The duration of Chris Campoli’s absence will be measured in MONTHS, not weeks.
And Blair Betts won’t play in Winnipeg on Sunday. He has a lower-back problem (those get better right away, right?) and is listed as day-to-day.
The Canadiens had better hope Alexei Emelin can play in the NHL.
Campoli was hurt after jamming a skate in the ice during the opener.
Poll question:
Which job is more dangerous, defusing bombs in Afghanistan or playing defence for the Montreal Canadiens at the ACC?
• Tweet from Skillsie75 (Hal Gill): Pont Champlain workers, take your time. Enjoy the coffee break. Have a smoke. #sarcasm
• Carey Price and Mike Cammalleri were on the ice for Saturday morning practice before the team boards their 2 p.m. charter to Winnipeg.
And Erik Cole was on the first-wave of the power play.
• Dave Stubbs: Cole underused vs. Leafs
• Boone: Go Jets, go!
• Defencemen dropping like … Canadiens

I hate to say it but you are right.
Word out of Beantown is that Benny MIGHT pull into the lineup tonight vs. Tampa.
I hope the habs can match the energy for winnipegs first home game in a long time…
Based on what I saw on Thursday, we will be outworked, out skated and physically beaten by Winnipeg. I was really disappointed with the level of effort and the cowardice displayed by some of our players. I am struggling to stay positive and optimistic. Please help me; give me reasons why we are going to be OK and make at least the second round of this season’s playoffs.
Only solace I can give you is the first period of the game. It we play like the first period, we got a shot.
Olé, olé, olé oleé
Yeah we scored about 5 goals in that first?
Hey, I never said it was GREAT hope…
Olé, olé, olé oleé
JM will be canned soon!
God I hope so. Addition by subtraction!
Did anyone watch the first couple of minutes of coach’s corner. Isnt there a significant issue involved… more significant than the trash that followed on the fighting issue.
The guy’s a train wreck. His thing on Pacioretty and Chara was disgusting. What he’s saying is “patches had it coming” which of course contradicts Charas outright LIES about knowing what he was doing. Why doesn’t Cherry comment on that – what a yellow coward Chara is hiding behind a pack of lies. Unless that fits with the Cherry code? Who knows? Cherry used to be a dinosaur, now he’s a freakin’ decaying fossil. What an ignoramus.
————————————-
Listen to the Smart Dog. He knows his poop!
Am I the only one , other than D. Cherry, who sees the two examples of guys trying their best not to finish a hit as worrisome.
Forget the crap in the rest of the segment.. I think this will affect hockey badly, unless straightened out.
The habs d looks in trouble…i was suprised when a lot of the posters felt we have one of the best d in the nhl…i believe right now we are not even in the top 15….gill and spacek are over the hill..they provide minimal positive impact 5 on 5..enmelin and diaz have no nhl experience…gorges is good on d but provides no offense and we have the stud pk who is very good but still needs a lot more experience….home fans of all teams way overrate their players…but if this was the 6 d that boston,buffalo or any other team in the nhl had on their roster i believe most of the fans on this site would have many more negative comments….now with campoli out and markov questionable and weber still not having taken the next step to be a decent d we are in deep trouble…
Agreed. I think Gauthier was expecting Markov to be ready and Emelin to be better than he has yet shown. Hence the decision to let Hamrlik go, even though the one-year offer makes it clear they wanted him. But it’s very early. Diaz is looking good, and with a little time, Emelin may also. However, if the defence looks poor tomorrow, I think we’ll be hearing on Monday that Gauthier has signed someone else – perhaps Paul Mara. But overall I agree we’re in trouble.
I game does not a season make. Emelin hasn’t played a regular season game yet, give him 20-30 games to find his grove. Cole was on the 3rd line .. To me, the coaching in game one receives a failing grade. The key lies in Markov as well. Gauthier took a chance. Lets see what happens.
I don’t know if you understand French and watch l’antichambre on RDS. I do and, last night, the panel described the Habs defence as the worst in the NHL; I agree. We suck! God, I hope Yemelin proves to be a much better player than what he has shown so far.
I think we have the worst D in the KHL too!
good one!
So which team in the NHL do coaches say “don’t hit them, play soft”?
http://twitter.com/andrewberkshire
Don’t think it is a matter of choice more a matter of ability.
I have 4 words for you & the rest of the MORONS that are crying like you:
SHUT THE …. UP.
“Hate Bruins like a sickness”
and get in Price’s kitchen.
How would YOU beat the Habs?
Coach JayBee:
“Guys, the Habs are a quick transition team so don’t get caught flat footed. Do not rush when along the boards. You’ll get an extra second or 2 to look up and make the right pass since their forecheckers do not hit. Bother Carey, stand in his crease and push him around. Take advantage of their smaller/soft defencemen and HAMMER them along the boards. HIT, HIT, HIT! Stay out of the box, clog up the neutral zone and hit them as much as possible.”
You are right on the money.
Geez…it’s like they left the asylum doors unlocked in here today…
welcome to the club…….
Whoever the pro scout is that recommended Spacek should be fired immediately.
He was named GM.
I wonder what Bob Gainey and Guy Carbonneau thought of Pierre Gauthiers habit of calling everyone Mr. ________
Goat was auditioning for the job. He got it!
Spacek was third choice, BG offered first to Komo (wanted to test the market), Beauchemin was next (wanted big dollars) and then Spacek. At least he wanted to play here…
I doubt there was a ton of GM’s bidding for his services.
“Ahhh, the old use truth to confuse debate trick!”
I agree with orphans. JM has to be the worst coach ever. Why would anyone use the same guys on the powerplay and penalty kill? Why is he so in love with AK? A guy who has no Hab pride, and only plays when he feels like it? Why does JM get rid of such great young players to keep that garbage? Why doesn’t he make his players stand up for Price when he gets knocked down?
The team plays like their coach. Lifeless, turn the other cheek, etc.
The one thing that makes me so frigging angry is how they allow other players to run Price. The goalie is similar to your wife…would you let a dude put his hands on your wife? You’d probably try to bash his face in. But the Habs are the type to say…”just ignore him honey…he’ll stop touching you…..eventually. Stop showing so much skin!”
You gotta think Price hates it. I know Josh will step in….White, sometiems Gomez and maybe Moen but that’s about it. Fend for yourself Carey!
I think part of the problem, other than the lack of toughness, is the players are scared to take a roughing penalty to protect Price. They fear they will wind up in JM’s large doghouse. If I was coach I would tell players if anyone touches our best player (Price) GO AFTER HIM!
so in love with AK?!?!?!?
you mean the same AK who had a phantom call send him to the penalty box and then had to sit for the rest of the game.
if anything JM uses AK as a scapegoat.. and i don’t know why
of our top 6 he is by far the most physically involved one.
as for the rest i agree
——————
The 2010-11 Stanley Cup was not won, but given
I want to see PG do something big to bring some excitement to this team. Fire JM or trade AK, Louis Leblanc and draft picks for a big bruising winger or bruising defenceman. It hurt big time seeing Mike Komisarek treat the Hab players like they were his bitches the other night.
Don Cherry is this generation’s Archie Bunker…So I guess that Don’s long suffering sidekick Ron MacLean would be Edith….Seems appropriate. Shrill, loud and full of really ridiculous ideas and always bullied by the dominant personality.
I guess his dis-tractor’s would then be “meatheads” !
This gravatar tells me to wait ten minutes but should I log out here and log back in for my avatar to KICK in or what?
I think your avator looks fine, kind of like the mystery man.
Only the “Shadow” knows!
i did it. How you like my avatar?… hope no one has the same.
Have seen it before but not lately. You might be lucky!
jeez, now I have to find another pick and do this all over again. At least I know how to do it now. I,ll just ride this picture out untill I see it from another poster.
Looks OK to me but if that is your kid on the left, dont look for a call from the Montreal Canadiens as he nears his draft year…. as long as PG and JM are running the team anyways.
Too much sandpaper in the kid.
How’s the wife doing if not too personal?
I’m not married anymore. Why?
Sorry question wasn’t for you.
Thank you for asking. The brain takes unpredictably long time to heal but she is improving a lot and keeping up her work effort. To anyone involved in rehabilitation after stroke or brain-tumour best chances of maximum recovery… physical therapy and more physical therapy… as long as their is no pain from any muscular injury to limbs whatever.
Works wonders!
Do not let that person lie or sit in bed and wait for normal usage in limbs, whatever, to return…..
Again thanks for asking.
Good luck to all of you!
Interesting comments from the CBC. When Kristine Stewart says ” we at CBC don’t support Mr. Cherrys’ comments”, I wonder who she means?
Does she speak for the entire CBC brass or is she making sure that she herself doesn’t have to stand up and give her own opinion?
Whether or not I agree with Cherry I must say that it’s obvious that all those at the top of the food chain in these taxpayer run agencies are in realty politicians.
Pathetic really.
GO HABS…
Just eight more games to go after tomorrow’s with Winnipeg before the mother of all gellings takes place. The System will be vindicated once and for all!!!
Ahhhh, Bozo is back!
Hopefully this f^cks you up only a little.
Manage my own $hit, so have to do my own research, have seen a few of your quotes.
Always get cracked up while reading, as my warped sense of humour switches to you giving the interview with one of your HIO personnas like Bozo!!
Watch out for next Friday’s retail sales report! US consumers spent like sailors on leave in September.
I can’t believe there’s even one person in the poll who thinks JM is the right coach for the Habs…We have offensively-minded players who should be used accordingly. AK, Cammalleri, Gionta, Pacioretty, Cole…these are guys who should all be scoring. 5 guys plus even Plekanec who can score around 20 goals and yet they still manage to be blanked by the Waffles. I remember reading in one of the articles posted that Cole was put on the 3rd line because JM didn’t like that Cole favoured offensive play as opposed to defensive…
I hope they bring back Muller after he spends 1-2 years in the AHL.
And now that the season has started the team will have to totally tank before he’s replaced and then you have to find a great coach- who also happens to be fluent in french- to replace him.
Bottom line: we’re stuck with him for awhile and I’m praying he makes all of us doubters eat crow.
GO HABS…
The team is not buillt to JM’s system. Imagine if it was? We’d have a team full of 3rd and 4th liners.
The Habs have an identity….JM is doing his best to erase it. Never liked him, never wanted him here.
Seriously though…look at the leafs game…how in the hell does Cole play on the 3rd and gets limited PP time? What is his obssession with Darche? uuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhh
Darche is a franco.
Cole was one the first line by the 3rd, and Darche played less than any forward not named Moen and Engqvist.
Right….by the 3rd period. Point is HE SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN ON THE 3RD LINE. And JM has an obssession with darche. I like Darche but Martin does some silly things. Halpern, Darche, Moen have all played on the 1st line at one poitn. What other frigging coach would ever do that?
The only player Cole would supplement in the top-6 is AK46, for a few periods is the marginal difference between Cole and AK46 that great? I wouldn’t think so. Most of the time when those players got top line ice time; JM was short on better options. Lots of coaches play bottom-6 players on the top-6 from many different reasons.
Oh really? Players like Halpern, Darche, Moen get 1st line minutes on other teams regularly? Pretty sure those coaches were fired.
mind = blown
You really never notice these types of players top line minutes from time to time? Well, Guy the Great last night gave Moore the 2nd most ES ice time among forwards, Nate Thompson got more than Vinny and Ryan Malone. 50-point getter Teddy Purcell had the 3rd lowest ice time.
You may see it once in a while….but not for LONG stretches like you see with the Habs.
So now we see what Yeme-Emelin can do. It should be interesting. He’s big, he’s mean and he’s still young. I know a lot of people have given up on him because of 30 or so minutes of uninspiring play, but I figure it’ll be interesting to see what he has to offer. If nothing else, the Campoli disaster will give him a chance to work it out and show what he can do.
As for the snakebitten, oft-injured D corps, all we need to do to end the run of bad luck is sacrifice an HIO virgin by making him stand under an expressway for more than an hour. It’s a harsh ritual, but life is like that.
Updating my profile and trying to add a picture ( I think its called an avatar?) can anyone give me a clue how to do it? thanks in advance>
Make a Gravatar account, it’s pretty simple from there.
ok
lets see if I did this right.
again.
again
again…please work.
CBC releases statement re Don Cherry;
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/story/2011/10/08/sp-cbc-cherry-statement.html
Not good enough. They are just trying to wash their hands of this.
Chrisadiens and HabFan10912, one of the few father son tandems on HIO.
I can’t find in that article where they say they are going to can his ass. Just a “that’s his opinion not ours”
“They don’t hang Conference Championship Banners from the rafters here”
Carey Price
why can’t they just fire the mother f#$%^&* ?
RE: Paul Mara
I know he’s a big guy who has NAG (and a luxuriant playoff beard) but if the numbers mean anything, he’s not a great defenceman. This is from yardbarker about adjusted Corsi.
http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/cam_fowler_has_the_worst_team_and_zone_adjusted_corsi_rating/6122746
Although Cam Fowler leads the list of the players with the worst ratings, this is what the article says about Mara:
“Paul Mara probably would have led this list by a significant margin. That is likely a significant part of the reason that he remains unsigned this summer, however he split the season between Anaheim and Montreal, so he cannot be included on htis list correctly (though I accidentally had him on the earliest version). ”
The same is true of Brent Sopel, which is why he’s now playing in the KHL.
No, he’s not good at all, but he’s willing to punch people when they get close to the crease. Which to many here is worth its weight in gold, regardless if he stinks at all other aspects of hockey.
true dat
hes more then a reliable 6th or 7th dman, plus he stands up for the team i’d sign him
And it would make Gill and Spacek look fast on their skates…
I know we are only one game into the season but there are several things that worry me…
1. I hope that K. Muller’s departure does not leave a big hole behind the bench when it comes to motivating the players… because based on the preseason games and the T.O game they looked like a “who gives a crap” bunch…
2. P.K has not shown a single flash of his brilliant play since the last game of the Boston series… Has the stardom status that the fans quickly fed him after 1 season in the NHL gotten to his head?
3. I know this might sound like smacks on a dead horse, but other than White and maybe Moen, I don’t see anyone on this team who’s even willing to push guys around after the whistle… It was just HAAAARD watching our guys getting crosschecked repeatedly by that A-hole Komisarek… AND NOBODY DID A FREAKING THING ABOUT IT!!!! Can Emelin bring the “Mean S.O.B” that we all expect of him?
4. It’s been proven to me season after season that our PP is ineffective unless we have a big point shot… (See the numbers with and without Sourray, Streit, Schneider, Wiz… ) I know PK has a bullet but one is not enough… Even Markov does not quiet fill that hole…
5. Maybe the most obvious one but Markov’s return and the level of play he returns with will be KEY to this season…
forget about what he says, forget about the suits he wears, cherry should be canned based on his “trademark” thumbs up
Ok first off…Happy Birthday to me…..I plan on being drunk by the time Cherry comes on tonight….
I have agreed with some things Cherry has said in the past (no touch icing, no checking from behind, softer equipment, etc), but in the past few years he hasn’t been entertaining. His thinking is outdated, and he crossed the line when he called the 3 former enforcers “pukes”.
I have no problem seeing two guys drop the gloves in the heat of action. I don’t enjoy seeing the staged fights though….
I have videotapes of NHL fights from the 80′s and 90′s, edited from games I recorded. We did an experiment once….two TVs at a Superbowl party. One showing the football, and one showing the hockey fights. Within minutes, everyone was watching the fights….
But those days are gone, and that old dinosaur Don should be retired once and for all after this season. Time for TSN to step up and outbid the CBC for the Saturday night hockey soon….
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
Happy birthday!
I’ll be doing the same haha
Cheers!
Don’t care about Cole’s powerplay stats anymore. You have him, use him. Can’t hurt to try, anyway…
hey guys, i have stayed out of most debates about tough guys or fighters or wtvr.. but i just wanted to have a quick say on that issue.
i think the habs need to play a different type of game, because the game they play now gets them physically dominated.
they need a quick skating, passing game where you are not constantly going up against 6″3 bruisers.
Now i think this team is built for playoff success but not regular season success…
as for the max pac and chara incident.. those who are blaming Pacioretty (including Cherry) are idiots.. nothing more to say to that.
his “push” on Chara is not an excuse for getting his neck broken.. and if people don’t see it that way then i just feel sad for them.
——————
The 2010-11 Stanley Cup was not won, but given
From reading a big part of the discussion below, WoW…
“Hobie Hansen” i wish there was an ignore button so i dont need to read your teenager vies and blab, see not calling them arguments, as the later requires concise use of logic and a tough pattern.
“SeriousFan09″ you are a great contributor to these blogs i greatly appreciate it, i learned a few times that when someone is either immature or uneducated they’re impossible to talk to, kinda like a religious extremist… so ignore the ignorant lol
lmao at all the people that think they know more than Gauthier and JM.
Guess what people, there’s a reason that these 2 are important pieces of the Canadiens organization. And there’s also a reason that no one on this board has their job.
all this flack after 1 game. Jeeze people chill out and enjoy the next 81+ games. Or would you all rather go back to a couple of months ago when there was no hockey at all? lmao @ 80% of you.
I hate when people say this. Yes, Gauthier and Martin are more important than me, but even the most basic hockey fan can point out a few gaffes.
I hate fans who go with everything the organization does and can’t look at the org with a critical eye. I have no issue with glass half full fans…I DO have an issue with homers who back any and everything the team does and puts down others for being more critical.
Flame away
It’s the typical let me elevate myself by putting all the rest of you down comment. It’s passive-aggressiveness of the highest order and it’s very prevalent here.
Oh, hello HardHabits.
http://twitter.com/andrewberkshire
Nobody likes a bully!
Just say NO to bullying!!
There is no bullying going on. Just pointing out who this person is.
http://twitter.com/andrewberkshire
Please!!
And he left because of whom?
And your providing a public service how?
Give peace a chance!
Frank, let’s be honest here for 2 seconds. HH never left. He pulled a little publicity stunt to get attention and he’s back already under a different name. It has nothing to do with “give peace a chance”. It has everything to do with moral grandstanding when there’s nothing to stand on.
No one told HH to leave HIO. If he couldn’t handle the rhetoric he started, that’s no one’s fault but his own. But saying you’re gone when you’re not, I’m gonna call him out for. It’s disingenuous.
Now if you can name any way in which saying who is, is in fact bullying, I’m all ears. But it isn’t. Not even in the loosest sense of the term.
http://twitter.com/andrewberkshire
Andrew, I’m not going to get into an endless debate with you. And I don’t for an instant believe HH to be innocent, even of bullying which I have also seen him do. And perhaps you should also re examine your moral grandstanding here. Two wrongs don’t make a right so be the big man here (no pun intended to either of you) and let it go.
Thanks or no tanks to both of you.
That’s all folks!!
Herein lies the problem. Nothing I’m doing is moral grandstanding, nor is it bullying. It’s calling a spade a spade and that’s all.
http://twitter.com/andrewberkshire
HF. Let it go. I already have. For the record I never feigned innocence. In fact I readily accept that I am guilty as charged. The difference is I can be repentant whereas AB is the opposite. As for your accusations AB, they are symptomatic of your further inability to admit and correct this serious flaw in your character. As for habsbeens, I don’t know who he is but I like him already. Andrew. You can’t see that people are trying to help you. Habsbeen was right about one thing he wrote recently. Those guilty of Hubris can use a little Humility.
I have no issue with having a critical eye, but you better be right or have an insightful opinion, and at least some understanding of the long-term nature of NHL management.
Take your long post from below. “Yemelin…. Another gaffe by Habs management” Hasn’t played one NHL game and you’re already blaming management. You also mention Eller signing in Montreal, which has never happened. I know it’s nitpicky, but if you can’t get simple facts right, why should anyone give your opinion much weight?
Lets not cry over trivial nitpicky bullshit. I obviously knew Eller was traded here… A simple mistake as I obviously had the word in my head from the Emelin signing.
It IS a gaffe because Hamrlik was let GO to make space for Emelin. A guy who was touted to be able to play as a 2nd pairing dman NOW!
Just like Eller was touted to play as a 3rd line center last year (bye bye Moore) but he clearly wasn’t ready.
I type 80 WPM…you know exactly what I’m getting at, so please miss me on the ticky tack thing…
Read what I’ve typed in the past. I’ve been right a hell of a lot more than I’ve been wrong. Am I more brash than others here? Yea…but I get my point across in a certain way and like I said, I’m usually right.
I’ll continue to pick at things I dislike and you can continue to not address my actual comments but worry on stupid nitpicky stuff.
Another guy who has to put others down to prop himself up. Congrats!
“It IS a gaffe because Hamrlik was let GO to make space for Emelin. A guy who was touted to be able to play as a 2nd pairing dman NOW!”
How is that true? Emelin signed on May 17th, and Hamrlik was offered a contract at the end of June. Clearly, Hamrlik was not let go because of Emelin, Hamrlik was most likely let go because Montreal did not want to give him a two-year deal.
“Just like Eller was touted to play as a 3rd line center last year (bye bye Moore) but he clearly wasn’t ready.”
Montreal signed Halpren to replace Moore. Halpren had more ice than Eller last year.
“I’ll continue to pick at things I dislike and you can continue to not address my actual comments but worry on stupid nitpicky stuff.
Another guy who has to put others down to prop himself up. Congrats!”
Sorry to nitpick on the Emelin/Hammer timeline, but it seems important. I really don’t see how I put you down or how I am propping myself up.
If Emelin was not in the picture, do you really think Hamr wouldn’t have been re-signed? I’m pretty sure he would have. Emelin was signed and automatically had a spot created for him.
Gorges
Gill
Subban
Markov
Spacek
Emelin
Emelin took Hamr’s spot.
As far as Eller. NO, Halpern was not signed to replace Moore. Halpern was signed as a 4th line centerman to replace Metropolit. Moore was a 3rd line centerman. He IS NOT a 4th line C.
Then why did Montreal offer Hamrlik a contract? It’s been report as a fact that he was offered one post Emelin signing. Had Hamrlik signed the contract he was offered, Montreal would have had both players. Emelin did not take his spot directly.
You all make me lmao!!!
The internet is serious business lmao
I definitely feel elevated for leaving these comments!(sarcasm just so you know JB) ahaha oh my. I love it when people take things so seriously
Andrew brought up an interesting point at the end of the string we had below: the relative composure the Habs and Bruins showed in the playoffs.
In my opinion I see this as proof of the external pressure players feel within hockey culture to enact retribution. The playoffs always show player’s capacity for self restrain. Making the incidents of the regular season seem all the more unjustifiable and forced. Players to a large extent do what’s expected of them. Arguments about “heat of the moment” are weak in this context.
Which shines a light right back on fans. If some of us stopped expecting and enjoying such acts, they’d soon shrivel up. And that’s why Mr. Cherry is always there to blow his horn. He offers his questionable credence to this sad instinct in an effort to ensure it is perpetuated. To him it’s a issue of employment. Pretty sad and narrow.
Sour grapes over his own deficiencies as a player? Highly likely.
In the reality distortion field that is the cbc they call this “balanced reporting”. To provide a weekly soap box to a sad, pathetic, raving idiot but never allow any one to contest his views is inexcusable. Thank god I get RDS so I only have to watch CBC once a year. The first game every year I watch the cbc broadcast and listen to Cherry and then remind myself why I hate it so much.
Sadly, it goes well beyond Cherry and the CBC. Kids don’t just learn this stuff from him. Many minor league coaches play a big role in all of this.
But again, it comes down to fans. If some people didn’t like it, it would stop.
I also find it ironic that Cherry sees himself as an advocate for safety in hockey, often being correct on issues like no-touch icing and soft capped padding, yet he defends hits to the head as if it’s part of the game while traditional icing isn’t. If anyone should be called a hypocrite, it’s him.
It’s very obvious that it’s all about the money. The big hits in hockey, many of them illegal hits under the new rules, have made Cherry a ton of cash over the years, and he doesn’t want that cash cow to end.
Whenever he says anything though, he’s hard to take seriously. Even without the 60′s chesterfields turned into suits. I always think of this when the intro to coach’s corner comes on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sExSTLqpNoU
http://twitter.com/andrewberkshire
Not trying to be a smart ass (and I’m not defending Cherry)…how do you figure the big hits have made him a ton of cash?
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/search/ref=sr_nr_scat_14242051_ln?rh=n%3A14242051%2Ck%3Adon+cherry&keywords=don+cherry&ie=UTF8&qid=1318098437&scn=14242051&h=5888079e19c789e961200ba99dd009b0a4e23960
He’s up to 22 of them!!!
Rock ‘em, Sock ‘em VHS and DVDs.
http://twitter.com/andrewberkshire
Thanks, Andrew and Crosseyed, that makes it clear. Living in Wisconsin, I didn’t know Mr. Cherry made money that way.
That makes sense. Well in Canada he sells a ton of those movies. It’s crazy. I’m sure everyone around my age or a bit older had several of them as a kid. I used to love them too.
http://twitter.com/andrewberkshire
It’s a challenge for an NHL broadcast to fill the intermissions with content interesting enough to get us to sit through all the commercials. Cherry does this better than anyone, and he does it by being loudly, flamboyantly right, or loudly flamboyantly wrong.
How many people will stick around tonight to see if he backs off what he said Thursday?
My own .02 is that of all the things he said Thursday the worst (which is saying a lot) is that he hasn’t watched the Shanahan videos. There is no excuse for this. It is his job to watch, and if he won’t bother to do that how can he even pretend to be an expert?
This is condemning books you havn’t read, based on rumor.
Regarding enforcers – personally I don’t want a pointless player wasting roster space, but I’d rather have a toughguy on the 4th line than Weber.
I get the feeling that 93 will be as good as it ever gets. I can see myself in 2040 hearing the “You haven’t won since 93!” chants.
That’s ok as long we can compete and enjoy the game. We don’t have to win the cup every year. In fact, the reality is with 30 teams it is statistically unlikely the habs will ever win the cup again. Get over it and enjoy the games win or lose.
For those who follow the NFL;
R.I.P. Al Davis
As I’ve already quoted.
“Just win, Baby!”
———————————————————————-
Welcome to the newer NHL: The National Headshot League.
So taking bets on MCL and medial meniscus, any takers?
Olé, olé, olé oleé
Who cares, it’s not like Campoli was going to do anything worthwhile. Put (Y)Emelin back in there and let’s get back to the original plan
Some honest questions for those saying that Max brought it upon himself:
Lets get into the way back machine…Did Moore bring his injury upon himself and was Bertuzzi completely justified in doling out his brand of justice?
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Fate leads the willing, and drags along the reluctant.
Also, did Brashear deserve the justice McSorley gave?
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Welcome to the newer NHL: The National Headshot League.
Surprisingly a lot of Canucks fans still say that.
http://twitter.com/andrewberkshire
Anyone who says Max brought it in himself is just as sick, sad and delusional as Don Cherry.
Or, maybe Max did bring it on himself with the silly push after the goal. By ‘it’ I mean some sort of attempt at payback. However, if payback goes horribly wrong and it nearly kills Max, then the offender should be given a stiff, stiff penalty. I’m talking weeks, months-long suspension.
Cherry was right about one (exactly one) thing in his rant last Thursday: Chara did it for payback. It’s ludicrous that Colin Campbell and the other NHL bigwigs turned a blind eye to that.
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If you’re sick of not being able to view the HIO comment structure from your iPhone, try downloading Mercury browser. If you have alternative suggestions, please send them along!
So I don’t know if anyone’s noticed with the debate going on, but it was announced that Campoli is out for months, not weeks.
http://twitter.com/andrewberkshire
this is terrible news , we are now up against the cap and not much we can do , need to trade some nice picks in order to replace him if markov really will be out awhile , PG has put himself in a tough spot, they will rely too much on PK again and blame him every mistake ,
Lots of cap space left.
PG hasn’t really put himself in a tough spot, if anything he’s been smart about it. Signing all these NHL quality D-men is paying off right away. Even with Markov and Campoli out we still have 7 roster defensemen who can play. It’s frustrating to get injuries but it happens.
http://twitter.com/andrewberkshire
when these D come back , we will have too many , playing weber at F is a mistake , and thats what JM will do , once he has a chance , we dont need size or strength we need physical players , to make it through the year , they played tired hockey and im just tired of seeing them getting pushed off the puck all the time ,
A team can never, ever, have too many D. Hey, you can always trade them for the next Bournival. Weber is filling in for Betts and White while their out. Montreal is in a bit of a short-term bind, as Weber cannot be sent down for another forward. Let’s be serious, Weber is fine playing less than 10 minutes on the 4th line a few times a year.
No “slam” players on DL don’t count against cap. What you should be saying is what a good job PG of leaving $ available to go get players just for this scenario.
Paul Mara is still out there with all his grit and sandpaper!
In all seriousness, Markov cannot comeback soon enough, and in the short term, big chance for Emelin.
This is getting ridiculous. WHO, exactly, are the hockey gods and what do we do to appease them?
I wonder if we’ve ever been given the full story about Roy’s leaving the Canadiens. When he told Corey he had just played his last game for the Canadiens, did he also say, “this team will never win another Cup, and, by the way, you might want to add a wing to the infirmary.”
As if we need another disincentive for players considering signing with the Habs: A week with us is worth six months on IR
There aren’t enough goats or volcanoes in the world
Olé, olé, olé oleé
Unbelievable , goes from bad to worse. Season over before it starts
It seems that when Habs Inside/Out died, so did the idea of civility around here. It’s ridiculous. Supposedly the majority here are Habs fans, yet there’s more fighting and arguing within “the family” than one would see if you lined up 10 Habs fans and 10 Bruins fans and said, “Go!” Do Boone & co. really have to issue a plea for calm & civility every 5-7 days because the inmates get the idea to run the asylum?
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GO HABS GO! 2011-12 is our year!
Respectfully disagree, RGM. For the most part people are being respectful today. I’ve seen very few insults, and even though there are some absurdities, nothing has gotten out of hand (unless mods have deleted it before I’ve seen it).
http://twitter.com/andrewberkshire
Stu Cowan nails it! I spit when I mention Corey (spit) and Tremblay (spit). How Tremblay (spit) is even allowed around the team is still an matter of amazement to me. I have always said that if I was Corey (spit) I would have fired Tremblay (spit) on the spot and, if I could have talked him out of his trade demand, kissed Patrick’s ass on the corner of St. Catherine and Atwater to make up for the treatment he received that night. It’s been a long cruel trip ever since.
The Roy situation was poorly handled.
I would have bent over backwards for Roy. Hell, the second he told me he didn’t like the coach, I would have been looking for a new one. This again goes back to Habs always keeping things in house eventhough they don’t have the right guys for the job. You think if the Habs were open minded and didn’t have allthese language restrictions that Gauthier and Martin would have been hired? No frigging way…and that’s what bothers me. We are NOT the best we can be cuz we have these stupied self imposed rules.
I’m Back! I know you missed me
A few things…
1) Lets just stop talking about the Chara incident. It makes me sick to my stomach and I just want to forget about all things Boston last year. It really does seem like they got away with damn near everything last year against the Habs. Anyways, that was last year. LETS MOVE ON!
2) Cherry is a clown
3) This team will not go anywhere with Martin and Gauthier. I think Gauthier did an OK job this offseason, but he and Martin are an awful duo. When you have to play a D-man on the wing, you have a PROBLEM! I hate how Martin runs the team and how he treats his players. Cole should be on the 1st line, I don’t give a **** what message Martin’s trying to send.
4) Yemelin…. Another gaffe by Habs management…. This reeks of the Eller thing last year. So the Habs let Hamr go and talk all this mess about Yemelin being physical and can step into a 4th line role. Surprise surprise…he comes to the Habs and has more hits in practice than he does in the preseason. If he wasn’t bigged up by Habs brass…he would be in Hamilton right now. Just like the Eller signing where they didn’t sign a 3rd line center and kept him up with the big team when he should have been down in Hamilton developing.
5) Soft, soft, soft. You don’t think it’s odd that players come here and then play far softer than they ever have in their career? The Leaf game lacked intensity…the Habs play llike their coach and that’s NOT good.
6) The D looks atrocious
7) I love Carey
8) Budaj? Really? Another head scratcher
9) The PP…Where do I start? Cole needs to be on the 1st wave. Please enough with Desharnais. He should be on the 2nd wave at best. GET PLEKS OFF THE FRIGGING POINT! It has been done before and does not work. He does not shoot, so it pretty much nullifies him. Our successful PP’s all had 1 thing in common. 2 Dmen who could both SHOOT! Wiz + Subban, Markov + Sourray, Markov + Bergeron, Markov + Schneider, Markov + Streit. Why doesn’t Martin and co understand this?
10) I like Markov and hope he comes back at full strength. But 2 years from now we will be talking about this being one of the worst decisions in recent memory. How do you re-sign a guy who has been injured the last 2 years and is currently injured for the same money as his last contract for 3 years? WTF? I would have told him to keep walking and signed Wiz or someone else.
We need new blood in here. Enough with the bandaid patchwork job and enough with bringing in the same guys. We need NEW blood at coach and GM. We couldn’t get Yzerman cuz he was English. We couldn’t get Boucher cuz we kept Martin
Go Habs Go!
You were good for the first two but then you began sounding like the clown!
So you agree with the following then:
- Cole playing 4th liner minutes
- Pleks on the PP is a good idea
- The Habs are never outmuscled and always have a phsyical edge on their opponents.
- Yzerman and Boucher < Gauthier and Martin
- Markov signing was great!
- Yemelin is far more physical during games than during practice
- Budaj signing was great!
- Price sucks
And I'm the clown? LOL
I predict a Habs win tomorrow. Cammalleri will be on fire, and PK will get a couple PP goals. Carey will stand on his head. SORRY Winnipeg but the Habs are taking your 2pts home with them.
Look for Cole to be hitting EVERYONE!
Go Habs …just win one for HIO followers!
That’s the spirit.
Having the family over for Thanksgiving, are you?
No, they’re having me hence
Here’s today’s challenge: All the posts above this are to be sunny in their outlook, to rid the negativity that has overtaken today’s discussions. Let’s see if we can set a record (I think it’s 19 posts in a row).
What if I put a smiley face next to something negative? Will it count?
[Disclaimer]: I’m a hockey fan. I care about the habs, but probably not as much as you.
Reply to this and you can put anything you want. It’s below the challenge post.
(The judge has ruled: Yes, that would be fine.)
– “A little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down your pants.” –
Wrong day bud…but the thought was good!!
In regards to the debate below, which I had a part in starting:
I have a problem with calling the cops and crying for a suspension anytime one of our players is run at. Yes the Pacioretty incident was extreme and a little different, I understand that.
But is seems that a lot of posters on this site think that we’re going to win the Stanley Cup by icing a team of swift passing softies like the team we have now, and it’s insane.
We’re not going anywhere until will add more size up front, add a couple stay at home defensemen who hit like freight trains and if one of those players doesn’t fill the roll of enforcer, than we’d better get another guy to play that role on the 4th line.
The blueprint is not entirely correct in Montreal at the moment and it is naive for people to accept it and cry wolf when we are out muscled, injured and taken out by big tough teams who play a complete game.
Have the Habs made some changes in the right direction, yes, but it is not nearly enough.
We will see come April
In case anybody is interested, the Boone reverse jinx is in full effect for this Sunday.
EDIT: I just noticed the link up above.
I was going to suggest that whole debate below is becoming rather st00pid. However, debate is the only way to come to grips with the issues and find solutions. As long as the debaters remain respectful.
On that note, it’s too damn nice out to be sitting inside and blogging with a bunch of ne’r-do-wells. I’m out of here!
***Subbang Baby!!!***
To the debate below, I think both Andrew and Cat are missing each at the pass. Andrew is perfectly right in saying that there is no way that Chara’s hit, the specific hit he delivered, is justified, there’s no effin’ way. However, Cat is right is that Max’s shove was naive provocation on his part. The type of naive provocation that many rookies have performed and have learned is not welcome in the big league. And yes, the particular circumstances surrounding his gesture are pertinent contextual considerations. The thing is, you could see that Max’s reaction to the goal was good old-fashioned youthful enthusiasm. He was caught up in winning and was behaving like this was a good-natured match amongst friends. It wasn’t.
Your points needn’t be mutually exclusive.
The bottom line is that Chara’s response went way way way too far. No one, anywhere can convincingly defend it. And, I am hoping Cat is not intending to.
To avoid unnecessary debate, I am not saying a naive move like Max’s SHOULD invite retribution, just that it is plain that within current NHL culture it is expected in one form or another. Despite this, and even within this culture, a man of character would have pinned the rookie in a corner, made plain his indiscretion, and maybe given him a solid shot, likely with threat of worse. Do I agree with the message of this cultural premise, no, but I recognize it exists.
As JD and I were discussing last night, the resulting outcome looks very poor on Chara and worse on the NHL.
Denying that Max’s shove was stupid is not being fair, in my opinion. Suggesting the ensuing hit was deserved in light of his misjudgement, is ludicrous. I could be much harsher in my preceding statement, but again, I am hoping Cat is not saying that.
Long time no see, Eric! Agree whole-heartedly.
Hey Chris, I read your post below after typing mine. I am not surprised we agree.
Chris tried logic and reasoning earlier…good luck with that!
X2
You can’t argue the middle or be balanced here 2¢. In order to play you have to take a side and argue the extreme position. Don’t forget the only way to counter a person with a street gang mentality is to gang up on him. Fight fire with fire. Or, fight fighting with fighting.
Great post, Eric. Still not sure I agree with this interpretation of Pacioretty’s rather minor push (Chara was in his face after a goal- what was he doing there?).
He was in his face cause he shoved him beforehand…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw-6Ct2Q_2c
[Disclaimer]: I’m a hockey fan. I care about the habs, but probably not as much as you.
Sorry but check out the push which is shown at the end;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Me9YN9VnS0
You’re right that the points aren’t mutually exclusive, but I don’t think that I said that the shove wasn’t stupid. I said Chara is a grown man and should have behaved the way you described. Especially as a leader on his team.
It’s funny that everyone keeps accusing Habs fans of not moving on from the hit, it’s rarely if ever brought up on HIO. The only time it’s ever mentioned is when Bruins fans come up with some new justification, or a fool like Cherry goes on an unprovoked rant about it. Chara and Max have both moved past it, but in the FIRST game of the season Cherry had to drag the dead horse out of the grave and beat it for a few minutes with a 2×4.
http://twitter.com/andrewberkshire
I with you here AB. But you got me thinking, Do you think Chara felt adding pressure to hurt Max because he was the leader of the goons? The fact that he was a leader, Im sure there was some sort of embarrassment on Charas part and he wanted to show the thugs what he could do.
Chrisadiens and HabFan10912, one of the few father son tandems on HIO.
Chris, to be honest with you I have no insight into what was going through Chara’s mind. I have a temper, but I don’t think I’ve ever held a grudge that resulted in physical violence two months later. I just can’t visualize what he was thinking. The escalation in the shenanigans between Boston and Montreal last year was absurd. I’m actually dumbfounded that the playoffs ended up being so clean, there were only 2 or 3 borderline hits in the whole series.
http://twitter.com/andrewberkshire
100% Agree
Chrisadiens and HabFan10912, one of the few father son tandems on HIO.
If you can’t handle a small shove get out of the league. Christ I get shoved harder trying to get a bus or in a line at Tims.
Okay new subject Leaf will play Orr tonight instead of Rosehill to keep both enforcer game ready and keep Niel in place ,hockey as really change
Konopka should also be dressed for Ottawa, but Orr’s usual dancing partner Carkner is injured and will not be playing. It should be a good game regardless of the side show(s).
HIO poll question:
“Q: Do you think Jacques Martin is the right man to coach the Canadiens?”
Only one game into the season…a little early to stir the pot, no? Lol
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Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.
Winston Churchill
Thought the same… but he sure isn’t doing well!
Hey, Jacques Demers got canned after Game 5 in 1995. Poor guy…that decision led to a decade of nastiness in Montreal (including Patrick Roy’s blowout).
Dark days indeed after Demers got canned…
Surprising results on the poll here though – I wonder how different it would be if the Habs had won the opener? Knowing Montreal fans, it would likely be reversed
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Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.
Winston Churchill
The scary part is teams take after they coaches
It’s not one game into the season. What… he other 2 seasons here were glorious? The desire to can him has been brewing for quite some time now. Well… as for me, I never wanted him here to begin with.
Hey, I’m not “judging” the poll, I’m “just sayin’”
…and I didn’t tell which way I voted, either
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Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.
Winston Churchill
Why is the f’in game at 5? That means I can’t even watch because the family is over. If they start to lose the leaf fans are going to annoy me to death.
As if I didn’t want to go to this enough.
I’m starting to sick, let’s hope it worsens. Cough Cough
It’s hard to tell which STINKS worse,
the OPINIONS or the BULLYING?
Yer mama!
***Subbang Baby!!!***
Uranus if we’re going Alien!!
That was a clever analogy.
Totally agree with Cat. Any player getting shoved after a goal against them is asking for it. It will always incite retaliation. Dumb act on Patches’ part, and he paid the price.
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When the Hebrew scouts investigate the Promised Land of Canaan and return to discourage the other Hebrews from entering it..”We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” [Numbers 13:33]
“We don’t see things as they are, but as we are.” – Anais Nin
You can’t be serious?
__________________________
Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.
Winston Churchill
I’d be after his head too, but not literally.
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When the Hebrew scouts investigate the Promised Land of Canaan and return to discourage the other Hebrews from entering it..”We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” [Numbers 13:33]
“We don’t see things as they are, but as we are.” – Anais Nin
Oh Jeebus, now we get it from the planet Xenos.
***Subbang Baby!!!***
I guess you’re one of those that think Woman shouldn’t wear anything revealing?
She’d be, “just asking for it”, right?
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Welcome to the newer NHL: The National Headshot League.
Another Bill O’Reilly?
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When the Hebrew scouts investigate the Promised Land of Canaan and return to discourage the other Hebrews from entering it..”We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” [Numbers 13:33]
“We don’t see things as they are, but as we are.” – Anais Nin
Nice dodge!
I guess I was “asking for it”.
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Welcome to the newer NHL: The National Headshot League.
Nice troll !
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When the Hebrew scouts investigate the Promised Land of Canaan and return to discourage the other Hebrews from entering it..”We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” [Numbers 13:33]
“We don’t see things as they are, but as we are.” – Anais Nin
“Nice troll !”
Maybe you are, maybe you’re not. I for one am not ready to call you that just yet!
Maybe you’ll understand me better if I wrote in your language.
Ack! Ack! Ack! ?
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Welcome to the newer NHL: The National Headshot League.
ack, ack for some reason triggered ALF in my memory bank! The Cat better watch out
I understand you twist one’s meaning and top it up with assumptions. Then you cap it all off by accusing one for ‘dodging’. What planetary system you from? Perhaps vying for a position at Fox?
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When the Hebrew scouts investigate the Promised Land of Canaan and return to discourage the other Hebrews from entering it..”We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” [Numbers 13:33]
“We don’t see things as they are, but as we are.” – Anais Nin
“I understand you twist one’s meaning and top it up with assumptions.”
I wasn’t twisting anything. You agreed Patches was, “asking for it” by pushing Chara away from the celebration. I used another analogy to show you how stupid that kind of reasoning is.
It seems I touched a nerve.
@ HabFab
It’s from Mars Attacks.
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Welcome to the newer NHL: The National Headshot League.
Of course! The reasoning behind it all was right in front of my nose the whole time! Patches was asking for a broken neck/concussion, and provocatively dressed women are asking to be raped! Thanks for shedding the light of truth on this most illuminating discussion!
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When the Hebrew scouts investigate the Promised Land of Canaan and return to discourage the other Hebrews from entering it..”We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” [Numbers 13:33]
“We don’t see things as they are, but as we are.” – Anais Nin
No problem.
Glad you could finally see the light!
Btw, the O’Reilly comparison didn’t help your cause. He’s known for his part in Luffagate.
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Welcome to the newer NHL: The National Headshot League.
Nice analogy!
__________________________
Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.
Winston Churchill
Theres a time and place for everything, people just cant do what they want and have a consequences-be-damned attitude.
[Disclaimer]: I’m a hockey fan. I care about the habs, but probably not as much as you.
Patches was celebrating his game winning goal and Chara tried to crash the party. Patches just denied him entry into said party.
What’s the problem?
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Welcome to the newer NHL: The National Headshot League.
What if you went to Africa close to starving people, and fenced off an area and held a lavish buffet for your friends, relatives. That must be ok with you, right? Theres no law that says you cant fence off an area and hold a lavish buffet in front of starving people, right?
[Disclaimer]: I’m a hockey fan. I care about the habs, but probably not as much as you.
What if I won the next big lottery and helped people that needed it? That would be okay, right? There’s no law that says I can’t help people with my winnings, right?
WTF are you going on about?
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Welcome to the newer NHL: The National Headshot League.
Re above, got that however as you were debating both, it triggered my WARPed drive as with the Aliens favorite food being cat
Cat, you’ve been pretty logical so far, but that’s just absurd. What Pacioretty did is a minor case of exuberance and possible disrespect. If he would have cross checked Chara from behind and started yelling “WOO” in his face while he writhes in pain, maybe that would be ALMOST equivalent to what you’re describing.
http://twitter.com/andrewberkshire
Pacioretty shoving Chara was a reflex action because Chara skated in front of him and cut him off after the goal in what looked to me as an attempt at intimidation on Chara’s part. If Chara had not done that then I doubt Pacioretty would have gone looking for him to give him a shove. I think it was Chara who started things, not Pacioretty, unless you consider scoring a goal as dumb provocation on Pacioretty’s part (I do not).
That’s what I thought it was at first (after someone’s reply here, and not seeing it for myself) but after reviewing it, I didn’t see any such motive on Chara’s part.
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When the Hebrew scouts investigate the Promised Land of Canaan and return to discourage the other Hebrews from entering it..”We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” [Numbers 13:33]
“We don’t see things as they are, but as we are.” – Anais Nin
Regardless of Chara’s perceived motive in cutting in front of Pacioretty, do you think Pacioretty’s shove was a reflex action or a conscious and deliberate provocation?
I think the gang-up on Hobie here is a little excessive. His opinion is not exactly way out there…a significant number of hockey fans share it. I don’t, but I know it is there. I have discussed the Pacioretty hit with tons of non-Habs fans and I would say opinions are pretty polarized on it.
Was Chara trying to get back at Pacioretty? In my opinion, yes.
Is that unique in the NHL? Please…NHL players put out bounties on one another pretty much ever game in the dressing room. To pretend that this is not the case is naive.
Was Pacioretty’s injury the desired result for Chara? In my opinion, no. And I doubt anybody could rationally think that it was. It was an unfortunate result of a brutal safety standards in the arena (which have subsequently been addressed), a recklessly over-zealous attempt to even a grudge and the hockey player’s innate love of trying to “bench” an opponent. I was at an OHL game between Brampton and Guelph last night and saw probably 10 attempts to blast opponents into the bench, with a couple of guys suffering minor injuries in the process…fortunately, they were both able to return to the game, but it’s pretty easy to imagine a guy banging his head on the dasher, wrenching a back dangerously or (in one case) suffering a catastrophic knee injury due to an open bench door. It’s a sad commentary on hockey culture that today’s players hit to hurt each other instead of hitting to dislodge the puck.
The league should have suspended Chara for a few games, and the fury from the Habs fans would probably be somewhat tempered.
But what really gets me is that we’re arguing the symptom instead of the disease: somehow, the idea of trying to hurt your opponent (whether it be to “wear them down”, “intimidate them”, “even the score”, etc.) has permeated the sport.
Why are people laying the body on well after the puck is gone? They can’t possibly be trying to get the puck, so they only other thought is they are trying to hurt the opponent.
I have always thought that one (undoubtedly unpopular) way to clean up the game is to insist that a player can not make body contact unless they are trying to play the puck. That would force players to keep their arms down, instead of driving up into the check as we see all the time today. It would force players to be somewhat more in control than they are today, where people are skating around at top speed looking to decapitate their opponents. And it would almost certainly force people to assume safer body positions during the check (i.e. no jumping into them), making the check safer.
I will take Nicklas Lidstrom or Andrei Markov checking every day over Mike Komisarek checking. Because when they check, they usually get the puck. When Komisarek checks, he and possibly his opponent are removed from the play but the puck is an afterthought.
++++
Hobie is guilty of shoving a few people here the wrong way so it’s only fitting that a bench clearing brawl ensued. After all, fighting has no place in hockey. Its rightful place is here at H/IO.
Alright, that one made me laugh. Well-played.
How many times have we seen a player score only to get roughed up or shoved from behind immediately afterward by an opponent. Does such unsportsmanlike behaviour always result in fisticuffs? Hardly.
But Chara was so affronted by being given a slight push — admittedly stupid — that he wanted to exact punishment for his pride being wounded. However, given the force of the shove, what was Chara hoping to do, give Pacioretty a tap on the nose, to send a message: “Hey, that wasn’t nice.”?
If there’s justification for Chara’s action, then there are plenty of forwards who would be entirely within their right to throw punches who get manhandled, or pushed, after scoring. Yep, that’s the kind of league I want to watch.
Just skate away, for pete’s sake. Get your revenge on the scoreboard.
I agree…it was unnecessary and reckless on Chara’s part. I wish that the whole culture in the sport would change, but I might as well wish for a lottery win, as that probably has an equal chance of happening and would benefit me more.
The question remains, who will replace Cherry when he finally retires, on his 100th birthday (no candles, please, the oxygen)?
Well, let’s look at who’s out there now who would make a suitable replacement:
Replace a twit with a twitterer
Paul “BizNasty” Bissonnette – he could tweet his replies to Ron MacLean’s questions.
Sainted choice
Patrick Roy – he’s opinionated, he’s excelled as a player and a coach – and he would finally move Coach’s Corner from being a Toronto-centric soapbox to a HNIC segment with universal appeal and more astute viewers (Hab fans).
Keep the comedy going
Russell Peters – The guy knows hockey – he stars in Breakaway, how Sikh is that – and who can resist that Indo-Canadian accent. He’s also grounded in the Cherry tradition. Challenge him on an opinion? Shove a defenceman in the back after scoring? “Somebody Gonna Get a Hurt Real Bad!”
The View
Rosie DiManno, Christie Blatchford, Sunshine Girl of the Week – Hockey from a woman’s point of view. Two have written about the sports and the other is a good sport. Brains and beauty. Men AND women will both want to watch this segment.
And now for something completely different
Jacques Martin – Natural heir apparent to Cherry. Coach of the Year, never won a Cup, and has a problem with too many men on the ice. Okay, he doesn’t dress as flashy, but the CBC’s wardrobe department can easily fix that, and, no, he isn’t as loudmouthed or opinionated as The Don but the CBC’s special effects people can … work on that.
Bonus: He’s no longer employed by the Canadiens
“who will replace Cherry”…the answer is no one. Because the CBC will not be broadcasting hockey beyond the expiration of their current deal, and I don’t forsee many of the current staff, but especially Don Cherry, being picked up by CTV or TSN, whomever wins out.
The Montreal Canadiens: sporting the best AND worst fans since 1909!
I would absolutely LOVE to agree with you, but I think that Cherry would be picked up in a heart-beat.
The moron somehow made it into the list of the 10 greatest Canadians…I don’t get it, but he has cast some sort of voodoo hex over a significant part of the Canadian population and they love him.
This idea that fighting is part of the game is idiotic. Times have changed and most of all the game has changed. We use to enslave people because of the color of their skin, half our population were not allowed to vote because of their gender. The mentality of Man evolves slowly but it evolves, dinosaurs like Mr. Cherry should be seen and heard at Museums and not on our public airwaves. This has to stop!
Stay Thirsty My Friends!
Woah, woah, woah!
Let’s clear this up.
Pacioretty’s shove: stupid
Chara’s ‘shove’: criminal
Hobie, you’ve lost it, or you’ve never had it. If this is the game you want and defend, your desires are morally reprehensible. Yes, I said that. Sorry, but there’s no getting around it.
Ok so now I’m being accused of having road rage or running a street gang because I think fighting has a place in hockey and Pacioretty was playing with fire when he shoved Chara after scoring a game winning goal.
Hockey is the most violent team sport in the world. It is a sport where you can hip check someone at the blue line and cause a person to land on their face. It is a sport where you can drop your gloves when you’re angry a punch people repeatidly in the head.
All I’m saying is that if you’re dumb enough to shove the toughest player in the league in the back when he’s angry about losing a game, you better be ready for payback.
Either fight him fair and square or expect him to get more angry if you don’t. How does that not make sense? If Pacioretty didn’t want to fight him why did he push him. What reaction was he expecting?
If you’re not going to fight him you better make sure a tough guy on your team will come to your aid. Unfortunately Montreal has no players that fit that role so the end result was Chara getting revenge the only way he could.
I’m not saying Chara didn’t deserve suspension but if you poke an angry bear you better be ready when he comes after you.
No. It doesn’t make sense. You’re asserting that fighting is the justified reaction to a little shove. If that were true, the entire game of hockey would be bench clearing brawls and blood.
http://twitter.com/andrewberkshire
He means a shove in the back after a winning goal…nuance.
[Disclaimer]: I’m a hockey fan. I care about the habs, but probably not as much as you.
There’s no nuance to his argument. You’re seeing something that isn’t there. Look:
“If u shove somebody in hockey u better be ready to drop the gloves with them, basic knowledge.”
That’s an encompassing statement.
http://twitter.com/andrewberkshire
Max tried to add insult to injury, it aint right and he paid the price. Guaranteed he wont do that again.
[Disclaimer]: I’m a hockey fan. I care about the habs, but probably not as much as you.
THAT is adding insult to injury? I guess Subban should be ready to get decapitated whenever he does a big celebration then.
http://twitter.com/andrewberkshire
he won’t do that again
You’re forgetting that Pacioretty almost wasn’t able to do ANYTHING, ever again.
Seems to me thats a pretty steep price to pay for shoving a Bruin- as if the Bruins never shoved anyone.
Seems to me that hockey is a game- isn’t that what your sig is about, Cat? And yet you think a simple shove deserves retribution that almost causes paralysis? Really? Seems hypocritical to me.
Cat, adding insult to injury is when Mark Recchi calls you a faker while you’re on IR with fractured vertebrae and a concussion. Please note the difference.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu. Habs and Hockey.
SF09 on Twitter
Im not saying the price Max paid was fair Chorske. It was too much. But its like if you go in the ghetto waving piles of cash, bad things are going to happen even if you as a human dont deserve to get robbed and that theres no law against waving cash in the ghetto.
[Disclaimer]: I’m a hockey fan. I care about the habs, but probably not as much as you.
It was a shove in the back to the biggest player in the league after he lost a game in one of the biggest rivalries in sports history. Bit of a difference there son.
Horseshit. I thought hockey was a contact sport? So now minimal contact justifies almost killing someone?
Horse. Shit.
No, there isn’t. Him being big doesn’t give him license to injure people when he gets annoyed. He’s a grown man in his mid-30′s. He should act like one. Especially when he has 2 whole months to reflect.
http://twitter.com/andrewberkshire
Well you are behaving with a street gang mentality. A massive violent overreaction to wounded pride is justified over something that should be brushed aside without a second thought.
Shoves occur in hockey after every whistle in some games but we don’t see the equivalent of the Good Friday brawl. Pacioretty giving Chara a quick shove at the end of the game shouldn’t be playing with fire it should be something a grown man who is expected to be a leader and the role model of a professional hockey club to not stew over it for about two months and than in a fit of rage over a small slight, try to ‘ring his bell’ or as we know it today, inflict traumatic brain injury.
You are so out on the fringe on this one you’ve lost it. And for the last time there is NO ONE, not one person in The National Hockey League that can intimidate Chara. You describe him as the most powerful man in the league, if so, who does he fear to make him accountable for whatever he chooses to do? If anything this just shows how dangerous Chara is, he is slightly offended and plans his vengance for two months before carrying it out, that’s called premeditated assault with intent to injure.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu. Habs and Hockey.
SF09 on Twitter
Ok next time you’re out on the ice why don’t you go and shove the biggest guy in the league in the back when’s he’s upset about losing and explain your rational to him.
See how that works out for you lol.
I am being quite serious here so let me ask you a question. Are you involved with organized crime? Because you fit their mentality pretty much spot on.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu. Habs and Hockey.
SF09 on Twitter
Lets keep talking hockey and not get personal please. My statements are dead on dude. Open your eyes, we’re talking about hockey remember, not conduct in the workplace.
And seriously, what do you think the reaction would be if you played in the West Island Men’s League and you scored the winning goal and shoved the biggest player in the league in the back when he was upset?
Your statement is shoving someone on the losing end of a hockey game should demand a fight to avenge wounded pride or that if they don’t have that fight, a premeditated assault two months later is the guy just ‘learning a lesson’ and it is part of the game.
if that were true, the league wouldn’t be able to put enough healthy bodies on the ice to play the season with the injuries that would pile up from that. Chara is a grown man and a supposed leader, he needs to you know, learn to control himself. The game was over, he could have brushed it off but he didn’t, he plotted revenge. That’s seriously disturbing behaviour over a push.
And if I played rec league in Mississauga where I currently live, odds are I would be the biggest man on the ice at 6’4″ and if I little shove from the guy scoring the game-winner, I wouldn’t challenge him for a fight or plot revenge. Perhaps my Amygdala functions properly or I have a modicum of self-control, I’m odd like that.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu. Habs and Hockey.
SF09 on Twitter
lol
Laugh away, glad you think this is a funny topic. Romans braying away while people get eaten by lions. Trailer park kids amusing themselves by kicking around pregnant armadillos. Ignoramuses pumping their fists in the air because a 23 year old kid somehow deserved almost being killed. It’s all the same to me, and I personally think it is the height of uneducated poorly-raised bloody ignorance.
If we’re going to introduce premeditated assault with intent to injure into the discussion, pretty much half of the NHL and NFL would be languishing in jail. Once you set foot in a sports field, there are a lot of things that go out the window. I can’t start throwing hay-makers at my friend in front of a cop on the street, but I can on the ice. I can’t take a stick and slash somebody who has annoyed me in the supermarket, but I sure can during a hockey arena. The penalties are laid out, and I accept those when I put on the equipment.
Chara WAS punished for his check within the rules of the game, so the argument is over whether the punishment fit the crime. But it is a completely moot argument, because nothing is going to change about that particular hit. This incident is long in the past…re-hashing the arguments won’t change what happened. Pacioretty is over it, Chara is over it, yet the fans on both sides simply can’t get enough for some reason.
I’m not the one trying to argue Pacioretty provoked his nearly career-ending injury Chris, this knuckle-dragging socipath is.
I really try to control my words for the tone of a debate But Hansen is arguing for full-out street gang type revenge around here and I find it absolutely repugnant. He’s saying Pacioretty brought this on himself for a shove and this a valauble lesson, don’t shove people in hockey or you might get your neck broken because hey, you provoked it. Just the way women wearing tight clothes provoke sexual predators.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu. Habs and Hockey.
SF09 on Twitter
Stick to the arguments please. Name calling only diminishes your valid points.
IMO you often sound like Don Cherry with your vindictiveness.
If you don’t agree that is your prerogative. However to resort to the type of derogatory insults you tend to use when you get upset about a topic is not befitting a person of your character and intellect.
Just my opinion.
it was don cherry that stoked the debate here
i understand your need to be devil’s advocate but this post is fail
Don Cherry is not one of the people posting, to the best of my knowledge. And I don’t see people debating whether Don Cherry should be taken off the air…if that were the argument, mark me firmly in the “Absolutely” camp.
Chris, plenty of people were saying just that yesterday.
http://twitter.com/andrewberkshire
Andrew: That was yesterday’s topic. From what I can tell, it is not today’s.
Exactly, Chris. That topic has already been covered, so there’s no need to go over it again. But the overarching point of this discussion, as far as I’m concerned, is the message Cherry is sending to kids. “If you hit a big player, expect to get injured”. It’s disgraceful.
http://twitter.com/andrewberkshire
Chris. No offense, but you’re missing the point.
Not at all…I just don’t understand the meandering attacks here.
Cherry asserted that Chara meant to do it, and tacitly approved of that.
Question: Does anybody here think that Chara, a pretty intelligent guy, talks to Don Cherry?
Don Cherry is expressing his opinion, and people are running with that as gospel. If the argument is “Don Cherry is a jerk”, I’ve been saying that since the mid 1980′s. So I’m onside with that.
If the argument is that Cherry has introduced some new information, I will politely disagree. It is just more speculation over something that is over and done with.
Why does a little push = having to fight? If this equation were true then there would be 20 fights a night in the league. A little push in the heat of the moment should not result premeditated stalking of a player for over two months. If this is what Chara’s about, then he’s a sick man.
Yet Habs fans continue to call for Milan Lucic’s head for incidents that are even further in the past than two months. It is the nature of the sport…a culture of violence permeates hockey, and it will be incredibly hard to root it out.
I call Lucic an ape because he is one and he disgraces the game with his antics of attacking players half his size with his attempts to look tough. He’s the classic example of a bully. I don’t want his head but I want the league to suspend him to teach him a lesson about throwing sucker punches at people after the whistle.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu. Habs and Hockey.
SF09 on Twitter
I haven’t seen any fans trying to run Lucic over on the street. Nor can I see anyone ever bringing up specific incidents from the past in reference to Lucic deserving something. There’s also the issue of the difference between a fan’s impotent outrage and a player involved in the game who actually takes action on a player to hurt them.
http://twitter.com/andrewberkshire
You honestly believe that if a Hab reckless injures Lucic that there won’t be a significant number of Habs fans that would defend it based on his previous actions?
I don’t think it would be a majority, but there would sadly be a significant minority, in my opinion.
Chris, I stood behind the 5-gamer for Laraque when he went knee-on-knee with Kronwall. Illegal hit is an illegal hit. If we become like those we revile, than we must revile ourselves as well.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu. Habs and Hockey.
SF09 on Twitter
For sure there would be. And I would call them out in the same way I am with Hobie. I don’t like Lucic, not as a player or as a person, but I don’t want to see him writhing on the ice with his career in the balance. I don’t want that to happen to Chara either.
http://twitter.com/andrewberkshire
Hi Don!
________________________________________
“Hey Richard, two minutes for looking so good!”
You use phrases like “playing with fire”, “better be ready for payback”, “poke an angry bear” etc. Is this life in your environment? Did it ever occur to you why fighting is penalized heavily in sports, hockey included?
***Subbang Baby!!!***
Weak argument, Dave. Fighting is not heavily penalized in hockey…it is celebrated.
Teams have dedicated goons. It is a five minute penalty in hockey, not an automatic suspension as is the case in nearly every other sport in the world.
I don’t agree at all with what Chara did. It was senseless. But to pretend that his actions are not fairly representative of the sport of hockey is disingenuous.
Wait, when did the penalties for fighting get eliminated?
Strong argument, Chris. What are the most severe penalties in hockey? List them please.
Edit: Chris, no need. Just the fact that fighting is always a major should be sufficient. Lots of other majors can be called but fighting is always a major, correct?
***Subbang Baby!!!***
Dave: The most severe penalties in hockey are game misconducts. Fighting is not a penalty that earns a game misconduct.
Intent to injure penalties are 5 minutes and a game misconduct: high-sticking, egregious elbows, kneeing, spearing…the types of injuries that can cause serious bodily harm.
What is the one major that isn’t an automatic game misconduct?
Fighting.
Chris…I posted another as you were typing…never mind.
I’m not going to try to defend my statement because while as you point out it may not be the most severe penalty it remains a major penalty. It’s an acceptable action in hockey with associated penalties. Fine. It won’t remain that way for long I believe. Something will change.
***Subbang Baby!!!***
I agree with you that it will change, and not soon enough.
Fighting is a scourge on the sport. I’ve never understood the fighting culture in hockey.
I’ve played tons of sports, and NEVER felt even close to throwing a punch. It is just so far from our daily routine that you really have to force yourself to do it in a civilized society.
I think the fact that we’re still talking about the check- and that non-Habs fans still discuss the check- pretty much invalidates your last sentence. No matter what the league disciplinarians might have had to say, what Chara did has no place in hockey, in sport, in civilized society.
And at any rate you miss the point- the whole discussion centers around the notion that somehow a fight would have prevented Chara from almost killing max. SOmehow, magically, a fight would have DEFUSED tension rather than creating more of it. When has a fight ever DECREASED tension? Never. Not on the ice, not ever. People don’t magically change when they step on the ice- societal norms shouldnt magically become invalidated when one steps on the ice. Play the game, play it hard- but don’t play to hurt, and certainly don’t play to kill.
Chris…wait…never mind. The idiocy of this entire thread has me fed up just now.
Fighting may well be celebrated but that does not make it right or enjoyable to all. And I’m not necessarily against fighting in hockey myself. What I am against is the pig headed stubbornness and neanderthal attitudes of many fans who view fighting, in general, as a God given right in the game. It’s not and it will be eliminated over time. People have to get used to the fact that the sport is, must, change to survive.
***Subbang Baby!!!***
“Hockey is the most violent team sport in the world.”
I’d have to disagree. Maybe one of the most violent, yes. I would think most football players would tend to disagree with you on that one. Rugby’s no walk in the park either.
Guess what they both do not allow? Fighting.
———————————————————————-
Welcome to the newer NHL: The National Headshot League.
@HobieHanson re: Chara vs. MaxPac
You are dead on, except for if BGL were on the ice, Chara, still would have went after Max. Any time, Chara is invited to fight an actual skating pugilist he wrestles him to the ice. He is the classic bully.
The shove, no matter how small, caused the hit. Whether he meant to break his neck is debatable. Anyone who thinks the shove wasn’t the premeditation Chara needed is fooling themselves. Everyone I know in every walk of life carries grudges. Even lunatic, behemoth Slovaks.
Born and Bred in Enemy Territory (Boston).
Well I actually think Chara does have some class.
That won’t be a popular statement around here but I honestly think If Laraque or another enforcer that Montreal should have had in the lineup told Chara to leave Max alone dance with me, he’d have done it and got back to playing hockey.
How do you think he has class? You think he meant to hit Max, yet he stated didn’t know the player he hit was Max. Based on your interpretation of the events, Chara clearly lied to the world and the person he severely injured, for his own selfish reasons. That’s real class huh?
The point isn’t that the shove set Chara off. That’s beyond obvious to anyone with a brain. The point is that Cherry said it was justification for the repeated attempts by Chara to injure Pacioretty. There’s where the problem lays.
http://twitter.com/andrewberkshire
Anyone who watches Don Cherry doesn’t value their time on the planet. Turn the channel, hug your kids, kiss your wife, make a ham sandwich, whatever.
Clean the toilet bowl.
Infinitely more rewarding.
________________________________________
“Hey Richard, two minutes for looking so good!”
So a fight would have blown off enough steam for Chara not to go after Max for his little shove? Yet through an entire game BEFORE the one where Pacioretty had his neck broken, Chara cheapshotted Pacioretty 3 separate times, one being a vicious two handed slash to the ankle reminiscent of Bobby Clobber on Kharlamov. But that wasn’t enough, but a fight would be. Yeah f***in’ right.
http://twitter.com/andrewberkshire
I’m pretty sure the cheap shots would have stopped if Pacioretty accepted his fate and took a few punches from the big man. He asked for it by pushing him so Chara was just obliging him…
You’re “pretty sure”. Based on what? Seriously.
Pacioretty “asked for it” is exactly the BS message that ruins hockey. It was a little shove and Chara should grow the eff up. That’s the reality of the situation. To hold a grudge for over two whole months over something so trivial shows a level of immaturity and blood lust that should be condemned by everyone. Yet we still have a blame the victim mentality. Even among HABS fans.
http://twitter.com/andrewberkshire
Good Morning everyone!
I read Mr Stu Hackel’s article on Don Cherry. I heard Mr Chris Nilan and Mr. Melnick respond on TSN990.
I wasnt really much interested in joining the furor over Don Cherry.
I consider Don Cherry to be a self-serving , self-righteo, demagoging purveyor of ‘Canadiana and hockey culture’ provincialism. Don Cherry is a throw-back who has pleasantly found out that he can make money for simply saying what he ‘believes’ to be right, and for wearing his patriotism on his sleeves, so that all can see and be intimidated into accepting his verbal in-considerateness and embarassing near-bigotry.
It is more appalling that enlightened rofessionals like MacClean and
Brian Williams, who should have brought greater integrity to the shows that they ‘co-host’ with Don Cherry, have ‘sold their souls’ to the devil of high-ratings while meekly riding his coat-tails into icon-
status.
So I read Mr Hackel’s well written article and nodded and smiled in full
approval. He had said exactly what I would have said, in a MUCH MUCH BETTER way. I smiled at all the HIO rants decrying Don Cherry.
Finally, vindicated in my belief that Don Cherry is an idiot, I watched the video of Coach’s corner.
Revelation!
Amid all the bombast and neanderthalian statements, Don Cherry had put out a very IMPORTANT observation for real hockey fans and management to consider. And he had done it very very well.
No one said anything about it. He opened the segment with it. He voiced what many many players must be wrestling with right now. He showed two examples, one with our own P.K. Subban.
Players ‘pulling up’ at the last minute or ungainly taking potentially
injury-inducing manoeuvres to avoid finishing their hit. He showed a
penalty being called on a player who had made EVERY ATTEMPT to not ‘board’ a defender. And in the Scott Stevens highlight, among which were many ‘illegal hits’ by today’s rules, the FINAL hit was a perfect example of a good clean shoulder check.
It was pure shoulder to the opponent in open-ice… but it did hit the opponent’s head. Intent no! Bad execution of a hit…?? Victim’s responsibility… you decide!
The rest of the video is Don Cherry BS. Sure! But how can there be no mention/discussion of the difficulty that players, like Subban etc, must be having with the new rules, regardless of how many videos or seminars they have seen. No discussion? Don Cherry is dead-on on this one.
I have my own suggestions which I made in a post following the adjudication on the Malone incident. It suggested a course of action to Mr Shanahan, which would, peremptorily and without appeal, penalise the obvious flagrant boarding and elbow/fist hits to the head, but would create a demerit-grace period lasting the full season for ALL players, allowing them to play their game with less worry. I could repeat those details here, but I am more interested that ‘this cause’ as ‘championed’ in Don Cherry’s coach’s corner opening segment be taken up by others.
Please go back and watch the video of Coach’s Corner posted along with Mr Hackel’ s piece. And yes rant and rave and condemn Mr Cherry for his boorishness and personal attacks against Nilan and Thompson and others.
But, while you do that, consider the matter he came to that coach’s corner, well prepared to analyse. It is a valid concern. And he highlighted it well. It’s importance to the game is unassailable and topical.
I commend you Mr Hackel for a great article. And you have had the praise of the vast majority of HIO posters. May I humbly ask you to follow up your proper denunciation of that Coach’s Corner for its ugly contents, with an earnest analysis and discussion of the concern that the first minutes of that segment raised.
Hockey deserves it. And the same players we want to show passion and competitiveness on the ice deserve it.
I have rarely written a post, here in HIO, for which I have had a graver
hope that better and more influential folks than I respond to and champion.
Thank You everyone.
Will be in Montreal for my first time after a lifetime of waiting next week. Any suggestions on must-dos or must eats?
By the way Cherry sucks!
GO HABS!
Al Davis passed away.
Stay Thirsty My Friends!
RIP Al
pro-football would be the same without him! one of the last giants is gone……..makes me sad!
“Just win, Baby!”
———————————————————————-
Welcome to the newer NHL: The National Headshot League.
i wonder who drafted captain gigantism?? (the man who by cherry’s law can counter reply a gentle shove with a fractured vertebrae & concussion) iron mike milbury of course!!! (the man who by cherry’s law can counter reply fan heckling with a vicious shoe beating). we need to open another Cherry’s Bar to serve watered down beer for the pukes, street fighting is at an all-time low.
What’s the big deal of Cherry insinuating that Chara meant to do it?
Didn’t Chara already say he was just trying to rub him out along the boards?
Of course Chara meant to do it. Just like the 5000 other players that have tried to check players into that area of the ice. It’s not illegal to hit players into the bench area is it?
Chara just happens to be the strongest player to ever play the game.
Yeah Zombie, it was a “hockey play.”
“The point is that Fergie wasn’t, and didn’t have to be, a non stop brawler. His hard earned reputation preceded him, and he could keep the opposition in line without spending all night in the penalty box.” – Jean Beliveau
What Cherry said was that Chara intended to injure him and that Max brought it onto himself.
Hitting is fine, it’s the hitting with intent to injure that’s… oh, forget it. What’s the point?
Well if you push the biggest player in the league from behind and run away and don’t except his invitation to fight, what else is Chara going to do?
He meant to rub him out hard and maybe ring his bell but nobody can say he intended to break his neck lol.
Concuss a player for a shove. Man I’d love to see your reaction to being cut off in traffic.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu. Habs and Hockey.
SF09 on Twitter
If u shove somebody in hockey u better be ready to drop the gloves with them, basic knowledge.
Funny you say that about the traffic. I changed my route to work 2 weeks ago to avoid a bad area where idiots cut each other off and people go bananas getting onto the highway. I prefer to avoid it.
Basic knowledge: Chara is a goddamn grown man and a supposed leader wearing the C on his jersey. He should behave like he isn’t leading a street gang.
Great lesson to all the kids coming up through hockey, dole out brain injuries in revenge for a shove.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu. Habs and Hockey.
SF09 on Twitter
If you shove someone you have to fight? Really? Then every hockey game should have 50+ fights. That’s absurd.
http://twitter.com/andrewberkshire
Jeebus Hobie, yer losin’ it now. A shove means drop the gloves? What leagues did you ever play in that advocated that code?
***Subbang Baby!!!***
But Hobie, Chara said he didn’t know it was Max.
Exactly.
That is not what happened. Patches was moving past the Boston net after the goal went in, and Chara got in his face. Patches pushed him rather lightly backwards and then skated past him to celebrate with his teammates. In Chara’s world, this justifies attempted murder. Sorry, but that won’t wash, Hobie.
But would Chara of done that with Laroque playing? And that will be something else Cherry would tell you is the Habs needs enforcers who can play since the Habs team is small and soft.
There’s a good chance the second Chara started stalking Pacioretty in the shifts leading up to the injury that if Laraque stepped in that Chara would have blown off enough steam in a fight with Laraque and focused on Laraque instead. There was nobody to stand up for Pacioretty or protect him the moment it became obvious Chara was out to get him.
Chara would rather have a good fight than hurt someone but he was left with no other option. Chara’s record proved it too. He’s not a dirty player.
You with the blowing off of steam.
IF CHARA WANTED TO FIGHT PACIORETTY HE SHOULD HAVE FOUGHT HIM INSTEAD OF TRYING TO KILL HIM. It’s astonishing that you keep portraying Chara’s reaction as normal.
Chara did try and fight him in Boston but Pacioretty tried to hide in a pileup of players…watch the tape.
Shouldn’t you be running a street gang if there is your mentality? Avenge slights with brutal attacks?
Fighting over a shove is the reaction of someone with absolutely no self control, or a penchant for violence, or both. It’s an embarassing reaction for any grown man and saying it was the right thing to do just shows how backwards of a person you are.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu. Habs and Hockey.
SF09 on Twitter
Hobie: Why should Pacioretty have to fight Chara? It’s an insane mismatch. I cannot understand the logic that states Pacioretty should have to fight Chara, risking his health, just because of a slight shove. There are shoves, face washes, and general rough stuff that happen after whistles and goals all the time. Yet, rarely, if ever, these lead to the need of fight or “retribution” two months later.
“The Code of Laraque” Demands an accepted challenge and a 1-week negotiating period for when exactly to drop the gloves.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu. Habs and Hockey.
SF09 on Twitter
Ah, so you saw Grimson, who now practices law, on Off The Record than?
If you didn’t you should watch and listen to how important having an enforcer on your team is. Hopefully Gauthier saw it!
Enforcers sure protected Bergeron, Savard and Horton didn’t they? I can only imagine how many Bruins might be concussed if those guys had no fighters!
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu. Habs and Hockey.
SF09 on Twitter
Enforcers aren’t going to prevent every injury on the ice, kinda like the cops won’t catch every drug addict that snatches a purse.
Come on now …Laraque and Chara fought the win went too Big George. Aurthkin beat Chara too.This is managements fault !
Thank you, Don Cherry. I hadn’t realized until Thursday that Chara performed a valuable service by ramming Pacioretty into the stanchion. If he had done nothing to avenge the slight shove Patches gave him in the back after scoring — a show of disrespect of the highest order — who knows where it would have ended. Forwards throughout the league would make it a point of shoving a defenceman on the other team as part of their goal celebration and the silliness would have escalated. Respect is everything in hockey, that’s why you don’t see crosschecking, players being rammed into the boards from behind, elbows to the head. But that’s what would have happened if Chara hadn’t acted when he did. What Patches did was stupid. Chara? He deserves a medal.
It’s the fact that Cherry thought he deserved it for the shove in the previous game.
And why bring it up 8 months later at the kids return? It’s repulsive that Cherry waited until Max was in the lineup again before he ran his mouth.
“Oh? he’s okay? Lemme me tell ya why he deserved it….roll the clip.”
“Of course I’m crazy, but that doesn’t mean I’m wrong.”
- Robert Anton Wilson
The game is changing Hobie. The sooner you come to grips with that the sooner you’ll get back to enjoying this lovely, fast, physical sport.
***Subbang Baby!!!***
CBC has announced that Ron MacLean will be unable to host tonight’s Coach’s Corner because of the flu. Ken Dryden has agreed to serve in his stead. Here’s what to expect:
Don: Absolute garbage, the penalties they’re calling out there – hey, you’re not MacLean! You his brother? You’re as dopey-looking as he is. Wait a minute. ‘79. Conference final. Forum. Now I remember! You sang the anthem, right!
Ken: Actually I was in net. Remember it well. I watched a video of the seventh game the other day and you know what stood out? No head shots. No fights. Exciting action. What’s that tell you, Don?
Don: It tells me you’re a limp-wristed, bleedin’ heart pinko who wants to ruin hockey by taking body checking out of the game.
Ken: That’s not true. I want to see the sport I love become ‘head smart’ and eliminate attempts to injure.
Don: You mean take all the fun out of hockey. Look at that first period. See all those missed checks. When players start thinkin’ about breakin’ up the play and not hurtin’ the other guy, that’s what you get. Missed checks. Pretty soon they won’t even need to wear equipment. I can’t get them to switch to no-touch icing but guys like you will get your way and we’ll have no-touch hockey! And then they’ll be wearing pink all the time!
Ken: Doing away with head shots will not take body checking out of the sport. It’s BODY checking, remember, Don.
Don [affecting an effete voice which he’s perfected over the years and is now second nature to him]: ‘It’s BODY checking, remember, Don.’ Don’t patriate me. I was coach of the year. What have you ever won? Well, I’ve got 22 videos with my name on them AND they made a movie about me. What’s that tell you, Brainiac?
Ken: That the lowest common denominator constitutes a majority in this country. The point I’m trying to make, Don, which I wrote about recently, is that hitting a player with his head down is nothing less than an attempt to injure and to argue it’s okay because the victim deserved it or shouldn’t have made himself vulnerable isn’t good enough in an age of concussions and dementia.
Don: When did Coach’s Corner turn into SmartyPants Soapbox? This is my time, quit hoggin’ it. And quit patting me on the arm! I can’t believe I’m saying this but I miss MacLean.
Ken: Don, you’ve done a lot for hockey over the years – your campaign to get the equipment changed is laudable – but changes are coming to the game itself that you’re finding hard to accept. You’re an institution but it’s time you retired.
Don: Spend my retirement in an institution, why you…
[Camera cuts away with Cherry grabbing Dryden in a headlock, yelling: “Is this head smart enough for you, Kenny boy! No hits to the head!”
– “Just because they’re not listening doesn’t mean we have nothing to say.” –
Other then having Dryden respond to 22 videos with “I actually wrote a book…and didn’t need illustrations!” PRICELESS baby!!
I feel like taking a nap when Dryden speaks…he should stick to politics.
And I feel like puking when Cherry rants
(But it does keep the weight down, bringing up all those snacks consumed during the first period.)
Cherry did cross the line no doubt. But the one thing you can’t take away from him is his ability to read the game.
He was 100% correct about Subban and Rosehill holding up on those hits and missing on purpose and the refs making horrible calls.
Maybe its good that the players are holding up and missing but wow, would you watch the NFL without tackling?
maybe Cherry can be the new voice for lean bulim! taste just as good coming up as going down. He could make some real money by calling ppl pukes, not just the million or so from pukestar tax payers
Prospect Roundup:
QMJHL:
When the Shawinigan Cataractes lose, it is generally not Michael Bournival’s fault. He notches his league-leading 3rd shorthanded goal of the season (10th goal of the season, good enough for 2nd overall in the league) and bagged a shootout goal but the team fell in the skills competition regardless 4-3 to Joel Bouchard’s Blainville-Boisbrand Armada.
Morgan Ellis notched his 5th assist and 7th point of the season in a 3-2 loss as his Cape Breton Screaming Eagles lost to the Moncton Wildcats. Like last season, Ellis will spend the year in an uphill battle.
Olivier Archambeault had his first multi point game of the year with a goal and assist to continue a three game goal scoring streak in a 6-3 loss to the Gatineau Olympiques.
OHL: Jarred Tinordi suffered his first loss as captain of the London Knights as they fell 5-2 to the Windsor Spitfires. He was -1 with a 2 minute minor for checking from behind. The team had been 5-0-0 to start the year.
NCAA:
Greg Pateryn scored the first goal of University of Michigan’s season, which was assisted on by Mac Bennett, in an eventual 5-1 victory over Bentley University.
Danny Kristo had two assists with North Dakota as they prevailed 4-3 over Air Force, he generated a give and go to assist on the game winner. Mark MacMillan can hardly talk of a poor start, with an assist in his first NCAA game with North Dakota, which gave North Dakota their first lead in their game.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu. Habs and Hockey.
SF09 on Twitter
SF, will there be a weekly roundup of the prospects like there was last season?
Indeed, tune in on October 17th, I’m waiting for everything (AHL, NCAA, CHL) to be up and going for a full week.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu. Habs and Hockey.
SF09 on Twitter
Thanks for the update. Ellis, by the way has been spectacular since his return from Canadiens camp. Look for him to have a great year on a vastly improved Cape Breton Screaming Eagles squad.
Cherry and his drunken band of idiots is why I no longer watch HNIC -even if you paid me $50 to do so i would not watch it. The next time I will see Don Cherry is when I will pee on his gravestone. In fact I try to avoid anything CBC as a result. Go everything else!
times they are a changing.sherriff shanny is changing violence in the league, slowly. now its high time that loud mouth obnoxious outragous stoneage old fart don cherry gets canned. he promotes fighting, hes not don king cherry. habs will be in tuff with the opening of the new peg arena and team comming back. gunna be hard to rain on that parade.
GO HABS GO
“Sherriff Shanny” showed his true colours last week in dealing with Malone.
Justice is for the no-names and not for the stars just as before with Campbell and Murphy just the friends with benefits have changed to include all ex Detroit players.
… the fans of the Boston Bruins now have lost forever any right to complain that “the league” is out to get their team, and that the Montreal Canadiens have some kind of pull inside the NHL home office.
Charles P. Pierce – Boston Globe
The emperor is not wearing any clothes to all except CBC Sports’ management.
The CBC are as usual, reacting to criticism in their traditional muskox circular fashion standing butt to butt with Cherry, Milbury Stock and Maclean in the center protected from any perceived outside threat.
CBC censure of anyone associated with HNIC is as unlikely as a Cup parade down Yonge street in June 2012!
HNIC’s contribution to the CBC bottom line make it and all associated with it bullet proof to all those execs who want to continue cashing bloated CBC paycheques.
Jeff Keay is nothing but a CBC mouthpiece spewing the corporate line as do David Masse and the rest at CBC sports.
… the fans of the Boston Bruins now have lost forever any right to complain that “the league” is out to get their team, and that the Montreal Canadiens have some kind of pull inside the NHL home office.
Charles P. Pierce – Boston Globe
You’re wearing your analogy backwards.
true
… the fans of the Boston Bruins now have lost forever any right to complain that “the league” is out to get their team, and that the Montreal Canadiens have some kind of pull inside the NHL home office.
Charles P. Pierce – Boston Globe
Did everyone miss the part where he insinuated that not only did Chara mean to hurt Pacioretti, but that Patches deserved it? In his 1st game back, with Elliot Freidman’s nice piece on the kid, Cherry leads with that! – and everyone’s mad about Nilan?????
“Of course I’m crazy, but that doesn’t mean I’m wrong.”
- Robert Anton Wilson
As soon as the piece ended on MaxPac Maclean immediately discounted it by going on to another story. Maclean is as guilty as Cherry IMO
Does anybody have a link where I can watch the piece on MaxPac? I was at the game and was not able to see it. Thanks
He didn’t say Pax deserved it,he said you don’t do that after a goal to an opposing player without expecting trouble.That also means you better be able to fight.
which is in fact insinuating that the hit was justified….Which equals deserved Dude.
“Of course I’m crazy, but that doesn’t mean I’m wrong.”
- Robert Anton Wilson
I think there is a trait in people that allows them to remember the good times and forget the bad times. So we remember that Carey Price came into his own, and forget that the team just made the playoffs. We remember how the team beat Boston the first two games, went home, and promptly lost four of the next five. We remember how close a couple of those games were. We remember that Gomez spoke up about sucking, and came out declaring he will be better. We forget that he sucked. We want the team to win. We remember the fouls the players suffered but sort of don’t remember the borderline stuff. We giggle when they get away with one. We stuff All Star ballot boxes.
Maybe it is time to look at the team from…well from not so close. The coach has a poor record, except with a powerhouse team that never met expectations, folding each time it was the favorite. The coach in waiting left Hamiliton for Tampa. The motivator coach left to take a minor league job. The experienced players are great with the press. Yes, they handle the press very well. The hype this year is that the team has Eric Cole a bona fide actual 20 goal scorer. Yay. The team and fans have been clamoring for spell-it-anyway you like Emelin. You got him.
Everybody is right. One game into the season is way too early to push the panic button. The team looks just as strong as it has for the last 18 years and the seats will be full. This is a good business model. Why change it. Yay.
Don Cherry has put his foot in his mouth so often he must have athlete’s tongue by now.
He’s gotta go
________________________________________
“Hey Richard, two minutes for looking so good!”
Could be Hoof’n'Mouth from the size 6 leather cowboy boats OR even “Mad Cow” disease. Now that would explain a lot!
He should be tested for both, haha. Good one habfab
Because of the changes (which made me come here a lot less) this stupid comment will be at the top all day! Who wants to see the same thing they already read every time the refresh this link. Please, with all the changes made a while back I’m sure everyone wants to see the newest post first. Also to keep the complaining going with all the video’s is there anyway we can get just audio to listen on my smart phone which will not play video! Oh and death to the leafs. Everyone calm down this team is fine if they can stay healthy if not most posters dream will come true and we will be looking for another french coach, not the best coach but the best that speaks french
I’d like to see a poll that shows whether those who support paying taxes for use by the CBC believe Jeff Keay’s defense of Cherry and think that Cherry should continue to have access to this particular public platform. (We all know that someone will give him a bullhorn should CBC ever let him go.)
On the other side, they could show how many Cherry supporters believe in funding the CBC with their tax dollars or actually vote for a party that believe in public tax dollars for the CBC.
The CBC has long been accused of being out of touch with reality. More proof?
The fly in the ointment as it relates to Cherry is that despite him being well paid, he is very responsible for profitability of HNIC. It has been many years since I placed any value in what he says, I am not defending the man but just pointing out he isn’t costing money. Having said that the problem I have with him is he represents the views of a publicly funded national broadcaster.
How weird is it that opening Saturday of NHL season and no Hab game to watch? Thankfully I can watch my Tigers instead of the Leaves.
Sssh, Yeats may hear you
He must be deep in mourning now only bolstered by the Phillies losing too.
I wanted to see Halladay win, but enjoyed the irony of another Phillie season ending with Howard at bat. Highest paid hitter but no clutch in that transmission of his.
I realise Cherry brings viewers to HNIC. That is why they keep him. Viewers = advertizing dollars. I get that.
My point was he does more damage to those who might otherwise support a publically funded broadcaster.
Kind of a “you can’t have your cake and eat it too” point.
Cherry may bring in viewers to coaches corner, but I’m fairly sure no one watches a whole hockey game for the sake of the first intermission.
Well put
… the fans of the Boston Bruins now have lost forever any right to complain that “the league” is out to get their team, and that the Montreal Canadiens have some kind of pull inside the NHL home office.
Charles P. Pierce – Boston Globe
and the CBC wonders why nobody like to watch , hes a stupid racist and should be fired,
I would like to be part of some movement to get this “monster” off tv. Its just way beyond a joke, its now simply sickening.
I really don’t understand how he has a job. He is paid from your (Canadian) tax dollars too right? If he isn’t at least forced to apologize tonight then the CBC is at fault as well.
Chrisadiens and HabFan10912, one of the few father son tandems on HIO.
ya , tonight would be an interesting one to watch , he has to say something about it
I’m fairly sure he brings in enough advertising dollars to cover his salary, so technically he earns money for us.
The CBC is a bit weird. They have not figured out what they are supposed to be in the 21st century. Are they there to promote Canadian identity and culture? To bring TV and Radio to remote communities? To earn a profit? To put on the type of programming commercial networks tend to avoid (e.g. classical and jazz on the radio)?
They do none of those things very well right now.
‘
Ahhhhh…. MARA. I wanted PG to re-sign him earlier considering his cost, usefulness, and willingness to stand up for his teammates.
GO HABS…
Gomez is not going to get better at this point. I hope Eller can really pick up his game or the Halak trade is a complete failure. The other thing with Eller is the team needs another good center. If he can’t be better than DD then the team is in trouble. DD is a nice skater but lacks size, a quick stick and a quick release that smaller players need to be offensive. This is why I see him as a third liner at best. (I hope I’m wrong). I think Eller has more upside.
Seeing as DD, Eller and Maxpac were all rookies last year and Max and DD didn’t even play full seasons, it’s unreasonable to think that’s all their capable of.
With last years numbers you could assume DD would get around 40 point this year and Max will get around 30 goals. Probably not gonna happen, but if they played the same as they did last year thats what it would turn out to be.
25 before 14
I agree with the last 2 posts. It HAS to be a JM instructed thing…. “guys, don’t get involved in the extra curicullar things…the PP is our bread and butte”… The only thing is we have been one of the most penalized teams under Martin. It really does annoy me (as you guys know) how soft we are. The players aren’t necessarily soft (Gio, Cam, Gomez, Moen, White, Gorges, etc….) are far from soft. But the team plays soft. I hate it….and you don’t need tough guys or goons to play strong, tough, gritty hockey.
I would still like to see someone $hit in Gill’s cornflakes but at this point in his career not gonna happen. He he had a mean streak he would be worth his salary.
Love the discussion but hate idiots like you.
“Hate Bruins like a sickness”
People still think that run was on Martin. That run was on Halak…and also Cam to a lesser extent. Any game Halak did not stand on his head…Habs lost….and it usually wasn’t pretty. That run bought JM 3 more years….when it really had nothing to frigging do with him.
Molson owns CBC?
then log off cuz we’re not going anywhere.
I am not sure we could “assume DD would get around 40 points this year and Max will get around 30 goals”. Only 176 out of 891 players achieved 40 points last season; James van Riemsdyk, David Booth and Simon Gagne had 40 points last year. Are you saying that DD is as good as those players? I don’t think so.
Only 29 players scored 30 goals last season. I like Max and I think he is a good player with upside. But if Carolina offered Jeff Skinner (31 goals as a rookie) straight up for Max, I think you would likely personall pack Max’s bags for him. I know I would.
We lack top-end talent. We have one bonafide star in net and that’s it. PK has great promise, Plekanec is a solid number 2 centre on a top team and, after that, we have nothing.
We need a break, a fluke where we draft a relative nobody who becomes a great player. Otherwise, I cannot see how we are going to become a great team. Maybe Sidney will play for us for $10 million per year for ten years.
That’s a lot of fallacies.
Bring Muller back into the fold as the head coach and can “the count”…
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Yes, I’m a Hab fan..Wanna fight about it?
Ouch, ok how long till Spezza gives up on Ottawa and asks out?
Gonna be a long year there.