Game 50: Lang, Latendresse hurt in loss

Everybody is making excuses for kovy(bad coaching,lousy line mates,not enough time)Maybe it,s time to lay some of the responsibilty on him.

BTW many other coaches have been frustrated with Kovalev in the past. Carbo is not the only coach that has problems motivating the 'enigma'. Ask Campbell or Keenan about it...

Yesterday, I was speaking with my uncle (Was the goaltending coach for the Wild on their first year) why Carbonneau was always shuffling his lines all the time and coming out in the papers with his comments on his players. His explanation was interesting. Carbonneau used to play under Scotty Bowman. Back then, Bowman was a tough and hard coach because the times permitted it. But today, the hard line doesn't work any more. Scotty was able to adjust his coaching style as time passed, but he thinks Carbonneau is unable to ... right now. He just doesn't know how to do it. "Why didn't Laraque score 50 goals this year?"

Just posted on the habs website... http://canadiens.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=... Lang underwent successful surgery... Hope you get better Langs!!!

Today's NHL coach has to be more than just a guy in a suit behind the bench screaming "change 'em up" every now and then. He needs to be a teacher, a psychologist, a motivator, a babysitter, a tactician, a problem solver, but most of all, he needs to put the team ahead of everything else, and right now, his ego is getting in the way by alienating Kovy. I believe that Carbo has not made use of any and all means at his disposal to get the most out of this team this season. Granted, this is not the same squad he guided atop the regular season last year - thanks for letting Streit walk, Bob - but too many players have taken too many steps back. The only bright lights, until his injury yesterday, was Lang. It took a while for him to get going but once he got in a groove he was our most consistent player. If Carbo cannot, at least, find the right buttons to push to squeeze everything out of what assets he has, he needs to go. So far, he has shown that he's unable to find a balance in the carrot-and-the-stick approach.

no articles on lang yet? hes a huge loss, and the fact he was such a huge mentor to the team this year makes it even worse. i feel bad for him, his career might be over.

If CardEgo was a better coach he'd know how to get Kovalev going again... but since he's all worried about losing his job he can do whatever he wants... Wake up and smell the coffie Carbo you need Kovalev on this team to win. Benching Kovy is not the best way to get him going, if you haven't figured it out by now that will only piss him off even more. You basically need to have a heart to heart with him and ask him what he believes is wrong and how he thinks it could be fixed. Don't tell him what to do, let him tell you how he's going to get himself out of this and you work with that. Kovy is an emotional player CarboEgo better deal with this delicatly or else good bye season...

Hey dintrox I was hatched a habs fan 61 yrs ago and I,ll die a habs fan.The reason we have opinions is because we care; we,re not indefferent so get off your high horse tabardnac.

Vinny VS Saku... Here is an interesting statistic for all you Hab fans who believe that Vinny is the next hab's Messiah. Please go on line and check how many games and how many points Saku has compared to Vinny and then reply back to this post and tell me if you think one man makes a team. After you check and double check and compare the stats, ask yourself if it's worth a 10 million dollar risk. Go ahead.... I'm waiting.... Real Men Wear Black

Let's face it, the Habs lost yesterday because they had a big Maple Leaf on their chest, losing comes with that type of jersey.

Well one Thing I gotta say is I used to follow Hockey on and off always routing for the Habs mind you but this year I have been following it missing maybe 1 or two games and to those of you that don't think we have a Stanley Cup Team you're dead wrong. Now Gainey and Carbonneau have put a team together that can bring home a cup when they play up to their potential now that's just something that hasn't happened in a long time. But if you watch for it you can definitely see it. Halak was absolutely amazing against Boston earlier this year while Price was injured felt like I was watching Price not Halak D'agostini has great position on the ice and can often get himself open for scoring chances a lot of players don't notice him including his own. Was at the leafs game in January and saw plenty of Times that D'Ags could have gotten the puck Andrei Kostitsyn, When that guy is on his on sadly when he's cold he's cold. O'byrne now I hated that guy when I saw him start this year he just didn't look up to the task, these past few games wow what a huge difference if he had been playing like that all season where would be now. Kovalev, Where's the Kovi we saw at the all star game passing actually looking to pass rather than charge in on a great breakaway. Where is the team player who set up some nice plays. All-Star Kovi would be great to see on the Ice in Montreal regularly. And I could go on and on and on. I think the issue we have is this one when the guys play good they are amazing and when they are bad they are terrible but they don't play as a team. So far the only part of the team that has worked since you put them together, Steve Begin, Guillaume Latendresse, Tom Kostopolous and Maxime Lapierre. Look at the ligne no matter what caliber of team we are playing they have at least 5 or 6 good scoring chances per game (Just gotta capitalize more) That's the one part of our team that worked really well. Also Koivu with D'agostini wow were those two in Synch. Now it's up to the coache and the players, the team needs to get in synch and needs to amp it up, we are hurting but when you look what was added to the ligne up this year how can you not see a great cup contender if the guys were playing the way they needed to be and could be With all the talent we have this team really could be a contender but unlike teams like Boston and San Jose we don't have great team work and we see a lot of poor and lazy decision sometimes (I'm looking at you Komisarek why are we so rushed to clear the zone when we have control with 3 seconds left take you're time make the right play) We did play really well against the leagues best team and it cost us the thing is not to say thing like Doom and Gloom, Gainey and Caroboneau have done a great job and we had the team they just weren't and still aren't meshing together. Once they can find that great team play(I'm talking to you Kovalev) and play at their full potential you'll see just how good the Habs really are. I'm waiting to watch us bounce back tomorrow and show the NHL who we really are. We did amazingly well when bitten bad by the Injury bug let's do it again!!! I believe Go Habs Go

Here's an interesting scenario what if you couldnt trade anyone? Ya had to fix what you have and were allowed two additional players to fix what you have.What would you do.I have my ideas but I'd be curious to see what folks would do if they couldnt trade or fire the whole team.

I've been a Habs fan for almost 3 decades. I have seen some highs ('86 and 93 come to mind) and some lows ( the 4 -5 year span just before Mr. Gillette bought the team.). But I never give up on the Habs. Some of you want to call it a season with 30+ games to play and a month until the trading deadline. Well, go hang up your sweater and get off the band wagon. See ya later when times are good. As for me, I wear the colours with pride and I believe we will make the playoffs in 4th or 5th and from there who knows.

I wonder what Big Jean,Henri,Yvan are thinking about the kovy situtation?Great players don,t think their great they just play great no mattwer whose on their line.Pretty sad when your supposed best player sulks because of his line mates.It,s too bad kovy doesn,t play the game with the same passion that Begin does.The man needs a heart transplant.

It's over...can someone shut off the lights...thanks!!

OBYRNE vs HENRY vs BREEZE so lets answer a more important question thats being overshadowed by the Kovy/Lang/Carb/Gorges news etc... what do you think of OBRYNE & HENRY and have they displaced Breeze? I think they have 110%. Obryne has been VERY solid since returning, and has been very very physical with no big mistakes. His hit on Ryder was awesome and that element alone puts him above Breeze. As for HENRY, we need that tough SOB on the roster, Larock isn't around and will not fight all the time with the code BS, but not HENRY....if you think that element isn't needed going down the stretch, then you don't know hockey....as for his defensive play? STELLAR SOLID, very little error, in fact NO error. very stay at home, which is good. the only downside is their outlet passes...but what would you rather have? an outlet pass or TOUGHNESS, 6'6" 235lb ANIMALS....ask Philly if they'd rather play against Henry/obryne, or the old man...