselves in hockey knowledge but this is like watching a game with my kid brother
_________________________________________________
Avon Old Farms: 2007, 2008 & 2010 New England Division I Hockey Champions – #5
He should have stopped at least 2 of those, as pointed out elsewhere, and he was weak on the breakaway as well.
Price over-commits, and goes down too soon. Nothing has changed in his game from last season, but it better soon, or we’re in trouble.
__________________________
I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend your right to make yourself look stupid.
I acrually feel bad for you if you think the first goal stood have been stopped. no one would have had that. not jaro, not ken dryden, not freaken patrick roy. theres a reason point blank stops are considered exceptional, THEYRE HARD TO STOP!
_________________________________________________
Avon Old Farms: 2007, 2008 & 2010 New England Division I Hockey Champions – #5
Price is playing tonight (at least so it seems)
I expect a L tonight, TBH. I don’t think the Habs are a very good team and they’re missing too many pieces, especially their two top D-men.
Toronto is very bad, but Montreal was really one miraculous goalie away from being as bad last year, so…
Kaberle is a great player – and they’ve been trying to dump him for two years.
think halladay can play goal too?
wish picard and obyrne could not play another shift
Had a weird feeling that was coming…..lost some momentum, but it’s OK, time to spring back
Bad coverage.
That was a fluke goal.
No fluke. Colton Orr stole the puck, and our D was out to lunch.
It always is on Price. He should have been on the post.
__________________________
I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend your right to make yourself look stupid.
PLAY PUCK!!!
They only showed one very poor highlight – tip in by the rookie?
Nice to see you out of the slammer, Timo. Was it hard time?
Don’t remind me. I am still in therapy.
And they pick up where they left off – leaving Price with no help.
if thats the best we can do in the middle, its going to be a loooong season
_________________________________________________
Avon Old Farms: 2007, 2008 & 2010 New England Division I Hockey Champions – #5
Picard-OB are not going to have much TOI after that.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
http://habsandhockey.blogspot.com/
We should start calling him O’Berge
Nice tip by the Leafs player. Defence was nowhere to be found. I was wondering why Pleks was getting the puck in the corner….
Pouliot reminds me of Lats, can’t skate to the net! lol
Not really feeling Gomez wearing #11
You will always be a Canadien in my eyes, Saku
boone – ad obyrne to that list
ARRRRGGGGGG! Damn you Kessel!!
______________________________________ Gionta IS Captain.
Price is not very good one-on-one.
SIGH.
Don’t hate me for this. But weak goal.
ey! Thi could be an ugly game!
This sucks big time.
Oops.
yeeeeesh
I hear that…it’s just not right. It should be on the rafters when Saku retires..
__________________________
I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend your right to make yourself look stupid.
oh yeah, breakaway for one of the top offensive players in the game, weak goal. thats not even me being a price fan anymore its just my ability to comprehend whats going on in a hockey game
_________________________________________________
Avon Old Farms: 2007, 2008 & 2010 New England Division I Hockey Champions – #5
Leafs far and away the better team.
Bigger and faster.
Boyd!!!
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
http://habsandhockey.blogspot.com/
AND WE’RE BACK!!
BOYD!!! Starting to like his effort!
WOO! Atta way Dusty
BOYD?!! I wouldnt have picked him for the first goal of the yaer.
______________________________________ Gionta IS Captain.
Over / under is 12
Dustin! Just in time!
“Hey Richard, two minutes for looking so good!”
Boyd!!! Nice, hard work – he wanted it.
HA HA Komisarek. You suck.
Good effort there
Dustin “Cory Matthews” Boyd
carey the flu price….
I got us winning 7-5…….Push
hahaha that is so true, he looks just like him
Price = sieve
Rewatch the replay and think it’s Alex Auld. Reconsider.
Hlak was great last year, but he was not the difference between last in the conference and making the play-offs.
Unfortunately, he (and Price) really were. Well, maybe not Toronto bad, but that’s because Toronto’s goaltending was genuinely horrible rather than merely “average”.
Montreal were a bottom-5 team in shots for and goals for. They were a bottom-five team in shots against, but thanks to exceptional goaltending (.918 on agregate, or the score of an elite starter) they managed to be respectable in goals against.
The 2009-2010 Habs’ level of play outside the crease was lottery-worthy. Yes, I know that roster ought to be capable of much better, but that’s how it ended up. They were one of the very worst teams in the league at even-strength, if not the worst outright. They had great special teams, but they drew too few penalties and took too many, resulting in their excellent special teams only having a middling impact on their season — and, of course, that exceptional goaltending was a factor in the penalty killing.
This trend continued right through the playoffs. Amusingly, the skaters were probably at their best early in the season, when Markov was out, but they were at least carrying the play and outchancing opponents — only to be undone by then-erratic goaltending. How things change.
Much has been made about the Habs’ supposed question mark in goal, too much IMHO, but maybe that’s because it’s what will need to be exceptional to keep the team afloat where mere excellence will not suffice. The team’s level of 5-on-5 play, OTOH, wasn’t a question mark last year: it was plainly terrible.
They finished 2 points out of 7th and close to sixth. They had the most man hours lost in the Eastern Conference (to top tier players) and they still made it to the Eastern Conference Finals.
We have a good team. I’m predicting a solid seventh place without playing to the last game of the season.
That’s one way to look at it.
OTOH, you could look at it this way: they were an 88-point team that only managed this “lofty” record based on an exceptional season by their goaltending tandem that’s not likely to be reproduced, and only qualified because the East was exceptionally weak that season. And that they were bottom-5 in both shots for and shots against and had virtually no possession games to speak of, spending most of their icetime in their own zone. And that their playoff run saw them accumulate a 9-10 record in largely the same way they did in the regular season: by allowing their opponents to dominate the game and forcing their goalies to be miraculous.
They were not a good team last year; they were a very bad team with exceptional goaltending. I’m hoping they will improve this year, but we need to not sugarcoat last year’s results and let it resutl in unrealistic expectations. It’s in the nature of fans to view the positive and gloss over the negative, but a cold assessment of things does not paint a very pretty picture. The fluke ECF Cinderella run, especially, is setting people up for disappointment. If they play this year the way they did in the playoffs they’re liable to end up in the lottery.
The saving grace is that last year was a massive underachievement given the talent level on the roster. There’s upside here, should they overhaul their gameplan.
at least you raise valid points Johnny Pessimism.
Let’s remember the amount of injuries and the addition of PK Subban and Lars Eller (hopefully) this year.
You’re also right about the underachieving.
I’m not a blind hater. I even often defend Andrei Kostitsyn.
But I’m not optimistic. There’s upside to the Habs, but I suspect it will take a coaching change to see it and I think Halak gave Martin a completely undeserved grace period.
But Martin is an experienced NHL coach and he has several decided strengths (he’s fantastic with matchups for example), maybe he has it in him to overhaul his team’s system and implement something that vaguely resembles a puck possession system. What the Habs did last year was a complete joke though, and if they keep this up, I think the lottery is likelier than the playoffs.
yes he was!
Andy Strickland breaks down another goaltender:
http://www.truehockey.com/articles/Can-Halak-Take-Blues-to-New-Places
Great blog by Steven Hindle:
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Steven-Hindle/Game-1-The-Hope–The-Fear/139/30616
————————————————————————
Never judge another man’s decision poor until you actually have proof of it failing!
Ok. I am out of here… watching the game at the bar tonight. Have fun all and Go Habs Go!!!
Something posted on another board. Can anyone confirm. Sounds very good!
“A few good reports on some Habs players before tonights game courtesy of El Cloun from vestiaire.ca … very interesting!
Brian Gionta: In the last 2 days, Brian has met with every player in the dressing room to get familiarized with all the players and show his leadership. Also says, that Brian will stand up in the dressing room minutes before tonights game to dictate this season. He envisions a 100 PTS SEASON!!
Hal Gill: Absolute Great player to have in the dressing room. Gill talked alot with the recent cuts, re-assuring them, telling them not to abandon on anything and that we will see them soon!
Josh Gorges: Biggest joker and clown on the team, the new guys have already found that out.
Andrei Kostitsyn: Has been hanging out with alot of different players this year and is getting along with everyone! Very good friends with Gionta, he says Sergei’s departure has done miracles for Andrei and that he has no doubts that this year will be his best.
Maxim Lapierre: Has ants in his pants and is ready to unleash this year.
Gionta, Gomez and AK have all wagered on scoring the first goal tonight Let’s see who wins.
After Markov, Price and Gorges, it’s now Gomez’s turn to get the flu. Should still be in the lineup tonight, but is not at 100%”
Oh man I freaking HOPE SO
Prediction: Habs win 800 posts; Habs lose 1200 posts and 10 banishments ………………………………….
“People build teams in certain ways. I’ve always traded for futures – not pasts.” – Sam Pollock
The reason we are Hab fans http://www.habsworld.net/article.php?id=1476
Habs lose….2000 posts. 1200 with the name Halak in it.
There may be other teams, but only ONE Club De Hockey…
Let’s hope Benny at least matches Gui!’s output. They both had a good run towards the end of the season.
He’ll need to, if Eller has a big night and he can’t do much with Gio and Gomez you can bet there will be a lineup swap for Game 2 when Cammy takes his old spot and it leaves Benny V Eller to suit up with the Captain.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
http://habsandhockey.blogspot.com/
How nice it is to see a Boone GDT again. 12 hours from now we will hopefully all be very happy Habs fans!
Go Habs Go!
OK, now we need some goals from the guys who were on our team last year… 2-3 please.
There may be other teams, but only ONE Club De Hockey…
Good push back boys.
Halpern eh? Great!
WOOO HOOO! Great work by the checkers!
Body AND Halpern? How many times will that happen this year?
Pleks just got slashed in the face! Where’s the call? WOW.
That was a swing!
Slash in the face = no call
BUSH REFFING!!!
So….who’s excited?
Go Habs Go!
ME,ME!!!
GO HABS GO!!!!!!!
so pumped
So did observer cheer when Kessel scored?
Yep on the other thread:
Submitted by observer on Thu, 10/07/2010 – 19:46.
yup an idiot trade for kessel and leafs stink – start your excuses you leaf obsessors because they are a better team than gauthier standing pat with the 88 point team. as i said you would be starting from tonight.
he pee’d his pants with joy.
Yeah gets away with a high stick, no call.
Been nervous all day waiting for this game to start and I STILL think the Habs/Nords rivalry was MUCH bigger than Habs/laffs (I have NO respect for the laffs) and even the Habs/Bruins rivalry is bigger but no matter, it’s Habs/laffs tonight and I just want the guys to go out on the ice and BEAT THE PISS OUT OF THOSE laffs!!! GO HABS GO!!!
I’m with you Keith, rivalry???, truthfully I don’t even consider these disgraceful Leaf bums a rival for the Habs, I mean let’s get real, look at their comparative records! I completely agree with Guy Lapointe when he was asked years ago about the Habs – Leafs “rivalry”, he spat “rivalry, what rivalry, who do they think we are Detroit?!” (This is from one of the Habs books I have, but I can’t remember which one).
GO HABS GO!!!!!
Man, White would look good on that line with Boyd and Lapierre…
Halpern is a machine. Would be nice if our “stars” decided to play tonight.
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I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend your right to make yourself look stupid.
Dusty Boyd.
Following your blog Boone…. What’s Gomez/Gionta doing?
Pretty excited guys, not going to lie!
Are the Habs THAT great on the forecheck or do the Leafs just suck?
We are definitely faster than they are…just have to get through the first and our speed will take over.
At least Boyd came to play. What about the (little) big guys? Gio, Gomez, and Pleks need to let the Leafs know that they’re there.
__________________________
I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend your right to make yourself look stupid.
Price is a better athlete than he is a goalie….he’s allway’s on his freaking knee’s and plays to deep in nets to boot ,plus he catches better with his new mask than with his catchers mit….but hey he’s our number 1 ,lol
And the ref’s have to help the Laff’s at a key time of the game.
wow how did the Laffs not get called for interference?
He also over-commits all the time. Same as last year so far.
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I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend your right to make yourself look stupid.
Game on, baby! Finally. I’ve been waiting for this for what seems like months!
http://habsbros.blogspot.com/
OK, it may not be a real rivalry, but nevertheless we have a lot of trouble beating them. For whatever reason, they usually seem to want it more. That better not be the case tonight.
DROP THE PUCK ALREADY!…that is all I cant wait.