The Dallas Stars make a rare visit to the Bell Centre Tuesday night.
It will be Mike Ribeiro’s first regular-season game in Montreal since he was traded to Dallas in September, 2006.
And it’s the Canadiens’ last home game this month.
Ottawa and Carolina won by shutouts Tuesday night. The Senators stalled the Islanders, who remain tied in points with the Cnadiens and Lightning at 58. Carolina is hot and inching up out of 15th.
• Too many home-ice stinkers this season
• Dave Stubbs on Martin and Denis Brodeur
• Pat Hickey on an entertaining game
• Michael Farber on the NHL meat market
• Pierre Ladouceur’s weekly report card
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Can’t wait for Ribeiro to meet our man Emelin tonight! You can be sure when Pansy-ass goes down tonight, he will not be faking it.
Heads-up, Jack-ass
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cY3qXbVMf2c
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Don’t let the wultures getcha.
I’d love to see Ribeiro’s breakdance routine after getting clobbered…
If he’s on the ice twitching tonight, I may just laugh my ass off.
Just don’t cheer… as we learned last week
Rumor has it Tonights lineup:
Cole Desharnais Pacioretty
Kostitsyn Plekanec Bourque
White Eller Leblanc
Darche Gomez Palushaj
Those lines look good, but I’d rather see;
Pacman – DD – Cole
Bourque – Eller – Ryan
Moen – LeBlanc – Zubrus
Darche – White – Shultz
Habfan17
What about Stephane Robidas? He’s assistant captain of the Stars.
http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=618156&navid=DL|MTL|home
I don’t believe our team should be gutted. A few trades, plus signing F.A.’s, and Gomez to the minors 4-ever, sure.
Here’s why: Goal differential. Yes, it’s only one stat, but it proves how close we are to being competitive on the score board. We simply never get blown-out, but the rest of the bottom feeders do.
9. Winnipeg -17
10. Washington -9
11. Tampa-bay -32
12. Islanders -35
13. Montreal -4
14. Buffalo -27
15. Carolina -23
This seems to prove that Price is our back-bone and that WE CAN’T SCORE!
Throwing players away for nothing (especially Moen) wouldn’t make much sense when we are losing most games by a goal, including 10 after regulation (only 2 teams have 11 OT loses).
A few changes, plus another year of seasoning for the youngsters and we may move-up, (not to the top of) the standings next season. Have a little faith.
j.p. murray
Funny I was just thinking the same thing last night. How is it possible that we have lost so many 1 goal games. This team just needs to work on it’s finish.
“Let’s be clear on the facts…”
Interesting analysis.
The challenge is the gradual “moving up” isn’t guaranteed, there are specific holes on our team, and any important players acquired need to mesh in age / contract / prime time with PK and Price. For example getting Selanne rignt now would be pointless, but for a team realistically ready to play for the Cup a guy like that is priceless.
Ultimately it’s a team game, and we have to build a balanced team with power and depth. No easy task when you can’t buy your way out of mistakes.
That’s a problem but so is this: http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?fetchKey=20122ALLGAGAll&sort=goalsAgainstAverage&viewName=goalsAgainstAverage
http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?fetchKey=20122ALLGAGAll&sort=savePercentage&viewName=savePercentageLeaders
So is the lack of size and toughness. So is heart. So are coaching and the Gainey-Gauthier situation. Lots of problems. It’s not all bad but there are many weaknesses which need to be addressed.
I’d like to see a much better backup goalie too, Auld and Budaj have been disappointments. Price should not play 70 games. Where is the next Bunny Larocque?
I believe our defence is the answer. Adding strength and size to our defence would prevent lengthy offensive cycles in our end which have been the death of us.
They could also help to hold the offensive blue-line, by pounding the other team’s forwards trying to exit the end. Our forwards would be able to do their job a lot easier if our defence had more backbone.
Outside of Subban, Gorges, and Emellin, our defence is the softest in all of hockey. Sadly, ST. Denis an agressive hard nosed D-man is rotting in the minors.
j.p. murray
Frédéric St-Denis is 5’11″, 190 lbs, and not necessarily physical, so I’m not sure if we can describe him as aggressive or hard-nosed. He’s actually more of a cerebral, defensive-minded player who makes good decisions, not necessarily a bruiser or hitter.
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
The problme’s the PP which is why Markov is a much bigger issue than Gomez. If Markov doesn’t come back it’s going to take more than a year to fix this team. Replacing him is going to cost a lot in terms of draft picks, salary cap and/or time.
One thing we all agree on here: Pierre Gauthier is NOT the man for this job.
While he has tempered his bad moves with some good ones as GMs worth their weight do, he lacks a steady vision on what the hell he wants his team to look like on the ice and that in itself is enough for him to be replaced.
Throw in his total lack of timing, tact and class in dealing with the moves and he’s downright embarrassing… he’s not what a Montreal Canadiens executive looks like.
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Jack Edwards is a clam, Bruins are pukes.
As I’ve said a couple times he has made some good moves (Cole, Gorges long-term albeit 6 months later than it should have been, Gill) but the three fireable offences overshadow everything:
1. Kaberle
2. Markov’s 3 year deal.
3. Gomez is still a Montreal Canadien.
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GO HABS GO! 2011-12 is probably not our year!
“Scott Gomez, a potential Hall of Fame player, has two Stanley Cup rings and a Calder Trophy that says ‘I’m a player whom any authentic NHL coach will rely on to fix a game problem.’” – VancouverHab
Chat with me on Twitter @TheRealRGM81
1. Kaberle – 13 points in 21 games, +2. Contract concerns so overblown it’s hard to understand.
2. Markov’s deal – turned out tough so far, but who doesn’t resign their best player? Knee surgeries are pretty advanced these days.
3. Not for long, methinks.
Full Breezer 4 Life
Have u ever watched Kaberle play????
He avoids physical contact like the bubonic plague. He is the softest ballerina in the league and players simply skate past him, fully aware that it’s a free pass to the net.
His lack of heart, and utter indifference to losing (ask any leaf fan), and the fact that Toronto, Boston, and Carolina were happy to see him go indicates how utterly useless he is. Yes he passes well but fails, like his lesbian partner Crapolli, to fulfil his most basic responsibility: play defence!
His best years are well behind him, but his contract has just begun!
j.p. murray
We don’t ALL agree with that, because I don’t. He’s done a decent job.
Full Breezer 4 Life
… I’m on and off the fence re PG on an hourly basis, but to be fair, let’s remember he inherited this mess from Bob “the Builder” and the deals he’s made look at least in the direction of size and toughness and away from Smurf-dom.
On the negative side, had he fired JM after the playoff loss to Boston we would be further along than we are.
Assessing individual trades/signings is akin to playing the “we could have drafted so and so” game. There is only one way to evaluate the totality of a GM’s worth, our record. And, it stinks.
Since the beginning of the 2009/10 season through now, we are generating .540 points/per game. That’s 20th in a 30 team league. The AVERAGE team gets .560.
We were 19th in 2009/10; 15th last year and 24th going into last night. Sadly, that’s PG best record as a GM with three different teams.
Like you said, “not the right man for the job”
Hey Boonie,does the Edmonton GM stink also?Their record isn’t very good at all.
until he turns it around, he does. Of course, he doesn’t have PG’s long record of subpar results. But, hey, give him a couple of decades.
Please don’t put words in our mouths smiler.I and many others feel Gauthier is doing a pretty good job.
Tell us how a Montreal Canadien’s executive is supposed to look.
Arnold Schwarzenegger?
Richard R
For all those who believe PG can do no right. Har-har-har. Har-de-har-har-bleeping-har.
I think some might be in for a bitter surprise. For all the bashing, it’s not clear yet that PG will definately be fired.
He is capable of a good move…Then he follows it up with
half dozen bad ones.
B.G and P.G have got us to where we are today…
Look down…Look down…Look way down…..
And I’ll go call Rusty.
Have you been watching reruns of the Honeymooners lately?
Richard R
The Friendly Giant actually…And the truth is
It’s far more entertaining than some of the games
I’ve fell asleep at the Bell Center this year.
This confirms what I already knew.
The owner of this team is a freaking
idiot.
TSN’s Dreger tweeting Geoff Molson loves Gandhi Gauthier’s “work of late” and may sign him to “a long term extension.”
Enough to make you contemplate abstinence.
“Markov travelling with the team but not cleared for contact”
For the love of all that’s holy, DO NOT play him against the Leafs on March 3 – that’s just asking for it.
He is probably just lonely hitting strip joints by himself in Mtl. Wants to feel like a part of the team again.
That last Florida strip club excursion didn’t work out too well.
Where the h-ll are the trades? I keep refreshing tsn.ca and nothing… can’t these GM’s at least shuffle the decks with fringe deals for our amusement… Geesh
Only 10am on the west coast.
Why would you be looking for trades right now? Deadline is next Monday, and with so many teems still in contention, I doubt that there will be as many trades this season as in years past.
Your last sentence is used perennially and never comes to fruition. There will be a lot of trades, like there always are.
Just like the activity and analysis…
Bill: I agree 100% with your 100% assessment of RC down below.
Thought it would be impossible to do worse than JM. While I find the hockey being played is more entertaining and the players seem to be more involved, there is no way that a team can respect , and win, for a coach , that plays favorites. It is very strange that both JM and RC find it impossible to go through an entire game with having Gomez on the appear on PP. Or an enitre season with out being a helathy scartch or barely missing a shift.
Go figure.
Steve
Maybe it’s a directive from their boss?
I am not sure why RC keeps holding Eller back. The kid has shown given the role, he is capable of producing offence, whether it be goals or assists and the players who have played with him say he is great at finding them with his passes. Why has his time been cut and why is he not getting regular power play time? There is no way they are “showcasing” Gomez!
As far as I am concerned, the following players should be traded; Campoli, Nokelainen, Kaberle, Kostitsyn and Plekanec. Since there seems like there will be a lack of top end talent available at the deadline and that there are a few teams looking for a 2nd line centre, the Habs should see what they can get for Plekanec. DD and Eller have progressed well, and LeBlanc is also proving his worth. White is a natural Centre so the Habs could finish the season with them. If Montreal could acquire a big centre like Carter, then White or Leblanc could move back to wing. Eller plays much better at centre.
I am not one of those with the opinion that the Habs NEED a big centre. Detroit has proven with size on the wings and skill at centre, you cn excel. Montreal already has Pacman, Cole, and Bourque in the top 6, if Montreal could trade Plekanec, Kostitsyn (provided he agrees to sign with the ducks), and Weber to the ducks for Ryan, it would help each team. Koivu and Selanne will be gone next season and they will have Etem possibly making the team. Adding Ruan would give the Habs; Pacman – DD – Cole Bourque – Eller – Ryan
Then I would trade Gionta to the Devils for Zubrus, who would come off the books at the end of the season and would replace Kostisyn.
If someone makes an offer the Habs can’t refuse for Moen, then I would move him, otherwise I like him on the 3rd line with LeBlanc and Blunden. Leaving Darche, White and give Shultz a chance.
I would also move Campoli and Kaberle for whatever I could get.
Habfan17
Everyone seems to feel DD has had a great year. At the same time, everyone thinks Plekanec has had a bad one.
DD has 11g, 33a, 44pts. Pleks has 12g, 29a, 41pts. They’ve both played 60 games. Needless to say, with Cole and Max, DD has the top wingers on the team, whereas Pleks gets the scraps and of course is also played against the other team’s top lines. Also he kills penalties.
There’s a strange difference in the perception of these players this year.
Full Breezer 4 Life
A rookie has the same numbers as our #1 centre. That’s a good year.
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Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
I think this year we have had major defensive issues. Pleks is one player that we have used to fill this hole. We tried him out of position for a decent amount of time on the PP too. I think that has had an effect of his production.
But Pleks has not had a good year. DD has had a great year IMO.
DD is doing great, and I was one of his uh not detractors, but I felt he did not have a place on the Habs. That being said, Plekanec is still a much more complete player and a more important part of the Habs.
Agreed. So far.
Richard R
For the first half of the season Eller was drawing the opposing teams’ top lines every night and Plekanec’s minutes were managed like many pined for. Him being the “workhorse” that he’s been in prior seasons and that term being applied to his usage this year is fallacy.
He, like Eller has been given the dog’s breakfast for linemates while Desharnais seems to have hit the lottery. But with that said Plekanec and Eller have been terribly inconsistent offensively and Desharnais hasn’t. Part of that obviously is Desharnais’ linemates and the musical chairs game that’s been happening with Eller and Plekanec. And it’s quite possible that the other half is their defensive roles and penalty killing duties weighing on them.
I don’t think DD hit the lottery. He earned it.
Cole and MaxPac played with other centres too, and only really took off when DD became their guy.
But the most salient fact is this one: Erik Cole is having his best year ever. For a guy who spent most of his career being centred by Eric Staal – that is something.
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Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
One caveat, Pacioretty was producing even when centered by Gomez, so I’m sure he can help out DD too.
Here’s my opinion on this Desharnais thing. He’s earned everything he gets as an undersized and undrafted player. He has worked his way to where he is. Having said that, there have been times, especially early in this season and late last season where he went on more of a disappearing act than guys like Eller, Subban, Kostitsyn and others have and it went without consequence. Is it the coaching staff putting a strong emphasis on penalties? Maybe. But just because he’s earned his success doesn’t mean that he hasn’t been given a lot more rope than some of his teammates and in addition, the benefit of having the most skill around him.
I suppose the best way I could put it is by asking what more Desharnais has done to deserve that kind of lineup protection than Plekanec, Eller or even Gomez?
So you think the Habs can go forward with DD as the number one centre, playing with the team’s top wingers?
Full Breezer 4 Life
At the start of the season the team’s top wingers were Gionta and Cammalleri. They played with the #1 centre.
DD wasn’t “given” the number one line, that line became the number one line.
There are still people who think Martin St.Louis is too small.
(e.g. the 2010 Olympic selectors)
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Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
I’m not sure how you got to Cammalleri being a top winger.
On a goals per game basis. He was barely top 6 material last season. If that.
No one is arguing that. With big wingers he’s a useful guy.
It’s a bogus question because we have no #1 center since Saku and there is not one on the immediate horizon – not just for us, every team wants a young, 6′ 2″, 220 lb center who can score 30 goals and hit like a train.
So is your argument well we don’t have a #1 center so DD should sit in Hamilton? That’s just dumb. We have who we have and make the best of it. I’d like to know who you think should be our #1 center without having to give up PK.
I’d give up Price + somebody for the real deal at center, because the Halak deal proved (according to the experts at HIO) that goalies are currently a commodity, and Price’s sh*t shoot out performance proves he is not yet an elite player.
Post death threats here —->
Note to Boonie – in the big picture I agree with you. Koivu should have played behind a #1 and probably would have been better for it. His #1 status is in terms of what he accomplished under often rotten circumstances. In terms of courage and character he is a true #1, but obviously he wasn’t Beliveau or even Damphousse.
@LALoyalist, I like Koivu (not as much as your man crush) and respected what he gave on the ice for us, but I don’t see him as #1 centre any more than Plecs is a #1 centre using traditional definitions.
Yeah, but DD gets paid about 1/10 what Pleks gets. So… production wise I would expect that a forward that gets paid 5 mil/year produces more than a forward that makes under a mil.
That would be fair, but one is a restricted agent while the other is an unrestricted agent.
So you can’t really compare stats and salary on the same basis.
i don’t get the point. What does the status has to do with the performance? Or is it normal now for a guy locked in a multi year contract to not perform since money is a given?
Which brings me to my point that a big reason Kaberle was acquired was to please Plekanec.
Building around the wrong player.
Pleks is performing, he just can’t do it all himself, and badly needs to have better wingers.
And your argument was that DD was doing the same thing as Pleks does production wise, but for one fifth the salary.
The thing is RFA get less money than UFA.
In the best of times HI/O feeds on its young (players) and in the worst of times, like now, everyone gets thrown into the stewing pot at some point. Hell, there were even people calling for trades of PK, Cole, Pacioretty, Price, Gorges etc… the core of the team. DD is great, sheltered between two studs and doing an excellent job. DD is a few years from being able to handle the roles Pleks plays, centering the revolving door of line mates, successfully killing penalties and still putting up reasonable numbers.
***Subbang Baby!!!***
Pleck is -17 DD + 10
Where did that c come from?
Who is bagging on Pleks? He is doing all the thankless tasks that, in the end, win games.
You make your own argument, Peter Mahovolich and Lafleur would be in the tank playing with Gomez, the human black hole where offense goes to die.
DD is getting attention because he came out of nowhere, is small, and somehow managed to stick. As long as we have big wingers with him, he is fine.
Perception is weighted from expectation, no one expected DD, while Pleks has high expectations. When Pleks gets reliable wingers for more than 40 seconds his numbers will improve.
I don’t think we have to suck for years to come. Has anyone noticed how Ottawa is 2 points out of 1st in the division? They sucked last year. They sold at the deadline and rid themselves of some deadweight and now they are right back in the hunt. I do believe the new coach has been instrumental in the turn around. It’s amazing what a little positive reinforcement can do for a team.
Is there another Paul McLean out there?
Go Habs Go
It’s amazing what a little positive reinforcement can do for a team.
And what the lack of it can do for a team.
Richard R
Last summer management assumed that markov would be part of the teams salary cap in the fall so that would have influenced who they went after during the summer signing period when the best players are available..when they were able to get salary relief in the fall from his salary the type of players available were a much lower calibre..i believe the same scenario will happen this fall that they will assume markov is part of the salary cap in the fall and this is why it is huge that markov plays next year
He will play this year.
“They don’t hang Conference Championship Banners from the rafters here”
Carey Price
Hope so…but having heard that same prediction for this year, I’m not totally convinced. The question should be, if so, for how long, and at what level of effectiveness?
i.e. it might be reasonable to expect (after what he has gone through over the past couple of years) that he may (at the very least, and understandably) play somewhat more tentatively
The Eastern Conference standings are strange this year. Does anyone on here ever remember a season that within a week of the deadline, there were only 7 points separating 8th and 15th place? Is it parity? The Leafs, Caps, Panthers, and Jets ( until their recent 2 game winning streak) keep losing and the bottom 5 teams continue to close the gap. Not unrealistic that the Leafs, Caps and Jets only play 500 hockey the rest of the year, which will put them between 85 and 87 points, some of the bottom teams will catch them if this happens.
“They don’t hang Conference Championship Banners from the rafters here”
Carey Price
I truly believe that it will be different once the league changes the Divisions.
Although it is not quite as much as it used to be, I think when every team plays against every other team in the East the exact same amount of times we will see a more accurate view of the Eastern Conference.
Right now teams like the Caps play more games against weaker teams such as Carolina, Tampa and Winnipeg.
It goes both ways, and I simply think it will be fairly different.
That being said, The East has been jammed with similarly strong teams for 3-4 years now. And the Cap encourages that trend.
In the new system teams play twice against every team and the remainder are all within the division. Which makes the all division first two rounds redundant. Since it will be inter-divisional play that will determine the final standings I think it should still be a 1 through 8 best in Conference making it to the play-offs. Sometimes it will be 4 from each division, other times 5 from one and 3 from another. If ever it becomes 6 from one and 2 fro the other, that itself would be enough to put any end to the thought of the top 4 teams per division to get in.
I puke at the thought of reliving the 80′s play-off deja-vu all over again.
Not to mention all the races within the divisions.
Jets can take over the division lead in the Southeast tonight with a win, which would put them up to 3rd and both Florida and the Capitals on the outside looking in at the top 8.
Ottawa is only 2 points back of the Bruins. Both are probably safe bets to make the playoffs but as we all know all too well, a top 3 is much better than one of the other five.
Rangers, however, are pretty safe. For now. It’s a weird season.
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GO HABS GO! 2011-12 is probably not our year!
“Scott Gomez, a potential Hall of Fame player, has two Stanley Cup rings and a Calder Trophy that says ‘I’m a player whom any authentic NHL coach will rely on to fix a game problem.’” – VancouverHab
Chat with me on Twitter @TheRealRGM81
I don’t think we have to suck for years to come. Has anyone noticed how Ottawa is 2 points out of 1st in the division? They sucked last year. They sold at the deadline and rid themselves of some deadweight and now they are right back in the hunt. I do believe the new coach has been instrumental in the turn around. It’s amazing what a little positive reinforcement can do for a team.
Is there another Paul McLean out there?
Go Habs Go
The Habs won’t hire a Paul McLean anyway.
Maybe a Pure McLain?
Full Breezer 4 Life
Oh, you rascal you.
***Subbang Baby!!!***
10/10 on the pun Bill
Bryan Murray is on TV right now and said the key this year is the players love the coach and the veterans have been included in the process. Especially the defense.
The Sens have played 4 more games, so one the Bruins could be 10 points ahead by 61 games. So they really aren’t as close as they look, baring a 4 game slide for the B’s.
Ottawa still suck.
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Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
Q: Who do you think has been the Canadiens’ MVP so far this season?
I would have answered Josh Gorges. I was highly sceptical when he got his 6 years @ 3.9M per. I retract that now. Gorges is leading the plus/minus on the team while playing big minutes against the opposition best lines. Add to that his league leading shot blocking numbers. There you have it. My Habs MVP is Josh.
What does MVP mean in the context of a bottom-adjacent squad?
LOL, everything’s relative. I’d go with Subban, anyway, he’s had the toughest job on the team all year, and as a sophomore at that. He’s had to man-up more than anyone else. But Gorges is a pretty good choice.
Full Breezer 4 Life
Without a doubt, Erik Cole. In terms of production and dedication, in terms of inspiring his teammates, he’s the clear winner. Rookie of the year goes to my boy Alexei Emelin.
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
This site has some of the most ditzy fans In sport!Riberio being slaged for his demeanor is a joke ,he has more than proved his worth to Dallas!What’s next …slamming Jim Plunket’s Raiders?pathic people…
Jim Plunkett’s Raiders sucked! Dirty team, always cheated….
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
Article by Pat Hickey:
end of quote;
What kind of reporting is this? many followers wonder…….. and my job as a reporter is to NOT get an answer from the coach? Guess what Hickey, we are still wondering!
I don`t know whats worse, the coaching or the reporting.
why would you bring up a question that most of your readers are curious about, in an article that seems to be based on an interview with the coach, and not ask him to answer the obvious question?
It like we are in the twilight zone,. The coach makes irrational and illogical decisions that negatively impact the team. The reporter identifies the issue, and spells it out in piece discussing distribution of ice time, and fails to ask the coach why he continues to mis-allocate the ice time, leaving the fans to continue to wonder why the coach insists on continuing the irrational decisions.
Why bother to write the article in the first place? Its a total waste of paper, and time.
regards,
Steve O.
Asking tough questions is what Jess Rusnak is for.
Full Breezer 4 Life
It could also cost a reporter their locker room access.
_____________________________
Don’t let the wultures getcha.
Yeah … but what’s the point of locker room access if you’re not going to ask anything?
Full Breezer 4 Life
Right… what IS the point? Argh, I don’t even want to think about it.
I agree, the reporting on Habs is BS. That is why no-one ever feels accountable cause reported never have enough balls (except for Jessica) to question decisions.
Lets pamper these millionaires some more with self indulging questions to make them feel better about themselves.
Sheesh, most of us know all questions and answers without having to read or listen player and coach interviews.
It’s hard to decide who to deal when we will have a new coach who values players differently. AK could shine under an offense 1st type of coach or he could be the same old enigma. One I would like to keep the other I would like to trade.
Go Habs Go
I liked Randy C. and I honestly thought the Habs would improve under him. Lord knows I wanted them too, and for sure I thought there was no way they could be worse than they were under Martin.
So what has happened. The Habs were 13-12-7 under Martin, 11-16-1 under Cunneyworth. If you wanted, you could say that after a horrible 1-6 start under RC, the Habs have gone 10-10-1 in the new year … but if we’re going to cherry-pick like that, we’d have to also disallow the team’s awful start under Martin in October.
It’s really a case of “plus ca change”. The team still struggles to score, still blows leads, and remains inconsistent against cellar-dwellers and elite teams alike.
Worse, we’re still seeing the line juggling and random benchings of youth players that Martin always served up.
I would say that RC is basically Martin with a two-man forecheck. And unfortunately, especially for those of us who wanted the Habs to play more aggressively, his results are even worse than Martin’s.
You can blame the players, obviously, and many are deserving. But a successful NHL team has coaches and managers who adapt what they’ve got into an effective unit: you could find plenty of teams in playoff positions with rosters that are no more impressive/unimpressive than Montreal’s is.
Cunneyworth has a good track record as a pro coach, and I don’t doubt he could succeed somewhere. I actually think the handling of his hiring and the media distractions pretty much aborted any chance he had here, though.
Obviously, he won’t be back, and was never going to be back – hired to be fired, as they say. Let’s hope the Habs get lucky with their next coach.
Full Breezer 4 Life
Throughout the entire season, 1 man has been responsible for running the Habs’ abysmal PP.
RC.
It’s actually simple. If the Habs end up where they are (27th or so) RC has to be replaced.
If they make the playoffs he has to stay.
Most likely we will fall in between.
In any case I’m sure Jacques Lemaire is bored playing golf every day in Florida.
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Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
JM doesn’t strike me as a golfer, can’t see him in plaid . Anyway isn’t supposed to be scouting for the Habs right now? Think he has found anything?
Wrong Jacques.
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Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
My bad, I need to to read more closely. That’s 2 dumb mistakes for me in the last few days; I’m putting myself on double-secret probation
Don’t be hard on yourself. Think like Scott Gomez.
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Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
@ABHabsfan – Sorry, but you were already on double-secret probation. Obviously we couldn’t tell you.
Full Breezer 4 Life
Apart from (1) his Habs pedigree, (2) his French ancestry, and (3) his winning history, what does Jacques Lemaire have to offer?
Actually, I’m partly serious. If most of us couldn’t stand Jacques Martin’s boring defensive style of coaching, do we want to go back to the same thing, albeit with a coach who has shown he can make it work, all the way to the Stanley Cup?
Personally, I’d prefer a more balanced coach, who stresses accountability and comes down hard on floating, but who doesn’t try to turn primarily offensive players into Guy Carbonneau.
You?
The Ducks have been lights out since the start of the year (15-3-4). That’s one month and day since Boudreau took over. If you give RC the same benefit, one month to install his systems, etc. and consider his record since the January 20th, his is 7-5-2.
The difference is JM OWNS that 1-6 start. It was his offseason, preseason and the legacy of his system.
Compare now and through the rest of the season before we decide on RC’s credentials as our next coach.
PS – I’m not pro or anti RC, just looking to see what we have before we lose another potential coach that takes his next team to the final. And, I don’t think 2 months with virtually no management support is fair audition.
The stars decided to play once they had a new coach
Did it take the stars 30 days to figure out that Bruce and Randy are different people. Probably the same folks who didn’t notice that Clark is Superman with glasses.
Looks like Cole is gonna be playing hurt again tonight.
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Don’t let the wultures getcha.
I think it was the knee-on-knee of a couple of weeks ago that did him in. Can’t remember who it was with.
When I saw it, I thought, “hmm, that’s going to come back to haunt us/him.”
—Hope Springs Eternal—
We might not make the playoffs..
We might not get a lottery pick..
How bout instead of the stress of this year, we take a breath, get our bloodpressure down, and enjoy the games for what they are? Hockey games.
I think it could be so much worse then it is, and people think its the end of the world, hell even leaf fans look more classier then us.
Its time to be a habs fan true and true, or time to move on (example dorvaltony) This is the team we cheerful, and should NEVER want to watch us lose.
Habs don’t need to tank. They are one forward & a couple D away!
Tank and hope one young and unknown player will project us into the elite we have been demanding for 19 years. Its complete nonsense. If it happens, fine. I’m excited to get a top draft pick.
But this team is very good. Only the negative whiners don’t see that.
We have had challenges. But we have good young players and a lot of things going for us.
With a complete lineup, and hopefully a trade this off season for Gomez we can be a force. We are doing decently well for a team that has missed 2 key players the entire season.
Say what you will but the Caps would be in 4th or 5th with a healthy green and backstrom all season.
With Markov and Gio the entire year we would be in a different place.
The team is 27th, Joey.
Out of 30.
It’s not very good.
We are less good than Nashville and Phoenix, teams that have no money.
We are not as good as the Florida Panthers or the New York Islanders.
We’re just not good this year.
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Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
Let me provide the proof that you really meant to say you want an elite player to change the franchise.
First, let’s replace “tank” with “long term strategy” and reconsider our positions. If you don’t think an one (potential) elite player picked with a top pick is going to change 19 years of futility, then you have to concede that the same team (more or less) without said elite player is even less likely to change our status.
Therefore, the team needs a major shakeup, which is best conducted by moving players when their value is highest (like days prior to the trade deadline). We can agree to disagree on the list of players, but let’s start with pending UFAs at a minimum. Trading players like AK, Moen (if he were not hurt), Campoli, etc. does two things. First, it adds to our future asset inventory; and second, it makes us worse over the balance of the season thus improve the likelihood of a the aforementioned high pick/elite prospect.
So, in light of the long term strategy context, if you have to admit, we should be sellers, which suggests a high pick and the elite player that helps turn around nearly two decades of “blah-ness”.
quod erat demonstrandum
I absolutely believe we should be sellers. Just not trying to lose to win later.
I’d be shocked if any professional GM, coach or player actually tried to lose. Selling assets now diminishes our playoffs chances for this season. At the risk of speaking for HH, I think that’s what he means when he says “tank”
I wouldn’t blame Ovechkin for the Caps’ problems. He’s not a dominant player anymore but his supporting cast is very poor.
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Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
Semin, Backstrom, Green? (and a huge defence).
“May you live in interesting times.”
Semin… pfffft
Backstrom has been injured for months (he was my #1 C in my hockey pool… and I was doing quite well until he was injured)
and Green has been a no show/injured the last few year.
Just wondering what your arguement was (based on the names you just dropped)
Tough call there HF72, they have changed goalies, dmen, coaches all for him and it isn’t getting better.
McPhee needs to at least unload Semin and get something for him, because i don’t see how they resign him. Funny that team was supposed to be on the cusp of the Cup and they are falling apart. Goes to show this league is not strictly about having star players.
It also underscores how small the windows are for these teams to take the final step. Which explains the insane prices paid for players at the deadline by teams with an inkling or proximity to Lord’s Stanley’s hardware and makes the Wings’ long run of consistently high level play even more remarkable.
After Semin and Backstrom, their forwards are all journeymen at best. And Semin is basically AK46 this year.
On D Green has missed almost the entire season. Wideman is their #1. They are still asking Hamrlik to play 20 min/game.
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Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
Yessir.
Ask the Atlanta Thrashers and the Columbus Blue Jackets about their star players/top draft picks.
—Hope Springs Eternal—
Or the penguins or Blackhawks.
Washington will win when Ovechkin and Semin are no longer Caps.
The year for the Caps to make a serious run at the Cup was the year we took them out in the first round. Since then, the team has been trying to change its identity and not succeeding. I don’t think they’ll win the Cup with the group of players they have. That window has closed.
By the same token that we blame Gomez, the blame lies in Ovechkin.
Captain who leaves the game, quits the all-star game and has his head in his hands for more time on the bench than he is in the game.
He is not playing to what they are paying him, although not to the same level as Gomez.
He is supposed to be the one they look to. He is not.
IMO he makes a poor captain and is clearly a head case right now.
The way they cater to him is similar to the way we catered to Roy in 1993. I see something similar happening there. Difference is Ovie is not Roy. The more he gets upset the more he stones you. With Ovie, I think he obsessed with being the GREAT8.
For RGM:
Roy’s teams scored more goals that is why he won with a worse GAA & SV%. If the Habs would have cashed in the 30 rebounds in the Boston series last Spring the Habs may have won the Cup for Carey as well …
For Strummer:
How many games did it take for Muller to get the Canes winning?
All the teams scored more goals in the 80′s.
Roy won three freakin’ Conn Smythes.
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Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
HELLO …… That is what I am saying. He won letting in more goals cause .. Oh nevermind …
Hey HFS72, he really doesn’t get it, as hard as it is to believe. He really thinks you can compare the save percentages of goalies from different eras. I advise you to drop it.
Full Breezer 4 Life
Is SF09 back???
My bad, brain cramp: I was talking to HFS72. Edited.
Full Breezer 4 Life
@Bill – dang, I miss Mr. ’09.
U don’t get it Billy boy!
I don’t disagree with the sentiment that you’re putting forward my friend, but at the end of the day we can haggle over the minutae as much as we want, and it won’t change the bare facts cited earlier. I do believe that at some point in his career with the Montreal Canadiens, Carey Price will lead this team to a Stanley Cup. The fact that he didn’t do it in his first four seasons doesn’t make him a bust, a failure, or a disappointment (like so many here charge) and it definitely bears consideration that the team in front of him doesn’t score a lot of goals – I’ve looked at the numbers over the years and the majority of the games that end up in the L column for him, the Habs score two or fewer goals. It leaves him a freakishly low margin of error that some of his predecessors never had to worry about. But, different eras, different systems, etc.
Carey’s time will come, I think we both eagerly await that day.
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GO HABS GO! 2011-12 is probably not our year!
“Scott Gomez, a potential Hall of Fame player, has two Stanley Cup rings and a Calder Trophy that says ‘I’m a player whom any authentic NHL coach will rely on to fix a game problem.’” – VancouverHab
Chat with me on Twitter @TheRealRGM81
“in short, if we tank this year, we can very quickly improve to being a contender in a year or 2.” antijm
You need not read anything else from this guy, once you’ve read that. Anyone who thinks one top-5 pick can change this team (or any other)clearly wandered here accidently while searching for a basketball board.
Sorry for feeding the trolls. I give loonies to rubbies on the street, too.
Agree strongly, with the loonie thing and the wishful thinking mentality analysis.
Consider this: EVERY season has unmet expectations for the majority of teams, so is there a “tank line” (a la Mendoza line), for the majority teams? Is it Feb. 27th or some other time?
ALL trades, whatever time of the season or off-season are made with good intentions (including salary-dump trades). Clearly, Hal Gill has benefits for several of the teams headed for the playoffs, and I think the underlying message was there: an 18 yr. old will be selected in June for future benefits, and Geoffrion is not able to help Nashville this year and therefore is a 24 yr. old with potential future benefits.
Many disappointments have been felt beginning with the 1 and 6 exhibition season, and the 1-5-1 start. Emotions are natural but rational planning for next year needs to override “emotional quick-fixes,” e.g. firing someone.
“May you live in interesting times.”
A year or two is a little optimistic, but windows are shorter than used to be with a salary cap and all.
Besides, for those who prefer making the playoffs to a high pick, their implied assumption is that our core is pretty good. Certainly, adding a top-5 talent would accelerate that process.
Lastly, if you think being a contender in a year or two with a top-5 pick is sufficient folly to call this guy out, then what’s your expectation for our return to contender status without a top-5 pick?
Just wondering…
There are plenty of moves that could make a difference without crapping the bed this season. My point is simply that some folks seem to think “tanking,” and a relatively high draft pick in one season, is a high percentage difference-maker. That’s what I’m not buying.
The greatest weakness on this team is defense. The return of Markov plus the ongoing development of Emelin and Diaz (and Tinordi & Co.) will help immeasurably. I’m inclined to think we should be on the market for one more big and fairly nasty dman, someone similar to Komo or Souray when they were at their best. The hole might be plugged through development of existing assets, though.
Up front, I actually think they are in pretty good shape. Clearly, there is a $7.5 million handicap that we may or may not be stuck with. Dealing with that would be nice. Having the cap space to trawl the UFA market for a big sniper would be very nice, indeed. I’m not convinced they NEED a classic, big, first line centre, given the chemistry of the two-and-a-half men line.
I’m on the fence with respect to both AK and Moen. I think both represent good value right now, but would be open to the right deal on either.
What moves would you like to see? Every roster player moved for a pick/prospect moves us up in the draft and away from the playoffs.
Most people seem upset that we let some many UFAs walk without return the under Gainey. So, at a minimum, I’d like to see us move some pending UFAs. If PG trades, AK, Moen (if he returns before the deadline) and Campoli — how do you like our playoff chances.
If he moves those players and we are inching away from the playoffs and someone offers a handsome return for Plecs — do you move him? I’m not saying I would, just wondering if you would…
I just keep thinking about what this team could look like with a 50-goal 22 year old like Stamkos or a 21 year old Erik Karlsson bolstering the talented youth throughout the organization.
And, BTW, Gomez is not an albatross. Teams with much less money have exiled players to save cap space. We could. We just haven’t.
I’m not anxious to move anyone (I thought I’d already said that, but maybe it didn’t come out clearly enough). Campoli is history and, unlike Gill, is likely going to get us what he cost us (bupkis). Our only other UFA’s are Moen, Kostitsyn and Darche. As I said, I think the first two should be re-signable at fair value. I doubt we can get much better value on the UFA market (remember that AK, in particular seems eager to stay). Darche is an effective, cheap 3rd/4th liner, but my hope is that we can upgrade on him from the development pool.
The odds of getting a better bang for our buck on the open market than we get from Plekanec’s current contract seem slim to me. Even in an off-year he puts up decent numbers, comparable to lots of “marquee” guys making much more money, with less versatility. Definitely a keeper.
If we can offload Kaberle, I’d be happy. He produces decent points, but we shouldn’t need those with a healthy Markov next season. His defensive weakness is just too great. A deal on him before the deadline would be a bonus.
The loss of any of those guys without a comparable roster player in return (likely scenario at the deadline) would hurt the playoff picture. In the cases of Moen and AK, that would be disappointing to me, just because I think they fit pretty well right now. In the case of Kaberle, I could live with it.
@Gerry:
AK compares favorably with Penner (smaller, more hits, more points, cheaper, younger, pending UFA). If PG could get a first, plus for a pending UFA I’d be all for it. If we could move Moen for a return somewhere between the annual second rounder every team trade for Moore and the first Nashville paid for Fisher (hey, Moen to Nashville), I’d be for that move too. Letting players reach UFA status days before the deadline x points out of a playoff spot means we need to consider these things.
To the longer term point, our top 6 next year will include: DD, Plecs, Eller, Cole, Bourque, Gionta, and Patches. That means two full lines of wingers. AK and Moen would be nice on a third line with any of those centers, but would be a little pricey and would limit opportunities for LL and any of the young turks ready to move up.
On D… Campoli, you’re right, he’s this year’s Mara/Sopel/OB… We get a worthless mid rounder for him and move on. Someone would have to get pretty desperate to come calling for Kaberle. If they do, that leaves, PK, Gorges and Emelin as the starting three next year. If not, we have open spots at 5 and 6, or better 4/5 with Kabs playing MAB’s role as PP specialist.
With those few changes in our top two forward lines and top two D pairings, we are really hoping that the youngsters continue to develop. And, keep in mind, Cole, Gionta, and Bourque are already in their 30s.
Not sure where we are going to see marked improvement in the standings without some meaningful changes. So, that said, I like to move Bourque and if possible (begin the hate mail) Cole and Gionta if the prices are young NHLers in 22-24 range… kinda like Pittsburgh getting Neal last year.
I do agree that tanking for a pick won’t drastically impact this team in the short term.
However, if we are going to miss the playoffs, why not go get the best prospect possible… maybe he turns into a superstar (or can be traded for a number of impact players).
I think you have totally missed his point…the top 5 pick isn’t about next year or event he year after it is just an added beneift to the disappointing season.
Next year we should have a fellow named Markov, a healthy Gionta, a more experienced DD, Eller, Diaz, Subban, Emelin,etc…
We should also have room to add a tough dman and potentially another winger.
If we have an average to good pp, aren’t the worst lead defending team in memory, can win the occasional shootout, have a decent home record…etc…heck any one of those factors alone puts us in the hunt, two makes the team a playoff lock, 3 and we are middle of the playoff pack and if all come to fruition you are looking at a team that competes for a top 4 seeding.
This year everything that could go wrong did go wrong….there is only one direction this team can go and this year just isn’t gonna happen…so view it as an unexpected opportunity.
I find it ironic that guys like AntiGm and HH are actually viewing things positively and trying to make the most of the season and the poor finish yet they are the “negative nellies” …while many are just in plain denial. Sure I would like to make the playoffs but it likely isn’t going to happen….so you manage the assets correctly you stockpile picks, get rid of parts that ordinarily we would be forced to keep,etc. Those picks can just as easily be converted at next deadline to make the Habs deeper for a run….
There is nothing wrong with the view those guys are taking…it is more realistic than the playoff notion despite the playoffs being more appealing ….but the constant mockery of these posters? (management saw it fit to trade Gill so which way do you figure they are leaning?)….the writing is on the wall….some just choose to ignore it and some plain out can’t read it….
If the Rangers are the best team in the East then the Habs are not that far off next year assuming “Murphy” isn’t the sherrif next season ….
Well said, Rob.
The next 7-10 days will tell the tale, not the next 7-10 weeks.
Ladouceur’ rating of players for the whole year!
In my opinion only players with a rating of 6,8 should be considered for our roster next year. The rest are to be moved out for whatever we can get for them. And replace them with players above 7,0 or our kids next year.
I would also like to know what rating all of you give to, Gauthier, Jacques Martin, and Cunnyworth? (We keep them above 7,0)
Player—–Rating—Avg.Time on ice–Games played
1-Carey Price – 7,5 —– 60:38 —— 52
2-Erik Cole – 7,4 ——– 17:50 —— 60
3-Josh Gorges – 7,3 —- 22:31 —— 60
4-David Desharnais – 7,3 – 17:53 — 60
5-Max Pacioretty – 7,3 —17:38 —– 57
6-P.K. Subban – 7,2 —– 23:44 —— 59
7-Tomas Plekanec – 7,2 – 20:44 —– 60
8-Brian Gionta – 7,2 – 19:26 ——— 31
9-Lars Eller — 7,0 — 14:47 ——— 57
10-M Cammalleri – 7,0 – 18:08 —— 36
11-Raphael Diaz – 6,9 – 18:20 —— 55
12-Alexei Emelin – 6,9 – 17:09 —— 48
13-Travis Moen – 6,9 — 15:42 —— 48
14-Andrei Kostitsyn – 6,9 – 15:16 —50
15-Mathieu Darche – 6,8 – 12:10 — 60
16-Hal Gill ——- 6,8 —- 16:44—— 53
17-Louis Leblanc – 6,8 – 11:48 —— 23
18-Tomas Kaberle – 6,7 – 17:41 —– 31
19-Scott Gomez – 6,7 – 14:25 ——- 30
20-Yannick Weber – 6,6 – 15:23 —- 45
21-Chris Campoli – 6,6 – 15:21 —– 22
22-Petteri Nokelainen – 6,5 – 9:07 – 36
23-Mike Blunden – 6,4 — 8:13 ——- 28
As it stands now this will only give us 14 skaters from this years roster, 15 counting Markov for next years roster.!.
Cole is ahead of price, Plek is way too high and having Weber anywhere but last doesn’t make sense.
pipes
This is an average of every postgame rating – not a Gestalt.
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Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
Well, for one, I certainly wouldn’t ditch Louis Leblanc!
I meant to keep 6,8 players Chris. I changed it.
Let’s adjust your mendoza line based on the player’s age or their time in the league. I’d keep a first round pick with upside like LL even if he was a 6.5. I’d dump a pending UFA like Moen for future value if he were a 7.3 (I know he’s injured, just making a point). If you take salary in to consideration, then the whole thing gets complicated.
Ian — 6.8 seems remarkably arbitrary. Did you pick the line just above Gomez or is there some science to this? PS – did you notice that Cammy (the player traded away in the dark of intermissions) was ranked 7.0 by his own team…?
You might want to set the bar a little higher than 6.8
I know a lot of posters are saying gomez is gone..but is there a realistic scenario that this can happen?…trade seems slim and ownership writting off his salary is that something they would?
With the CBA coming up, the rumor is that each team can buy out one contract with no cap hit. If this comes to pass, Gomez will be gone.
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“We know that hockey is where we live, where we can best meet and overcome pain and wrong and death. Life is just a place where we spend time between games.”
—Fred “The Fog” Shero
I was thinking along the same line, but the last CBA made some changes that warranted those free buyouts.
Unless the cap is greatly changed, we might not see those free buyouts.
Fehr will likely shuffle all the cards…
Fair question, I don’t see Molson paying that much money for a guy in the minors. The Ghost needs to find a dance partner for this guy. I had this twisted thought that the Jets might want him or take him given the salary dropoff next year while helping them with cap hit. Plus if they make playoffs some more veterans could help.
will be interesting…the gomez decision will have a major influence on next years roster….
John Lu is tweeting Leblanc plays tonight with Eller and Palushaj.
Blake Geoffrion et cie.
http://www.thespec.com/sports/bulldogs/article/673950–new-dogs-making-the-difference
“I’m not too worried about it.” Mr. Kruger
Steve Hindle who blogs about the Caps and the Habs, with an update of the Caps current situation.
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Steven-Hindle/Captastrophe/98/42384
What happened with Ovie? Read that he went to the room in a huff…..
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Don’t let the wultures getcha.
…again.
He did and then it was claimed to be an equipment issue. Guy is a selfish putz.
The announcer suggested it was probably an equipment issue. But 6 minutes left and about 10 in real time, he should have been able to come back. Extremely fishy from a selfish guy who ditched the all-star game cause he is a huge baby.
Absolutely not captain material, and that will be their downfall, unless they can find a way to demote him and stop catering everything to him.
That guy has lost it.
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Jack Edwards is a clam, Bruins are pukes.
That team lacks heart and the killer instinct.
I feel for their GM cause I really don’t know what they need to do to turn it around. It must be some player changes. They brought in Hunter who is a good coach. They brought in more veteran D….hasn’t helped. I really don’t know what you do next but they need a big shake up
I’m not convinced that Hunter is such a good coach. It appears that his teams in London were heavily stacked due to the recruitment initiatives and Hunters network of contacts.
He always seems to end up with the top prospects via trades ( i.e Taveres)
This could make him look better than his ability.
It’s also a big step to coach teenagers as opposed to spoiled millionares like Ovechkin
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“It’s just an opinion – I could be wrong”
-Dennis Miller
Is it lunch time yet…I am freaking hungry
Soon.
…says the guy with the delicious poutine avatar…
…cruel, cruel…
—Hope Springs Eternal—
Bah, and all I have for diner is one of those frozen meal thingies…
Seriously, with the way things are going, the bottom 6-7 teams in the East will be virtually tied in points by the end of the season, fighting for one or two playoff spots, as the bottom 5 keep winning games and Washington and the Leafs can’t seem to put a stranglehold on the 8th and final spot.
Imagine if it were so tight that a loss to the Leafs on April 7th would guarantee the Habs a top 5 pick and the Leafs would make the playoffs or a win would place them in 10-11th place and the Leafs would be out. Is this scenario even possible?
I posted a day or two ago that we might end up with a NASCAR-style photo finish with every team in the frame. The Hurricanes seem to have woken up, as well as the Islanders, there’s no clearcut loser like Columbus in our conference.
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
I totally HATE the way the league is laid out now.
Twelve teams vying for six spots. It’s just stupid.
I hope the NHLPA and the league can get their acts together so that they can approve the 4 division (or ‘conference’ -don’t see the point in renaming it, apart from making it more like basketball- shudder) organization. That way, we’ll have REAL rivalries, with teams in the same division fighting for playoff spots amongst themselves rather than us ‘battling’ teams like Florida that we don’t even see that much.
—Hope Springs Eternal—
Although I was one of the fans hoping Gorges would named captain last year, there were a couple of reasons why the habs ended up going with Gionta.
- he was signed long term while Gil and Gorges were not at the time.
- Recent articles have expressed that there was a season long debate between GOmez and Gill in the 09-10 season. Gionta who has past ties with Gomez also had a strong friendship with Hall Gill, Gorges and the others. This made him the connecting part of the team.
Gomez and Cammalleri quickly formed a friendship in 09 while GIll and GOrges were at the other end of the dressing room and had more followers. While weirdos liek SK and Latendresse kinda just did their own thing.
Any given blog gets hundreds of hits, more if the Habs play.
Along with ignoring the great links only three of us read we can save time by cutting and pasting typical HIO responses to any column, blog, or opinion. This allows you more time to read the columns or J.T.’s blog. Here are some to get you started:
A) I told everybody….and now will again…
B) Great opinion that agrees with what I wrote down towards the third page, fourth para, line 9, last month….
C) The fans there are morons. Their team is in first place only because they’re winning more than losing.
D) The guy is a goon. His 30 goals are only because he goes to the net.
E) Anyone who does not hold my viewpoint is an idiot.
F) Real fans agree with me. You other fans disgust me.
G) I have stayed awake all night instead of studying making up my 400th post on suggested lines only to find they traded Gill…back in a bit…
H) I posted something in another place and everyone ignored it so here it is again.
I) Bob Gainey knows nothing about hockey. Gauthier knows nothing about hockey. Molson knows nothing about hockey.
J) None of them understand the business or the working slob.
K) Oops here comes the boss gotta pretend to work..haha…LOL
L) I have read Jack Todd for the 100th time and I ignore him.
M) I think we have a strong chance despite the odds.
N) Tank…it’s the only way. Despite the odds.
O) The Kaberle trade was stupid. Please ignore what I wrote before about us getting Kaberle.
P) Letting Ryder go was a mistake…please ignore what I wrote before about running him out of town.
Q) Price saved us but then lost us the game.
R) Hockey is different in Montreal because we invented marketing. Ice came afterwards.
S) We just need to…trade our good players for Carter who is failing big time.
T) It’s simple….trade our fourth line for their first line and throw in a second.
U) There’s this 30 year old monster that could make us immediately tougher. I can call the tavern and see if he’s still available?
V) Trading Halak was stupid.
W) Some twit tweeted that Lucic’s facebook wall had a comment that the Habs sucked! Here is the link.
X) Broons fans is ignerant.
Y) We’re only 8 games out of a playoff spot! If we win and other teams lose all eight games we’re right up there close almost.
Z) Can’t think of anything to write so: Real great link to badly pirated music that reflects my mood when I found it.
Honorable mention: Bring back Martin, it’s the flu, injuries, schedule, slow start, fast start, officials, Gomez, Brisbois, sweaters, skate guards, too small, too slow, puck was warm, and not enough french spoken on the plane.
You forgot that it’s a Leap Year, but thanks for the re-cap
Ha!
Nice, I think you got ‘em all.
—Hope Springs Eternal—
Forgot one: fans that want the team to win are selfish.
I know I am. lol
NHL goalie rankings: http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?fetchKey=20122ALLGAGAll&sort=goalsAgainstAverage&viewName=goalsAgainstAverage
I am offended, I don’t see an exact quote of my recent posts, you are being far to selective.
Nice work New.
Looking at the recent success of the Canes it would seem we could have used Cap’n Kirk instead of JM-Lite.
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“It’s just an opinion – I could be wrong”
-Dennis Miller
Totally !
Habs, OLE !
@JFChaumont:
#Habs: Erik Cole vient de quitter l’entraînement. Il joue sur une jambe, le courageux Erik.
Cole just left practive. He plays one only one leg, the couregeous Erik.
Character guy- team needs more of that!
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“It’s just an opinion – I could be wrong”
-Dennis Miller
I agree but the team needs less injuries too.
Go ahead & bash Carey Price you ignorant fools.
His 1st 4 yrs in the NHL & Roy’s 1st 4 yrs he played more games than Roy & had a better GAA & SV%. Roy’s team scored more goals for him unlike Price!
One very important distinction, and this is coming from the biggest Carey Price fan you’ll ever meet: Patrick Roy had been to the Stanley Cup Finals twice in his first four seasons and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as a rookie. I really really wish people (fans and detractors alike) would just can it with the Roy/Price comparisons because it’s an unwinnable proposition – there will never be another Patrick Roy. Ever. We have a very long-running tradition of amazing goalies in Montreal and with that comes expectations, some of which are lofty and unreasonable. Let’s just be content to have the first Carey Price and enjoy this ride instead of always looking to hold him up as “the next…..” OK?
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GO HABS GO! 2011-12 is probably not our year!
“Scott Gomez, a potential Hall of Fame player, has two Stanley Cup rings and a Calder Trophy that says ‘I’m a player whom any authentic NHL coach will rely on to fix a game problem.’” – VancouverHab
Chat with me on Twitter @TheRealRGM81
Hear hear.
Having an excellent franchise goalie who is rounding into form after a couple of hiccups is good enough for me.
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
Patrick Roy played in a completely different era of hockey, so comparing GAA and SV% numbers is just patently absurd.
In Patrick Roy’s first four seasons, the average number of goals scored per game were 7.94, 7.34, 7.43, and 7.48. The NHL leaders in goals against average for those four seasons were Bob Froese (2.55), Brian Hayward (2.81), Pete Peeters (2.78) and Patrick Roy (2.47).
By comparison, the average number goals scored per game for Carey Price’s first four seasons were 5.57, 5.83, 5.68, and 5.59. This indicates that teams score on average 1 goal fewer per game than their counterparts 25 years ago did. This is reflected by the league leaders in GAA the past four years: Chris Osgood (2.09), Tim Thomas (2.10), Tuukka Rask (1.97) and Tim Thomas (2.00).
Carey Price is a great goalie. But he isn’t even close to Patrick Roy’s level of dominance in the late 1980′s. That isn’t a knock on Price, just a reflection of how transcendant Patrick Roy was.
You sound like Price’s agent.
We need a guy like Dustin Brown from L.A. A tough in your face player who is good for over 20 goals a season.
Only Montreal trades captains
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Jack Edwards is a clam, Bruins are pukes.
I hope so, because Gionta may need to go next season
I used to be a fan but I’ve seen enough.
“I’m not too worried about it.” – Mr Kruger
And the Bruins, and the Flyers, and the Panthers, and the Oilers…
—Hope Springs Eternal—
Just sayin’ if we’re gonna overpay for a trade, that’s the kind of guy I wouldn’t be bothered if we traded a first pick and… it’s better than giving away a first for Alex Tanguay.
Really. Do you actually think that or just trying to be sarcastic?
Sarcasm… It gets lost on cyberpages
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Jack Edwards is a clam, Bruins are pukes.
Was Gretzky a captain? lol Bobby Orr?
NHL goalie rankings: http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?fetchKey=20122ALLGAGAll&sort=goalsAgainstAverage&viewName=goalsAgainstAverage
Orr wasn’t a captain, DorkvalToe-knee…
Wow, sometimes I really lower myself to their level when my goat gets got… help me.
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Jack Edwards is a clam, Bruins are pukes.
Gotta smile, Smiler…
—Hope Springs Eternal—
How about Kaberle for interim Captain for the rest of the year?
Moen trade to Red Wings? NO! What does Ken Holland think of the Canadiens? A bunch of idiots who’s going to trade a guy who, though not scoring that much, is able to guard the forwards and can become a physical presence in a game much like Hal Gill did!
If that’s going to be the case, Travis Moen for either Filppula or Hudler! They want bargain for a trade, they have to dispose on of their key players plus a 1st round pick. If they want to trade Holstrom, PG should consider this idea of a Moen trade to hockeytown as nonsense!
The real question that comes out of this post is: what do you think of Ken Holland?
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GO HABS GO! 2011-12 is probably not our year!
“Scott Gomez, a potential Hall of Fame player, has two Stanley Cup rings and a Calder Trophy that says ‘I’m a player whom any authentic NHL coach will rely on to fix a game problem.’” – VancouverHab
Chat with me on Twitter @TheRealRGM81
Hey I love Hal Gill but a physical presence and guarding players was not something he brought…
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Jack Edwards is a clam, Bruins are pukes.
Geeze.. a key player and a 1st for Moen??
Hal Gill bringing a physical presence?
okay…
Is widdle Cawey angwy?
NHL goalie rankings: http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?fetchKey=20122ALLGAGAll&sort=goalsAgainstAverage&viewName=goalsAgainstAverage
R U in Grade 6?
Careful what you ask of the troll, you may be surprised at the answer.
———————–
GO HABS GO! 2011-12 is probably not our year!
“Scott Gomez, a potential Hall of Fame player, has two Stanley Cup rings and a Calder Trophy that says ‘I’m a player whom any authentic NHL coach will rely on to fix a game problem.’” – VancouverHab
Chat with me on Twitter @TheRealRGM81
LOL!!!!!!!!!
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Jack Edwards is a clam, Bruins are pukes.
He wooks wike Justin Trudeau smashing his widdle stick awww.
NHL goalie rankings: http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?fetchKey=20122ALLGAGAll&sort=goalsAgainstAverage&viewName=goalsAgainstAverage
Doubt it, too bad you are though. Is wittle Dorwal angwy because his hero is widing da pine?
_____________________________
Don’t let the wultures getcha.
I am getting this strange image of how certain posters look based on the language used. Prop, your avatar was perfectly suited for this post by the way.
Well, my avatar kinda looks like me…..it’s my son
_____________________________
Don’t let the wultures getcha.
Tankers to left of me, Dreamers to the right
here I am stuck in the middle with you
Make some place will you? I don’t think I fit in either of those categories.
Neither do I.
I just like seeing the team win.
The only thing I dream of is the next game!
—Hope Springs Eternal—
I was thinking about that song (the original, of course) just a few days ago.
Richard R
You know I’m a Dreamer
But my heart’s of gold
I had to run away high
So, I wouldn’t come home low
Just when things went right
Doesn’t mean they’re always wrong
Just take this song and you’ll never feel
Left all alone
-Motley Friggin’ Crue
I know alot of people here hate Jack Todd but his article today was right on the money for the most part. Where has the class gone in this organization? PG is a petty little dictator and I’ll be cheering when his ass gets canned. Why all the secrecy and paranoia? It drives me crazy and makes me nervous what he’s going to do at the trade deadline
I think the secrecy is a direct result of journalists like Jack Todd.
Would you give an interview to a guy who insults you and calls for you to be fired every week?
–
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
But he’s not like that with just Todd but with all the media. The Molson’s may own the team but it belongs to the city and we fans we have a right to know what’s going on every now and then. It’s possible that he doesn’t talk to the media because he has no clue or plan and is afraid of getting asked the tough questions.
Yeah, I don’t know why he can’t discuss what he is doing with all of us before he makes a move, like all the other GM’s do in the league.
Why has Lars Eller been given less time as an offensive centerman?
Richard R
Gomez needs more TOI.
Eller has had some penalties, high sticking, it’s been suggested his TOI was limited because of that. He also is appointed as the defencive center, and so he gets PK time, and not PP time.
It’s a result of Le Système. Every player has to subsume their offensive inclinations and creativity to play a trap in the neutral zone and backcheck and play positional hockey. Every peg must fit into the round hole. It does yield a team with results seemingly greater than the sum of its parts, but we end up discarding square pegs like Sergei Kostitsyn, Mike Ribeiro, Alex Kovalev, Guillaume Latendresse, and soon Andrei Kostitsyn. Lars is being asked to play a role he may not be really suited for.
Which leads me to wonder if it is possible in today’s NHL to have an offensive mindset. I don’t follow basketball, but Mike D’Antoni who used to do wonders with Steve Nash and now Jeremy Lin is a coach who sacrifices defence in favour of offence. NFL is a little different, but some teams decide to be an exciting offensive team at the expense of defence through the draft, loading up on one side of the ball. MLB is also a different case, but some teams will, especially if their stadium is configured a certain way, worry more about getting players with good bats rather than good gloves.
With the incremental return of slashing and hooking in the NHL, and the discussion of the ‘bear hug’ as a tactic for safety’s sake, can a team really decide it’s going to be a skating, offensive team, favouring exciting skilled play over defensive stratagems? The failed Virage Vitesse of Bob Gainey seems to indicate that it isn’t possible to do so.
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
I think the way RC sees it is that Eller is getting more time as a defensive centreman….but I don’t know what he is actually thinking
c’est le but!
Bob in Ottawa
hey Burlington, I wasn’t going to post today, but I will share with you what I have seen regarding Xavier Ouellet.
he was a 1st round QMJHL pick by the new owners of the Montreal Juniors franchise.
I happen to know those guys, so I was sitting with them one day and talking business and hockey.
I said I had seen Ouellet and I was not impressed.
Well, this did not go over well, since their 1st pick the year earlier was not panning out as they had hoped.
It turns out that my first impression was quite wrong – that’s why you really need to see a guy play at least 3 or 4 times before making any judgement about him.
Live and learn.
Ouellet is smooth; an excellent skater and distributor of the puck, he plays at an advanced skill level and has been the quarterback of the Montreal (now Boisbriand) power play for 2 years.
He also plays a very smart, position smart, type defence.
Not that physical, but not intimidated either.
He was drafted by Detroit for a reason – because he is a leader (Captain), he is smart, and he is highly skilled.
He has a lot of what it takes to continue his development at a steady and consistent pace.
I totally expect him to play in the NHL.
When he does, who knows how good he can become – because he is like a poor man’s Lindstrom, the whole package, not a “specialist”.
I like his upside a lot.
But so does Detroit, I’m quite sure.
Habs hockey is “smart” hockey – we play 5 man defence, not just 2 – we move up the ice as a 5 man unit, we back check with 5.
Thanks Ed, when I posed that question I was hopeful you had seen him, you always provide great insight on these young players. Have a good day and I am glad you posted.
Red Wings fans are saying there is no way Ouellet is moved, as he is one of their best prospect, and their D is not all that young.
What I find odd or wrong about this rumour is that generally a PG deal never has a leak. Therefore if indeed there was a leak it had to be from the Detroit side, which again I can’t see it happening. Plus I didn’t read about this from the french link above but rather heard it from Sportsnet last night, so that again lowers the credibility of the rumour.
I got it from TVA, so not very credible either.
Thanks Burlington!
We could have had Xavier Ouellet. He was picked 48th by Detroit but we should have had the 47th pick.
We had previously traded that pick to Florida for Dominic Moore.
Not bashing Moore, but it shows that if we stopped trading our picks for rentals our cupboard wouldn’t be so bare.
–
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
A bit of revisionist history is being propagated recently on these forums when it is advanced as a fact that the Canadiens are simply trying to sneak into the playoffs. I understand the whole ‘eighth place=mid-round draft pick’ dynamic, and I understand that the team has in recent history been mediocre.
But let me take you back to the golf tournament at the start of the season. The vibe of the players and coaches wasn’t just to sneak in and then “anything can happen”, it was more a “let us at them”. The players and coaches felt they had unfinished business and were itching to have another kick at the can. This was a team that had been forged in the battle of two playoffs where they competed with spirit and gallantry and were not run out of the rink by stronger opposition but rather by a couple of fickle bounces.
Hal Gill’s interview with Dave Stubbs bears that out. He had loved the ride the last two seasons and thought that coming back for another go-round was the smart thing to do.
So we agree that there were lots of variables that were treated as constants by fans and media and probably by management as well. The first thunderclap of the coming storm was heard at that golf tournament when it was revealed that Andrei Markov’s return would not occur at training camp. But the mood of the team wasn’t that of a plucky group who could surprise a team or two in the playoffs, it was that of a team that was hungry and determined to finish the job, despite most prognosticators pegging them as an also-ran.
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
Will the fiasco that is Hockey in the Desert every be solved?
http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/morning_call/2012/02/sale-to-keep-coyotes-in-arizona-close.html
It is quite stupid really. Just cause of the Ego’s it isn’t moving. They showed by moving the thrashers last year it can be done but Buttman just won’t admit he screwed this one up.
They should move the team to Quebec City or southern Ontario and get it over with.
I feel bad for the tax payers in Phoenix.
I’m really excited by the prospect of a team in Seattle. It would be good for the league, good for Western teams, good for the Canucks, and good for fans a mere four hours drive away who want to make a weekend of it catching an NHL game plus an NFL game plus even, what the heck, why not a Mariners game if the weather is nice.
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
It would help balance out the conferences if Florida(?) moves there letting CBJ or Detroit come east.
Still would prefer Quebec City getting the Nords back… but then Montreal would want a team yuk yuk yuk (old Toronto-Hamilton joke… yeah, I know, bad)
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Jack Edwards is a clam, Bruins are pukes.
I think there will be enough franchises to go around. Once Québec builds a palace and hands the keys to the amoral Pierre Karl Péladeau, one of the weak American teams will migrate North. Seattle just helps me out more: more hockey on broadcast, more easy tickets to get, more Canadiens games in my neck of the woods, easier travel schedule for the Canucks, …
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
They could travel by train as well and save some money.
Richard R
I don’t know how to cheer for a loss. I get excited when they get a lead hoping they will win, or feel resigned to getting a good pick when they fall behind, lose, and move further away from the playoffs.
The ongoing clash between the tanking camp and the clan that still believes we can make the playoffs is moot. It doesn’t matter what anyone wishes, they’ll win or lose based on how they play.
Now I happen to believe they won’t get into the playoffs, that’s what I think, not what I want.
Think of it this way. If a fan of the Islanders (not quite sure if such a thing exists, but bear with me here)… A fan of the Islanders would tell you his team can make the playoffs this year, you would laugh, right? They got shellacked by Ottawa yesterday. But guess what, they have a better chance mathematically than we do with same amount of points and one more game to play. Remember Carolina, they’re 1 pt back on us and surging. Let’s watch the Habs play well the rest of the way, and discuss who we should keep. Playoffs??
I can feel it: AK for Ryan Smyth…then we sign Smyth to a 10-year extension.
—————-
McGuire for GM!
Roy for Coach!
Sh*t for Brains!
Man, you are an idiot!!!!!
15 Years, no less.
boy – people have short memories
a couple of years ago – a team that was smaller, older and less talented than the current one went much deeper in the post season than anyone dreamed…then just last year that same smaller ,older less talented team was how close? Gionta puts it into the empty net in OT of game 7 and the Bs are gone… so why is it now that this team has no hope if they get in?
I am not a big Pierre Mcguire fan but he is quite correct when he says at the end of the season they change the name of the game from hockey to goalie because that is usually the only difference between winning and losing…so how does our goalie compare? Pretty well I would say – YOU GOTTA BELIEVE..THE TEAM IS NOT GOING TO QUIT SO FORGET ABOUT IT AND START SUPPORTING THEM – WHO KNOWS WHAT COULD HAPPEN?
stop with the fire the coach, fire the GM, trade everyone nonsense- have to think some players check this site…why not post some encouragement?
c’est le but!
Bob in Ottawa
if the Habs win tonight – Ribeiro will be nothing more than a bad memory – as for Souray and Ryder we should have kept them – they are still good players. Ryder would look pretty good with Pleks and AK right now and Souray wouldn’t be to shabby on the back end with PK or Emelin. anyway they’re gone and doing great in Dallas.
the Habs can win tonight if they show up. should they make the playoffs or not this team have to make a lot of changes if they’re ever gonna win a cup….
Ryder is having a really good season again. He played well when he was here accept for his last season. Boston played well for two years and vanished again and it looks like he is back to form again.
Good on him. He fell out with habs management quickly here and the same in Boston. Wonder if he has some work ethic problems
You can tell the Gooins thought a lot of Ryder when they signed Poupou instead.
They were probably thinking – lets save 3.15 million bucks this year.
Carbo & Gainey Ruined it fo Ryder in Montreal. They both wanted Ryder to play more defensive. So his scoring went down!
Ryder’s lack of effort coupled with his paper airplanes killed his career in Montreal.
Good to see things haven’t changed and we are still one big Happy family here at HIO, lol. Oh it is great we all have the passion we do for the Habs. We will only all agree the night of and day after a Cup victory, the other 364 and a half days, we will fight like kids.
CHeers to all!
Guaranteed that negative things will be sad within one hour of the next Cup win:
“Yeah, we won the cup, but our salary cap is screwed for next season, Gauthier crapped the bed.”
“Yeah, we won the cup, but Plekanec totally disappeared in the finals, he’s got to go.”
“Yeah, we won the cup, but Price looked shaky in clutch situations and we really got lucky. Let’s trade him for Halak.”
“Yeah, we won the cup, but I wish Patrick Roy was our coach.”
Full Breezer 4 Life
Yup. Within seconds there’d be calls to tank.
Ha!
Some people are only happy when they’re unhappy.
…and they come on here and try to drag everyone down into their wallow with them…
*sigh*
(somewhere in the distance ‘Cat’s in the Cradle’ starts to play)
—Hope Springs Eternal—
So in Cunneyworth’s world, Eller is a spare part penalty killing specialist. Awesome. Good thing Gauthier traded Halak for the equivalent of a scrub that Houle would have signed. I have a feeling that this organization is so defensively oriented now that any offensive player will be doomed to be benched lest they make a mistake. Maybe they can trade for Tom Pyatt this off season. Long live the fourth line plugger. That’s a more appropriate slogan for the Habs rather than that tired old Torch thing.
To the people who ask what is the point of winning games, consider this scenario.
1. We keep doing well enough and end up squeaking into the playoffs on the last day.
2. Andrei Markov plays the last 10 games and is 100% for the playoffs.
3. We meet the Bruins in round one and eliminate them.
Yes it’s a bit of a longshot, and no it isn’t the Stanley Cup, but I’ll take it.
–
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
I think I saw a similar scenario unfold on an episode of “The Twilight Zone.”
Nice, I knew there was a reason I was selfish!
Hmmm….someone just wants us to eke into the playoffs and just eliminate the Bruins, that’s all.
Snap out of this grudge you and others have with the Bruins. \Life is too short!
I want a winner on this team, I want a Cup! Not a bottom feeder team of ours season after season.
Tank I say! Tank!
“We will win the Cup one day only with ? in the nets “
I’m with you here. I want to make it in so we are the ones to upset Boston. It’s our duty to do so. I just hope and pray that if we do make it and meet them we aren’t swept in four.
It’d be awesome if we squeek in and then go on to win the Cup. I know it’s big-time dreaming but I think that would be so awesome. It’d also fit into the strange season this has been and blow everyone’s mind.
Won’t happen but it’s nice to dream sometimes.
“We only have one person to blame, and that’s each other.” – Berry Beck
Two things I need help with. First thing is I sent a copy of my comments to Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe and he responded that according to the NHL guide, page 71, that the Habs only have 23 cups. I sent him some other references that show that the Habs have won 24. Does anyone have a copy of this year’s guide to confirm what Dupont said?
Secondly, is there a way to find your own old posts? Seems to me we used to be able to do that, but I can’t figure out how.
Thanks
I can’t help with any of your specific questions, but in your package to Dupont you should include an abacus (with instructions of how to use) along with a paper bag filled with steaming dog poop and have it lit afire on his front step.
NHL did not exist before 1916/17. Habs won their first in 1916, before the NHL was born, under the NHA.
Yes, like G-Man wrote, Habs won one cup before the formation of NHL and the NHL only lists the cup winners after they took possession of the cup in their guide book. Dupont is an idiot.
Thanks guys. I knew I would get the right answer on this forum.
When I first saw the title of this thread I thought we just traded for Mike Ribeiro.
Same here thank goodness he’s still with the Stars I still can’t stand him
Poor Mike Boone must be getting tired of saying that every game is pivotal but that’s certainly true about tonight’s contests.
Montreal gets to play a middle of the pack team that has been stumbling as of late. Speaking of stumbling, the free-falling laffs have to face New Jersey and the red hot Brodeur. Contrast that with Toronto’s goaltending of late.
Gustavsson hasn’t won since Jan. 24 (0-2-1, allowing 13 goals in five appearances, a 3.36 goals against average). James Reimer is 1-3-0 on his last four games, having allowed 15 goals, a GAA of 5.00 for the 180 total minutes he played in that span.
Picking up one point won’t be good enough, Montreal has to win while Toronto loses (which puts us four points back). A Toronto regulation win/Montreal loss pretty well ends the season.
Interesting how Wilson handled his goalies the past month. Gustavsson had an excellent January and somewhat righted the Leaf ship. But Wilson has seemed to never like “the monster” and then tried to convince himself and team that Reimer should be goalie. Reimer had 2 shutouts and suddenly the team had put Jonas back on the pine for quite a few games. Then Reimer started getting shallacked and no longer was Jonas in a rythym. I am quite happy Wilson handled it this way, but cannot understand why they wouldn’t have just ridden the same hot hand from January. tsk tsk, too bad TOronto.
Wilson is almost as bad as the Flyers organization when it comes to treatment of goalies. It’s a joy to watch.
———————–
GO HABS GO! 2011-12 is probably not our year!
“Scott Gomez, a potential Hall of Fame player, has two Stanley Cup rings and a Calder Trophy that says ‘I’m a player whom any authentic NHL coach will rely on to fix a game problem.’” – VancouverHab
Chat with me on Twitter @TheRealRGM81
Don’t worry! Wilson knows how to manage the goaltender situation. As a matter of fact, he’s got it down to a science. Specifically, physics. He flips a coin.
I cannot believe others still think our team will make the playoffs on this site.
The season was over when results showed at training camp and when Mr. G blew ship on this team years ago by signing Gomer, Gionta, Cammy to name a few and PG as well signing lucrative contracts to a third liner in Pleks and in a player who is not getting younger in a fragile player like Markov..
I’d rather have a big team of no name players with grit and no skill for our team than a midget team of players with skill in today’s NHL.
Firewagon hockey is no more in the NHL.
Our team is in trouble, and PG & BG know ir but won;t announce it to us fans but the organization is not fooling me.
“We will win the Cup one day only with ? in the nets “
Silly fans for believing in their team on a team-related discussion board. What’s next, cute pictures of cats on icanhascheezburger.com?
———————–
GO HABS GO! 2011-12 is probably not our year!
“Scott Gomez, a potential Hall of Fame player, has two Stanley Cup rings and a Calder Trophy that says ‘I’m a player whom any authentic NHL coach will rely on to fix a game problem.’” – VancouverHab
Chat with me on Twitter @TheRealRGM81
Retro – I see the month of February as being like a chess game for the Habs. The season has been a huge disappointment and any objective fan would have to say that the team is basically a bottom-feeder right now. However, as I mentioned this morning, there are still nine teams left in the East who can grab the last playoff spot.
When it’s all said and done, I will be really, really disappointed if we can’t grab one of the top four forwards in this summer’s entry draft. I see the year as a bit of a right-off so I at least want some kind of return.
Having said that, it’s tough to throw in the towel when your team is only four points back with 20 games to go (after tonight).
The Habs are at the tipping point to be sure. A few more untimely losses and it’s over. Checkmate will probably come some time this weekend.
I know I come across as a bit of a fence sitter, but that is kind of how the pieces are aligned on the chess board right now.
Steve I think that is how many of us feel.
Steve, why are you engaging this knob-in-a-push-button-world with your thoughtful, concise astute analysis?
I’m surprized at ya!
__________________________________
Jack Edwards is a clam, Bruins are pukes.
I agree, I’d like something out of the season, a high draft pick. The guys above just like to fence with each other. Not so hard to watch the team play when you’re resolved to thinking they are not going to make it to the dance.If the trades come along that are to good to let go do it. Then let the young bucks play their tails off to win positions for next year. The players aren’t going to tank no matter what anyone wishes around here. If they don’t have the horses thet simply won’t make it.
All grit, no skill. No good. All skill, no grit. No good.
Richard R
Despite the stark reality of this,Joe Bowen is picking the Laffs to win tonite.
H O L Y M A C K I N A W !
lol
http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2012/02/21/is-tv-analyst-pierre-mcguire-a-solid-g-m-hire/
Good read, very simple yet clear take on the Mcguire for GM campaign.
Edit: At the bottom of the article is similar analysis provided on other potential GM’s like Roy, Brisebois, Nill etc…
Nobody ever considers Jarmo Kekalainen.
And he may just be the best candidate for any NHL team looking.
Tom, I have to be honest I have never heard of the guy.
He was the AGM and director of scouting for the Blues and prior to that he was a scout with the Ottawa Senators.
He’s Ivy League educated and has found some absolute gems. He orchestrated the trade that sent David Runblad to Ottawa for the pick that he chose immediately after the trade. Vladimir Tarasenko.
He’s shrewd, he finds elite talent all over the world and got a ringing endorsement from Blues Management when he left their organization to be a GM in Europe.
Interesting thanks Tom, I did google him just now and he seems to have a keen eye on talent in Europe. Any chance he speaks French?
Burly, please don’t do it….don’t be a McQuire for GM guy……he would be a disaster
Oh I am not, and the article states what I and others have stated. He needs to work in the AHL for awhile first.
oh thank god lol. I would agree. He needs to get back in the game instead of in the media and show what he has. I highly doubt he would do that though
Exactly, he has a good paying gig right now and i think an ego to match (I don’t know, just from what I see) and as a result if he is going to step away from the NBC contract he wants a big title. I don’t think he wants to step away from the spotlight and be in Albany or somewhere for 3-4 years first.
Whatever one thinks of Ribeiro, Gainey trading him for a washed-up Janne Niinimaa was one of the worst trades in Canadiens history. All Ribeiro’s done in Dallas is rack up points. Including this year, over 6 years with Dallas, he has 385 points for an avg. of 64 points per year, and is +10. Niinimaa meanwhile played 41 games with the Habs, putting up 3 points while going -13. Did Ribeiro have issues? I guess, but you don’t get rid of 64 points for NOTHING. Ever.
It was a bad trade…..no doubt but do you really think the habs would be a better team now with Ribs on it? He would have taken plek’s cash and he would be gone
No, and I agree there would be no room for him and Pleks (plus others) on the same team. I just think there’s always a market for talent. Like I’ve said previously, a lot of trades are made when a player has worn out his welcome with a team. Often the change of scenery revives his career — the trade itself serving as a sobering reminder that he needs to smarten up. The point is, we gave away 64 points per year for NOTHING.
I agree we should have got a little more, no doubt. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way. I was never a fan of Ribs though. he is a punk
K7800 – Maybe not. Ribs might be Gomez instead. We would also be up 2.3M on the cap.
Regardless, the point really is about the lack of a return with the deal. At least with Grabovski we got a 2nd rounder. Gainey panicked badly which led to Dallas picking his pocket. Plain and simple.
Niinimaa is right up there with Gainey’s other brilliant trade – SG.
SG?
It’s early and do we really have to do this? Why not just type the full name?
edited: oh, Scott Gomez, see, I told you it was early.
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Jack Edwards is a clam, Bruins are pukes.
Enough of the crying over trading Ribeiro a million years ago.
His weaselly faking injury soccer antics in the playoffs vs. Boston were the most embarrassed I’ve ever felt watching a Habs game.
His off-ice demeanor was a big issue too (not that I care but I guess it pissed management off, remember the “three amigos”?) so he was dealt.
And that fact that nobody else wanted him and all Gainey could get was a washed defenceman from his former team tells ya all you need to know.
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Jack Edwards is a clam, Bruins are pukes.
+10, every fricking team in this league has traded or gotten rid of players who have had success elsewhere. Why do fans here act like we are the only team to ever have past players go elsewhere and play better.
What does +10 mean?
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Jack Edwards is a clam, Bruins are pukes.
Isn’t that Ribeiro’s +/- over the last 6 years?
I was supporting your post, 10 thumbs up or something like that.
It’s one thing to lose a trade. It’s another to give away that kind of talent, head case or not, for absolutely ZERO.
You’re telling me Ribeiro couldn’t at least have brought in a prospect or a 2nd rounder?
Niinima was finished, Gainey failed in his due diligence.
And I’m not crying over it, life’s too short, but am just making a comment.
I am not saying it was a good trade, but that was a previous GM and it was years ago. To me it sounds indeed like people crying over spilled milk.
yah the Gomez trade sucked too, but last I checked we don’t have a time travel machine to go back and have do overs. All we can do is hope mgmt has learned from their mistakes and previous regimes mistakes.
Do you not think he made it known to every team that Ribeiro was available??? Only Dallas bit and all they wanted to part with was Niinimaa…
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Jack Edwards is a clam, Bruins are pukes.
I think that is what he is telling you..nobody wanted him…teams give away alot of players who are a pain and they don’t want to deal with them anymore
I posted on previous thread that Sportsnet was talking like Detroit had offered Xavier Ouellet to the Habs for Moen. Anybody in the Montreal area ever watched this kid play?
Why help Detroit at all? Why take any player they are willing to part with?
Screw Detroit.
Ouellet is very skilled but very raw. He is going to take a long time to develop. Having said that, he could develop into a versatile top 4 defenseman.
Without the proper development he may never see an NHL game.
Habs will try to sign him first i guess it either Moen or AK don’t think we can resign both, Ouellet got pretty good stat so far in the Q
No…!
Xavier Ouellet is a Patrice Brisebois clone.
I don’t know but that goal Ribeiro scored against the Flames the another night was pretty amazing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8llUGWcSVhI
Habs, OLE !
And welcome back Souray and Michael Ryder. What a year Ryder is having. Too bad he is not good enough to play for the mighty Habs.
Imagine what Dallas Stars fans are saying about James Neal not being good enough to play for the Stars.
Hindsight is 20/20 partner ..
A little bit of foresight would help around Montreal. It’s sadly lacking.
i agree although it’s been one tough season ..especially coming of last years performance ..and adding Cole. better things were expected by all . this season has been a circus ..fired coaches ….Kaberle signing … more of same from Gomez …Eller going from a 4 goal game with glimpses of brillance to reduced minutes …win streaks then losing games against oppenets below us ….but !!! we did beat the Laffs 5-0 !! we have many undercheivers this year …a pleasant surprise has been the dd/Pacs/Cole line .. I am still hopeful we can squeeze in but ….we need to get hot NOW !
Well, Ryder was sucking the hind teet in his final couple of seasons here and if he’s so great, why didn’t Boston re-sign him after his 4 years there?
He’s a one trick pony and while those types may play in places like Dallas, they never pass the acid test in places where hockey is scrutinized way beyond the norm…
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Jack Edwards is a clam, Bruins are pukes.
I’m still pissed off that we let Ryder walk for nothing after 1 bad season. Yet another horrible move by the Gainey regime
And what was Bostons excuse..the gainey regime
We might be “tantalizingly” close, but the reality is we’re not going to make it. The team has been in playoff mode for about a month, every game being a “must-win,” but they still come out flat as they did against Jersey, or blow leads (22 now, including 12 third-period leads), and are at a loss to explain it afterwards. Simply put, we’re not a playoff team. We’re not good enough. Geoff Molson should recognize this fact and direct Pierre Gauthier to try to deal every player who will not be part of the team next season. If, as seems to be the case, Andrei Kostitsyn has played himself onto the fourth line or into the doghouse, he becomes our most valuable trading asset. Gauthier should focus on getting as much for him as possible. Ditto Travis Moen (if he recovers soon enough), Chris Campoli, Petteri Nokelainen, possibly Yannick Weber, possibly Mathieu Darche (although he’s been playing his best hockey the last few weeks), possibly Kaberle.
Even if the Habs were to squeak into the playoffs, I think we all know we wouldn’t win a round. As HH has said many times, it’s time to abandon the “make the playoffs and anything can happen” mentality. This lost season is an opportunity to build for the future; Molson and Gauthier should grasp it with both hands and run with it.
The team’s focus needs to be on winning the division. Setting higher goals leads to achieving better results. Having said that, the mentality of the players at the start of each season certainly isn’t to squeak into the playoffs. But I’m not sure if they use a better standard like I said in aiming to win the division.
As for the reality being that they aren’t going to make it and can’t win a playoff series. If history has taught us anything it’s that they certainly can win a playoff series under these circumstances. The Stanley Cup? I wouldn’t count on that one.
Trading the guys who would be rentals is one thing. And it is surely a way to restock the cupboard(a cupboard that isn’t nearly as bare as some make it out to be). The real issue moving forward for me is the current coaching staff.
Randy Cunneyworth and Randy Ladouceur need to be fired the day following the conclusion of the regular season. And this time around the team shouldn’t wait until July to select a replacement.
Totally agree that the expectations throughout the organization need to be higher than simply making the playoffs.
Who would you like to see as the head coach next season to get us there?
Marc Crawford
agree ..or Teddy Nolan .
Not a chance in hell.
That door closed the second that Moore was mugged by Bertuzzi. Is this the guy who you want developing all the young players we have drafted?
Not to mention that Crawford can barely keep up with the other guys on TSN who have never coached a game in their lives.
Hmmm …
You think that Vancouver might one day fire Vigneault? I mean, the expectations are so high there, they feel they really should win the Stanley Cup … but the league is so competitive now, the west so strong generally, that if they get bounced early on … I’m just saying — if they fail to meet expectations, maybe they decide to shake things up by letting Vigneault go. If I’m Gauthier, V’s the guy I want, hands down.
Guy Carbonneau. He had a great record when he was fired, and Gainey’s dismissal of nearly half the team after that season suggests he realized the problems lay more in off-ice issues than in coaching. I think Carbonneau has learned a thing or two since then, and with the right assistants could do a good job.
Disagree. We need to get rid of present company including PG and bring in new blood, not revised or hopefully revised blood as in GC.
I’ll have two of whatever Boone is on:
Ottawa and Winnipeg won by shutouts Tuesday night. The Senators stalled the Islanders, who remain tied in points with the Cnadiens and Lightning at 58. The Jets moved up to 64 points to tie the Leafs.
Ottawal and Carolina won by shutouts Monday night. The Jets had tied the Leafs in points on Sunday. Carolina kept the Caps from moving into a playoff spot. Presidents Day must have taken it’s toll on you.
Cheers.
Mickey Ribs, Ryder and Souray back in town. Party like it’s 2003!
I’ll have four of whatever I’m on. I fixed it. Thanks for the heads-up. My head is up my …
Mike Boone
Hockey Inside/Out blogger
Gazette City columnist
mboone@montrealgazette.com
Well, we all want to go where it’s warm this time of year…not necessarily the same place though…
Enjoy your regular updates btw. Keep up the great work.
Limbo is for the perennially mediocre.
It’s Time to decide if we want high picks to add more Carey Prices or if we have the assets to bring in players that change our station.
The only benefit to waiting until the last minute to shed players is hoping to marginally improve returns. Weighing trading into a frothy deadline market versus the possibility of a tradable asset getting hurt (Moen, or Carolina’s Ruutu) — the choice is obvious, just move the guys already!!!
And, let me add: White’s quote from the G&M, “We’re just so close, and we know we can get there.” While I applaud his optimism, in an odd way, this mindset needs to change. Especially among the younger players. Our goal is not making playoffs Ryan, it’s winning the Cup. He’s not at fault, he’s been out most of the season, but the expectations throughout the organization need to change to something more than what we seem to have become.
(Sorry H72, another rant)
Boonie, I agree a 9th/10th place finish is pretty much the worst case scenario, however, I don’t think you can ever want a team to not have the very attitude White is displaying.
Edmontons Tankology 101 may provide some low hanging fruit by way of draft choices, but this instillment of losing with zero accountability I believe will be detrimental to the players attitudes as the years go on. I believe players begin to only concern themselves with personal stats as team stats have been bastardized by their own Systemic Tanking.
Remember back in the 80′s the NHL changed one of its rules because of the Edmonton Oilers?
The Oilers were so good at 4 on 4 that it was like a powerplay to them. So it was decided that offsetting minors would still leave each team with 5 skaters. (They changed it back since then.)
Now it is time for another Oilers-inspired rule change. This team is obviously tanking on purpose – not an HH-style sell off UFAs at the deadline kind of tank but a deliberate strategy to lose for three seasons in a row.
After two straight #1 picks they now look to finish next to last in the league and it is fairly clear that this strategy was pursued from day one, and that the fans know it and don’t mind. There are no calls to fire the coach or GM in Edmonton because everyone knows the plan.
The draft order needs to be either randomized, or changed as I’ve suggested it (teams out of the playoffs pick in the order they finished).
–
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
I have a better option. A random draw for EVERY team, regardless of where you finished during the regular season. This would ensure there’s no tanking,thereby keeping the integrity of the game intact.
that’s what i’ve been sayin for a while now…
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hip-check!
I’d say this is a good idea. I’d like to see all teams who miss the playoffs treated the same. 14 of them go into the lottery and whatever ball pops up for your team is where you pick. None of this “you can only move up or down so many places” stuff. After that, playoff teams pick in the order of elimination, like it is now.
@H72, I’ve been railing about randomizing the draft order for a long, long time. In a league that proactively promotes parity with revenue sharing, salary caps, quicker paths to free agency and other means, I have no idea why the league would penalize teams like Detroit for being consistently successful.
Glad this idea is beginning to pick up steam here. Not that it’s likely to happen in reality, but it’s nice to know that people consider new thoughts.
Now, about that 4 on 4 thing. I think they should bring back 4 on 4s and I think they should rescind the rule created for our 50s team, and let teams play shorthanded for a full two minutes rather than opening the box door when the victimized team scores on PP.
They did bring back 4 on 4s…
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Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
Oh yeah, I forgot… I lose my train of thought when I get on a rant.
Other teams have tanked to load up on the draft.
How do you think Pittsburg got Staal (#2), Crosby (#1) and Malkin (#2)? What about Tampa?
You’re right, the abuse of the draft is annoying.
You pose an interesting question/dilemma HF. At the very least, a team’s natural 1st round pick should not be able to gain successive 1st overall picks, perhaps at best every 3 years. The problem is this would challenge a process that has been in place for years in many leagues. BUt yes in concept, the fact this team knowingly is Tanking (HH or Not, it is Tanking) for conescutive years goes against the premise of all teams trying to win games in a professional league.
Any of the teams that miss the playoffs should get an EQUAL shot at the first overall. That would discourage tanking.
In the second round of the draft the order would revert to reverse order of finish in regular season and playoffs as it does now.
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“It’s just an opinion – I could be wrong”
-Dennis Miller
If parity is the true goal of the NHL. The draft format should change. I would start by having the Cup winner get the 1st overall selection and the remaining playoff teams get picks 2 through 16. Then the last place team gets the 17th overall pick and the reverse order is used through 30.
Cup winners would still have to trade high priced players or make trades to stay cap compliant and this would prevent the Islanders, Oilers, BlueJackets and Penguins from using the current format to build winners the easy way.
That doesn’t make any sense. How does it achieve parity?
The poorer teams would stay bad forever. They’d never get top picks and would never be able to attract the best free agents.
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Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
I’d love to see a real draft lottery that’s televised a la NBA so there’s no funny business. It may be dishonest but I’m willing to bet that the Oilers will be the next Canadian team to win the cup.
“A photo, taken by Lucic’s girlfriend, was posted to the Internet. The vandals had written “(Expletive) Lucic. Go Canuks Go”, along with a crude drawing of male genitals.”
Has Mike Komisarek been ruled out as a suspect?
Why would your own gf post a picture making fun of you for EVERYONE to see? Unless she’s as dumb as….. oooohhh. Yeah, I get it.
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Listen to the Smart Dog. He knows his poop!
Is it true his girlfriend stars in the new movie Goon and is the team bike?
To please Jack Todd, Habs owner, management and players will line up to kiss Ribeiro’s butt just before the puck drops. It’s the least they can do.
Go Habs!
“The problem right now is that there are too many buyers and not enough sellers.” (David Poile of Nashville)
Another reason to be working on deals just in case the Habs have a flat week where they can’t make up any ground.
I can’t wait to see who Gauthier is going to get out of nowhere and then try to pretend the player in question is good Why not going after a big name for a change
Buyer and Seller limbo. Great. At worst we don’t trade anything and end up in 9th or 10th (or lower)… or we trade at the last minute and take whatever we can after most deals are done. This is exactly what I feared.
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Listen to the Smart Dog. He knows his poop!
Detroit could be offering Ouellet they last year 2 rd pick for Moen according to CKAC
Much ado about nothing.
Did we get ripped off in the Cammalleri trade?
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Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
6 mil a year don’t think so
We traded a problem child for a problem child. It’s not much different than the Lats-Pouliot trade. Bourque is best suited to playing on a 3rd line as well as subbing on the second when need be.
We also picked up 2.7M in cap space for the next two years. That’s money that can be spent on guys like Subban or Price. Not to mention a 2nd rounder.
Welcome to the post-lockout NHL.
Nope. Bourque’s been decent + we got cap space for next season + that 2nd round pick next year will either get us a decent prospect or could be used as trade bait if we’re making a serious playoff push.
25 before 14
No we did not.
For the reasons posted by the above respondents.
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“It’s just an opinion – I could be wrong”
-Dennis Miller
The advantage of so many teams so close in the standings is we can be close to the playoffs yet we can still finish last in the conference and get a high draft.
Optimists and pessimist alik can all get along
Very true Laramy, allows us to be one big happy family.
Nine teams in the East have a shot at the final playoff spot.
Out of those nine teams, Montreal has the second best GD at -4. Only Toronto is better at -2. Makes you wonder just how good or bad this team really is.
Unreal.
Sure, Haha, let the Habs lose for season after season. Homer Simpson supports tanking. Doh!
Completely agree with everything you said.
I’d love to get Emelin and Diaz locked up for cheap for a few years. It should be possible considering they’ve only had 1 NHL season and probably won’t be demanding too much money.
25 before 14
Dave – You can add one more weakness to your list – poor play on home ice. It’s been a season killer which also directly ties into your three points that you listed.
Your ‘need to do’ list is valid. I think we will have to hold onto Kaberle until we find out if Markov can play long term. We don’t have many NHL ready Dmen for next year (as much as I loath Kaberle’s play in our end). A leadership void has developed on the team so I can’t see trading Gionta.
Price is going to cost us plenty. I’d give Subban a two year deal – no use feeding his ego any more than we have to. Emelin and Diaz won’t break the bank. It all begins and ends with Montreal’s courage to get rid of Gomez. Trade, waivers or a permanent spot in Hamilton. No buyout or re-entry waivers.
Enlightened.
All you espouse is lose. Not only that. Lose for years. Your a to f is a list that would rid the Habs of veterans and leave them with kids. That is a lose-lose situation. Expecting 19 and 20 year-old players to lead the team is ridiculous. Expecting each and every high draft pick to be “elite” NHLers is lunacy.
Your “plan” *cough cough* would leave the Habs like the Oilers. Lots of young talent with no work ethic or backbone to get the job of winning back on track.
Yah but they’re trying… How can you fault someone who tries?
I think they are tanking.
Look at what the saving grace of their season has been. And by that I mean what has kept them out of Columbus territory. The penalty kill.
After trading Gill the team must have either Weber or Campoli dressed to go along with Kaberle. Sometimes both.
It seems logical to me that trading Gill was the step towards the tank.
The team’s inability to hold a lead will be exaggerated now that Gill is gone.
They still have a shot at either 8th or 15th, so that should keep everyone interested, if not happy.
I think the powerplay has been huge in the poor home record. Our lack of powerplay has allowed other teams to dictate style of game in our barn as their was no penalty for their actions.
But some people think tanking means losing on purpose!
Probably why HH gets so much flack.
/sheesh
From a management perspective it certainly is trying to lose. But the players will never lose on purpose unless there’s a ton of money on the table.
BS. I want the Habs to win. F*** losing.
What a maroon.
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GO HABS GO! 2011-12 is probably not our year!
“Scott Gomez, a potential Hall of Fame player, has two Stanley Cup rings and a Calder Trophy that says ‘I’m a player whom any authentic NHL coach will rely on to fix a game problem.’” – VancouverHab
Chat with me on Twitter @TheRealRGM81
I admit, I am a Selfish Bast#%d.
Amen anti JM! Amen!
Tank I say! Tank!
“We will win the Cup one day only with ? in the nets “
Selfish??
Buddy, playoffs are exciting hockey and the whole point of being a fan is to watch your team play exciting, entertaining balls out hockey!
Quit micro-examining or armchair managing, it does no good other than to satisfy yourself by seeing your thoughts in cyber print like you’re some big time hockey pundit. You’re not, I’m not, none of us are, we’re FANS.
Leave the tanking, selling off, drafting, signing, promoting to those that are actually experienced and paid to do it (not that we have any faith in them anymore but that’s a subject for us fans to keep tossing about).
Selfish?? I HATE being called selfish for wanting my hometown team to play every game to the max.
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Jack Edwards is a clam, Bruins are pukes.
Heh heh.
Another enlightened post from someone who defines himself as Anti a person. Have to wonder what he’s ‘Pro’.
Selfish fans. Hmm.
What the hell does that even mean?
I don’t watch hockey for selfless reasons. I don’t follow the Habs as part of some larger charitable cause.
Your philanthropic support of the team, which constitutes cheering losses, goes against what the team itself is trying to do, which is to win games. How very noble of you.
And, once again, this lame-duck pie-in-the-sky notion that losing will make us better is a fool’s errand. All the things -apart from getting a high draft pick- can be done without finishing low in the standings.
But if you want to cheer against your team as part of a grander, for-humanity scheme, then go right ahead.
For the good of us all.
—Hope Springs Eternal—
If you want the Habs to win you’d understand that it takes building a team capable of winning to do that. The Habs have been a perennial middle of the pack team primarily because it had an attitude to doing things that appeased the most simple minded fans. Make the play-offs and anything can happen is the war cry of the Charge of the 2nd Light Brigade.
I am sure you’d like to win at chess but if we played I would slaughter you. I am sure if you played Risk you’d try and take control of the table with too few armies, all the while I would be building and after you spent yourself I’d wipe you out and take your cards.
It takes long term not short sighted vision.
Keep dreaming G-Man, wish upon that twinkle star for our Habs to make miracles or better yet, go to the Notre Dame Cathedral and pray to our almighty Jehovah!
Tank I say! Tank!
“We will win the Cup one day only with ? in the nets “
Hey, guess what?!?! You’re still a ding dong!
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Jack Edwards is a clam, Bruins are pukes.
The Habs have enough veterans right now with a blend of youth to do things. Do you honestly think missing the playoffs for years helps develop the younger players? Or is it that they can take advantage of a 2 week world tourney every spring to improve when they finally (some vague day in the future) make the playoffs?
The laffs say they are trying to win the Cup. They have to get to the dance, first. Every season they miss weakens their vets and gives their youth zero experience in the NHL playoffs.
There is no reason for the Habs to lose for years to hopefully get a player that is 1 year or 2 away from the NHL. This is the weakness in your tank argument. The team becomes a loser that can’t attract players that want to win. The youth on the team are surrounded by veterans booking their tee times. The argument that it serves no purpose to make the playoffs is the biggest load of shit I keep reading on HIO. All players benefit from being in the competition for the toughest team trophy to win.
You are the most boring broken record… go… away.
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Jack Edwards is a clam, Bruins are pukes.
You really should have thrown religion into the argument as well. No good fight is complete with just sports and politics, gotta have religion in there to make if a full bore War.
frosh in Italian
“We will win the Cup one day only with ? in the nets “
A few playoff games would rock!
There’s more to life than Habs and hockey, stop and smell the pollution.
I AM NOT SHELLFISH, maybe a little crabby in the early morning but…
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Jack Edwards is a clam, Bruins are pukes.
ANYTHING is possible.
Lightning ’04, Carolina ’06, hell, Habs ’93 and if Halak really were the god you all make him out to be – Habs ’10!
That’s why you play the games…
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Jack Edwards is a clam, Bruins are pukes.
@ANTI JM
It’s eke, not eek, ffs.
Quite right about reality setting in, that’s what I mean when I say we took variables for constants. But the positive attitude at the start of training camp was more than the Grapefruit League attitude that every team has a chance. It was born of a group of veterans who had been battle-hardened and had given a good account of themselves. This definitely wasn’t a team like the Maple Leafs or the Flames who set the playoffs as the objective, they were looking beyond that.
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
Auntie JM,
I’m disappointed in your lack of of observational powers!
You should have noticed that I supported Tim Thomas’s absention from the White House. But why let what I actually say stand in the way of what you want to think I said, eh? Better to just keep repeating the same mantras with your fingers in your ears and your eyes tightly shut.
This reply to my post is sad and childish, using words like ‘loser’ and challenging my ‘fandom’. Hilarious, really. You going to take your ball and go home now?
Last time I checked, this was a site for Habs supporters to discuss the team. When the team is trying to win games and people are hoping they don’t, I can’t help but wonder how those people can call themselves supporters of said team. Enlighten me.
And btw, I have not replied “to the logic behind your reasoning” simply because I can find none. If there were an intelligent argument, then yes, I would be happy to discuss it (with someone who doesn’t call people he doesn’t know ‘losers’).
Fix up your tone a bit, and I’ll consider discussing your ‘idea’ further.
—Hope Springs Eternal—
What exactly is your point?
There is no simple yes or no, ANYTHING can happen.
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Jack Edwards is a clam, Bruins are pukes.
“we would have to keep all of the assets we now have who could walk for nothing at the end of the season, right?”
Not necessarily. When you look at many of those UFA’s to be they’re not exactly guys that are setting the world on fire. Would Kostitsyn truly be missed if he could be replaced with, say, Blake Geoffrion? Not sure. We’ve got a reserve of D-men so I don’t see Campoli being missed if he’s dealt.
You look at the other names you list and truly the only one that would result in a massive drop-off in the Habs lineup right now would be Plekanec. The others are injured or, as you noted, non-performing or diminishing assets. But I don’t think that he will be moved.
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GO HABS GO! 2011-12 is probably not our year!
“Scott Gomez, a potential Hall of Fame player, has two Stanley Cup rings and a Calder Trophy that says ‘I’m a player whom any authentic NHL coach will rely on to fix a game problem.’” – VancouverHab
Chat with me on Twitter @TheRealRGM81
Blake Geoffrion has only his glorious grand fathers name. All the rest to – be developped and not so evident. With the same result you can replace Kostitsyn with Yuppi.
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This is Choibolsan.
He has had5 POINTS IN TWO GAMES at Hamilton!
He has actually been the 1st and second star of the game in his first two games with the bulldogs…
He may work out to be a 3rd or 4th liner. He works hard and plays with an edge.
He can’t replace Ak46. bourque can though. We still needs a top 6 sniper to replace Cammy
Funny. You call yourself a fan and I’m willing to bet you have never seen him play a single game.
By the way… He has had .76 points per game in the AHL. And then again .14 in the NHL.
YUP huge difference from Eller’s .80 points per game in the AHL and his .2 points per game in his first 83 games in the NHL.
Has hasn’t played 5 games in our system and we are already saying he is useless.
actually its your post that is useless. Cause the coaches that have said he can be a 3rd or maybe even 2nd line player in the NHL know vastly more than you do.
The dude averages less ice time per game at the NHL than Petteri Nokelainen and you wonder why he doesn’t have any points. Real genius we’ve got on our hands today.
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GO HABS GO! 2011-12 is probably not our year!
“Scott Gomez, a potential Hall of Fame player, has two Stanley Cup rings and a Calder Trophy that says ‘I’m a player whom any authentic NHL coach will rely on to fix a game problem.’” – VancouverHab
Chat with me on Twitter @TheRealRGM81
How many points and stars in the 3 games? Dogs are on a streak and now only 4 pts out of a playoff spot. Blake’s offensive explosion has been a big reason.
NHL goalie rankings: http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?fetchKey=20122ALLGAGAll&sort=goalsAgainstAverage&viewName=goalsAgainstAverage
Call me selfish, I’d rather sit in a pub, have a few pints, and pray that we win a series instead of watching them lose on purpose. It’s a whole lot more fun that way.
It’s vital that our young guys learn to win instead of settling to lose.
And if you think that tanking a season will be the one thing that will make the team a contender, well, I’d suggest that you made it to the bar about 7 pints before I did.
Yeah I see him as the 4ht line C next season, if he keeps playing well. Bourque is a bigger AK, but they are definatele comparable, and one can easily replace the other.
There is a definite need for a top line center to play with Plekanec now that Cammy is gone.
Poor guy, now has to live the rest of his life not being funny, how can he possibly be taken seriously!
his humour is different now- not for everyone.
I like the tag line because it’s appropriate as opposed to being funny.
Still though Miller’s biggest beef with Muslims is how they ruined Cat Stevens
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“It’s just an opinion – I could be wrong”
-Dennis Miller
I still don’t think you are being clear about you feel towards those hoping for playoffs. I personally need more clear and concise points. I admit in a selfish kind of way I am cheering for the Habs tonight, that would result in more points. I don’t know how to watch the game and cheer for a loss. I am sorry about this, but it is how I feel.
Following that logic, you’re a fan if one wants the team to fail, and an idiot if you want the team to succeed?
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Don’t let the wultures getcha.
Hey Anti Jim, how many times are you going to re-post this crap?
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Jack Edwards is a clam, Bruins are pukes.
I’ll be selfish at the game tonight! lol I’ll even be cheering Scarey if he shows up. GO HABS GO!
NHL goalie rankings: http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?fetchKey=20122ALLGAGAll&sort=goalsAgainstAverage&viewName=goalsAgainstAverage
I suggest you learn to argue your point of view without calling people idiots and morons. The good posters are pretty well able to do that, the ones people read, respect and take seriously.
Why would you want the bulk of your team to be filled with a bunch of LOSERS?
Any fan hoping his team will lose needs te re-evaluate what they are cheering for.
Always hope your team does the best it possibly can. The odds are pretty much the same that have us fighting for the playoffs and ending up bottom 5. Making the playoffs to me is about the same as us getting the #1 pick.
I say try to win. Only LOSERS try to lose.
say it anyway you want. TANKING is LOSING. And its the most pathetic and pitiful thing you can do if its on purpose.
Keep cheering for every loss, notaHabfan. I’m sure you and all the losers wanting the team to lose are having a good time this season. Loser4life- there- your proper name for HIO.
You know I would be more careful about labeling others as clueless if I were the type of person to label Geoffrion a SUCKY player based on his AHL and NHL numbers. Mostly cause they’re almost identical to Lars Eller. But that’s just me.
You know, it is hero worship. Carey Price is absolutely a hero in Montreal. Almost all hockey players are.
Let me let you in on a little secret too. He is a great goalie.
forget his stats. Forget your maple leaf colored glasses, there is not a team in the NHL that would not LOVE to have him as their future.
Everyone can see he is great, and I will take the word of a guy with 6 Stanley Cups, and the word of another guy with 6 Stanley Cups over someone who has constantly bashed Price for 3 years now. Despite his 38 wins 8 shut outs and .923 sv. Percentage at 23.
i though the played well in the playoffs last season – if the playoffs are “clutch”
My 7 year old thinks he’s a hockey hero, what’s wrong with that?
Don’t you remember being 7?
It’s only hockey, DogGuyShiloh, goalie stats are always misleading cuz it’s a TEAM GAME.
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Jack Edwards is a clam, Bruins are pukes.
Badoom!
—Hope Springs Eternal—
Fans cheering for their team to win? Yeah, well, that’s just craaaaazy!
Screw tanking, Go Habs!
You probably were one of those guys who loved it when Dryden sat out and the Habs rolled with Plasse, Thomas and Larocque in ’73.
Or thought Hayward should’ve wrestled away the starter’s job from Roy after the ’88 playoffs.
You know zip about goaltending.
POINT FINALE.
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Jack Edwards is a clam, Bruins are pukes.
Scarey Movie 1?
Richard R
Who cares about the Dogs? Send Blake G up to Montreal. Maybe he’ll give the team an energy rush.
Richard R
Put Kostitsyn in Hamilton and he will be avg 10 points a game.
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This is Choibolsan.
Will Gomez get a raise?
It’s a tank with all the options.
Umm, who’s Jeff Molson?
Unless you meant Geoff Molson. Fyi, you can’t fire an OWNER!
You were saying something about stupid…
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Turn on the tank, the party’s over…
Sometimes it’s too easy.
I think u man “an” owner:-)
j.p. murray
Did the Molson’s buy their partners out? They weren’t majority owners when Gillette sold the team. Geoff was elected to represent the consortium and was later made President.
Night and day. The Forum was electric, especially for playoff games. Every seat was pretty much a good one, excepting the top level ones. The Centre is a big bowl and I always feel far away from the action, a little like the Big Owe.
These days, the scoreboard tells the sheep in the seats, er, fans, when to make noise.
Well, the forum was quieter because everyone smoked, which takes up quite a lot of time otherwise spent screaming insults or encouragement. Add that to the drinking… leaves less time overall for vocal embellishment.
That’s my theory, anyway.
“The Bell Center to me, seems like its a 100times better atmosphere. ”
We’ve seen a lot of nonsense this year. Halak versus Price. Konopka. Gomez as a future hall-of-famer. Pierre McGuire for GM.
But this beats them all.
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Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
The Forum was loud, but it didn’t have that echo quality the way the Bell Centre does (and I would imagine other new buildings do). Sound didn’t get sustained the way it does at the Bell.
Also, capacity at the Forum was 16,000+, with potential for up to 18,000+ (including “standers”). The Bell has 5000 more fans per night.
You can’t tell how loud the building was from an old recording. Or even a new recording. The sound of the crowd is mixed in the studio.
Full Breezer 4 Life
Yes, you’re right, an owner.
I’m sure you meant, “mean”.
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Turn on the tank, the party’s over…
Ouch! Got me on the typo!
j.p. murray
Comedy relief
Ah I know it’s a write off. It’s just nice to dream sometimes. And I do not smoke pot…although considering how depressing this season has been maybe I should start.
“We only have one person to blame, and that’s each other.” – Berry Beck
Don’t forget it also had standing room and you were able to walk the Forum from the inside all the while still watching the game.
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Turn on the tank, the party’s over…