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About Dave Stubbs
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Dave Stubbs
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About
Dave Stubbs has been a sportswriter since 1976, which was roughly a decade after he wore the first of many holes through the knees of his jeans playing nets in road hockey (using a modified butterfly popularized by Hall of Famer Glenn Hall). He still has the welts to show on his shins from that rotten, frozen orange ball.
Stubbs kept thick hockey scrapbooks filled with game summaries and Gazette and Montreal Star stories, collected dozens of Bee Hive Corn Syrup photos and put a fortune of hockey cards through the spokes of his bikes. First book ever owned: Scrubs On Skates, the classic by Scott Young (Neil's dad).
Stubbs's fantasy is to travel back in time to the 1950s and watch the great Canadiens dynasty that won five consecutive Stanley Cups. Or a decade earlier, to watch Elmer Lach centre Rocket Richard and Toe Blake on the fearsome Punch Line. Or at least to get Rogie Vachon into the Hockey Hall of Fame – where he belongs.
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Sweeet
Carbo,Kevin Weekes and " Glenn Healy " have all joined HNIC
Glenn Healy ...I'd rather ..i don't bel;ieve I'm saying this ... have Bob Cole !!!
I'll be mad if he joins the CBC's anti-Habs chorus that's been refraining for years now.
Maybe Carbo will have a grudge against the Habs, and keep talking smack about them....
Losers Even After Forty two Seasons
For all the Carbo bashing I've done, my first instinct is that CBC just gained some credibility.
http://berkshireonthehabs.blogspot.com/
I'd sure tune in for that; ain't gonna lie.
Peace Out
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Lord Bugs Potter, esq. Emir of Al-Hab Habbala, Sheikh of Sheestleton, and Apostle of the Successors of The Flannel.
He can finish the job on that a-hole Milbury that Robinson started years ago.
Milbury has never fully recovered from that beating and the funny part was
Milbury threw the first punch, such a gentleman Big Bird was and still is to this day.
Go Habs Go !!
Maybe Carbo can bring some credibility to a program that sucks the bag.
RDS just blows away the Chee Bee Chee and The National Embarrassment.
Why couldn't Healy get hired by Leafs TV instead of HNIC.......
carbs on cbc...a pro hab guy seems okay bye me. we have to listen to that old turd cheery ..time hear about the habs .
My favourite development in the posts of the past two days: Tortorella's riding of Chris Higgins as proof that Higgins was a problem in Montreal or that it was a good idea of Gainey to get rid of the under-achieving, "lazy" party-animal that Chris Higgins "obviously" is.
Hmm...Tortorella riding a player. Where have I seen that before? Wasn't he a tad hard on that Lecavalier kid in Tampa Bay, too? How'd that work out? ;)
As fer Higgy, I've yet to see that story. Would love a link.
Peace Out
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Lord Bugs Potter, esq. Emir of Al-Hab Habbala, Sheikh of Sheestleton, and Apostle of the Successors of The Flannel.
I think Vinny already knows that Torts made him the player he is today. Stripping him of the C and forcing him to be accountable.
http://berkshireonthehabs.blogspot.com/
Here is one link to it...its a brief story, but he basically called out Higgins in practice for a lack of effort and Higgins was asked about it later. Not a big deal, as far as Tortorella rants go, but Higgins can expect more of the same. He's a good player that has a tendency to under-achieve, and Tortorella is like a seek-and-destroy robot when it comes to underachievers. He will whip Higgins into shape! :)
Peace Out
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Lord Bugs Potter, esq. Emir of Al-Hab Habbala, Sheikh of Sheestleton, and Apostle of the Successors of The Flannel.
Higgins won't really be his problem, he showed good legs as a PK Man with Metropolit at the end of last season showing he can be motivated under the right circumstances. Tortorella's problem will be in doing the Three-Ring circus act with Avery for 82 games, have fun with that Torts...
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
Or in keeping Gaborik healthy. Because if he can do THAT, the Rangers can be a dangerous team.
The most injury prone player in the league playing on the worst ice in the league. How long before his first groin injury?
Before training camp for $200, Showey? He's already nursing it back to health. :)
"Hey Brashear! New job, every time you see Gaborik falling down slip these pillows under him!"
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
Nice...maybe that can be Laraque's job here in Montreal...guide Markov around and make sure that absolutely nothing happens to him. Nobody touches him, or Laraque is fired. :)
Love him or not, at least we've got someone who will actually be pro-Montreal this year on CBC, better than we could've said in the last decade or so unless they were interviewing a Montreal player.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
He may not be so 'pro-Montreal' anymore.. ;)
“He knows, like, unnecessary facts about putting Sears catalogs on your shin pads.” Sean Avery on Don Cherry
Peace Out
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Lord Bugs Potter, esq. Emir of Al-Hab Habbala, Sheikh of Sheestleton, and Apostle of the Successors of The Flannel.
Former hockey people rarely get too negative about anything on sportscasts as it can come back and bite 'em later, I suspect half the reason CBC's anaylst crew was so pro-Phoenix was that they didn't want to ruin their inside contacts in the NHL or ruin the chances of a position in an NHL organization. While he probably doesn't like the way he left, I doubt he's going to like hearing the 2-3 other commentators the CBC has dumping on Montreal every Saturday night. I'm sure he's still pro-Habs enough to fight for the team on the show than just go on about "I would've done this, they're not making the Playoffs this year like that".
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
Well, he's still on the payroll so I doubt he'll say anything too controversial.
Wow, surprising but good for him!
“He knows, like, unnecessary facts about putting Sears catalogs on your shin pads.” Sean Avery on Don Cherry
Is Cole retired yet? I think he is...
Youppi for Captain!
Interesting...
Ex nihilo nihil fit
How long before Carbo will rip into Martin for not calling a timeout? Or not mixing his lines 3000 times during the game.
there's definitely a conflict of interest.
also, isn't he still under contract with the Canadiens??
Timo! Good to see you, bud! How was your summer? And are you in Brisebois withdrawal yet?
Dave Stubbs
Habs Inside/Out
Sports Columnist/Feature Writer, Montreal Gazette
Yes, I am sure you all missed me. I am still holding onto a hope that Breeze will be back this season.
...well he's certainly not doing it because he needs the cash.
Isn't it a bit weird that a guy who "ran out of ideas" last February- and presumably can't be much of a hockey philosopher by nature- now finds himself on TV discussing the finer points?
Hopefully this means more Habs games on CBC (even though I can't stand Cole), and we won't have to hear as much pro-Loaf rhetoric by Mr. Cherry.
Maybe Carbo will be Cherry's succesor on Coaches Corner? Would Laff fans love that!!!!!
They've already released the broadcast schedule, and I can't fathom any causal relationship between Carbo's hiring and more Habs on the Ceeb.
----- "Come on, let's keep a little optimism here." -- Han Solo, Return of the Jedi
More evidence of a lacklustre practice regimen last year, from Hickey's article:
Former Canadiens winger Christopher Higgins is learning New York Rangers head coach John Tortorella is a demanding, no-nonsense type.
Higgins, who was traded to the Rangers as part of the deal that brought Scott Gomez to Montreal, was on the receiving end of some verbal shots from Tortorella after practice on Monday.
According to Andrew Gross of the Bergen Record, the coach said he expected everybody to skate hard at all times, and some of his most pointed criticism was thrown at the former Canadien.
"I think it's pretty much what he expects any time you're out there, whether it's a practice, a game, a conditioning skate," Higgins said. "I think it's easy to play for a guy like that. I think it'll be that way the whole year. I'm trying to get used to it as quickly as possible."
Last year, I kept saying how out of shape they seemed and kept being told that this isn't possible since they have trainers and training. I still think they weren't in game shape most weeks. Don't think that'll happen this year.
I may be a secret moderator. Or not.
You know what? Higgins needs a guy like Tortorella. That's a disappointing aspect of losing him. Martin may have played the same role with him and straightened him out, by making things simple, clear and disciplined. I always thought one of Carbo's weaknesses was that he expected his players to be as intelligent and dedicated as he was, simply by demanding it. For many that just doesn't work.
Watch for Higgins to have a very solid season. Or, he'll implode and be out of the league in 3 years. I'm betting on the former.
There is absolutely no way that Higgins implodes...he's just got too much going for him. He may never become that elite NHL scorer that he think lurks within his body, but he will certainly do no worse than a Brian Savage-esque career.
That's why I placed my bet on the former.
The only real cause of undoing that I could see arising, is if his alleged lifestyle issues do not resolve soon. That and the fact that his self image seems to be out of tune with reality.
I followed you, Eric. I don't think the alleged lifestyle sutff is a big deal, to be honest. If you do a search on drunk athletes on the web, Chris Higgins photos are featured alongside those of other underachievers like Alex Ovechkin, Andrei Markov, Mike Richards and Evgeni Malkin...
Mr. October worked for Reggie Jackson, right?
----- "Come on, let's keep a little optimism here." -- Han Solo, Return of the Jedi
Absolutely! :)
I was referring more to the 11 season, 700 game career of Savage. I think Higgins has far more talent than Savage, who suffered from silly expectations that came about from being a quick starter each year. He was the opposite of Vincent Damphousse, who never seemed to find his top gears until late November...
Higgins has the ability and skill-set to be a very good NHL player. He just needs to be in the proper setting with the proper role, two things that he was definitely not given in Montreal. We'll see if Tortorella can find the right balance for him.