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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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My story on the Nashville game:
I attended. Nice arena. Club seats. Stayed at the Renaissance hotel about a block from the Sommet Center. They put me on the 13th floor. I should have known better. Not only did I see one of the worst games Les Canadiens have played in a long while, but woke up in the middle of the night with the flu.
I don't get to see the Habs live very often. I was so looking forward to this one, the last one being last season in Columbus. What a horrible weekend.
Bad trip, Indy. It happens -- you'll get balanced out next time (I hope ;-)
Man that sucks.....
Habs need secondary scoring. They can find it by reuniting the Brothers K!! JM and BG are committing a sin by keeping Sergei in the AHL. Its time to admit to fault and bring up Sergei, pair him with Andrei on a second line with T. Pleks. Mafia Bros. + T. Pleks for second line. That will also allow other subtle beneath the surface improvements to get underway. Come on JM do not prevent Habs Prophecy from coming true because of stubborness! THat sin that keeps Satan from bending his knee, that compels him to keep up his charade for eternity.
Sergei is doing well in Hamilton but he is not exactly dominant. He has 12GP 3G 6A +4. I don't know why people assume Sergei is in Hamilton because JM or BG are being stubborn. Sergei has proven nothing at the NHL level. He underperformed virtually all last season. We don't need another underperforming youngster to rotate between the 4th line, the 2nd line and the press box. On what basis do people say Sergei should be with the Canadiens? That he hasn't missed a bus lately or walked off the team? Come on people. JM and BG are in constant communication with Boucher. They know where Sergei's head is. And they don't make desperation, knee jerk decisions. They have a longer term view. Don't worry, Sergei will be called up soon enough.
It is worth a try. JM has tried everything else. If he doesn't he acting childish and potentially hurting the entire team.
mjames
Anyone hear anything about the fire in the Abbotsford hotel where the Bulldogs were staying?
http://kibblesofsteel.wordpress.com/
Latendrezzzzzzzzzzzzzzze.
What movie are you all talking about? 2012??
FYI-CBC says Forsberg will stay in Sweden this year and make no attempt to re-join any NHL club.
But I'm leading my office pool by a considerable margin sooooo...we can all take some joy outta that at least.
Cheers.
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.
Do you have Nash or Marleau?
Took Kane insteada Nash and the Heater insteada Marleau.
But Kopitar and the Sharks are rippin it up for me. Not to mention the brilliance in my Koivu Junior and Johnny T picks.
I'm so terrifical, I should have my own toll-free number: 1 800 Un-smurfin-believable.
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.
Yeah I'm up there in my Pool, Marleau and Nash leading the way, Tavares my last pick surprizing... Once my triple threat of Cammalleri, Gomez and Gionta explode, I'll be miles ahead.
Bugs, how do you get through doorways?
With a chainsaw. He da bugsman.
Alex Tanguay has sure started to improve, up to 12 points in 18 games now.
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http://berkshireonthehabs.blogspot.com/
Take heart, the Browns suck in the NFL more than we do in the NHL.
I was at the Browns game tonight. The stadium was empty by the 3rd quarter.
Just came back from the Bell Centre. The movie was not masterpiece of course, but very emotional though.
I really hope that the spirit of that movie will inspire our guys tomorrow.
Oh, and I really liked that short 3d animated cartoon that was at the beginning. The Ghosts looked really impressive.
By the way, did I hear them right? I believe they said it was a new Guinness record for largest indoor movie premiere crowd ever.
Yeah I was there too. The movie was good, you're right though not a masterpiece. It was emotional and uplifting. I do appreciate how much they talked about the history and the REAL Canadiens NEVER giving up. I know the Habs were there. (I talked to D'ags for a second afterward) they HAD to have been inspired. Unless they're all heartless, money grubbing bastards. I guess we'll find out tomorrow.
Agree with both of you...nice ok movie, and i got emotional and nostalgic everytime they showed the 2008-09 roster, ayaayayyy... I still believe we had a good talented team last season...but wtv..
anyway, hopefully this movie gave the new team some pride to wear the CH jersey, and hopefully it will pump them up for the following games, cuz this week it won't be easy boys!!!
it was nice to see Markov smiling in the big screen when they showed them sitting upstairs before the movie started...hehe
----- Go Habs f*kin Go - AMEN!!! -----
This is the first season I've become really bitter about the "loser point". We have more wins than Boston, and have been playing better hockey, but they're ahead in the standings because they lose "better". Garbage rule.
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http://berkshireonthehabs.blogspot.com/
Yep, they're bullstool.
I never really argued against them before, and I think you should probably still get a point for a shootout loss as I think the shootout is basically a tie with a reward at the end for the luckier team, but OT losses should be the same as regulation losses. They're the same in the post season, so why not?
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http://berkshireonthehabs.blogspot.com/
But then teams would just play to get to the shootout, and we'd get hockey more boring than the 95 Devils.
I hate the shootout too.
It ain't hockey.
The penalty shootout in SOCCER though is a travesty. An 11-meter shot from the middle of the box with 10 seconds to think about it NEVER occurs in soccer.
Didn't Kovalchuk have like three breakaways the other night?
The hockey shootout is a most excellent innovation because it ACCURATELY represents a microcosm of the game, which soccer doesn't. Not to mention the DRAMA, ferpetessakes. Sheesh, Deuce, open your eyes!
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.
But we'd get an extra five minutes at the end of regulation, that in a tie game, all too often ends up a Survive-Till-OT mentality.
I think against teams in the same conference only the bad teams play for a loser point, and the other team tries to avoid it. And still many teams play for the shootout instead of letting loose in OT, so not much changes.
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http://berkshireonthehabs.blogspot.com/
Funny thing. I checked in to my profile to see I would have to do to change my pic and I noticed I still had Saku as my favorite player. So, obviously, time to change it, right? But to whom? I even went to the Habs site to have a look at the roster again. Still couldn't decide. I went with Stewart. Kitchener boy. Homey. No other reason. You'd think by now I'd have a favorite, wouldn't you?
You think thats funny - take a look at mine: Koivu, Plekanec, Kostitsyn Bros.
... and I went to the Wings game on Saturday thinking I would get to see Koivu/Selane hook up. 6th row... picked the Anaheim game at the beginning of the season (along with Washington and Chicago - its a shame the Habs rarely make it to Detroit... but don't get me started on that)... anyway I didn't know he was injured... said to my buddy... Koivu's not playing with Selane... then Koivu's not playing at all!! Oh well... time to move on I guess.
Didn't realize you were from Kitchener Punkster. We have Scott Timmins down here in Windsor from the Rangers (I'm guessing you know that, lol). I'd like to see him on the Habs' roster. I think he would be a great addition!
...........
"To you from failing hands we throw the torch. Be yours to hold it high."
I STILL BELIEVE. I WILL ALWAYS BELIEVE.
Born and raised outside Kitchener but after many moves ended up in the Mecca of hockey 18 years ago (no, not Minsk...Montreal). Rangers Rock!
They're a great team, no doubt and they sure bring their "A" game when they play us now that we have three of their players. Although Unice looks like he's on his way out...
Oh and I love that you're a converted Leafs fan! ;o)
...........
"To you from failing hands we throw the torch. Be yours to hold it high."
I STILL BELIEVE. I WILL ALWAYS BELIEVE.
Just leave it as Saku and show your solidarity to a hero too great for this city to handle.
Pour moi, Saku c'est un champion qui n'a pas encore gagné. Il joue comme un champion, il s'entraîne comme un champion, il mange comme un champion. Un jour, il le deviendra
Sorry, time to move on. He may make my list of top 5 favorite players of my lifetime though.
That's what I've done.
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Cheer for the crest on the front of the jersey, not the name on the back.
Should have gone retro and been bold. You are sooooo Chuck Lefley!
And, I am soooo Bobby Sheehan!
Good one. And wasn't Lefley on a couple of Cup teams? Yep, just checked the Habs site and he was on two. Traded for Don Awrey. I don't think Sheehan got a Cup did he? Oh wait, 1971?
Edit...he's listed as a reserve on the '71 team. By the way, I used to sport the exact replica of the LeFley stache.
I was a just a kid but, 1971 was the greastest year to be Habs fan. Never were the odds longer against so formidable a foe. And, they won. They freakin' won! Jacques Lemaire beat Tony O from center ice on a shot he should have stopped and the previously-benched Henri Richard scored the tying goal and the winner. Look, I understand greatness, but what about randomness that leads to greatness like '86 and '93? That's what I long for!
And I'm a jazz freak. Randomness is awe inspiring when it's executed by talented pros. We have a few of those now so maybe anything can happen. Maybe. We can dream.
wow, Bob Mackenzie is such a douche with his Latendresse report.
He heard about it this morning from team 990 guys and his initial comment was something like, well, i don't know about the rules of the specific teams and so on and then BOOM, he does a sweet report on TSN blaming Latendresse.
Common guys, we know nothing about the context. Maybe Latendresse tried to make a joke.
TSN = Leaf TV
Maybe he found out what the team's stance was on it after his initial comments?
MacKenzie isn't one to flip-flop.
http://kibblesofsteel.wordpress.com/
Where's the TSN report?
Pierre Ladouceur
La Presse
(translated)
It was 6:30 pm. in Nashville [gametime: 7:00 pm CST] and Guillaume Latendresse was resting in his hotel room, just steps from the Sommet Center when the phone rang to inform him that he would play against the Predators.
"I was still asleep in my room because I wasn't going to play." "The coach had advised the morning that I would not play in the evening, "said Latendresse, who was replaced the injured Brian Gionta.
"I did not even participate in the meeting of the pre-game warmup. It was really weird because this is not a usual situation. In the circumstances, I knew I would not play much. But the situation has given me more energy. I had nothing to lose and I was more relaxed, "admitted Latendresse, who still played for 7 minutes 54 seconds.
And what was his reaction upon learning he would be cut off from playing for the first time this season? "I kept my spirits up."
Guillaume LATEnDON'Tdress
LOL!!!!!!!
Not as funny as Guidoune though.
After reading this, I feel even worse. Latendresse regarded it as "usual" situation when a healthy scratch can have a night-off. What a management!
By the way, thanks for the translation.
I really don't know much about Lats' sleep habits but based on his play this year I don't think the joke would translate very well. So far nothing from the HIO crew on this snooze. Perhaps it is all blow out of perspective.
Some Flying Frenchmen are downing the Coyotes, Lecavalier, Tanguay and St. Louis have each scored for the Lightning so far in a 3-1 lead over Phoenix in the 2nd period.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
Well at least Boston got spanked tonight, by the Islanders no less.
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http://berkshireonthehabs.blogspot.com/
boston is montreal, just one year behind schedule.
former eastern conference champions, czech centre emerging as a viable #1 centre, no injuries so dismantle team chemistry, great performances from every player. it's weird.
I find it hilarious because Bruins fans were so cocky last summer, and everyone could see it from miles away that they were about to fall apart. Makes me feel good.
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http://berkshireonthehabs.blogspot.com/
Don't get ahead of yourself, they have key injuries on offense. No one could of predicted this, and if they claim they did then it's a fluke. With a healthy team they'll be back on track.
Actually I did predict it in writing before the season started. Just skip to the Bruins. We had tons of injuries last year as well, along with players who didn't pull their weight offensively (Krejci = Plekanec, Ryder = Higgins). They had a healthy team to start the season, and they played like crap anyway.
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http://berkshireonthehabs.blogspot.com/
Anyone else go to the big premiere at the Bell Center tonight?
I was there, movie was great! Very emotional. Very depressing because Saku plays a pretty good role in the movie. I miss him so.
The Habs were there, most of them, they got a pretty good ovation. Gainey got booed and Markov made the crowd go crazy.
Gainey gets booed, this crowd is uglier all the time.
Did Lats get a lullaby to help him sleep?
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu.
1. Can we play well in front of Price for once? Halak's agent can spout all the stats he wants, the team plays like crap in front of Pricey, for what reason? Beats me.
2. Did I read someone saying that they'd trade the Brothers K to the Rangers for Anisimov and Del Zotto??? I think you may want to see someone about your drug habit, that only works in the land of LSD and mushrooms.
3. Speaking of the K bros. Why not call up Sergei? At the very least, he can try to raise his trade value. On the plus, he's got more offensive talent than most of the bums we send on the ice. Who knows, maybe he'll wake up Andrei.
4. It'll also give poor Pleky someone good to play with. He's playing like he did a couple of years ago, only instead of feeding Kovalev and the good AK46, he's feeding some loser and the bad AK46. Except for the odd time Pleks plays with Camms. Then Camms scores.
5. I thought Gainey improved our D in the off-season. I obviously thought wrong. Our D is crap in a hat.
6. Our forwards are also crap in a hat. We have 1 line, Pleks, and 8 passengers with free souvenir jerseys.
5+6 = our team sucks.
They have a lot in common. The Isles have the Lighthouse Project designed to give them a new home and Gainey should join Lighthouse International -- a leading non-profit organization dedicated to preserving vision and to providing critically needed vision and rehabilitation services to help people of all ages overcome the challenges of vision loss.
we tried our best...when they got Alexei Yashin, We got Alexei Kovalev...
when they got rickdipietro, we got carey price.
when they got trent hunter, we had michael ryder.
when they got mark streit, well...we HAD mark streit.
when they got doug weight, we got scott gomez
now that they have tavares, i can only imagine we're going to get...
- blame bias benoit brunet.
thanks a lot! it's fine, the data looks pretty much what we expected..it's for marketing course so we're supposed to figure out which age segment would respond the best to environmental marketing.
- blame bias benoit brunet.
Just read this on Canoe
"The Rangers have held trade talks with the Habs about Fs Sergei and Andrei Kostitsyn because New York could be without Cs Chris Drury (concussion) and C Brandon Dubinsky (broken hand) long term. Drury’s status is uncertain, while Dubinsky is gone 4-6 weeks. Oilers GM Steve Tambellini is also looking at acquiring Sergei, who was a linemate of Edmonton C Sam Gagner when they played junior together with the OHL’s London Knights. Montreal GM Bob Gainey would love to move Sergei, who is currently with AHL Hamilton"
Maybe we'll get Higgins back....good grief!
”You miss 100% of the shots you never take.” - Wayne Gretzky
I'm sorry, but every time you post something I can't concentrate on what you're saying. I don't know why...
The rangers rumour doesn 't make much sense since neither of the k brothers play center. The oiler rumour makes more sense but without bringing back 2 potential top 6 forwards i don't know if we actually get any further ahead. As much as i hate what sergei did,i think they need to bring up sergei and play him with his brother and pleks. Sergei's attitude may be questionable but i think he has more talent then dags,maxpac lats,laps or anyone else they have tried with pleky(not including gio or cammy when they tried to spread out the scoring).
People learn from mistakes and setbacks. Look at Ray Emery now. SK has no problem on ice at all.
If JM can tolerate Lats, he should be fair to SK.
You know what bothered me the most about the whole sergei ordeal this year? You would have thought after the last season with all the negative attention he brought to the team he would have gone out of his way to not be a negative center of attention this year. Its like he didn't learn anything from last year about being a professional
I couldn't agree with you more.
that was reported in the ottawa sun the other day...
if we're trading AK and SK to the rangers...i'd like to see anisimov and del zotto come the other way...anything else = no deal
if we're trading SK to edmonton...let's face it...edmonton has a plethora of under-achieving young players...lets throw in latendresse and just swap underachieving players...might not make a difference at all.
and there's no credible source on gainey desperately trying to move SK...
- blame bias benoit brunet.
hey so my dad is out of town and he would like a link to watch the game, I know the link has been asked for and given probably 1000 times but if you could give out the link one more time it would be great!
atdhe.net
http://www.justin.tv/nad_et_pic_4
French only, but always has the game...
__________________
Just as no culture has a monopoly on beauty or value, no religion has a monopoly on truth - Voltaire
What happens if we lose the game tomorrow night? I am almost afraid to watch.....
The sun will fall into alignment with the black hole at the centre of the galaxy and the seven horsemen of the apocalypse will be released, leading to the most unthinkable catastrophe our planet has ever known...the Leafs will win the cup.
Gumper, That all sounds possible, maybe even probable except for the very last part...
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This concludes our broadcast. Goodnight.
the 'canes seem to have the habs number, so i am not optimistic. However, none of the new guys carry the baggage of the playoff and recent losses so who knows. on wednesday morning i'm pretty sure the sun will come up and the boss will get pissed if i don't come to work.
Sales of paper bags will skyrocket.
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This concludes our broadcast. Goodnight.
Then Boone will ask me to "show you my St. Denis Boobs!"
Is there a Habs theme in that avatar or is it just gratuitous? But seriously who cares about the Habs theme right about now!
They will, so don't. Or, just tune in to appreciate the work of the goaltender.
3So we are to believe that one hour before the game and Gionta couldn't go Latts was back at the hotel still in bed. Sorry this sounds like BS to me. First the team would have gone to the rink togther and I believe they walk across the street to the rink. This sounds like a Toronto media fairy tale because the Leafs suck and they are try to get the media to crap on the Habs. If Latts was in bed they should have left him there he might have played better. I watch the Canadiens cup win over the kinds tonight want a guttsy performance by that team. Yhey played hard they played togther and Roy was from another planet. You all may laugh but this team has a lot of the same type of players. Instead of JM bag skating these guys they should be sat down and made to watch the 93 team complete playoff run.
http://www.tsn.ca/shows/thats_hockey/
Watch the video "A Sleep At The Wheel". I didn't believe it either, but BM is usually credible..
Wow. Great post. Sheds some light on some of the problems with this team. They should have played without him and sent a message to the rest of the team. "STAY IN BED. WE'LL BE FINE WITHOUT YOU"
Man, he's got to ride the buses for a while. He's gotten way too comfortable with mediocrity.
That is unbelievable. Pretty funny though him snoozin away thinking he had the night off to eat, relax and do nothing , which is the same thing he does when he plays. (maybe not eating but who knows) No way he shoulda been put in the lineup after that.
Canadiens took a day off? LOL. They have been on vacation for most of the season to date.
Guess you haven't watched many games then.