That's what they call those types of games. When you battle back after falling behind 2-0 and 3-1 to beat a team in regulation and pass them in the standings you make a statement.
Heading to the all-star break, the Canadiens are in sole possession of 4th in the East. They've won 17 games on the road this year, second only to Detroit. It was the first time the Canadiens have won a game while trailing after 40 minutes this season. And they did it in New Jersey.
Cristobal Huet joins Jose Theodore and Patrick Roy as the only Habs goaltenders to win in the Garden State since 1993.
Only four teams in the entire league have scored more goals than the Habs.
Chris Higgins iced it with his first goal in nine games, Saku Koivu tied it with his first in seven. Bryan Smolinski sparked the third period comeback and is all of a sudden looking like a pretty solid signing with his recent play. Josh Gorges is looking more and more comfortable as he gets more games under his belt. It would be difficult to make a case for putting Patrice Brisebois back in the lineup. The Habs record without the Breezer is an astounding 15-3-3.
That means their record WITH Brisebois is 11-12-5. If wins and losses are the only stats that really count, then why on earth would he play??
Everyone except Andrei Markov gets a well-deserved weekend off. It should be interesting to see the new breakaway event in the Skills Contest and who will be fastest skater and who'll have the hardest shot, less interesting will be the game itself, which tends to be very boring.
Here are some links for your pleasure
Mike Boone blogs poetic on what's happening right now GO
Habs youth movement recognition GO
Pierre LeBrun on Habs success GO
And finally I have to touch on this Cliff Fletcher-Richard Peddie press conference. Watch Peddie as he starts to mouth the words Fletcher speaks while he's speaking them. It's really weird and I have no explanation for this other than it makes it easy to make a case that Fletcher is a puppet for MLSE.
Have a look-see around the 4:45 mark!! GO
Friday, January 25, 2008
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Habs Beat Bruins!!!
Make it nine in a row, six this year. The Bruins-Habs rivalry is virtually non-existent at this point. It sure is fun to be in the Bell Centre on nights like this.
The crowd was in full force, and it's a toss up between Maxim Lapierre's fantastic forecheck on Zdeno Chara in the third period and Sergei Kostitsyn throwing down with Chuck Kobasew in a scrap for the loudest cheers of the night and possibly, of the year.
It was a real team win. 13 players showed up on the scoresheet. Seven different guys had goals with Andrei K getting two. When the doors to the dressing room opened, the veterans gave way to the role players who showed up huge. No Saku Koivu, Alex Kovalev or Chris Higgins(gasp!) were available but Tom Kostopoulos, who had a Gordie Howe hat trick (a goal, an assist and a fight), Michael Ryder and Bryan Smolinski, who probably had his best game as a Hab were all there.
Guy Carbonneau reiterated that the Habs played well enough to win against the Penguins on Saturday night but some nights you get the bounces and some nights you don't.
They definitely got em tonight, starting with Michael Ryder's goal 14 seconds into the game.
Andrei Markov and Mike Komisarek were unbelievable and each walked away with a +4 rating on the night. Komisaurus had a goal and an assist, five hits and two blocked shots. Markov had only one assist, but was on the ice for six of the Habs eight goals.
During a four on four sequence, the unreal Alex Kovalev held on to the puck for about fifteen seconds, absorbed a slash and dropped his glove, picked it back up and then went right back to skating and stickhandling circles around the Bruins until both teams had five skaters on the ice.
Cristobal Huet was great, no errors in a game where he didn't need to be sharp but was.
The Kostitsyn brothers are terrific. Sergei's time in London playing under Dale Hunter is paying dividends. He gave a visor-wearing Kobasew more than he could handle in their third period scrap. The physical game he brings has been an unexpected and very pleasant surprise. He doesn't back down from anyone and even in a checking role has been impressive. Great feed to his big brother on the Habs last goal.
Ottawa lost, so the Habs actually managed to gain some ground on one of the coldest teams in hockey. How big is Dany Heatley for them?
If there was a negative, it's that Koivu and Higgins didn't show up on the scoresheet. They really seem to have lost a step in the second half. I expect them both to be better during the home stretch of the year.
Josh Gorges continues to improve, he's doing a great job of getting in front of pucks and playing a solid game. He certainly has benefited from the injury to Patrice Brisebois, who shouldn't be out there as far as I'm concerned.
Stat of the day: Habs record without Brisebois is 14-3-3
Other stat of the day: The Habs have lost back-to-back games in regulation only once this year.
It's onto Jersey to face the dreaded Devils on Thursday. Don't get your hopes up.
P.S. Id love to see Novak Djokovic win the Australian Open. This guy's fantastic and hilarious... I'm watching a virtuoso performance right now against Davis Ferrer in the semis. Check out his sweet impersonations of various tennis stars HERE (way less funny if you never watch tennis)
The crowd was in full force, and it's a toss up between Maxim Lapierre's fantastic forecheck on Zdeno Chara in the third period and Sergei Kostitsyn throwing down with Chuck Kobasew in a scrap for the loudest cheers of the night and possibly, of the year.
It was a real team win. 13 players showed up on the scoresheet. Seven different guys had goals with Andrei K getting two. When the doors to the dressing room opened, the veterans gave way to the role players who showed up huge. No Saku Koivu, Alex Kovalev or Chris Higgins(gasp!) were available but Tom Kostopoulos, who had a Gordie Howe hat trick (a goal, an assist and a fight), Michael Ryder and Bryan Smolinski, who probably had his best game as a Hab were all there.
Guy Carbonneau reiterated that the Habs played well enough to win against the Penguins on Saturday night but some nights you get the bounces and some nights you don't.
They definitely got em tonight, starting with Michael Ryder's goal 14 seconds into the game.
Andrei Markov and Mike Komisarek were unbelievable and each walked away with a +4 rating on the night. Komisaurus had a goal and an assist, five hits and two blocked shots. Markov had only one assist, but was on the ice for six of the Habs eight goals.
During a four on four sequence, the unreal Alex Kovalev held on to the puck for about fifteen seconds, absorbed a slash and dropped his glove, picked it back up and then went right back to skating and stickhandling circles around the Bruins until both teams had five skaters on the ice.
Cristobal Huet was great, no errors in a game where he didn't need to be sharp but was.
The Kostitsyn brothers are terrific. Sergei's time in London playing under Dale Hunter is paying dividends. He gave a visor-wearing Kobasew more than he could handle in their third period scrap. The physical game he brings has been an unexpected and very pleasant surprise. He doesn't back down from anyone and even in a checking role has been impressive. Great feed to his big brother on the Habs last goal.
Ottawa lost, so the Habs actually managed to gain some ground on one of the coldest teams in hockey. How big is Dany Heatley for them?
If there was a negative, it's that Koivu and Higgins didn't show up on the scoresheet. They really seem to have lost a step in the second half. I expect them both to be better during the home stretch of the year.
Josh Gorges continues to improve, he's doing a great job of getting in front of pucks and playing a solid game. He certainly has benefited from the injury to Patrice Brisebois, who shouldn't be out there as far as I'm concerned.
Stat of the day: Habs record without Brisebois is 14-3-3
Other stat of the day: The Habs have lost back-to-back games in regulation only once this year.
It's onto Jersey to face the dreaded Devils on Thursday. Don't get your hopes up.
P.S. Id love to see Novak Djokovic win the Australian Open. This guy's fantastic and hilarious... I'm watching a virtuoso performance right now against Davis Ferrer in the semis. Check out his sweet impersonations of various tennis stars HERE (way less funny if you never watch tennis)
Accountability
The Leafs have yanked John Ferguson Jr out of his position as GM. It's a sad day in Toronto. Cliff Fletcher takes over on an interim basis as the Leafs enter a make or break period of their season that will determine whether they will be buying or selling in and around the trade deadline. If they can string together a few wins, they may hang on to Mats Sundin and try to make a run. If they continue to lose, they will try and move Sundin and many other overpriced members of their underachieving team.
The thing is, it will be hard to find takers for the likes of Pavel Kubina, Andrew Raycroft, Bryan McCabe et al.
It comes back to the fact that the Leafs brass, the Richard Peddies of the world think they know hockey. MLSE owns the Raptors, who brought in a top executive in Bryan Colangelo and gave him complete control of the team, no questions asked. Their problem is they're not capable of doing the same with their hockey team. If they were, Scotty Bowman would already be the one calling the shots.
Cliff Fletcher will be the guy in charge but make no mistake about it, MLSE will be looking over his shoulder every step of the way.
I'm starting to tire of the Leafs trials and tribulations. The amount of media attention they receive is nauseating. I feel for their fans, who deserve better. I can't wait for them to go on a winning streak so the tin-foil Stanley Cups start showing up again at the Air Canada Center.
It makes me glad I'm not a fan of the Leafs.
The thing is, it will be hard to find takers for the likes of Pavel Kubina, Andrew Raycroft, Bryan McCabe et al.
It comes back to the fact that the Leafs brass, the Richard Peddies of the world think they know hockey. MLSE owns the Raptors, who brought in a top executive in Bryan Colangelo and gave him complete control of the team, no questions asked. Their problem is they're not capable of doing the same with their hockey team. If they were, Scotty Bowman would already be the one calling the shots.
Cliff Fletcher will be the guy in charge but make no mistake about it, MLSE will be looking over his shoulder every step of the way.
I'm starting to tire of the Leafs trials and tribulations. The amount of media attention they receive is nauseating. I feel for their fans, who deserve better. I can't wait for them to go on a winning streak so the tin-foil Stanley Cups start showing up again at the Air Canada Center.
It makes me glad I'm not a fan of the Leafs.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Long Weekend's Over
It was a great weekend.
The New England Patriots stayed perfect with an imperfect game in which Tom Brady was less than perfect.
It's been amazing to see the Patriots charge towards a perfect season. Really saying f___ you to the rest of the league with every down.
The Giants have been equally impressive. Ever since they took the Pats to the brink for a 38-35 thriller in Week 17 this has been a team possessed. They've won 10 straight road games, a single-season NFL record. During their three playoff games, Eli Manning has emerged as the quiet leader Tiki Barber said he wasn't. He hasn't thrown a single interception over the same span after tying for the league lead in regular-season INTs.
Plaxico Burress had one the of the best games for an NFL receiver all year long. He dominated Al Harris.
I think that barring a minor miracle, Randy Moss and the speedy Patriots receivers will get the best of the Giants in the heat of Arizona. The key to the game will be whether the Giants pass rush can get to Tom Brady. I don't expect they will.
But this is a blog about the Montreal Canadiens.
The Habs are tied for the fewest home wins in the league. They're 8-8-5 at the Bell Centre after Saturday night's loss to the Penguins. Hardly time to push the panic button but disconcerting nonetheless. It's just one of those indefinable things. My take is that they're trying to do too much for the fans. The adrenaline can onlt take them so far before it becomes jitters. Performance anxiety. It seems that they're almost scared to get booed which in turn causes tentative play which of course causes the rumbles from the fans.
In other news, Michael Ryder appears to be back on a line with Saku Koivu and Chris Higgins. I have been unimpressed with the line of Ryder, Guillaume Latendresse and Bryan Smolinski's line, so maybe this change can kickstart Koivu and Higgins. Those guys look like they're running out of gas right now and the Habs need them rolling in order to be effective.
The other concern right now has to be the Habs power play. They're 0 for 8 with the man advantage in their last three games, dropping them to 2nd in the NHL with a 23.7% success rate.
It's not all bad. The Habs deserved better against an inspired Pittsburgh team the other night and should continue their success against Boston tomorrow night. They're seeking their ninth straight win against the Bruins dating back to last March.
Tim Thomas has been great for the Bruins this year but has struggled against the Habs. He's lost all three starts against them this year with a 4.70 GAA.
Against the rest of the league he's 15-8-3 with a 2.04 GAA.
Weeeeeeiird.
The New England Patriots stayed perfect with an imperfect game in which Tom Brady was less than perfect.
It's been amazing to see the Patriots charge towards a perfect season. Really saying f___ you to the rest of the league with every down.
The Giants have been equally impressive. Ever since they took the Pats to the brink for a 38-35 thriller in Week 17 this has been a team possessed. They've won 10 straight road games, a single-season NFL record. During their three playoff games, Eli Manning has emerged as the quiet leader Tiki Barber said he wasn't. He hasn't thrown a single interception over the same span after tying for the league lead in regular-season INTs.
Plaxico Burress had one the of the best games for an NFL receiver all year long. He dominated Al Harris.
I think that barring a minor miracle, Randy Moss and the speedy Patriots receivers will get the best of the Giants in the heat of Arizona. The key to the game will be whether the Giants pass rush can get to Tom Brady. I don't expect they will.
But this is a blog about the Montreal Canadiens.
The Habs are tied for the fewest home wins in the league. They're 8-8-5 at the Bell Centre after Saturday night's loss to the Penguins. Hardly time to push the panic button but disconcerting nonetheless. It's just one of those indefinable things. My take is that they're trying to do too much for the fans. The adrenaline can onlt take them so far before it becomes jitters. Performance anxiety. It seems that they're almost scared to get booed which in turn causes tentative play which of course causes the rumbles from the fans.
In other news, Michael Ryder appears to be back on a line with Saku Koivu and Chris Higgins. I have been unimpressed with the line of Ryder, Guillaume Latendresse and Bryan Smolinski's line, so maybe this change can kickstart Koivu and Higgins. Those guys look like they're running out of gas right now and the Habs need them rolling in order to be effective.
The other concern right now has to be the Habs power play. They're 0 for 8 with the man advantage in their last three games, dropping them to 2nd in the NHL with a 23.7% success rate.
It's not all bad. The Habs deserved better against an inspired Pittsburgh team the other night and should continue their success against Boston tomorrow night. They're seeking their ninth straight win against the Bruins dating back to last March.
Tim Thomas has been great for the Bruins this year but has struggled against the Habs. He's lost all three starts against them this year with a 4.70 GAA.
Against the rest of the league he's 15-8-3 with a 2.04 GAA.
Weeeeeeiird.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Gameday
Crosby's out. Ty Conklin actually let a few goals in last night. It's a good time to be facing the Penguins and if the Habs get points they'll extend their slim lead over the flightless birds.
Watch out for Malkin, he's amazing and seems to really get up for games in Montreal, at least from what I've seen so far this year.
The game's broadcast nationally on CBC but stick with Pierre and Yvon and keep it real.
Bon match!
Watch out for Malkin, he's amazing and seems to really get up for games in Montreal, at least from what I've seen so far this year.
The game's broadcast nationally on CBC but stick with Pierre and Yvon and keep it real.
Bon match!
Friday, January 18, 2008
Confidence & the Ks
Andrei Kostitsyn (K1) seems to have found his. I looked over at my buddy when the shootout started and said "I can't wait to see what the kid does with confidence," Sure enough, he looked completely calm and collected as he put the Thrashers on the brink before Saku Koivu and Cristobal Huet iced it. He also scored his second goal of the year candidate in the second period, splitting the Atlanta defence and roofing it on Kari Lehtonen on a sweet backhand. That line is really something else.
12 points for Kovalev-Plekanec-K1 over the 4 game road trip.
One thing that I've heard echoed by his teammates is that K1 makes highlight-reel plays in practice all the time, so they knew it was just a matter of time before he started doing it in game situations.
Sergei Kostitsyn (K2) smoked fellow rookie Tobias Enstrom into the boards really hard on two occasions. He doesn't have much in the size department but you can tell his time in the OHL added a physical element to his game. He has levelled a few guys over the last few games and continues to make smart plays. His defensive game has vastly improved during his time in the NHL as well.
The Thrashers seemed to be really pissed about something last night. Guillaume Latendresse was targeted a few times and I got the impression that K2 was a marked man at times.
Cristobal Huet wasn't the only guy to blame for the Thrashers tying it up on the turnover. Roman Hamrlik made a bad play as well. In a very awkward postgame interview on RDS, Huet took all the blame and seemed like he felt like shit about it. I get the impression that many Habs are hypersensitive about any line of questioning, fearing that their comments could be taken out of context and turned into a front page story in Le Journal.
I would like to see a bit more swagger and bravado from these guys. If they could bring the level of confidence they have on the road back to Bell Centre, there would be a lot of happy maniacs in the rafters.
The game also marked the first time this year the Habs have won a game in which they trailed after the first 20 minutes. I must say, I wasn't really concerned. Maybe I have more confidence in them. The first goal was the result of a phantom penalty on Francis Bouillon and a bad bounce going Atlanta's way. This year's edition of the Canadiens doesn't seem to let things like that stop them in their tracks as much as they used to.
Can't wait to see two of the hottest teams in the League square off on Saturday night. Sidney Crosby is a true pleasure to watch and Evgeni Malkin is no slouch either. Here's hoping the Ty Conklin's fairy tale run comes to an abrupt halt at the hands of K1, K2 and the confident Canadiens.
12 points for Kovalev-Plekanec-K1 over the 4 game road trip.
One thing that I've heard echoed by his teammates is that K1 makes highlight-reel plays in practice all the time, so they knew it was just a matter of time before he started doing it in game situations.
Sergei Kostitsyn (K2) smoked fellow rookie Tobias Enstrom into the boards really hard on two occasions. He doesn't have much in the size department but you can tell his time in the OHL added a physical element to his game. He has levelled a few guys over the last few games and continues to make smart plays. His defensive game has vastly improved during his time in the NHL as well.
The Thrashers seemed to be really pissed about something last night. Guillaume Latendresse was targeted a few times and I got the impression that K2 was a marked man at times.
Cristobal Huet wasn't the only guy to blame for the Thrashers tying it up on the turnover. Roman Hamrlik made a bad play as well. In a very awkward postgame interview on RDS, Huet took all the blame and seemed like he felt like shit about it. I get the impression that many Habs are hypersensitive about any line of questioning, fearing that their comments could be taken out of context and turned into a front page story in Le Journal.
I would like to see a bit more swagger and bravado from these guys. If they could bring the level of confidence they have on the road back to Bell Centre, there would be a lot of happy maniacs in the rafters.
The game also marked the first time this year the Habs have won a game in which they trailed after the first 20 minutes. I must say, I wasn't really concerned. Maybe I have more confidence in them. The first goal was the result of a phantom penalty on Francis Bouillon and a bad bounce going Atlanta's way. This year's edition of the Canadiens doesn't seem to let things like that stop them in their tracks as much as they used to.
Can't wait to see two of the hottest teams in the League square off on Saturday night. Sidney Crosby is a true pleasure to watch and Evgeni Malkin is no slouch either. Here's hoping the Ty Conklin's fairy tale run comes to an abrupt halt at the hands of K1, K2 and the confident Canadiens.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Habs in the Dirty South
It's always interesting to hear people's takes on what the Habs should do at any given time. Montrealers are generally very fickle about their team and any win or loss sets off a chain reaction of insanity. I've had the opportunity to host a few Hab-related shows on the Team 990 and among our learned listeners I have heard some gems.
"Trade Koivu."
"They need to trade Alex Kovalev."
"Tomas Plekanec isn't good enough for the second line."
"Fire Carbo and/or Gainey."
It's funny how your perspective changes when you start watching the Habs as a member of the media . I went from paying my hard-earned dollars to see about 10 to 15 games a year at the Bell Centre, getting wasted with my friends in the reds or in the Molson Ex Zone. I've been to pretty much every pivotal playoff home game in the last few years (there hasn't been that many). I'm more of a long view guy now than I have ever been. I believe in Bob Gainey and by extension, I believe in his guy, Guy Carbonneau.
Trading Saku Koivu, who is a greatly underappreciated asset here, who plays every game with a metal brace on each knee, the captain of this team, his national team and one of the pre-eminent leaders in ALL sports, equates to giving up on the season. You don't just yank the foundation of a team away.
Kovalev is the MVP of this team so far this year. He's not in a contract year. He's in the midst of the second best statistical season of his distinguished career. Trading this guy equates to giving up on your season.
If there is one guy the Habs can't afford to lose, it's Kovalev.
Can you imagine the effect of his loss on the number one Power Play in the NHL? A lot worse than losing Sheldon Souray, who owes Kovy a steak dinner for all the space he created for him during his record-setting 19 power play goal season last year.
Plekanec is looking more and more like a first line centre every game. He's on the penalty kill, the power play and kicking all kinds of ass at even strength. Given his history of being a stronger player statistically in the second half of the season, is it unreasonable to think Plekanec could put up 80 points this year?
Credit the Canadiens for their handling of Plekanec's development. He benefited enormously from his time in Hamilton and it's been a true pleasure to watch him develop. I remember his performance against the Carolina Hurricanes in the playoffs a few years back. He was arguably the Habs most complete forward during that series and he's a much better player now than he was back then.
I'm looking forward to watching the rest of the season and the years to come. If the harmonious dressing room continues without controversy and this team stays near the middle of the pack in the East, they could do some damage in the playoffs (unless they play the Devils).
I also maintain that Montreal would be a more attractive option for free agents if the team was winning and making the playoffs every year. Guys want to win. It's not just about the money. I hope.
"Trade Koivu."
"They need to trade Alex Kovalev."
"Tomas Plekanec isn't good enough for the second line."
"Fire Carbo and/or Gainey."
It's funny how your perspective changes when you start watching the Habs as a member of the media . I went from paying my hard-earned dollars to see about 10 to 15 games a year at the Bell Centre, getting wasted with my friends in the reds or in the Molson Ex Zone. I've been to pretty much every pivotal playoff home game in the last few years (there hasn't been that many). I'm more of a long view guy now than I have ever been. I believe in Bob Gainey and by extension, I believe in his guy, Guy Carbonneau.
Trading Saku Koivu, who is a greatly underappreciated asset here, who plays every game with a metal brace on each knee, the captain of this team, his national team and one of the pre-eminent leaders in ALL sports, equates to giving up on the season. You don't just yank the foundation of a team away.
Kovalev is the MVP of this team so far this year. He's not in a contract year. He's in the midst of the second best statistical season of his distinguished career. Trading this guy equates to giving up on your season.
If there is one guy the Habs can't afford to lose, it's Kovalev.
Can you imagine the effect of his loss on the number one Power Play in the NHL? A lot worse than losing Sheldon Souray, who owes Kovy a steak dinner for all the space he created for him during his record-setting 19 power play goal season last year.
Plekanec is looking more and more like a first line centre every game. He's on the penalty kill, the power play and kicking all kinds of ass at even strength. Given his history of being a stronger player statistically in the second half of the season, is it unreasonable to think Plekanec could put up 80 points this year?
Credit the Canadiens for their handling of Plekanec's development. He benefited enormously from his time in Hamilton and it's been a true pleasure to watch him develop. I remember his performance against the Carolina Hurricanes in the playoffs a few years back. He was arguably the Habs most complete forward during that series and he's a much better player now than he was back then.
I'm looking forward to watching the rest of the season and the years to come. If the harmonious dressing room continues without controversy and this team stays near the middle of the pack in the East, they could do some damage in the playoffs (unless they play the Devils).
I also maintain that Montreal would be a more attractive option for free agents if the team was winning and making the playoffs every year. Guys want to win. It's not just about the money. I hope.
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