A light dusting of snow covers Montreal on Wednesday morning.
But the calendar says it is spring … and the days of your Montreal Canadiens hockey season are dwindling down to a precious few.
• Pierre Obendrauf photo gallery
• Pierre Ladouceur’s game report card
Loading ...
(last)
No I’m still last
No I’m last…lol
LAST
I’d take Carbo back as coach.
I guess along with the Habs the Bulldogs are out of the playoff as well—-is that a fact for sure, anyone know? If that being the case wheres the future for the Habs. Will get a high draft pick this year but with the current management Im not too optimistic that they will do a great job in picking the best available. So habs fans may be suffering for years to come. Its difficult for an hab fan of 60+ years.
I don’t know who Pierre Gauthier intends to hire as our next coach (Jacques Martin?) but I have a proposal for him which I will get to below. Essentially our roster will be the same unless our firsat round pick leaps right into the CH, a very rare occurance. Our top goal scorer in Hamilton after Engqvist had 13 goals so in sptie of bing told opver and over about the great foundation that was being built, there is no help coming from there. Our veterans with only a couple of exceptions are locked into contracts which ensure they will not be going anywhere. Now I don’t want to hear any crrazytalk about trading Bourque or Kaberle, or releasing Gomez. We can’t have a mature conversation if you are going to talk like that. A lot of people think if this team is healthy, it is a great lineup. I am the last person to rain on anyones parade so I’m not going to contradict them. I will say though, that our new coach will have to be creative with that roster to get the most out of it. So I have an idea.
What if next season, when we have a lead going into the 3rd period, we pull Price and put in our backup? I know it is the opposite of convention but I think it’s worth discussing. Please don’t start defending Carey, I am not attacking him. I like him. I think he is a decent goalie. Maybe I am a homer, and I know his performance doesn’t back it up, but I would probably place him in the top 15 goalies in the league. But even I have to admit that this guy chokes under pressure. So lets say we are up 2-0 going into the 3rd, we tell Carey to hit the showers and put in whoever Gauthier signs in the offseason. If that seems too radical then for the love of god let’s at least do it in the shootout. I turn the TV off when we go to a shootout. I think a cold backup would give us a better chance to win a shootout and this isnt about sparing guy’s feelings, it’s about winning games. Any thoughts?
No crazy talk about some things, but playing the backup goalie for 3rd period leads is rational and sane, right?
Since Scotty Bowman other than Pat Burns no Montreal head coach has lasted longer than 3 years.
No wonder we cannot sustain any direction.
Like the DODGERS “Wait till next year”
Eleven coaches in the last thirty years. Not much continuity or stability there.
Richard R
My wish is that Pheonix finishes 9th in the west. 1 week later the NHL announces their move to Quebec City.
In getting the franchise Karl Paladeau annouces that Patrick Roy will be the new GM of the Nordiques.
This opens the door for Montreal to bring in Maloney and Tippett.
Let it be like the times when Montreal had the best talent regardless of language,.
To make all the linguist happy (like that will happen) Maloney and Tippett have agreed to take french courses when they will have the time.
Like the DODGERS “Wait till next year”
Now that Muller is locked up in Carolina, Tippet would definitely be my choice if they don’t bring Cunnyworth back as presumed.
who’s presuming that? i though cunny was dead meat.
One of the systemic problems in Montreal is impatience.
A player has a bad half-season – he’s traded (usually for nothing). The team isn’t winning enough – the coach is fired (Carbo was 35-24-7 when he was canned!). Two of those fired coaches met in the Stanley Cup finals last year.
Now after a bad season, with 400 man games lost to injury (that is 5 regulars each and every game!) it’s time to fire the GM!
Now I’m not a big fan of Gauthier’s style, and I still think we can legitimately judge him and Gainey as a single entity, so there are grounds for replacing him.
But we can’t go on like this and expect to ever win.
–
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
Firing a coach that delivered the best results since our last Stanley Cup after the first 2 months of the season was ridiculous as well.
i’d say that has gainey’s fingerprints on it. we got rid of carbo in the same way after finishing 1st in the east and making it the to the second round the year before. that was the last time we actually looked like a contender and weren’t relying on goal tending to win games.
Players who mouth off in Montreal are moved. Think about that for a bit. Your agent mouths off about your ice, you get more ice, then you’re traded. You mouth off and you’re benched. You lose it with the media and put your foot in your mouth, you’re gone. ( You can sometimes apologize to the team, management, and the public if it’s a french quote of a english translation of a Russian interview with no tape. )
The Canadiens are a professional business in a fishbowl. They pay their players big money to be treated like rockstars. Carbo may have been 35-24-7 when he was canned but the NHL hasn’t been beating down his door. The two coaches who met in last years finals worked long and hard outside Montreal (one getting canned again) for their shots and both have way better teams built on previous failure.
So I am agreeing with you. Gauthier is doing what every other Montreal GM has done. Be disloyal to the team, embarrass the team (your employer) by agent or your own mouth and someone else can pay you to talk – the Canadiens pay you to play hockey.
With regards to the two coaches Agreed Vigneault took the long road back but what long road did Claude Julien take?? He started the next year in New Jersey and was fired when his team was in 1st place. Then was with Boston at the start of the next year.
Like the DODGERS “Wait till next year”
Doesn’t matter what injuries you’re having, both PG and BG have made the worst trades in the past decade in the NHL.
Kaberle, Bourque, and …need we mention the other.
I try to respect everyone’s opinion, but how anybody could consider Cammy for Bourque, Holland, a 2nd along with Spacek for Kaberle as anything close to the worst trades in the past decade is absolutely stunning to me.
For sure. You gotta think about one of the best trades BG made.. Rivet for Gorges and 1st. PG hasnt made any over the top trades but so far his drafting has been good with Tinordi, Beaulieu, Gallagher.. Remember PG built up in the draft for Anaheim before Burke went in.. maybe after PG is done we can hire Burke
Thats the way the cookie crumbles
I wouldn’t say the team has been that bad this year. We arent being blown out of games. Yes, we’ve lost 3-0 games here and there, but most of our games have been close 1-2 goal games. Most teams around us in the standings get destroyed in their games.
The problem this year is the 3rd period. We absolutely need a shut-down D for next year. Gorges and Subban are great, but once they’re on the bench, D-zone coverage is atrocious.
I’ve seen a few comments on HIO lately about White not playing very well and it hurts me to say this but I have to agree.
I don’t believe he has a guaranteed spot next year with guys like Blunden, Leblanc, Palushaj and with Gionta and Moen coming back.
I’d rather Staubiz in than lineup than White at this point.
Thing is White has shown he can play a good hockey shift, Staubitz has not. But yea, White really seems to have regressed this year, at first it was his expanded role playing with Plekanec, but now, no excuses.
RC : “Merci beaucoup.”
I think Staubitz has done pretty well dumping, chasing and banging guys around in their own end. perfect 4th liner.
White belongs on the 4th line as well but Staubitz is a bigger, stronger and tougher version so I’d give the nod to him.
On a team struggling for offence it’s tough to afford a spot for a guy that basically has no offence.
It will be interesting to see whom is kept, but I think White has the advantage being a RFA and brought in from the organization.
RC : “Merci beaucoup.”
the 4th line is not around to provide offense….having a proper 4th line will enable the other 3 lines to better do their jobs. White and Staubitz should both be Habs 4th liners – with Staubitz not playing every game. If White is our biggest toughest player next year – it will be a problem. I agree White has not played great – but he is getting a lot of minutes and playing in situations he is not used to…plus he had a bad injury..he gets a pass from me for this season.
I don’t believe the 4th line should be looked at for any offense anyways. A goal every few games is a bonus.
Main job for the 4th line in to intimidate and bang around the other team, chew time off the clock, create faceoffs at the other end.
Looking for goals from the 4th line isn’t really what NHL coaches do…
I disagree with that, with the caveat that 4th line players that can bring some offence are quite rare and highly sought after.
Look at the Bruins 4th line, they are not breaking any scoring records, but they are all bringing a bunch of goals and about 15 points, while bringing that physical element.
Those guys got as many points as Staubitz has in his carreer, and they did it in only one season.
RC : “Merci beaucoup.”
The Bruins have the best 4th line in the league. But their main duties are what I explained above.
Maybe the Habs can roll 4 lines like that one day but toughness comes first on the 4th line.
All those goals the Thornton line is scoring is from a heavy forecheck and extreme physical play.
And that’s why I think White has the edge over Stuabitz, he has shown he can play rugged and pot in one once in a while. Combined whith his status within the org, I think if it comes to a choice between the 2, White will be kept.
RC : “Merci beaucoup.”
You have a point sir and I understand where you’re coming from but I don’t want Montreal relying on White to take on the heavyweights and think Staubitz does a better job of it.
I think Staubitz standing his ground is more valuable than the 3 or 4 goals White might score in a season..
All the better if the fourth line can produce some offense.
Richard R
He’s coming back from a pretty serious injury and joined the team when all other teams are in playoff shape. No excuses?
I’ve said all along they should keep him.
RC : “Merci beaucoup.”
Believe me I love White and I’d be totally cool with him back! But I just want to be assured Staubitz or another heavyweight is around next year.
White is a middleweight and if Thornton, Lucic or the guy he was destroyed by last night come knocking we’ll be embarrassed over and over again…
Because of his surgery, White didn’t have the benefit of training camp and a full season.
White plays over 2 min/game on the PK. Staubitz – nada.
White is younger. So, more potential and RFA rather than UFA.
Exactly. I think it’s very silly to write him off at this point. Ryan White will be an effective 4th liner for a long time.
Agree that White hasn’t played well and that Staubitz has surprised in being effective. White showed good leadership in the couple of weeks he was with the Bulldogs, and I would give him the leeway of stil recovering from a recent major injury.
“May you live in interesting times.”
I still think it’s his spot to lose, but he does need to get back to the all-round game he had when he first came up.
I like that he stands up for his teammates, but he’s becoming rather one dimensional. Cunnyworth needs to sit him down and let him know he’s not expected to fight every game and that he’s a better player than that.
FIRE GAUTHIER, FIRE GAUTHIER, FIRE GAUTHIER
Only 5 games left to this miserable season….Bourque for Cammy was a bust; Kaberle a bust; Markov’s $6MM is a bust; Pleks for $5.5MM is a bust etc etc. Come 2012/2013, the Habs will need a new GM, new coach, productive 2nd line (and that can only come with the addition of a free agent a la Cole, not from Gionta, Leblanc etc). Assemble a 3rd line with Eller at center, Leblanc on the wing and AK46 (of yes, we traded him away for a pathetic 2nd rounder) or Gionta. We should only have 1 energy line with White/Moen/or other heavies. The team needs to stop inserting heavies with cement hands on the same line with offensive players. There is just no chemistry/ability to generate offense.
Goalies – We need a viable N#2 to Price. In my mind the jury is still out on Price. I don’t care what the majority may think, this dissenting opinion continues to see too many soft goals, bad plays behind the net, from Price. I might even consider drafting Subban (or trading to be able to draft him).
As far as heavy contracts, I would either bury in Hamilton or trade Gomez/Bourque/Kaberle. All three are useless and will stunt the team’s “rebirth” next season.
You managed to get all contracts salary/cap hit wrong.
RC : “Merci beaucoup.”
I was close enough, anyway, surely you can get the gist of my comments.
It would not be such a big deal if you had not inflated their salaries to try to make your point.
RC : “Merci beaucoup.”
So what are their salaries Einstein — do you actually believe that markov/Kaberle/Bourque are worth it???
Their salaries are quite easy to find on the net.
RC : “Merci beaucoup.”
I’m with alfieturcotte here. I believe your point about the inflated salaries is a red herring. His main theme is accurate; but the first thing that has to happen and the most important thing is in his first capitalized line. Hopefully, with a half decent GM we may have a chance.
wow, I didnt know it was that easy, lets get it done and win the cup next year!!!!!
I’ve heard this statement so many times now, it’s become a joke wait till next year. I believe since 1993 I’ve heard that.
one positive from 2011-2012 we won’t finish last in the league.
Andree and I went to the Belleville Bulls game against the better Ottawa 67s team. Series was 2–1 Ottawa. Bellevill was leading 3 to 0 with 8 min. to go. Ottawa came back to ty the game. Belleville won after 7 min. of overtime with Austin going coast to coast. Great game! series goes back to Ottawa Fri. night, Monday back here in Belleville.
Ottawa has the better talent, Belleville has the better coach and goal tender. Malcom Subban will be drafted in the 1st round me thinks. He is as quick as a cat and a larger boy than PK.
Junior hockey is so much more fun to watch. It is all about discipline, coaching and effort.
I’ll be in attendance on Friday night in Ottawa Ian.
Subban in net for Belleville is a treat to watch for sure as I’ve seen him and his brother on a couple of occasions when they’ve visited Ottawa.
Ottawa is a great place to take in an OHL game!
Careful with the double entendre’s. Bananas are for European soccer fans and liars in London.
“May you live in interesting times.”
Not sure where you are going with that one?
Larger boy.
Christopher Moorhouse was the racist who threw a banana at Wayne Simmonds and the lied about why he did it in court. Moorhouse received a $200 fine for a misdemeanor hate crime. With the devastation in Florida brought upon Trayvan Martin and his family, any one of us can choose how each of us deals with racism (Jeremy Lin anyone?).
“May you live in interesting times.”
Not to mention more goals and more of that other thing… what’s it called… oh yeah – winning.
————————————-
Listen to the Smart Dog. He knows his poop!
Could someone please tell me why Blake Geoffrion has been a healthy scratch for the last 2 weeks ? If the HABS are not going to play him send him to Hamilton instead of wasting his time in the press box.
For the record I did like what was starting to devellope between him , Eller and Leblanc.
Like the DODGERS “Wait till next year”
I think Geoffrion is a healthy scratch because they intend to keep him both for his potential and name. Right now I think they are looking at players they are on the fence about. The teams going for the playoffs are playing better hockey now so this is a good time to make decisions about what a player can bring against better competition.
I kind of hate to say this because the team has been so off all year but here goes.
I am stupidly proud of this team right now. While the non-playoff teams are diving for the bottom as fast as they can get there (except for Columbus of course) the Montreal Canadiens are trying to win games.
Plus one. Much better effort from the Habs than the Leafs last night. (Canadiens and Leafs on English broadcast on a Tuesday night simultaneously……probably a first on a non-playoff hockey weeknight!)
“May you live in interesting times.”
montreal 4 wins in last 10 games, same as winnipeg, tampa and the isles. less than the 6 from carolina and more than the 3 from toronto. that sounds like a pretty normal distribution of results for non playoff teams.
the isles beat the pens on the road last night. the wild were tied with the rangers last night until late in the third period.
Blue, blanc et rouge. Red and White for Canada. Blue for Smurfs.
Well that’s correct. But in those 4 wins they got 12 points (4 OT losses) and in my books that counts as trying.
Edit: I guess I should say they’d be in the playoffs with a high seed if they played like that all year.
Its hilarious that the Leafs are out again..WTF – how bad is that team – seriously…I can’t take 1 year of this – Leafs have been terrible for years, with a loud mouth GM – who has not improved the team one bit. In MTL, there would prolly be riots….also – if Habs get one more freakin point, it will demonstrate the stupidity of management…play our weaker players a lot, play em hard and “try” to win but come on…
Break up the Cole-DD- Pac line. Guaranteed non-success.
They should for the last few games just to try out different lines but I don’t think they will cause they play so well together and are all having career years. They don’t want to take away the players chance to have good career years….might be a little positive you can take from a bad season
“Like Canadian Hip hop..check us out http://www.groovecontrolmusic.com“
5 QUESTIONS:
1. Who is the Habs most under-appreciated current player?
2. How are the Habs competing so well lately even though they are out of it?
3. Besides Bourque, have any of other Habs “given up”?
4. If a team has way more injuries than the average over the course of a few years, is this just dumb luck or is there possibly something wrong with the way players are being trained, prepared, or managed?
5. If you had to put money on one of these guys being head coach next year, where would you put it?
- Marc Crawford
- Pascal Vincent
- Randy Cunneyworth
- Patrick Roy
SD
————————————-
Listen to the Smart Dog. He knows his poop!
1. Carey Price
2. They aren’t as bad as we like to think they are.
3. No.
4. Bad luck.
5. RC, I don’t want to have to break in a new coach again and I want to see what Cunney can do when he has the support of management.
__________________________________
Jack Edwards is a clam, Bruins are pukes.
1. Tomas Plekanec.
2. There’s no pressure on them. Expectations have been lowered significantly. THey can just go out and play, and try to make things hard for the opposing team.
3. He is the most obvious dog out there. Everybody else seems to at least be trying so as to curry favour for the next season.
4. All of the above.
5. Roy.
———————–
GO HABS GO! 2011-12 is probably not our year!
“Scott Gomez is an elite NHL player” – VancouverHab
Chat with me on Twitter @TheRealRGM81
1. Plekanec, for sure.
2. no pressure, and they are not as bad as this seasons indicates.
3. yes
4. it’s possible yes, but I could not tell from just watching games.
5. I think RC might get it, but that’s just a gut feeling.
RC : “Merci beaucoup.”
1. Pleks
2. They aren’t. Haven’t you watched? Lots of bystanding going on.
3. All of them have. See the “celebration” after Cole scored?
4. Dumb luck. Combined with tiny tots, it makes for a recipe for injuries.
5. none of the above. Clement Jodoin gets his shot (can’t be worse than RC and RL)
I thought about Jodoin as well-basically because he’s French-but I wasn’t too impressed with the Bulldogs outdoors game against the Marlies. Doubt that he’s NHL ready yet.
Richard R
1. Lets see……ummmm…. can I get back to you on this one Smart Dog?
2. This team of ours is pathetic….one of the worst since the late 90′s teams. Dark years ahead if changes are not made.
3. The team gave up since training camp.
4. The team is not good as we wish them to be, the players are overrated by our fans, we need no name players who work hard and have grit like the St. Louis Blues.
5. Stick with RC, he is a damn fine coach and will be for seasons to come, the problem stems from Timmins and his overrated scouting staff, they need to be ousted along with Timmins!!!!
Finally, as I have said all along since Christmas this past year….Tank I say! Tank!!!!!!
“We will win the Cup one day only with ? in the nets “
does montreal have “way more injuries” or just more serious injuries? or are their injured players older and take more time to recover from injury?
Blue, blanc et rouge. Red and White for Canada. Blue for Smurfs.
These are good questions. I’d love to see a chart of injury type and length by team and adjusted for age. Could just be Mtl has the stupidity to sign players who are old or injury prone. I think it’s more than that. I wonder if there’s something wrong in the training department… but I’d like someone who has access to the raw data and knowledge of why certain injuries happen to look at this. Youd think someone in the Habs has.. but you wonder.
————————————-
Listen to the Smart Dog. He knows his poop!
1. Gorges
2. no change in the compete level …same old…same old
3. Emelin seems to be out of sorts lately
4. to smurfie … if that’s a word ??
5. Crawford with RC as a Asst.
hey, got a chance to watch the belleville bulls last night;
2 more Subbans on their way to the NHL!!
very exciting stuff.
I really hope the Habs draft Malcolm as a goalie for the future.
he is obviously an extremely talented ‘tender and it would be great to have at least some depth at that position in our system to give us some options in the future.
and Jordan is electric like PK – lightning in a bottle – very talented on that right defence position – very quick and agile.
Do you think Malcolm will be available in 35th position?
It would have been nice to get San Jose’s number one pick for Moen, but I guess Moen’s injury made that impossible.
–
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
no I doubt it.
Habs will need to make a draft time trade if they want to draft him.
Even though i think subban is still ranked #2 in goalies behind the goalie from the khl,i think subban is going to go first due to the khl factor. If we want to get malcolm we may have to trade up into the first round with our 2nd pick,i can see tampa picking him with the 1st rd pick they got from detroit.
Malcolm has been getting great press, profiled in a Toronto Sun article in which he stated he was amazed by the goaltending play of Mike Richter and Ed Belfour in the 2002 Olympics and took up the position then and there. Unfortunately, I wish for Carey Price a Martin F. Brodeur type career which means there are another 15 years to go with the same team and therefore no room for another star goalie if that is Malcolm’s fate. Trivia….Carlo Colaiacovo’s twin brother Paulo made it as far as the ECHL as a goalie.
“May you live in interesting times.”
Randy Carlyle sounding like Ron Wilson:
“Whatever they shot at the net seemed to find a way to go through our goaltender,”
and like every other Leaf coach ever:
““We feel that this group should play to a higher level than what they’re playing to. You’re saying why [aren’t they]? Right now I haven’t got an answer for you …”
–
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
Yup, doesn’t look like “The Monster” will be bringing his talents back to Toronto next season. Would be curious to reread the clippings from the day Burke signed him and described him as the best goaltender in the world not playing in the NHL, or something to that effect.
Like Gustavsson, but he’s 27 and had a fair shot. Memories of Andre Racicot and David Aebischer.
“May you live in interesting times.”
The situation in Toronto is truly pathetic. Half the guys the savior GM signed have been shipped away, sent down or benched on a regular basis. Their high draft picks went to build a juggernaut in Boston. The new coach is worse than the old coach (and he was the most hated coach in the league).
No matter how much we suck, the Leafs manage to suck much worse. I guess if you can’t win at winning… it’s pathetic.
————————————-
Listen to the Smart Dog. He knows his poop!
For Hobie,
re Forsberg:
sometimes I don’t understand what motivates people to say things, but what Button said last night made very little sense to me, and I am wondering why he would say it??
1) he suggested that the Habs with DD and Pleks at center needed a bigger, stronger presence down the middle – that is a theory many agree with.
however, Forsberg is not playing too much center these days, nor, to the best of my knowledge is he ‘projected” to be a center at the NHL level
in fact, Button’s latest list published march 12th, has forsberg listed as a left winger.
http://www.tsn.ca/draftcentre/feature/?id=49649
everyone I have read or spoken to has forsberg pegged as a power type forward, a scorer more than a play maker, a natural winger.
2) then Button went on to describe Grigorenko as ‘at best” a 2nd line player at the NHL level.
I would like to know how many times Button has seen Grigorenko play, because that is a rather nasty comment considering how talented this kid is.
everyone I know believes in Grigorenko’s immense talent.
I think Button was way off here.
I think it would be a mistake to take Forsberg if the habs are looking for a centreman.
As usual good points Ed, perhaps this is why Button is no longer a GM in the league, but rather just a talking head on TV.
Touting draft picks is like touting the Kentucky Derby Winner. Woodbine’s Mine That Bird was nobody’s pick (50to1) when he won in 2009.
“May you live in interesting times.”
Bang on Ed. That is why you have to take what they say on TV from the so called analysts with a grain of salt.
Don’t you worry the scouts will know exactly who they want the day of. Kind of depends on where we finish though.
Need to stop getting points or we will be in trouble
“Like Canadian Hip hop..check us out http://www.groovecontrolmusic.com“
Just a shout out to our friends and HNIC. TSN, Sportnet and all those Toronto media types that control our air waves in Canada. You all bragged about your Leafs in Jan. how they were playoff bound and crap on our Canadiens. Yes we missed the playoffs but we will get a top pick and they will be back next year. As for all you Leafs lovers try number 8 have a great summer.
+2012!
Here’s the sad part. The Leafs have YEARS of experience at winning races to the bottom. Don’t write them off just yet when it comes to a top pick this June. They’ll probably call back Allan Bester to play the final game of the year against us.
———————–
GO HABS GO! 2011-12 is probably not our year!
“Scott Gomez is an elite NHL player” – VancouverHab
Chat with me on Twitter @TheRealRGM81
The sooner the Gainey/Gauthier era ends the better. It’s not the tanking per se, but the complete lack of organizational depth, that is the problem with the Habs. Yes there is a core to work with but that core is still thin and fragile.
That is the cost of letting 11 UFA’s go for nothing. That is the cost of squandering 1st and 2nd round picks on rentals or players that are let go unsigned. That is the cost of trading perceptually problematic players for peanuts.
The Habs are nothing more than an expansion team now, minus the expansion draft. They need a real vision, one that goes beyond the slick marketing campaigns where the sole purpose is selling beer and merchandise for a team whose sole intent is to possibly make the play-offs for a few extra rounds of extra cash.
In any given year there are 5, maybe 10, teams capable of going all the way. That should be the Habs goal. Putting together a team that can finish in the top 10 for consecutive seasons. Not blips here and there. No more of the all in now with a pair of twos.
I have no confidence that this team will be a contender next season or soon. Not even with Price and Subban in the mix, as good as they are. Not until there is a quantum shift in management. How they could not see what was apparent to many people here is beyond me. Perhaps they believed the more optimistic prognostications put forth by the most rosy-eyed fans. Turns out the pessimists and critics were closer to the truth if not completely spot on.
The good news is the Habs have the opportunity to admit defeat, to admit failure, and to start anew. It is time for a true rebuild, damn the market.
People said the Habs couldn’t tank. That the fans wouldn’t stand for it. Well. The sun is still rising in the east last I looked. Guess what else. The fans would prefer a real rebuild than another decade that brings nothing better than a few final berths and quick exits from the play-offs all over again.
The time to rebuild is now. And it has to start with a new GM whose vision is far removed from what is currently in place.
When you post in non-rant, non-insulting fashion, you make a lot of sense. Hear, hear for stating how strongly detrimental getting NOTHING when Kovalev, Koivu, Tanguay, Souray, and others departed the team. Bizarre when one recalls a 2nd round pick for Gill, a 2nd for Cristobal Huet, and others who clearly are lesser talents than the aforementioned. Terrible business practice. I also agree that we are near rock-bottom and even obtaining a single prodigy like Steven Stamkos (55 goals) will yield us, well, the same results as the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“May you live in interesting times.”
I agree. To me, HH has become a little trollish lately, but I like and support this post.
I love you too.
Good Post !
Habs, OLE !
I agree with the squandering of 1st and 2nd rounders but not 1 g.m. would have liquidated half his roster on march 4th 2009 when his team was presently sitting 4th or 5th(35-24-7 at the time) in the eastern conference. Besides,you are only allowed 4 call ups after a trade deadline so you would need to get at the very least another 5 or 6 roster players in return to trade 11 players,good luck with that one considering most of them were worth nothing more then mid picks.
I also believe lang, tanguay and komisarek were all out long term with injuries at the time. If you were the habs g.m. and did this,you would be laughed out of town to the point where not even antichambre would give you a job. It’s easy to say “we should have dumped everybody” as a hindsight fan,but try looking at it from the g.m.’s chair which i’m doing.Even if what you are saying was remotely possible,the habs would have dropped from 4th to out of the playoffs and you would not have been around for the draft.Would you sacrifice your job for some picks for the next g.m. to benefit from?If the habs were out of a playoff spot on march 4th 2009 i would agree with you to move whoever i could to rebuild but when at the time you are holding home ice advantage for the playoffs,you just simply can’t. If you can name me one g.m. in history who has done it,i will retract everything i said.
wow,this is a good prespective from an angle most posters here(myself included) wouldn’t even think about seeing it from.Your right though, its easy as a hindsight fan to say dump everybody when it isn’t your job on the line.
I never said dump everybody. But that is what Gainey did the following summer. I said the Habs planned poorly and they missed opportunities. They let 11 UFA’s walk for nothing. They could have gotten serious returns for at least 1 or 2 of them. The bottom line is the team was gutted any ways. I am pointing to trends. There is too much of the same tendency to lose assets for nothing, the Rivet trade being the one exception. Even the Gill and AK46 trades are too little, too late.
Obviously an exageration on my part but you do get the gist of what i’m saying. Can’t help but notice you replied to me and not to the guy above who looks to have put a serious reality check to your original post. You should probably be replying to the multiple points you are avoiding by responding to me instead. Or is it you now know for the most part,he is right?
showeys post is excellent. Thank you.
I agree and have felt that way since the lockout. However, I do not see a quantum shift. Vision comes from the top. At some point, this team is no longer worth the emotional investment.
Blue, blanc et rouge. Red and White for Canada. Blue for Smurfs.
HardHabits,
‘That is the cost of letting 11 UFA’s go for nothing. That is the cost of squandering 1st and 2nd round picks on rentals or players that are let go unsigned. That is the cost of trading perceptually problematic players for peanuts.’
For those reasons alone, the BG PG connection with the Habs needs to come to an end. Bumbling.
Richard R
A Leaf fan finds out his team didn’t make the playoffs:
http://www.cpshl.ca/forum/uploads/Leafs.wmv
Well synched spoof. Bravo!
Richard R
Who attends as the habs representative at the nhl draft lottery april 10th if PG is getting fired?
Patrick Roy
Yeah. Right. Roy? Hahahahahahahaha!
The new GM.
———————–
GO HABS GO! 2011-12 is probably not our year!
“Scott Gomez is an elite NHL player” – VancouverHab
Chat with me on Twitter @TheRealRGM81
This could also be another task which Mr. Gomez could participate in. What better way to welcome the new draft choice than to have Scotty our Free Agent Ambassador handle the duties at the lottery! He is good in the room, should be good at watching the balls in the lottery.
LOL
I’m not privy to Scott Gomez’s contract but I assume he’s being paid for services related to hockey and not necessarily goals and assists so I feel safe in putting forward the notion that it would be a judicious expenditure of money if the team were to re-assign Mr. Gomez, no, not to Hamilton, but to duties of a more provident nature, to wit, a year-long investigation concerning the inordinate number of injuries the Canadiens suffer season after season, the obvious purpose of which being a determination of their cause and, more important, the proposition of measures to assist in their prevention, as it has been remarked not infrequently hereabouts how the team’s fortunes have been torpedoed by extensive losses of manpower, Mr. Gomez’s absence being the exception, which, coincidentally also represents an opportunity for a maligned athlete to reclaim the adulation of once-adoring fans if, through his inquiry, he arrives at a series of recommendations, be it changes in equipment, training, outlook or game strategy, that, in combination, have the salutary effect of reducing the number of man-games lost to injury to the point of being nugatory, if not quite infinitesimal, all but ensuring Montreal’s return to the post-season.
Or not.
I don’t follow everything you said, but if the gist of it is that Gomez no longer dresses for games, than I agree.
Now that’s a ” Bellyful ” !!
You should get the ” WINDBAG of the YEAR ” award for your non breather compilation
Gohabs
Thanks for the nomination.
So in essence he becomes one of the “Crash Test Dummies” like we see in car commercials showing the safety of cars during severe impacts.
Hey if he is willing to sign up for it, I would watch!
Standard player contract specifies that their duties are limited to practicing for and playing in NHL hockey games.
Blue, blanc et rouge. Red and White for Canada. Blue for Smurfs.
Watching TSN and Craig Button between periods last night must have pumped up an already jacked up group of Habs fans looking forward to the draft.
Was a bit surprised to hear him say that Forsberg is a better power center and would be his choice over Grigorenko since all the latest rankings still have Yakupov/Grigorenko as 1/2.
Anyways, there’s a pretty good chance we’re going to end up with a star centerman in our system very soon which is something awesome to look forward to. .
It is going to be one heck of an interesting summer for the Canadiens with the draft, the management changes, UFA season and the Gomez situation.
In any regard, we’re going to have a totally new look and new attitude next year.
HH…a new look and new attitude …..stop teasing me !!!
Moved:
I imagine Bruce Boudreau is steaming today. The other night, LA has a goal on Boston disallowed after review becuase of goalie interference. Last night, the B’s score in the 3rd on TB where it was obvious goalie interference, but no review and good goal.
Same team, different rules. Typical…
relax partner …to early in the day to get ” all worked up “
Well I can’t get worked up over Habs games, so I gotta work on something else. The B’s all always a good target.
For sure !!
16 degrees and sunshine in Southern Ont. today, hmmm may have to follow the Habs lead and swing the clubs.
Snowstorm in NS yesterday partner . Hoping to get the clubs out soon also …since there won’t be any hockey to watch ..
We have a one day reprieve here, then back to subzero tonight. It’s the like the Hockey Gods want Southern Ontarians to celebrate that the Leafs were eliminated last night by having us golf today! Hope it warms up out East for you folks.
Having the Leafs eliminated certainly certainly helps heal some of our pain !!
It really doesn’t, at least not for me. The Leafs not making the playoffs is as much news as the sun remembering to rise in the east on any given day.
———————–
GO HABS GO! 2011-12 is probably not our year!
“Scott Gomez is an elite NHL player” – VancouverHab
Chat with me on Twitter @TheRealRGM81