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the reason we're so keen to blowing this team up is because they haven't had any serious sustained success in recent years. We are in no way confident of this team and we still remember how we expected them to miss the playoffs before the season started, so give us the benefit of the doubt for being impatient.
But we DO need a trade. We have great young players, we have have great goaltending and excellent young defense on the rise, but where is our game-breaker?? The jury is still out on the Kostitsyns and Higgins may never be able to be a consistent finisher at this rate, but at any rate, we need to pick up that top tier player, and by trade is probably the only way we can do it, and mind you, we have plenty of trade-able pieces in young players, goalies and Ryder. Gainey has already tried getting the top player through the UFA countless times (Shanny, Elias, Briere, Smyth) but has been unsuccessful, he knows it's something we need to address and through trade is the best way of getting it.
You heard it here first, it's not IF he's going to make a trade, it's WHEN he'll make a trade, and he will, the moment he feels the habs are a step away from stanley cup contention.
Question Mike or Dave
I just read in the NY Post that the Habs were fined for the length of the Robinson ceremony.
Is this true?
Is so, isn't that a stinging indictment of what a world class phoney Bettman is?
Talking about respecting tradition, yet taking the first chance to fleece Uncle George for even more money?
The Senators were staying the night in Montreal anyway.
If that is true then the Commissioner needs to be told who really runs the league and who pays the bills for his failed expansion franchises.
What a joke.
if that's true that's pathetic...especially since they had the ceremony BEFORE the warmups...
I do remember the game starting much later than the posted time of 7:38 though.
Really sobering thought: the Habs' first line got just one more shot on net than you or I did last night and we didn't suit up.
yeats:
i agree with all the statemens in your first paragraph and how often does koivu win a draw against sundin? Never. Just like the post i made earlier about the importance of winning draws, the laffs always own us in the faceoff circle and are allowed to establish their hard forechecking game because they have the puck most of the time. The team who has the puck most of the time spends most of the time in the other teams end which leads to more scoring chances and also leads to more penalty calls because teams trying to defend their own end. Hence even more scoring chances on the powerplay.
Its not rocket science if you control the puck, you control the game.
The more I think about your point in bringing Yanic Perreault on board the more I like it. Why does this man year in and year out have such fabulous stats on the draw? Is there some special knowledge that he can impart to our other centermen? Also, if we are going to "waste" a roster spot on someone, I'd rather have him than and enforcer, or Lats. Really, why is this guy still on the big team. Is Carbo going to wait all year for him to find his game like Abby last year?
At least Abby was great for the first couple of weeks of the season while Huet was searching for his game. Can't say the same for Lats. Maybe he'll be great in a few years, but until then he should only dress for Toronto, and Philly... when size might be a bit more important than skill or speed.
Well if we did bring him on board it would be a great short term investment for an even better long term gain if he can show his craft to the likes of chipper, pleky, koivu and anyone else in the system who wants to learn. How he maintains these kind of stats every year? Well from personal experience being a center i would say its a combination of timing, stick speed, being strong on the stick, knowing your opponents tendancies in the circle (to the extent of watching game film) and lots of practice.
Yanic was probably smart enough to know that he wasn't gonna be able to rely on foot speed and offence to have a long nhl career. So he mastered a craft that will always be in demand by most nhl teams, it may of prolonged a career that could of ended with the "new nhl" which has claimed the careers of older slower players.
Trading for perreault can solve alot of the canadiens 5 on 5 problems without giving up anything more than a draftpick or depth player. I know gainey is bent on having a team built on speed. You can have all the team speed you want, if you don't have the puck most of the time team speed is pretty much useless. As my former coach told me "nobody outskates the puck".
Here are Yanic's stats on winning faceoffs when he played with the Canadiens' in 2003-04. Very impressive!
http://www.nhl.com/nhlstats/app?fetchKey=20042MONSASAll&page=Stats&servi...
Mike,
Do you know if a tape of the hit on Chipchura is being forwarded to the league office?
Or because it is Vanek he will not get any supplementary discipline?
gotta leave ryder alone
he's working his guts out
hitting every thing in his path
he's bonnifyed top 6 forward
see how fast he scored on the third line he's gotta be the trigger man
he's trying to play the power gam and thats higgin's game
Even if you disagree with Lafleur about four fourth lines, why do we have two checking lines? This is the New NHL damn it! It's not like we send them out there to shut down the other squad's guns. Gainey, Jarvis, and Risebourough were enough for the last extended run. We always put Koivu's line out there against Sundin's, for example, ayway. The secret to beating the Habs isn't brain surgery. Just stay out of the box and play as much five-on-five hockey as you can. They can't do jack when there are ten skaters on the ice. The only way to counter that strategy, if you're the Habs, is to show some energy, keep your feet moving and draw penalties. We failed to do that both Friday and Saturday nights.
You know that barring an appearance by the Virgin Mary, they are going to get their asses handed to them in the ACC Tuesday night. You can pretty much write the script now. The leafs coming off a dreadful road trip are going to come out full of piss and vinegar in the first twenty minutes. The Canadiens' goaltender, whoever he is, is going to be hanging for dear life off the stern of the Titanic like Leonardo DiCaprio or Kate Winslet. At the same time, we won't get any shots on the stump that Paul Maurice puts between the pipes. One again, the leafs size will win over our alledged speed and skill. Then, it's off to face a Devils' team that has won four in a row as I type. It's goona be a banner week folks. And, I do hope that I am terribly, terribly wrong.
This is reposted from yesterday's blog, since I posted at the end of the night in a reply to J.T.'s early post, which then got placed in a spot I don't think anyone read.
I did notice that Higgins-Kost-Pleks were playing together at the same time Gui-Kovy-Koivu were. I think the chorus of silence is because they were as ineffective together as the rest of the night was....and we can't boo ourselves can we, the people that have been pushing for this line combo all season...well you got it, and it didn't work any better. Not to say that it won't either.
To J.T.
1. Worst game of the year in terms of execution- BANG ON, can't clear the zone for their lives (this wastes SOOOOOO much energy)
2. My vote for worst effort is definitely last Friday's game against Buffalo (THAT was pathetic), at least they are skating I find.
3. I'm not dreading Tuesday's game against the Leafs....I just have a feeling about that one, but yeah I don't think their problem was effort, but execution, so let's see what Higgy says. After reading Higgins comments, he really didn't focus on the effort part, but more execution.
4. BANG ON, last 5-7 games Hamrlik has been getting tired out, he's not playing bad, but leaving himself out of position covering for Breezer...something's gotta give..and yup, O'byrne might as well be given experience.
5. The guy (Lats) can't skate, but I do have to give him credit for picking up his game last few...but WHAT THE HECK is he doing on a line with Koivu and Kovy..that was horrible....
6. BANG ON. Chasing the puck all game, need I say more...
7. I disagree, I see the effort, I saw a lot of hitting going on, I saw a lot off ill-advised shots where the rebounds landed straight on a Buffalo player's stick. INCREDIBLY dissapointed at the lack of reaction to the INCREDIBLY dirty hit on Chipchura, these refs should be fired...it was a blatant hit from behind, BLATANT, that is worse than the DOWNIE hit in my opinion. Incredibly dissapointed with the lack of someone going after Vanek...at the very least you'll get him a 5 fot fighting, but he should have already been gone for 5 and a game IMO...ridiculousssssss, I don't know how many times i can say it...RIDICULOUS!
ok, enough with that rant
8. Bang on, was really impressed with Kovy's effort tonight, looks like Carbo even noticed it as they panned on him after that 3rd period shift where he had not one, but two great hits.
Breather time, folks!
Around this time of thanksgiving (well, American Thanksgiving, anyway) we should be counting our lucky stars that we're not fans of that club that calls the so-called "Centre of the Universe" home. They've won exactly 8 of 24 games (none of them withing recent memory), and what's worse, the way that the team has been assembled by their inept front office leaves them little hope of righting things any time in the near future.
We went into this season figuring that we might play .500 to .600 hockey as our youngsters continue to develop. And that's exactly where we are. We've had a good first-quarter of the season to build on, and the areas that we need to improve are becoming apparent. Give them a chance to make those adjustments before writing them off. Through an 82-game season, everyone has hot and cold stretches... heck, even the Senators are suffering through what in relative terms could be called a "slump". At least we have some options, unlike those other guys down the 401.
To put thinks in perspective, you should read last night's comments on the TSN board after the laff's shelling at the hands of the Coyotes. It's almost like there's a sea of blue and white tying boulders to their ankles while toeing the edge of the Bloor viaduct.
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"Vote Saku for All-Star... or little Timmy gets it!!!"
I could give a rats ass that they are better than the leafs. If that makes you happy, more power to you. That isn't such a hard goal to achieve.
Personally, I could care less about the laffs. My only concern is that the Habs play hard and are successful. But to hear it from some folks you'd think that the franchise is in as rough shape as them. My point was that that isn't the case.
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"Vote Saku for All-Star... or little Timmy gets it!!!"
Umm Chuck,
I definitely remember our last loss to the laughs...is that their last win?
My point was that if you look at it from "their" perspective, life could be a whole lot worse. To hear it from them, they don't even remember that last win against us. Their fans are calling for the laffs to blow up the whole team and start all over again, including a mercy trade of Sundin and wholesale changes at the top.
Yes, we've hit a bump in the road--all teams do--but at least we've got assets and options to help the team continue to grow. Some of the "sky is falling" crowd needs to look at losses against a still very good Sabres team and the Senators as not the end of the world, but as learning experiences about how to make the team better.
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"Vote Saku for All-Star... or little Timmy gets it!!!"
Oh ya, it could be a lot worse...it could be last year ;)
I agree, I'd much rather be a the Habs franchise rather than the Laughs franchise right now. Plenty of assets and on the way up. Still two years away, but there is always room to improve. Gainey knows what he's doing.
Friday and Saturday, while not easy to digest, were still our only back-to-back regulation losses this year; not bad for just over 25% of the season. If the team can follow that trend and end up with 4 two game losing streaks this year, I know that I'd be happy!
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"Vote Saku for All-Star... or little Timmy gets it!!!"
I can't watch the Canadiens when things don't go well because I can't get depressed over a game. Ha ha. I have a life. But if they lose in TO I'll have to boycott the next two weeks just to keep my sanity... what's left of it after the last trying 15 years of Habs-fan-ship!
GO HABS GO
Sorry guys, but as much as Kovy was flashy, he had his regular brain-dead plays like he did last year.
He coughed up the puck SO many times. I would say it was honestly his worst game of the season so far.
Everyone is talking about how amazing he was but if you paid close attention, he lost the puck. A LOT
Yes, in the first period, then he wasn't getting any passes in the third, with Guillaume losing every breakout pass, Kovy at LEAST showed some passion with his skating aggressively after the puck.
Also, we pay him to try and score, if the team isn't receiving passes well, I commend him for at least showing the effort to try and create something, which at times last year..ok, most of the time, was lacking.
Yeah but that's his game. Like a guy who runs around a lot like Begin, he's going to find himslef a bit out of position sometimes along the boards, but that's just the side-effect of being a good hitter. And with Kovy, his posession-game and dangling pushes back defenses and opens up a lot of space which is great, the side-effect being it sometimes rolls of his stick or whatever.
GO HABS GO
I've glanced thru most of the posts and have not noticed anyone commenting on their most popular post for the past month or so. Didn't anyone notice that Higgins-Pleks-A.Kostitsyn played together.
Not me, I don't kick my team when there down. But I hope someone does!
Hand me the paddles. Clear!!!
Well, several hours removed from last night's Wake at the Bell, the bitterness has eased a bit, to be replaced with nagging worry. I know many of you feel it's too early for panic, and I agree. It isn't time to panic...it's time to calmly correct the issues that are plaguing the team now so they don't get destroyed on the annual Christmas road trip this year.
I think we all agree...and according to the line matchups late in last night's game, so does Carbo...that the Koivu line isn't working. I hope to see Higgins and Kovalev switched in practice tomorrow, just to see how they might work to spark other lines. Kovalev is playing with passion and energy...maybe he can influence Koivu a bit. But, I'd like to see new lines actually practice together before they're thrown together for a few shifts late in a losing cause. That smacks of panic, and rarely works when the players aren't used to each other. If they practice first, then play an entire game together, there'd be a better chance of developing some sense of chemistry.
The PK needs to be more aggressive...its passivity is allowing the opposing team to set up and control the Habs zone.
The problem they have with aggressive forechecking can be addressed with speed...both in motion and in decision making. Right now, when a Dman has control of the puck in the face of a forechecker, he almost always makes a D-to-D pass, which is usually a lateral, rather than forward motion. It slows down the Habs' advance and allows the other team's forecheck to move in. When that happens, we see the Habs' D often circle and attempt a pass up the boards to a winger...which is easily anticipated and intercepted. What I'd like to see is the five players moving as a unit...when a D has the puck, everyone is moving forward and the pass goes to a moving centre or winger before the opponent can set up. We want our guys' forward momentum to push the other team back...make THEM struggle to contain the rush. Even if half the forwards on the team aren't that creative...most of them can skate. And sheer forward momentum threatens the opponent's defence and gives their own defencemen moving targets for passes.
Also, when they do manage to penetrate the offensive zone, I'd like to see them spread out more in their set up. Right now, we're seeing them too much in a line around the boards or across the blueline, giving a winger with the puck few options for a pass. I'd like to see one guy head to the slot as soon as they enter the zone, giving the winger on the boards the option of passing along the boards or into the slot. That's harder to defend against, and relieves some of the pressure on the cycle.
But really, those are all fixable issues, mostly caused by not using their speed as on offensive weapon. They all know they're a team that has to work to win. For them, work means skating hard all game long. And when they do that, it automatically solves some of the major issues they have when they hesitate and are left with only predictable plays. The difference between last night and, say, the Flyers game, is their quickness on the attack and hard skating. If they wait around for the perfect play, or if they hang back at all, they're doomed like they were last night. We know they can do it...it's just a matter of committing to do it every night.
This could be a triumphant week...leafs and Devils being two traditionally horrid opponents for the Habs. If they can get it together and pull off a couple of wins, they'll get a huge shot of confidence. If not...well, I guess we can always come mourn at Boone's Funeral Home and Crematorium.
And, for those advocating a trade...I don't think so. Gainey has nothing to deal that would return something better than what he's got. As we saw with Bryzgalov, the goalie market is non-existent. So, if we're anticipating a big deal involving Huet that will bring back a scoring winger, I'm pretty sure we'll be waiting a good long while. Same for Ryder. No one is going to trade a scorer for a guy who's not scoring AND who's going to be UFA at the end of the season. If Gainey wanted to make a trade for an Olli Jokinen or similar player who's rumoured to be available...he'd have to start with Higgins or Plekanec and likely have to include a guy like Chipchura or Komisarek as well as prospects and picks. Real stars don't come cheap, so unless Gainey (and fans) are willing to part with guys we see as the core of the future team, a trade like that isn't going to happen. What we've got, we've got...and we'll just have to make the best of it.
J.T. although I agree with most of your points in yesterday's posting, I do have to say that I disagree with your view on the lateral passing between defencemen.
Last year we had none of that and often caused us to throw the puck randomly into the neutral zone, pressing our passes which often resulted in nothing.
This is why I LOVE Hamrlik. I notice that he doesn't force too many passes and keeps POSSESSION of the puck, which are hallmarks of successful teams.
I'd much rather have my defenceman pass to his partner who can then maybe make a good breakout pass than to just dump the puck along the boards or force passes into the neutral zone only to lose the puck.
I agree, too many passes up the boards, need to have a better breakout going up the center of the ice to increase our options instead of dumping it in every single time.
I have to say that I'm in agreement with everything you just said. The Habs have to work through this on their own and Carbonneau needs to figure out some decent lines. There is no point in sacrificing youth for a second tier scorer. Maybe if you can obtain an Alexander Ovechkin, but no GM in his right mind would trade a player like that for anything.
Montreal has a good young team. They aren't going to win tons of games in a row because they don't have that consistency yet. I still believe that they have many components that a building team should have and in 3-4 years, they might be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Bob Gainey is a smart man. He will find a way to get a winning team in Montreal.
If the Habs can continue to show progress with their young players and have a decent season, they will attract attention from top free agents. Say what you want about the Montreal media, the school system, and whatever else, it all comes down to one thing. Good players want to win. If Montreal can prove that they are building a real winner here with players like Price, Markov, and Plekanc, UFA's will come to this city.