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About last night ...
posted by Mike Boone at 7h22 EST on Oct 21
Instead, the Canadiens ride a one-game winning streak into tomorrow's game against the mighty Islanders.
The team's three best forwards took their game to another level last night. And until some secondary scoring develops (more about that later), Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta and Mike Cammalleri are going to have to carry the offence.
Gionta and Cammalleri each had seven of the Canadiens' 35 shots last night. That's 40 per cent of thew total from 20 per cent of the forwards who dressed for the game.
Add shots blocked by the Thrashers and the ones that went wide and the pair had 25 scoring chances.
A good night's work – and Gomez was even better. The team's highest-paid player had 33 shifts last night, and I can't remember a bad one. Gomez skated, hustled, battled for loose pucks, made creative passes to his linemates and threw a few punches at Slava Kozlov in retaliation for a head shot.
A fight in OT! Amazing!!
There was also a scuffle in regulation time. Maxim Lapierre, who is off to a slow start this season, rapidly jumped Colby Armstrong after the Atlanta forward checked Marc-André Bergeron into the end boards.
Fans may recall that when Armstrong was with Pittsburgh a couple seasons ago, he laid a borderline dirty lick on Saku Koivu, Sheldon Souray skated in from the blueline to administer correction.
Max doesn't have the punching power of Souray, but unhesitating defence of a teammate goes over very big in the room – and we've seen a lot of that this season.
Now if Lapierre could just kick his game up a notch and maybe elevate that of his friend and linemate Guillaume Latendresse ...
While we're remembering Saku Koivu, I'll enrage his fans by suggesting that Gomez, at this stage of his career, is an upgrade and is centring a better top line than the Captain did in recent seasons.
Glenn Stanton, e-mailing from my hometown of Saint John, N.B., writes "I used to hate that little p---- Gionta when he played for New Jersey, now I love him!"
We all love him. Gionta, who scored the Shootout winner, has become the darling of the Bell Centre. And it's time to make it official: That little p---- is the new Captain of your Montreal Canadiens.
I don't know if Gomez, Cammalleri ad Gionta can keep it up for 82 games, but they might have to ... at least until Jacques Martin finds someone to complement Tomas Plekanec and Andrei Kostitsyn.
Plekanec was brilliant again last night. He's fast, which is no surprise, and fearless, which is.
Pleks is playing lke the centre he was two years ago. But Andrei Kostitsyn has not recaptured that 2007-'08 magic, and Max Pacioretty won't be a Top Six until '10-'11.
So I'll continue to tell the general manager how to do his job: Recall SK74, Bob. He's better than Max-Pac or Matt D'Agostini. Play him with his brother and Pleks. Give your coach two lines that can score.
The Canadiens ran into another hot goaltender last night. Ondrej Pavelev was spectacular, as were Pascal Leclaire, Craig Anderson and Nikolai Khabibulin.
But one goal on 35 shots against anyone not named Martin F. Brodeur is ridiculous. Add the blocked shots and misses and the Canadiens had 74 chances.
One goal.
Crazy.
The power play couldn't score in five chances. That's the fourth 0-for this season.
Overall, the PP is four for 31. The 13% efficiency rate is barely ahead of Florida and Ottawa, two other teams Martin used to coach.
Martin is known as a defensive coach (a characterization he disputes), and maybe that style is taking shape with the Canadiens. Since the Vancouver game, no opponent has exceeded 23 shots. Even without Andrei Markov, the 40-shot nightmares of last season are a distant memory.
Led by a heroic Roman Hamrlik, who's been excellent all season, the D-men didn't give Atlanta much last night. Most of the Thrashers' 23 shots were from the perimeter. The Canadiens cleared rebounds efficiently and blocked 26 shots – with 13 players getting into the body-sacrificing act.
Jaro Spacek is a fine complement to his Czech homeboy. I didn't much notice Josh Gorges or Paul Mara, and that's a good thing for defencemen. Hal Gill didn't do anything egregiously awful. The new guy had a few missteps, but Bergeron looked like an NHLer in his 17 minutes.
Jaro Halak made the stops he had to make, especially in the shootout, but the Martin system assured him of a fairly quiet night at the office. This means no goaltender controversy ... at least for now.
I see Carey Price back in against the Islanders. But if the Fates conspire to make the Canadiens lose that one, Martin has an interesting choice when the Rangers come to town on Saturday.
But for now ... hey, one in a row.
• • •
Props, BTW, to my man Travis Moen, who played 11 hard-workin' minutes, and Kyle Chipchura, very good on the PK, where his positional skills compensate for bad skating.
• • •
When the Canadiens announced their schedule of centennial celebrations prior to last season, last night's game was listed as a Vintage Jersey night.
It wasn't.
And neither was the March 31 game last season, when Bob Gainey put the kibosh on the barber-pole monstrosities the Canadiens had worn to lose to the Bruins – and lose Robert Lang and Guillaume Latendresse –on Super Bowl Sunday.
There are two more jersey nights scheduled for November and one in December.
We'll see.
Habs Inside/Out main RSS feed
Marc Savard out for 4-6 weeks with broken foot. While Sergei Gonchar out for 6 weeks with broken wrist.
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=295573
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=295584
Just finished ready Todd Denault's new biography on Jacques Plante. It comes out next week and I strongly recommend it. I did a little review on it
Ironically that last night, in my pick up game after the Habs won, a hard snap shot caught my mask square in the cage. After the ringing from the metal cage subsided I looked up and whispered "Thank-you Jacques."
___________________________________________
Ya! The Habs Rule! now on Twitter!
Yeah, Sergei suspended again
http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=295602
Ex nihilo nihil fit
Wow, I thought next id hear from him it would be for a call-up.
Gionta for Captain.
oh c'mon sergei! Hamilton can't be so bad!
So SK to Russia, per RDS?
I say go with Halak against the Isles. He was great against the Thrashers so it makes sense to keep him in. If he pulls off another decent performance and the CH get another win, then keep him in Saturday night against the Rangers for three in a row and a 5-5 record.
If he loses against the Isles, then it will justified to make the switch as it will then be Price's turn to come up with the big win against the Rangers.
The only argument I can see in starting Price on Thursday is that it will be supposedly an "easy" win and a confidence booster against an "easy" team. The only problem with that is there is no such thing anymore. Also the CH is not sitting on top of a comfortable win-loss record at the moment and cannot afford to risk having Price have another catostrophy like we saw in Vancouver.
For the above reasons I vote to keep Halak in nets until he plays poorly.
The "catastrophy" that we saw in Vancouver was not on Price. The rest of the team left him hanging out to dry.
Didn't have a chance to watch the game due to a late night in the lab, but I was listening on the radio. Sounds like the Habs were the better team pretty much the entire game. That being said, the lack of secondary scoring and the lack of finish on this team is becoming a broken record. A broken record that can and will continue to burn the Habs until it is fixed.
I see that Lapierre is practicing on the second line. We've actually managed to find a guy who is even less of a goal-scorer throughout his career than D'Agostini, and a very selfish player at that. If Lapierre is willing to go muck it up in front of the net, than perhaps such a move could work. However, he has never shown any inclination whatsoever of being that type of player: Lapierre, like Latendresse, appears to have the mentality of a 50-goal sniping forward welded to the skill set of a plugging, 20 goal checking line forward.
We are 8 games into the season, and people are pointing to the fact that the Habs have been "in" every game with the exception of the Vancouver game. This is very true, and it is a positive step as the team is still waiting for consistent efforts out of some of its key offensive players. Gomez and AK46 are both consistent slow starters over their career, so let's hope that the same is true this season, as the team would really benefit from both guys generating more offence.
The negative side of the ledger is that we are 8 games into the season and the Habs have allowed the other team to be "in" the game in every single one of them, conceding 13 of a possible 16 points to their opponents. While I'm happy that the team is not being blown out, I am not happy that they are letting everybody hang around in every game. It puts too much stress and pressure on a lineup that is simply not going to generate a lot of goals, pressure that at any point their hard-fought lead could evaporate. And it's got to be hard on our young goalies, who have to play airtight hockey game in and game out for the Habs to compete. That is very draining.
The key to your point about Lapierre's reaction to the Armstrong hit is the word "unhesitating". We haven't seen that often around here in the past year or so. The fact that Max didn't even stop to consider whether he should respond is a big step in team building. His response was instinctual and that's a great sign. I think it's also noteworthy that Gomez defended himself as he did. He didn't play up the hurt for the refs, before shoving or some such thing. He simply got up and punched that dirt bag Kozlov. That kind of push back was all but completely absent last year. Is anyone going to argue that Gainey hasn't at least been successful in clearing the air?
On another note, Pleks has been great so far this year and has been a breath of fresh air, but his game last night was mediocre. He was far less effective than he had been in the previous few games. He was nowhere near as strong on the puck and did not create as many chances.
Mara's another guy who will not hesitate to lay a lickin'on someone who needs it. Moen too. MUCH more team toughness already, wait till they really start to bond. A few strip bars and some camping trips and this will be a real Band of Brothers.
Any good analyst will tell you that scoring chances are very important this time of year. Of course, you need to cash in on chances sooner rather than later, but this early, it's the chances that matter. It's even more true given the new faces and new coach and system this team has. I know I'm too optimistic for many of you, but good things are coming for this team. If they are not showing they are a very good team by game 20, then I guess I'll be wrong on my assessment.
Go Habs Go!! "I can't hear what Jeremy (Roenick) is saying because my Stanley Cup rings are in my ears" - Patrick Roy
Hey guys! Sorry it's been a long day and I got back too late after the game last nite to post (exams and loads of ***!). It was for sure a good feeling win but as it was prolly discussed here all night, we need to cash in on our chances. Too many missed opportunities and it will come back to haunt us. How many of you held your breath for the entire third?
-Travis Moen is a beast and lights years better than Kosto.
-Personally thought the Hammr and Spatch were good except for that giveaway by Spatch on the PP (brutal!)
-MAB needs some time to find his groove but could be decent if used adequately, i.e. like 14 minutes.
-The Little Big Three were flat out flying last nite and deserved their opportunity in the shootout.
-Gomez played like a first line center last nite.
-No major mishaps for Chips but they did have their moments in the defensive end. (Metro come back fast!)
-D'Ags prolly played his best game in a LONNNNG time.
-And somebody needs to tell MaxPac that he can use his size to hit someone from time to time.
-In Halak's case, I think it's unfair to say that he is better than Price. He was as good as he needed to be and that goal he let it was still suspect. We really had the most of the time last nite and that helps the goaltender out. when Price played, only in the PK how many shots were directed towards? We never cleared. So, it's unfair to say Halak is better given the circumstances. Halak played as good as he needed to be to get the win especially in the shootout. And although his puckhandling has improved, it's still an adventure.
-On a side note, my record this season improves to a 1-1-0. All-time 22-2-1.
-And two more key injuries for poolies, Marc Savard out 4-6 weeks and 8-1-0 Pittsburgh version of Markov, Sergei Gonchar gone for at least 6 weeks with a broken wrist!! Sheesh!
"All you need in hockey is good character, luck and skills" - Ovie
the Halak goal was not suspect. it was a quick shot to the outside from fairly close and a partial screen. it was just a good shot. too bad the Habs' D coverage was poor on the play.
The save on Kolvachuk four minutes in was the game changer. I don't know how you missed that? Price is not making those saves.
Why do people peg Halak as a career backup? What indicators does anyone have to make that claim?
Why do people peg Price as a star and #1 goalie? His success in the minors and first round status do not guarantee success in the NHL. Price has not yet given any indication of being a superstar? Potential is just that potential.
Right now, Halak is the superior goalie.
I think it might be the fact that his record is better than Halak, his save percentage is better than Halak, and his GAA is better than Halak.
I don't think Halak is a career backup, but he is Carey' backup. Everyone knows this... Obviously by the guys who count too because of the fact that he has playe ALOT more games...
There may be other teams, but only ONE Club De Hockey...
Better record?
2008-2009
Carey Price - GAA 2.83 Save Percentage .905
Jaroslav Halak - GAA 2.86 Save Percentage .915
I won't further embarass you by bringing up Price's stats post All Star Break, which are horrendous.
Another thing I'd like to add is people's impression that Carey Price is better at handling the puck and Halak is not. I think Price handles the puck much more and has more skill but I don't think he's necessarily better. In fact, I think Price overhandles the puck. His teammates half the time or more seem unaware of where Price will pass or clear the puck. I can't even count the numerous times when Carey would pass or clear it along the boards and I'd see a habs player chasing the puck rather than actually anticipating it. Is it lack of communication or something else I don't know.
Halak keeps his puck handling game simple. He usually just stops the puck near his net or makes short passes. I think for his teammates that's a lot easier to deal with.
The only real disadvantages of Halak I see is that he isn't the biggest (but he's not overally small either) and he can seem a bit nonchalant at times. He has been known to at times to have trouble controlling rebounds but in general Halak doesn't have any obvious weaknesses.
Price has some great attributes. Big and quick. Covers the lower part of the net extremely well. However, he has some perceived weaknesses like his glove hand and tracking pucks through traffic. These are things that can be corrected.
Either way I've seen both goalies outright steal games and play phenomenally well. I think both are very good and play differently which is good too.
I wouldn't go as far to say that Halak is playing better than Price now because Halak has only started for two games. That's the problem with the whole goalie debate not that there needs to be one. Halak simply doesn't play enough for us to make a fair comparison. If Halak played as many games as Price, we might see some of his flaws much more apparent or maybe not. I would like to see Halak play more as I feel he has been somewhat shafted at times being put on the bench when he's hot and the other goalie is not simply because he's been assigned as the 1B goalie.
wow one victory in a shootout no less and all these people are back on the bandwagon. What a joke.
just curious, but what's your take on a one goal, SO win against Atlanta?
Private bandwagon dude, go get your own.
I was at the game and I certainly DO remember a couple of shifts when Gomer didn't seem to know what to do with the puck i.e. had a clear lane but decided to regroup (he really likes to do that it seems) or basically gave it away after not being sure who to pass it to. But 33 shifts is a lot and he's improved.
Although I did see an improvement with Gomez, Tomas Plekanec was a more consistent threat. It's just AK-46 needs a mental re-evaluation. Or a heart-to-heart with the PM of Belarus, or something.
And Gionta and Cammalleri's answer to not scoring on so many chances is simply to create even MORE chances. Although the score wasn't high, the dozen "almost" goals (we hit three or four posts) provided much excitement. Yep, this team's brand of excitement is even different than last year's.
And I still love Moen.
Is it just me or are people trying to injure our beloved Canadiens these past few games? First the newest defenseman we brought in to compensate for our other injuries, then our #1 center got his bell rung last night! perhaps it's a test to see what these guys are made of? i'm sure each and every opposing coach brilliantly notices our supposed "weakness" in size and tries to exploit it by telling his troops to impose themselves physically. I have a feeling this'll be a theme that will remain with us for a while... unless enough teams get burned by our speed and powerplays using that tactic throughout the season. But I don't like depending on refs.
Go Habs Go!
do you consider taking all of your shots from almost the goal line at an impossible angle a more consistant threat? If so, I would imagine he'd have at least a dozen flukes by now don't you? He is playing much much better however instead of allowing himself to be pushed to the deep outside when he's carrying the puck perhaps he oughta try and get off a few wristers or even dare I say it? A backhand or three?....every goalies worst nightmare.
sorry, but i have to disagree with the idea that Pleks is the constant threat, as you say! pretty funny actually considering how many chances the first line had...
Chris Chelios and Brendan Shannahan for league minimum plus performance bonuses.
Mentors and warriors.
Yes to Shanny, no to Chelly.
great game last night but the true test will come Sat night against the Rangers.
We need secondary scoring! Can't rely on our 1st line to do all the work. Finally Martin came to his senses and limited BGL's ice time (much to his chagrin). Maybe he's been reading HIO for tips? :-)
Boone,
Nice flair for the dramatic with the "turning point" thought. They should win vs. NYI, but then again...
Anyway, it was good to get a W. I'm sure it relieved a lot of stress from the room and they may have even celebrated that one.
The Habs first line was all over those Thrashers--good to see. But, not to pop your celebratory balloons, Atlanta's D-corps isn't known to be stingy or airtight--rather more cheesy and of the swiss variety! Just an observation to help keep our heads on straight.
Last night, I forgot to give props to the Hammer for an excellent game. He was a force at both ends of the ice and contributed a lot. The D overall looked improved, with the exception of a few "Gill" moments. Bergeron made a few minor gaffs, but he hasn't played at this level since last spring. He'll only improve and hopefully contribute his best play on the PP with a rocket point shot.
Sorry, but I disagree with Boone on his view of Pleks game last night. He was mostly ineffective with a few odd bright moments--same could be said of his winger AK. However, I really believe that line will produce with the right combo, and MaxPac isn't part of it. In addition, I don't like the idea of bringing SK back to the fold (although there aren't many RW options, unless you bring up a C and use him on the wing; eg., Maxwell or White). Could Dags be the right fit? possibly with some time on that line: he's quick and has shown he can score. I read below that Laps was practicing on the 2nd line. That may work, but I don't think Laps (much like Moen) has the creativity or scoring touch to play there.
Laps' buddy, Gui, is fourth line material. His skating has improved, but I think the guy is confused. He looks like he's not sure what his role is: he's not really sitting in front of the net much, he's not checking hard or consistently, he lacks a scoring touch, he doesn't see the ice well. I think someone needs to clearly tell him his role and help him develop into it. He's been put in positions beyond his ability in the past; he can't fill the shoes of a first or second line winger, and barely a third liner. I don't hate the guy, I just want him to find his place and contribute regularly.
Anyway, bottom line for this team to string together some wins is scoring. I know Pavelec stood on his head last night, but one goal and none on the PP? There's much work to be done. At least the goaltending has been consistently decent (not outstanding though).
Another win on Thursday would be nice, but it all depends on putting more than one or two pucks behind the opposition's goalie!
We need guys who stand in front of the net, reallyl not enough of that goin' on. Gui! is supposed to be that guy. He shouldn't be confused.
i agree. but, Gui isn't filling the bill. BGL would be the guy to do it, but he just doesn't have enough pluses to use him more than about 5-6 minutes per game.
Thank God Jaro is going to save the season ....... cause that bum Pric can't save anything
it has nothing to do with team effort, offense, defense only the play of our goalie .... and after last night Jaro is our boy ......... take a seat Price take a seat ..... oh i understand Carey the team didnt score infront of you, the defense was horrible, and the effort lacked for periods of the game ..... and i understand that last night the team played better still didnt score but the defense was better and the effort was better ..... but i am sorry for all that ...... Jaro must be better then you are .......
Feel sorry for Carey ...... :( no matter what he does it wont matter cause people will look athis play NOT the team infornt of him and say he is crap.
I've noticed a huge problem with broken TVs amongst Montreal fans (unless they export some different product here in the U.S., we've been watching very different games). Halak looked good last night, sure, but with the exception of the game in Vancouver, Price has looked very good as well (better, in my opinion). Halak always seems to make things look difficult, then make the save, whereas Price is almost always in the right position for a shot. Of the goals he has allowed this season, a fair portion of them were off his own defensemen.
I don't see how anyone can blame this team's current woes on goaltending (either of them). Our defense has looked shaky at times, but the last few games we have been severely limiting our opposition's shots, while outshooting them soundly as well.
The only major fault with this team, that I see, is a lack of finish. I can't think of any goaltender in the league who I would expect to win games with a team that is only able to score one goal in regulation (two, if were lucky). This needs to be a run-and-gun team, but we are looking a little soft on the 'gun' part of it. Once the team gets up to a respectable shooting percentage (which -will- happen), we are going to be a lot more dangerous than many people realize.
Think of it like this: our vaunted top line, that creates so many chances and has looked fantastic for several nights now, has only played 8 NHL games together, and many of those they weren't even all on the same line. We keep talking about how they are shouldering all of the weight for this team and all that jazz, just wait until they can develop some chemistry. Secondary scoring, of course, has its own problems, with AK46 loafing around while Pleks plays his heart out (and the rotating shadow on his other wing doesn't help either).
Scoring is the major problem for this team right now, but in time, that will change. The defense has already gotten tremendously better in just a few games, and the offense looks ready to step it up. Goaltending has been steady (again, with the exception of Vancouver, where the team as a whole fell asleep). Remember how when we signed all these guys we kept talking about how we were gonna have to wait 15-20 games to see chemistry develop and to see what we can do as a team? What ever happened to that?
Nightwind?
?
way to stir the pot...
I'm no idiot, I know the team has been to blame for each and every loss Price has suffered.
Don't forget we hit a red pipe 4 TIMES last night. Score should have been a little more lop sided in our favour. Eventually the puck luck will turn around I suppose. I think that game was our best all around, as it seems we didn't have any major letdowns, like taking a whole period off for instance. I'm glad Gomez got up so quickly from that hit, that was a nasty piece of work, hopefully the league does its job and suspends him, but I'm not counting on it.
Good game for the team. Can they keep this up game in and out throughout the season?
I like Halak in the nets, the guy looks really mentally focused in the nets.
Hamrlik looks rejuvenated.
But, I still feel we have more negatives than positives on this team as the season drags on and I will not wait to make an assessment on the team after 25 games. , the future is now. After 25 games we could improve but other teams will improve as well.
I can't picture our team playing competitive teams game in and out like last night against the lowly Thrashers.
Several seasons agao, it was a given Win against Atlanta, now we have to play every game like last night whether it's the lowly Leafs or Islanders or Cup contending teams like Pittsburgh or Boston to eke an 8th place position.
Happy for the win as everyone else is, let's pray we keep it up.
Everybody remember ex-Habs pick Ron Hainsey? The kid is doing a great job on D with Atlanta and he reminds me a bit like Paul Coffey.
"We will win the Cup one day only with a mature Carey Price in the nets"
There were two signings this summer that I wasn't overly impressed with: Hal Gill for two years, and Gionta for five years, $25 Mil. The later is looking pretty good now! You know I guy is eager when he lunges forward head first to poke check an opponent. It's part desperation, part pure hussle. And he can do it because he's up so fast and back int he play. I really had no idea he was that good. Let's see how that plays out over five years. Hal Gill, well.... He has a long stick!? He's a good teammate? Maybe we'll say good things about him too come playoff time (if we get there ;)
[putsonHabsGoggles]With Gonchar injured, Bob has a small window of opportunity to trade Gill back to them in exchange for Malkin. One Cup winner for another - seems fair to me.[/removesHabsGoggles]
i didnt read any of the posts but what i have to say i am sure has been stated but my 2 cents are:
This team is going no where unless we score ....... i dont care how hard the teamed worked last night big deal so far all i see is a team with no finish ....... what happened to the 39 goal scorer Mike Cammy? .......We have no one on this team who has shown any finish .......... will things turn around i hope so ....... all these blown chances are killing me ......... we can not expct our goalies to win every game 1-0 ......... it isnt going to happen and its not realistic. It pisses me off how anyone with a bit of offensive flair that once they become a hab they can not score........ what would happen if Ovie was on our team ...... he'd go from a 60 goal man to a 13 goal man ........ something is WRONG ........
I will wait the mandatory 25 games before commenting on this team. I do have a few observations on last night's game.
(1) I thought team put out a real good effort. Everyone was trying.
(2) It is obvious we need another winger for the second line. Meon and Pac are not there.
(3) I am not sure how long Martin can continue to play his top five forwards, especially his first line. He is going to skate these guys into the ground. Look at the minutes these guys played last night. This goes to my second point. With another second line winger , Martin can spread out the playing time and not rely almost solely on his first line. I agree with Mike Boone bring up everyone's favorite whipping boy.
(4) I know Halak is not a first string goalie but I wish all our young players, including our number one goalie would play to the level Halak plays to. This team would be better off. Halak played a good solid game and gave his team a chance to win. He was not spectacular but he was sound.
mjames
In case you guys miss my post below, at practice this morning Laps was playing as a winger on the second line. Laps not Lats. You can get back in your chair now.
NEWSDAY: Steve Zipay reports former Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mathieu Dandenault has a tryout deal with NY Rangers farm team in Hartford. Zipay suggests if Dandenault is successful he could become a seventh d-man for the Rangers.
They talked about it last night. He can get out of it if another team signs him to a contract. Still a FA for all intents and purposes.
I know that we still need about another 10 games to hoose a captain but this is what I thin they should be according to our performaces so far..
Captain: Brian Gionta
Assistants: Gomez and Markov.
Gomex has shown that he can control the tempo of the game by slowing everything down regroup and then carry the puck in. Markov is markov.
Gionta is my choice because he is the only one that makes the most of his opportunities. He is the spark plug of the Montreal Canadiens.
NOTE: I know it is only 8 games in... In order to make a sound decision we will need 20 to 25 games, if we do indeed name a captain.
Just heard from a co-worker that Halak and Latenderness were injured in practise this morning and are out.
Can someone confirm/deny?
Apparently on RDS...
Once a Habs fan, always a Habs fan
Nothing on Dave Stubbs Twitter yet
Franklin the Beagle, 7/1/2002-7/13/2009
Halak actually came back during practice. Hit on the chin by a puck.
I was going to say that before my connection crapped out on me. I think at this point Halak would play with 2 broken legs just to try and prove himself. He wants it.
They left practice but I don't think anyone is calling them out for the next game yet. They also said that Laps was playing as a winger on the second line in practice. Yes you read it right.
Haven't seen anything so far on RDS. if it is true... How many more injuries can we have without really screwing up every game.
VERY entertaining game for a shootout 2-1 game. Pavelec was AWESOME!
The team played well save for the usual suspects: Lapierre, Latendresse, Kostitsyn, Plekanec (this guy can't find a soccer net with a booger sized puck)
Feels good to finally win...
Even Normand Flynn now says that Lats has to learn to park his butt in front of the net or suffer the consequences.
He did it on a couple of occasions last night... Lats can't pull second or perhaps even third line duties. He needs to be play 10 minutes per game and be punishing. Just like a big dumb bull... go and crash through the opposition.
The win was a relief, but my god, they'd have an easier time passing kidney stones than scoring goals. Surely the dam has to break soon. Right? Anyone?
The Islanders are in town twice during this home stand. There will never be a better opportunity.
FIRE GAINEY!
Again, we barely pulled out a shootout win.
This team has 0 wins in regulation, and only 1 win in OT. If it were the "old" NHL, we'd be 1-5-2. Instead we're a slightly more respectable 3-5.
The fact of the matter is: WE CAN'T SCORE GOALS.
Gainey's off-season acquisitions have been good. The problem is, they're barely enough to match what we lost, meaning we still have 0 secondary scoring and we still lack depth at D.
That means we're still not a very good hockey team. And without Markov, we're even worse.
I've harped quite a bit on the new guys (except Gionta, as Boone said, we all love that little squirt!) but I'd be ecstatic if we brought those guys in to COMPLEMENT what we had last year. Cut free a few of the guys, but I think we could've done without Spacek, Gill and Gomez and held on to Koivu, Kovalev and one of either Boullion or Dandy instead. That would give us:
Camms - Pleks - Gionta
AK46 - Koivu - Kovy <-- better secondary scoring than we currently have
Lats - Lapierre - Moen
BGL - Chips - D'aggs
Markov - Gorges
Hammer - Bergeron
Boullion or Dandy - Mara
O'B - Weber - Belle <- depth guys
Until we solve our secondary scoring issues, this team is going to suck more often than not. Especially when our top line can only be counted on for 1 goal per game.
My $0.02
I just wasted a couple of minutes of my time reading this useless drivel
Everything you said up until "FIRE GAINEY" made sense to me.
you wanted Pleks to be our top centre??????????? no. we barely believed he could hold up our 2nd line.
i read your post and found it to be a slightly less waste of my time than this reply is.
Who do ya think you are..... Mr. Hockey God.... if ya don`t got anything good to say keep your big trap shut.
i've been reading your tripe too. another glorious waste of time. go pound sand buddy. I call it the way I see it.
You call it the way Roy Orbison see`s it....... Or a lil kid watching his first game... in his highchair... Drolling.
First of all I'm old enough to be your father. Secondly Roy Orbison was not blind. Thirdly you're not old enough to remember a REAL Habs team. and lastly, update your profile before you talk to me in the future.
Norman Kerry Mac Neil in Nova Scotia
About:HI/O member for: 1 year 48 weeks
Habs fan since: 1975 the year i was born
Favourite player (current): Higgans, Koivu, Kostopoulos,
Favourite player (all time): Saku Koivu
what a laff you are. get with the program.
FIRE GAINEY????
And what hire you?? I can't believe you wasted so much space here with your BS. Oh yeah, the Habs should go 82-0-0 this season, win every game 5-0 on 2 PPGs and 1 SHG and not have any injuries on the way to the Stanley Cup.
So tired of your type here...
Umm... scuse me... Hire ME! I called the GM position long time ago.
Can you please hire Breezer to be VP Director of Hair and Breakout Passes?
Can I be the travel director!
GO HABS GO!
I got dibs on head scout!
How many of the guys who were on the team last year and who are still here this year do you need to hear comment about how much better the atmosphere is this year before you get it? Keep Koivu and Kovy and the room would still have stunk.
Our D lacks depth? Of course it does, we just lost Markov and an improving OB. Any team who loses players like that will lack depth. Dandy had to sign a tryout contract with the AHL and I'm not even sure what and Bouillon needed a long time to sign a contract so it's not like the rest of the league was falling over to get them signed up. I will say that I am not a fan of Gill the way he is playing now and would prefer Belle in there.
I see people commenting on your math skills... I didn't get that far. Starting with 'Fire Gainey' means there is no point in my reading further.
You could probably care less... just thought I would let you know.
I hate to let facts get in the way of a good argument, but we'd actually be 2-5-1 - last night was our first shootout of the year.
Also, it is very difficult to "complement" what we had last year since, y'know, 10 guys from last year are no longer with the team.
----- "Come on, let's keep a little optimism here." -- Han Solo, Return of the Jedi
No offense dude, but according to my exchange rate, your 2 cents isn't very accurate.
Our record in the "old NHL' (which means little, to nothing) would be 2-5-1, not 1-5-2. We won our first two games in OT, not the SO.
Even though we didn't deserve to wins those games, we could have easily won every other game - execpt the Vancouver beating. We have been consistently outshooting opponents, and only getting better as everyone adjusts to the system, and each other.
My mistake. Thanks for picking up on our record.
Shots on goal are often overrated. In a lot of those western games, the majority of our shots were from the perimiter and beyond the circles. Not an area you're likely to score from in any league, let alone the NHL. The "Shoot for everywhere" tactic can be effective if you have a lot of forwards going hard to the net. That doesn't happen with this club either (except for Gionta).
17 goals in 8 games. And given the overtimes, that's less than 2 goals/60 minutes of play. On top of that our PP stinks.
The main reason this club has been successful under Gainey's tenure has been the Powerplay. Take that away, and you're left with an unsuccessful club.
The only thing holding us back during Gainey's tenure has been the lack of secondary scoring. Something that, despite the major overhaul, Gainey has failed to address.
Usually, I won't watch a game after I know the score. The highlight reel on NHL Tonight, however, was so lopsided in favor of the Habs that I decided to watch the whole game. They bring that effort for sixty minutes and get that many chances and they will win far more games than they lose.
is anyone calling for Bob's head this morning on the call-in shows? last night should quiet those clowns for a couple of days. that first line is hard-workin' magic.
about Laps--what punching power? even the ref couldn't call it a fight and would only give him 4 minutes for roughing. lol. he dropped his gloves but i don't believe -and i was watching for it- that he ever threw a single punch in that scuffle. good instinct to throw himself onto Armstrong as he was skating into him already but i bet he quickly realized he didn't really want it to come to blows. same with Lats who'll still only hold onto a player when there's a scuffle.
Colby was on the ground when Laps got a hold of him. If he would have started tossing it would have been ugly, and possibly a susspendable offence, the guy wouldn't have been able to defend himself too well.
eta: just saw the replay. Laps jumped Colby and tried to hold him at arm's length. from the ground, Colby punches Max in the face. after that, Laps lays on top of Colby just holding onto to him. could've thrown punches if he wanted to avenge MAG.
or Laps must get to a lot of guys on the ground, then, because he never throws a punch. the way he ran into him to defend Bergeron, i was expecting punches to fly. must've gotten cold feet. he immediately threw his gloves off to jump Colby. point is: i don't think he thought much about a possible suspension in that split second but rather, his face and the beating he could have taken. i can't wait for the day he takes one in the face. too much tired yapping from this guy.
At that point the issue is not if he is going to lay a beating on the guy its the simple point that he was there for his teamate. On the bench it must have been nice to see a guy jump in like that against someone he knew could most probably beat him down.
Wow...talk about a tough crowd. All last year fans complained about the lack of players to defend their teammates. Laps jumps Armstrong without hesitation, and we still hear complaints. Whether he actually pummelled him or not, he got a message through. I think he did an excellent job there, and I love how he faked to drop the gloves with Bagosian! That's what a pest is supposed to do.
Go Habs Go!! "I can't hear what Jeremy (Roenick) is saying because my Stanley Cup rings are in my ears" - Patrick Roy
Marc Andre Gerberon?
I think it's spelled Gerbelon.
Great game last night...already knew the score when I saw it, so it allowed me to focus more on the players than on the excitement of the moment (if you understand what I mean). Good to change perspective a little sometimes.
Best part may have been Pierre Maguire (sp?) limiting himself to saying "monster" only one time. But I digress...
Gionta is worth his weight in gold...Cammy needs to pot a few soon, but played great. Gomez is playing like he is worth 5 million or so (no one is worth what he makes except Malkin, Ovie, Crosby, and the like) - I was very pleased with his game. Actually, with very few exceptions (that's you, Lats! - and BGL), I was pleased with the whole team. Mistakes happen, giveaways will occur. But as a team, great effort, and well played.
People need to give Bergeron a chance. He was rocked hard by that check last night, and likely should have sat the rest of the evening.
Laps stepped up for a team mate, and that was nice to see. Not happy with his overall game, but doing that makes lack-luster play easier to forgive. But where is BGL? One fight now on the season. Forgive me for pointing this out, but didn't we sign him to fight? His play is OK, but come on - do your job man! Waste of precious cap space in my opinion...
Our young ones, while not really impressing, did not look so out of place as they had in previous games. Still only fourth line material, but they will do at least until either they mature as players, or we can upgrade them.
Halak was great. He made all of the saves he should, and a few that no one would have blamed him for had he let them in (hear that, Carey? Make some saves at key moments). The chances against Halak were about the same as the last 2 nights against Price - the difference being Halak made the one or two extra saves. Does this make him the number one? Certainly not. But what it should do is give him a real chance to earn the number one job - something that he never had the fair opportunity to do, what with Price being the anointed one and all, and just being handed the job. I am not a "fan" of either goalie though, despite what some may think. I am a Habs fan, and I want only what is best for the team. In my opinion, right now that is NOT price. That may change in the future, but give Halak a chance now.
Scoring woes are a glaring deficiency, and there is no easy fix for this. Suggestion - work hard on the power play in practice. then work on it some more. If we can get the PP rolling, that will solve a good part of this problem.
But with that said...keep playing like that, and the goals (and the wins) will come. Maybe we won't be fighting for that last playoff spot after all? I hope not, because I truly think at this point it is better to tank for the draft picks than to be mediocer, with no real threat to contend. The team that shhowed up last night, however, at least showed that they can contend. hope to see more of them.
Oh - and time to bring up SK. Enough is enough already. He is not the savior of the team, but he is an upgrade we drastically need on the second line (see "scoring woes"). Bring him up or trade him for someone who can do the job. His talents are wasted in Hamilton.
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Just as no culture has a monopoly on beauty or value, no religion has a monopoly on truth - Voltaire
i think we should make it official and start calling Gui! giveaway-Gui now. he's atrocious. he looks like a lost puppy out there (minus the sympathy factor).
with the exception of the first two games, we haven't really had rough nights where we would need BGL to fight much. and because of all the penalties it took a while before Martin even put him on the ice last night. he's slow but he has his upside (fighting, deterrent, and keeping the puck in the offensive zone).
Marc Savard to miss up to 6 weeks with a broken foot. Just in.
on-par for him, isn't it? great player, would love to have him on our team, but fragile as s---.
Plus Lucic 6 weeks with broken finger needed surgury. B's could be last years Habs, first to struggling to make the play-offs.
Franklin the Beagle, 7/1/2002-7/13/2009