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posted by Mike Boone at 12h07 EST on Jul 25
Sundin has the potential to make the centennial season one of the most exciting and, inshallah, successful in the team's glorious history.
He's that good – even at 37.
For the two seasons that Habs Inside/out has been in existence, I've watched every game the Canadiens have played against Toronto. Sundin has excelled in all of them.
He's 6'5", weighs 240 lbs. and uses every inch and ounce of it. Sundin is a major load that no Canadiens defenceman – not even Mike Komisarek – has been able to handle.
In addition to being a solid player in all three zonesSundin drives the net. The importance of this skill – conspicuously lacking among Canadiens' forwards – cannot be overstated.
The Canadiens led the NHL in scoring last season. But during the playoffs, the attack fizzled.
Defence tightens up in postseason hockey. There is less space, less time to make decisions, fewer pretty passing plays and tic-tac-toe goals. Most of the goals are scored within a radius of about 10 feet from the net.
Teams study video and analyze tendencies. Nowhere was this more obvious than in the way Philadelphia shut down the Canadiens' power play.
The Flyers overplayed Alex Kovalev when he had the puck. They clogged the slot and took away the cross-ice passes that set up Andrei Markov one-timers during the regular season. They pressured Mark Streit into bad decisions at the point.
The only forward willing to skate into heavy traffic in front of Martin Biron was Saku Koivu. The captain is 5'10" – and it's all balls.
The front of the net is not place for the testicularly challenged. Two players who excel at crowding goaltenders – Tomas Holmstrom and Johan Franzen – took a fearsome pounding in the playoffs.
You can't win games that count without players willing to pay the price.
Guillaume Latendresse may turn into that kind of player.
Max Pacioretty will – but he's at least a year away from the Show.
Mats Sundin would give the Canadiens instant net-crowding credibility – and a lot more.
Let's be honest: a Sundin signing would not guarantee a 25th Stanley
Cup. The road to centennial season glory runs through Pittsburgh,
Philadelphia, New York, Ottawa– and that's just the East.
Canadiens have two young goaltenders and a defenbce corps that is not deep. There were no serious injuries last season – what are the odds of that happening again?
But just try these forward lines on for size:
Tanguay-Sundin-Kovalev
AK46-Plekanec-SK74
Higgins-Koivu-Latendresse
And let's not hear any nonsense about Saku Koivu being "demoted" to the third line.
On a Guy Carbonneau team, everyone plays significant minutes. And even without Streit, Carbo will have intriguing power-play possibilities. He could go with three dangerous waves.
Let's be honest: a Sundin signing would not guarantee a 25th Stanley Cup. The road to centennial season glory runs through Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York, Ottawa – and that's just the East.
Barring injury – and he's been remarkably durable – Mats Sundin would have a spectacular season in Montreal. His praises would be sung to the Bell Centre rafters by 21,273 worshippers.
Yes, Vancouver would make Sundin the highest-paid player in the league. And in the wonderful world of free-market capitalism, there's no such thing as enough money.
But Sundin comes from one of the global greedfest's breakway provinces.
Michael Farbner of Sports Illustrated tells a great story about Hakan Andersson, Detroit's genius director of European scouting:
A couple seasons ago, the Wings a famously generous and high-class (and not coincidentally, successful) organization – wanted to pay Andersson a bonus.
He turned it down. The super scout thanked Detroit management but said he made enough money (there's that oxymoronic phrase) to live very well in Sweden.
Interesting people, the Swedes.
And – as we may learn soon – they can play a little hockey.
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I just came upon this piece and really liked what i read about Matts.All your points were well thought out, especially concerning his play in all three zones.I have been on the fence about him coming to montreal,but i now think his game could help put us over the top.Very well written article Mike. Cheers from mexico
Hey Boone, INSHALLAH? Where did that come from? I love it.
"If Allah wills it" or "God willing"
I have seen it before written this way: "Insha'Allah," which is more like it sounded to me when I have heard it.
Kovy won't be selling any golf DVDs any time soon:
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/07/24/sports/GLF-European-Tour.php
Did he deliberately shoot a +27?
That is what happens when you try and use your lucky hockey stick instead of a sand wedge in the traps. +27??? Even I can play better than that.
not sure if anyone saw this yet but I love the shots at the Bruins and Leafs..
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/sports/story.html?id=24302cee-95...
That is just a beautiful article! snif...
Somebody said there is something going on over here. Something about going to Montreal?
Well said Mike. You certainly have a way with the words. Everytime you take time to address the Sundin situation in detail, it reactivates my belief he will come here. I am sure Gainey presented something similiar to him, but it is killing me that I don't know for sure.
Plus, a good hockey read in the middle of summer is always appreciated.
Andrei-Sundin-Kovalev
Tanguay-Koivu-Higgins
Latendresse-Plek-Sergei
latendresse and sergei have good chemistry, they'd go well together.
Foolish lines young grasshopper
We got Tanguay so he could play with Sundin, or rather so we would have a linemate for Sundin. He would be a waste of space anywhere else.
Gotta love those Habs.
i don't think it's fair to pleky to kick him off andrei's and kovy's line...give them a few games to see if their chemistry is still good together then tinker the other two lines. break them up IF necessary.
I love these combinations
Hey! Pleky learned how to go to the net in the last few Philly games. He scored from five feet away too!
http://habsloyalist.blogspot.com
And by the way these will be the lines.
Tanguay Sundin Higgins
AK. Pleks Kovalev
Latts Koivu Sergei
Laraque Laps Kostopolous.
Chipchura looking to steal a job, Begin as depth in the press box.
Gotta love those Habs.
Too much for one hab faithfull to handle. Don't tease me oh lord don't tease me.
Gotta love those Habs.
mr. boone.. i've been meaning to ask you, and now you have quoted leonard i get the chance. were you at the first LC show on june 23rd? thought i saw you leaving the bathroom, but figured it a bad time to say hi :)
Yes, I was there.
Amazing show, eh?
i have seen a lot of shows in the past 7 years... that was the best. most emotional musical performances i've ever witnessed (see "hallelujah" & the spoken word "a thousand kisses deep"). glad you got to enjoy it as well. love your work here.. keep it up!
Please tell me that he had washed his hands. :)
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He wiped 'em real well on his pants and then shook hands with a passing fan who had washed his own hands. Good enough?
If he didn't, at least he wasn't cooking anyone's supper that night, unlike 'Poppie'.
A classic Seinfeld episode if there ever was one!
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well I bet Mike's peed on a few sofas in his day..jk Mike
Hell I got caught double dipping a chip by my gf's kid and she freaked worse than Timmy..
he was there. . . see his blog from the day after
http://habsinsideout.com/main/8621
Hate to break it to you Mike but on Hackel's blog he reports that Sundin denied he would make a decision on the 1st and says he'll decide sometime in august.
Apparently RDS just misinterpreted Barry's saying the 1st was a goal.
To the tune of "The Future"
Give me back my hockey stick
my locker room, my hockey pads
it's lonely here,
It's T.O. I must torture
Give me absolute control
7 mil will make me whole
And climb aboard my shoulders,
that's an order!
I know that there's the crazy press
But no more fans in TO left
So they should stuff it up the hole
in their culture
I'll give back my AC stall,
give me Crescent and St Paul
I've seen the future, brothers:
we'll be murder.
Things are going to glide, glide in my direction
Won't be nothing
Nothing they can't stop us anymore
The blizzard, the blizzard of the world
has crossed the threshold
and it has overturned
the order of the soul
When Habs fans said REPENT REPENT
I now know they meant
When Habs fans said REPENT REPENT
I now know they meant
When Habs fans said REPENT REPENT
I now know they meant
You don't know me from the wind
you never will, you never did
I'm the little swede
who tops your scoring
I've seen Leafs Nation rise and fall
I've heard your stories, heard them all
but money's your one engine of survival
Your servant here, he has been told
to say it clear, to say it cold:
It's over, TO isn't going
further
And now my futile games must stop
the Habs have got the future crop
Get ready for that future:
we'll be murder
Things are going to slide ...
There'll be the breaking of the CBC's
old code
Don Cherry's head will suddenly explode
There'll be phantoms
There'll be fires on the road
with the Hab's fans dancing
You'll see Leafs fans'
heads hanging and their brows will frown
Their lips not uttering a single sound
and all their lousy little fan sites
coming down
they'll be fit to be Charles Mansons
while the Habs fan's dancin'
I'll give back my AC stall,
give me Crescent and St Paul
Give me pucks
You'll think that you are dreaming
Destroy another Leafs team now
They act like like children anyhow
I've seen our future, baby:
we'll be murder
Things are going to slide ...
When they said REPENT REPENT ...
Hysterical, Doug. A masterpiece of parody. :)
Gilbert
2008/09 is the season of the Habs
Well put Mike.
You're point about the Carbo/Gainey (!?) system revolving around 3/4 lines is well taken and I dont believe that ranking them has any real credence in this system - with the exception of the Laraque/Max/Begin line...
I think I've finally gotten over the internal nightmare of Mats in Bleu-Blanc-Rouge and realise that he's the missing piece.
I hope he knows that too...
Marleau still fits should it all go to hell in a handbasket... but then I'd put him between Higgs and Lats, and place Koivu between Kovy and Tanguay. For the regular season anyway...
A Hab is a Hab is a Hab, you see...
You're forgetting the fact that getting a player like Marleau would likely mean losing a roster player like Higgins.