Pat Hickey sets up Thursday’s game against the Maple Leafs, pointing out that despite the recent struggles of the Canadiens, they have actually improved their playoff position compared to where they were right after the All-Star break.
Desharnais isn’t getting the credit he deserves: Standing Pat
Dave Stubbs, who was on the road with the Canadiens in Western Canada, weighs in on their win in B.C. with a final column before coming home.
• Canadiens on RDS at least through 2013-’14 season
• James Reimer, the hot goaltender we’ll see tonight
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My bad Da Hema. LOL
Where’s the tank avatar?
Carolina’s management must be stupid than..they don’t do that with 18 year old skinner..he’s not doing too bad
Who killed the electric car? Oh right, the oil companies. No controversy/conspiracy there.
Elohim:”Let us make an Adam in our image and after our likeness.” – Genesis 1:26
“We don’t see things as they are, but as we are.” – Anais Nin
As a poster said below, Gomez is here to stay. I’d say give up Weber for Kovalev. Did anyone see him doing nothing on the Canucks second goal (I think it was the second one). He was standing there, did not tie up the man and did not give him a few whacks for standing in front of the net. Not physical enough, probably another MAB. Pick up Rivet for nothing. What is there to loose?
I don’t want to see Maurice tonight, I want to see The Rocket!
Now you’re just being silly, Larisa. Rejean Houle should be president of the Montreal Canadiens. Get a grip, will ya?
It’s always about the men’s room, eh Tugger?
Try…as in “If I’m sober enough to find my way out of the men’s room and read the numbers on the section signs” that is.
Edit: did I just go too far there?
***Subbang!!!***
Oh please. I just watched Hart Trophy play last night. He’s a pussy.
Very nice. The kids will love it.
Given my tix are will call, don’t know where I’ll be until Saturday night. What row? If in the neighbourhood, I always try to pass by and say hello when one of the HI/O regulars is there. Emphasis on try.
Cheers.
Hybrids are not electric cars. It seems you’re not right about much else either.
The tried and true electric car was shelved because big oil own the patents on the car battery and won’t release the rights for mass production. Of course this in turn fuels the warmongering over oil, high costs, and a degrading environment. But this all a taboo subject on this site, so it ends here.
Elohim:”Let us make an Adam in our image and after our likeness.” – Genesis 1:26
“We don’t see things as they are, but as we are.” – Anais Nin
stay put for now..our cup chances not looking good unless the big teams get knocked out early in the playoffs..when summer comes keep our best 10 players fill the holes from there….
Lol..Shame on you Tom Nickle!…Just logging on after practice and saw this…
Stastny’s old man would put up more numbers than AK46 and Gomer if he put the blades back on today…
About as likely as HABS DEAL GOMEZ AND KOSTITSYN TO LIBYA or HABS GOMEZ OFFERS TO FILL ALL CANADIANS’ VEHICLES AS GAS PRICES CLIMB but a nice thought…
Getting better? He’s -9 since Jan 1.
Tampa Bay is a poor man’s version of last year’s Capitals, and they’ll probably go out in the first round.
He’s sure done a great job with the young players that’s why we score so many goals.
evolution is the SHIZZZ!
** Buck Fruins **
They’re kind of floaters…
He is too old for the WJC…
I would love for the Bruins to pick Rivet up. Great idea!
I’d take Zherdev for nothing in a heartbeat- as long as he comes with chicks for free.
-Dustin-
Isn’t that the stuff that stops Aquaman? Halakalite?
The way I see it, Bob made the gamble we’ve all been BEGGING for and snagged a player with Stanley Cup experience. Was it the right move? No, but he rolled the dice. Had Gomez been HALF the player he was in his glory years, we’d be sitting pretty.
-Dustin-
Whoa, let’s not get ahead of ourselves with the true contender talk. The “a little more time” is going to be a bit longer than this season I think. I’m hopeful and supportive and behind them all the way, mind you. Just think it’s a bit further out.
***Subbang!!!***
I agree with Pat Hickey about the time DD is getting from JM. I myself question his handling of Desharnais who in the last month or so has been one of our best players and some nights you could say he has been the most dangerous player in a Hab uniform. Pouliot and DD seemed to have something going but for some reason spend alot of time on the bench.
Last night granted Benny took a dumb penalty but who on that team doesn’t. Hammer will take at least one or two a night. How many times has Gomez taken a stupid retaliation penalty in the worse opportune time in the game. So why single out two young players who have most nights been dangerous in the opposing teams end and starting to put up some numbers in the limited ice time they. I just find it bazzar, I am no coach but to me if I want to win games I would want to have some players on the ice that can score. But obviously the less you score the more ice time you get. Maybe I am missing something, but still think it is bazzar.
We are told many things on this website.
Wondering what people think of picking up Rivet off waivers? Would only cost us money til end of season UFA after that. We need bodies on D one of our needs, Philips would be good also but will cost us TOO much considering he’s UFA, and likely heading back to Ottawa next year.
Based on the advanced stats DD has played against some of the weakest competition of any Montreal forward.
Well, good points all, and certainly 1 game is too small a sample size and the teams are apples and oranges – BUT – that was the pattern last year in the playoffs, try and grab an opportunistic lead and sit on it for 40 minutes.
It just makes no sense to me, it’s like the prevent defense in football, which hardly works in that sport either.
George Patton: “you don’t win a war by dieing for your country — you win by letting the other guy die for HIS country.”
Tsen Tsu: “attack the most empty with the most full”
We have a fast team, we have a VERY fast team. Why can’t we make the other teams chase us around and not just fall back, fall back, fall back like the Italian army in an offensive.
?
JM should adjust to the skills we have, that’s all.
What you say is true, however the original 2nd rounder was dealt to FLA for Dominic Moore last season. And having typed that, I realized that you can trade future picks, so sky’s the limit.
You look up the word “class” in the dictionary and you’ll see a picture of Craig Rivet in a Habs uniform. The guy gave it his all and then some while playing for the Canadiens and we could sure use a couple guys like him on the team today.
However, it would be a toss up as to who you’d rather see in the lineup, Rivet or Mara. With all the injuries right now Rivet could possibly be a number six but with a healthy team he’d be put on waivers or what have you.
I’d love to see him back if he were a few years younger but if he can’t crack the lineup in Buffalo…
You can’t score if you spend your 5 minutes of ice time in your own zone now can you ?
The last three games they have had a harder and harder time playing well.
It’s not me, it’s the rottweiler. Old habits die hard.
Woof!
See?
This made my night
Man, its dead in here tonight. Someone needs to drum up some controversy.
so the mayans were right after all eh!, the worlds about to end in 2012. as early signs (earthquake haiti,NZ,animosity in the arabic country) whats next US invadin canada for alberta’s petroleum?
** Buck Fruins **
You go and talk about football, then quote things about war, then your last statement says it all.
JM has adjusted the game plan to the skills this team has, if you cannot see this, I can’t help you.
Are you saying they’re… Hard Habits?
Good job, that should draw some comments.
If I was Desharnais I wouldn’t complain about only playing 5 minutes a game..$550,000.00 a year for playing 5 minutes a game..I wish I could work at my job for five minutes and get that kind of money
I am not sure the Habs need a player right now who buys his daily beer in kegs. I’d like Subban and the other young players on the team to have slightly better role models.
Tampa is a juggernaut. I said it from the start of the year. If they get decent goal-tending they are deadly.
His scoring is getting better, his defence is getting better, his linemates getting better….his numbers will catch up.
who said he complained
** Buck Fruins **
How does anyone feel about Hemsky on our interest list? I think he would fit in to our system, don’t know lots about him though. Just know the Oilers expect alot these days from other teams..Probably best to avoid Edmonton or Colorado for those reasons! I Still hope we snag Neil, and/or possibly Klelsa is he is healthy..Other than that I don’t think we should look to hard unless its a great bargain!
Zebras, my friend…zebras are reactionary. Hippos got a Christmas song but no S&G lyrics I’m afraid.
***Subbang!!!***
Scott Gomez is worth every penny of his contract.
Re: Nailing Wee DD’s line to the bench. You think they didn’t know why they were sitting? You bet they knew why and none more so than Pouliot. That line had to sit because of his stupid and selfish penalty which could have cost his team the game.When Benoit realizes that his actions were responsible for the hurting of both White and DD, and I’m sure he already has, he will most definitely think twice about taking such stupid actions against an opponent, at least in such an obvious and conspicuous way. I’m willing to bet that won’t happen again to Pouliot.
Re: Shut out # 3. That was ridiculous of Mr. Hickey to bring up that topic. To say that Price was looking to shut out the Leafs again? First of all such a thought shouldn’t and wouldn’t come into Price’s head.A shut out of another team is somewhat of a rarity and to suggest that it can be done at will is just not the case.And then of course there’s the shut out jinx which Mr. Hickey just manifested. As a sports writer he should know better.
Re: Desharnais not getting his due. First of all the guy is not a horse. He’s a pony. Horses are bigger,stronger and last longer than ponies on the job. And with a little luck the playoffs are on the horizon where we want our ponies to be ready to haul ass. JM’s time management of DD seems to be working out quite well taking into consideration what DD has accomplished so far. Its not necessarily true that DD would accomplish more with more ice time at this point of his development. It serves no good for the press to make an issue of it at this point. If we have the luxury of letting DD develop at a reasonable pace lets do that. In the long run it will be to everyone’s advantage.
And when he badmouthed PK Subban without provocation.(A guy I doubt he’s ever met for more than 5 minutes) That class showed up in spades.
Eesh… Possibly too far!
We coulda had Boucher. Damn but we let him slip through our fingers.
-hemsky: injury prone, perimeter player, not big, no grit no toughness and doesnt crash the net
** Buck Fruins **
Section 110!
Full Breezer 4 Life
I’m not suggesting that falling into a shell against the best team in the league is the best strategy. As a matter of fact, I think that’s one of the worst strategies! That being said, I think that in order to have an effective ‘run and gun’ team (to which I believe you were alluding) you need to have the D to back it up. That’s why you don’t see teams like Washington making a splash in the playoffs. They’ve got (arguably) more speed and skill than we do! Our D is too old, slow and tired thus the forwards have to come far back in our zone to help them out. I’d love nothing more than for JM to let the team go a little more but I think we’d give up more than we’d gain… I think we’ve won WAY more close games than blowouts. That must be evidence of something.
Tom Pyatt for Hart Trophy.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu. Habs and Hockey.
Zebras blow. They are just stupidly-coloured horses.
Observer is the ultimate Habs fan. He tells it like it is and has a lot of hockey knowledge.
He should be the General Manager AND Coach of the Canadiens…
HABS TRADE ANDREI KOSTITSYN, SCOTT GOMEZ AND THEIR 2012 FIRST ROUND PICK TO THE COLORADO AVALANCHE FOR PAUL STASTNY AND A 3RD ROUND PICK IN 2011.
is the kind of headline I wouldn’t mind reading in the morning.
boucher is so overrated, imean hes a good coach but hes not as good as people in montreal think he is. that guy had a ready made offensive team in tb when he went there. i would’ve regretted letting boucher go had he went to columbus and made that team a playoff team.
** Buck Fruins **
Why must you post things like “slip through our fingers” next to that avatar. You want controversy, you got it girl!
***Subbang!!!***
Aside from injury prone, everything you just said about Hemsky is wrong. He’s one of the best RW in the entire NHL and he doesn’t shy away from rough stuff, which is why he’s oft injured.
Having no injuries to their key players helps.
Offence-only juggernauts impress in regular season than fold in post-season.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu. Habs and Hockey.
I can fix Hickeys jinx.
Tuotuhs!
Tuotuhs!
Tuotuhs!
There. All good now.
“Hey Richard, two minutes for looking so good!”
I know everyone wants to knock JM’s coaching style/system (myself included) but the reality is that, all things considedred, we are doing quite well this year. We’re down our best player (Markov), a solid d-man (Goregeous Gorges), a vet blue-liner (Spacek) and we were missing our top sniper (Cammy) for an extended stretch of games. If at the begining of the year you had told me that we’d be in 6th place, doing better than we did last year, with all these injuries I would have called you crazy. I think some credit has to be given to JM and his crew for putting the team in a position to do well… That said, I don’t at all understand the benching of DD and Pouliot. Pouliot oft seems to be the victim of dives, as was the case last night. DD is doing at least as well as Gomez. I think they both deserve more ice… but what do I know?