The Canadiens were given a day off Sunday to lick their wounds (and bite marks) following Saturday’s 6-0 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Leafs’ Mikhail Grabovski originally had an NHL disciplinary hearing set for 4 p.m. Sunday after being accused of biting Max Pacioretty during a fight-filled third period Saturday. But the hearing will now be done by phone at 11 a.m. Monday.
“That doesn’t belong in our sport,” Canadiens defenceman Josh Gorges said after the game. “If you get in there, stand up for yourself, be a man, drop your gloves, and you’ll have respect. But bite somebody? That doesn’t belong in our league.”
Added coach Michel Therrien: “I saw the bite. You can see that on the video. I’m sure the league’s going to pay attention to that.”
The Habs will practice at 9:30 a.m. Monday in Brossard before leaving for Florida, where they will face the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday and the Florida Panthers on Thursday before returning home to face the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
(Photo by John Kenney/The Gazette)
Leafs beat Habs in alley and on ice, by Dave Stubbs
Habs stank the joint out, by Jack Todd
Worst home shutout since 1996 for Habs, by Pat Hickey
No post-game rant from Therrien this time, by Pat Hickey
‘The jokers’ took over in third period, by Pat Hickey
Leafs-Habs ugliness shows hockey’s back, by Bruce Arthur of Postmedia News
James Reimer backstops Toronto, by The Toronto Star
Bite Night for Leafs and Habs, by The Toronto Sun
Maple Leafs enjoying life on the road, by The National Post
Habs tickets were a currency of choice for corrupting officials, by The Canadian Press
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UND report for Feb10/13
Kirsto 2 goals 2 assists
MacMillan 2 assists
Mr. Biter
No Guts No Glory
So biting is now considered a “hockey play” by the WWE, I mean the NHL. When we saw the Bettman/Campbell hatchet men like Milbery telling the world it was Max Pacs fault we should have known. The league credibility takes another hit.
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What credibility?
“Elever le flambeau!…Raise the Torch!”
In my humble opinion the following players could be moved (in no particular order); Kaberle, Armstrong, Gionta, Cole, DD, Boullion, and White. As I see it we are a long way from contending so I would add to that list Bourque, Markov and Diaz at or near trade deadline. The trouble is most teams would not be interested in most and offer very little for the few that they would consider.
The NHL Office of Player Safety has determined that video evidence conclusively proves that Max Pacioretty bit himself. It also announced that it declined to hold a hearing regarding Colton Orr since it was not clear to them who was initiating the contact and their position that attempting to injure another player would be completely out of character for a highly skilled player like Colton Orr.
“Elever le flambeau!…Raise the Torch!”
The league has decided to suspend Tomas Plekanec of the Montreal Canadiens for 3 games for clearly demonstrating the intent to initiate a knee-on-knee collision with Colton Orr of the Toronto Maple Leafs, only managing to reconsider and avoid contact at the last possible moment
Wow, I am shocked that they are only giving him 3 games! Do you think that they are softening their posture towards the Habs?
“Elever le flambeau!…Raise the Torch!”
Perhaps they are!
Had there been a collision and Pleks blown his knee apart (obviously through no one’s fault, but his own) his suspension would have been 21 games, immediately effective once his rehabilitation period ended.
Grabo not suspended as per Stubbs twitter.
Any reasoning given? Or just a ‘hockey play’….
No suspension for Grabovski in alleged biting incident…
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/49945-No-suspension-for-Maple-Leafs-Grabovski-in-alleged-biting-incident.html
Ha! So I guess the league agreed with Carlyle’s defense. Grabo was provoked so anyone putting their limbs near his mouth deserve to be bitten. Nice!
Who is here surprised? honestly.
Grabovski not suspended. Par for the course it seems.
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DOOOOOOOOOOOOMED!
The team sucked as a whole against Toronto. Hopefully they suck it up and bag a frw points on the road.
It was nice to see a good 30+ people at the rink down the street from me. One goalie showed up and just got bombarded with shots. I skated up to him and thanked him for showing up, goalies are slim pickings in outdoor rinks these days.
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DOOOOOOOOOOOOMED!
If the Habs were in the Walking Dead what characters would they play.
The Zombies.
Mr. Biter
No Guts No Glory
My that was ugly. As is Mick the Knife and his pretty teeth. I’m not sure what was uglier though, the Habs’ game or the Leafs in general. What goes around, comes around they always say.
My personal thoughts on Saturday:
1) Easiest 37 save shutout EVER. I love how the TO media is praising Reimer, I’ve never seen so many shots pounded into a goalie’s stomach/chest.
2) Having more fighters on the team would not have made the loss any less brutal. Yes, we would have won a fight or two, still a 6-0 loss, maybe 7 or 8-0 if we had more ‘muscle’ on the ice.
3) We need to get in the opposing goalies face, score more goals in the dirty areas and be more defensively responsible.
Prediction for Tampa: Habs win 4-1 (being away from the Bell centre seems to serve us well sometimes)
My personal thought on Saturday – Toronto totally outplayed Montreal from the very first faceoff. Hab fans have to give credit where it is due.
Agreed, most one sided win I’ve seen by any team in awhile. BUT, Reimer deserves no credit for that win IMO
habs defence is suspect to the forecheck. iam sure the game video against TO, Buffalo and Bruins have been reviewed by the Tampa Staff…
1) Then you must have missed the entire last season
2) It would have still been better to see a few bloody leaf noses
3) Apparently our glorious coach has realized that too… perhaps he visits HIO every now and then
Discipline and better faceoffs would help out this team alot more than John Scott.
Like others, I am wondering just how bad DD needs to falter before Eller gets the chance to play as an “offensive” center with offensive players instead of grinders.
Cole has also been extremely disappointing. Not much else to say, except that I hope he gets his act together.
I think that Therrien is moving things around, and that Eller will get his chance.
I also don’t think that DD has been doing that badly, but Cole’s lack of spark isn’t helping matters. Pairing Eller with Cole could end up hurting Eller’s production more than anything at this stage!
—Hope Springs Eternal—
DD just has not been playing well Matty.
His point total is based mostly on 2 games and he was greatly assisted by Eller on 2 goals.
Both Eller and DD are losing out to Chucky who now centers what is the Habs second line. Those 3 can’t all get o-zone starts against weak opponents, right now those are mostly Chucky’s assignement, Eller is showing to be usefull out of those protected start, DD is struggling to play.
It’s true that Cole’s lethargy and clumsiness is hurting anyone who plays with him. I’m also thinking that DD, more than most centers in the league, absolutely needs certain conditions to be productive: he needs his wingers to compensate for his lack of size by being big and fast. In that situation, he can play, but if he doesn’t have those kinds of linemates, then it’s very hard to play him with anyone else, and he isn’t a versatile player either.
The “Eller will get his chance” sentiment just holds no value to me considering how many opportunities have come up where you’d think he would. DDs a defensive liability, his team worst -5 puts emphasis on that. His offensive product this year? Non-existent, time for a switch up it’s that simple.
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Lars, PK, Galchenyuk, Pac, Emelin – @J_Perez22
Smart move by Calgary.
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=415745
I doubt it will help them.
You’re right, but it’s the only move they have right now.
In many ways, the Flames are the Habs (of the past) of the Western Conference. Totally kidding themselves while constantly hoping Hail Mary’s will save their season.
A total rebuild is in order from top to bottom.
Keep in mind that Desharnais was better when Eller was on that line, too. I believe its obvious the problem is Cole, much more than Desharnais or Pacioretty. He looks like he has 50 other things he’d rather be doing every game.
You beat me to it.
It would also help if Montreal’s Dmen played like defensemen when in their own end.
Personally I’d rather have Steve MacIntyre beside me in any dark alley rather than Gainey. But, Darcy Hordichuk is available on waivers. He can take a 4th liner’s regular minutes, but won’t scare the crap out of other heavyweights looking to end smaller players’ seasons like MacIntyre would.
How is 24CH going to gloss over last week and more specifically last Saturday night?
A special on Youppi?
Probably with loud dramatic music. And flashbacks to Bergevin talking about accountability.
No answers, just opinions. Bite me. Och.
That episode of 24CH will be nothing more than a whitewash.
Sort of like the Warren Report.
CBC news says Patches had to get a tetanus shot for the bite. Apparantly Grabs had been drinking rusty nails…
What if as a result of this Grabo now has wolverine blood in his system. He may become unstoppable!
Great now he will bite and scratch…
It’s part of Carlyle’s truculence strategy.
Kinda like if your team puts a glove in our player’s face, our team will end your top forward’s season and limit his career.
I’d rather see Therrien and Bergevin take on Nonis and Carlyle in a tag team match.
I can picture Therrien grasping at Caryle’s ankles and biting them while Randy peppers him with punches to the back of the head while Bergevin punches Nonis out cold and then pokes his pudgy belly and laughs at him.
I just pictured all four of them in wrestling tights : (
These would have been my lines against Tampa Bay:
Bourque Pleks Gallager
Pacioretty Galchenyuk Gionta
Prust Eller Cole
Moen DD White
Should Eller not be doing good – Switch with DD
Enoughof this crap, wasen’t MT supposed to like “tough” hockey??
Because we sure don’t see it, the loss itself sucks, but what sucks more is getting humiliated like we did.
If we had a guy like Derek Engelland (who can play pretty good defence and fight) then that would not have happened at all.
I don’t think this is the real Ghost of John, too many grammatical errors in the first sentence.
Did you receive authority from John for the title?
Perhaps not a ‘Ghost’, but certainly a ‘shadow’ of his former self. Kind of like the decline of Gomez.
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☞ The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. ~ Richard Feynman ☜
Thankfully then he is still receiving the big bucks for his writing prowess!
lol. I’m sure the real Bellyful could earn a decent living as a writer. This guy might have to go on food stamps.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery – or something like that. Although it is a poor imitation.
__________________________
☞ The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. ~ Richard Feynman ☜
So John Bellyful I dead then? Although I held out hope that he survived the incident, I feared the worst – which your username has just confirmed. ‘Tis a sad day at HIO.
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☞ The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. ~ Richard Feynman ☜
I’ve read John Bellyful. I’ve chatted with John Bellyful. You, sir, are no John Bellyful.
I was waiting to read that you made beautiful music with John Bellyful.
Their rendition of Chopin’s Sonata in D Minor at the 2012 Summit was sublime…
I was going more for the Benson/Quayle VP debate quote. Then again, beautiful music is always just a tap or two away.
Its the same players,one game they play hard and win, the next are a no show,dont understand it.maybe terriens going off about one thing or another and the guys are holding their stick to tight afraid to make a mistake who knows. Cole and gionta should be pressboxed. Price shoulda been pulled after 2. We better come out flying a smoke the panthers.
GO HABS GO
I think Therrien really upset Price leaving him in. I base that on his comment, ” I do what I am told” The last thing we need is another “ROY” situation!
Habfan17
Cole looks like he is sleeping there in that pic!
\”Winning is habit. Unfortunately, so is losing\”
And on the ice.
there’s 2 D-men sitting in the press box every night. Could they not be replaced by 2 enforcers who do nothing but dress when the Habs play a teams that physically intimidates and dominates them? I know it would make me feel better…and I’m sure it would make the 2 rooks feel better let alone 2/3 of the rooster. like it or not..it’s time to put the foil on.
Go Habs Go!!
I see from La Presse that Pac was with the 2 Gals in practice today.
A step in the right direction.
Pleks line stays the same and Eller is centering Moen and Armstrong. I guess that leaves DD-Cole-Prust.
How long before anyone other than this thread figures out that Eller needs to be with Cole is anyone’s guess.
And DD ?
I’ve posted enough – not effective at all.
Last year – top line with top minutes and PP time – on a 28th place team – not really pertinent anymore.
Maybe Guy Boucher wants him…..
Dave Stubbs @Dave_Stubbs
#Habs today: Bourque-Plekanec-Gionta; Pacioretty-Galchenyuk-Gallagher; Prust-Desharnais-Cole, Moen-Eller-Armstrong
Average team with an average coach gets you average results.
Funny that in a game lost 6-0, what we now need is someone to punch the other team, as if that would have changed the already lost game when the shenanigans started.
Glad to see Therrien make a move on the forwards, let’s hope it works out.
Also this game serves as an example of why I dislike the rivalries, sure we get a good game once in a while, both teams playing good hockey with no non-sense. Most of the time they are boring affairs centered on getting the 4 point. But it always ensures the trolls of both teams come out in force with their stupid shallow insults, reflecting poorly on both fanbase.
Steeltown Habs and Lars Eller.
What’s going on there?
It’s getting close to stalking if you ask me.
–
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
It’s just blatantly obvious he deserves a shot over Desharnais at this point.
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Lars, PK, Galchenyuk, Pac, Emelin – @J_Perez22
Yes it is!!
Habfan17
It’s a man crush, for certain!
Eller (and PK) hired him as their publicist.
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☞ The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. ~ Richard Feynman ☜
Must be a sucker for blondes.
Why hasn’t Eller gotten a real opportunity to center Pacioretty and Cole?
How do you think it makes the players feel when management once again puts other priorities ahead of a commitment to winning?
Because his name isn’t Laurent Ellair.
Or that David Desharnais isn’t called Dave Danson.
Cheers.
Get it?
Desharnais is on top of the ethnicity depth chart.
Huh?
Larry’s agent is to blame. That name change should have happened last season.
Stylish avatar HH.
Marc Bergevin is not the second coming of Sam Pollock nor Frank Selke, but I do believe he will take the template they used to improve The Canadiens. You keep making trades and changes that will strengthen their team, even if they aren’t popular at the time. You build a top notch organization manned by the best people at all levels.
“You can never set out to build tradition. You start out to build a winner. If you can perpetuate that winner, you might end up with tradition. But tradition is a by-product. It can only be measured after the fact. But the obvious fact, too, is that success breeds tradition. In the case of the Canadiens, the oldest team in professional hockey, they have been blessed through the years with one or two superstars; they’ve always had the Hall of Fame players. That and the fact that tradition will build up when you’re winning because when you are talking about a championship team, there is a lot more stability than you will have on a losing club. Winning clubs don’t change players, coaches or management as often as losing clubs. That’s where tradition is built up.” – Sam Pollock
Get rid of Armstrong and get a GOON or 2.
We have no way of knowing if Marc Bergevin is the second coming of Sam Pollock or Frank Selke. Let’s allow him to do his job, and history will decide.
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☞ The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. ~ Richard Feynman ☜
Earlier in the week a poster wrote how we really need a big, clear front of net, Dman. I disagreed saying that altho our D corp not the best…it was fine for the system we use. And that these BIG dmen are usually liabilities as they typically can’t skate and take dump penalties.
I was wrong.
Listen, the Leafs made us look silly in the toughness department. But when you look at their top 9 frwds, they are comparable to ours in that really even those with some size aren’t all that tough. The difference in the tough department is that they have 3 goons (2 dressed for the 4th line) and really big tough dmen (all but one Liles). Well I don’t want goons on this team cause they don’t win you games in the playoffs. Especially 3…no team needs 3 except apparently the Leafs.
Anyways, that leaves our D. I like them all individually, but collectively not one single on can drop the glove and fight. Bouliion can’t. And no one wants to see PK get injured in one. Gorges, Markov, Diaz, Emelin can’t or aren’t allowed to. I wonder if there is any other team that has not one single dman who can drop the gloves to fight. And let’s not forget our 2 reserve dmen to that list. The thing is, we can try to add one guy. But still one tough dman doesn’t solve the issue when 5/6th of your corp will still be soft. It won’t be as tough as the leafs who are 5/6 made of size and toughness…but we have to start somewhere!
I mean MB chose Bouillion to add toughness back there. And I have zero complains about his play this year. But on this corp, he isn’t the answer. Tinordi is in the ranks. But I honestly do not know if he has NHL toughness in him or simply size. Havent seen him play much. Time to move out Diaz, who has some been good for us, but we honestly don’t need him. He has prob most trade value that’s why I say him. And either bring up Tinordi or find an extra 7th dman on another team not needed who can add size for this year.
I think the Leafs made us look silly in the trying hard dept. And the hustling and skating depts.
–
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
Seems to me their toughness and fighting skills were only of use when the Habs had already lost the game.
Sounds like you would trade our D for the Leafs D strait up.
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I can’t tell if the Habs are great or terrible because sometimes they win and sometimes they lose.
Any trades for our team today ???????? wish full thinking !!
@Loonie
What I want in a hockey team is a mixture of skill and toughness. If we can find a guy who can score 30 goals a season, fight and who’s 6’3″ and 230lbs, AMAZING!
The likelihood of that is slim. So unfortunately we might have to bite the bullet and put a goon on the 4th line or as a 6th/7th defenseman.
I know you have your own little idea on how things work in hockey, which is usually BS, that’s why you argue on here for 12hrs a day and have your comments deleted constantly.
So I suggest you suck it up, give yourself a slap in the face and accept the fact the NHL coaches, NHL Analysts and the majority of posters on here know a heck of a lot more about NHL hockey than you.
When you find me a post that says I know more about than somebody else(that I posted) I’ll willingly acknowledge that you have a firm understanding of me as a person and of my opinions about hockey.
But unfortunately you won’t and your personal attack will again be seen as a thinly veiled attempt at discrediting anyone who thinks that a team doesn’t need a goon to compete in the NHL Hobie.
You pine for blood on the ice. Everyone who’s read more than one of your posts on here knows it because goons are the only topic you can discuss.
If this was a baiting attempt I suppose I took the bait. But even with your neanderthal views on hockey I’ve never once thought or shared a thought that would indicate I think I know more than you or anyone else here.
If you got that impression it’s because you feel that way.
Just so you don’t look like a complete fool I suppose I’ll finish by saying where there’s smoke there’s fire.
Edit: On the previous thread you started a conversation by saying that we need a goon and Bergevin will realize that and finished the conversation by saying you never said that we needed a goon. You’ll have to forgive me for accepting your version of reality.
If the Canadiens most pressing issue wasn’t size and toughness you’d never here me mention it, ever. It is by far the most pressing need by a country mile, and it has been for THREE YEARS.
So when people come on here and point their finger to the PP or a better backup goalie, it is complete stupidity!
This team needs to get bigger and tougher and until it happens I’ll openly talk about it as it is the most pressing need.
It’s your opinion and you’re entitled to it, and others are entitled to disagree with that.
It doesn’t make them know it all’s or jerks Hobie.
And so we’re clear, it’s you saying that your view of the goon is how the entire NHL views it, that’s simply not the case.
Tom, you’re a big boy and I know you can handle it. I’ve seen many of your posts and my minor insults are tame compaired to the 1000s of arguments and temper tantrums you’ve been involved in here.
But you can write this down.
When Bergevin is done, we’ll have drastically grown larger, meaner and much tougher to play against. Which will make us a much better hockey team. And goon or no goon, we will have guys that can take on the heavyweights around the league.
Yes, they could use more size and grit, but that doesn’t mean fighters or goons, just good hard physical players. The best way to intimidate the other team force them into mistakes then burn them when they make them. Forecheck aggressively and finish checks.
You also need to have a great power play so the other coach can’t afford to send out “goons” and try neanderthal intimidation tactics.
Habfan17
There is no need to attack anyone on here, unless they bite you first. We are all entitled to our opinions. I will say, there are more than a few hockey analysts and so called experts that really do not have a clue. If they were that good, they would have been signed by a team as GM or head of scouting.
There are some that are quite knowledgeable. Just because you don’t agree with someone, it does not mean their point is not valid. There are more ways to make soup than one, just because it is not your way, does not make it wrong.
In my opinion, a pure goon is the wrong way to go. If it were up to me the league would grow some balls and call the games properly and stop spewing the crap that they don’t want to change the outcome of the game. If a player breaks the rules and gets a penalty, he is the one influencing the outcome of the game.
The league can’t say they care about injuries if they don’t call the nonsense. Whatever happened to boarding and charging? Have they been taken out of the game? The Kadri hit on Emelin was one or the other. It was not a hockey play meant to get posession or take away posession of the puck. The puck was gone. No way does Kadri lay out a player that outweighs him by a good 30 lbs
If the league actually called a game, there would be n need to fight.
If the HFL can have a no fighting rule, so can the NHL, both are high emotion extremely physical games. What is worse, most of the NHL fights are premeditated, or start after a player lays a legal check that the other team does not like. The NHL needs to make examples of the players that start these fights and give them a minimum 5 game suspension. Hockey is becoming candy ass sport when a player can’t take a solid, legal hit!
Habfan17
Was that intended for me?
Cuz I agree with you completely on everything you said.
No, it was not intended for you, it was to support you and make the point that we all have ideas and opinions and this should be a fun place to post.
Habfan17
If we can find a guy who can score 30 goals a league who 6’3″ and 230lbs, AMAZING!
Lars Eller, 6’2 209 lbs – NHL.com
Scoring 16 goals with the garbage that surrounded him last year on the 3rd line of a 15th place team. I’m comfortable banking he could put in 30 playing with talented wingers, 23 years old just at the cusp of entering his prime. Desharnais at 23? AHL.
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Lars, PK, Galchenyuk, Pac, Emelin – @J_Perez22
You have my vote!
Habfan17
So many want a 4 min. player to be the sheriff. Well and good. We are just holding on by our fingertips anyway. I just want an entertaining team for the next couple of years. The last 4 periods weren’t that.
Our faith has been shaken by the last three games, especially the loss to the Leafs, but we’re not the only fans of a team in crisis. The Terry Pegula-owned Sabres are reeling too.
http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130210/SPORTS/130219932/1004
From the link: “One general manager hopes Buffalo keeps Regier and Ruff because it leaves one fewer team to worry about. Another executive criticized Regier for giving Tyler Myers a contract that included $12 million for this season. It could ruin the defenseman, he said. Others are left shaking their heads or snickering or both.”
I wonder who this executive is.
Only the great Elliotte Friedman is allowed to present his or someone else’s opinion as fact in the form of a quote from an unnamed source while being sure to add weight to said comment by clamming the source is someone with a job that presumably requires expertise, even though their is no way to verify if someone with that job ever actually said any such thing.
