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... from Pat Hickey on the Habs pre game on Team 990 does not like the Lats trade. I always seemed to think along the same lines as Hickey, having met him and listening to him the times he replaced Melnick but lately that has changed .............. I disagree about the trade and him saying Lats was better than Thornton in his early days. Doesn't Pat remember that Thornton was a bench warmer in his early days and Lats got quality ice time ................ Also Pat claimed earlier this year he thought that Lapierre would become the 2nd line center sometime early in the season, i consider Laps an energy center and don't think Laps has enough offence to be anywhere else on a consistent basis, and the Ryder situation. Then again, it's fun to debate.
As for you Anti-Gomezites, Ken Hitchcock just said that getting Gionta was the best move of the trade-deadline. Would either he or Cammi have come to Mtl if Gomez hadn't been here? Doubt it. Gomez's salary (as hefty as it may be) is money well-spent.
---Hope Springs Eternal---
You're dreaming.
At least Cammi's signing had least to do with Gomez's signing.
C'mon Sergei! The Beatles said it best ...DONT LET ME DOWN!!!!!!!!
>:( Umberger...I have always hated him.
I remember being REAL happy when i heard he was going to Columbus.
... from John Buccigross / espn.com : We Love You, This Won't Change a Thing ........... "I hope the day comes, and soon, when this is not a story." -- Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke ..... http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?columnist=buccigross_john&id=4685761 ........ must read. ................ a little from this feature ..... But you actually don't play because you don't think you can go another season without someone finding out your secret.
Your hockey career is over.
...though We may revel in the idea gays are associated solely with the Toronto Maple Leafs ...this obviously is not a fact
...I too am sympathetic to ANY human-beings torment or conflicts ...But it is an extremely complex and unsettling issue for most ...especially most hetero-males
...there is certainly a generational 'improvement' on inclusiveness and trying to 'understand' ...yet, for most, it is a very difficult, uncomfortable issue to come to terms with
...I, Myself, had a fairly distant relative whom married-into Our family ...married My second-cousin, procreated 3 sons ...all-the-while living an extended destructive gay life-style ...terribly affecting His boys and wife ...and dying in his thirties from Aids
...it was more than a shock when he came-on to Me ...physically ...at which time I reacted with more than a tad anger and disgust ...and concern for his family
...yet, I wrestle fitfully with the potential conundrum ...what IF he was My Son ? ...WHAT would I say or do ?
...The Only answer I can conclude ...would be, like Burke, is assure Him I love Him ...and ALWAYS will love Him
...notwithstanding THAT ...and based on the assuption that My son is hetero ...would I feel uncomfortable or suspicious a gay male coached or worked in My son's all-boys school ? ...or His hockey team ? ...I must be politically incorrect and say honestly ...Yes !, I would be extremely uncomfortable and suspicious
...over a long lifetime on varied athletic teams, in the military and in business ...as well as friendships ...I have dealt with the situation without being judgmental on a personal-level, unless the person inappropriately 'acted-out' his sexual inclinations in rude or threatening ways
...I believe the respect for One's sensitivities ...must be a 2-way street
...WHAT One does In The Privacy Of One's Bedroom, though, ...is no one else's G@* D&%m Business ...between consenting adults
...just DON'T Do IT in My livingroom ...or locker-room ...OR ...with My son or daughter
Habitant means PASSIONATE HOCKEY
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=423049
Never would have expected Burke to be so OK with it, tells you that you can't judge a book by its cover. Good for Brendan for his courage and good for his family for being so supportive.
__________________________________________
http://berkshireonthehabs.blogspot.com/
I just cried a little bit. Good for Brian Burke. We give him a hard time, but that story is really amazing. His son is extremly couragious, and I applaud them both.
Trying not to be an insenstive ***, what about the story made you cry?
I don't care who or what my teammates sleep with but I can't have them weeping at the drop of a hat...
It takes courage to come out. Especially if your dad is a truculent son of a b. :)
My buddy sent me this comment and I admit it, I laughed.
Can a gay man advance in professional hockey? He can if he works for the Toronto Maple Leafs! - Brian Burke
Then I saw the context for the quote and felt a little sheepish.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?columnist=buccigross_john&id...
N R - You beat me, i spent too long reading it and presenting it.
No worries. Good for Burke to put his kids before his absurd daily bluster. As the GM of the Laffs, he's still an ***. But his job doesn't define who he is.
I'll try to remember that next time I blast Gomez for being an overpaid second-liner!!
... from Pierre LeBrun : He thinks the Wild won the trade (maybe he only consulted the french press or Robert L.) ..... http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=4685795&name=lebrun_pierre ........ from the feature ..... I think the Wild made the safer investment here. Size doesn't grow on trees. I think Latendresse will become a solid, second-line, power-winger type for years to come. The Canadiens got the guy that can still possibly become a first-line offensive threat, but they also took on more risk if he's unable to figure out what it takes to apply his talent at this level.
How can someone seriously assess a winner when neither has even played a game for the other team yet. That's what I call "filler journalism"
Here's SK chance to prove something. The team is hurting and they need him, plus the Jackets played last night. The Jackets also give up a lot of goals so SK and AK time to step up.
Well with all the injuries on this team and losing out best player in the first game of the season. The Habs are only 4 points out of first in their divison so there is talent on the farm.
Game predictions anyone?
I am thinking 4-3 Montreal. Hopefully after last nights stomping by NYR Columbus is feeling a little down on themselves.
I laid my bets to 3-0, and 5-3 win... I just have to be careful that I have the right cuopon with me tomorrow when I cash my money.. :)
I like 3-1 MTL
______________________________________________________ Gionta for Captain.
I think Montreal will win ... the score ... I predict a 5-2 victory for the HABS. Hoping the Kostitsyn Bros. produce ... really great to see Andrei coming around - maybe together with Sergei Great things can happen. But, we do need the defense we have to make smart decisions and play error free hockey ... and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE ... not so many darn penalties - if we can score a goal before we are assesed a penalty ... I believe the outcome will be a good one!
GO HABS GO! (Let's go get that elusive 25th Stanley Cup!)
Due to the depleted D ranks and the lack of puck mobility that goes with it, I think that the Habs would max out at 3 goals tonight, but probably 2. If Montreal wins, it's by one goal (two, if there's an empty-netter).
_____________________________________
Cheer for the crest on the front of the jersey, not the name on the back.
I'm not that optimistic about tonight, while Rick Nash isn't Ovechkin, he's still a slippery player when he's handling the puck and has an excellent shot, he also has a good back up crew in Husselius, Voracek, Brassard, Vermette, Umberger and Torres.
Had Spacek been in, I'd feel better but I get the idea that unless Sergei helps bring in a bit of scoring tonight to open up our offence the night will be long and Price will lose another 10 pounds of water weight.
If they win, Andrei, Cammalleri, Lapierre and Metro light the lamp for Montreal, 4-2 win.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
UMBERGER!!!! this is not good he knows how to score on price
I hope you are right Eliisa, I am thinking 3-2 Montreal. Price seems to be only letting in two goals a game so I hope that trend continous.
Columbus will be hungry tonight. I think MTL will get have a rough first but will dominate in the 2nd and 3rd
It seems like all Habs games as of late have been going 3-2. I almost wanted to put that, but the number 4 is just stuck in my head :)
I would love to read "Columbus road woes continue after losing in Montreal to the Canadiens 7-1". Let's all cross our fingers.
Eliisa ... I am with you on that one ... 'I would love to read "Columbus road woes continue after losing in Montreal to the Canadiens 7-1". Let's all cross our fingers.' What a wonderful headline that would make! Great to hear the optimism!!!!
P.S. - I think price is due for a shut out ... hopefully sooner rather than later (however, if we could just get Price and the rest of the team to click at the same time (rather than a hot goalie with no offense - or a good offense with a swiss cheese goalie) I think you would see what all us HABS fans would like to see - a GREAT TEAM! Question though ... who starts against Pittsburgh?
GO HABS GO! (Let's go get that elusive 25th Stanley Cup!)
If we beat columbus 7-1 tonight seeing as were icing an ahl line-up, I will never complain about the habs, Bob gainey, or jacques Martin ever again.
pinky swear?
"The Future Belongs to Those Who Believe in the Beauty of Their Dreams." Eleanor Roosevelt
absolutely. Im going to the game tonight, so if we beat columbus 7-1....actually ill make it even better, if we score 7 goals tonight and win i will never complain about the habs, BG or JM ever again for as long as they are employed by the montreal canadiens.
good luck then tonight hope they tear it up for you, i have staring at my dec 31st tickets i taped to my monitor for about 3 weeks now only 4 to go!
"The Future Belongs to Those Who Believe in the Beauty of Their Dreams." Eleanor Roosevelt
Anybody wondering what RDS will fill it's air waves with now that Lats is gone? Will there be layoffs? You can easily have 2 fewer "experts" on L'Antichambre and what about Brunet? What will he have to talk about during the game without Lats? Headlines will soon read: "Recession worsens after Lats trade" :)
... Minnesota's take: Some quotes from Russo's Rants / Michael Russo .....
Obviously, Latendresse has had a lot more success than Pouliot thus far, averaging 15 goals a year his first three years. That's not too shabby as a 19-, 20- and 21-year-old. But he was buried on the fourth line this year, and I won't lie, other than my two buddies above, I didn't hear the greatest things about him today from the few scouts and media members I spoke with.
But Latendresse admitted to me that he needs a fresh start, that he and coach Jacques Martin were like oil and water and that the real player is the one that was seen the past few years, not this year.
Skating is his biggest issue. He's a big guy who hits hard when he wants to, but as they say, it's all about getting there. Apparently the Canadiens wanted him to go to the net more and he felt he was a shoot one-timers kind of guy. The Wild thinks he can be a top-six guy, but work ethic does seem to be a criticism.
We'll see. There's definitely talent there .................................................... Now Benoit Pouliot .......
As for Pouliot, I've always been a critic of his, but he actually impressed me a lot on the ice this season. I saw a guy that was trying, somebody who seemed a lot more mature off the ice. As we all know, the talent's there, but his criticism has always been a guy that doesn't seem all that motivated and somebody who quite frankly has trouble processing the game, as a scout recently told me.
I'm just amazed Fletcher was able to trade him. This was a player who seemed virtually untradable at the end of the Doug Risebrough era ........ http://www.startribune.com/blogs/71938842.html?elr=KArks47cQiU47cQiU47cQULPQL7PQLanchO7DiU
His thoughts on Pouliot's recent signs of life are enlightening—and encouraging. The crummy-work-ethic tag was starting to sound stale to me. I mean, surely it would dawn on even a clueless player around the fourth year after he was drafted that the brass ring's harder to grasp than he anticipated. Sounds like that realization might have struck over the summer, and he can now see himself potentially slipping out of the game. That's a scary moment for a lot of players, and if it's happened, the Habs might have got Pouliot at just the right moment.
Here's hoping.
M7 - Before this year Pouliot has only played for two coaches in the pros, Jacques Lemaire (NHL) - Kevin Constantine (AHL) and both are extremely defensive minded. The Habs style may suit him.
"Obviously, Latendresse has had a lot more success than Pouliot thus far,"......Yikes! Well...I'll try to keep an open mind on this trade for a while. I had lost all faith and hope in Latendresse anyway, so I'm thinking Pouliot should be an improvement. The talent is there, apparently. So I'll hope his talent will blossom under JM (seriously, I'm not even winking...lol), and that this will be a good acquisition for Montreal.
TommyB - Nothing ventured, nothing gained. His style could easily fit the Habs, more so than Lats, so it is up to him to bring up his work ethic and consistancy. Don't get me wrong now, i know we need size in our forward group but Lats style is more suited to the Wilds new system than ours, he's just not quick enough.
Thanks nightmare,
The positive I picked up from the piece is that it appears Pouliot's play has been on the upswing this season. Many of the comments below the article support that observation.
I am looking forward to seeing him play.
two - It should be interesting how they bring him along when he comes back, there's many options. BTW if your familiar with Michael Russo you will know he has great contacts on the management side of the Wild and around the league, he's a real hustler.
I like the audio from BGL today. I like the fact that he manned up about what he did but I also agree with his questiona about if the role was reversed would Kronwall been suspended for 5 games or even got a suspension? I also like how a reporter pointed out that Ladd jumped at D'Agostini's head and put him out indefinetly and the play did not even get reviewed.
There is a double standard in this league that is for sure. Just look at Pronger and Chris Simon as examples. Pronger has the same amount of suspension and is just as dirty. Simon steps on a guys leg with a skate and gets 30 games, Pronger stomps on a guys leg and gets 8 in the same freaking Season. Colin Campbell needs to be removed and a more fair disciplinarian put into place. My vote, Wayne Gretzky.
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=232237
I guess Garon, 'the human elastic' will face us tonight.
$23m of cap space isn't playing tonight. Yikes.
Go Habs Go!
27.565 million actually.
...truculence
That should be about enough to get us a new top line of Crosby, Malkin and Ovechkin and 3 Jay Leaches to boot.....too bad you can't have 3 6th dmen.....wait a second....
LOL! Love the Ovie sneaky-creamed-towel on Backstrom for Happy B-day...on TSN
crazy dude
----- Go Habs f*kin Go - AMEN!!! -----
I wonder if Sergei is gonna start to "work hahrdar"
Guys im not sure but i think Sergei thinks he needs to work harder. and he is right! I sure hope he plays hard out there
ok! so looking at the line-up for tonight and seeing we are playing .500 hockey seems like an accomplishment. Trying to put together the line-up for when ( or IF) ever the team gets everyone back and I don't think we will be talking about tanking the season to get a good pick. Now let's say we keep AK46-TP14-MC13 as a unit for awhile, seeing that the results we're there on saturday night.
1A)AK46-TP14-MC13
Now we have SG91-BG21 on another line. We have a few interesting choices to put on the wing with those 2. What if SK74 gets back into form or BP57 ends up being really motivated playing in a hockey environnement and becomes the player he was hopefull to become when he was drafted 4th overall. We could have another line capable of lighting it up and we could finally stop talking about lack of secondary scoring. I mean, you know what to expect from Gomez and Gionta together even tho some have been very critical of Gomez, he still sets up good chances every night. So let's say:
1B)SK74-SG91-BG21
For our bottom 2 lines, we are left with ML40 and GM15 as our 2 centermens. Pretty decent. And a group of wingers who can get the job done: Pouliot, Pacioretty, Moen, D'Agostini, not to mention Pyatt and White who have done a good job so far (seems like I forgot, or left out big George, let's insert him only when we play tough teams)
On D, Markov, Hammer, Spacek, Mara, Gorges, Gill, O'Byrne...Bergeron
I'm not going to pair them up but we can be a pretty effective defensive group with those guys.
Finally, in nets with Price/Halak
Looking at the team as a whole when everyone is healthy, am I dreaming when I hope for a great last 2 months of the season. Do you think this team can play .500 hockey until then and peak at the right time just before April ? I think we have been a bit too critical of the job Gainey has done, because we didnt really have a chance to see the full team perform. How do yoou expect a team full of new players to gel when half of the players are out due to injury ?
Maybe it's the hope I got with the win over the Caps and the s/o loss again DET, but I think we're in for a good 2nd half of the season
Would anyone like to set up our 3rd and 4th line to see what it would look like ? Seeing that there will be too many players when everybody's healthy, who cracks the line-up on the 3rd and 4th line ?
Go Habs Go !
I think I am happy he isn't saying much.....I'd rather he go out and prove something...too bad his linemates are ....well....let's just put things this way.....we are the home team playing the Colombus Blue Jackets who are playing the back end of a doubleheader and looking at our lineup.....we are the serious underdog...like 2 goal underdog.....oddly enough though I actually feel good about tonight....I think Price will impress and I think we just might surprise...but do yourselves a favour and don't read the lineups anymore...just cheer colour against colour because our lineup is scary....it reads like the lineup should closer to 2012....there are 7 or 8 guys playing tonight who we probably didn't expect to see in Montreal this year ....and again...I somehow feel like this will be a closely contested game and that the team with more heart as opposed to talent will take it....let's see what these kids are made of.....this season is a big, long evaluation...from top to bottom...
Just to change the subject a little........I just finished listening to the 2 hour hockey show on the FAN 590 here in Toronto. What a wonderfull time listening to "we should have won", we deserved to win", "look at all the shots we took", "Kessel takes as many shots in a game as OV does with the CAPS". Imagine comparing Kessel to OV. This is a wonderfull year to be living in Toronto and I do like wine (Cherry whine!!! ha ha).
LMAO. Just wait, Kessel is going to slump soon. What are the Leafs going to do then ? and boy I cant wait to see their reactions when Burkie Burke's no.1 pick goes to Boston... and the process repeats itself again next year.
Leaf schadenfreude makes me happy.
so SK74 knows he has to work harder ....... can't say much about his attitude tho ....... wow painful interview
I can't listen to the audio..what did Sergei have to say?
Nothing. He obviously did not want to talk to anyone about anything.
He said 'I have to work harder' about 8 times, that's it
He's usually more dynamic in the interviews but he sounded a lot more like Andrei in this one, his agent probably told him not to say too much and just work hard on the ice
If that is all he said and that is what he does tonight....then that should satisfy us jackals.
"Even Roy can be run out of town after 2 Stanley Cups."
and he said it 8 times in English only? that's it I've had enough of this egotistical brat.....off with his tete!!!!
The Sergei audio is painful to listen to.........
go to belarus and get interviewed by one of their reporters. its called a SECOND LANGUAGE. not everyone is going to master it. ignorant people piss me off
CHILLAX HOLMES.
Jacques Derriere
Hopeful Hannah
"When I was a baby I wish my first word had been "QUOTE", then right before I die I could say "UNQUOTE" - Stephen Wright
I have seen and heard him interviewed many times before this, I'm not commenting on his second language!! He played in London and I've heard a radio station interview him for 10 minutes in English and he did just fine. My comment was on his apparent dislike of being asked questions.
Ignorant????
After the whole Kostitsyn/Mafia scandal, I would hate answering questions from the french media too.
Nothing against Carey, but I wouldve gone with Halak. I mean he was playing amazingly as well, so why not rotate the two so we dont tire out Price and possibly cause an injury or pull
Cause Price's agent is not a jack *** looking to Stirr up ***. Halak won't be playing for awhile, plus I think he had a slight Injury. Price is playing really well, we have to go with it. When Price's is on, Halak is not even in the same league as Price in my opinion
He's so young he could play every game for the next three years.
I say play him until he's ready for a break.
They call me Shane
So... Many.... Injuries...........
__________________________________________
http://berkshireonthehabs.blogspot.com/
price is right !
Just listened to Bob and Martin's press conference on RDS.
Bob acknowledged the popularity of Lat. in Montreal, being a home town hero where the kids are looking up to. He said that Benoit Pouliot is a Franco Canadian and can communicate with them. He hoped that the french medias will help him to integrate in Montreal.
As to the reason why he made the trade, he said that he is looking for a top 6 forward and Pouliot has better capability. The coaching staff will provide him a program to help him suceed in the NHL.
Martin said that Lat. is playing his 4th seaon in the NHL. The orgainization has to make a decision on him and that is the decision...
linp - It is a real long shot but it may fit ....... Pouliot's style is similar to Patrik Elias though far from as talented and his shot is weaker ............ I could see Benoit playing with Gomez and Gionta and if he can be 2/3 the player Elias is then we have a decent line with speed and the skill set that can compete with the Cammy-Pleks-AK46 line for #1 and SK74 can be the backup for the top six .............. These two lines may not be the biggest but they can wear down an opponent with their speed and work ethic and also make it difficult to defend against cuz they are fairly balanced, just a thought.
Who was the last player in Montreal that the coaching staff provided him a program that helped him suceed in the NHL?
Uhmmm. WHO?
Lats - no
Higgins - no
tomas plekanec? andrei markov? mike komisarek? saku koivu? mike ribeiro (oh did we nurture him)? mark streit?
arguably the kostitsyns, obyrne and price?
- blame bias benoit brunet.
You are right except for Komi & Mikey. But they have mismanaged a lot of young players.
Both Komisarek and Ribeiro were trained in Montreal just like everyone else he mentioned
So, Montreal develops players for other teams. If these players are so well developed why not keep them?
Dean - Isn't that exactly what the Rock was saying a few days ago.
komisarek left under his own free will...ribeiro speaks for himself...he was a 55-65 point scorer with us and a 75-85 in dallas...although we did develop him into a successful NHLer, dallas did the final touches in turning him into a star (which latendresse is left to risk)
- blame bias benoit brunet.
If Gainey & Carbo never tried to convert Ryder into a Defensive Forward he would have had another 25 - 30 goals in his last year with the Habs.
But I see what you are saying LH
also interesting...higgins was in his 4th nhl season before something was done.....
- blame bias benoit brunet.
martin and gainey know what they're saying...but do they know what they're doing?
- blame bias benoit brunet.
I hope the coaching staff with make him a better player. I think he has potential.
One day late, but here are the weekly stats on where we are positioned in a 30 team league.
Goal Against---66--We are in 19th place. Last week we were in 21st place.
Points For------23--We are in 24th place. Last week we were in 22nd place.
Goals For-------57--We are in 21st place. Last week we were in 20th place.
The struggle continues.!
The goals against, is a total team stat and we have to at least bring it below the goals for stat, in order to move up the ladder in this league.
... Tidbits, Highlights and a Few Disagreements (Parros/McGrattan) from all divisions after the pens propaganda ............. Empty Netters Assists ..... http://community.post-gazette.com/blogs/emptynetters/archive/2009/11/24/empty-netter-assists-11-24-09.aspx ........ a few tidbits ... Canucks forward Alex Burrows, who had 28 goals last season, hasn't scored since Oct. 11. ................. Ducks forward Ryan Getzlaf's brother, Chris, is a starting wide receiver for the Saskatchewan Roughriders who are playing in the CFL's Grey Cup Sunday.
With the injuries the Habs have encountered, several people have stepped up and been outright heroic in their contribution. I think we can all acknowledge that Pleks, Hammer, Cammalleri, and Carey have given outstanding efforts. But I for one would like to emphasize that Josh Gorges has also been great. He isn't the biggest guy on defence, but I do not think anyone gives more effort pound for pound than Josh. He seems to stay healthy in spite of the beating he takes, and he seldom takes a penalty. I think he deserves more recognition as a major contributor to whatever success we achieve.
yes, yes and yes.
... how quickly the tables have turned. Was it only a mere two weeks ago, when another defenceman - yet again - being scratched from the line-up would have written thirty to the team's chances. Tonight however, with Carey playing as he has been, I'm concerned by Spacek's absence but certainly not shaking in my boots.
"Whenever you have the puck, and don't know what to do with it, put it in the net." - Toe Blake
Spacek hasn't shown me to much the last few games ... too many minutes .. stupid penalties & give aways . Leach i do like ..stay at home & nothing fancy .
Spacek played very well on friday against ovechkin