Captain Brian Gionta scored the 20,000th goal regular-season goal in the Canadiens’ glorious NHL history.
The goal drew the Canadiens even at 3-3, six minutes into the third period.
The celebration didn’t last long.
Radek Martinek beat Carey Price with the Islanders’ 17th shot.
John Tavares squelched any hope of a comeback, and Colin McDonald scored into a vacated net to make it 6-3.
The loss was the Canadiens’ first in regulation since the Leafs stomped them 6-0 at the Bell Centre on Feb. 9.
Since that embarrassment, the Canadiens had gone 11 games in which they’d notched at least a point.
The Canadiens outshot the Islanders 32-24.
And they stayed atop the Northeast Division and the Eastern Conference because Boston lost in overtime, blowing a 3-0 lead in Washington.
Michael Ryder had three assists.
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Pierre Houde: what a great interviewer. You can tell his interviewees. are comfortable
Gallagher: Really begining to remind me of Koivu and not because of the number on his back.
Congrats Dave!
RE: Gallagher
Would like to see the Habs continue to have him ride shotgun with a bigger guy. I know they have moved Prust around but MT should keep this kid protected.
And if he learned french the town would turn him into a star. How much more would the fans embrace him? Cant help but pull for him.
He doesn’t need to learn French if he doesn’t want to he’s a star already
http://nickolaisblog.wordpress.com/
Its half a season. Remember he has had a concussion. He is playing against men. He is an asset worth protecting and bringing along slowly.
I don’t know about that. He doesn’t look like he needs, or even wants, any protection.
Gallagher is such a cool kid
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“Hey Richard, two minutes for looking so good!”
http://dennis-kane.com/
Wheels are falling off in South Florida
Wonder how long Diaz and Bourque will be out. You never know with concussions. Gally and Malkin were back in a week. For others it can be months or longer.
Wish I could watch Gally interview
http://www.justin.tv/ch__tv#/w/5034953024/2
RDS link
Thanks! Was too late but appreciate the link now I don’t have to watch Islander feed
“So who gets the Canadiens’ 20,000th goal? They’re three short. I want it to be Gallagher or Galchenyuk.”
Please, let it be anyone but Sergei Berezin
Cammy got that one. Late 2009 i think?
Laptop open. Habs on big screen, Flyers/Rangers on PIP. Libations poured, dog asleep at my feet. Doesn’t get much better than this, but a convincing Habs win would make it complete.
I’m with ya Ian! Guinness and Single Malts on the side. Vas-y Les Boys!! Saludos!!!
Front, I hope your collection includes some Irish…
Jameson Red Breast?
Middleton?
Kilbeggan?
Bushmills single malt?
Bushmills and Guinness.
@Boone: Interestingly enough, even Roy Keane thought it was a red card and I can´t disagree. It wasn´t intentional but a stupid, reckless play. So many harmless challenges are followed by yellow cards nowadays, then this can very well be red.
I also see much worse refereeing decisions in the NHL on a weekly basis…
Shanahan backing up his suspensions (Boston Excluded) with some pretty good explanations.
I’d really like our 4th line to show up tonight after being completely invisible on Sunday. That’s probably the only negative thing I had to say about the Boston game.
Agreed…
RDS commentators fully justified in calling Moen out. He’s not expected to do much on the scoresheet, but he’s supposed to be one of our depth character players, and he hasn’t been.
Not so far this year. You’d like to see a lot more aggressiveness.
Agreed.
Agreed. I was ranting about this yesterday.
Ok. I am outta here, folks. Be nice to each other.
Will be back after I’ve watched the game on PVR (most of you will be in bed by then).
I’ll be up. All hail March Break! Third best thing about being a teacher!!
Full Breezer 4 Life
What are the first two?
Educating the next generation and being a role model, of course.
Full Breezer 4 Life
Oh I thought it was no more extra curriculars!
You teach the kids how to pick the right hockey team to cheer for right!
http://nickolaisblog.wordpress.com/
Early retirement and indexed pensions?
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“It’s just an opinion – I could be wrong”
I guess one is the summer.
Two is what? Long Xmas holidays? The fact that the job carries no stress?
That last part was a joke, I’m assuming.
from what I hear of teachers, yes.
You should get the gig, then.
Correcting exams?
Turning little brats into better persons?
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“Hey Richard, two minutes for looking so good!”
http://dennis-kane.com/
No stress? That was a joke, right?
I know lots of teachers who say the job is stressful, but if your personality is suited to it, it’s a lot of fun. I joke about the days off because it makes people mad … truth is I am always happy to go to work. The kids are funny.
Good thing, because the cheques could sure be bigger!
EDIT: when I say the job is stress-free, it should be noted that I teach grade 12. Apologies to the teachers who deal with grade nine and lower, that is probably pretty tough work.
Full Breezer 4 Life
My father was an elementary school teacher. The kids were never the problem, it was the parents…
“You’re always, always, always looking to make your team better. Always.”- Marc Bergevin
And it depends on what type of gr 12 class it is. There are definitely lower-stress assignments than others.
I think there’s stress in any job, but if you enjoy it then it’s worthwhile.
Billy, March Break isn’t for 3 more days. What up, dog?
Different March Break in my part of Canada?
Or … Oh shit, have I been supposed to be at work the past two days??
Full Breezer 4 Life
ROFL
I thought you wuz in Halifax.
Testimonial Request To Honor Toe Blake’s Number 6 !!!:
…for those supporting mine and Ian Cobb’s objective for Our Habs to honor Hector ‘Toe’ Blake with a banner in the Bell Centre, We respectfully would appreciate Y’all taking a moment of Your valuable time to write a short testimonial to the 2 following gentlemen at Your earliest convenience:
Geoff Molson: President and Owner, and Kevin Gilmore: VP Operations
c/o The Montreal Canadiens
1909, avenue des Canadiens-de-Montréal
Montreal, QC, CANADA
H3C 5L2
…thank You to all whom take the time
Go Habs, Go !!!
Go Habs go!
Can we make it to 2000 comments today?
http://nickolaisblog.wordpress.com/
…I think We will have to petition Mike to hold-off to post His ALN until morning
…usually We are close to 2000 when Mike posts ALN before He sleeps
…I guess His semi-retirement means He does not enjoy waking up too early any more
I say 3000 if Price plays tonight the same way he played Saturday.
…maybe 4000
Hamsters will be LONG dead of exhaustion way before 4000.
They may not be a top team, but we lost against the Isles last time and so it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if we lose again tonight.
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“Hey Richard, two minutes for looking so good!”
http://dennis-kane.com/
Yeah, cost me $50.00. Not betting tonite so no curse.
Mr. Biter
No Guts No Glory
Obviously no guarantees, but it would be an upset if they did.
Keys to victory tonight:
Need to be careful about taking penalties. The Islanders have a very potent PowerPlay.
Should they find themselves with the man disadvantage I hope that MT puts PK on the PK.
The most effective Penalty killers right now with Diaz on the sidelines are Subban, Markov, Georges and Buillion.
While I have argued in the past that Buillion should NOT play in the penalty kill, that was when we had Diaz available.
the answer to skilled offensive players like Tavares and Moulson is to go counter with our bets offensive line. While they score at an impressive pace, (one even strength goal for every 19 & 22 minutes respectively, Taveres and Moulson are NOT responsible defensively. They are scored upon once every 14 & 15 minutes respectively.
For comparisons sake. when our top scoring wingers, Gallagher and Pacioretti are on the ice score the Habs score on average every 10 and 13 minutes respectively. ( a significantly higher rate than the Isles tandem). Even more impressive is that when Gallagher is on the ice the opponents only score on average once every 31 minutes. For Pacioretti its one goal allowed every 25 minutes ( all in even strength situations).
Finally we need to watch out for for their defenceman Brian Strait. He has been on the ice for 17 even strength goals in only 230 minutes of ice time, an average of one goal scored every 14 minutes.
He is far more dangerous offensively than Tavares who has been on the ice for only 20 even strength goals in 386 minutes of ice time. You might prefer a more apples to apples comparison, our old friend Mark Streit has played 419 minutes (versus 230 Minutes for Brian) of even strength and the Islanders have scored only 16 goals (one less than with Brian) while Mark has been on the ice.
How;s that for a straight comparison?
Go Habs Go!
regards,
Steve O.
Interesting stats, thanks for that.
You’re right, the key is to stay out of the box and pressure them 5-on-5, they are not very good at even strength.
who is brian?
Good analysis, except Brian Strait is on IR. WHile there is some talent on the Isles, it is not a deep team. They are a pathetic 3-8-1 at home, and zero combacks when losing after 2. My only concern is the Habs taking them too lightly, but Therrien has had them prepared for almost every gme this season. No reason why this shouldn’t be a convincing Habs win. Oh, and Tavares is not even close to 100% with an illness that really should put him on the bench.
Bouillon
******************************************
“Backup goalie getting the shut out is like your mistress babysitting your kids. Did a great job but still feels wrong.”
Mutt
***Habs Forever***
Those are a lot of obscure stats, not available on tsn.ca, nhl.com, nor hockeydb.com… so what is your source?
I do find it interesting, the stat per actual minute played is eye-opening.
The stats do come from the above mentioned sites, mostly nhl.com.
My day job is selling a data analysis tool called QliKView.
it allows you to import the stats from any source and then create graphical “objects”. (eg. TeamGF, minus PPGF divided by ESTOI (even strength TOI) gives you minutes of ice time per goal scored.
Wih a few clicks I can filter for even strength, powerplay, shorthanded etc. After every game I simply hit refresh and the program automatically goes to the sites that its pointed to and updates with the latest stats.
For anyone interested, QlikView is free for personal, (non-commercial use) and a relatively simple to use. Anyone can create their own APS in minutes. Download a copy for free, here .
http://www.litcosys.ca/QVdownload.html
regards,
Steve O.
Kerry Fraser’s take on diving and embellishing in general, as well as Our Habs/Teddy Bears game: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=417446
“I watched the Boston–Montreal game and Claude really didn’t have a much of a beef on the penalties the referees called as they were well deserved and not a result of embellishment. Montreal played a great road game and pushed back against Claude’s big, bad Bruins to earn a legitimate victory; at least on this night.”
Kerry Fraser has great hair.
He must get tips from Le Baron.
His hair is his helmet
http://buffalosabresnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/kerry-fraser-sabres.jpeg
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“Hey Richard, two minutes for looking so good!”
http://dennis-kane.com/
Really I can’t think of one penalty that was called on the Bruins that was a result of embellishment in fact they let alot go including the stick to the face of MaxPac (I think) in front of the bench that should have been a 4 min pp for us.
People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones Mr. Julien
http://dennis-kane.com/those-wacky-bruins/#comments
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“Hey Richard, two minutes for looking so good!”
http://dennis-kane.com/
Unrelated, but anybody watch the Rangers regularly? I’ve only caught 6or 7 of their games this year, so maybe my sample size is too narrow, but why all the hate their for Gaborik?
He is tied for the goal lead and that’s while having his PP time reduced and being demoted to worse and worse linemates.
Has he been as bad as those actions suggest? Or is NY just looking to scapegoat?
Gaborik seems to have become Torts’ whipping post. It happened last season as well. Gaborik, like a lot of star players is not particularly consistent in the defensive zone. I think its really more Torts’ failure to work with star players. Didn’t Torts have issues with the Lightening stars when he coached there as well?
I can’t really remember. But I agree it seems to be more on Torts than Gaborik, who has always been a bit streaky. Just don’t see why they’d play him with Brian Boyle when they need goals so desperately.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnAo4WOUG98
Maybe I missed it, but I haven’t seen this one posted yet:
Kerry Fraser’s take on diving (and the Bruins’ whining in particular).
Scored some cheap seats at the Coliseum to see the Habbies! Where else can you see the Habs play for $14 a seat. Taking all my girls (‘cept two) and sitting behind the net.
Oh and for those of you who are so fed up with the hypocricy of Julien and the Bruins, here is a great piece from Yahoo on Marchand, Seguin, Horton and the rest of the ball of crap; http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/embellishment-city-boston-bruins-hypocrisy-diving-goes-viral-144026712–nhl.html
Promote the Youth, Support From The Veterans and Remember the Heritage!
Awesome… enjoy the game and hopefully a victory by the good guys!
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Being a Hab fan is like buying real estate: only over the long-haul will you appreciate the true value of your investment.
Good for you. Crappy arena, but you’ve got your girls and that more than makes up for it. Enjoy the game and thanks for the link.
Just out of curiosity, how much is a beer there?
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“Hey Richard, two minutes for looking so good!”
http://dennis-kane.com/
Who cares? It’s American beer…just kidding…love Samuel Adams…
“You’re always, always, always looking to make your team better. Always.”- Marc Bergevin
Sooo crappy is the Coliseum that it is my third favorite arena behind Bell and BankAtlantic. It has a grotesque charm.
Gallagher is a happy kid who smiles almost all the time, who was the genius who tried to slap the “little ball of hate” label on him? It doesn’t seem to fit the kid at all to me.
–Go Habs Go!–
I think they meant that opposing players and goalies hate him for how he plays, Not because he’s full of hate.
It was initially from his coach in junior during an interview about Gallagher.
Boone: “I don’t want to think about the Hockey Inside/Out Comments section if John Tavares and friends light up the Canadiens number one goaltender.”
Well, I dare say if that happens, the number of comments here tonight will probably approach 3,000. (If the hamsters don’t quit of utter exhaustion first).
He better bring it tonight!!
Tavares has the ability to light up any goaltender in the league.
____________________
DOOOOOOOOOOOOMED!
agreed. He might be the most underrated player in the league simply because he plays for the Islanders.
More than a few rumors out of LI that he’s still pretty ill and could conceivably not play. Game time decision.
Loved that piece by Pierce.
Pierce is the best. Follow him on Grantland and political stuff at the Esquire site. He and Hickey had dinner together at the TD Gahden before the game.
Mike Boone
Hockey Inside/Out blogger
Thought i recognized the name from Esquire….
The Boston and Toronto games both showed that the Habs make adjustments after losses. Expect adjustments tonight; especially with respect to Tavares and Moulson. Every mother’s favorite goalie gets a shut-out tonight.
“You’re always, always, always looking to make your team better. Always.”- Marc Bergevin
Jinxing him before the puck drops? Come on mon ami!
That’s Boone’s job…
“You’re always, always, always looking to make your team better. Always.”- Marc Bergevin
This game is number 23. We have 24 more games to go!
Half this season is done!!
25 but who is counting
CHeers and enjoy the game Ian!
Am I missing something, or is the season not 48 games?
Ian you definitely forgot the 16-straight wins in playoffs we’re gonna have.
“thoroughbred”
I’m not THAT optimistic.
Habs will play the full 7 games in every postseason series for a total of 28 games; 48 +28=76 games this season. Only 6 games shy of the 82 they played last year.
This short season has been very exciting and fun I’m glad we didn’t lose hockey in the end.
http://nickolaisblog.wordpress.com/
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: A MUST READ FOR EVERYONE IN HERE
(REPOST)
http://www.stanleycupofchowder.com/2013/3/4/4063136/in-praise-of-alexei-emelin-difference-maker
I’ll say it yet again, awesome article.
“thoroughbred”
Excellent article by a Bruin fan. Who thought they knew how to spell and even turn on a computer.
Mr. Biter
No Guts No Glory
Why do I think back to this incident when I look above at that picture of Claude Julien?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XXpcb5aTnPk#!
________________________________________
“Hey Richard, two minutes for looking so good!”
http://dennis-kane.com/
Budaij;s spectacular performance? I take extreme exception to that comment. He had a game that any average NHL goalie should be able to handle. He made a good save on Seguin but the cross pass to Seguin was not crisp and he had time to move over and block it. My issues with him are he does not move well side to side (note the first Boston goal), he gives big rebounds and he has a hard time handling the puck. I find he is quite good with straight on shots. Also the Bruins hit 3 or 4 posts.
Hey, give Boods credit where it is due. He played a good game for us and made a huge save to keep us on top with seconds to go.
Let’s stop the HIO/Habs fan trend of undermining the work of our goalies. We’re set in net, let’s be happy about it and be grateful we don’t have a headcase like flopper.
A couple of years ago I was in Mexico and a couple of guys from Quebec were helping me move a 5th wheel trailer. They spoke little English and I spoke no French so we made do with Spanish. The talk turned to the Habs (of course) and I mentioned how much I admired Jaques Plante. They replied how much the disliked him and they were Hab fans. I guess no matter how good Price is or becomes there will be a lot of Hab fans who will dislike him too. Go Habs!
You can’t be both a Habs and a Leafs fan
According to his twitter, Ian Schultz is leaving the ECHL Utah Grizzles to play in San Fransisco. Anyone have more details?
No details, but an opinion. I don’t think there was a hockey man in North America besides Pierre Gauthier that thought Ian Schultz was worth acquiring.
He was never an NHL skater. Actually, he was never an AHL level skater either.
He never seemed to get the physical commitment either.
Stay out of the box and skate like we can, and we the fans are going to have another great night of hockey!
My favorite chair and my favorite glass is ready. Ice cubes and single malt will be ready at 7pm. Everyone is welcome to stop and join me here if your driving down the 401!
Enjoy the fun tonight friends!
Ice cubes and single malt…. you gave me a great idea for Saturday night.
Ruin a single malt with ice? Horror!
“thoroughbred”
Damn, you beat me to it
Indeed…. minus the ice cubes. Only a drop or two of water to open it up, thank you
No Coke?
Mr. Biter
No Guts No Glory
Scotch Rocks, Ian. Check out Scotch Rocks.
You keep them in your freezer and then drop them in your scotch glass to cool your scotch without killing the flavour.
Happy Anniversary Dave Stubbs… 25th anniversary today with the Gazette!
I’ll be interning at The Gazette this summer, and gotta say, one of the people I’m most excited about meeting and maybe learning from is Dave Stubbs.
I just wish Boone was still there – I loved his work as a city guy, and even more on sports.
I’m sure with some free drinks and food, Boone can be persuaded to share his knowledge
For all those who have questions concerning Kristo, watch;
http://www.allhabs.net/canadiens-prospects/danny-kristo-committed-to-a-championship-video/
Thanks for sharing that link, interesting to watch.
–Go Habs Go!–
It’s early I know. But are the Habs only one or two key players away from going deep? Or is this wishful thinking?
________________________________________
“Hey Richard, two minutes for looking so good!”
http://dennis-kane.com/
Let’s get Guy Lafleur and Larry Robinson back. That oughta do it!
20 games is only 1/4 of a season so I think we have to wait and see.
One indicator might be to ask who is playing above, at or below their seasonal norms or expectations.
Four more games and we have reached the midway point of this abbreviated season.
Which begs the question. Why is abbreviated such a long word?
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“Hey Richard, two minutes for looking so good!”
http://dennis-kane.com/
Like I posted the other day in 2 weeks do we begin looking for rent a players for a playoff run?
Mr. Biter
No Guts No Glory
Wishful thinking. They are a MAB away.
I wrote exactly the same yesterday.. I think we ARE gonna go deep if we tweak in two areas.
I think its a good team on a roll that will come back to earth. They don’t score enough to go the distance but if they get great GT’ing …who knows? I don’t believe our GM will sacrifice much to get a few rental players for the playoffs. Unless an absolute gift falls in his lap or something, what you see is what you get for this year. I’m enjoying it very much so far, but the future looks even better. WE are loaded with draft picks in a very deep draft…have some exciting D prospects coming up..it’s all good.
So, Mr. Boone, looks like not even Fergie Time could save Man U, and they’re out!
Hell, if that were the Reds, at least OUR top striker would have been a LITTLE bit more visible. Typical of RVP against the big boys.
Just new here but have been following this site for a few years. Very happy with this years team and the job MT has done. The one player i dont see as helping lots and no one seems to be talking about is armstrong. Everyone has played well IMO
Armstrong is a veteran presence and a loyal soldier for Therrien. Those are his two principle roles on the team.
and he’s clearly there as one of the funny guys that relaxes the room when needed.
http://nickolaisblog.wordpress.com/
I like today’s posts.
They’re light-hearted, with little trolling.
One can tell it’s pre-game and our Habs are on a roll.
Let’s see how this site looks after tonight’s game.
I’ll predict “Carey-Carey-Carey”
HI/O has been racking up some huge numbers. Many threads are over 1000 with some going past the 1500 mark.
If you take away the two worst numbers, it looks even better! (see lower post re: Price’s numbers for context)
Hamrlik on waivers. I missed him last year, but I guess the Habs were right not to give him a 2-year contract….
Good move by the previous management?
I always liked Hamrlik but Washington was crazy to give him a two-year deal. They can’t buy him out (+35) so the only question left is whether or not he will report to Hershey. If he doesn’t, it will cost him a mil (before taxes).
Right now he’s sitting at 58M in career earnings.
I do agree with you about Mario Langlois, by far the best sports guy on the french side of the medias. Not blindly positive nor is he negative cause it`s apparently the way to go for sports reporters in MTL. The best to do one on one interviews on anything (not just sports)
It is not often that i take the opportunity to say good things about the french medias but Langlois deserves it and then some. Unfortunately as much as i would like to see him more often also, i do not think that the staff on l`antichambre is up to his level….
I would say that Renaud Lavoie would give him a run for his money. He’s more hard-wired than any other media type in the city, IMO.
Of course, that excludes Boone and Stubbs.
You have a good point but they are not working on the same level. Lavoie is on the beat and thrives on scoops,Langlois being older has more historical knowledge . Both are different…
Hola Amigos! Giant Mutated Rats in Tehran and now in Boston. Snipers?http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/437326/20130220/iran-rats-tehran-snipers-mutated.htm
Did the States plant them there?
Would you rather have the goalie who puts up a .915 sv% or near it every game or the goalie who puts up a .935 sv% almost every game and is involved in a stink-up once or twice?
With the former goalie, these Habs don’t win as many games, even if they win the Pitt game.
Again, if people can’t emotionally relate to Price, they try to manufacture a reason to justify their dislike of him.
Are there people that actually don’t like Price?
Sarcasm?
People hated Roy after one loss, and if they can do that, then they can hate Price, who is no Roy.
A bit of sarcasm.
The one thing I will say about Price, aside from I’m thrilled with him, is that it is time for him to win a few playoff rounds.
would be nice to see, of course, but I think that looking at winning playoff rounds from a goalie’s perspective is off base.
I don’t see many goalies doing better against Boston two years back. Rarely does a goalie come out of a 7 game series with a near .940 sv% and not be on the winning side. He outplayed Thomas but Boston being better than Montreal overall made the difference. Even though Boston was a significantly better team, it came down to overtime, where Gionta missed an open net and Price was scored on by a wild deflection (and a deflection also led to the Boston overtime goal in game 5). Still haunts me that Gionta fired into Thomas’ pads and not into the gaping cage; Thomas was down and out laying beside the cage and was probably as surprised as any to find the puck in his legs.
Had to laugh today..Sportsnet was talking about legit contenders…Boston, Pitts maybe Habs..out west..Hawks, Anaheim, L.A, St. Louis but they aren’t sold on their goaltending problems.
I watched CH24 Ep.#3 last night and enjoyed the episode.
One thing that stood out was the feature on the the autograph seeking fans in Florida.
They showed Plex signing a jersey and I heard the woman ask “Can I get a picture for the same price?”
These guys are charging fans on the street for autographs and pictures?
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“It’s just an opinion – I could be wrong”
If it was on the street, how do you know they were charging?
Was it mentioned? Maybe it was tongue-in-cheek.
I saw that too, I think that might have just been a joke between Plek and the fan, since there are autograph signings that cost money. I mean look at what happened with Eller he didn’t take any moeny from the fan who got the autograph from him.
http://nickolaisblog.wordpress.com/
It was a joke probably for the cameras Just like when the cameras were on that lady before she got Lars Eller autograph…..
Jesus. He gave a free autograph and was asked if he’d take a picture, too. She made a joke.
Whoosh!
Who knew there were such subtlteies in the comic banter among millionaire Czech hockey players and the snowbirds who persue them?
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“It’s just an opinion – I could be wrong”
She probably asked him how much an autograph was when she approached…hopefully the answer was $0 and she was making sure a picture would cost the same.
MB, how do we pick up JAWS for the stretch run and the cup
Evgeny Artyukhin
Wing — Moscow
Height 6.04 — Weight 254 — Shoots L
http://www.hockeyfights.com/fights/115195
Could you imagine if he pulled Lucic back like that.
This city would explode.
I personally would any part of his salary to have him in the Red white blue. I’m dreaming?
Even if we got him we’d probably lose him on waivers
http://nickolaisblog.wordpress.com/
Did I hear Oy, oy, oy!!! In Russian???
________________________________________
“Hey Richard, two minutes for looking so good!”
http://dennis-kane.com/
Oh please oh please oh please can we get one pleeeeeeeeeeez?
I would prefer homeboy Kip Brennan.Enjoy Amigo!
http://www.hockeyfights.com/fights/105412
Umm, no. Even if it was Lucic. That behaviour by Artyukhin is unnacceptable… it’s Bruins worthy.
It did remind me of how the Bruins fight so “When in Rome”.
Mr. Biter
No Guts No Glory
All hell has broken lose at Old Trafford. Utd cruising to victory when Nani gets a somewhat controversial red card. Madrid have come back to lead 2-1.
http://atdee.net/60716/watch-manchester-united-vs-real-madrid
And we complain about NHL zebras. That call was brutal.
Mike Boone
Hockey Inside/Out blogger
As a Pool fan you must be happy though.
I know I am.
Math is admittedly not my subject, but from what I can figure, if you take out the two games Price got shelled (Pitts/Tor – 13 goals on 64 shots), he has a GAA of 1.66 and Sv% of .935. So for all the complainers – two bad games out of 17 skew the numbers considerably. For the other 15 games he’s 3rd and 4th respectively in the league.
What would happen to the rest of the league if you took 2 bad games away?
That’s a fair question. My point was that those who say Price sucks and should be traded for George Parros, need to look a little further. It’s concerning that Price got lit up a couple times already this year, but it doesn’t make him a terrible goalie. His numbers have been stellar for the most part. Incidentally, if you took two bad games away from the Bruins, they’d still be losers!
I’m not quite sure what to make of it, but Michel Therrien did something quite remarkable Sunday night that I think speaks volumes about how he has completely reshaped this team. I’m referring to the totally wacky line combinations he was throwing out there in the middle of a tight and crucial four-point game against the Habs’ greatest rival. Armstrong on a scoring line? Galchenyuk with the pluggers on the fourth line? Then with Ryder and Pleks. Moen reunited with DD and Patches? I haven’t done the math, but seriously, I think he exhausted a good chunk of the potential combinations of three among 16 players.
I can’t escape the feeling that he was making a point to the players. He and Beregevin have played up the “team concept” of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts and I think this was a brilliant way of underlining that notion. No matter that this was a crucial game. No matter that the flow had shifted in the Bruins’ favour and the game seemed to be slipping away. The coach chose that moment to make a statement:
“I trust you.”
Think about Colby Armstrong. The guy’s offensive limitations have been painfully obvious all season. He has squandered a fistful of glorious opportunities, each and every one of them turned to stone. Not near misses, mind you, but totally, utterly flubbed chances that almost any modestly gifted player would have converted at at least a fifty percent rate. Yet, Armstrong has evidently earned the trust of his coach by doing precisely what has been asked of him on the fourth line, so the coach put him up there on a scoring line in a game and at a time when a goal was desperately needed.
Think that might have boosted his confidence? Maybe cemented his commitment to the team and coach?
More importantly, what message did that send to his team mates? Are they hearing that the coach puts his faith in the guys that do what is asked of them? That if they put their trust in him, he’ll return the favour? Think specifically about Galchenyuk. Struggling for a few games, Therrien slips him, Eller-like, onto the plugger line. The conventional wisdom would be that he was being punished. I wonder if that is really the case with MT’s Montreal Canadiens. No, I’m pretty sure the message was more constructive than that: “Show me that you understand every facet of our game.” On the fourth line, the Montreal Canadiens have energy, grit and defensive accountability above all. Yes, even if you are a crazy-skilled offensive threat, you too must be a plugger if the coach asks that of you.
“Trust me and I’ll trust you.”
To even contemplate (sanely) what he did for that stretch of the Bruins game, MT had to have supreme confidence in his players’ grasp of every facet of the system he has devised for them. Being able to randomly group players, on the fly, to perform various different roles as though they were interchangeable parts in a Lego set, rather than highly individual athletes with disparate skill sets, speaks volumes about the real meaning of the “team concept” and the exceptional degree to which it has been incorporated into the players’ psyche.
Of course, as the game progressed – and his point having been made – the line combos became less zany. It was a heck of a gambit and I think it may have impact far beyond the outcome of that one match. It sent an awesome message. Yes, players will come and go. Some may be traded, others will be injured. But collectively, each and every guy wearing la sainte flanelle knows what needs to be done in every facet of the game and is accountable for the role given to them by a coach with whom there is mutual and complete trust. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Maybe I’m letting the early success spark flights of fancy, but I’m sure liking Michel Therrien 2.0.
Some good reading there!
…a brilliant comment
Very kind, HiB.
Seriously, at the time, I was muttering in disbelief to my faithful companion (Farley, the Golden Doodle). Maybe I’m reading too much into what I saw. But the successful outcome put me in a generous frame of mind, I guess.
Wonderful, insightful post.
a nice post..I was watching the rds feed (I am anglo) on my laptop, listenening with one ear, while watching the walking dead with my family during that stretch, I was noticing the weird combinations but too distracted to chalk it up to anything other than balancing out the grit and scoring..whatever the reason the result was favourable..
…error
For a good laugh, here’s the link to TSN690.
http://www.tsn.ca/montreal/
Go to the podcast section, under the Team News section, and click on the Habs logo showing a discussion with Eric Wilbur from the Boston Globe, and enjoy the cast’s ambush on Wilbur.
I heard it this morning. Didn’t find it was an ambush in the slightest. The Boston reporter is an idiot.
What I found funny was after he hung up, having brought up the Ribero incident of years ago, they asked who the Habs coach was at the time.
Claude Julien. Well, that did it for me.
…You Guys are funny
…I’ve only scanned down 5 or 6 comments and My gut is busting
TSN.ca has Brendan Gallagher as the #1 Rookie so far this year! Galchenyuk not far behind at #5.
http://www.tsn.ca/fantasy_news/feature/?ID=10841
So so so nice.
…I have not checked-in for a day or so, and I see Boone belatedly added the crying child as a picture on the last ALN …funny !
…I’ve never seen Julien so upset, and as sore a loser about a game before …maybe I don’t see him enough, but wow
…anyhow, has anyOne heard, yet, how Bourque is doing with the concussion ?
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Habitant means PASSIONATE HOCKEY
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=423049
Campaign to Retire Toe Blake’s Number 6 !!!
…and, last, but not least: FREE PK !!!
I think you mean Julien. Jodoin’s with us.
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Ka is a wheel.
For Your Life
…yeah, I’m goin’ senile don’t Ya know
Sounds like you are entering the first phase of symptoms related to BCS (Bob Cole Syndrome).
——–
Wedding Crashers Rule #71: No excuses. Play like a champion!
…actually, I like Bob Cole
…but, slowly, and surely, the memory is slippin’
You like Bob Cole, Chris?
Your memory is worse than previously diagnosed.
He probably doesn’t recall saying that he likes Bob Cole though.
——–
Wedding Crashers Rule #71: No excuses. Play like a champion!
Julien?
I wish someone could hack into the video scoreboard at TD Bank North and play that Embellishment City video during the next Bruins game.
Imagine the chaos!
——–
Wedding Crashers Rule #71: No excuses. Play like a champion!
I actually know someone who most probably can. Question is – how much do we all want to chip in for this to happen.
$100 each should be enough to cover his legal expenses.
It would be a YouTube sensation that would sweep every nation!
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Wedding Crashers Rule #71: No excuses. Play like a champion!
Can we get 21,273 fans to cry like babies when they show Julien’s face on the screen at the Bell Centre?
________________________________________
“Hey Richard, two minutes for looking so good!”
http://dennis-kane.com/
If I had the resources, I’d be selling Bruins bibs and soothers outside of the Bell Centre when they come to town next. Talk about a goldmine!
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Wedding Crashers Rule #71: No excuses. Play like a champion!
Can we get a big hairy ape of a fan to dress up in diapers, a baby bonnet and holding a bottle of formula?
________________________________________
“Hey Richard, two minutes for looking so good!”
http://dennis-kane.com/
I draw the line at the diaper, though.
Dammit, I was told those pictures wouldn’t be leaked.
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Ka is a wheel.
For Your Life
Perhaps George ‘The Animal’ Steel(e) is available!
——–
Wedding Crashers Rule #71: No excuses. Play like a champion!
On today’s agenda for Milan Lucic.
1. Roll out of bed and scratch his a**
2. Take a good look in the mirror (yiek!)
3. Go to his personality training lessons
4. Arrive at practice walk into the dressing room, put his arm around the rat, Marchand, Tyler Seguin, Andrew Ferrence and Nathan Horton and say: Look guys, the league is starting to notice. We can’t lie our way through this anymore!
…hehheh
Did the Habs acquire Deryk Engelland yet?
News of his acquisition was greatly embellished, it turns out.
“thoroughbred”
That was actually a rumour?
No! Just a dream!
http://www.hockeyfights.com/fights/111306
Funny you posted that. I just watched his fight with Colton Orr on that site and saw Orr as the voted winner. After watching the fight Engelland landed somewhere in the neighbourhood of a dozen punches to Orr’s two or three. And yet Orr is voted the winner.
Gee, I wonder how that happened.
I saw that fight too. Orr has the hardest right hand in the league, I think, and has a lot of weight on Engelland. I’ve seen Engelland fight a lot, mostly on that site, and he’s got a lot of skill in that department. He’s around 200lbs but manages to defeat guys 30lbs heavier than him on a regular basis.
I like Engelland because you guys have taught me we need players that can take a regular shift.
what do you think he would cost us? Teams don’t give away players with rather unique skills sets – like being able to skate as the 5th or 6th D and also smashing people’s faces in.
Always a fan of Charlie Pierce, both on Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me and for his politics blog at Esquire. Never knew he was a Habs fan.
A special article indeed. A beautifully written by an unlikely habs fan.
TSN has just ranked Gallagher top rookie (about time)
Galchenyuk no.5 in the power rankings
Price is no.12
Gallagher top RW no.12
Max top LW no.2
Subban D-Man no.4
And Galchenyuk is our top Centre at 29 (Pleks 32 and DD 33)
As a team 4th behind Blackhawks, Ducks and Bruins
Like the DODGERS “Wait till next year”
No way that Galchenyuk has played better than DD or Pleks.
If you do, make sure you go all the way DOWN TO THE BASE!!
It’s probably been mentioned, but Roman Hamrlik has been put on waivers by the Caps.
Who thinks he gets picked up, aside from me?
As long it’s not the Habs.
Edmonton should be in on that for sure. Detroit might too. He was pretty good in last year’s playoffs, I’m told.
“thoroughbred”
Yep, if there’s one thing Edmonton needs, it’s another old, old defenseman.
—Hope Springs Eternal—
Anything is possible but the orange light on his gas tank is definitely on. I wouldn’t want him. 3-5 years ago yes.
Columbus or Edmonton might pick him up if they think he’s got a year or two left. I can’t see him being a rental for a playoff team when there are better options out there.
“There’s genius everywhere, but until they turn pro, it’s like popcorn in the pan. Some pop… some don’t.”
- Jerry Maguire
If he’s in the last year of his contract he could prove valuable as a #7 d-man. Does have size and was a good shut down d-man. Blocks shots. Is Washington starting to clean house early?
Mr. Biter
No Guts No Glory
At four weeks from trade deadline, the talks heat up.
Hawks need a depth forward with cup experience. How about Moen?
Concerning the Josh Gorges is gay post from the last thread…
http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://cdn.25stanley.com/wp-content/gallery/josh-on-vacation/josh%2520gorges%2520girlfriend%2520picture.jpg&imgrefurl=http://25stanley.com/photos/josh-on-vacation&h=604&w=453&sz=50&tbnid=lbYUculEZR4MnM:&tbnh=91&tbnw=68&prev=/search%3Fq%3Djosh%2Bgorges%2Bgirlfriend%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=josh+gorges+girlfriend&usg=__lI8tIshIENpj4w6v5OdRxp1nQ7o=&docid=5yYeOdpzTZVv-M&sa=X&ei=PlQ2Ud3vK4rB0gH_h4GwBQ&ved=0CDoQ9QEwAg&dur=754
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Well, he’s kind of had it in for me ever since I accidentally ran over his dog. Actually, replace “accidentally” with “repeatedly” and replace “dog” with “son.”
“It’s sad when our rookies have no NHL experience before they jump up to the NHL.” – nunacanadien
Who said that? And who gives a flying fig?
So now we have nothing to talk about so we make up a bunch of B.S.?
The guy has a girlfriend, and even if he didn’t.
Sometimes, some of the posts around here get on my nerves.
LOL. Love it.
Look, I wasn’t trying to say he is gay, or that there would be something wrong with that if he were. I just saw the link on the HFboards forum, and copied it over.
So…….what exactly was the point you were trying to get across by posting it?
That there’s more to some of these guys than just the fact that they play hockey?
Thanks for clearing that up.
James, holy moly! You’re alive!
I’m about to get crucified, so I’m not sure how long that will be the case. How have you been?
Hanging in there. Not taking nearly as much abuse as I used to so enjoying my quiet existence on here. Hope your girls are doing well.
Girls and a little boy now too. He wasn’t exactly planned. Snuck one through the goalie, so to speak.
Hah. Do you need some material on birth control?
Congratulations, btw!
LOL. Hopefully it’s figured out now…
I’ve been good. Wifey works evenings, so I’m home with the kids pretty much every night. Needless to say, I was really happy when hockey came back. Was getting pretty sick of treehouse TV.
WOw, you have that choice? I still PVR all my games and watch once Treehouse is done for the day.
I hooked up a 20″ inch tv beside the 100″ projection screen. As I’m sure you’ve guessed, the kids get the projector, i get the 20″ tv.
This may prove Gorges to be on the ball.Too bad he’s not a good fighter “that way he could stick it to Colton Orr and the likes”…Price can’t catch=not gay.
Looks like Josh is getting as close to the “cup” as he can.
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Ka is a wheel.
For Your Life
Motor skill mulfunction?
Looks to me like he’s firing on all cylinders. No?
Hands on experience.
———————————————————————-
Ka is a wheel.
For Your Life
Are you Kfourn and JIMVINNY the same person?
How Albert Pujols has ever been considered the best player in baseball is beyond me.
He was just thrown out at second(was already there) following a pitch to home.
That’s embarrassing regardless of how meaningless the game is.
I think that consideration, which is justified, goes far beyond one play. Maybe a look at his history would be in order?
“thoroughbred”
I’m not basing it on this play alone, just thought it was funny.
In terms of whether or not he’s ever been the best player in baseball he’s a first baseman, which off the hop should disqualify him because he’s a little better than adequate there to begin with. Players with more responsibility and better defensive ability and in addition touch the bases more due to their speed should be considered better players in my view. Provided they have comparable offensive numbers, which has always been the case.
Fair enough in terms of his all-round game. But I think his offensive numbers are super impressive and trump some of the other aspects in this case. I have enormous respect for Pujols, kicking butt while many of his contemporaries juiced it up.
“thoroughbred”
I respect him too don’t get me wrong. If I were an Angels fan I wouldn’t have a hard time forming an opinion as to why he starts slow when looking at a play like the one that just happened though.
.
Stay out of the box, boys!
You can’t be both a Habs and a Leafs fan
Watch this video about the Bruins – you will hate them so much all at once!!
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/embellishment-city-boston-bruins-hypocrisy-diving-goes-viral-144026712–nhl.html
You’re a real fan, bud.
Full Breezer 4 Life
Just saw this tweet: zababes1 (Pat Hickey): Lubomir Visnovsky won’t face #Habs (personal reasons). Nabokov in goal
Yah, he personally hates playing for the Islanders!
He flew back to Slovakia for a family emergency.
ahh boo. That not good and takes all the humour out of my little one-liner.
Haha. To be fair personal reasons doesn’t usually mean an appointment with a mortgage broker.
Hope Tavares is still feeling that flu, but doesn’t cough on any Habs.
Full Breezer 4 Life
Gallagher … The little ball of great.
Kudos to whoever came up with that one.
Full Breezer 4 Life
Man that’s an awesome quote by Gallagher. This guy is becoming my favorite player awfully fast!
Go Habs Go!!
“Fans are great, but the quickest way to start losing is to listen to them.” – Sam Pollock
no doubt, the kids got it! chucky is awesome too, but this is turning into the gally party! I think he’s an upgrade on cole big time on that line
Dammit.
(first)
(sob…)
Fashionably late
________________________________________
“Hey Richard, two minutes for looking so good!”
http://dennis-kane.com/
Why Claude is so crazy? It’s only one loss and he blamed the whole NHL world.
He is making himself and the Bruins look so stupid. Once the late night comic’s get a hold they never let go. plus Stewart has a young audience who love You Tube stuff so this is going to go everywhere. Loved the picture of Juiilan and the guy from “King of the Hill”. Spitting image.
Mr. Biter
No Guts No Glory
Could it be the side effects from the white powder on those jelly-filled donuts?
Mmmmmmm…. Donuts!
________________________________________
“Hey Richard, two minutes for looking so good!”
http://dennis-kane.com/
We’re #1!
http://calshabsongparodies.weebly.com
Wow, figured Burly would be here by now…
—Hope Springs Eternal—
Geez, Matty, you ruined my big entrance!
you think burly is OK? should someone call the mounties? coast guard? border patrol???
probably start with a bartender…
1. That analogy is ridiculous.
2. I’ll go out on a limb here and say that when the same 2-game subtraction formula is applied to most goalies, the difference is less stark, which means Price is really good for more games. Since winning is the goal, this is a good thing.
Hey,If I subtracted the times I didn”t drink, I would…. Ok,I see what you mean.
A goalie who has the highest sv% in most games isn’t necessarily the goalie who has the highest sv% overall. This is because the times when he doesn’t have a high sv%, it can be so bad so as to bring the overall sv% down.
Goalie A, who has a .935sv% in 90% of games but has a .915sv% overall, will give the Habs a better chance to win than goalie B, who has a .925sv% in 90% of games but has a .915sv% overall.
This means goalie B’s performance is probably better against Pitt but worse in the rest of the games. Still, Goalie A probably wins the Habs more games overall, and that’s the point of hockey, (edit:) especially given all the 1-goal games Price has been involved in.
Math.
Aaaand Christopher uses “Ergo” properly.
haha sorry, took ‘ergo’ out to be less douchy.
Don’t apologize – I’m a big fan of using language properly. Of course using it improperly has it’s place as well.
Thanks.
P.S.: its*
(had to)
10,000 home goal in team history, 1/27/02. One of his whopping 4 goals as a Hab.
Bloody marchand getting a penalty shot.
Now this is a reach.
Thankyou, agree.
Well at least you waited until team was in first place to come up with the poor leadership argument.
Sorry bud, should have been more specific. Another weak ass 2nd period against the Islanders haha
Good call, you should give HNIC your resume.
You question the leadership on a 1st place team overachieving based on glimpses of the bench before TV break, I/we question you, and we are children?
Human nature.
Full Breezer 4 Life
You’re right, we shouldn’t attack each other, but the theory that the Habs lack leadership because of what you see when the camera pans the bench is suspect.
WTF you based leadership lacking based on a fricking glimpse of the bench. Double standard?
WTF are you on about?
***SUBBANGIN’ NOW BABY!!!***
I have no clue what youre talking about man, i think its pretty clear that they enjoy playing together.
~Listen to the rooster! He knows what he’s saying!
“Rumour” that Markov is playing badly because of a conflict with him and PK. I know it makes no sense, but that’s what he is referencing.
Full Breezer 4 Life
Where the heck did that come from Bill?
Maaaan… this place sometimes.
***SUBBANGIN’ NOW BABY!!!***
Nah, but they’re nice artworks. Besides, I don’t have much money on me.
Are you always a buzz buster? You can’t enjoy it while it lasts…
Apart from the entitlement thing you have a point. It’s an odd, short season with opportunities galore for all but the worst teams to make the playoffs. But I don’t sense any sense of entitlement on here though it may exist on other sites or media outlets.
***SUBBANGIN’ NOW BABY!!!***
Who knows? It came from the Internet ….
Full Breezer 4 Life
And then you’d say “sit Moen or Armstrong”. Both are better players than Parros, even if they’re not playing as well as they can. A tree on skates. Please
You sure have a man crush for Parros, who is a lousy player
Don’t bother. Haters gonna hate no matter what.
Agreed, It appears he’s lost his confidence. That last shot did not look like it was deflected, IMO, He needed to stop that one
“It’s not an obsession, It’s a way of life..”
Get the fack out of here with stupid homophobic shyte. He’s a solid D, and a great team member. What he wants to do for sex makes *zero* difference to that.
ˆDoesn’t make sense.ˆ
—Hope Springs Eternal—
no such thing
“It’s not an obsession, It’s a way of life..”
uhhh no, he was rightly more concerned with the defensive coverage.
All true.
Full Breezer 4 Life
Pretty sure Budaj gets that start.
Full Breezer 4 Life
LOL wouldn’t even put our two goalies in the same categories as the laffs in the sense that the leafs are worse
http://nickolaisblog.wordpress.com/
not just thursday. give him a few in a row (assuming he earns them). that might wake carey up.
I see you are following the advice about never going Full Breezer.
Trust me, the advice is wrong. Full Breezer is the only way.
Full Breezer 4 Life
I also used to be fan of Halak too, but that’s in the past and face the present. Yeah, Price is our goalie, and that’s according to Pierre Gauthier way before getting his butt fired.
As for the trade decisions, the deadline is almost a month away. I’m feeling a trade is happening after the 5-game road trip.
I agree. When Price is on his game, wow he can be a highlight reel goalie, but when he is struggling, trying to do too much, he is not in sync with this new system. Almost like the D have no idea how to read what to do.
Halak was great, he gave us great games to watch, I was in the Halak corner, but you are probably right, Price needs to be given the rope. Deep down though, I want Budaj in nets on Thursday.
I liked Halak too, and at the time I wanted to keep him … but I don’t really think he’s better than Price. Do you?
Full Breezer 4 Life
Rinne, Miller, Ward, Luongo, Quick… Some of the best goalies in the world and they have looked very off at times this year. I think we should be a little more patient with Price. I agree, he’s not stealing any games, but he has been solid for the most part. I know he has more to give and I am confident he will before the season is out.
Actually, it is a sprint, not a marathon.
Richard R
Price is an oyster. Unfortunately not all oysters produce pearls.
Did PG give him too much money?
In all fairness, you could say that about any good goalie. Awesome when he’s on his game, vulnerable when he’s not.
He stunk tonight, and he’s in a slump, but it’s pretty normal stuff.
Full Breezer 4 Life
I probably sense he did. PG thought Price’s the Franchise of the team. So the question is: is everybody agreeing with Gauthier’s decision to keep Price?
Yup exactly what I am talking about, see my post below.
Imagine the team playing like they have with Price on his game. That is an unbeatable team.
I tend to agree. That is big bucks for someone who can’t be elite every night.
I do agree signing Price for a long contract. We had no choice and Price is great (his norm). Just wait for him to find his game this year, this will be Carey’s playoffs, it has to be this year.
Price is big, and can cover the nets. He’s more of a position goalie; trying to cover the areas. That’s why he’s “cool and collective”, ’cause he doesn’t move as much. That’s said, in some games he’s doesn’t position very well to cover some areas, and that’s why he gotten scored as much. He’s still got to learn a lot on positioning better and moving with his body.
Halak, as I saw back in his Habs days, moves quickly and use his body well to protect as many areas of the nets. He has quick eyes to find where the puck is, and that means moving his head or just move into position with his body too, whereas Price just stood in position only. Probably bobbled his head most times but not efficent enough.
Can’t say much about this anymore; again it’s all in the past. We got Price and nothing is to say.
Too many question marks and exclaimation marks. I’m so scared.
You know enough about hockey to work at HNIC.
And that’s not a compliment.
1) Gainey came down behind the bench after he fired Julien for playing Huet over Theodore.
2) Gainey came down behind the bench after he fired Carbonneau for playing Halak over Price.
3) Would have been Gainey coming down behind the bench after he fired Martin for playing Halak over Price except that Martin had a clause in his contract which gave him a mega million dollar golden handshake if they fired him before his 3 year contract.
All of the above
You sir, need to get over the past…and Bergevin will fire anybody if it is necessary and iit makes his team better.