The Canadiens kick off the second half of the 07-08 schedule tonight against a depleted Chicago Blackhawks team that's without leading rookie goal-scorer Jonathan Toews and six other regulars.
Bob Gainey addressed members of the media at the Bell Centre yesterday and had largely positive things to say about what the team has accomplished so far this year and also hinted that there could be some changes on the horizon.
Firstly, since Cristobal Huet has made it clear he is the team's number one goaltender and should see the bulk of the workload in the coming months, we may see 20-year old Carey Price in Hamilton sooner than later so that he can get more playing time. Current Bulldogs starter Jaroslav Halak was named the AHL's player of the week yesterday and is no stranger to the NHL, having played a stretch for the Habs that put them back into postseason contention late last season.
Price has only made two starts in the last two weeks and has lost them both. Price doesn't see it as a demotion if it does happen, he in fact sounded very mature when he was asked about the possibility yesterday,
"They have my best interests in whatever they have planned, if Hamilton is what they deem necessary, then so be it. Right now, it's part of being young. If they think I need a little more game work, that's fine."
Second, Gainey is unhappy with what his team is doing in the faceoff circle so far this year. It was the only concern he raised that he can address personally by trading or moving personnel. The only Hab on the good side of a 50% faceoff rate is Saku Koivu, at 55%. The rest of the guys are between 44 and 49%, which is a big part of their shortcomings on the penalty kill in today's puck-possession NHL.
It will be interesting to see which guys respond to Gainey's remarks and if they can improve the faceoff stats from within. Gainey made it clear that until that happens, he will continue to look at other teams rosters for the answers. Edmonton GM Kevin Lowe was in town for a few games last month, and Edmonton's a team with a shortage of wingers and a surplus of centres...
The Hawks should be no match for your Habs tonight, but that's certainly no guarantee when these boys are playing at the Bell Centre. I feel like a broken record, but it's really quite astounding. The Habs have only 7 wins in 19 home games. This is after going 50-25-7 at home over the last two seasons. They need to stop being intimidated by their own rabid fans and let other teams worry about them. The Hawks haven't won in Montreal since 2001.
In other news...
This Roger Clemens thing boggles the mind. His impassioned defence compelled even me, a well known cynic. The bizarre tale of weepy phone calls between him and the trainer who claimed he injected him with HGH only adds to the growing insanity, but I'm starting to wonder if Clemens' refusal to submit to a simple polygraph is the clincher here. If he's so determined to clear his name, it seems a pretty straightforward way to get it done. I'm not familiar with the exactitudes of how those things work, but if it's good enough for terrorist interrogations, then it's good enough for me.
The other thing is, Andy Pettitte, who was also named by Clemens trainer immediately admitted to use of HGH and said he only did so briefly while recovering from injury. Pettitte is one of Clemens' best friends, is he supposed to be lying too?
Vitamin B12 and Lidocaine? Smells like bullshit, Rocket.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Saturday, January 5, 2008
What a Game
Look, the Habs should have won.
They were the better team and although Carbo and Chris Higgins didn't put it on him, Carey Price lost them this game. He might have been rusty, but you need to make some of those saves. His defence, as Blogmaster Mike Boone of habsinsideout.com pointed out, is using a system that allows opposing forwards to enter the zone at full speed and take quality shots. He is beaten high on about 75% of the goals he allows.
Clearly Rollie Melanson's system of getting his goalies to go down early has its flaws. Price should have had at least two of the Washington goals and possibly three.
The Canadiens need to stop taking stupid penalties in the offensive zone. Saku Koivu seems to take on per game. Maxim Lapierre took one. It's a lot harder to kill stupid penalties than the ones that save goals.
That said, the Habs are looking real good. REAL good.
Here are my positives:
-Michael Ryder is a physical presence and has regained the confidence that made him effective. His defensive shortcomings, which were so evident in the last few years, are less obvious. He's hitting, making smart passes and working hard every shift. He is on a line that is responsible for shutting down the opposition's best, and they have done a good job so far. They're not going to score as much but they are providing a solid two-way game.
-Anderi Kostitsyn scored what was, in my opinion, the Habs goal of the year, undressing the Caps Mike Green before roofing it on Olaf Kolzig. That was unbelievable, as were several of the habs goals. Andrei is starting to emerge as a star player in this league. Was the promotion of his little brother the kick in the ass he needed?
-Alex Kovalev is unbelievable. Anyone who questions his heart is way out of line. This guy wants to win and is on his way to his best season since he quarterbacked a power play in Pittsburgh that featured Mario Lemieux (The Greatest of all Time) and Jaromir Jagr. He already has as many goals as he did last year. The pass to Tomas Plekanec on the Habs first goal was vintage Kovy. He is out there every single game competing, throwing hits and giving his team quality shifts. Without a doubt, the MVP of this hockey team.
-At the halfway point of the season, the Canadiens look like one of the better teams in a very competitive Eastern Conference.
-Guy Carbonneau is a top-tier NHL coach. It took a while for him to really come into his own, but he has.
-This team doesn't give up. There's a lot of heart and they're doing what the slogan above the door to the Bell Centre ice tells them to do.
WORKING TOGETHER
WINNING TOGETHER
GROWING TOGETHER
I am filled with a rare hope after watching a loss. The Canadiens are good.
And Canada's Juniors won gold.
As Ice Cube put it, today was a good day.
Oh, and Alex Ovechkin wouldn't admit it, but after hearing the roar the fans at the Bell Centre gave him following his selection as the game's first star, he definitely realized that he wants to be immortalized as a member of the Club de Hockey Canadien.
They were the better team and although Carbo and Chris Higgins didn't put it on him, Carey Price lost them this game. He might have been rusty, but you need to make some of those saves. His defence, as Blogmaster Mike Boone of habsinsideout.com pointed out, is using a system that allows opposing forwards to enter the zone at full speed and take quality shots. He is beaten high on about 75% of the goals he allows.
Clearly Rollie Melanson's system of getting his goalies to go down early has its flaws. Price should have had at least two of the Washington goals and possibly three.
The Canadiens need to stop taking stupid penalties in the offensive zone. Saku Koivu seems to take on per game. Maxim Lapierre took one. It's a lot harder to kill stupid penalties than the ones that save goals.
That said, the Habs are looking real good. REAL good.
Here are my positives:
-Michael Ryder is a physical presence and has regained the confidence that made him effective. His defensive shortcomings, which were so evident in the last few years, are less obvious. He's hitting, making smart passes and working hard every shift. He is on a line that is responsible for shutting down the opposition's best, and they have done a good job so far. They're not going to score as much but they are providing a solid two-way game.
-Anderi Kostitsyn scored what was, in my opinion, the Habs goal of the year, undressing the Caps Mike Green before roofing it on Olaf Kolzig. That was unbelievable, as were several of the habs goals. Andrei is starting to emerge as a star player in this league. Was the promotion of his little brother the kick in the ass he needed?
-Alex Kovalev is unbelievable. Anyone who questions his heart is way out of line. This guy wants to win and is on his way to his best season since he quarterbacked a power play in Pittsburgh that featured Mario Lemieux (The Greatest of all Time) and Jaromir Jagr. He already has as many goals as he did last year. The pass to Tomas Plekanec on the Habs first goal was vintage Kovy. He is out there every single game competing, throwing hits and giving his team quality shifts. Without a doubt, the MVP of this hockey team.
-At the halfway point of the season, the Canadiens look like one of the better teams in a very competitive Eastern Conference.
-Guy Carbonneau is a top-tier NHL coach. It took a while for him to really come into his own, but he has.
-This team doesn't give up. There's a lot of heart and they're doing what the slogan above the door to the Bell Centre ice tells them to do.
WORKING TOGETHER
WINNING TOGETHER
GROWING TOGETHER
I am filled with a rare hope after watching a loss. The Canadiens are good.
And Canada's Juniors won gold.
As Ice Cube put it, today was a good day.
Oh, and Alex Ovechkin wouldn't admit it, but after hearing the roar the fans at the Bell Centre gave him following his selection as the game's first star, he definitely realized that he wants to be immortalized as a member of the Club de Hockey Canadien.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Changes & Resolutions
I've been ignoring my responsibilities as a blogger. Over the holidays, I ate a lot, drank a lot and was merry. It was a fantastic holiday season which I was able to spend with friends and family. I am one lucky bastard.
Enough about me though.
My New Year's resolution is to blog more regularly.
Here goes as we kick off 2008.
I just got home from the Bell Centre. They still play Vertigo when the Habs score. I was hoping for a change. Enough with the negative though...
Michael Ryder had a big night. He was cheered by the fans when he was introduced in the starting lineup and the cheers continued all night as he set up the Habs first goal and scored two more, one of which was a vintage Michael Ryder snapshot from the top of the faceoff circle.
It's a lot more fun when your team is winning and even better when you're able to put the puck in the net. Ryder appears to be back on track and the timing couldn't be better. When he's playing with confidence, he's a proven performer with a great nose for the net. When the media was allowed into the Habs dressing room after the game, the scrum converged on Ryder's stall and all of his teammates hooted and hollered at him, even sending a few wolf whistles his way. It was a great moment, a moment that demonstrated how close of a unit this team has become. His teammates never gave up on him. Many of them have reiterated that they see the real Michael Ryder in practice all the time and knew it was just a matter of time until he started to put the puck in the net.
Chris Higgins continues to emerge as a dominant player on both ends of the ice and his leadership qualities shine through night after night. It's a real pleasure to see him healthy at this point of the season.
There is no doubt that the addition of Sergei Kostitsyn has not only energized the Habs but has also given his older brother's play a jolt, as he continues to perform at a high level, scoring the winner tonight and teaming up with his linemates to create plenty of offense.
Carbo's strategy of rolling four lines has had mixed results but one thing that's becoming clear is that the Canadiens have far more energy now than they did at this point last year, when the meltdown was in full swing. At his postgame press conference today, Carbo talked about the fact that he doesn't work the guys as hard this year and how that has kept them fresher and more energetic. He went as far as to say that he sometimes doesn't even allow the guys to skate on certain days, even when they want to.
Your Montreal Canadiens seem to be finding the consistency required to stay near the upper half of the Eastern Conference for a playoff run. If they can stay healthy, and that's a BIG if, they'll do some damage.
Looking forward to Saturday's matinee against the Capitals, hopefully I can get the scoop on just how interested Alex Ovechkin would be in having a CH on his chest.
by the way....
In my last blog entry, before the Habs hit the road for their holiday trip, I made some predictions.
"The Habs pick up 8 out of a possible 12 points, keeping in the middle of the pack in the playoff race. Sergei Kostitsyn scores his first NHL goal. Tomas Plekanec continues to elevate his game. Snow continues to fall in Montreal and snow removal continues to move at a snail's pace.
The outdoor rink in my neighbourhood finally opens after the city takes its sweet fucking time getting it done. The Sens continue to be the streakiest team in the league and Detroit continues its dominance."
I'm pretty happy with my success rate here. I was right about everything except the outdoor rink. It's still not open but I'm confident the City of Westmount will get it done by the end of January, or at least in time for it to melt. I hope you'll agree that I'm psychic and should probably quit while I'm ahead.
Enough about me though.
My New Year's resolution is to blog more regularly.
Here goes as we kick off 2008.
I just got home from the Bell Centre. They still play Vertigo when the Habs score. I was hoping for a change. Enough with the negative though...
Michael Ryder had a big night. He was cheered by the fans when he was introduced in the starting lineup and the cheers continued all night as he set up the Habs first goal and scored two more, one of which was a vintage Michael Ryder snapshot from the top of the faceoff circle.
It's a lot more fun when your team is winning and even better when you're able to put the puck in the net. Ryder appears to be back on track and the timing couldn't be better. When he's playing with confidence, he's a proven performer with a great nose for the net. When the media was allowed into the Habs dressing room after the game, the scrum converged on Ryder's stall and all of his teammates hooted and hollered at him, even sending a few wolf whistles his way. It was a great moment, a moment that demonstrated how close of a unit this team has become. His teammates never gave up on him. Many of them have reiterated that they see the real Michael Ryder in practice all the time and knew it was just a matter of time until he started to put the puck in the net.
Chris Higgins continues to emerge as a dominant player on both ends of the ice and his leadership qualities shine through night after night. It's a real pleasure to see him healthy at this point of the season.
There is no doubt that the addition of Sergei Kostitsyn has not only energized the Habs but has also given his older brother's play a jolt, as he continues to perform at a high level, scoring the winner tonight and teaming up with his linemates to create plenty of offense.
Carbo's strategy of rolling four lines has had mixed results but one thing that's becoming clear is that the Canadiens have far more energy now than they did at this point last year, when the meltdown was in full swing. At his postgame press conference today, Carbo talked about the fact that he doesn't work the guys as hard this year and how that has kept them fresher and more energetic. He went as far as to say that he sometimes doesn't even allow the guys to skate on certain days, even when they want to.
Your Montreal Canadiens seem to be finding the consistency required to stay near the upper half of the Eastern Conference for a playoff run. If they can stay healthy, and that's a BIG if, they'll do some damage.
Looking forward to Saturday's matinee against the Capitals, hopefully I can get the scoop on just how interested Alex Ovechkin would be in having a CH on his chest.
by the way....
In my last blog entry, before the Habs hit the road for their holiday trip, I made some predictions.
"The Habs pick up 8 out of a possible 12 points, keeping in the middle of the pack in the playoff race. Sergei Kostitsyn scores his first NHL goal. Tomas Plekanec continues to elevate his game. Snow continues to fall in Montreal and snow removal continues to move at a snail's pace.
The outdoor rink in my neighbourhood finally opens after the city takes its sweet fucking time getting it done. The Sens continue to be the streakiest team in the league and Detroit continues its dominance."
I'm pretty happy with my success rate here. I was right about everything except the outdoor rink. It's still not open but I'm confident the City of Westmount will get it done by the end of January, or at least in time for it to melt. I hope you'll agree that I'm psychic and should probably quit while I'm ahead.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Hitting the Road
Man, Horatio from CSI: Miami really trips me out. He has this really weird way of talking to kids that I find mad creepy. The man can sure deliver a one-liner though.
Anyhoo...
The Habs played a crap game and lost. Three shots in the first period. Mistakes and giveaways galore. The goaltending controversy continues to gather momentum, although it's pretty clear that Cristobal Huet will be the guy between the pipes on Thursday.
The Habs have a way of losing games they should win. They have difficulty matching up against boring-ass teams like New Jersey and Florida. The Panthers are not a good team but they simply outwork the Canadiens every time they meet. The Habs would push the puck in deep only to be obstructed by Florida players and kept from catching it. They would not obstruct to the point where a penalty should be called, but they were close.
Tomas Vokoun is good, but the Habs had very few quality looks at him in goal.
Mike Komisarek was on the hook for a giveaway that resulted in the first goal. Carey Price was firmly on the hook for the second with a bonehead clearing attempt up the middle on an ill-advised trip from his crease. In my humble opinion, Price should have had the third goal. It comes down to positioning, which is usually one of Price's strengths.
He's on a serious learning curve and mistakes are bound to happen. The good news is the Habs displayed their ability to remain in games in which they are thoroughly outworked.
Andrei Markov bagged a couple of goals and remains firmly in the lead among Eastern Conference defencemen for the All-Star game. He was on the ice for the first two Florida goals, but was pretty much blameless on both.
Komisarek and Markov might be the best defensive pairing in the East.
The Habs have traditionally struggled on their annual holiday road trip but this year's team is much stronger away from home than years past. It won't be easy, but here's my prediction:
The Habs pick up 8 out of a possible 12 points, keeping in the middle of the pack in the playoff race. Sergei Kostitsyn scores his first NHL goal. Tomas Plekanec continues to elevate his game. Snow continues to fall in Montreal and snow removal continues to move at a snail's pace.
The outdoor rink in my neighbourhood finally opens after the city takes its sweet fucking time getting it done. The Sens continue to be the streakiest team in the league and Detroit continues its dominance.
Anyhoo...
The Habs played a crap game and lost. Three shots in the first period. Mistakes and giveaways galore. The goaltending controversy continues to gather momentum, although it's pretty clear that Cristobal Huet will be the guy between the pipes on Thursday.
The Habs have a way of losing games they should win. They have difficulty matching up against boring-ass teams like New Jersey and Florida. The Panthers are not a good team but they simply outwork the Canadiens every time they meet. The Habs would push the puck in deep only to be obstructed by Florida players and kept from catching it. They would not obstruct to the point where a penalty should be called, but they were close.
Tomas Vokoun is good, but the Habs had very few quality looks at him in goal.
Mike Komisarek was on the hook for a giveaway that resulted in the first goal. Carey Price was firmly on the hook for the second with a bonehead clearing attempt up the middle on an ill-advised trip from his crease. In my humble opinion, Price should have had the third goal. It comes down to positioning, which is usually one of Price's strengths.
He's on a serious learning curve and mistakes are bound to happen. The good news is the Habs displayed their ability to remain in games in which they are thoroughly outworked.
Andrei Markov bagged a couple of goals and remains firmly in the lead among Eastern Conference defencemen for the All-Star game. He was on the ice for the first two Florida goals, but was pretty much blameless on both.
Komisarek and Markov might be the best defensive pairing in the East.
The Habs have traditionally struggled on their annual holiday road trip but this year's team is much stronger away from home than years past. It won't be easy, but here's my prediction:
The Habs pick up 8 out of a possible 12 points, keeping in the middle of the pack in the playoff race. Sergei Kostitsyn scores his first NHL goal. Tomas Plekanec continues to elevate his game. Snow continues to fall in Montreal and snow removal continues to move at a snail's pace.
The outdoor rink in my neighbourhood finally opens after the city takes its sweet fucking time getting it done. The Sens continue to be the streakiest team in the league and Detroit continues its dominance.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Snow Day Developments & Slacking
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.
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.
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.
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