Montreal was so snowed in from the powder festival that happened over the weekend that kids knew school was cancelled early last night. I can't remember that ever happening to me, except during the ice storm. That was fantastic, we barely lost power at all. I great time with family and friends.
Anyway, I've been a big slacker when it comes to updating my blog. Thanks to some gentle prodding, here I am again. Even though it's my birthday today, I am hard at work.
Went down to the Bell Centre to see the Habs and the coach. Andrei Markov was downright standoffish when I asked him about his recent success compared to the period he went through in which his plus/minus stats plummeted and the Habs couldn't buy a home win. The team's success is intrinsically tied to the Russian blueliners' success. He may be the best passing defenceman in the NHL right now. Shades of Sergei Zubov.
In other news, Carbonneau announced today that Carey Price gets the nod again tomorrow night, his seventh consecutive start. Cristobal Huet is game-ready, but there's no way Carbo's taking out the kid while he rides the streak he's currently on. Huet may have the better goaltending stats, but Price has more wins, the most important stat for goaltenders.
The kids, the kids.
The Canadiens had 10 players in uniform on Saturday night currently aged 25 or younger. Andrei Kostitsyn is 22. Sergei Kostitsyn is 20. Carey Price is 20. The future seems to be hurtling towards the team at a furious rate right now, with callups like Ryan O'Byrne and Maxim Lapierre making solid contributions right after getting the call. The other guys on the list are Mike Komisarek, Chris Higgins, Tomas Plekanec, Guillaume Latendresse and of course Kyle Chipchura. Good to see these guys get plenty of ice time and for the most part, make the most of it.
The Lapierre line shut down the Sundin unit on Saturday night. That's what allowed Saku Koivu's line to play a more offensive role and that they did, as Higgins, Koivu and the Kid had some spectacular shifts and were dominant at times. Nice to see the Captain get the monkey off his back, the Habs are a hell of team when he's rolling on all cylinders and creating space.
No one seems to have called for him to be traded anytime recently, so that must be nice.
Tomorrow night's game is the last one at the Bell Centre in 2007. The Habs will hit the road with stops in Atlanta, Tampa, Washington, Miami, Dallas and New York, coming back for January 3rd. If their road success continues, it could be a very merry Christmas in Montreal.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Looking Forward
Big game tonight.
The Habs need to win one at home. They get nervous in front of the Bell Centre faithful, almost tentative. They don't want to make mistakes or fall behind. They play a much more simple game on the road. They use their speed and skill to make teams pay. At home, they aren't as fast and seem to get into a defensive shell that eventually leads to penalties and losses.
The Habs didn't take a penalty against Philly until 15:09 of the second period, which was a huge reason for their success. They have a lot of trouble killing penalties.
The PK is ranked 27th in the league and the the power play is the the best in the NHL. Obviously, they need to stay out of the box. Saku Koivu needs to stop taking stupid penalties. Andrei Markov needs to keep making those crisp tape-to-tape passes.
Mark Streit was on fire the other night and Yvon Pednault actually said "Mark Streit est en feu.", which my friends and I found to be quite amusing.
There's going to be so many Leafs fans at the Bell Centre tonight that it might not even feel much like a home game, which could work to the Canadiens advantage given their dismal home play this season.
It's Sergei Kostitsyn's first home game, and Carbo says he's going to start the game on the top line with Chris Higgins and Saku Koivu. I liked what I saw from the kid the other day, as his confidence seemed to increase with every shift. He's got NHL talent and fantastic vision.
This game tonight is huge. The Canadiens need to turn the page at home and get two points. Count on a cardiac arrest-inducing game, as these Habs-Leafs tilts so often are.
The Habs need to win one at home. They get nervous in front of the Bell Centre faithful, almost tentative. They don't want to make mistakes or fall behind. They play a much more simple game on the road. They use their speed and skill to make teams pay. At home, they aren't as fast and seem to get into a defensive shell that eventually leads to penalties and losses.
The Habs didn't take a penalty against Philly until 15:09 of the second period, which was a huge reason for their success. They have a lot of trouble killing penalties.
The PK is ranked 27th in the league and the the power play is the the best in the NHL. Obviously, they need to stay out of the box. Saku Koivu needs to stop taking stupid penalties. Andrei Markov needs to keep making those crisp tape-to-tape passes.
Mark Streit was on fire the other night and Yvon Pednault actually said "Mark Streit est en feu.", which my friends and I found to be quite amusing.
There's going to be so many Leafs fans at the Bell Centre tonight that it might not even feel much like a home game, which could work to the Canadiens advantage given their dismal home play this season.
It's Sergei Kostitsyn's first home game, and Carbo says he's going to start the game on the top line with Chris Higgins and Saku Koivu. I liked what I saw from the kid the other day, as his confidence seemed to increase with every shift. He's got NHL talent and fantastic vision.
This game tonight is huge. The Canadiens need to turn the page at home and get two points. Count on a cardiac arrest-inducing game, as these Habs-Leafs tilts so often are.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
The Descension to Panic Mode
So I haven't posted in a few days. This is a product of my inability to talk coherently about the Habs when they're failing miserably. The Canadiens were lucky to take a point from a tired Tampa Bay Lghtning team tonight but at the same time, Tomas Plekanec's brilliant late goal gave Hab Nation another painfully short whiff of what could be with this team.
The fact is, there isn't a dominant player on this team.
Look at the roster, up and down and see it. There are guys who may have been projected, at one time or another, to be brilliant but the fact is that they're not there. There aren't any Alexander Ovechkins on this team but there are encouraging signs.
Not enough to make this team a bona fide contender right now.
I'm a Tomas Plekanec guy. I have been since the Habs played the Carolina Hurricanes and had them on the ropes a few years back before Saku Koivu caught Justin Williams stick to the eye and turned the series around. Plekanec was, in my view, the best Canadiens forward in that series. He won faceoffs, battles and got points. He's capable of doing amazing things given the opportunity.
For me, the problem is that the opportunities aren't there.
Take Tampa as an example. It's plain to see that coach Tortorella leans heavily on Lecavalier, St. Louis and Richards to get it done for him. Those guys get about 40-45% of the ice time for their team and the formula has yielded mixed results. One of those results was a Stanley Cup.
Alex Kovalev plays about five minutes less per game than he did during his best years. Same goes for his linemates, and you could say the same for Koivu and Higgins.
For me, Koivu, Higgins, Kovalev and Plekanec and to a lesser extent Andrei Kostitsyn are catalysts for the forwards and their success on this team. I'd like to see the coach lean on them for a lot more minutes than he does.
If the Habs get scored on and relinquish a lead or fall behind, I don't want to see Tom Kostopoulos or Mathieu Dandenault on the ice. I like those guys, but they're around to get 6-11 minutes of ice per game, shut down the opposition and kill penalties, not to create offense.
People talk about the political climate, taxes and the media as factors that weigh in on why top players don't want to come to Montreal.
That may be somewhat true, but guys also don't want to come here because they're going to get 14-17 minutes of ice time and be expected to produce in a big way. The system is good in theory, but let's be honest, you have to lean on your best players to get results. Scoring isn't going to spread out between everyone evenly. The Habs should be getting most of their offense from five or six guys.
Look at the Red Wings. Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk are out there killing penalties and doing everything else. You have to lean on your top guys.
The fact that Andrei Markov has stopped producing has me mystified. He now has two points in his last eleven games. He had 17 points in the 19 games before.
This, to me, is an obvious reason why the Canadiens are stinking up the joint.
They were awful tonight and need to either make changes right now or give up on the season and hope for a high pick in next year's draft, which is alleged to be one of the deepest in years.
Let's hope the Habs don't take another David Fischer this time around.
The fact is, there isn't a dominant player on this team.
Look at the roster, up and down and see it. There are guys who may have been projected, at one time or another, to be brilliant but the fact is that they're not there. There aren't any Alexander Ovechkins on this team but there are encouraging signs.
Not enough to make this team a bona fide contender right now.
I'm a Tomas Plekanec guy. I have been since the Habs played the Carolina Hurricanes and had them on the ropes a few years back before Saku Koivu caught Justin Williams stick to the eye and turned the series around. Plekanec was, in my view, the best Canadiens forward in that series. He won faceoffs, battles and got points. He's capable of doing amazing things given the opportunity.
For me, the problem is that the opportunities aren't there.
Take Tampa as an example. It's plain to see that coach Tortorella leans heavily on Lecavalier, St. Louis and Richards to get it done for him. Those guys get about 40-45% of the ice time for their team and the formula has yielded mixed results. One of those results was a Stanley Cup.
Alex Kovalev plays about five minutes less per game than he did during his best years. Same goes for his linemates, and you could say the same for Koivu and Higgins.
For me, Koivu, Higgins, Kovalev and Plekanec and to a lesser extent Andrei Kostitsyn are catalysts for the forwards and their success on this team. I'd like to see the coach lean on them for a lot more minutes than he does.
If the Habs get scored on and relinquish a lead or fall behind, I don't want to see Tom Kostopoulos or Mathieu Dandenault on the ice. I like those guys, but they're around to get 6-11 minutes of ice per game, shut down the opposition and kill penalties, not to create offense.
People talk about the political climate, taxes and the media as factors that weigh in on why top players don't want to come to Montreal.
That may be somewhat true, but guys also don't want to come here because they're going to get 14-17 minutes of ice time and be expected to produce in a big way. The system is good in theory, but let's be honest, you have to lean on your best players to get results. Scoring isn't going to spread out between everyone evenly. The Habs should be getting most of their offense from five or six guys.
Look at the Red Wings. Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk are out there killing penalties and doing everything else. You have to lean on your top guys.
The fact that Andrei Markov has stopped producing has me mystified. He now has two points in his last eleven games. He had 17 points in the 19 games before.
This, to me, is an obvious reason why the Canadiens are stinking up the joint.
They were awful tonight and need to either make changes right now or give up on the season and hope for a high pick in next year's draft, which is alleged to be one of the deepest in years.
Let's hope the Habs don't take another David Fischer this time around.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Back on Track?
Not yet. The Canadiens always beat the Bruins. That was their fourth time beating them already this year, and seventh in a row going back to last season.
Chris Higgins is producing, that was his third straight game with a goal.
Carey Price did what he needed to do to pick up the win with 24 saves.
The Habs are better on the road then they are at home. Maybe it's the forced camaraderie, or the lack of insane fans recognizing you everywhere you go. It could be that the pressure feels a lot less intense when they're not under the bright lights of the Centre Bell.
I like they way they looked without Michael Ryder and Patrice Brisebois in the lineup. It's a lot more fun to see a guy in that position who's hungry for a spot and playing hard every shift. Granted, it's hard to accurately gauge the Habs against a Bruins team playing its third game in four nights.
Ryan O'Byrne had two assists and a very solid defensive game. He's on pace for about 110 points if he plays the rest of this year's games. Not gonna happen. However, the signs are encouraging. The key thing will be finding consistency and not letting the pressure get to him.
Easier said than done. He seems like a good kid, and there's always room for an Irishman on my blueline.
I wonder when Jaroslav Halak gets his first start of the year. Habs are home to Carolina and Tampa Bay in their next two games, both are high-powered offenses. Halak was lights-out at home last year, not sure of the exact numbers, but he was either 7-0 or 7-1.
If the Habs can pick up three points in the next two games I will agree that they're back on track. For now, let's just hope they can get it going at home and Guy Carbonneau doesn't call any of his star players out for a little while.
The coach has a mean streak that sometimes manifests itself in tirades against his players and the media. The problem is that it may not always have the desired effect. When the fans are booing you at home, I think you'd rather feel like your coach is on your side than calling you out in public. Carbo called out Andrei Markov and said he wasn't injured. He called out Saku Koivu's leadership and he called out the goaltending. If the Habs beat Carolina tomorrow night, I will have to say that it worked. Sometimes a coaches tirade can help a team, and it's not like Carbo's a jerk. He loves the guys, but like the fans, gets very frustrated when they play far worse hockey then they're capable of.
and...
Mark Recchi's gonna be on re-entry waivers in the next few days, meaning the Penguins pay half of his salary if anyone picks him up. If you're Bob Gainey, do you pick him up, presumably to fill the void left by Ryder's demise?
I wouldn't, but Pierre McGuire says it would be a good fit.
With Scott Niedermayer coming back to Anaheim, will Teemu Selanne be far behind? Speaking of Anaheim, what's going to happen with their salary cap situation? My understanding is that they need to free up some space, and if Selanne comes back it could get even more complicated. Mathieu Schneider could be the odd man out.
Could the Habs bring back one of the key components of their 1993 Stanley Cup run?
Probably not, but stay tuned....
Chris Higgins is producing, that was his third straight game with a goal.
Carey Price did what he needed to do to pick up the win with 24 saves.
The Habs are better on the road then they are at home. Maybe it's the forced camaraderie, or the lack of insane fans recognizing you everywhere you go. It could be that the pressure feels a lot less intense when they're not under the bright lights of the Centre Bell.
I like they way they looked without Michael Ryder and Patrice Brisebois in the lineup. It's a lot more fun to see a guy in that position who's hungry for a spot and playing hard every shift. Granted, it's hard to accurately gauge the Habs against a Bruins team playing its third game in four nights.
Ryan O'Byrne had two assists and a very solid defensive game. He's on pace for about 110 points if he plays the rest of this year's games. Not gonna happen. However, the signs are encouraging. The key thing will be finding consistency and not letting the pressure get to him.
Easier said than done. He seems like a good kid, and there's always room for an Irishman on my blueline.
I wonder when Jaroslav Halak gets his first start of the year. Habs are home to Carolina and Tampa Bay in their next two games, both are high-powered offenses. Halak was lights-out at home last year, not sure of the exact numbers, but he was either 7-0 or 7-1.
If the Habs can pick up three points in the next two games I will agree that they're back on track. For now, let's just hope they can get it going at home and Guy Carbonneau doesn't call any of his star players out for a little while.
The coach has a mean streak that sometimes manifests itself in tirades against his players and the media. The problem is that it may not always have the desired effect. When the fans are booing you at home, I think you'd rather feel like your coach is on your side than calling you out in public. Carbo called out Andrei Markov and said he wasn't injured. He called out Saku Koivu's leadership and he called out the goaltending. If the Habs beat Carolina tomorrow night, I will have to say that it worked. Sometimes a coaches tirade can help a team, and it's not like Carbo's a jerk. He loves the guys, but like the fans, gets very frustrated when they play far worse hockey then they're capable of.
and...
Mark Recchi's gonna be on re-entry waivers in the next few days, meaning the Penguins pay half of his salary if anyone picks him up. If you're Bob Gainey, do you pick him up, presumably to fill the void left by Ryder's demise?
I wouldn't, but Pierre McGuire says it would be a good fit.
With Scott Niedermayer coming back to Anaheim, will Teemu Selanne be far behind? Speaking of Anaheim, what's going to happen with their salary cap situation? My understanding is that they need to free up some space, and if Selanne comes back it could get even more complicated. Mathieu Schneider could be the odd man out.
Could the Habs bring back one of the key components of their 1993 Stanley Cup run?
Probably not, but stay tuned....
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
A New, New Low
On the way to work today, an older guy stopped and told me it took a lot of balls to be wearing the Canadiens tuque I had on my head. I guess you can start calling me BBC (Big Balls Conor).
So the Habs lost to the Red Wings. They're the best team in the NHL (The Wings, not the Habs). If you expected them to win that game, then you're far too optimistic. Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg and Tomas Holmstrom do it all. Best line in the NHL. Niklas Lidstrom doesn't get beat. Get over it, Habs are in Beantown demain soir to take on the Bruins, who should be just what the doctor ordered for their struggles.
The Canadiens have called up Ryan O'Byrne and Maxim Lapierre to try and counteract the freefall they're currently experiencing. They've now lost 8 of their last 12 games. Hab Nation is in panic mode. The team is mentally weak right now, and is being pushed around all over the ice. Cristobal Huet is out for a while, Carey Price has looked weak on many recent goals. Jaroslav Halak is waiting in the wings but it's fairly clear that he's not the answer.
Should be good for O'Byrne to play with Roman Hamrlik, the same guy who took Dion Phaneuf under his wing during his time in Calgary.
Guy Carbonneau is pissed. He called out his goaltender last night after he called out Andrei Markov, who despite leading the league in All-Star votes for defencemen, has been in a freefall. You could draw a direct line between the Canadiens success and Andrei Markov's production. He's now a -10 for the year, looking more and more like Sheldon Souray, only without the point production and willingness to fight.
Saku Koivu has been almost inconsolable after the last two games. I'll get the microphone in his face, and he starts talking, but he's so quiet I can't even hear what he's saying until I listen to it afterwards. He is not impressed to be playing with Bryan Smolinski, who has no business on the first line, especially given his dismal play so far this year.
Michael Ryder is playing scared hockey and the fans are letting him know how they feel. He was booed often last night and wasn't available for comment after the game or after practice today. He needs a two-goal game to get going again as he's currently as low as I've ever seen him.
There is speculation that Saku Koivu could be on the move if things don't improve soon. Given his recent demanour, it wouldn't really surprise me. It must wear a little thin to keep losing and dealing with the media the way he has for the last 10 years or so. I'd love to see Saku Koivu hoist a Stanley Cup, but I'd much rather see it with a CH on his chest.
Time will tell, and things can only improve.
So the Habs lost to the Red Wings. They're the best team in the NHL (The Wings, not the Habs). If you expected them to win that game, then you're far too optimistic. Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg and Tomas Holmstrom do it all. Best line in the NHL. Niklas Lidstrom doesn't get beat. Get over it, Habs are in Beantown demain soir to take on the Bruins, who should be just what the doctor ordered for their struggles.
The Canadiens have called up Ryan O'Byrne and Maxim Lapierre to try and counteract the freefall they're currently experiencing. They've now lost 8 of their last 12 games. Hab Nation is in panic mode. The team is mentally weak right now, and is being pushed around all over the ice. Cristobal Huet is out for a while, Carey Price has looked weak on many recent goals. Jaroslav Halak is waiting in the wings but it's fairly clear that he's not the answer.
Should be good for O'Byrne to play with Roman Hamrlik, the same guy who took Dion Phaneuf under his wing during his time in Calgary.
Guy Carbonneau is pissed. He called out his goaltender last night after he called out Andrei Markov, who despite leading the league in All-Star votes for defencemen, has been in a freefall. You could draw a direct line between the Canadiens success and Andrei Markov's production. He's now a -10 for the year, looking more and more like Sheldon Souray, only without the point production and willingness to fight.
Saku Koivu has been almost inconsolable after the last two games. I'll get the microphone in his face, and he starts talking, but he's so quiet I can't even hear what he's saying until I listen to it afterwards. He is not impressed to be playing with Bryan Smolinski, who has no business on the first line, especially given his dismal play so far this year.
Michael Ryder is playing scared hockey and the fans are letting him know how they feel. He was booed often last night and wasn't available for comment after the game or after practice today. He needs a two-goal game to get going again as he's currently as low as I've ever seen him.
There is speculation that Saku Koivu could be on the move if things don't improve soon. Given his recent demanour, it wouldn't really surprise me. It must wear a little thin to keep losing and dealing with the media the way he has for the last 10 years or so. I'd love to see Saku Koivu hoist a Stanley Cup, but I'd much rather see it with a CH on his chest.
Time will tell, and things can only improve.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
A New Low
Coach Carbonneau told his team that this was the low point of the season following the demoralizing loss. Chris Higgins agreed. Cristobal Huet couldn't hang on in a game that was all but over with the Habs blowing 3-0 and 4-1 leads. The bounces were going their way for most of the game, but the Habs were severely outchanced by a team that outplayed them the entire game.
On the plus side, all four Canadiens goals were scored at even strength. Roman Hamrlik played a hell of a game. Guillaume Latendresse was great. Kyle Chipchura continues to improve with each game and reward his coaches growing faith in him. Alex Kovalev continues to look like a superstar.
On the downside, Saku Koivu looked very tired. Patrice Brisebois lack of speed and penchant for mistakes is becoming more blatant. Michael Ryder is playing with no confidence and is starting to get booed at home. Cristobal Huet did let the game slip away after looking like he might get a shutout for a while. Bryan Smolinski played poorly and took an incredibly stupid penalty late in a one-goal game.
The Habs didn't deserve to win, but sure looked like they would.
A lot of fans left after the Habs fourth goal. It will never cease to amaze me how people leave a game that clearly isn't over to beat traffic or get to the bar a bit earlier. Morons.
Radek Bonk of all people scored the tying goal and did it again in the shootout. I wasn't the least bit surprised when the Preds tied it up, and even less surprised that the Habs couldn't get the winner in OT. They're tired and let one slip away.
Now the best team in the NHL in town on Tuesday. No one said it would be easy.
On the plus side, all four Canadiens goals were scored at even strength. Roman Hamrlik played a hell of a game. Guillaume Latendresse was great. Kyle Chipchura continues to improve with each game and reward his coaches growing faith in him. Alex Kovalev continues to look like a superstar.
On the downside, Saku Koivu looked very tired. Patrice Brisebois lack of speed and penchant for mistakes is becoming more blatant. Michael Ryder is playing with no confidence and is starting to get booed at home. Cristobal Huet did let the game slip away after looking like he might get a shutout for a while. Bryan Smolinski played poorly and took an incredibly stupid penalty late in a one-goal game.
The Habs didn't deserve to win, but sure looked like they would.
A lot of fans left after the Habs fourth goal. It will never cease to amaze me how people leave a game that clearly isn't over to beat traffic or get to the bar a bit earlier. Morons.
Radek Bonk of all people scored the tying goal and did it again in the shootout. I wasn't the least bit surprised when the Preds tied it up, and even less surprised that the Habs couldn't get the winner in OT. They're tired and let one slip away.
Now the best team in the NHL in town on Tuesday. No one said it would be easy.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Gamenight in Newark
Habs in Newark tonight. Haven't won in New Jersey since 2002.
Brodeur's career record against the Canadiens: 33-12-5, 1.74 GAA.
Scary.
But the kid goes for the Habs tonight, Carey Price making back-to-back starts for the second time this year.
It will be the 14th and last game of a crazy month for the Habs. November saw them go 7-6-0. It was a tough month full of divisional games and back to back situations. After this weekend, it's onto a more normal style schedule for the Habs with more Tuesday and Thursday night games.
Game Notes: Devils are 8-4-1 in November. Patrik Elias has 29 points in 36 career games against the Habs. Marty Brodeur has seven career shutouts against Montreal. Alex Kovalev has 44 points in 60 career games against the Devils. Bryan Smolinski has 30 points, including 16 goals, in 41 career games against New Jersey. Cristobal Huet is 0-6-0 in his career against the Devils.
and...
What a game between the Sens and Predators last night. Looked like Daniel Alfredsson had sent it to OT with a beaut, then Martin Erat comes right back and scores with 22 seconds to go. That's 5 losses in a row for the Senators. The Habs could be right on their ass if they pick up a couple of wins this weekend. Nashville comes to the Bell Centre tomorrow night. Huet gets the start.
Brodeur's career record against the Canadiens: 33-12-5, 1.74 GAA.
Scary.
But the kid goes for the Habs tonight, Carey Price making back-to-back starts for the second time this year.
It will be the 14th and last game of a crazy month for the Habs. November saw them go 7-6-0. It was a tough month full of divisional games and back to back situations. After this weekend, it's onto a more normal style schedule for the Habs with more Tuesday and Thursday night games.
Game Notes: Devils are 8-4-1 in November. Patrik Elias has 29 points in 36 career games against the Habs. Marty Brodeur has seven career shutouts against Montreal. Alex Kovalev has 44 points in 60 career games against the Devils. Bryan Smolinski has 30 points, including 16 goals, in 41 career games against New Jersey. Cristobal Huet is 0-6-0 in his career against the Devils.
and...
What a game between the Sens and Predators last night. Looked like Daniel Alfredsson had sent it to OT with a beaut, then Martin Erat comes right back and scores with 22 seconds to go. That's 5 losses in a row for the Senators. The Habs could be right on their ass if they pick up a couple of wins this weekend. Nashville comes to the Bell Centre tomorrow night. Huet gets the start.
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