Markov to miss up to 4 months after surgery

OH NO! The sky is falling!

C'mon, guys...Last time I checked, hockey was a team sport...Markov is one of the key cogs in the wheel, but now it's time for a youngster to get a shot and see what he can do..We have an entire year of hockey ahead of us...

We just need to stick to the game plan, play good defense, and score on our opportunities..Spacek is more than able to QB a PP..He scored 40+ points in BUFF last season..Weber has a freaking rocket...Give the kid the playing time...Goligoski did wonders for PITT last year..

Chin up...Go Habs!

Yes, it sucks. However I seem to recall this happened to the Pens last year... Gotta stay positive. And from what I heard on the radio, the guys in the room don't sound defeated at all because of this. I honestly don't see anyone on this team quitting.

Another odd plus: I know it's wrong for me to say, and I'm sorry Team Russia, but the Habs come first. I would assume Markov ain't going to the Olympics. He's all ours! <3

...Markov = HUGE LOSS ...Sergei = Untimely Distraction ...Jaro = Potential Un-needed Controversy

...AND ...We have only played ONE Game !

...Montreal =Drama City ? ...and We wonder HOW these will affect Our Season

...You Know What ? ...I believe We have ...this year ...a Team that is made up of Irrepressible Character and Spirit ...We have players waiting in the wings ...chomping-at-the-bit ...for Their Opportunity ...and given the opportunity ...will Not disappoint

...IF Our Team was made-up with last season's Dysfunctional Sad-sacks ...I would pull the blanket over My head ...and ask You to wake Me up next September

...with Our New Team ...I look forward to a challenging season ...but One that will be memorable for the Challenges Over-come

Habitant means PASSIONATE HOCKEY http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=423049

The loss is huge, but like everything else this season, it's full impact is unpredictable. The team has lost its best player. It will lose some games because of that. It has gained some new talent and cut a lot of negativity and selfishness from its make-up. It will win some games because of that.

So how far does it fall with this? Possibly enough to negate some of the positives from the off-season changes, but this team is still far better without Markov than it was without Markov last year.

:'( Well he'll be back for the playoffs. Assuming we play well in the first half without him to get there.

before we all know it it'll be february 2nd 2010, xmas will be over, there will be 7 feet of snow on the ground, we'll all be pasty white and vitamin D deficient and super pumped that markov will be returning.

Losing Markov for four months is going to force some other players to step up to the plate. Based on last night's performance, Price is poised to be one of those players. Perhaps Gorges, O.B., Weber and possibly P.K. will be others.

By the way, Gill isn't half as bad as some posters would have you believe. He seems to be out of shape though. Can't help but think that some of JM's statements re: conditioning were directed at him and possibly Mara. 

http://journals.lww.com/jtrauma/Abstract/1995/01000/Boot_Top_Tendon_Lace...

I'm sick & tired of all the negative posts & people giving up already on the season. I wish there was a way to block off such negativity. This is not what this team needs & definitely not what we(fans) need. You guys need to remember that last year's team is gone & so is the lack of character & leadership. Yes Markov is one of a kind & will be missed but believe it or not we are a deeper team than last, have GREAT CHARACTER players & will overcome this setback.

GO HABS GO & KEEP HOPE ALIVE>

Kostitsyn sisters for Kaberle.  Straight-up.  It will never happen.  Boy are we screwed.

I hate to say this but frankly, why do so many of you quit so quickly, throw up your hands in despair at the first sign of adversity, and head for the lifeboats?

There's always next year! friiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig

Andrei Markov getting injured is definitely a major setback. He's not just a defenseman, but our "A" veteran All-Star defenseman. Not to mention this happened on the eve of the 1st regular season game. 

I've read most of the posts here. We have to refuse to be superstitious or feel defeated. This new team, that barely has an identity, has as an upper hand over last year's team in structure and depth. And this is very meaningful.

Jacques Martin will work around this successfully, as will the players. Out of respect for Andrei Markov, our Canadiens will step up to this challenge, and not use it as an excuse for losing, but as incentive to win. 

It will make the team stronger because they will all be forced to raise the bar on their performances. Not just the defensemen, every single player. 

The whole team will take their lemons and make lemonade. Because that is the Canadiens I believe in.

Last year is loooong gone. 

"... et le buuuuut!"

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO....dead

This team is ****ing cursed.

Markov out for months on the 1st game, this will be a horrendous 1st half. I don't care who comes up, No one can fill in Markov's TOI like he can and what he brings to the game. If Price hadn't played like his old self last night I'd have already thrown my monitor out the window. I'm not being fatalistic, I don't like being a naysayer, but Markov was one of the reasons the team looked strong for this season and now he's not here, for likely 4 months since there's no way Gainey or Martin would risk him coming back before he's ready to go.

If the Offence truly lights up, I think Montreal can hold in there and Price stays in form then yes, Playoffs are available but we've got other teams in the conference fighting for those 5-8 spots and Markov was the best weapon Montreal had in the arsenal going into the season.

If we're fortunate, some of our other rivals will soon see injuries that take elements out of their lineup but Montreal is the only team to start with a major handicap, we'll have to see what this team can do to pull together now.

- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.

WE ARE F-

I propose a more modern, safer uni for the Habs:

http://kibblesofsteel.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/gomezarmor1.jpg

If this were last year's team, I would be worried. They were in the immortal words of Cristobal Huet: "fragile between the ears". I really think this year's team has the character and the depth (Weber, Carle, Subban) to withstand this setback. What they showed last night, coming back without Markov only illustrates the difference in last year's and this year's team. Maybe it was the character built at Teen Ranch but I think this will only enhance our chances come February. I just hope Markov is not compelled to return early to compete in the olympics (a la Carey and the all-star game). I'm sure that the shockwave is being felt in Moscow as we speak.

The only aspect I'm worried about is the PP. Markov was the qb and I don't know if Spacek is up to the task but we'll see. Too bad Schneider is not still out there.

Come on, everybody repeat with me: BREEZER!! BREEZER!!!! BREEZER!!!! BREEZER!!!

If we do it long and loud enough he will come.

Thanks a lot Carey. Cant U do anything right...LOL....

Well to put it simply, we're boned

http://5-10andagamemisconduct.blogspot.com/

Ok, this is bad...really bad! Now we all have to believe in our team and the prospects that we have in waiting in the wings. We will be fine, not as good as we would be with Markov, but hopefully a call up (Weber or Carle) will help to fill that void. All the defence will have to pick up their game, and I'm sure the rookies that we call up will be eager to impress. 

The talking heads on TSN are writing the season off for the Habs. Say they cannot recover from this. Hope this causes the guys to pull together early.

anybody remember what happened the LAST time Markov got hurt?

Oh right, we lost EVERY GAME.  0-4 to close the regular season, 0-4 swept by Boston.

Quick, someone take my shoelaces away...

Definitely devastating news about Markov.  However, I think this team is better equiped to deal with it, and it might be an opportunity for them to pull together and show what they're made of.

Still, it might be a good idea to sign another defenceman.  Dandenault comes to mind.  He'd be dirt cheap, especially since he didn't make the cut in SJ.  He's a veteran, still has great speed, and would be a solid 7th defenceman in case nobody on the farm proves ready to step up.  Another upside to Dandenault is his well known versatility.  I don't think he should have been let go in the first place.

Well, well, well -

read my avatar and act accordingly.

Well, they DID manage to tie this game and win it without him, didn't they? And sometimes such loss can motivate a team. But it's a huge blow, huge loss.

Bring back Zone de Match! :(

Looking for a bridge to jump off of.  Any one got any suggestions?

Turns out its an achilles-same as Lang-

This sucks, but as it has been metioned before there are some positives.

This should be tempered with the fact yes, we all realize the importance of Markov to our team.

It is going to force some of our other d to step up. Spacek will temper the blow, although we all know he won't replace him entirely. Hammer will be back and will be steady. I think Gorges will continue to improve, and personally I would much rather see him get more minutes over Gill. Our top four without Markov, could look like this:

Spacek/Hammer/Gorges/O'byrn/

Not the worse top four in the league, not the best, but not terrible.

You add Carle or Webber in the mix, then  really you have a top three of Spacek, Hammer, Gorges (imho) and rotate the fourth spot between O'byrn and the call up. I don't think we need to go out and sign anyone regardless of how much cash is freed up between LTI and Little Tit's deflation.

Why throw in the towel when we haven't even played a game without Markov yet? I don't think we can co-relate last years collapse, given that this team is completely different. Different offense, different defense, different coach and different character.

Also, i know we were outshot badly last night, but for those of us who seen the game, didn't anyone else think the leafs took a lot of outside shots?

I am sincerely worried about Markov. I hope he has a speedy recovery and gets well enough to compete in the olympics because in this situation we should not be selfish. I hope he comes back better than ever somehow.

In other news, the more things change, the more they stay the same. This team does not look changed to me. The only difference last night was that it wasn't Halak standing on his head to save us. The only glimmer of hope is that we never gave up. For this season, we have to be satisfied with that because it's all we are going to get.

Awful news. Only 6 or 7 other D in the league can replace him.

At this sad juncture, I like Carle as a call-up more than the other two.

Bigger, more professional experience, much better without the puck.

Although this may give some of the young players a chance to step up, this is still very crappy news.

Get well soon, man.

Okay, so... how many sleeps 'til next hockey season?

ugh. i guess weber is back, though i would love to see dandenault signed on a two-way contract (if he can) for the minimum just to bolster the ranks. i think the gonchar comparison is dead on. sorry Bob, back to work!!

Ouch.

For those looking at a comparable, the best one is the loss of Gonchar by the Pens.  Without him, they were a bubble-playoff team despite the presence of two of the game's 3 best players up front.

Spacek will help, but neither he nor Hamrlik can come close to filling the void, and the guys down on the farm are simply not ready for that level of responsibility.

Does it mean the Habs season is sunk?  Of course not...but the degree of difficulty to make the playoffs just got much, much higher.  Teams can't afford to lose points early in the year anymore, especially a team like the Habs that have all the markings of a team that will be in a dog-fight with 6-8 other teams for the final 4 playoff spots.  Losing Markov is a huge, huge blow.

So, the team now gets about 3-6 mill of cap space back due to Markov's injury (depending on how long he's LTI) and another mill back for Sergei's holdout potentially. That gives them some wiggle room to move again now at least.

Last year, when Markov went down, we didn't win a single game. But this year's team is comepletely different, so we have no idea how this team will react to this unmitigated disaster. Let's give it 10 games sans Markov before crying wolf.

Damn.

__________________________________________

http://berkshireonthehabs.blogspot.com/

Yes it is a disaster...but also an opportunity for someone else...and we have many ready to step up, HAMR obviously so really there is no hole....after that, WEB/CARLE/SUBBAN...

there is no problem...

1.The N.A.G. Veteran & Youth Movement will bring us glory... 2.The LAROCK effect is pivotal to our success... 3.The 80:20 ratio must be adhered to if we expect to regain our elite status...

Well if you listen to know-it-all Marinaro the season is over! No Markov big trouble and no playoffs.....Boy does he make me sick sometimes, I bet he never even played hockey. If this team can't win without Markov then we have just wasted $109 million dollars. Stop the panicing it is 1 game into the season so let's not even talk about the playoffs. Sometimes Habs fans make me sick, try to be a little positive, maybe Weber comes up and pulls a streit.........

Disaster. Season is in jeopardy big time. We could lose any other 2 or 3 defensman and it wouldn't have nearly the same impact this will have. I truly hope O'Byrne, Spacek, Hamrlik and Weber can step up their game 2 or 3 notches, or else it's going to be a long season for Carey Price.

Let's hope we're not done like dinner...

This is definetly bad news,.....they say up to 4 months for Markov recovery......  Certainly not what the Habs need to start the year..

bad news for the habs no doubt.

but, russia has got to be feeling the pain too. no olympics for markov must give canada the edge...

Love this quote from Cammy: I don't even want to talk about new Habs any more, we're all Habs now, we've passed through training camp, this is our team," said Cammalleri after his Canadiens kicked off the season with a 4-3 overtime win versus the Toronto Maple Leafs.

"It's all about moving forward with this group and there's no such thing as new Habs or old Habs now, it's just this team."

The TEAM will step up now.

markov is to the canadiens as crosby is to the pens. figure it out.