In breaking my first major story this weekend I dealt with a lot of things. I dealt with angry fans calling me an outright liar, I dealt with uncertainty due to the teams refusal to discuss the captain's status. I lost my wallet, which was completely unrelated but nonetheless incredibly annoying.
I used to be a big fan of the Canadiens and a part of me still is. It makes me happy to see this team succeed. I've been watching them my whole life. Now that I'm a member of the media I have to switch it off. It gives me no pleasure to report that Saku Koivu, the heart and soul of the Montreal Canadiens, is out with a fracture in his foot. I received solid information and reported it. I regret including the information I was given about the term of the injury but I did.
If I could go back in time and do it again, I would have done the same thing without including the info about the 4-6 weeks.
Life goes on.
The Habs take on the Sens in Ottawa tonight. The Sens are sliding big time and still haven't confirmed their spot in the playoffs. With the start the Sens had to this year, it's hard to believe but nothing has worked. A season-long goaltending controversy that never fully went away. A coach fired as a result. Trade deadline deals that didn't pan out (or haven't as of yet).
The Habs need only one point from the Senators to clinch the division but it won't be easy. They head into the game and possibly into the playoffs, without Mike Komisarek, Koivu, Francis Bouillon and the statuses of Mark Streit and Guillaume Latendresse are far from certain.
The team needs to focus and guys like Mikhail Grabovski and Sergei Kostitsyn need to seize the opportunities they're being given. With Carey Price as the foundation, there's no telling where this team can go and when your captain has a heart the size of an MRI machine, you know he'll be there if it's humanly possible for him to do so.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
The captain's in Montreal
The Habs road to the postseason could be a bit bumpier than expected as Saku Koivu sees Canadiens team doctors in Montreal. I have a reliable source who tells me that Saku was evaluated by doctors in Buffalo and the prognosis is a broken foot.
The team has stated that the results of X-rays in Buffalo were inconclusive but that often seems to be the case when things don't look good. They say he is being re-evaluated by team doctors in Montreal so as of yet the story remains unconfirmed but I'm giving it to you first.
We'll see when the team makes an official announcement but the mere fact that the captain is in Montreal while his teammates play their last game of the season at the ACC is a bad indication.
Again, the team has confirmed nothing except that Koivu is in Montreal but I have it on authority that the first prognosis is a broken foot.
Timeframe for recovery is completely up to speculation but this type of injury can take 4 to 6 weeks.
What this means is the Canadiens need even more of their young players to step it up and give then strong play down the middle. The ability of their youngsters to step into roles and raise the level of their game has been a huge factor in their success so far, so a new chapter begins tonight of the Canadiens storybook season.
This also means Alex Kovalev will likely wear the captain's "C" tonight. He had an inspired effort earlier this year in New York as captain.
The team has stated that the results of X-rays in Buffalo were inconclusive but that often seems to be the case when things don't look good. They say he is being re-evaluated by team doctors in Montreal so as of yet the story remains unconfirmed but I'm giving it to you first.
We'll see when the team makes an official announcement but the mere fact that the captain is in Montreal while his teammates play their last game of the season at the ACC is a bad indication.
Again, the team has confirmed nothing except that Koivu is in Montreal but I have it on authority that the first prognosis is a broken foot.
Timeframe for recovery is completely up to speculation but this type of injury can take 4 to 6 weeks.
What this means is the Canadiens need even more of their young players to step it up and give then strong play down the middle. The ability of their youngsters to step into roles and raise the level of their game has been a huge factor in their success so far, so a new chapter begins tonight of the Canadiens storybook season.
This also means Alex Kovalev will likely wear the captain's "C" tonight. He had an inspired effort earlier this year in New York as captain.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Time to Relax
The Canadiens are the first Eastern Conference team to clinch a postseason berth. They did it in style, beating an Ottawa team that started the year 15-2 and drew comparisons to the greatest teams in NHL history. While the current Sens team is a fractured shell of the one that came out of the gates flying after being decimated in last year's Stanley Cup final, you can't take anything away from this team.
Athletes often talk about peaking at the right time. In the case of the Sens, they peaked about a month into the season and have played .500 hockey since then. In fact, if you take away the Sens first 17 games, they aren't even a playoff team. They're 26-26-7 since. Not good enough to make the playoffs.
The Canadiens on the other hand seem to be rolling in a big way. They've been the most consistent team in the conference all year long and their 247 goals are the most in the NHL.
Guy Carbonneau forgave them right away for taking their foot off the accelerator after jumping out to a 7-1 lead through 40 minutes by playing brilliant, mistake-free hockey.
Carey Price wasn't available to the media after the game and may have been a bit frustrated at being hung out to dry when the Sens scored four third period goals but looked pretty happy as he left the Bell Centre in his big Ford pickup truck. You got the sense that the team may have been heading out to celebrate and what better time to do it?
Carbo worked the team on Easter Sunday but rewarded their recent achievements with a day off on Tuesday and only off-ice workouts on Wednesday. They'll get back on the ice on Thursday before heading to Buffalo for a Friday night showdown with the Sabres.
Loose Pucks: Carbonneau pointed out after the game that clinching the playoffs this early may open the door for some guys to get some rest. He said we would certainly see Patrice Brisebois and Mathieu Dandenault in the lineup before season's end. Don't be surprised if Jaroslav Halak gets the nod for either Friday or Saturday. Andrei Kostitsyn became the 6th Hab over the 50 point mark last night, Chris Higgins needs only two more points to be the 7th.
Athletes often talk about peaking at the right time. In the case of the Sens, they peaked about a month into the season and have played .500 hockey since then. In fact, if you take away the Sens first 17 games, they aren't even a playoff team. They're 26-26-7 since. Not good enough to make the playoffs.
The Canadiens on the other hand seem to be rolling in a big way. They've been the most consistent team in the conference all year long and their 247 goals are the most in the NHL.
Guy Carbonneau forgave them right away for taking their foot off the accelerator after jumping out to a 7-1 lead through 40 minutes by playing brilliant, mistake-free hockey.
Carey Price wasn't available to the media after the game and may have been a bit frustrated at being hung out to dry when the Sens scored four third period goals but looked pretty happy as he left the Bell Centre in his big Ford pickup truck. You got the sense that the team may have been heading out to celebrate and what better time to do it?
Carbo worked the team on Easter Sunday but rewarded their recent achievements with a day off on Tuesday and only off-ice workouts on Wednesday. They'll get back on the ice on Thursday before heading to Buffalo for a Friday night showdown with the Sabres.
Loose Pucks: Carbonneau pointed out after the game that clinching the playoffs this early may open the door for some guys to get some rest. He said we would certainly see Patrice Brisebois and Mathieu Dandenault in the lineup before season's end. Don't be surprised if Jaroslav Halak gets the nod for either Friday or Saturday. Andrei Kostitsyn became the 6th Hab over the 50 point mark last night, Chris Higgins needs only two more points to be the 7th.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Long Time No Blog
I've been slacking on the blog front due to issues with the revamped Team 990 website and my inability to post my insightful bloggings. Suffice to say I predicted the Habs would lose to the Blues and own the Bruins yet again, with Alex Kovalev providing the fireworks. Having a few beverages and watching the Canadiens face the Bruins has been a real pleasure. They've outscored Boston 36-14 in the four wins so far. The Habs aren't just scoring goals, they're scoring highlight-reel goals by using their speed and precision passing. Guillaume Latendresse hit Saku Koivu with what may have been the best pass of his young NHL career before Koivu slid the puck to Michael Ryder, who provided the finish. Kovy's pass to Andrei Kostitsyn was another beauty.
Carey price was solid after a week-long layoff, beaten on shots he had no chance of stopping. He seemed to improve as the game went on in earning his 4th straight win over the Bruins.
The real story from this win could very well be the loss of Mike Komisarek. It's not clear how severe his injury is at this point but losing him for any period of time really hurts the team. What Carbo does here with his defensive pairings could be the defining moment of the season.
The line of Kovalev, Tomas Plekanec and Andrei Kostitsyn was a combined +8 last night. Kovalev has 7 goals in 7 games against Boston this year. He embarrassed Zdeno Chara big time last night and Chara and co. will likely be looking to put a hurting on the Habs big guns tomorrow night.
Here's hoping the Bruins goons don't get their way.
Carey price was solid after a week-long layoff, beaten on shots he had no chance of stopping. He seemed to improve as the game went on in earning his 4th straight win over the Bruins.
The real story from this win could very well be the loss of Mike Komisarek. It's not clear how severe his injury is at this point but losing him for any period of time really hurts the team. What Carbo does here with his defensive pairings could be the defining moment of the season.
The line of Kovalev, Tomas Plekanec and Andrei Kostitsyn was a combined +8 last night. Kovalev has 7 goals in 7 games against Boston this year. He embarrassed Zdeno Chara big time last night and Chara and co. will likely be looking to put a hurting on the Habs big guns tomorrow night.
Here's hoping the Bruins goons don't get their way.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Rough Night
The Canadiens 3-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators was the result of a lacklustre effort on the part of the home team and a perfect shutdown game executed by the visitors.
It's the second time the Sens have brought the Habs crashing back down to earth, the first was on February 9th when Jason Spezza had a six point night and they pounded the Habs 6-1. Spezza has the Canadiens number. He has absolutely decimated the Canadiens this year and tonight was no different.
The Sens made a statement. They're still the best team in the Northeast division and look to be back to form right now, although time will tell whether they can win consistently. Martin Gerber was perfect although he wasn't frequently tested. His team played well in front of him, didn't really allow the Habs a chance to get pucks in deep and scored on two of their five power plays.
The Canadiens were 0 for 3 with the man advantage, including a power play 42 seconds into the contest that the Sens stifled and never looked back. When their power play doesn't connect early it can often take the wind right out of their sails and this game was a perfect example. They looked tired, pucks weren't bouncing their way and Carey Price was beaten on shots he had basically no chance of saving. He talked about the Sens getting bounces after the game but I think we can all agree that putting up a goose egg on the scoreboard is a pretty good way to lose.
You can't overemphasize the importance of Saturday night's showdown with the low-scoring New York Islanders. Every point is so important right now, losing to the bottom-tier teams is not an option. The difference between finishing atop the Northeast division and finishing second is playing either Pittsburgh or New Jersey (that would be bad) and playing Philly or Boston (that would be good).
Winning the division will be a very tough task to accomplish but these guys can do it. Two more games against Ottawa and one last monkey to get off of their collective backs.
It's the second time the Sens have brought the Habs crashing back down to earth, the first was on February 9th when Jason Spezza had a six point night and they pounded the Habs 6-1. Spezza has the Canadiens number. He has absolutely decimated the Canadiens this year and tonight was no different.
The Sens made a statement. They're still the best team in the Northeast division and look to be back to form right now, although time will tell whether they can win consistently. Martin Gerber was perfect although he wasn't frequently tested. His team played well in front of him, didn't really allow the Habs a chance to get pucks in deep and scored on two of their five power plays.
The Canadiens were 0 for 3 with the man advantage, including a power play 42 seconds into the contest that the Sens stifled and never looked back. When their power play doesn't connect early it can often take the wind right out of their sails and this game was a perfect example. They looked tired, pucks weren't bouncing their way and Carey Price was beaten on shots he had basically no chance of saving. He talked about the Sens getting bounces after the game but I think we can all agree that putting up a goose egg on the scoreboard is a pretty good way to lose.
You can't overemphasize the importance of Saturday night's showdown with the low-scoring New York Islanders. Every point is so important right now, losing to the bottom-tier teams is not an option. The difference between finishing atop the Northeast division and finishing second is playing either Pittsburgh or New Jersey (that would be bad) and playing Philly or Boston (that would be good).
Winning the division will be a very tough task to accomplish but these guys can do it. Two more games against Ottawa and one last monkey to get off of their collective backs.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Shaking the Monkey
That sounds dirty. I'm actually referring to the monkey that has been on the Canadiens back with respect to the New Jersey Devils for the last few seasons. The numbers speak for themselves: it's the second meeting in the last ten days between the teams; The Habs have beaten Jersey twice in a row. Since moving from the Forum to the Bell Centre, the Devils have dominated the Canadiens with a record of 12-6-1-1 on the Habs home ice.
Hot for the Devils: Martin Brodeur (3-0-0, 0.98, .972 in last 3 GP), Zach Parise (5 pts in last 3 GP)
Cold for the Devils: Arron Asham (0 pts in last 10 GP), Dainius Zubrus (0 pts in last 7 GP)
Hot for the Canadiens: Alex Kovalev (10 pts in last 6 GP), Andrei Markov (12 pts in last 11 GP)
Cold for the Canadiens: Michael Ryder (0 pts in last 5 GP), Francis Bouillon (0 pts in last 6 GP)
Quick notes: Devils centre Patrik Elias is 4 assists away from surpassing Scott Niedermayer as the Devils all-time leader in that category. Zach Parise has emerged as a solid two-way forward and his +23 rating reflects that. He also leads the team in goals and points.
The Devils have scored 180 goals and allowed 159. The Habs have scored 223 and allowed 197.
Tomas Plekanec is apparently a gametime decision as he continues to deal with flu-like symptoms. He didn't skate today but could still suit up. Steve Begin has missed the last six games, three with an ankle injury and three that Carbo left him out of the lineup.
Devils defenceman Colin White left Friday's game with an upper body injury and missed their last game, against Toronto. Another Devils defenceman is dealing with injury as Paul Martin deals with several minor injuries, he's missed their last four games.
Sports Illustrated's Michael Farber has this great piece on Mike Komisarek. Farber is a top-tier talent in the field of Hockey Journalism and he doesn't hold back when talking about Komisaurus.
Hot for the Devils: Martin Brodeur (3-0-0, 0.98, .972 in last 3 GP), Zach Parise (5 pts in last 3 GP)
Cold for the Devils: Arron Asham (0 pts in last 10 GP), Dainius Zubrus (0 pts in last 7 GP)
Hot for the Canadiens: Alex Kovalev (10 pts in last 6 GP), Andrei Markov (12 pts in last 11 GP)
Cold for the Canadiens: Michael Ryder (0 pts in last 5 GP), Francis Bouillon (0 pts in last 6 GP)
Quick notes: Devils centre Patrik Elias is 4 assists away from surpassing Scott Niedermayer as the Devils all-time leader in that category. Zach Parise has emerged as a solid two-way forward and his +23 rating reflects that. He also leads the team in goals and points.
The Devils have scored 180 goals and allowed 159. The Habs have scored 223 and allowed 197.
Tomas Plekanec is apparently a gametime decision as he continues to deal with flu-like symptoms. He didn't skate today but could still suit up. Steve Begin has missed the last six games, three with an ankle injury and three that Carbo left him out of the lineup.
Devils defenceman Colin White left Friday's game with an upper body injury and missed their last game, against Toronto. Another Devils defenceman is dealing with injury as Paul Martin deals with several minor injuries, he's missed their last four games.
Sports Illustrated's Michael Farber has this great piece on Mike Komisarek. Farber is a top-tier talent in the field of Hockey Journalism and he doesn't hold back when talking about Komisaurus.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
With a Whimper
The Habs Pacific division road trip is over and they were extremely lucky to walk away with 4 points. They were outplayed in every game and besides flashes of brilliance offensively and solid goaltending from the Price/Halak tandem things didn't look good.
They allowed an average of 38 shots per game during the four game trip and were undisciplined. Eight minors against Anaheim. Alex Kovalev had a tough night despite scoring his 30th on a terrific individual effort from disgruntled Belarussian Mikhail Grabovski. Kovy was called for three penalties and had most of the Habs best scoring chances but couldn't bury it again.
On the plus side, the Habs stayed in the game despite being shorthanded for long periods of time and had some great chances to pull ahead when the score was tied. The Kostitsyn brothers continue to impress, it's great when Carbo gets them on the ice together. It's going to be a lot of fun to watch them play for the next few years. The Kostitsyn era? Maybe that's a bit premature, still.....
Patrice Brisebois is not the answer. Ryan O'Byrne hasn't had a minus game since returning from his broken thumb. The Canadiens need him down the stretch so expect him back in the lineup for the home stretch. Twelve games remain, nine of which are against Northeast division rivals.
You really get the sense that this is a group of guys that are very confident and comfortable. A four game homestand gives them a chance to settle back into their home routine, wonder what they'll think about the latest dump of snow.
This weather is absolutely ridiculous. At this rate people will need to bring ladders to next weekend's St. Patrick's day parade to see the floats over the six foot snowbanks. I hope it all melts before then. I think we can all agree that we've had enough snow and we're ready for spring. Playoff hockey at the Bell Centre. Bring your earplugs.
Loose Pucks - Hopefully Tomas Plekanec comes home and gets some rest after missing yesterday's game with the flu. The Habs need to be firing on all cylinders if they want to beat New Jersey in a showdown for first place at the Bell Centre on Tuesday night.
They allowed an average of 38 shots per game during the four game trip and were undisciplined. Eight minors against Anaheim. Alex Kovalev had a tough night despite scoring his 30th on a terrific individual effort from disgruntled Belarussian Mikhail Grabovski. Kovy was called for three penalties and had most of the Habs best scoring chances but couldn't bury it again.
On the plus side, the Habs stayed in the game despite being shorthanded for long periods of time and had some great chances to pull ahead when the score was tied. The Kostitsyn brothers continue to impress, it's great when Carbo gets them on the ice together. It's going to be a lot of fun to watch them play for the next few years. The Kostitsyn era? Maybe that's a bit premature, still.....
Patrice Brisebois is not the answer. Ryan O'Byrne hasn't had a minus game since returning from his broken thumb. The Canadiens need him down the stretch so expect him back in the lineup for the home stretch. Twelve games remain, nine of which are against Northeast division rivals.
You really get the sense that this is a group of guys that are very confident and comfortable. A four game homestand gives them a chance to settle back into their home routine, wonder what they'll think about the latest dump of snow.
This weather is absolutely ridiculous. At this rate people will need to bring ladders to next weekend's St. Patrick's day parade to see the floats over the six foot snowbanks. I hope it all melts before then. I think we can all agree that we've had enough snow and we're ready for spring. Playoff hockey at the Bell Centre. Bring your earplugs.
Loose Pucks - Hopefully Tomas Plekanec comes home and gets some rest after missing yesterday's game with the flu. The Habs need to be firing on all cylinders if they want to beat New Jersey in a showdown for first place at the Bell Centre on Tuesday night.
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