Randy Cunneyworth taleked about toughness.
“All players are tough,” the coach said after the Canadiens’ Friday practice. “Some are tougher than others.”
Cunneyworth said what the Canadiens are displaying is “a shared toughness.”
“I think we’re a tougher team. That’s not a bad thing.”
AUDIO: Randy Cunneyworth
• Aaron Palushaj and Scott Gomez suffered eye injuries against Minnesota.
• Therapy day for Raphael Diaz (who’s been sick), Carey Price, David Desharnais, Erik Cole and Josh Gorges,

Why would Burke hire Carlyle when he so obviously had under-coached his team in Anaheim? Talk about hiring by the buddy system. I always thought Burke was an “okay” GM. Now I think that he’s like Gainey was – just too old to understand the game today.
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Listen to the Smart Dog. He knows his poop!
I know DD’s stats have been compared to St-Louis… Thought it’d be funny to be blasphemous and compare him so far to other small, sucessful centres;
DD:
5’7, 177lbs
Last year in the Q: 61GP 38G 70A 108P
First full year in NHL: 65GP 14G 36A 50P
Henri Richard:
5’7, 160lbs
Last year in the Q: 46GP 27G 36A 63P
First full year in NHL: 64GP 19G 21A 40P
Claude Giroux:
5’11, 172lbs
Last year in the Q: 55GP 38G 68A 106P
First full year in NHL: 82GP 16G 31A 47P
Yvan Cournoyer (RW, just for fun)
5’7, 172lbs
Last year in the Q: 53GP 63G (!) 48A 111P
First full year in NHL: 65GP 18G 11A 29P
when
emelin lays hard hit
opponents become
eliminated harshly
Someone’s been at the anagram generator. And the Jim Beam.
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
This just in…,Ron Wilson fired
Canadiens recall Louis Leblanc and Andreas Engqvist.
Ugh… Engqvist. That guy must have a 1,000 lives!
LL on the other hand is another breath of fresh air. The guy doesn’t take a shift off.
I’m glad about Leblanc as well. Truly a refreshing player to watch.
About Engqvist, well… I don’t think he played particularly good or bad last time he was called up.
The word from Hamilton is that he’s the best player there, he and Joonas Nattinen are tearing it up. Blake Geoffrion was on the same line as those guys when he was down there.
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
Engqvist is doing well in Hamilton. So was Palushaj. But neither have contributed much at the NHL level for whatever reason.
Only because it’s topical, I’m reposting this contribution from a very wise man.
******************
Why do I like David Desharnais so much?
A significant quote of his is telling: when he was first called up and the media were getting to know him, he explained that at every level of hockey that he’s ever played at, when he first joins the team he concentrates on defence and the role he’s supposed to play within the coach’s system. He said he did that to gain the confidence of the coach, and it would inevitably lead to more icetime and more offensive opportunities. I remember thinking what a smart kid he was, especially compared to Andrei Kostitsyn, for example.
He’s not a strong guy, but he makes up for it in quickness and agility. His assist on the Mike Cammalleri goal in Ottawa was telling, how quickly he pounced on the puck and wheeled around the net, no opponent could move in time to stop him. Along the boards, he gets low enough that opponents have a hard time getting leverage against him or getting a clean hit. He uses timing and a quick stick to steal pucks from bigger, stronger opponents all the time.
I may be partial to him since I remember how hard it was to play against quick shifty forwards. Sure, if the opposing defencemen can get a good lick on him it’ll hurt, but they seldom do. Unlike Scott Gomez, he has a variety of moves, and goes to the net or slot without hesitation, and is effective once there.
His linemates love him and want to play with him, and pout when they’re taken off his line. Max claims he’s the best player he ever played with.
This is his first full season in the NHL. He’s still young, he will improve, get acclimated to the speed, get stronger and fitter still.
The fact that he’s French-Canadian is a nice bonus. The Canadiens have a few competitive advantages. One is that they have a huge pool of hockey players who grew up idolizing the Habs, and will bleed bleu-blanc-rouge if they ever get a chance to don the jersey. I think we should use that to our advantage.
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
Ditto
About DD…
I can’t believe people are crapping on the guy here, or giving him backhanded compliments, or luke warm endorsements. “He’s ok, BUT…”
The guy is playing his first full year in the NHL, on close to last place team with no offensive weapons at all, and all he has done is lead our crappy team in points, and in +/-.
Again, he’s one step removed from a rookie, and he’s leading our once proud franchise in POINTS and +/-.
Instead of being happy that we have someone under 40 years old who can produce something, people are bitching that he’ll never be a Hall of Famer, or have a bronze statue outside the Bell Centre.
Jesus. Can’t he just be a pleasant surprise, and leave it at that? WTF more do you want from this guy?
I’m honestly baffled. Of all people to bitch about, how does his name even come up?
Ok, I’m done ranting, sorry!
I think most people enjoy watching DD, respect his talent and the work he has done with the team this year.
People question his ability to become a Number One Center that excels in all aspects of the position. his offensive skills and determination are not in question. His ability to win key face-offs, shut down oppositions top opponents, and lead a championship team offensively.
Having Pleks as a proven second liner makes people question whether the team can be a true contender with Eller/DD/Pleks as the top three centers. Most of us think the team needs to make a decision on two of the three and attempt to bring in an elite Number One.
Agree. Not much more to say.
No one is expecting DD to be a HOF. Why can’t people just be happy that we’ve got a talented player such as him on our team, and stop bitching and arguing about if he’s a first line center or a second line center? What gives… This season, he IS our #1 center. Maybe next season he’ll still be or maybe he’ll be the #2 center, who knows?
I don’t know, but for now what I know is that I am pleasantly surprised by what he’s been bringing to the team all season long.
He’s a keeper to me, whether he plays on the first, second, or third line.
As you can tell from the post above, I agree with the sentiment. But to be fair, I don’t think people are crapping on David, they’re just justifying their love and desire for a big centreman and using him as a contrast, almost a straw man.
I would like a big centreman too, but I do remember with great inner turmoil our last #1 overall draft choice, Doug Wickenheiser, who we picked over local hero Denis Savard. Now, we had good reason to draft the bigger guy, he put up even more points than Mr. Savard did, and in the WHL to boot, which is historically stronger defensively and doesn’t produce the pinball number scorers. We’d been clamouring for years about the need for ‘un gros joueur de centre’ to play with Guy Lafleur, since apparently Jacques Lemaire wasn’t tall enough. Peter Mahovlich was tall enough, but we complained that he stopped skating when he carried the puck, so he was no good. Later incarnations, like Bobby Smith or Pierre Turgeon were found wanting too, they weren’t the tougher, meaner version of Jean Béliveau we felt we deserved.
We know how it turned out, Doug wasn’t a mentally strong guy, he just didn’t make it in the NHL. Denis tore up the league for years, was maybe the most entertaining player to watch after the Great One. So let’s enjoy David’s work and be glad for once that our player development got us a diamond in the rough and managed to polish him up to the quality that he is at now.
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
I don’t think people are crapping on him either, but of all the players on this team, he’s the one people keep talking about for not being a true #1 center. There are many negatives about this team, this season, and DD is not one of them. I just don’t get why many people are turning one of the few positive aspects of this team into a negative.
Regarding your post, very well written, as always. I fully agree.
Uh, I don’t think ANYBODY has “bitched” about him. Lots of compliments about him, really. Does anyone on this site not like the guy?? If so, I haven’t noticed.
Full Breezer 4 Life
I don’t think anyone has bashed DD (at least not recently). I mean, after all, he is leading the team in points. But even if he’s performing well this year, there’s a sense of “luke-warmness” from posters, I think. A lot of comments are about how he has the two best wingers on the team at his side, seemingly implying that it’s the wingers who are making him look better.
Or the other variation is, put Pleks with them or Eller and they both would do better. I’m actually not convinced of this. Oftentimes Desharnais has put up points because he puts the puck in useful places and doesn’t pass into someone’s feet or in the vicinity of the target player. He can actually make plays. Maybe Pleks can do that too, but I don’t think I’ve seen him being as patient with the puck as DD this year.
Here you go: DD is a pleasant surprise. If DD is your #1 center, your team is in deep doodoo. Witness Habs ranking.
rant away, only this time pick a better rant, I read this site everyday and I have only read good things and compliments about DD, sure we all wish he was a little bigger, but we also wish we were going to win the cup…….neither one is going to happen!!!
Apparently Edmonton doesn’t want to give up the #2 pick without a fight. Stars 2-Oilers 0.
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
Bastards! We can do it.
Just keep playing Kabs and Camps together for more than 10 mins a game and it’s a lock.
What a selfish team! Can’t they let good draft picks to other teams, for a change?
While we’re chatting about mighty mice… Does anyone else think Brendan Gallagher is going to be our very own Brad Marchand?
Maybe not as weaselly, but a seriously annoying player…
Two NHL players graduated from the school I teach at: Brad Marchand, and Sidney Crosby. Crosby’s a nice guy. Marchand is the biggest D-bag in the world. No WAY Gallagher could equal him.
If he’s annoying to play against, that’s fine. But I have no worries about him turning into a Marchand, because THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE.
Full Breezer 4 Life
http://www.theonion.com/articles/pingpong-somehow-elicits-macho-posturing,158/
Funny throughout, but the punchline is right at the end. As it should be I guess…
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
HAHAHAHA
Full Breezer 4 Life
I certainly hope not.
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
Perhaps he will be. In the sense that he’s a smaller, speedy forward who probably doesn’t get intimidated by larger players and can play with them and put up points.
In terms of sportsmanship, Gallagher will be a proper player. In fact, Marchand is probably dirtier than any other player in the league with his “self-defense” plays that are clearly attempts at significantly injuring other players.
In the interest of fairness, here are some names of centres below Desharnais in PPG:
Stephen Weiss
David Kreicji
Jordan Staal
Jeff Skinner
Mikhail Grabovski
Ryan Kesler
Sam Gagner
David Backes
Mike Fisher
Brad Richards
RYAN GETZLAF
Full Breezer 4 Life
That’s sick. What’s Kreicji’s excuse?
But man would I trade just about anyone to see David Backes in a Habs jersey. That guy is relentless.
The list is a puzzler. Some, like Getzlaf, are just having weird seasons. With Backes, I think it’s the coach’s defensive style. As for Kreicji … haha, I do not know! Not exactly a low-scoring team, is it?
Full Breezer 4 Life
And the Wild with Harding got shelled by the Red Wings…. Don’t blame them for their loss in mtl: Detroit/Windsor not exactly Peel, or Stanley, or de la Montagne, or St Catherine east lol!
David Desharnais is a great story, as a longshot, “Rocky” type guy who has earned everything he’s gotten, the hard way. He’s hard-core, in my books.
But let’s temper the hyperbole a bit, okay? He’s had a dream-job this season. The best wingers. No defensive responsibilities. Plays away from the other teams’ best lines. No PK duty. Tons of PP time.
With all that, he’s 48th in league scoring. He’s 69th in points-per-game. That’s respectable, but it’s not blowing my mind.
Full Breezer 4 Life
I support this post.
Yeah… Not bad. And better than Brad Richards.
How high will his ceiling be? Who knows… but he’s full value and a local to boot. Can’t beat that!
One thing we have to remember is that he only has 114 games played at the NHL level, and he keeps improving before our eyes. How good will he be next season?
I have this dream that he goes and trains with Martin St-Louis over the summer and picks his brains and learns as much as he can from him. You can tell David is pretty fit, but apparently Martin’s summer workouts are unreal.
I’ve posted before about the graphic on RDS a few weeks ago which showed that David and Martin both were undrafted, both were essentially the same size, both played their first game in the NHL at the age of 23, and that after 80 games David had twice as many points as Martin had.
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
If you are considering him continuing to progress you must also allow for regression or a “sophomore jinx.”
I like DD, he has great vision and play-making ability under extreme pressure, intangibles that can not be taught, a gift.
True dat.
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
Needless to say if he turns out to be as good as St. Louis I will be glad to say I was wrong. Not like it hasn’t happened before! But I can’t see it.
Full Breezer 4 Life
I wonder what his numbers would have been with Gionta and Cammy as wingers.
Man that Gionta-Plex-Cammy line was atrocious.
Probably better than Pleks! LOL.
Come next year I’d like to see only two small players on this team (DD because he’s earned it and Gio because he’s untradeable and still has value…)
Lol that Wilson Movember is horrible!!! HahahH
They’re talking about the Ron Wilson contract extension that was granted during Christmas on the TSN panel. I thought it was a grudging extension, not quite a vote of confidence to just tack on a year to an expiring contract. I also thought Mr. Wilson acted very unprofessionally by campaigning for it and then the manner it was announced, in an un-funny Tweet. I certainly didn’t feel that our organization, which has been accused of lacking class this season, was any worse than that gong show.
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
The Twitter campaign was a big jinx, no doubt.
Full Breezer 4 Life
I always think it’s a mistake to resign a non-superstar coach before his contract expires.
The season is a long one and you want to see how he’ll handle the injuries and soft periods…
Burke stuffed that one up real good. We should all rejoice!
Just ask Ron he’ll tell you he’s a superstar!
When was the last year both Leafs and Habs were this bad?
Just cuz I did not get a response on the previous page.
Bill
March 2, 2012 at 9:36 pm
Cunneyworth’s results speak loudest.
Full Breezer 4 Life
habs-fan-84
March 2, 2012 at 9:40 pm
@Bill
Last year’s Stanley Cup final speaks loudest. I’m sick of firing coaches simply to please the “mob”. Finally, is this ridiculous fan base really going to write off a coach after less than half a season..? Really? Again, I say patience.
I didn’t see the post.
I’m not saying Cunneyworth should be fired because the fans don’t like him. I’m saying he hasn’t done anything to warrant taking away the “interim” tag from his title. I wish he had, but he hasn’t. The Habs have been much worse, not better, since the coaching change. That is what you call a Bad Sign.
I don’t care about Vigneault or Julien at this point. Never really liked either of them, liked Vigneault better.
But I’m the guy who thinks Carbo should be re-hired, y’know? Might want to consider the source and all that, haha.
Full Breezer 4 Life
I don’t support this type of thinking. It’s rigid and inflexible. Mind you I liked Julien a lot and thought Vigneault had promise. Funny that both are coaching contenders now.
Carbo was miles ahead of Martin and lost his job for the same reason that Julien did but over different goal-tenders.
I like Cunneyworth. He’ll only get better. He also took the Bulldogs to the AHL Conference Finals. He got a tad closer than Boucher did. Cunneyworth will get work in the NHL.
I didn’t think you saw it, that’s why I brought it back. Anyway, if we’re talking Carbo, I completely agree, IMO he was another coach in Montreal who was pre-maturely fired. My main point is that there is not enough continuity in this organization (fans/media have very little patience). As a result, we lose a lot of talent. IMO RC deserves more time with a full roster (that’ll be here come October).
So with the firing of Ron Wilson and the hiring of Randy Carlisle, does the Bell-Rogers monopoly jack up everyone’s phone bills to pay for everyone’s ivory backscratchers?
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
Is it possible that we agree DD is our best offensive center based on his creativity. Plex is our best 2 way centreman, and we hope Eller continues to develop into an excellent 2 way centerman.
Agree?
HELL NO
I WON’T GO
NOBODY AGREES ON HI/O.
***Subbang Baby!!!***
No, I think Pleks would put up the same points if he had both of the team’s best wingers, didn’t have to kill penalties, and didn’t have to play a shut-down role against the other teams’ best players.
He’s done it in the past.
Full Breezer 4 Life
I tried…. sigh
I disagree. You didn’t try very hard.
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
Guilty, I feigned effort.
Dude why are you listening to Sugar? Is someone making you? Are you doing it to impress someone? Some sort of terrible music paper you are researching?
Big fan of Hüsker Dü, and Sugar is frigging awesome.
I try to not be the guy who just listens to music from when he was growing up. I lived through the hated 50′s revival, when I was forcefed Elvis Presley and Rock Around the Clock, and hated the whole Big Chill era fascination with the sixties. I vowed I wouldn’t impose the music of my youth on future generations. But when I feel like it, I fire up my 90′s CD collection, it’s all here conveniently loaded onto my portable hard drive.
By the way, are you confusing Sugar with Big Sugar or the Sugarcubes? I ask because it’s a common mistake.
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
HiB, you Gomezed.
—Hope Springs Eternal—
Cool, I repsect that. No no I know sugar that album won album of the year, its just that in the years just after that music got much better.
I was a pretty big fan of the Minneapolis bands (Hüsker Dü and Big Black), the rock-funk fusion (Fishbone, Peppers, Bootsauce, Living Color), early West Coast rap. Not too big on the Seattle bands, but I liked Soundgarden and Alice in Chains. Brit pop was tolerable in some cases.
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
I agree that DD is the best offensive center on the 15th place team in the East, Pleks was the teams best offensive center on the team that went to the Eastern Conf Final.
Also, I really like DD, fun watching him in 2012.
I hope the team can keep any 2 of Plek/DD/Eller and add a true Numer One.
I agree that line is a championship caliber second line. I also think Gionta can be a winger on a top line. Bringing in a True Number One would make this team a contender.
Agree with that… (just to disagree with those that disagree with your post of course!)
Someone please tell me that Ron Wilson can’t speak french!
Oh, and the Bolts just won in OT. The Laffs continue to fall.
He cant speak french and he grew a horrible Movember moustache. Not to mention he reminds me of a weasel.
At this rate, the Leafs may fall below the Habs. Hope not.
Remember when the Leafs traded Russ Courtnall to us … for John Kordic?
–
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
Never mind that the laff just hire the coach tha Habs should had Randy Carlyde
He’s too much of a big meany.
It did open up a lot of doors in radio for Gord Stellick though.
i love how much strange diversity there is this fanbase. we have price haters, we have subban haters, we have koivu haters… i swear that if the rocket played today he’d be hated on right here as well.
seriously, how can you hate on koivu? he was a classy, quality player. pleks is the same kind of player. people talk about how koivu was a crap captain because the team was so terrible during his tenure… have any of the haters stopped to look at the team makeup during his time here? IT WAS HORRAWFUL.
AMEN Poly
ability is what you’re capable of doing.
attitude determines how you do it
Imaginary HIO comments about Hab legends:
Lafleur – “He should be scoring 70 goals a year with his talent.”
Shutt – “Defensive nightmare.”
Gainey – “Just skates around chasing the other team: shoot the puck!”
Geoffrion – “He’s no Rocket.”
Rocket – “He’s no Howie.”
Plante – “Makes the Habs look like sissies with that mask.”
Dryden – “They just handed him the job.”
Roy – “He choked in ’89″
Full Breezer 4 Life
This is hilarious!
Morenz – “Too brittle.”
… and here’s another random thought… Now that DD has become our best center, arguably our best player up front, and has more points than guys like Brad Richards, isn’t it time that SF, AB and the other DD bashers come to this site, step on their massive egos, and own up.
Your little Hobbit has become a giant. He’s better than Eller. He’s now a better center than Pleks. Suck it up princesses. Own up and beg for forgiveness.
HE Heeeee I’m with u on that one i always say from the start of the season that DD is the next Martin ST Llll the guy s fight adversity all is life and deliver
Get this. I love the kid. He’s having a good season, he’s playing with two beasts and he’s showing the kind of fortitude and skill we would like to see from more guys on this team.
The statements in your second paragraph may be a tad premature and over the top so lets see how he does over the next year or two before deifying him.
***Subbang Baby!!!***
To all the DD haters. Did you expect the coach to put him on a line with players smaller than him.
ability is what you’re capable of doing.
attitude determines how you do it
There are no players shorter than him in the NHL……. The kid is exciting and a keeper.
I don’t know if I qualify as a “basher”, but … I am still a Triple D – a David Desharnais Doubter.
I respect him, his skill, and his long-odds road to the NHL. I give full credit for him being a guy who immediately seizes the first opportunity and makes it happen. He’s what Eminem is talking about in “Lose Yourself”.
But I still don’t think he can be a number-one centre in the NHL.
Of course, all DD does is prove people wrong, every day, and WTF do I know?
Full Breezer 4 Life
ever since is awesome game in game 7 against boston last year he has been a monster in my mind
bill he is a number one center and your an idiot.
DD is only good on the ice.
The advanced stats tell a different story.
Take his Fenwick when he plays with Cole and Pacioretty, divide it by his Corsi when he plays with anyone else, then add his offensive zone faceoffs when the opposing players have a mean relative Corsi greater than 0, and then subtract his time on ice against western conference teams when the Habs played less than three days ago.
You’ll be shocked.
–
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
Ha! Right again — DD really sucks … except when he`s playing.
Or as I like to put it, All DD seems able to do is rack up points. Other than that, he`s useless.
Does it say “Boobless” when you turn it upside down?
—Hope Springs Eternal—
Oh, and come ON. He’s not a better centre than Pleks. No way could he do Plekanec’s job. Plekanec is insulating DD by playing against the toughest opponents, with second-rate wingers.
Full Breezer 4 Life
Careful Bill. We’ll be labeled as “haters” if we dare to show the slightest hesitancy to crown him. Or worse…Pleksbots.
Oh the shame…
***Subbang Baby!!!***
hmmm Pleksbot, you may be a distant cousin of mine, I am a Pricebot.
I remember being accused of hating both Price and Halak, often on the same day.
“Pleksbots” doesn’t really roll off the tongue. “Tom-Boys”?
Full Breezer 4 Life
He is now a better center than Pleks. Not as good on the PK and with foot speed, but in every other facet.
Pleks has earned his wingers with an awful season. He’s played dreadfully and he’s a player I’ve always rated (in the regular season…)
You forget that 5 on 5 Eller and DD have very similar point production. DD has piled up points on the PP while playing most the season with the teams two best wingers. Eller has also potted two shorties. Roles reversed, I think Eller would have much more production than he currently has, and DD’s would drop. It is a tough call.
Pleks has an awful plus minus because he was unable to play the entire season with Gionta and Bourque/Cammy. The Gionta injury hurt Pleks more than anybody.. Oh and not to mention JM playing Gionta with Gomez early on.
Hmmmm, IMO I don’t know about being better than Plex all around ? Offensively, ya kinda. Although, the shootout goal he scored yesterday night looked so effortless. I thought to myself after that, man this guy just keeps getting better and better. His composure for a guy his size is unreal. If he keeps this up for another season or two……then ya, mabey he’ll surpass Plex, but for now……..my vote still goes to Plex.
There is no better story for a guy like him. Kudo’s to Carbo on that too !
Habs, OLE !
Taylor Hall just went really hard into the boards.
Edit: Kid comes back next shift, hard to the net, he is pretty tough.
What is with this TSN cameraman?
Too tight, and missing the puck-carrier all the time!
—Hope Springs Eternal—
My friend Dan from Edmonton, the guy who can’t come up with the name of the ‘sports reporter’ who had an affair with Chris Pronger and got him traded out of town, he’s really worried about Taylor Hall. He says he plays so hard he won’t last, his body will break down, and he kind of wishes, with hindsight, that they’d taken Tyler Séguin, his game should carry into his thirties.
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
Friend of mine who coaches in the OHL told me prior to the draft Hall is like Ovi, Seguin is like Crosby, take Seguin.
Marvelled at the physical tools in Hall’s game, but said the on ice sense of Seguin was over the top, plus incredible speed and skill.
meh, i’d still take Hall over Seguin
QUESTION
Can DD be a Number One Center on a Stanley Cup Champion caliber team?
Edit: purpose of the question is “do you plan to move forward with DD as the future number one, or keep looking”
I don’t even know if he can be a number one centre for the Habs. Still, he keeps putting up points.
People say, what about Martin St. Louis … with all due respect to DD, he’s not St. Louis. St. Louis is ferocious and just as determined in his own end as the offensive end.
Full Breezer 4 Life
IMO this team would be set if it landed a true Number One in a trade, Even if it meant giving up one of DD or Eller, Any prospect, one of Patch or 2012 1st pick. give up 3 solid pieces for the Habs “Missing Piece.”
They need a Getzlaf type guy. IF such a player *were* available for either DD or Eller plus the 2012 pick, you take it and run.
That and a healthy Markov gets the Habs into the top ten.
Full Breezer 4 Life
What if in addition to the 2 pieces you listed, they wanted one of Gallagher, Beaulieu, Tinordi or Emelin?
The proposal was to add any of the Habs’ prospects along with that. And I would definitely not trade Pacs+DD+this year’s 1st rounder for a #1 center since 2/3 of our current top line would be gone and who would play with this guy? Most of the up and coming top prospects are defensemen so that leaves picking up some UFAs. Which kinda defeats the purpose of building around the young players we already have. That and the Habs traded away Kostitsyn and Cammalleri already: two established wingers.
Eller, Patch and a first?
that would leave:
Gionta “new guy” Bourque
Cole DD ??
Moen Pleks ??
I would do DD, the 2012 pick, and Tinordi. I’d even do Eller, 2012 pick, and Tinordi.
I’d do DD, 2012 pick, and Emelin for Getzlaf.
That’s about it.
Full Breezer 4 Life
So no Patch? I like your two deals for either Getzlaf or Eric Stall.
I’d even throw in two of our three 2013 second rounders..
@MacDougall: NO PATCH!! One of the best scoring wingers in the NHL as of this year.
Full Breezer 4 Life
Maybe not a good comparison, but what about Naslund? One of my all-time favorite Habs (second only to Lafleur), but how would you describe his game? Not saying he was a slouch in the defensive zone, but I just remember him for his offense.
And if DD continues to produce as he has been, I think we have ourselves a gem.
Just because he’s not as good as St-Louis yet doesn’t mean he will never be or that he won’t be a valuable contributor as he is this season.
He’s worth keeping around for the next little while.
Anybody know what the nature of the injury is to Jared Tinordi? I was wondering why he was barely getting any ice, they just said he was injured but tried to play through a lower body injury.
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
dtoight is going for a long long drive down memory autobahn.
—Hope Springs Eternal—
I was thinking what a whack job PG is. He takes on Kabs for 4.5 mil a year (for 2!), but he won’t sign Jagr for 3.3 (for 1 year…) I know we’re talking different positions, but seriously…?! Imagine what Jagr would have done on the PP with Pleks and AK… or anybody else for that matter!
PG should be fired. He doesn’t have a clue and Bob should follow him out the door.
You know that PG didn’t try to sign Jagr, and that he would definitely have come here had PG offered him 3.3million?
Your Magic 8-Ball must be a $6 job! That’s insight!
—Hope Springs Eternal—
Let me say up front I did not want habs to ‘waste’ money on signing Jagr. But I never expected PG to do something as stupid as signng for Kaberle. The poster is right.. he should have signed Jagr instead. And yes he is also right.. PG and JM rejected Jagr off the bat. You may not liek the truth caus eyou still see merit in PG’s and Jm’s reign but they have royally screwed up the HABS.
No, that’s not what I’m saying at all.
What I’m saying is that neither you nor Marc10 have any idea whether PG could have even got Jagr or not.
There’s a good chance he didn’t even want to play here.
—Hope Springs Eternal—
When you put it that way, maybe signing Jaromir Jagr wouldn’t have been the end of the world….
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
On a personal note, I’m freezing.
Just realized 30mins ago that my g/f turned the heat down to 16 before leaving for work at 4.
chatterchatterchatterchatterchatter
—Hope Springs Eternal—
Luckily there are some things that we posters here can actually influence and fix: push your thermostat needle 1/4 inch to the right.
No need to thank me, it’s a gift
“man, I love winnin’; you know, it’s like better than losin’?”-
Ebby Calvin “Nuke” Laloosh
Ha! Done!
The radiators are pinging and cracking as the furnace goes into overdrive, but it’s a slow warm-up, and I’ve been getting chilly since 7.
Might have to put on a second Forever Lazy.
—Hope Springs Eternal—
Wow, bizarro-world relationship you got going on there. She turns down the heat? Does she insist on having a TV in the kitchen so she can watch SportsCentre in the morning?
My last girlfriend was from Cairns Australia, she figured out the thermostat was her friend real quick. I’d come home and think she was getting the place ready for Bikram yoga.
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
Ha!
Did she pay for the bills?
We keep it pretty cool here, but only just started turning down the heat when we go out.
Because we don’t have fixed schedules, we can’t put a proper timer on.
16 degrees…
—Hope Springs Eternal—
The strategies of economizing energy inefficiencies.
Winter’s been mild so far but it’s like the seasons have been shifted forward by a month. I fooled myself into thinking that we were going to be having an early spring.
The heating and electricity is included, so no damage there. Houses in BC are so poorly insulated, and they use baseboard heaters instead of proper HVAC systems. I just made it clear to her that the bedroom shouldn’t be too warm or I’d be needing my space, we had an understanding there.
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
I just love how everyone is dumping on the laffs, especially seeing how we are dead last in the Eastern Conference.
Who cares about Toronto? The Habs suck, isn’t that the real issue at hand?
Ron Wilson just got fired.
That’s why we’re talking about them.
We talk about the Habs plenty.
Let us revel in a whole other level of suck for a bit.
—Hope Springs Eternal—
I hear ya’. Not sure that Burke made the right choice. Is a hard ass coach the right choice with a young team?
I still think it all comes down to having a decent goalie.
The right choice? Carlyle is from Anaheim. When Burke runs out of answers from Anaheim, he’ll be out of answers, period, haha.
Full Breezer 4 Life
Kinda remindful of PG and the Ottawa connection.
Misery loves company?
Didn’t love the song at the time, but when I heard it playing over the credits to “Clerks 2″ I finally got it. Nice hooks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLQ2TIul8pI
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
I saw them when I lived down in Charlotte years ago, they were pretty good.
I loved Clerks. Saw it when it came out on Video. I mean that. DVD’s didn’t even exist when I first saw that movie.
Berserker!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5D-9X3ooFvo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRbhNQUZYh0
Multitasking.
–
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
has it ever occured to anyone that scott gomez really started to suck right after he took saku koivu’s old number?? coincidence…i think not!!!
He shouldn’t have been allowed to wear that jersey one year after Saku left. Or at least, after last season, they should have given him 91 again and make him earn #11.
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
I didn’t want Koivu re-signed before the summer blow up and 11 UFA squandering. I was hoping for a renewal. However, I did not think Gomez taking number 11 was classy, either for him or the Habs to allow.
Well said, Dave.
He pretty much sucked right away, but yeah, it got unbelievable after he put on number 11.
A number worn by a storied team’s second-longest serving captain, and tenth all-time leading scorer, shouldn’t be up for grabs after a year for anyone, much less Gomez.
Full Breezer 4 Life
DGB is the only Toronto media I like. He’s gonna have a field day with this
_________________________________
Open-mindedness is not a skull fracture
Is Habs core better than the leafs core?
Today on the sports talk radio, most of the sports guys were saying yes Habs have better core.
The core of Toronto is Gardner/Schenn, Lupul/Kessel
Grabovski is UFA and wants huge term and money.
No doubt the Habs core is better. They’ve got a #1 goaltender who can do quite well in a hockey hotbed in Price. They’ve got 3 good D-men in Markov, Subban and Gorges.
They’ve got a great 2nd line center in Plekanec who is excellent at shutting down other players if it comes to that and playing on the PK. And now Pacs is emerging as a great power forward. DD could potentially emerge to be a keeper for years to come.
Is that too many players to be considered a core?
we are bad right now but i am sure we can get alot better next year. but toronto was the best they will ever be a few weeks ago
Leaf suckitude is just like snow on Christmas. Doesn’t happen all the time, but the odds are stacked.
I don’t feel good about injuring players. But I’m not above grinning my pearly whites in a glee when I realize that Gionta played Santa this year while knocking Optimus Reime off his high horse.
If you suck on the ice, you couldn’t possibly walk on water now, could you ?
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Open-mindedness is not a skull fracture
My fave part of this whole sh*tquake of loserness is Burkie’s Big Media Splash Contract Extension coming back to bite him in his fleshy sittin’ bits.
He truly is the King of Bombast.
—Hope Springs Eternal—
@MattyLeg HAHAZhAHAHA lmao oh man… That’s a great Churchill one! Lol
Glad you liked it Upmann.
It’s an absolute classic.
—Hope Springs Eternal—
So, battle of the Randy Cs behind the bench tomorrow night. Carlyle is laughing all the way to the bank; the Ducks are still paying him for two or three more years.
Here is my proposed management team for next year:
GM- Julien Brisebois, assistant GM- Vincent Damphousse or Andre Savard
Head Coach- Bob Hartley
Assistant Coaches- Guy Carbonneau, Larry Robinson, Larry Carriere
Other management positions- Bob Gainey, Don Lever?
Obviously for all this to happen, some guys would have to leave their current positions, and a lot of egos would have to be checked at the door. But can you imagine if we brought all these guys on board?
Hartley meets the (stupid) language requirement, and has a pretty respectable track record. Brisebois was an asset to us as the “capologist”, and is filling a similar role now in Tampa Bay. The others are former players or coaches who have already done a tour of duty in some form in Montreal. It would be a heck of a budget for our coaching and management, but Molson definitely has the money.
Hartley is just plain old..old hard ass he is. Can we get a fresh new face.
Yes cuz we need wide sweeping changes, I’m sure the players will love that.
Stay the course and have patience.
You think Cunneyworth/Gauthier will be around past April…?
I hope so. RC may be gone, but PG isn’t going anywhere; good. From all accounts the players like RC, and he’s seemingly instilled a good work ethic and brought some toughness; good.
I haven’t minded Cunneyworth either, but whether or not he should stay, he won’t, based on a ridiculous insistence on appeasing the French media.
@HFX-HabFan
now that I agree with.
Cunneyworth’s results speak loudest.
Full Breezer 4 Life
@Bill
Last year’s Stanley Cup final speaks loudest. I’m sick of firing coaches simply to please the “mob”. Finally, is this ridiculous fan base really going to write off a coach after less than half a season..? Really? Again, I say patience.
Larry Carriere is a plant on the coaching staff by Pierre Gauthier, he’s only there to be the eyes and ears inside the room, to gather intel for the rebuild. In passing that may be a big part of the reason why team morale has crashed, and why Mr. Cunneyworth makes odd decisions. In any case, he’s not a professional coach and will not be back coaching next season.
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
Randy also has no problem throwing his players under the bus which can not be good for an already fragile team
I think the Sh*tStorm in T.O. is probably alot like the Sh*tquake Leahy used to refer to on TrailerPark.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdA3PPNHG_0
This is for grown up ears only.
Leafs really started sucking right after the Wilson contract extension … can’t be coincidence.
Burke looks like he’s panicking though. The optics are bad.
Full Breezer 4 Life
i hate the leafs more then any1, but who are we to say that suck, look at the standings, WE SUCK
http://www.scottygomezfoundation.com/
President of the Scott Gomez Fan Club
(I support Scott Gomez)
There’s a big difference between sucking in the moment and chronic sucking.
Winston Churchill once had an exchange with a woman who said “Winston, you’re drunk!!” and he replied, “Madam, you’re ugly. In the morning, though, I shall be sober.”
It’s like the Leafs saying we suck. Sure we may suck, but next year we shall be in the playoffs.
—Hope Springs Eternal—
It’s like the Leafs saying we suck. Sure we may suck, but next year we’ll be in the playoffs.
i hope your right, i already miss playoff hockey, especially when i usually go to watch them in the playoffs, great time last year and especially the year before that
http://www.scottygomezfoundation.com/
President of the Scott Gomez Fan Club
(I support Scott Gomez)
You should be a motivational speaker Matty!
I heard he owns a van and lives near a river…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWvgcQBt8mc
No matter how many times I see that I cry laughing. Buddy on my ball team is a twin to Chris Farley, and does the impersonation perfect. Even funnier after a few pops.
Too awesome.
—Hope Springs Eternal—
Ha!
I dunno, my teeth aren’t nearly white enough for that gig…
—Hope Springs Eternal—
At least in the year we finish at the bottom of the barrel we have our 1st round pick.
Tomorrows game will be extremely physical chippy game. Anaheim under Carlyle was always one of the leagues highest penalized teams and I believe led NHL in most fighting majors. Combine that with the recent injection of Testosterone in Mtl, should be a rough one.
I heard Randy walks on water in his spare time
lyle or cunny?
Well sheeeeeeeit.
There’s one GM who LISTENS when crowds chant things, at least…
—Hope Springs Eternal—
His name is… whoa?
His name is… who?
His name is… chika chika chika… slim shady!
I can’t wait to watch Burke’s press conference, it will be all about how this wasn’t Ron Wilson’s fault, that the players should be responsible yadda yadda yadda (but not in the Seinfeld yadda yadda yadda way)
I wonder if he’ll do his tie up.
—Hope Springs Eternal—
Anybody else having a major Schadenfreude moment right now?
Just a lot.
—Hope Springs Eternal—
Nope.
Except just about every Montreal AND Ottawa fans the world over.
_________________________________
Open-mindedness is not a skull fracture
It doesnt matter who coaches those bunch of bums. That team sucks.
does wilson speak french?
http://www.scottygomezfoundation.com/
President of the Scott Gomez Fan Club
(I support Scott Gomez)
That’s funny.
Richard R
Randy C (the other RC) to the rescue.
Richard R
So they hired Carlyle!
Burkie is the real problem. That boob needs to keep his mouth shut,
It’s Carlyle.
Full Breezer 4 Life
The old buddy system.
THere will be some serious questioning done by local media, alot of people thought Dallas Eakins was ready to take job. Plus Carlyle is even harder on his players than Wilson was.
This is great. A media implosion in T.O. to go along with a game against a tougher Habs team makes for a very interesting Saturday night.
***Subbang Baby!!!***
I think this time I’ll tune in to HNIC for once.
You know ? For sh*ts and giggles….
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Open-mindedness is not a skull fracture
You know TSN wishes right now there was no 3rd period in the Ottawa Chicago game. This is going to have all the T.O. media fully stimulated!
Habs getting more truculent…
If Pierre Lacroix is available, would you get him to replace PG ?
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Open-mindedness is not a skull fracture
Isn’t JM still employed by the Habs?