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About last night ...
posted by Mike Boone at 23h32 EST on Feb 12
It will be different at the Bell Centre.
There is no way these cheap-shot thugs are taking two Ws in as many nights.
I'm going to keep my powder dry for a pre-Olympic break edition of About Last Night ...
For now, let's give some props to an injury-decimated team that came back from a 3-0 lead to give the Flyers all they could handle.
A few Commenters got on my case for knocking Roman Hamrlik for that late-game penalty. He had just seen his defence partner hammered into the boards by Darroll Powe, and Hamrlik took a retaliatory poke at the Philadelphia assailant.
I understand the emotion.
But Hamrlik is a veteran.
He knows the score is 3-2.
He knows the Canadiens have killed off three third-period penalties and have assaulted the Philadelphia net in waves.
Hamrlik knows there's a minute left and he knows Powe is being penalized.
With Carey Price coming out, the Canadiens would have a 6-on-4 PP and a faceoff in the Philadelphia end.
YOU DON'T RETALIATE IN THAT SITUATION!!!
As it was, the Canadiens still had the advantage because of a rule that poster B found:
19.4 Last Five Minutes and Overtime - During the last five (5) minutes of regulation time, or at any time in overtime, when a minor penalty (or double-minor penalty) is assessed to one player or goalkeeper of Team A, and a major (or match) penalty is assessed to one player or goalkeeper of Team B at the same stoppage of play, the three-minute (or one-minute) differential shall be served immediately as a major penalty. This is also applicable when coincidental penalties are negated, leaving the aforementioned examples. In such instances, the team of the player or goalkeeper receiving the major penalty must place the replacement player in the penalty bench prior to expiration of the penalty. In the case of a match penalty, the team must place the replacement player in the penalty bench immediately. The differential will be recorded on the penalty clock as a three (3) minute or a one (1) minute penalty (as applicable), and served in the same manner as a major penalty.
But I doubt Hammer was up on that rule when he went after Powe.
Scott Gomez played it smart. He waited till the final buzzer to go after Kimmo Timonen.
The ensuing scrum sets up a hot time at the Bell Centre tonight.
Fearless prediction: P.K. Subban will be playing his second NHL game in frnt of hometown fans who'll be chanting his initials.
Was that a great debut or what?
Subban is the first Candiens Dman not named Andrei Markov who is capable of skating the puck out, moving it through the neutral zone and attacking the O-zone at speed.
P.K. is smart with the puck. He's got a great shot.
He and Hal Gill were the only defencemen who weren't on for any of Philadelphia's goals. And Subban picked up his first NHL point on Glen Metropolit's goal.
All season long, scouts who've seen him in Hamilton have said Subban is the Canadiens' brightest prospect.
They're right.
Pierre Gauthier and Jacques Martin will have two weeks to figure out how to work the kid into the lineup.
Someone else for Gauthier to think about: Carey Price.
No, the loss was not his fault. As the Canadiens climbed back into the game, Price made key stops to keep them there.
But you still see the lapses in Price's concentration, the costly failure to control loose pucks.
I think Jaro Halak will get the start for the absolutely must-win rematch.
And then there will be two weeks during which Halak will play for Slovakia in Vancouver, Price will stew over a star-crossed season and Gauthier will weigh whether to make a move involving either goaltender before the March 3 deadline.
For now, the focus is on the Saturday game.
The Canadiens can win one for Jaro Spacek.
And as was the case when the great team of the 1970s dethroned the Broad Street Bullies, the Canadiens can win one for good hockey.
• • •
A huge thank-you to my hosts for Live Blog on the Road:
My good friend Josie Gold, her husband, the hilariously un-PC Dr. Cleve Ziegler, and the hockey-loving boys: Zach, Mike, Benji and Matt.
We were happily stuffing our faces while the Canadiens scored two goals. And some of the observations during the Opening Ceremonies could not be repeated in a family hockey blog.
But it was a thousand laughs, and I'm most grateful.
Habs Inside/Out main RSS feed
Hitler's Germany, huh? Jesus - and they say Philadelphians are boorish.
WOW . Eklund's tweet. WOW. If ever the lines were blurred between hack wanna be sports insider and "idiots"
Well Gauthier its your team now and the way PK skated last night how in the heck do you send him down. He the guy now you want to start with to get this team going in the right direction . So whats up with Markov why is he not playing and will he still play for Russia. If he plays for Russia I say you offer him and Price for Doughty and that fair value because Markov is considered one of the top five d-men in the league and they get a so call franchise goalie. Now you have two young stars on d to build with. L.A has the room to take on the salary too.
Well Boone I agree with you I hate the Flyers but then again I am a equal oportunity hater because I hate the Leafs, Bruins, Buffalo, Devils, and Rangers just as much . Well maybe the Rangers not so much but the rest yes.
Boone. There is no team we HAB fans hate more than the Laffs. Just move to Southern Ontario and it intensifys beyond BELEAF (sorry Gerry FTWI). Now that they have Napoleon and Jurke running the team, the hatred is beyond.
Really? Comparing the Flyers to Hilter's armies? Talk about a classes slander.. You should be ashamed of yourself Boone, we lost a hockey game, why don't you just grow up.
I'd tell you to read between the lines but you're illiterate so it still wouldn't matter
"Philadlphia"
If you're going to compare a team to Hitler, at least spell the name of the city in which they play in correctly.
zomg!
A typo on the internet! Somebody alert Al Gore!!
Everybody get over it. We lost, move on. Game tonite against Philly.
Disappointed Halak is not playing the rest of the games this season, he's earned it.
Don't expect this average team of ours to turn it around since Bobby left his post, today or for seasons to come.
Signing these overpaid superstars is going to bite us in the butt and we'll suffer for it.
"We will win the Cup one day only with ? in the nets "
game highlights . Subban . great to watch a d men motor like that . thirteen shots on goal in first and second combined ..we lost game by not showing up in first and second..soft goal toCarter by our goalie...goalallowed by Price becomes a game winner..due to lackluster team play .. Price pays the price for poor team play in front of him . In our last two losses our guys have scored three of six goals allowed by deflection into our net.Obyrne scored the winner last night deflecting it into our ownnet.
The Philly goal that should have been waved off was the momentum changer in that game. If that goal wasn't allowed, the outcome of the game would have been very different. I don't know why everyone is on Price for the second goal. D'Ags played the point shot poorly and screened the shot. I don't think Price saw the puck until it was too late. JM saw what happened. D'Ags road the pine the rest of the way.
The Habs can't catch any breaks this year. But I'm confident they can rise above the adversity and make the playoffs. Would be much easier if the US market teams didn't garner the favour of the refs though. The Price and Subban interference non-calls were the Hab's season in a micrcosym.
Sorry Mr. Boone, but I have to disagree, I LOATHE the laffs more than the Filthydelphia Farters for the simple reason that the laffs are force-fed down our collective throats on CBC every saturday night and all the Canadian tv networks (based in TO of course) beat the laff drum at every opportunity.
I wouldn't necessarly get on Boone about the penalty to Hamrlik, but with all of the stuff the officals let go I can't believe that called Hamrlik for THAT!! He surely couldn't have expected to get called for anything in that situation.
So if a team isnt in the Cup contention they should just give up forget trying to do anything other than tanking and getting the best draft picks possible?
It makes no sense to me that we should NOT try to be competitive till the LAST GAME of our season. I dont want to give away the farm, but a 2nd round draft pick for a guy like Moore is fine. If he signs with us for next season, when he does well. If he doesnt, well at least we TRIED. Better than waiting for sure things........CAUSE THEY DONT COME. Our 2nd round draft pick in 2011 could be like 60% of our 2nd round draft picks in the last 20 years. And never play a day in the NHL. Besides, We dont know what moves we can do to get a draft pick back. Sometimes when a team doesnt want a player in return then you gove a pick, then in a different transaction when you move a player you want to...YOU GET A PICK BACK... I really think that we are blowing this whole 'SECOND ROUND DRAFT PICK?????' thing out of proportion.
There may be other teams, but only ONE Club De Hockey...
...Price needed a game before the Olympic break ...IMO it should have been the Boston game, as it followed the high the Team had following the defeat of Pittsburgh
...Washington and BOTH Philadelphia games should have been Halaks
...THAT being said, after allowing His requisite deflating early goals to put the Team behind the emotional 8-ball ...Carey did fight-back and kept Us in the game after the third-goal ...THAT must be looked at as encouraging
...Carey in My mind must play one in four games ...but Martin should be smarter selecting WHICH games
...it is perplexing to Me ...Gauthier by giving-up a 2nd Round selection for a Moore, tells Me He is intent to do whatever it takes to realize playoff revenue, whether We have any hope in hell to go very far ...and Martin is making these perplexing personnel choices such as playing Carey when EVERY point is critical to WHETHER We make the playoffs
...following The Habs as a passionate Fan is like watching a daytime TV soap-drama ...best to just sit back and not take reality too literally
Habitant means PASSIONATE HOCKEY
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=423049
...Boone is WAY off the mark in calling-out Hamrlik in that situation ...in fact if I was Hammer I would have looked to do more damage to Powe than He in the end was able to do
...there are times, no matter what the game situation, when You have to stand-up for a Team-mate ...and THAT was one of them
Habitant means PASSIONATE HOCKEY
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=423049
And yes, I'm not so disappointed in last night game with the memory of PK skating around. I kept saying to myself, this kid can move. He wasnt thrown by his forst NHL game at all, he was showing what he could do. I LOVE IT. I kept thinking, I havent seen a kid play like this in his first game in a long time. Or at least stand out. VERY VERY HAPPY. I think he did almost the impossible. He met people expectations. Which is Mount EVEREST here in MTL. Plus I'm pretty happy so far with this MOORE guy.
Game 2 tonight, should be good. I kinda want to see PRICE back in goals. HE WAS SO PISSED LAST NIGHT. But Halak will do great too.
AND BOONE...Your not the only one who was yelling at Hamrlik last night when he retaliated... I thought he should have done better. But it would have been tough to let that hit go.
There may be other teams, but only ONE Club De Hockey...
And if he signs with us?
There may be other teams, but only ONE Club De Hockey...
From what I can see he is a third line player who can score. Able to step into the second line. And all for 1 million, not bad. An upgrade from Lapierre.
If we have a bunch of guys here like Metro, Moore, Gorges and Moen for less then 1.5 million. A bunch of guys like Lapierre, Darche, and Pyatt, for under 1 million. Young prospects like Pouliot, PK, Obyrne, and SK for under 1.5 million. THEN to me we are looking good depth wise.
Our biggest problem this season has been the 3rd and 4th lines. No consistency and no big contribution. I hope we can run 3 scoring lines next season.
Pleks, Camma, AK
Gio, Gomez, Pouliot
SK, Moore, Metro
Still with guys like Darche, Moen, Pyatt, Lapierre that have good capabilities.
With Markov, PK, Hamr, Gorges, Spacek (hopefully he plays like he did last season soon)
With Gill for PK. And our special teams doing so well. I think we are going to do very well. A few little moves and I think we have put together a good team that can challenge. Plus we have this base for many years to come. Plus we have the best goalie situation in the league.....
There may be other teams, but only ONE Club De Hockey...
HEY BOONE....I though Red fisher was the only one alive to witness the 1936 Olympics. I take back what I have been saying, YOU DO LOOK GOOD FOR YOUR AGE....
There may be other teams, but only ONE Club De Hockey...
Only caught the third period. The Habs took it to Philly but, based on the 3-0 score and shot differential in favour of the latter, Montreal had obviously not been doing that during the prior two periods. No surprise in witnessing another episode of catch-up hockey from the team. Hopeful the momentum they built in the third will carry over into tonight's game. Was pleased to see Gomez lose it a bit at the end; that's the Gomez who used to drive me up the wall when he played in NY.
PK was awesome to watch. Loved his drive during the last couple of minutes. More slot presence than a few of of our notable current and recently departed forwards. The kid's going to have to keep his head up; you just know that given his puck-carrying and speed, someone's going to want to toss out the WelcomeSplat(TM) the moment he's vulnerable. Happens all the time. Who better than the mouth-breathers from Broad St.?
The opening ceremonies? I enjoyed the spectacle. There was arguably some unintended goofiness and, being from Montreal, I'm used to seeing towers missing during opening ceremonies. Having said that, those of you having a bit of a meltdown over the whole thing? Trust me on this: Your reaction has little to do with what you watched on TV.
JD
One thing:
- Agree with the WelcomeSplat (TM) fear...he better keep his head up around these guys today
No two things:
- I would have thought the phlyers were all born as gill breathers and never developed beyond that tadpole stage
No wait, three things. Definitely three thing:
- Between the lip synched vocals and fiddles and the flaccid tower I had to say that was the most comical display of public ineptitude I've seen since the Nixon administration. But the whale thing was cute.
I would have to defer to the malaise-laden Carter White House. It was so lame, it shoulda had its own Alan Thicke-penned theme song.
...when I look at PK ...it takes Me back to a young Serge Savard pre broken legs (...I believe He broke the same leg twice ...correct Me if I am wrong)
...Serge Savard was almost as exciting to watch as an offensive defencemen as Bobby Orr before breaking His legs, which limited his speed and motion after His recoveries
...PK seems stockier and more physically resiliant than Serge at a similat age ...At the NHL level though I hope He plays smart looking out for those in this game that look to hurt and damage other players
...PK will be a consistent highlight-reel for Us if He can stay healthy
...by the way,You can thank Bob Gainey for THAT ...IF You are in the mood
Habitant means PASSIONATE HOCKEY
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=423049
I like this TEAM...they've shown more spirit, competetive fire, and commitment as a TEAM than any of the Habs' teams taht I've seen or read about in the past decade. They may not be as "skilled" as some of the other individuals who've played with us before but they are committed to each other on and off the ice. These so-called "smurfs", a nickname I detest, have more heart, desire and a stronger work ethic than many of the bigger "stars" who've played here before.
I'm taking my boys to see the team play in Boston in early March and, unlike recent past visits to the Garden, I'm looking forward to this one because I know (and not hoping) that we are going to get full value for our time and money and the boys will finally see what it means to play as a TEAM.
These guys are playing in the mold of true Montreal Canadiens than many of us on this site are willing to acknowledge. Give me one Scott Gomez, who wants to be here, than any number of "Lecavaliers" who could have been here if they wanted to be!!
And let's stop bitching about Gomez's salary - it is what it is - and that's the reality of today's NHL.
Go Habs Go!
...right-on ...this Team's character, compared to last season, is like night & day
...They are missing some key component(s) ...because of this, They are inconsistent ...but there is a lot of talent on Our Team, and loads of character and professionalism
...THAT 'character & professionalism' has even rubbed-off on Sergei ...and that is exciting to Me
Habitant means PASSIONATE HOCKEY
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=423049
...My first-EVER deletion for profanity in the game blog last night ...THAT is WHAT the Philadelphia Flyers do to Me
...they brought hockey down to a level of a cess-pool
...Snyder playing to the dumb-*** mentality of Philly fans for the almighty buck since the days of Shultz et al
...ain't as bad as they use to be, but the bad memories lingers like an open latrine
Habitant means PASSIONATE HOCKEY
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=423049
PK was excellent - great what he said during interview with RDS after first period; asked if he was nervous, he answered
"why should I be nervous, I've been playing this game since I was 3 years old".
Now that we've added PK to Markov, it would be great to get rid of hamrlik and add one more puck moving defenceman - like Webber!
Any deal that can free up Hamrlik's salary and get Webber in the lineup would be sweet.
The best deal would bring a young, big, fast skating prospect forward in exchange for Hamrlik - I've suggested (and others have also suggested) Benn on Dallas is perfect.
This kid does everything Pacioretty does - except he also has a scoring touch around the net.
Benn might not be available, but there are many like him.
It might be a guy still playing junior or in the AHL - but it would be a great prospect for us to have.
Keep both goalies (no one is going to give us what they're worth because neither is NHL proven yet) - trade Hamrlik - get a top 6 forward prospect - open some cap space
We'll need big money to sign markov this coming off season.
I agree. We need cap space but I think we need it to sign Pleks not Markov. Maybe LA would be interested in Hammer. They have the cap space and he would be a good fit for their first playoff run in many years.
Subban is the real McCoy. Sure he will make some mistakes, he just needs to be paired with a stay at home partner obviously.
one of either hamrliks or spaceks contracts will have to go for sure. won't be easy moving hamr with his 5.5 million dollar cap hit though with another year left on it, hopefully new magement will be able to lure a couple of our russian prospects like emelin,korneev over,or the return of perezhogin.
Richard R
We've been debating this Price stuff for almost three years now. Ever since Gainey sent Huet away just before the
playoffs.
Carey Price isn't the reason we lost. He DID let in a soft goal and if you apply that myopically to the 3-2 score, you COULD say that had he stopped that we could have at the very least tied it. Unfortunately that would be not looking at the bigger picture. Washington is one of the best teams in the league, but they don't rely on their goalie as much as we do so that doesn't give Carey or Jaro the luxury of being average very often. In the long run the odds dictate you can't win consistently that way. Sure anyone can make the argument that Carey is NOT fully ready/developed right now, yes he has lapses in confidence/concentration but i don't believe you can say he is not NHL Material. Watching him i do believe he has the tools to be very good in the NHL, he just has to put it all together. Had it not been for Price and had you applied his overall performance rather than just the final score i believe you could say that the Habs had a chance in this game because he contributed to the team effort and made some pretty good/excellent saves. Yes he let in a softie but it happens and we are all human. NOT ONE PLAYER ON THAT TEAM PLAYED A MISTAKE FREE GAME, don't hold Price up to a different standard, it's not fair.
What makes me laugh the most are the people saying Carey will be good in the future but not right now so play Halak 100% of the time. Ok...so how does Carey get better? When you start a new job, you don't get the choice work all the time but you get something to build your confidence and work your way up. I'm not going to argue the point about whether you think Carey was given the #1 moniker before he deserved it. That's a whole other situation and not relevant for this discussion. At the present time it appears management has accepted that he may have been rushed up too soon but now they need to manage that situation and he needs to get better in the meantime i think it is a given that Halak is the #1 right now. Currently Price is being worked in to some games to give him an opportunity to practice what he is learning and to gain that experience and be ready to assist if we make the playoffs/Jaro goes down with Injury (it's called managing your ASSETS). If Carey sits on the bench they had might as well trade him because he isn't going to learn anything sitting on the bench. As Habs fans we are VERY concerned about winning RIGHT NOW AND ALL THE TIME EVERY TIME, but you still have to develop your players (you can't just buy a winning team, you need to manage your assets, correct mistakes, and be pleasantly surprised by your successes). Based on some of the posts here we should never play any of the Hamilton guys because "THEORETICALLY" they aren't better than the veteran players and so should stay down because you can't win without your best players on the ice. But it's not an option, injuries/showcasing talent for trades/assessing value of future players all play into the decisions you have to make to run a team. At the end of the day you whine about this and that but Price still managed to pull out a win against WASHINGTON (a goal scoring machine). Yes the team almost blew it but they still won, if the end result is winning, which is what appears to be the reason why PRICE shouldn't be playing then that doesn't hold water because he won against Washington. I know the logic is "but he could have lost it and HALAK would have won BETTER", but again look at the big picture. Whatever the HABS want to do with Price, ANYTHING they could do relies on him getting better. If they want to trade him they need to showcase to other teams that he can play. If they want to keep him, he needs to help the team and has to play, and you don't give up on a 22 year old with that much potential. Yes it's potential and if you want to keep it or trade it you need to develop it so whatever side of the coin you are on with Carey you still need to try to tap/develop/augment that potential in the eyes of everyone if you want to tap into that value.
So at the end of the day here is my synopsis. HALAK is playing better than Carey at the moment. Give him the bulk of the games. Play Carey on a "REGULAR" rotation (Regular= something to keep him tuned up while giving the bulk to Halak whatever is deemed to be good for development purposes) Work him in gradually and give him more responsibility when it is deserved and while all this is happening assess the progress or lack thereof and determine which assets need to be moved if at all and move forward. Use the model i call the REAL WORLD and allow people a chance to develop into what they can be and assess your situation from there, just like you do in the a real job and just like what is done to regular working stiffs like all of us on here.
At the end of the day whether it be HALAK or PRICE or both they are Montreal Canadiens and we will need ALL the players on the team to contribute in whatever way they can if we want to get to the playoffs. Rather than beat them down every player ("Flavor of the day") day in and day out for things that are taken completely out of the context of the big picture, why not try to support whoever is playing on a given night and suck it up. YOU WIN AS A TEAM AND YOU LOSE AS A TEAM! For anyone that has kids do you trade your kid or give up on him/her when he comes home from school with a bad grade? No, you help them achieve their potential whatever that potential will be. At the end of the day they have a role to play and so might as well help them develop into that role whether it be #1 goalie, backup goalie or trade bait!
I didn't even want to post this because i can only imagine what people are going to trump out to say why i'm wrong but at the end of the day it's not a matter of right or wrong because that doesn't exist in this scenario. What is right today may not be right tomorrow that's LIFE! Even the best team on a 14 game win streak can have their fortunes reversed. Winning streaks are just a step away from a losing streak. So while people assume that the goalie/team/player/coach that is winning today may not be winning tomorrow you need to prepare for that eventuality by developing ALL your players and trying to get contributions from everyone in some way shape or form. Bottom line is Carey doesn't serve anyone sitting on the end of the bench for the entire season. Play Halak the majority of the games and give Carey a chance to develop because right now that seems to be the best option. He is a good goalie (Compare his stats to other goalies in the league he's not as bad as some make him out to be taking into account his age and experience) learning the ropes on a mediocre team (due to injuries). Giving up on him or anyone on the team isn't my idea of a good idea. Currently HALAK is playing lights out hockey and his attitude and play has been a boon to this team and he deserves to be playing he deserves to be #1. With that said management may decide to trade PRICE if they evaluate that he can't get over his deficiencies or they don't have the patience to wait it out, but until that time comes he HAS to play and he has to learn/develop if they want to get any value for him...as a player on this team or not.
Whatever the case, i hope both goalies and the entire team can get healthy and play to their potential as i would love to see them get the success i think they deserve! After all the injuries all season it would be nice to field a fully healthy team to see what we can really do. Because right now they are playing as good as you can given all the injuries we have sustained. All i can say to sum this up is GO HABS GO.
Good luck tonight boys and rest up for the home stretch afterwards!
Best read whilst listening to Tchaikovsky (Symphony #4)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-c1LLZaVCA
Are you saying it was a bit long?! lol I wont apologize for being passionate and long winded.
You're right of course. I also think people make promises, and Halak is promised to the Olympics. An exhausted Halak isn't keeping your promise.
There are a lot of things right with the Habs, and a lot of things wrong. Goaltending isn't one of the things wrong. Instead of crowing about the Habs playing another great period, we might ask "How come every team in the league only play 40 good minutes of hockey?".
The Habs are underachievers as a team. Last year they collapsed when all the other teams geared up for the stretch run. The year before they collapsed when they hit the playoffs and a team they had beaten 8 straight, and who they had down 3-0, almost took it from them by winning three straight.
Despite goal being strong, it is not spectacular. Both goalies are too young for that. Desjardins looks promising, but usually struggles his first year at a new level. That means he would have to be a 20 game player for a few years. That means one of Price or Halak (2 years older) needs to step it up before a decision can be made.
It would be easier if the team stepped it up, then everyone could simply relax and play better. The Lats remarks about being unmotivated because he knew he didn't fit in say it all with this team. Pouty. Spoiled. Underachiever. Buckets of unrealized talent.
I would rather watch them play 60 minutes of good hockey, than watch them win on 20 minutes and luck. Play by play guys and color guys focus on the goalie because they are babbling. So we often do. You will likely recall that the game looks different, the goalie less important, when you are close to it. Teams win games, not goalies. A goalie can lose a game but the rules are written so that it is really, really difficult for a goalie to score a winning goal.
I smell a candidate for longest freakin' post ever.
Go Habs Go!
On the cusp of the Olympics i thought i should do my part and go for the GOLD.
DId you read it at least, do you have an opinion or just that it was the longest post ever?
Should i have written BOOB GAINEY, Carey SUCKS, LAPIERRE Is a BUM, GOMEZ has too much money, Spacek is a sissy, i can spell Kostitsyn, I see dead people....
HOOOOORAY we have PK SUBBAN ....finally up with the big boys...HOOOORAYYYY..YAY..
..WHY am i soooo happy.????????????CUZ he's not a useless pilon like the rest of 'em.(excluding Markov,of course)
We gave the Flyers a good game on the road with a depleted roster. We'll take them tonight. Hope we get the same homer reffing. I've said it before and I'll say it again, PK will be a superstar in this league. Nice to see Moore get one right away. As for Price, yes the second goal was a little weak, that's the butterfly for you, but he made some great saves as well. Ken Dryden was know to let in more than the odd soft goal too, ya know. We have to shoot more often and we have to score. Maybe we should have kept that Leighton guy and traded both our goalies? What a bunch of maroons!
How did that first Flyers' goal count? Carter (I think, I don't really remember) pushed Price into the net with his stick, clear as day. Blatant case of goaltender interference and the ref was right there. That could have made for a very different game (i.e. we could have got at least one point). I don't care which teams we're talking about, you never want a game decided by poor officiating.
Wow, finally an exciting player to watch. PK may make you nervous sometimes but man can he rush with puck. One good thing he doesn't seem nervous doing it. He seems very confident in his abilities. It,s to bad Pleks didn't see him standing there waiting for the puck with a few seconds left, he was wide open. Looking forward tonight's game. Moore didn't look to bad either.
The Internet has done wonders for dispelling myths. Most key and relevant to this discussion is the myth that Canadiens fans are some of the most intelligent and insightful thoughtful fans in the game. I simply can't deal with this place anymore - there was a time when the comments section at HI/O, be it the game blog, the About Last Night, or any of the other threads was intelligent and thoughtful. That time has passed and it is now a cesspool of bile, hatred, and knee-jerk reactions to conflate minutiae within a game to a full-fledged condemnation of the team's strategy and personnel. I'm done with it. I'll continue to enjoy the site, the commentaries provided by Boone, Stubbs, Mio, and the rest of the Gazette staff, but for me the page ends when the tags are posted.
Those of you that want to keep in touch know where to find me. If for some reason you don't, here's my email: rmcadam@dal.ca - feel free to drop a line and we can meet up on Facebook or wherever.
The Timo's and other negative nellies have won - congratulations and enjoy your hate festivals.
----- "Come on, let's keep a little optimism here." -- Han Solo, Return of the Jedi
I think i have what you have....
I hear you. If you're really gone, sorry to lose you. But I certainly know how you feel.
I come here for the current news and that's pretty much it. Used to post here more often but it's getting tired... trying to infuse a little postivity here feels like a waste of time. I'm a fan of the team and most people seem to be addicts - keep engaging with the Habs even though it apparently makes them miserable. I don't know what kind of site the Gazette wants here, but the tone keeps getting lower and the hits keep going up, so that probably tells you something.
You may already know this... there are lots of very good blogs - The H Does Not Stand for Habs and Lions in Winter stand out - that are able to keep the comments section focused and reasonable. That's where I spend most of my Habs time now and may see you there.
Agreed. Sometimes the idiocy here is unbearable. (shiloh)
Go Habs Go!
Mr Boone,
"Fearless prediction: P.K. Subban will be playing his second NHL game in frnt of hometown fans who'll be chanting his initials.
Was that a great debut or what?
Subban is the first Candiens Dman not named Andrei Markov who is capable of skating the puck out, moving it through the neutral zone and attacking the O-zone at speed.
P.K. is smart with the puck. He's got a great shot."
He is the real deal !! Best draft pick in a while!! This guy and Markov can be a 1-2 punch.
or replace him when he becomes a UFA.....
In Guy Boucher I trust.
I did not see the game last night, but it doesn't matter. Why? Because the real season will start after the Olympics.
After the Olympics it would not surprise me to see Halak in nets 90% of the time.
It is not time for Price. Not yet, you see flashes of brilliance and then a softie goes in.
So let's go with Halak all the way and see what happens.
Price is the future be it in 1 or 2 years. I keep saying he's like Fleury, Yes I do know who plays in front of Fleury...
From what I saw in the highlights PK was flying. Good for him but he'll be a welcomed additon next year, let him win in Hamilton. That will help his development. Hopefully JM will not ask him to be like Rick Greene next year.
As for tonight against the Flyers, We ALL hate them, but why do we hate them ? Becasue they have players that get under your skin. Do we have that type of player ? Nope....
We need an SOB. Remember we had Tucker at one point, Nilan, Skrudland, Keane (heck he's still playing for the Moose, I think...) you get the idea....
Our future is in Hamilton in more ways than one. Next year out top prospect is not PK, it's Guy Boucher.
In Guy Boucher I trust.
Obviously there are two groups of fans. The younger PC crowd that thinks making the playoffs is fine,and would be happy if every game was a tie,and the over 30 crowd that wants to see this team have a legit shot at contending.Any A-hole can see this small,brittle team isn't built for a long,hard playoff run.It's also obvious which crowd the ownership is targeting to feed their bottom line
You bring an interesting point about the Hab fan. I was wondering who in the HIO crowd likes Price and who doesn't.
My feeling is that if your are older say over 30, you tend to view people who "have it maid" with disdain and that they didn't pay their dues. I think these people tend to favor Halak as opposed to the younger fan you wants Price.
Being in the over 30 crowd, I believe in the pay your dues. So I tend to favor Halak and know that the future will belong to Price....
What do you think ?
In Guy Boucher I trust.
Since you asked, I think you're both dead wrong.
I have hated the Flyers since that big feeling a** hole Lindros played for them.Hartnell with that fuzzy hair-man I would like to rip his head off !!!!Where is Robinson when you need him. Bill Barber must still be with them- teaching diving....they go down pretty easily for the BSB !!!! How did that fairy-Brier get on their team ? I'm so glad he isn't a Hab. I always hated Stevens because I thought he told them to goon it up but with that lineup,what else can they do?? I am looking forward to tonight so much...Go Habs Go
If JM was an idiot he would not be coaching the Montreal Canadiens. Do you have that little faith in our franchise to believe that they would hire an idiot to run the team? JM and his crew have this team in playoff contention with a brand new team that has been injured all year. If you ask the rest of the league (not bitter Habs fans) they will tell you that he's done a a hell of a job.
Rejean Houle and Mario Tremblay. Nuff said.
----- "Come on, let's keep a little optimism here." -- Han Solo, Return of the Jedi
is there anything more we want from a Hab than Gomez gives? He's doing everything but death to contribute. A man.
How about more points? I would also accept less salary cap disastrousness.
Full Breezer 4 Life
Points-wise, in our team situation he does well, I think (and he makes any linemate he has play better.) We'll never agree on the salary cap situation, so we'll let it slide ;--)
On a happier note: rarely have I been prouder to call myself a Canadian. Wonderful ceremony!!! Loved the truly Canadian symbolism and iconography. Very well done!
Wow you people are unbelievable...
Harpooned into his net with no one bothering to help out, an own-goal against, but still 30 out of 33 shots while not giving up, and a team that only bothered to show up in the 3rd and you're blaming the goalie? Smooth guys. You're awesome fans.
That Carter goal was a beauty.
Seconded. Cost 1 point. The rest of the team not showing up for 40 minutes cost the other 1.
Only saw the first two periods after pvr ing it...
I am so F*#ckin sick of watchin Carey PRICE!!!
Sorry all you Price lovers but this kid aint got what it takes......
Maybe he did in juniors.... maybe he did in the AHL against a bunch of wanna be NHL'ers, here... in the bigs.... he ain't gonna cut it!!!!!
Send him down and make him earn his way to the top, Gainey fucked it all up by handing him the starting role after a mediocre half season to start his career.
Thanks Bob.
What? Cause he gave up one bad goal? CLUELESS ARE U? "FAITH" is believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe....
DUH, it's called WAIVERS.....He would be swept up in a heartbeat.
Think before you spew useless drible.....
I hate Martin. I can't believe we are stuck with that clueless moron for the next 4 years. He will kill whatever little good there is about this midget team. Stupid stupid a-hole.
You are an idiot. Anything you say is not worth the text.
Drinking game: a shot for every Timo posting that starts with "I hate." Youse got a whole lotta drinkin' ahead!
the real trick is that he greases up the cow sack with bag balm
Im sick of the "blame the goalie every loss" BS that goes on day in and day out here. Our netminders are a fraction of what ails the Habs, please for pete's sake, get that through your heads!
Losers Even After Forty two Seasons
Maybe you need to get this through your head - we have one goalie named Halak who wins much more than he loses, and one goalie named Price who loses much more than he wins. Just a suggestion - play the one who wins. Why is this so hard to figure out?
But you are right about one thing - the netminders are not a problem. Only one netminder is. Clearly not the only problem, but a big one, if the powers that be insist on trying to make him what he is not (a starter). Right now, he should play one of every 5 games, if that. maybe in the future he will be a starter, but certainly not now.
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Don't argue with an idiot; people watching may not be able to tell the difference.
Halak is not the saviour that everyone claims to see him, just watch.
Losers Even After Forty two Seasons
Who's calling Halak a savior? I'm calling him only one thing - better than Price.
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Don't argue with an idiot; people watching may not be able to tell the difference.
Correction: better than Price, right now.
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http://berkshireonthehabs.blogspot.com/
Yes Andrew, definitely "right now". But right now, it happens to be right now. Later will be later. Time will tell, but I want to win today as much as I want to win tomorrow.
And you know I have NEVER been an advocate for trading Price - just to see him earn his spot and be a back-up until he does.
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Don't argue with an idiot; people watching may not be able to tell the difference.
And I agree that Halak should be the starter right now. I was as confused as anyone at his starting tonight.
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http://berkshireonthehabs.blogspot.com/
You weren't alone.
Unfortunately it appears Price has the attention span of a 5 year old and nods off or takes a mental snooze at the most inopportune times.
If he is getting bombed with shots he elevates his play if he is left alone for periods of time he will let in a softie usually at the worst times.
Ken Dryden used to appear doing the same thing but he was usually keeping his mind busy by counting people in sections of the Forum not snoozing or so he said.
Dryden also infuriated Habs fans with a stinker now and then but never more than one per game.
"The three stars as selected by Red Fisher of the Montreal Star: 1st star: Henri Richard 2nd Star: Doug Harvey 3rd Star: Jacques Plante Final score Detroit Red Wings 5 Montreal Canadiens 3"
I didnt say you, I ment in general.
Losers Even After Forty two Seasons
I agree. The coach is a freakin' moron!
Question: do you want to make the playoffs this year? Only 18 games left, and we are dangling, precariously on the edge: in 7th, 1 point ahead of both Boston and Tampa Bay, but they both have 3 games in hand. And 10th place Atlanta only a point back of them. One goalie has a 17-9-2 record with a .927 save %, the other is 12-18-4 with a .911.
Enough of the egalitarian nonsense. Halak should start at least 12-14 of the last 18.
Hell yeah I want t make the playoffs.
Losers Even After Forty two Seasons
If Halak doesn't get the start tomorrow, I will never again have any faith whatsoever in this management group and coach. Halak has carried us this year and he got us into the playoffs last year. He has earned his starts.
The game is far more exciting when Halak is in - our guys skate and move up ice because they know they can trust the guy in net.
Team played confidently when they were shut out by the league's worst offence last Sunday?
Team played confidently when they squeaked out a barely-managed win against Boston earlier that week with Halak giving up crappy goals, he could've had a shutout if he'd played worth a damn.
Team played confidently when they were slack and the Senators took them 3-2 and Fischer beat Halak cleanly on the breakaway no less for the winning goal?
Team played confidently when they stank up in a 2-1 loss to the Panthers?
Team played confidently when they scored 2 quick ones against NYR, than sat around for the rest of the game and lost 6-2?
Yeah, the team is always playing confidently with Halak in nets, you're full of crap.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu. http://habsandhockey.blogspot.com/