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Halak wants to be somewhere he'll play; Philly goes shopping, claiming Leighton off waivers
posted by Dave Stubbs at 13h47 EST on Dec 15
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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).
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Halak should go to Atalana Trashers for Ilya Kovachleav
Gomez, Halak, D'Agiontini, 4th draftin 2011 for Kovachlev and 8th round draft in 2011 or 2012
Gomez worth $7.5 million per season he doesnt show us...i know how good is he but he doesnt play well for Canadiens so Bob Gainey should trade him to Trashers for Ilya
SHOULD THE CANADIENS TRADE HALAK POLL HERE
They call me Shane
Good to see you changed the title of your article / post Dave. At least now it reflects what the situation is and not what you and the rest of the media would like it to be. Sadly.
Go Habs Go
Hear, hear.
Du bureau de
Lord Bugs Potter, esq. Deputy General Counsel of Ungleberger Investment Group Trial and Litigation Section, Managing Shareholder of Spitz and Steen Enterprises and Senior Advisor to Flannelcom Industries Antitrust Division.
What's the update on Paul Mara? I haven't heard anything about his injury. He's not a defensive mastermind or anything, and being a -13 doesn't help either, but I think his presence is missed right now.
A new team is in the race for Halak! Edmonton is lookinf at him because Khabibulin may be seriously injured!
heres the link: Hockey30
Here we go again, Carbo style. Metro plays one poor game and he is on the fourth line with Laraque. That means that the only pass he can do is to Pyatt. WHY IS LARAQUE PLAYING?? WHY IS HE PLAYING FOR THE MONTREAL CANADIENS?
What are the Habs chances of getting a point or a win tonight????
.0000001? .0000002? I remember a come-from-behind win 2 years ago...4-3 as I recall.
But my god i think the Habs have one win in the last 15 years in Jersey.
Ah, the memories....
Tooouuuch me! It's so easy to leeeaaave me, All alone with the meeeemory, Of what happiness was...
(sniff) Sorry, sorry; I get carried away.
Du bureau de
Lord Bugs Potter, esq. Deputy General Counsel of Ungleberger Investment Group Trial and Litigation Section, Managing Shareholder of Spitz and Steen Enterprises and Senior Advisor to Flannelcom Industries Antitrust Division.
Wow. Talk about loser points skewering everything. Carolina (out of the pack) is well in last place with 20 points. In the East 7 teams have 31 points and 2, Habs included, have 33. In the West the Oilers 34, Blue Jackets 34, Blues 33 and Ducks 31 bottom out the league. So essentially if the Habs had two more wins instead of losses they'd be locking up 8th place in the East and if they had 2 more losses they'd be having the 2nd 2010 NHL entry draft pick. Over-all the Habs are in 22nd place, which puts them in the company of the league's 10 worst teams. Yep, the Habs aren't even middle of the pack. So this is the team that's contending for the Cup. When are the Habs going to finally admit that they need to rebuild, hopefully from within via player development, and try and get some high 1st round draft picks in the process so they don't have to constantly try and build a team with 3rd and 4th liners?
If the Habs make it to the 3rd round I eat my words. If they get bounced in the 1st round or miss the playoffs altogether...
I still say, given the Habs' position in Quebec, taxes, rabid media/fans and language, the FA route has always been sketchy. What other option then? Sitting with little to trade, or unwilling to actually trade what we have for potential high picks or prospects, the Habs have little choice but to finish in the bottom 10 for a few years. It's the reality of the new American Rules Hockey League.
Oh, bravo.
Du bureau de
Lord Bugs Potter, esq. Deputy General Counsel of Ungleberger Investment Group Trial and Litigation Section, Managing Shareholder of Spitz and Steen Enterprises and Senior Advisor to Flannelcom Industries Antitrust Division.
Tanking it is a lack of integrity. And I'd rather not be a doormat with no respect
Of course never being a contender in the last 17 years is so noble. There are other ways to get top picks, see Boston trades Kessel to Leafs for 2, NOT 1 BUT 2, 1ST ROUND DRAFT PICKS.
You're absolutely right. They should stop trying and lose every game possible so we're ensured a good draft pick next year. We should also stop watching.
Yes, that ONE "potential" NHL player will solve all our problems. Yes. Good plan.
Du bureau de
Lord Bugs Potter, esq. Deputy General Counsel of Ungleberger Investment Group Trial and Litigation Section, Managing Shareholder of Spitz and Steen Enterprises and Senior Advisor to Flannelcom Industries Antitrust Division.
Via player development does not actually guarantee winning either. those players eventually leave as a team cannot afford to keep them. we become a feeder to other teams if we develop from within all the time...i still think you need a mix a FA'S while keeping a keen eye on developing picks.
ps..iam sure if you paid $550M for a sports team you would not go the tanking route.
Cammy-Plex-AK46
3Ms
White-Gomer-Pyatt
SK74-Laps-LaRock
IMO, I think Gomer needs a wake-up call until he makes me eat crow. "M-cubed" line deserves as much playing time as our #1, despite Metro not playing with his head as of late. Those silky hands need to be utilized at least 20 mins per game. You can say all you want about Daggy, but he is not an every day player. He can be supplemented for BGL every 2nd or 3rd game or Daggy can fill in for White. Ultimately, in a given 10 game span, Dags would play 6, BGL 7 and White 7.
This is the formula for a winning team, if and only if, Jaro remains a Hab and gets his share of games.
------------------------"Let this be a reminder that this organization will not tolerate failure." Dr. Evil
Why is Gomez on the 3rd line? Why is Laraque playing at all? Why do you have a grinding line playing 2nd shift?
Also unfortunately the book on Halak has already been written. As soon as someone offers us something acceptable he will be gone. He wont get many more games, we can't sign two starters.
There may be other teams, but only ONE Club De Hockey...
You will never get point production out of Gomez if you keep having him play with progressivley less offensively talented players on lower lines.
FYI:
NYR 2008-2009
Go Habs Go
He has looked lost since Gio went down, keep him there until Gio's return and with the addition of Benny we have the following:
Cammy-Plex-AK46
Pouliot-Gomer-Gio
3Ms
And the rest...
------------------------"Let this be a reminder that this organization will not tolerate failure." Dr. Evil
Gomez should be on the 2nd line. I agree about D'Ags though. I think he need to go back to Hamilton. Pacioretty & SK74 shoulkd be on the 2nd line with Gomez.
Cammy-Plex-AK46
SK74-Gomez-Patches
3rd Line
4th Line
Perhaps even switch SK74 & Cammy.
Realistically, Sanford can do as good a job as Price's backup as Halak has done. If we can package Halak for a good player and/or some picks/prospects, we should do it.
Go Habs Go!! "I can't hear what Jeremy (Roenick) is saying because my Stanley Cup rings are in my ears" - Patrick Roy
I stand corrected, but I think that Dags has to clear waivers. I thought this guy was going to maybe be another Ryder who would score 20 goals a year. Hell, he may not even be a Hab next year (of course, neither is Ryder!)
I think Pacioretty would be a definite upgrade over Lapierre on the second line.
Has Gionta's foot fallen off. Has Pouliot's hand fallen off...where is Markov? Why all of a sudden do we hear nothing on the injury front. I think our team is in serious trouble if Markov is not back until January. I believe we will be too far back by that time. Also for all you Lats Lovers that was his 1st point in 7 games....who cares so happy to be rid of him.
As for Tendre Guidoune, he has more pts than Pouliot, doesn't he?
Du bureau de
Lord Bugs Potter, esq. Deputy General Counsel of Ungleberger Investment Group Trial and Litigation Section, Managing Shareholder of Spitz and Steen Enterprises and Senior Advisor to Flannelcom Industries Antitrust Division.
it's all been worked out....they had initially put pouliot's wrist on giontas leg and gionta's foot on benoit's arm but they caught it relatively soon and the players were perfect blood matches so they figure it will all be fine...a couple extra weeks but nothing too drastic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTz8rKJk-Vw
I imagine that will give them both excellent hand/foot coordination now
“Talent is a gift from God, but you only succeed with hard work. Yvan was proof of that.” Jean Beliveau
I'm relieved Carey is NOT on the list for team canada. Notwithstanding my Habs pride and so on, the last time Carey engaged in this kind of thing, he got rung up for a zillion goals and his game susbequently went into the crapper. I had nightmares of Carey being selected for the olympics, not winning gold or silver, and spending the rest of the season watching goals float in lazily over his left hand.
So yeah, Go Luongo. Go Brodeur. Carey, stay effing FOCUSED.
i really don't understand why anybody would think Carey should be on the list. I know he will be a excellent keeper hopefully a star player. he is clearly not in the same league as Brodeur and even Luongo and Fleury yet.
He's ten times better than Fleury.
Well he's stopping a higher percentage of pucks than Fleury on a much worse team.
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http://berkshireonthehabs.blogspot.com/
Andrew..i guess okay .he really has justed started out in the league..he just needs more time under his belt. there are just to many good players and can't make room for all.
True, it could work to go the other way too, if he did play no doubt he would have a few shut outs with the team he would have in front of him; could work to boost confidence. But a 2 week break can be beneficial too to recharge his batteries.
Anyways, naming this list seems like a bit of a formality because there is no way it will be anyone other than Matry, Luuuu, and Fleury.
"A month before the season I stop putting ketchup on my french fries." -Mario Lemieux on his off-season training.
A little off topic, but a chopper crashed on Bonaventure, I hope everyone is ok.
http://www.montrealgazette.com/Helicopter+makes+emergency+landing/234705...
Losers Even After Forty two Seasons
Why do we keep comparing stats between Lats and Pouliot, obviously Lats will have more goals, assists, PIM, ice time, shots, hits etc etc etc, POULIOT HAS NOT PLAYED YET he is 0-0-0-0-0-total 0, we all know he was injured when the trade was made so stop implying that Minnesota got the better of the deal, nobody knows that yet.
We do it to upset you Habs Proud. :)
lol..doesn't really upset me much Cat, sort of like the old apples to oranges thing.
I am so sick of getting updates on how Latendresse is scoring. Bottom line is that he would never be able to score this way here. He wasn't since Koivu left. I don't miss him at all. (Latendresse I mean)
"Bottom line is that he would never be able to score this way here"....when did he become a scoring machine, damn I must have missed it, the last time I looked he had 3 goals, the way you say it he must have 12 or 14 by now...
Whether its Latendresse, Ryder or even Kovalev and AKostitsyn, scoring wingers seem doomed to fail here since we dont have a dominant centreman IMO.
Of course we have a dominant centreman. Gomez dominates the Habs' salary cap.
Picking Gui and Kovalev, two of the laziest players this team ever saw to start your statement is a poor way to make your argument.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu. http://habsandhockey.blogspot.com/
Kovalev was lazy but Latendresse wasnt lazy.
I agree, no way was Lats lazy....he just didn't have the skill or skating.....great in the corners and along the boards though!!!!!!
Yea, it must have been a different guy wearing #84 with "Latendresse" on the back of it that I saw floating around the ice, waiting for the pass to make weak perimeter shots on a goalie's chest protector rather than risk going to the front of the net for the past several years. Latendresse was not even close to being a full-time player for Montreal, his apparent talent only appeared every 10 games or so, then faded just as fast.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu. http://habsandhockey.blogspot.com/
Well you maybe right, I just think we dont always give -or maybe the word is can't- our youth the elements to succeed. If it was me, Id have gone to lengths with Latendresse, put him on the top 2 lines and on the PP and not just for 1 game or 2, but for 2 or 3 weeks....You know I often see coaches say to their players 'its ok to make mistakes' so that they play loosy-goosy, but then as soon as a mistake occurs, then the coach mentions it or passively punishes that player by not using him in the same situation again.
Lats 3, Pouliot 0.
not surprising, considering Pouliot hasn't played a game yet!
The Halak trade rumours are a perfect example of media frenzy. Depending on the source the spin varies from...Gainey is trying to give Halak a deserved chance to be #1...to...Halak demands to play or be traded.
The Toronto Sports Channel has taken the poison slant...no surprise.
In any event, the result is that Gainey has to do something to prevent the distraction from blowing up. Can he do that without a good trade??
"If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail." (anon)
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Jesse-Connolly/Listomania-The-20-Worst-NH...
I was really expecting to see the Gomez trade in here for some reason...but you have to admit that it doesn't even hold a candle to the crap on there!
The Gomez trade is too new to appear in there. Even if Gomez is a bust so far and that may well be the way it turns out, there's no real way of guessing how the younger players we sent to NY will work out.
--------------------------------------------------- Listen to the SmartDog. He knows his poop!
Looks like a list of Milbury's greatest hits...er...misses.
Blows my mind how CBC employs this guy for his "hockey expertise". Here are some examples of how much of an expert he is:
1.T.Bertuzzi, B.McCabe and Draft pick(J.Ruutu) for T.Linden
2.R.Luongo and O.Jokinen for M.Parrish and O.Kvasha
3.Z.Chara, B.Mulckalt, and J.Speeza for A.Yashin
4.W.Redden and D.Rhodes for B.Berard and D.Beaupre
"A month before the season I stop putting ketchup on my french fries." -Mario Lemieux on his off-season training.
Gilbert - You beat me to it! I wish someone would ask Milbury about these three trades when he's on TV.
I'm not sure that the Jagr moves were really bad trades. They were basically salary dumps and the Washington trade to New York set up the revival of the Caps' ranchise.
I would also like to see a list of the worst UFA (and/or long term) signings of the past ten years.
Roy trade not on there. That basically invalidates the entire list.
It's of THIS decade.
ohhhhhhhhh, ok! I just saw the fact that the list was made by a Bruins blogger and wrote it off completely. I guess I should pay more attention next time!
Didnt know the flames had JS Giguere. You learn something everyday...Boston trading Pit Martin, Gilles Marotte and Jack Norris to Chicago for Phil Esposito, Fred Stanfield and Ken Hodge... And the canucks trading Cam Neely and Glen Wesley to Boston for Barry Pederson should be in there.
The Flames had Brett Hull, too, and threw him away.
Let's not forget Marc Savard and Marty St. Louis, oh, and Chris Drury.
I don't want to see Maurice tonight, I want to see The Rocket!
ya the calgary scouts said all he can do is score.... and score he did lol
That's an intense list of crap. The gomez trade is only bad for us because he's taking a lot of cap space. But basically the headline would be 'Rangers unload overpriced underachiever for bag of pucks'. Not that shocking. Not like the Jagr trades.
Has anyone else seen this?
Boston is pathetic, they're copying our centennial celebrations for the Winter "classic" game. I must say though that it's a good fit for the Bruins, they do always live in the shadow of the Canadiens.
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http://berkshireonthehabs.blogspot.com/
pitifull.....just pitifull.....stop being an arogant arse and let the bruins have their day
What's wrong with the Bruins showing pride and having their alumni skate (that's this Friday, not the day of the game)? I wouldn't mind seeing Orr on skates again, even at 65.
So the Bruins shouldn't let their former great players go for a skate around the rink cause the Habs did that a couple of weeks ago? Give me a F. break. I don't believe the Habs hold the rights to bringing out their players on the ice/field/court for a little ceremonial pick-up game.
"I find it down right insulting that they would do that, especially so soon after we did it like no one would remember. Do something original."
Insulting? Are you serious man? Look, I usually enjoy most of your posts but that's so F. ridiculous lol. "Too soon?" Recording a new version of the Thriller album in auto-tune 24 hours after M.J. died? That would've been too soon. This? This is just a fun ceremony for the fans.
Imitation is a form of flattery. Im pretty sure theyre not mocking. Other teams can embrace their tradition/heroes too.
A little daring, but we can't say those old timers don't deserve the honour.
Oh for sure they do, but to do the EXACT same thing as our legends pregame warmup is pathetic on the part of the Bruins. I find it down right insulting that they would do that, especially so soon after we did it like no one would remember. Do something original.
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http://berkshireonthehabs.blogspot.com/
Your reaction is over the top.
After the top 4 teams in our conference, the leafs have the best record in the last 10 GP. (7-3-0) And we're 10th. Let me add, they have 7 players with at least 20 points. We have 2. Remember when some used to say 'at least we're not the leafs'? Quite the turnaround isn't it...
Ever since the lockout the Leafs have run hot and cold. They'll got 10-12 without a win in January or something I'm sure.
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http://berkshireonthehabs.blogspot.com/
I hope you're right. They're catching up quick. Time for our comeback I think.
Wouldn't it be nice to start that comeback with a win in New Jersey for the first time in like 12 years or something like that?
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http://berkshireonthehabs.blogspot.com/
actually, the Habs beat the Devils in NJ Jan. 24, 2008 by a score of 4-3 - first time in years!
I was there. Great game. Habs were bringing it offensively all night. Brodeur kept it close.
I'm worried about the same thing happening in December to the Habs
I think you're overestimating the situation we're in. The last three games were all lost by one goal, it's not like we're getting blown out here. Cut down on the penalties and we're fine.
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http://berkshireonthehabs.blogspot.com/
Cut down the penalties and Plek, AK, and Cammi will tear it up. But how long can this last without secondary scoring? Leafs have 4 guys with at least 10 goals. We just have one stud with 18. The rest are below 10, and most have barely put a couple in.
I think that story changes when Gionta is back, I'm guessing AK46 will be above 10 by the end of the week as well. Plekanec only has 6 so far but he usually goes on a scoring spree around mid season. I'm not overly worried. Based on the time he's missed over the last few years, the Canadiens score a whole goal per game more with Markov in the lineup, so that'll be nice in the next two weeks or so as well.
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http://berkshireonthehabs.blogspot.com/
The glorious return of The System tonight against the Devils will prevent Brodeur from surpassing Terry Sawchuk's shutout record. Will they beat NJ? Not a chance in hell, but I'm trying to look for positives!
maybe we should realize that the talent level on this team is about 20-26 ..like all fans of their teams we tend to over rate our players...if this line up was called the leafs or bruins we would be posting so many negative comments about the talent level.
"the talent level on this team is about 20-26.."? 20-26 out of what 100? What's your rating scale?
watching the many young forwards on our team not scoring is hard but they are also getting very few scoring chances...maxpac 3 goals but we cannot say he has missed a ton of chances as game in game out he gets very few chances ,,
why trade halak now? two good goalies are better then one.if carey goes down who's in nets curtis sanford? yikes !! keep halak until the trade deadline when we'll get more for him. markovs comming back soon thatll help alot. i still dont like o'burn.that guy can barely skate backwards , just watch him.he's clummsy and seriously cannot fight his way outta a wet paper bag which he poved the other night. package oburnt in with jaro when the time comes.
0 over under on habs goal scoring at new jersey...take the under ...and they will have a 2-1 win or lose vs minny...this team has very limited goal scoring talent...how many teams have 7 forwards in their line up game 35 with 11 total goals combined...