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About Mike Boone
Full Name
Mike Boone
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http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/columnists/mike_boone.html
About
I grew up in Park Extension, within walking distance of Dickie Moore's Dairy Queen on Jean Talon. Moore had a place on L'Acadie Blvd., and we used to see him driving around in his convertible with a Samoyed and a very dishy wife.
While "studying" at McGill University during the 1960s, I used to attend games at the old Montreal Forum. My fellow undergraduate reprobates and I would scramble up the stairs to get centre-ice spots in the top standing room section, where aged ushers didn't know or care what we were smoking.
I stood out in the cold for six hours to get tickets to the 1975 New Year's Eve game between the Canadiens and Central Red Army. With the exception of the birth of my daughter, the 3-3 tie was the greatest event I've ever seen in my life.
The Canada-U.S. Gold medal game comes close .... but I wasn't there.
I've been a professional journalist since 1974, when I joined the Montreal Star sports department. I've covered the 1976 Olympic Games, the 1979 Expos, pop music and MSO tours of Europe and Asia (classical musicians are WAY more fun to drink with than athletes). I wrote a TV & Radio column for 20 years and, since 2000, have written a City column for The Gazette.
The best part of being a Habs Inside/Out contributor is attending games at the Bell Centre. I think it's a great building: noisy, raucous and packed to the rafters with Montrealers and visitors who live for hockey.
And I still get goosebumps every time Michel Lacroix booms out "Accueillons nos Canadiens ..."
Having seen the Boston Red Sox win two World Series and the Pittsburgh Steelers add a couple Super Bowl titles, I suppose I can die happy ... but not before another Stanley Cup parade. And I'd really like my daughter to see a historic New Year's Eve game.
I like all the players. Covering baseball gives me a profound appreciation of pro athletes who aren't jerks.
My weltanschauung was summarized by the late great Bill Hicks when he said "all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration, we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively, there is no such thing as death, life is only a dream and we are the imagination of ourselves."
Have a nice day.
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... looks like Gionta is very doubtful for tonight.
I think Gio stopped Cammy's laser from the slot the other night. OUCH!!!
2 Tickets available for Calgary Game on November 10, 2009,
CENTRE ICE WHITES SECTION 336 ROW EE, AISLE SEATS 1,2
Due to a family emergency my friend and I from Toronto are not able to attend this game and we would like to sell these tickets. The price is negotiable.
Please contact me at sanshilevich@sympatico.ca or if you are in Toronto at 416-704-0592
Thanks
Sam
Tickets are sold!!!!
Thank you for your replies, I wish I could attend to watch the wonderful HABS.
For fans of the Habs on video an d DVD.........The Canadiens at the Movies
http://www.habseyesontheprize.com/2009/11/4/1115067/the-canadiens-at-the...
that was a good read. thanks Robert
Looks like the sh*t is about to hit the fan.
I watched AK skate effortlessly on that 4th line. It makes no sense to keep him around if the coach has lost interest in AK - trade him or put the guy on the 1st/2nd line.
--Carey Price meet Jim Carey --
take a deep breath sergei
Fairly obvious to me that one of these guys is going to play while Kostitsyn sits, and other is probably taking Stewart's spot. If they were interested in a solution for Andrei they would have tried to figure out how to get Sergei with the big club. Their decision to go with yet two others speaks volumes. Am excited to see Pyatt play based on what I've heard.
Wait a minute...but don't we need D-Men?????? wth is this...??
----- go habs f*ckin go, AMEN!!! -----
The D-men situation cant be fixed right away with calls ups and send downs I'm guessing.... so I interpret this move as management seeing an opportunity to test out some players a bit
i guess so, but we should call Subban and Belle also.. and let these guys develop some NHL skills for ..not just send them back to Hamilton after a game or two...gotta give these guys a chance
----- go habs f*ckin go, AMEN!!! -----
At least one of my teams wins. Habs 7-8, Titans 1-6, but Yankees are World Series Champs!!
Time for another stroll down the Canyon of Heroes!
"You should always go to other people's funerals; otherwise, they won't come to yours." Yogi Berra
Yanks are simply the best! Makes a Habs fan very jeolous.
If so, I can dig it.
Oh, did I mention Tommy Py was my boy? That's right.
Cuz I'll tell yehs, it would be nice if the dang RANGERS regretted that deal and not us, knowumsayin? They're chokin on Higgy, so that's cool. Now if Gomie can rack up 75pts and McDonagh can turn into a giant gastropod, we're laugin.
Let's get it on.
Je suis
Sieur Bugs Potter, écuyer. Major-général du dépôt de munitions Fort Gainey, contre-amiral du torpilleur de classe-II Sainte Flanelle, et sous-secrétaire du ministère de la Défense Tricolore.
It could happen, oh yes it could! (Yes, I'm drunk, and what of it?)
Dream on Bugsy, dream on.....
--------------------------------------------------- `Could this team miss the playoffs? Who knows?' - Bob Gainey on the new Habs.
The Rock can’t believe some of the comments he’s reading. Most of which are just plain ridiculous. It’s much like a penitentiary. There are the followers, the leaders. There are the Halak bashing gangs, the Price bashing gangs, Gill bashing gangs & the gangs that will bash anyone & anything. There seems to be a few inmates that want to run this penitentiary. Wardens Stubbs & Boone anointed some unknown inmates to sell out their own.
"Can you smell what The Rock is cookin"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Apa0nG1OfUc
Give it a rest, Duane.
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Beliveau- his legend is 600' tall and growing...
G-Man - If you are going to address The Rock I suggest you spell it right Jabroni! It's Dwayne
"Can you smell what The Rock is cookin"
awesome, I'm so stoked to have you on here, and please talk like this at all times. No joke, welcome aboard. The Rock is always welcome. and whatever you're cooking, it smells delicious
Well, it is nice to have The Rock on HIO. There are those here who bash in the heat of the moment and of course those who need a whipping boy at all times. Not much Halak bashing this year, but I would add Lats to the list.
Well, The Rock is in the HIO Pen & will lay the Smackdown on all the Candy @$$ bashers!
"Can you smell what The Rock is cookin"
I just fell out of my chair. And, I can't get up!
The Rock says: "Get up Jabroni, dust yourself off. It's going to be a long season ahead"
"Can you smell what The Rock is cookin"
How many accounts do you have?
So many I've lost track. Oh, do miss RyanGetzlafisGod though. He was a cracker!
You callin out The Rock GP! The Rock don't understand your question.
"Can you smell what The Rock is cookin"
Woah....Stars just lost on a phantom delay of game call. And we thought the HABS had bad reffing...
Can we somehow trade pretty much anything for James Neal?
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http://berkshireonthehabs.blogspot.com/
LMAO. Way too late for that now. This guy has been on the CHUM Chart with a bullet for quite awhile now. No surprise that he has broken through.
seriously, I feel we talked about this like 2 weeks ago. Kbros, a 2nd and one of Carle, Weber, Belle.
I'd easily give that up to finally get Pleks a winger. They get a lot in return, seems fair.
Sounds more than fair to me, although I'd rather just give up Sergei and see if Neal and Pleks can ignite Andrei.
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http://berkshireonthehabs.blogspot.com/
If they'd take just sergei and a pick and a prospect, than yeah that'd be better. But I'd be surprised if they would.
Well I doubt they would take anything right now anyway, but honestly if we gave up two of Weber/Carle/Belle/Bennett/Fischer etc they might accept it if they were desperate for defensive prospects.
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http://berkshireonthehabs.blogspot.com/
I'd be willing, that Neal kid is exactly what I think we're missing, and we're deep in D prospects.
Quick, let's call Joe Nieuwendyk!
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http://berkshireonthehabs.blogspot.com/
they won't take anything less than price, i'm afraid...
I think they'd be more interested in a defensive prospect, that's Dallas' biggest weakness right now.
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http://berkshireonthehabs.blogspot.com/
More of the YOUTH MOVEMENT...thats good, Pyatt will be a great addition, not sure about White, but looking forward to see the new injection/lineup ...as for Carle, he was a bust, he fell on the ice every single shift and was wobbly on the ankles, too bad... looks like Andre and Stewy may sit, or Chip.
as for Chelios, it would be great to sign him... just for identity reasons at the least and the respect he commands.
1.The N.A.G. Veteran & Youth Movement will bring us glory...
You can't call Carle a bust after one game, especially when he didn't play nearly as poorly as many here are saying. Chips looked bad the first few games, and Patches looked horribly out of place till the recently.
Sit MAB, call up Belle and let him and Carle play until O'Byrne/Gill come back.
Agree.
People dont realize that moving up to the nhl from the ahl is a huge leap. Not to mention the nerves carle must have had playing his first game at the bell center in front of the home crowd. We have to stop calling guys up, giving them one game, and then sending them back down. A player needs to see regular work to get into a rhythm and adjust to nhl.
If you want to sign someone for identity reasons and the respect he commands, why not go top shelf: Jean Beliveau?
so you think Chelios is a dinosaur...well he is renowned for his fitness so that is not a question, I'm certain he would come cheap (MAB type $$) and if paired with a faster partner he could help bridge the gap until Obyrne and ultimately Markov returns...along with providing another spark of entertainment to the Bell Centre faithful... it is all about entertainment you know...
that said i'd rather see BELLE recalled to fill'n for Gill.
You said nothing in your post about his playing ability. For the reasons you cited, Big Jean is the man for the job.
no doubt he can't play at todays level anymore...I don't think Detroit even used him in their last cup run...but if this rumour was leaked from Gaineys office, then it has a purpose.
Why wouldn't they sit Bergeron and call up Belle. Honestly, is there a single person here who thinks Belle can do worse than MAB?
I don't think anybody here has argued for MAB. I've been calling for Belle forever.
I think Bergeron could be a 4th line winger and a point on the power play, but that's it. He cannot play a regular shift on defence.
I thought Belle fit in very well when he was called up last month. Maybe there's a deal brewing.
There was one person who commented on Lions in Winter that said Belle sucked in his call-up, but I'm guessing that's a rare opinion. I thought he was good, not very noticeable which is a good thing, didn't make many mistakes, very physical and a great skater. Bergeron isn't helping the PP at all so I don't get why we're playing him.
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http://berkshireonthehabs.blogspot.com/
I could be wrong, but it seems that something may be in play here. Is this a precursor to a roster player being dealt? Perhaps JM is just looking to send a strong message to a few underachievers. I hope Pyatt and White are in the lineup against the Bruins.
I can hardly wait for a PK callup
I think we should be patient. When players are called up at an early stage while still learning in the AHL or other minor leagues it can make them really ineffective in NHL. They don't develop as an elite player as fast while playing with all the players that have the experience and skill set for NHL. When young players have to exceed higher expectations in the big league, they often stumble. Examples: look at Latendresse and Price.
It will help Subban develop into a strong d-man much faster rather than facing all the hardships in the NHL before and really pressuring himself for not being able to match up to an elite NHL player's capability.
Good post!
A lot of people look around the league at guys like Zach Bogosian and Drew Doughty who made immediate impacts after being drafted, and think that subban is capable of the same thing. Theres two problems with that logic. 1) Doughty and Bogosian were always solid defensively in junior, and have the defensive aspect of the game down, where subban still needs work on his defensive game. I dont want subban playing powerplay and 4th line duty, thats just useless. 2) Doughty and bogosian were both inserted on losing teams without expectations. They were able to make mistakes and their fan base would forgive them because there was no expectations on the team. It is very different in montreal. The fans have ludicrous expectations, and will throw a player under the bus after one poor showing or one gaff (look how many people still think o'byrne is bad because of the famous own goal from last year). We're best keeping a hyped up player like subban away from the montreal spotlight for as long as we can so he can develop at a normal pace.
Canes lose their 10th straight. Face Leafs next.
PICK ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:
- Leafs win their 2nd game of the season and Canes lose their 11th straight
- Canes snap their losing streak and Leafs remain with 1 win in 14 games..
WINNER GETS A REPLY FROM PATRICE BRISEBOIS
sounds like a win win to me.
I need Cam Ward to play well for my pool He's sucking so bad but in kind of a similar situation as Carey. Total D collapses.But his stats needs tp bppst up so Canes win!
"All you need in hockey is good character, luck and skills" - Ovie
I dont mind Ward's losing so much as I mind that his save percentage and GAA have been awful. At least last night he lost but was good in those two categories. Carolina is really awful though, they cant score if their life depended on it, and staal is nowhere to be found. Everyone in my league is trying to lowball me for ward thinking ill bite, but im confident he'll turn it around, as carolina are usually late bloomers.
I don't have Cam ward but I do have Price in one of my pools. So I can understand how you feel. Although I have a feeling that both of them will eventually start rolling at some point of this season. There's always a point in the season where goaltenders have their shining period. Remember Price last year during October...I remember he got hot again through out entire December right before the All Star game..that bumped up his record to 16-4-4!!!
Hope Carey will get his time to shine again this year..
I have Price AND Cam Ward!
"All you need in hockey is good character, luck and skills" - Ovie
Don't feel bad, I have Price, Halak and Hiller and they are all tanking. In a head to head pool it's tough because that's half the point categories. Hopefully the addition of Pavelic will help :P
Same, 4th and 5th pick. :(
They call me Shane
I have Price and Mason in the same pool, and one of the two in every other one of my pools. My goalies are killing me.
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http://berkshireonthehabs.blogspot.com/
I have Ward and Backstrom in one, and I have S. Mason, C. Mason, and Price in another.
Those two teams... not doing so hot
Frustrating eh? I have Eric Staal in two pools as well, and I'm ready to murder him.
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http://berkshireonthehabs.blogspot.com/
Price and Mason together would sound like a solid tandem if they played like they did before the AS Game last year..
I am not saying that now teams should give up on both as I can guarantee that each of them will shine again at some point this year. It's all about time, determination and maybe when the luck is on your side.
But for NOW..both in the same pool..Aai aai aai (or however you spell it lol)...
It's killing me right now for sure, but I think by the end of the year I'll be ok. Price has been technically good, and Mason has shown some improvement over the last week.
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http://berkshireonthehabs.blogspot.com/
Send Pinocchio back to Hamilton and call up Belle.
lol is that MAB. i sure hope thats him cuz i do agree it looks like him, and yes send him down, since we can.
Yup that's him Mab/Pinocchio one and the same, no insult intended to either just in fun!
Honestly, im strating to loose fail in BG. When he came in i was pumped, he brought in AK27 and that was huge. But since then he has failed to bring in a #1 center like he said, and till Pleky, really who has developed into a solid player on our team. And im not saying this because of last year, i think last years overhaul was needed. But it just seems that all the NEW players we brought in bring it every game and out old players and young arnt cutting it. I dont know what the problem is i just see that as it.
So he maybe show casing our players like u said but only the new guys are really looking nice. And pleky (sick this year just playing sick)
“Well, he’s a thoroughbred, and maybe your wife doesn’t recognize that, but then again, I can’t bake bread all that well. We all have different skills.” ...Bob Gainey "Classic"
Even if this is a strategy, whatever he is showing off isn't looking very attractive.
Would it help if the fourth line included Bergeron while his original spot is taken by Belle?..Just asking for your opinion.
IMO no. This move would weaken the team's 4th line and the upside from having Bergeron available to play as a PP point specialist is minimal or non-existent. Teams know how to neutralize him and he makes a brutal play or three for every PP goal he scores. I for one hope the MAB experiment is coming to an end soon. However, he seems very capable of contributing to the Bulldogs success this season.
He signed a one way contract. He probably will NOT be waived. He probably will NOT play the 4th line, either. Hab fans will have to live with his errors until O'B gets back.
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Beliveau- his legend is 600' tall and growing...
Makes sense..Seems like we should send him down while we can.
Thanks for your opinion bud!
IMO, putting the second worst plus/minus guy on the team on your checking line doesn't make a lot of sense.
I agree..but that's the only place where he'll fit properly if we want to use his shot. He is mediocre in his defensive position. If we want him as a PP specialist we might as well have to give him some time on some line. I totally agree with you that he won't fit in a checking line but it seems like a better option considering the number of giveaways and mistakes he makes in a game as a defense man. Just want to limit them and with him on D that doesn't seem like it will happen. That doesn't guarantee that he will be any better, but if not the 4th line either then he shouldn't be here at all.
Thanks for your opinion bud.
I just had a meeting with mr.gainey where we discussed my possible return.I'm off to timo's to celebrate with tea and crumpets. FULL BREEZER
Dearest Patrice:
I never thought I would utter these now humble words.
We...cough...hack!...need you....
------------------------
”Playing goal is like being shot at.”
--Jacques Plante
We passed "Full Breezer" about five games ago. This squad needs to go "Max Breezer!"
Look for Chipchura to sit. (Team worst -8, -2 last night.) Could also see Stewart sitting, though he wasn't the guy who kicked it into his own net. Still, I don't see him having much impact out there.
My guess is one on the 4th line, one in the BGL nosebleed seat. A call up is not a garauntee of playing, it is probably as a backup plan if Gianta can't go or someone has flu symptoms.
Franklin the Beagle, 7/1/2002-7/13/2009
strange.....just plain strange. Pyatt I can see but White? is he replacing Stewart because Stewart didn't drop them the other night? just because it is the Bruins? I am excited to see Pyatt as I have high hopes for him as a fourth liner and energy type forward......Ryan White is a very bizarre decision and if in fact Gionta is out then it is all the stranger as White is not a scorer.......I am not sure what to make of any of this.........ah well....last year when things were the weirdest is when the team would come out and win and the guys I questioned would perform....here's to hoping. Were Metro and Moen actually injured or benched? Theswe guys seem more suited to try and replace them no? Maybe a flu bug? maybe????I am curious to see what this is about....that is for sure. Sergei has to get traded soon because this is just another slap in the face and I know some of you think it is deserved but I am in the camp that beleives he deserved to make the club all along......we should at least trade him because we need a top six winger not a pair of potential fourth line muckers. My biggest fear is that may signify that wwe are openly conceding this season is a rebuild season........it seems we are trying out the entire farm to see who has what possibly and see what we need moving forward? I am just rambling because I don;t know what else to do..
I think these kids have a little more upside than 4th liners, at the very least they're getting it done offensively in Hamilton.
http://kibblesofsteel.wordpress.com/
Ryan White is a 3rd or 4th line center. He was projected to be that even when he was drafted.