“It’s never easy to not win a hockey-crazed market like Montreal,” Josh Gorges said. “The expectations are that much greater.
True.
But the expectations of Canadiens fans are being readjusted with each loss.
AUDIO of Randy Cunneyworth
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Look. I accept this season is done like everyone else here. And, that sucks. It’s disappointing. But, I don’t think major overhauls are required. This team has a very solid and broad base of young exciting talent. Sure, some players need to be moved. A few of these will be hard to move. But not impossible. The young core of this team is very good.
More controversially, the management does not need to be overhauled. They are the ones that have assembled this good young core. What’s happened here is what many people have been asking for. The organization has decided to let the kids play and that comes with some transitional costs.
It’s kind of funny when people say, we should bail on the vets, let the kids play and try to rebuild, but then scream bloody murder and call for heads when that’s exactly what happens. It kind of goes to prove the other side’s point that Montreal fans would never show patience for rebuild or transition years.
I would have loved to see this young bunch make the playoffs and get some experience. But, this isn’t the end of the world, just the season. The pick we’ll get this year will look good too.
Moreover, I like how Cunneyworth has handled himself and would welcome him back. Face it, despite all the losses this team has been competitive. The goal differential tells you they are better than the record and I really believe that’s a realistic reflection.
I hate to accept the season is toast, but I don’t think RetroMikey and others like him have a handle on where this team is at. Let’s show some patience for once.
I have a feeling some of the people who want to gut the team are the same people who point to what a great job Burke has done rebuilding in tarranna. Well, he missed the playoffs four years straight to get to the point of battling for eighth for crying out loud.
I said it earlier in a different way. Pretty good basis for a team there. A few upgrades and trades could well see us considerably better next season. Patience is, indeed, a virtue. Panic only breeds confusion and indecision.
***Subbang Baby!!!***
I have to say that, while my general impression is that the Habs have a lot of dead wood in upper management, I agree that trade-for-trade the current decision-making has been positive.
I really have no complaints about any of the trades this year. I almost can’t believe I’m saying this…
But my feeling is that a lot of young talent has been wasted (SK74, Grabovsky, Tenders, Komy, Lapierre, Higgins, Ryder, Hainsey, McDonagh, etc…) through *extremely* poor player development. Gauthier sat through most of this as assistant-GM.
So I guess I’m leaning more to rebuilding management, too.
http://andyfroncioni.com
Good post Two Cents, I hate it when they end a thread with no warning, and a post like yours gets lost in the shuffle.
Great post, and I agree almost 100%.
(I’m argumentative, so you will never get full agreement out of me, as you know!)
I didnt get a chance to watch the game, I was at my daughters ringette game, and it was awesome.. tie game against the best team in the league, with 10 seconds left we scored and I found myself cheering, and I also thought to myself wow I miss this feeling. The thing about our little ringette team is we dont have the best players, or even the skill to match theirs, they just sat in the room before the game and said we wont quit on one another and it made me remember someone.
No offense to Josh Gorges cause god knows he is trying, but I miss Saku Koivu.
Saku Koivu wouldnt stand for this team playing like that, and he wouldnt have to say anything. You would just see him give his all every shift and never quit. He made Brian Savage a power forward, he made Juha Lind look not to out of place, he made the mediocre around him better because he never quit. That is what I think is truly missing from the habs, there is zero leadership, there is no Saku Koivu. I truly beleive that this team is better than some of the teams he captained, but he managed to inspire everyone, its sad really he wouldve stayed for a fraction what gomez makes, well at least this never happened on his watch.
Schultz with 2 points today for Hamilton. He is also plus 3 on a bad team. He should get a look with Montreal before the end of the season.
The team does have some keepers and some trade-bait. Here’s my list.
Keepers:
Price, Plek, Subban, Gorges, Emelin, Diaz, Eller, DD, Cole, Pacioretty, LL, Bourque
Must trades:
AK, Gomez (as if…), Gionta, Campoli, Kaberle, Weber, Gill, Moen, Palushaj
I would do everything to trade for draft picks or youth. Lots of them. Tinordi should season in the AHL for at least a year. Markov may or may not be back. LL should do one more year in the minors to make sure he learns all the skills. The NHL is not the place for that. Gallagher’s got 2 years in the minors.
Cole, Gorges, and Pleks will lend stability and provide a work ethic as the youth develop. This will take us to 2014-2015 for a proper team.
http://andyfroncioni.com
Plekanec is no longer an untouchable in my eyes. No one should be. It’s not like our superstars are producing league-leading numbers. If Kovalchuk wasn’t an untouchable in Atlanta, if Parize isn’t an untouchable in NJ, heck if Suter/Weber aren’t untouchables in Nashville – then NO ONE on this team is an untouchable.
All of them can be traded for the right price.
I was actually on the bubble with Pleks. Obviously, the details matter. But I think he’s been a quiet leader. He’s way over-worked, and JM drove him into the ground.
But sure, if the deal is great and we get some youth.
http://andyfroncioni.com
Does the fact that we might have a shot at a 1st line center in the draft sway your opinion just a bit?
DD
Grigs/Gally
Pleks
Eller
seems a bit crowded down the middle.
Pleks garners the most in a trade, no?
Yeah, maybe. It would depend on the trade.
But truly, what are the chances that you’d do better than Pleks? Not all first-round, top picks work out. And we have a guy who’s proven that, on a good team, he can get 80 pts.
It’ll be fun to see what happens. I’m actually excited about the possibilities.
http://andyfroncioni.com
Pleks has never scored more than 70 points.
I pretty much agree, but would like to keep AK.
I would also be willing to move Pleks for a good young player.
-
Yup, sorry. Thanks for the correction. My poor memory. Ok, trade him!
http://andyfroncioni.com
ITS OVER, CAROLINA WON TONIGHT
YOUR MONTREAL CANADIENS ARE DEAD LAST IN THE CONFERENCE
DEAD LAST YESSS
And if Anaheim (which is red hot) and Edmonton win their next game, we will be SECOND LAST IN THE LEAGUE WOOOOO
We Will catch up to Columbus too watch!! TANK! TANK!
beauty.
And Isles and Sabres go to a shootout!
It’s all comin’ up Yakupov.
–
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
Awesome….we need an Oiler win now since the Buff /Isles game went to OT
So this is what the Habs need to do. We all know that Montreal fans are not the most patient. There is no debating that. When the Habs end up with number 3 pick overall, are we going to be patient with a young player that makes mistakes and will take him 4-5 years to hit his stride. I doubt it.
So the Habs need to trade the number 3 pick overall for Ryan Getzlaf. It is that simple. The Habs get their number 1 big center who is only 26 years old. Still many good years left in him and we don’t need to go through any growing pains with him. The Ducks are happy getting a young player who won’t cost them much in salary. Gomez goes to Hamilton to easily cover the cost of Getzlaf’s salary. And with one quick change like that, we change the whole outlook of the Habs starting next year, not waiting 5 years for an 18 year old to develop.
Who will be the GM to make this trades????
Gomez will be gone by the start of next season.
Yeah, let’s trade the number #3 pick, a player who will likely be part of the core for the next ten years, for a guy who might leave in a year’s time. Sounds good.
/rolls eyes
That’s how we ended up here. Call it … HabsLogic™. It’s related to SnakeOil™ and MagicBullet™
http://andyfroncioni.com
Oz, you make sure Getzlaf is signed to a 5-7 year extension. Most fans won’t be able to handle the Habs going through a total rebuild a la Oilers, Islanders. 5 years of missing the playoffs to go through a total rebuild is not for the MOntreal hockey market.
That’s the problem. You can’t “make sure” now.
How would the “Montreal Hockey Market” react if we traded the #3 pick for Getz, only to see him sign in Torranna in a year’s time.
Now that would sting!
5 years to develop? Hall and Seguin are already more productive than Getzlaf is this year, only took them 2 years. RNH already more productive.
CANES WIN!!
WE ARE NOW 15TH PLACE WOOOOO
I think the pervading idea is that Montreal will draft Grigorenko or another center come draft day. If Grigorenko is not available, who would you pick? Gaunce? Faksa? Forsberg? Hertl? Or would you take a chance and pick Galchenyuk who is the biggest risk/reward in the draft.
Of the centers, Galchenyuk, no doubt.
Maybe Forsberg if they’d settle for a winger.
I am reading so many comments from our so called Habs fans on this site who now see the day of light where this pathetic one proud team is heading. Too little too late for this club.
I’d start trading everyone on this club and if it means trading Price, so be it.
This team ain’t going anywhere now or in the future if we don’t make major changes form the office, management, coaching, scouting and players staff although I believe Cunneyworth is a helluva coach.
Dark years are coming Habs fans, accept it.
RetroMikey said it here first years ago!
Love me or hate me, I’m just telling the truth!
Tank I say! Tank!
“We will win the Cup one day only with ? in the nets “
Damn Retro, I thought everything was going to be ok when Marky returned. You’re killin me!
You can put Dryden, Tretiak, Price, Plante, I don’t care who is in the nets for the habs, they will win the Cup when they start scoring goals.
GOALS + WINS = CUP
RC will get another coaching job elsewhere and he will do a whole lot better.
True. They have no margin for error with their anemic offense.
Tank! Tank!
You truly are, without question..
the F. man.
Random thoughts:
1) Our ownership and front office are the main problem. A fish rots from its head, and our fish is rotten. As a fan of the NFL Redskins and MLB Mets, the Habs are a carbon copy of those two failed franchises. A rich, clueless, odd owner who hires all the wrong people, with predictably lousy results and a disgruntled fan base.
2) I don’t think RC is ready to be an NHL coach. Yes, he got a raw deal with the “interim” tag, and the language fiasco. Regardless, we had better results under JM’s boring “system”. RC will work again, somewhere else, and it’s best for all involved. I don’t feel badly for him, it’s all business.
3) Who should be the new GM/Coach? I have no idea. Which puts me in the same category as Molson, because he has no idea either.
4) This trade deadline could be make or break for our franchise, so why is PG in charge of it? It’s obvious he’s failed, and it should be obvious that he’s going to be fired, so why the hell would you allow him to make any more roster moves?
5) I don’t believe the players “aren’t trying”. I believe our players aren’t talented enough. Our players aren’t good. We imagine that our very few “good” players are Hall of Fame superstars, we imagine our “mediocre” players are good, and we imagine our “really bad” players are worthy of a roster spot. Buccigross gives a list of his top 100 NHL players on ESPN, and our leader is Price at #78. We don’t have a skater in the top 80 of NHL players. How can we compete like that??? Again: Our talent level is terrible. Our players are not nearly as talented as 90% of the other NHL teams.
6) Markov? Can we please not even mention Markov’s name anymore? I hope he comes back. I hope he gets healthy. I don’t begrudge him getting his current contract. But talking about him “coming back” and being instrumental in our future is a crazy pipe dream. Until he’s playing 20+ minutes for 20 games in a row, I really don’t want to hear it anymore. He’s more likely to never play another NHL game at this point.
7) Price and PK…We have 99 problems and they aren’t one. No, they aren’t saviors, or superstars, but they are more likely part of the solution than part of the problem. Even if they are better than average, that makes them better than 99% of our roster.
That’s all I got!
Good stuff. I also don’t buy the argument that this team is “talented.” The skill level is no better than middle of the pack at best.
Let’s look at what PG has done:
Traded Cammy for Bourque. Jury is still out on this one but reaction seems to be positive.
Traded Spacek for Kaberle. Kaberle being our top scoring defenceman since he’s got here. His cap hit is 4.25 which is low and it’s ridiculous how people try to make it out to be killing our team. Also, if he plays well, he’s an easily movable asset. This trade is such a non-issue it’s amazing the reaction it got.
Signed Cole. Best player this year.
Claimed Betts. Would’ve been a solid pickup if he were not injured.
Signed Woywitka. Would’ve been a solid pickup in NY hadn’t claimed him.
Drafted Beualieu. A steal of a pick.
Let Wiz go. Wiz sucks (deleted) this year.
Traded SK74. The guy was such a cancer on this team and everyone wanted him gone.
Traded O’Byrne. We got Bournival out of this deal. Solid trade.
Traded for Wiz. Turned our PP around. Solid trade.
Signed Markov for 3 years. Signed one of the best defensemen in the league who was homegrown for 3 years after the doctors said he’de be ready for the start of the season. Cap hit has not made any impact on our cap until he plays so we can’t determine whether it was a bad signing til he comes back and we see him play.
Signed Campoli. Got a guy who arbitration would have said was worth 3m for 1.5. Brought in as a safety net in case young players couldn’t carry the weight. Unlucky he got hurt.
Got Emelin over to America. Well done.
Traded D’Agostini. Got Palushaj, one of our top prospects and got rid of another cancer in the room.
Traded Halak. Price easily the better and younger goalie. And we got Eller out of it. May have been able to get more, but the longer that situation carried on that worse it would have been for the team.
Fired JM. He fired him even though the only problem with his “system” is that the players stopped doing it in the third period. Nothing has changed since he’s left.
Ya, it’s so obvious that he’s failed (/sarcasm)
Um, we’re in last place.
You’re arguing that a guy who created a last place NHL team has done a great job, and deserves to stay.
I’m confused by this.
Reasons for last place:
1. Injuries, second most in the league.
2. Star players underperforming. Hindsight is 20-20 but nobody expected guys like Gio, Gomez, Cammy, Subban, Pleks at times to play so underwhelmingly. But PG isn’t the one who went out and got those guys.
3. Developing youth. 8 guys in their first or second season.
4. PP. PG has done basically anything he could to fix the PP and it’s not working. Hard to fault him on this one when last season our PP was so good. How could he expect it to fall of the edge like it has.
Quit using one person as a scapegoat and think rationally for a second.
As am I, very confused. He’s congratulating PG for trading D’Agostini, a twenty goal guy at the NHL level, for Palushaj, a twenty goal guy at the American League level. Good trade.
You think D’Agostini was going to score 20 in Montreal. The guy put in 0 effort and was stirring up shit in the room. Good riddance.
Goat for manager of the year…”Ya, it’s so obvious he’s failed (/sarcasm)”…Wow, (am I missing something??)…that said…
Couldn’t agree more…we wouldn’t be in last place without him…serious contenders for the First Overall Pick…yeeeehaww
Go Goat Go…(as far as possible and as soon as possible)…Gotta wonder where the team would be if those great moves hadn’t catapulted them into last place.
The team is in last place. You’re right, PG is awesome.
MOLSON must replace PG immediately. Don’t let PG handle the trade deadline moves, get someone new to do so. With that, name a new GM right now, the sooner the better. This team needs a overhaul, only a handful of players should return next season. Markov? Unless the drs. can assure a 100% recovery, trade him. REBUILD the team. If they can get prospects and high draft picks, then trade most everybody on the team, (PRICE, SUBBAN,MAXPAC, ELLER, EMELIN, BOURQUE ) excluded. Trade COLE only if you get a really high draft pick or real prospect, no reaches. We may miss the playoffs again next year unless we make the right moves.
The team IS in a rebuild!!!!!! Get a clue. 8 players in our lineup who are in their first or second full season in the NHL (not including Blunden, LL, Palushaj, Engvist).
Don’t get your hopes up for a miracle on trade dead (a.k.a the most anticlimactic day of the year). If we do make any trades it’ll be maybe one or two small deals (Campoli for a third, Gill for an AHLer).
I think Hal Gill has more trade value than Chris Campoli. He plays a regular shift and provides a discernible contribution to the team.
———————————
How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
Andrei Markov is not tradeable right now. Why you would bring that up is puzzling. If you want to question the decision to sign him rather than letting him walk away without compensation, go ahead and do so, and pat yourself on the back for having a crystal ball better than the Canadiens’ medical staff while you’re at it.
I agree with your approach to keep the youngsters, and as much as I love Erik Cole, I’d trade him too if we got solid picks and prospects. The problem is he has a No Trade Clause in his contract, and we need some leadership on this team. A veteran like him will not be deadweight on a rebuilding team.
———————————
How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
“A rich, clueless, odd owner who hires all the wrong people,”
Who did Molson hire?
–
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
LOl in NHL 12 after my first season i did my draft and i got Yakupov in the 3rd round haha
Like your wheels.
In the third round? Or with the third pick in the first round?
———————————
How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
Habs need to cull the herd. Especially on defense. Who do they have? Markov, Emelin, Subban, Diaz, Weber, Gill, Gorges, Campoli, and Kaberle. 9 NHL or NHL-esque defenders. That’s got to be causing some trepidation in the room. Who’s going? Who’s staying? And than the Gomez Option? What the hell are these guys supposed to think? I’d be pissed and frustrated if I were one of them. I’ve been in the military, the energy industry and now the fire service and I can tell you, having dead weight around kills morale. The older guys fight and the rooks sense the wrong and they perform badly because of it. They have to clean house. Sooner is better, but this season is a wash.
More like NHL-ish defencemen….
———————————
How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
Same-ish meaning.
You know…for a while there..I believed Gomez when he came out during camp and said he will be better this season after last years embarrassing play. What’s this years excuse and apology going to sound like?
Well like Leaf fans have been saying for the longest time…”there’s always next year”.
Well, honestly, I just came to play in Montreal for the money.
The clock has simply run out for Scotty. Problem is, jocks are always the last to admit it.
Well, I believed it too, for a while… So easy to apologize and say you wanna be better.
As for this year, I don’t know. He’s probably going to say that he’ll get better stats next year… Like it could be any worse.
The sad thing is he probably didn’t lie when he said he’d train hard and be ready, but physical fitness will only take you so far. Simon Whitfield couldn’t cut it in the NHL, and apparently neither can Scott Gomez. A couple of injuries, eroding skills, that’s all that was needed for a former All-Star to get to this point.
———————————
How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
Go Carolina Go! Go Hurricanes Go!
We want that last place in the conference! Man I am drooling over that 2nd overall pick right now.
YESSSS 2-1 Hurricanes!
Last place is ours! TANK! TANK! TANK!
So if the Draft were today we’d be in the 4th position. But it’s not today, and Eberle, Hall and RNH are all back for Edmonton. Being in 3rd place (provided we finish there) we actually have a shot at the #1 pick by winning the lottery. Even so, it sounds like the top 4? guys are all pretty decent.
Bottom 5 teams have a shot for the first pick. Except last has like a 50% chance, and the chances drop from there.
Kings 1, Hurricanes 1 end of 2 periods
If Carolina gets at least one point tonight, Canadiens will be dead last in their conference.
Who would of thought this scenario last October at the start of the season
Hurricanes are now leading 2-1
,
Well, we might as well have a good laugh about all of this because to take it seriously, especially at this point, would drive some of us completely over the edge! My local pool on Gomez scoring before the year is out is getting unmanageable. Too many are putting their action on no, he won’t. One guy asked about the odds against Gomez ever scoring again in a Habs uni. It’s out of control!
I loved how the crowd cheered him on each time he touch the puck lol
Carey Price #31
I guess we are good for 2nd pick aye??
thats something good ahahaha
Carey Price #31
Or 1st pick, depending on draft lottery results
Wow I didn’t even consider that!
Apple announced today that it has developed a breast implant that can store and play music to combat montreal hockey players.
The Itit will cost from $400 – $599, depending on cup and speaker size.
This is considered a major social breakthrough, because women are always complaining about hockey players staring at their breasts and not listening to them…..
Im confused as to how much of a joke this is, sorry but i think it was lame..
OK! You come up with something then. No hockey to talk about!
I don’t know..
Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta walk into a bar. The bartender says “hey, when did you get to be so tall?”, and Gomez says “its the Biosteel and offseason regiment”. Then they have their drinks, and promptly pay and leave, not before holding back laughter as they throw them back. Upon exit, Gomez gets off of Gionta’s shoulders and they snicker all the way home.
Hey Ian,
You got a chuckle outta me at least!
Habs, OLE !
Great Jonnie! That is what we all need a bit of.
I’m always down to read some made up trade rumors.
The Maple Leaf Bra – Lotsa support but no cups…..
649 winner!
The Habs Bra : It’s padlocked on so we can never score.
I had promised myself to stay away from posting. That way I ‘pretend’ to be ignoring this depressing season. But I cant help give my two cents worth in response to two ‘threads’.
Among many good points poster Gumper makes is the one contained in the following paragraph which I quote from his post.
“I don’t discern a big-league game plan here. The philosophy of “just get pucks to the net and hope for a bounce” was the one I employed when coaching house league hockey for my son’s team. That was partly because the kids couldn’t handle much else, and partly because I wan’t much of a coach. Since the Canadiens seemed to be able to handle a more sophisticated game plan from Jacques, that only leaves one possible conclusion. Sorry Randy.”
Gumper, I totally agree with your point re the unimaginative approach to creating offense, although I disagree with you saying that JM had a more sophisticated approach (I think you are saying that).
I am fed up with hearing Randy and before him JM talk about getting the ‘dirty goal.’ For once I would like to hear them talk about skillful offensive combinations with the third man skating at the precise speed and angle and timing to get a high quality well aimed ‘pull the trigger’ shot from a set-up pass rather than fire at the net and hope for a bounce or some scrum goal. It is of course important to get ‘dirty goals’ but they best come, usuall, in the dying stages of defensive confusion/fatigue created by true offensive zone puk kmovement. A team must be able to set up scoring chances from the scoring arc where well timed and well aimed shots are taken not in hurried panic but with polished alacrity.. not fire at the pile of bodies in front of the net and hope for a tip in or lucky bounce or screen … all the time. As an example of a real goal set-up see the goal scored by Kovalchuk against us few days ago
Gumper Randy has brought nothing new to our offense except a little less passivity.
The next threadwas whether Randy should be retained. Forget the guilt trip we all have based on his hiring situation and treatment by PG and Molson… Randy is not the man to coach this team next year even if he was perfectly bilingual.
Well I shall go back and hide. I just dont understand this mess. Why is there NO ONE saying enough is enough and expurgating the obscene incompetence that is this team’s management…. RIGHT NOW! Everyone from the PG/JM coterie MUST GO! And yes that includes Randy and Gainey and anyone even remotely connected with that group.
Why hath this evil befallen this beloved franchise?
If I were RC I would cancel practices. No point at all. PG should just step down.
MaxPower-DD-Cole
Bourque-Eller-LL
Perezhogin-Bonk-Johnson
Roberge-DiPietro-Ewen
Wow.
That game really sucked. Everybody sucked tonight.
I would love to talk positive hockey on here with a lot of you, but I cannot even find a starting point.!
Every player, coach, water boy and GM is not safe now! get ready for the big bang!
I agree Ian, ’cause something has to give soon. This is embarrassing.
Something has to give. This club has been in trouble since training camp!
The anthems were ok
that american anthem was way too long today lol
Carey Price #31
I thought she butchered the American anthem ?
Habs, OLE !
Ian what really boils my blood is that from week one of the pre-season this lack of direction and plan and competence WAS APPARENT. From week ONE!!!
You are so right my friend. It was a disaster from the get go this year. And I do not blame the players.! No season preparation what so ever!
Yup, none.
Ian. You want positive, think about next season with a decent coach and bunch of these guys as a starting point: Price, PK, Gorges, Emelin, Diaz, Cole, DD, Max, Pleks, Eller, White…maybe add AK, Bourque, Leblanc, Moen, Gionta and a few others. There’ll be some changes, trades, promotions and hiring over the coming months and lots of opportunity to start developing next year’s team now by working with a pretty good base of players. It’s all positive Ian. It’s all good.
***Subbang Baby!!!***
Here! Here!!
I support this post100%
PUNKSTER! I am well aware of the great young talent on the team. We just do not have a plan yet to harness and develop it. It all starts from the top, leadership and management. It was never there this year.
Pffft. You forgot to mention a high draft pick due to Tanking™.
Punkster is being respectful by not stealing your thunder is all
No shame in losing if you’re trying to win, only if you’re trying to lose.
***Subbang Baby!!!***
I believe this team does have some positives and with a top five(I hope #1) pick this spring we will see a much improved team next fall. The Habs have lost a lot of close games this year, I don’t believe this team is as bad as everyone seems to think. How’s that for opptimism?!
On twitter Cammy is asking HNIC viewers to comment/rate his addiass commerical……
… tell him how darn CUTE he is ? …
ALWAYS Habs -
D Mex
I would’ve liked to have seen him work that hard on the ice at least once when he was with the Habs.
Good riddance.
Not sure what the hold up is for the fire sale. Let’s get the show on the road.
Even the NY Islanders are better than us, How efin sad is that, we need to draft a John Taveras, The efin Islanders,
“It’s not an obsession, It’s a way of life..”
Imagine this! Max steps into Gauthier’s office at the end of the year. The conversation goes like this. Max we’re willing to offer you 4 mil a year for 5 years. Max pulls out his notebook and says But sir, Gomez is going to make 5.5 mil this coming season for a 10 point season. I”d hate to be Gauthier this coming off season to renegotiate contracts.
He Gauthier! If Gomez is worth 7.3 million to you maybe you should offer Cole a pay raise to 10 Million a year for his efforts.
Pull a sens from last year, and just ship off baggage for anything. Kovalev was acquired for a 7th rounder. Which is nothing, but at least it got rid of Kovalev. You see my point. At the very least it will put our young guys in the spotlight with plenty of icetime to prepare for next season. Guys like Eller and Leblanc would hugely benefit.
So there is a chance we can get Kovie back….sweet. btw where is he at these days….I hope Bourque wont mind giving up his number 27.
How about slapping the C on Gomez for the remainder of the season since Gionta is out. This team needs some leadership, I hear Gomez is great in the room…just think with that C on his jersey what he could do?
Too risky I think, because it sends the message that Gomez is the role model, and im sure the players also loathe what he brings for his contract. So I think its too risky…
What are better odds? Me winning lotto 649 or Gomez having his number(s) retired and hanging in the rafters at the Bell Center….
LOL!!!!
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Your Hilarious. Never had a good laugh…
Why not Cole – the REAL hardest worker on the team?
Hands down – agreed !
ALWAYS Habs -
D Mex
Most of us knew deep inside this team didn’t stand a chance in hell to compete with the elite teams for a Stanley Cup: Boston (hurts say that), Philadelphia (hurts as well), Pittsburgh, Vancouver, Detroit and Chicago.
What to do?
I am not counting on any ‘all-star’ centre or forward to join the roster anytime soon, therefore my roster deals with what we have now:
Price – goal
Gorges and Emelin “shut down pair” and
Subban and Markhov (offensive pairs)
Cole, Eller and MaxPac
Kostitsyn, Pleks and Bourque
Blunden, Leblanc and Moen “third line shut down line”
What to trade or search via free-agency to fill in the roster?
- dirty “D” i.e. nasty bullies / make you pay anytime your near Price
- a fourth line centre that can win face-offs
- a fourth line fwd ‘psycho’ that’s looking to hurt in his 5 mins of ice-time
I would love to say “let’s trade for the #1 pick” however the CBJ would likely demand something for Grigorenko and it’s unlikely the HABS have anything worth sending their way that doesn’t include Subban or Price … and that’s just dumb.
Looking forward to the draft!
– HABS INSIDE/OUT R.I.P. –
Re your first sentence… You wouldn’t have known it based on many of the comments posted last summer right through training camp into the early part of the season. A large percentage of posters on this sight were highly delusional, predicting the habs to finish from 6th to 3rd in the conference. There were very few that predicted a 10th to 12th place standing let alone a 14th or 15th place standing midway through the season.
I do like your trade/FA suggestions…but we really do need to forget about Markhov being any kind of an impact player (even if he should return).
More changes needed (starting at the top)
What a way to waste a Saturday in Whistler. The sun is shining, there’s snow on the mountain, it’s warm, people are tanning and skiing (http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/city/pages/bc-86_metric_e.html). Meanwhile I’m indoors watching the Canadiens trudging onward in their Bataan Death March to April ignominy.
When the Canadiens stumbled out of the gate early on, I thought I was prescient as I had predicted that they would battle to get into the playoffs. I was wrong on both counts. They’re not in the playoff race, and they’re not battling. The supremely motivated crew that fought tooth and nail for Jaroslav Halak and under Jacques Martin is now unrecognizable. It’s hard to believe that Brian Gionta’s injury and the loss of some pieces from that team has transformed them to such a degree.
The players seem to be resigned to their fate, and so am I. Again, the loss didn’t sting, I was more interested in the fact that Alexander Semin got me a goal and an assist for my HIO Memorial league fantasy team (http://games.espn.go.com/fhl/boxscorefull?leagueId=1471&teamId=7&scoringPeriodId=122&seasonId=2012&view=scoringperiod&version=full), and that we’re incrementally improving our draft position and status as a seller for the trade deadline.
Randy Cunneyworth, when asked during the post-game press conference if he imagined being in this position when he was offered the job by Pierre Gauthier, kind of shrugged and stated that every team has to go through this. It seems that he is also playing out the string, since I fully expected him to say that he was convinced the team was going to make the playoffs when he took over, and that there’s still a chance.
Lots of talk about Andrei Kostitsyn on RDS, how he should get more icetime, and certainly should be on the power play ahead of Scott Gomez. Even though he disappears for games on end, and I have been critical of his lack of passion and effort, I agree that he should get more minutes. With Mr. Gionta, Moen and White absent, and since we have to call up Aaron Palushaj to be our 11th forward, there’s no excuse or reason not to, let’s work Andrei like a draft horse, maybe he’ll pot a few and we can increase his trade value.
P.K. Subban had a good game, during which he worked hard, skated well, battled, didn’t take a penalty, showed creativity and effort on offence, and kept his mouth in neutral. While this isn’t the magic P.K. that we cheered late last season, and nowhere near the future Norris Trophy candidate some project him to be, it’s a breath of fresh air that he won’t be on TSN’s highlight reel for the wrong reasons today.
Did I hear a smattering of boos for Roman Hamrlik when he handled the puck? If so, these are completely misdirected, as he served the team honourably during his stay here, and wanted to stay after his contract expired, but this off-season couldn’t convince Mr. Gauthier to offer him a two year contract. It was time for Roman to go, I’m glad that we’re playing the youngsters instead of he and Jaro Spacek, but he should receive nothing but respect and affection from Montreal fans.
Which brings us to the putrid Tomas Kaberle. I’ve kept my peace since he’s been here, at least after bemoaning the trade in a lengthy post. I figure complaining about the ex-Leaf and ex-Bruin was crying over spilled milk, but his presence in the lineup is creating a positive feedback loop of apathy. I can’t stand to see him, red-cheeked and emotionless on the bench, and I detest him even more on the ice. After his end-of-game gaffe against the Devils, when he iced the puck while we had an extra attacker on the ice, he was almost caught again doing so twice today, once on the power play, and only the leniency of the refs prevented the whistle. He was impotent on offence and while ‘quarterbacking’ the power play, and was awful on defence. He finished -2, and will make all the lowlight reels with his poor play that led to the Alex Semin penalty shot.
Pierre Gauthier explained the trade at the time as an attempt to help the team, and that he felt he needed to when seeing the players returning to the bench despondent at their lack of success on the power play. This may have been a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation, he would have been pilloried for not making a move, but in my book if there’s one thing he needs to answer for it’s this trade. The loss of cap space and flexibility and the grafting of another small, soft puck-moving defenceman to a team already replete with them is a whopper of a bad decision.
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
You’re in Whistler and watching these Habs instead of snow bunnies? I would say that qualifies you as a non fair-weather fan.
—————-
McGuire for GM!
Roy for Coach!
Sh*t for Brains!
I don’t usually go up the hill on busy Saturdays and Sundays, but today I might have should of could of made an exception.
———————————
How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
You write well. I enjoy your blog when I don’t see your posts here. The Kaberle trade was utterly dumb. What a desperate move. Worse than the Gomez trade IMHO (at least at the time Gomez still seemed to have something left to offer). Common denominator for these deals: Gauthier’s pro-scouting/assessment.
Thanks Gonk. I couldn’t believe the Kaberle trade, the only worse player to add to our team might have been Sean Avery. I really bit my tongue since then, and he helped me out by being basically invisible for a while, but today his game was horrible.
Here’s my post after the trade.
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/2011/12/tomas-effin-kaberle.html
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
Think there’s ANY chance some other team would be interested in him?
Not now!
=================================================
The cerebral insight of PJ Stock:
“Le problem est Markov n’ya pas jouer un seul game cette annee”
“Louis Leblanc est un kid local”
Sad state of affairs lets just hope PG can shed some salary.its imperative …. My daughter’s 9 year old basketball team has more push back then the Habs
Watching Sens vs Leafs, might have a chance at watching some decent hockey as I just didnt get my fill watching this afternoon….Im going to cheer for…ahhh screw it changed to the disney channel after all Im too used to watching the micky mouse club aka habs…..sighhhhh
Hey everyone. I rarely like posting on the internet forums, yet seeing how I really love this team, and would like them to succeed, I decided share [my opinion] of what my dream team would look like. I’m just having fun here.
Owner: Geoff Molson
General Manager: Pierre Mcguire
Coaches: Patrick Roy, Larry Robinson
Koivu – Yakupov – Kristo
Pacioretty – Desharnais – Cole
Kostitsyn – Plekanec – Kovalev
Moen – Eller – Bourque
White
Markov – Emelin
Georges – Subban
Diaz – Tinordi
Weber
Price
Halak
Farm Team
Avstin
Leblanc
Gallagher
Palushaj
Bournival
Dumont
Beaulieu
2012 2nd round pick
I’m not really sure how good this Kristo guy is, yet he’s rated 2nd among Canadiens prospects, so I’m saying he’s bloomed into a top 6 foward. Koivu and Kovalev somehow end up back on the team, Koivu determined to win the cup as a Hab, and Kovalev misses Montreal, so he returns. Markov comes back ready to shine with Emelin, and has Kovy as a friend again.
Pleks and AK reunited with Kovalev are awesome again as a third line. With the first overall pick, Montreal gets Nail Yakupov, and he steps in as the number one center Montreal has been yearning for, for years. The Patches-DD-Cole line is just business as usual. Montreal gets Halak back to have an excellent duo, and gives Pricey a little motivation to play better. Eller and Moen get Bourque on the 4th line to play against other teams first line, providing a big energetic 4th line that can score and play well defensively. All the PK assignments are taken care of by the 3rd and 4th line players, saving energy for the PP.
Well, time to play a video game.
Nevermind the trade rumours….I’ll have some of that bong of yours.
—————-
McGuire for GM!
Roy for Coach!
Sh*t for Brains!
Hehe, I’m on Dimetyltryptamine… hence the “dream” team.
I was pretty excited when Molson took ownership of the Canadiens…..still waiting for something exciting to happen…
Let’s start from the top….
Pierre Mcguire as GM. Ain’t happening. Why would he want this job?
Roy and Robinson as coaches? Roy would be a media nightmare and Robinson is to smart and happy elsewhere to take this coaching job for the habs
Habs trade Carey Price to Colorado in return for Ryan O’Byrne and Tomas Plekanec’s lost purse.
—————-
McGuire for GM!
Roy for Coach!
Sh*t for Brains!
Only after Carey price tells of the GM I am never playing another game in Montreal again after losing 8-0 to the Red Wings at the Bell center.
Ottawa singer > our singer
Habs trade their 2012 1st rounder for Ryan Smyth
”He was the veteran presence we needed. Slow AND old…what’s not to like?”
—————-
McGuire for GM!
Roy for Coach!
Sh*t for Brains!
I want juicy rumours STAT! I don’t really care if they make sense either….I need to be entertained. Cause the on-ice product isn’t doing it for me.
—————-
McGuire for GM!
Roy for Coach!
Sh*t for Brains!
Travis Moen for a second hand tooth pick
Scott Gomez for Stamkos, Ovechkin and Perry.
Gomez to the Toronto Maple Leafs for the Zamboni driver at the AC Center plus future considerations.
Markov skating? That was hardly skating they showed on todays game coverage.
How is his walking? He should call it quits.The team no longer needs him! If he recovers enough to play, he will be old,small,slow and fragile.
He has enough money for a good future with two legs. Why risk everything?
As much as I like Gorges he is wrong on his hockey theory ,the problem with the Habs is overvalued personal like Gorges who at 4 million a year is a BAD SIGNING! HE’S A SMALL stay at home Dman with average playmaking and shooting abilitys . Oh yeah and has leadership qualities for a last place team…wow
How is this in any way a bad signing? The 4 million per year is management’s fault, as Gorges admitted himself that he would have signed long-term for less money at the start of the season, but they chose to go 1 year instead (Though they opted to take a chance on Markov for whatever reason). As for him being small, he’s 6 foot 1 at 210 pounds, so I have absolutely no idea where you get small from… And so what if he’s a stay at home guy? You can’t have a bunch of offensive giants on D! If no one stays home to do the dirty work where would that get you? Speaking of dirty work, Gorges LEADS THE LEAGUE in blocked shots! What could be more valuable than that?
Don’t feed the trolls!
I have to agree with you Dude. Josh Gorges is a #4 or #5 defenceman, but this year is on the first pairing by default. It artificially inflated his value. While he’s a valuable asset, the cap space he eats up is even more valuable. I’d have no problem trading him if we got decent value for him.
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
Gomez and Kaberle are untradeable. I wouldn’t buy their contracts out either. You admit your mistakes and move on. I wouldn’t take Carter even if Columbus offered him for free. His contact is atrocious and he isn’t legitimate 1st line center – he’s a shooter off the wing as he was with the Flyers. He isn’t what we need long-term. Trading Plekanec would be mistake – he’s having a bad year and hasn’t been left to gel with with any wingers but for 3 to 4 game stint. Moen, Gill, Kostitsyn, Darche and Campoli should be the assets you move. That’s about it. It should be Gauthier’s limited mandate before he goes. Actually, I’d like to hear a public statement that Gauthier will not be moving our 1st round pick. Gauthier’s exit strategy should not be to mortgage the future or burden us with more contracts. He can leave with some dignity if he can manage that.
Right, because Gill, Darche, AK, Campoli and Moen will get you lots in return.
Who pray tell would you trade beyond that? PK? Price? What did you expect to get in return? Educate me, I’m curious.
What are you going to do keep them? dah! Whatever you manage to get you have to let those guys go,one way or another.
“I figure PG has one or 2 moves left to bring the Habs that extra step closer to perhaps being the best in the league.” – Einstein
What if, and this is a big “what if”, Columbus would agree to swap first round picks if we took Carter off their hands? We’d have to send along some other assets but it’s something to think about.
I think Carter is a good player, but his contract is too long and he isn’t what we need. I’d keep our pick and take the BPA. With AK, Moen, Darche, Gill and Campoli you move them as they are UFAs and you wait, and I mean wait, to the deadline to move them for picks and prospects. I have no expectation of landing another 1st as a result (perhaps a western team will take Moen and Gill for a late 1st, but that’s a long-shot). You build this team for 2013-2014 in mind. Because we have a small wave of prospects ready to jump to the minors next year and we’ll know what know the next CBA and cap # will be.
But we get the first overall pick. That’s changing the complexion of the team in a big hurry.
I hear you – but Carter’s deal is too long. Think of the cap space that it will eat up (especially if the cap shrinks) and we want to sign folks like Price and Subban to long-term deals.
Here’s what it will take for me to remain a fan of the Habs for the 2012-2013 season.
That sounds like a list of demands. Do you have something on Molson? heh
http://www.puckbandits.com
Nothing except my consumerism, unfortunately. Well, that and the fact that there must be tens of thousands of Habs’ fans feeling something similar right now!
If we can unite in poking fun at Scott Gomez on his goal drought anniversary, we can unite in using our collective powers of persuasion to get M. Molson to do something useful for our team!
Some morons need to let the whole Gomez thing go. He’s not the only one!! Plekanec sucks this year. So did Gionta before he got injured. Price has not been consistent this year. He hasn’t been bad, but not great either.
Biggest problems this year: our first 2 centres being crap. Plek and Gomez. You can’t have both being crap and expect the team to win.
Now we’re stuck with Gomez, Kaberle, Gionta and Markov contracts for a while now. Those are the main problems. So enough with the Gomez bashing, what was he supposed to do, turn down the contract he was offered???
Gauthier made the same mistake Gainey did with Gomez by locking in Markov/Pleks for much more than they are worth and picking up Kaberle and his $4.5MM for 3 years (not to mention the other bone headed non financial moves he has made).
We are not stuck with Gomez, send him to Hamilton, the Rangers did that with Redden. Why call people Morons, does that help you deal with this crap. In your own post, you attribute the teams failure to Plek and Gomez, so you yourself are on the whole Gomez thing
“It’s not an obsession, It’s a way of life..”
I listed him AS PART OF THE PROBLEM. Why people only pick on him is beyond me.
I hear ya, I’m so frustrated I can’t see straight, Cheers friend
“It’s not an obsession, It’s a way of life..”
It’s not about the money. It’s the absolute lack of production and seeming lack of ability to try to do something other than the same failed moves over and over again. The fact that he is the team’s highest paid player makes the pill that much more bitter to swallow but this is a guy that plays 15-18 minutes per night and contributes SFA to this team’s offence. Nobody is against the fact that he was offered a great contract financially and accepted it; the anger towards Gomez is all about the fact that he does not contribute.
———————–
GO HABS GO! 2011-12 is probably not our year!
“Scott Gomez, a potential Hall of Fame player, has two Stanley Cup rings and a Calder Trophy that says ‘I’m a player whom any authentic NHL coach will rely on to fix a game problem.’” – VancouverHab
Chat with me on Twitter @TheRealRGM81
Does Plekanec contribute? Did Gionta contribute? All I’m saying is Gomez is definitely not the ONLY problem. And nobody can say that Price has had a stellar year. Medium at best. Unfortunately here in Mtl we need a goalie that will steal games and he hasn’t done that.
Without Price, this teams season will of been over a couple of months ago.
You can’t blame Price for this season, he has done his job.
Gomez can be farmed out to the minors or Europe.
Kaberle can be traded. After all Cammi was.
______________________________________________________
“It’s just an opinion – I could be wrong”
-Dennis Miller
Well yeah, why would it be hard to trade Cammi? Gauthier should’ve shopped him around first, though.
NO FS we will not let the Gomez thing go. We’re on him ’cause he’s not producing, period. Fine, he’s got his money & contract and that’s biz but, you know…. is scoring a goal once a year asking too much?. The fact is he has lost it. Whatever it was he had in his youth is gone. It will not come back. One way or another he is gone next year. End of story.
“I figure PG has one or 2 moves left to bring the Habs that extra step closer to perhaps being the best in the league.” – Einstein
What good does it do to win games now?
Every point is counter-productive in maximizing the draft order.
It’s time to clean house from from everything immediately under Molson on down. And I would put Molson on probation!
______________________________________________________
“It’s just an opinion – I could be wrong”
-Dennis Miller
FIRE GAUTHIER, FIRE GAUTHIER, FIRE GAUTHIER
How much is Markov costing us for 0 games played? If you guessed $12MM, you are correct (Markov + Campoli + Kaberle). At a minimum he will cost us $11MM next year.
How bad is Kaberle — he does not even have offensive talents. Our PP stinks even more.
All 6″2 inches of Bourque play less rugged than Desharnais. What an absolute horrible pick up. Why could he have not held on to Cammy until the now and then unload to the BEST OFFER, not the FIRST OFFER.
I won’t say too much more about the other moves that leave us limping into the final game of this playoff-less season (SK74, Moore, Pleks for 5 more years at $5MM, Budaj for nearly the same salary as Vokoun, O’Byrne, lost draft picks, Pouliot, etc). Not to mention his impeccable timing for making changes (firings and trades)….What a chump of a GM!
I can’t wait til markov comes back next year and you will be calling him one of the best d in the east and the contract he signed was a steal
Uh, yeah, don’t hold your breath.
hahaha
we’ll wait and see for next year
Not even the great Bobby Orr could turn back the knee injury clock, so don’t hold your breath. Markov is no Bobby Orr. Anyway, at a minimum Markov should have ben signed for 2 years at significantly less than $6MM considering he has not played in nearly 3 years now!
Don’t be naive. Andrei Markov is not Bobby Orr, obviously. The analogy breaks down though, in that surgical techniques and rehabilitation programs are much more sophisticated and effective today than in the past.
Bobby Orr’s career is over because when he was operated on they didn’t have arthroscopes, so they’d open up his knee, wide open. They also scraped off all the cartilage in his knees, since they didn’t know any better. None of this compares in any way with the care Mr. Markov is receiving.
You want to be Oscar the Grouch, fine, but don’t pretend to be a doctor.
———————————
How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
Einstein — you don’t need to be a doctor to see the number of games Markov has played in the past 3 seasons and recognize that signing him to 3 years guaranteed at $6mm was a waste, or a gamble at a minimum.
Certainly not being a grouch, simply calling it for what it is — we have terrible GM and Markov’s contract was one a several errors. If you are too blind to see it, don’t go critiquing the messenger. Perhaps you should get a brain first.
Look, you want to argue that the decision to offer him a contract was flawed due to his lack of durability, knock yourself out, but don’t compare Bobby Orr, who got knee operations in the seventies, and Andrei Markov, who got worked on fourty years later. There is no comparison in the techniques being used and success rates.
Talk about a knee jerk reaction. Since Bobby Orr had to retire prematurely due to his knee injuries, EVERYONE has to retire. Nobody has ever recovered from an ACL reconstruction. Might as well take him out back behind the barn and put him out of his misery.
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: February 4, 2012
“In a great day for Canadian skiing in Chamonix, France, Jan Hudec recorded a surprising victory in a World Cup downhill race Saturday, and his teammate Erik Guay finished third in piercing cold over an icy slope.
Hudec, whose career has been blighted by knee injuries and operations, won for the first time in more than four years.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/sports/skiing/vonn-beats-the-cold-and-the-clock-in-downhill-for-50th-career-win.html
This is the point I’m taking issue with, your prognosis that Mr. Markov’s career is over, plucked out of thin air, but since you didn’t address it, and focused on another subject I didn’t object to, I’ll accept this as your concession and apology.
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
he’s only good to us if he’s playing.
I agree. There are a lot of negative Habs fans out there. Three years from now when we have Tinordi, Beaulieu, Georges,Subban and Markov playing in front of Price and forward lines that include Patches,Leblanc,Gallager,Eller,Deharnais,Plekanec, and the number 1 pick we will get this year, Habs fans will be calling Gainey and Gauthier geniuses, only they won’t be here and some other GM and coach will be reaping all of the rewards. My point being, you can’t win all of the time. Some day Detroit ,Pittsburg,Boston and Vancouver will be at the bottom looking up at the Canadiens. It’s the circle of life in the NHL. Patience my fellow Habs fans.
Habs have a interim coach in RC. Its time to get a interim GM who ‘parlez anglais’.
The media will love this!!!
You know what alfie you’re screwed up wrong.
Cammy stunk up the place and you know nothing about first offers or otherwise. The Cammy move was right all the way around.
And your assesment of Bourque is way off also. He is one of what the Habs need. A guy who’s not afraid to drop ‘em, with a mean streak and a rep, who goes hard to the net and scores goals.
Kaberle is an investment with the possibility of turning into a good one. He’s a vet, has won the Cup, had played some terrific D with the Leafs and can mentor some of the young uns.
And as far as your mourning of the others ( SK, Obyrne, Pouliot ) give it up…they all needed to be moved and that’s that.
“I figure PG has one or 2 moves left to bring the Habs that extra step closer to perhaps being the best in the league.” – Einstein
Pleks and Kristo for Carter?
Moen and Gill for Tangradi?
Re-sign Souray this summer?
Sign Cody McLeod?
2012-2013 Habs:
Bourque-Carter-Gio
MaxPower-DD-Cole
Tangradi-Eller-LL
McLeod-White-Blunden
Gorges-Subbie
Souray-Emelin
Nash (if recovery goes well)-Diaz
Price
Budaj
And you expect the Habs to win with this revised lineup?
Why, just WHY are you bringing back Souray????
you forgot markov on D. I have faith he will play next year. SOmetimes i feel like i’m the only one. I think he will be back next year and everyone will be eating their words about giving him the contract extension was a bad idea and set the team back
No one will be eating their words, they’ll just move on to complaining about something else and deluding themselves in to believing they know more about hockey than our coach and GM.
That’s the beauty of the Internet, Hindsight and zero accountability (at least not for themselves)
Hey guys, anyone think we can trade Budaj? Like a team that wants to go deep into the playoffs and has problems with their backup or just has some goalie issues, maybe we could trade Budaj to them? If we could, what do you guys think the return would be like, a third rounder?
Teams don’t worry too much about their backup goalie situation in the playoffs.
———————–
GO HABS GO! 2011-12 is probably not our year!
“Scott Gomez, a potential Hall of Fame player, has two Stanley Cup rings and a Calder Trophy that says ‘I’m a player whom any authentic NHL coach will rely on to fix a game problem.’” – VancouverHab
Chat with me on Twitter @TheRealRGM81
Why would I want to hear from Chris Campoli, or Budaj. I want to hear from Gomez, Kaberle, Pleks, and all the other loafers on this team and hear them explain their crappy, uninspired play. Enough with Gomez already, The Rangers ate Redden contract and their not looking to badly after.
“It’s not an obsession, It’s a way of life..”
gomez can’t talk. he is to busy counting his money and SMILING…
But it’s a good thought,…I would like to hear Gomez explain himself of why he isn’t producing the way that he should according to his contract.
what do you expect him to say? Its not like he isn’t trying out there. He just isn’t that good. Was never worth the contract he signed and has gotten worse every year since signing it
He’s a grown man, and needs to stand up and take some some accountability, he used to wear an “A” for this team and is a 10 year plus veteran of this league. I want to hear what he has to say, after every loss and game he contibutes nothing. Yea Im angry, I hate losing and I don’t like some of the BS on this team
“It’s not an obsession, It’s a way of life..”
Its hard to see the habs producing more than 75 points this season. On the bright side we have an excellent chance of picking top 3 in the next draft, and possibly selecting one of the elite players in the draft: Nail Yakupov, Mikhail Grigorenko, Brendan Gaunce, Ryan Murray, Griffen Reinhart, etc.
We are now sellers in this years free agent frenzy, Feb 27 at 3pm. We have Moen, Eller, Subban, Price, Diaz, Emelin, Gill, Kostitsyn, Darche, White, and Campoli with no contracts for next year, so all these guys are in play.
Whatever happens next its gonna make for a very interesting month. I hope we can trade Campoli, Diaz, or Gill.
Who is NHL ready among the draft prospects, aside from Nail?
Filip Forsberg plays in the SEL. Thats pretty NHL ready according to most hockey experts.
Subban and Price are in play?
Habsfan82 you’re just plain dumb !! Eller, Subban, Price, Diaz, Emelin are ” in play ” are they ?
Dumb dumb dumb
“I figure PG has one or 2 moves left to bring the Habs that extra step closer to perhaps being the best in the league.” – Einstein
CMON habs lets loose these next 30 games and get the first pick over WHOOOO LOSE HABS LOSE
I support Scott Gomez
the game plan is working perfectly since the all star break.
pk had a great game. kabrele sucked as usual. gomez is like russ courtnall 100 miles an hr going no where. rumours of carter
to mtl like we havent got enough super high paid bumms. its time to sell and unload. pile up on draft choices and get a smart gm
Time to finally slaughter the Goat and straighten the Gay Knee!
* flagged as inappropriate
“Andrei Kostitsyn will be traded this month”
- Sean Bonjovi
i want a refund on NHL centre ice subscription. they rarely offer habs games in HD. then again, would you really want to see this team in high def?
hockeystreams.com is an option.
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The cerebral insight of PJ Stock:
“Le problem est Markov n’ya pas jouer un seul game cette annee”
“Louis Leblanc est un kid local”
Every Habs game i watch on Centre Ice is in HD…The problem is with your carrier (cable or satellite).
I for one can not watch any more games…tired of the same old nothing
Who’s up for boycotting this loser team for the next 2 months? I am. Who else…..
I’m up for it.
http://seatgeek.com/hockey-nhl-ticket-prices/
We might be fans, but we’re not idiots! Most expensive tickets in the NHL to see the most lethargic team…
Good. This insanity has just gone on top of my head.
Why? What will that prove. Some of these same players will be part of the turn around, Price,Patches,Subban etc…… Why not support them? Sure, this team is bad this year but they’ve lost a lot of close games which tells me they’re not that far off. This team is not as bad as everyone thinks.
Damn! Capitals just scored again on Canadiens Express….I didn’t dream this after all.
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McGuire for GM!
Roy for Coach!
Sh*t for Brains!
I remember a few years ago the flyers had a year like this and finished 2nd last in the nhl. Made some great trades at the deadline for futures and turned it around in a year. It’s possible, and i hope the habs can do it
me too, the Flyers brought in Holmgren who made some shrewd moves, and the Flyers reaped the rewards of the 2003 nhl entry draft of Jeff Carter and Mike Richards the next season
Oh goody! Canadiens Express just came on on RDS promising to give us the best moments of the game. Should be a short broadcast.
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McGuire for GM!
Roy for Coach!
Sh*t for Brains!
Just got back from an outing. Never had an inkling to watch the game. When I come home, I was hoping for a win and now this? I had enough of this BS!
Molson should intervene immediately. Everybody in the city is really sick and tired of this underachievers. Why wait till this season is over if he can call the shots right now!
Can someone tell me how to add an avatar pic to my profile when i post?
Heads up, P.K.’s hip is coming.
Gravatar is your friend.
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McGuire for GM!
Roy for Coach!
Sh*t for Brains!
Thanks man!
Heads up, P.K.’s hip is coming.
Geoff Molson just CANNOT let this guy stay around for any moves at the deadline. He just can’t!!! The thought of it scares the crap out of me, and guys like Burke are just rubbing their hands together.
It’s not easy to find another uppity-vegan-francophone GM.
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McGuire for GM!
Roy for Coach!
Sh*t for Brains!
Yes..but if there’s a way..Geoff Molson will find it.
This is in response to Mark C’s comment:
If PG is gone as GM of the Habs before or after seasons end, who will replace him?
How many former or current GM’s, or anyone at that, French or English, would accept this job position.
The next GM of the Canadiens has to be tough enough to stand up to the media and not allow anyone to dictate how he should run the team.
I just hope for the love of the habs PG (knowing he may be fired) doesn’t make stupid trades to further set back the habs of improving as a team.
Put JM in there until the season ends and tell people up front that he’s merely a warm – well tepid really – body to sit in the big chair until they find someone competent. If you’re going to have a lame duck coach, why not a lame duck GM.
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McGuire for GM!
Roy for Coach!
Sh*t for Brains!
RC after the game said the guys were trying. He didn’t say what they were trying for though.
I smell a horrendous-hailmary-savemyGMass trade coming.
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McGuire for GM!
Roy for Coach!
Sh*t for Brains!
We pay for the most expensive tickets in the NHL to watch the most soulless and pathetic hockey.
http://seatgeek.com/hockey-nhl-ticket-prices/
$ 267.94.
M. Molson, I won’t be going to anymore games. Period.
Almost $60 more than the second place Jets.
This could put a dent in your wallet.
I think I go watch a game in Tampa.
Thanks for the info, slimjim
Anytime. Spread the word, we might be fans, but we’re not saps!
Its obscene.
[Disclaimer]: I’m a hockey fan. I care about the habs, but probably not as much as you.
I am as upset with our current situation as most true fans however some facts are in order. First BG has been gone 2 years as of feb.12 2010 and since then the Goat has taken over and we have been on a downward slope since then, yet many posters still blame Gainey.
Facts while Bob was here we made the playoffs 4 of 5 years. Before that in the previous 10 years we did not make the playoffs 5 times. Habs worst point totals under Bob were 88 and 90. During the previous 10 years before BG we had over 90 points 2 times (and one season with 90).Was the Goat made the GM to keep peace with the Media (see RC problems) that prehaps BG saw might happen.
BG seems to be blamed for all ills that now befall the Habs (mostly it seems because of the Gomez pick up) but in the last 2 years the Goat has been picking the free agents and letting go the UFA’s and signing AM, Kaberle.
Once your gone the new man in town takes over (it does seem the the Molson’s don’t actually fire them till their contracts are done for financial reasons) and if they still use BG as a “consultant” he does not run the team, the Goat does.
So to the BG haters on this site read the facts of what we were before BG abd what has happened since he left before you drone on.
Mr. Biter
Who cares whose fault it is? Really……just fix it.
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McGuire for GM!
Roy for Coach!
Sh*t for Brains!
Good point. I just get tired of certain posters still blaming BG and yearning for the good old days before he came. They were not good days. BTW love your signature about the GM, coach and brains. excellent.
Mr. Biter
BG was resposible for Gomez, putting all his eggs in the Price basket and the unsustainable smurf-dom which was their ultimate unravelling
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“It’s just an opinion – I could be wrong”
-Dennis Miller
Biter…in case you haven’t been told BG still lurks in the shadows, has his say, uses his influence and is officially an advisor so don’t kid yourself into thinking trhat he’s gone. But he needs to be.
“I figure PG has one or 2 moves left to bring the Habs that extra step closer to perhaps being the best in the league.” – Einstein
One good news for the Habs,…Markov is skating again. Perhaps he looks forward to play on the 82nd game of the season with the habs in last place.
That could be the game the Habs knock the Leafs out of the playoffs. Small consolation.
A knuckler from the blue line that floated in slow motion towards the net and goes in untouched for the game winner. Unbelievable!
Gomez needs to be put on 4th line period. Put LL with Plekanec and Bourque.
Habs needs to start dealing players that are not part of this team next year. Another goose egg in your own barn is unacceptable.
WHYS EVERYBODY MAD THIS IS GREAT 1 LOSS CLOSER TO NAIL FAIL FOR NAIL WHOOOOOOOOOOO KEEP L0OSING HABS
I support Scott Gomez
I like your attitude.
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McGuire for GM!
Roy for Coach!
Sh*t for Brains!
Plus the Caps caught the Leafs.
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“It’s just an opinion – I could be wrong”
-Dennis Miller
I’m bracing for further disappointment. That Gauthier will be the GM come Monday. That by the week of the 20th and to the deadline itself he’ll make another egregious deal or deals which will make things even worse for the future. I’d even prefer he made no deals at all.
Yes Goat should be gone by midnight before he ruins what is left of this proud franchise. God help us as the trading deadline approaches and he is still the GM.
Mr. Biter
You know who sucks more than our Habs?
The Molsons. What the hell are they waiting for? FIRE USELESS PIERRE GAUTHIER. T O D A Y
Who do you hire in his place? Any one worth their salt is under contract and wouldn’t leave their team in mid-season.
you don’t have to hire someone today, but PG should be fired today.
anyone can be the interim GM until seasons end… as long as they thought the Gomez trade was a bad idea (everyone except Gainey and Gauthier). The Habs are in a similar situation to what the Leafs were a few seasons ago, and the Leafs brought in Fletcher, who wasn’t that good, but he was better than JFJ
I don’t want PG to over see the trade deadline, anyone who thought Kaberle was a good idea has to go
This is the second time I bring my 6-yr-old daughter to a game. She has yet to see a Habs Goal. That’s right, she has never seen 20,000 people cheer at the time, after two whole games.
Makes me wonder if I should splurge for tickets ever again…
So..NOW we know who it is to blame for Habs’ lack of scoring.
Exactly, time we sent M. Molson a message: DON’T GO TO THE GAMES!
Only in Montreal, do people still go to the games and splurge. Come on people, NASHVILLE have a more entertaining team. NASHVILLE!
If M.Molson is not ashamed, I don’t know what else can trigger change.
The Canadiens are more or less the only joy for sports entertainment Montrealers have, someone have some dignity and fix this diseased team. Get rid of Pierre Gauthier and start to do some serious in-house cleaning.
Right on. There is no way this team is worth the price of admission. If Molson will not take charge and actually do something I hope that people actually think twice about going to games and lining his pockets. I know I won’t go to another game until there are serious changes made.
That makes 2 of us, let’s hope others can wake up and smell the coffee!
Nashville has David Poile. We don’t…
That is so sad. I feel for ya…
Strange days laddie, don’t like seeing other teams have such a great time in our building but I don’t think that’s going to change much for the rest of the season. Besides, it’s always interesting to watch an organization swallow itself whole every 3 or 4 years and go in another completely different direction. Prospects and draft picks, that’s our lot for a while. If that is the case then me thinks PG has to go before the fuse is lit.
“It’s never easy to not win a hockey-crazed market like Montreal,”
Oh please
For 20 years they’ve been doing the difficult thing, obviously.