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Dave Stubbs
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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).
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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... Melnick in the Afternoon (3:00pm) should be interesting as Mitch is not a fan of Pierre Gauthier as an assistant forget about GM (interim).
Pierre Gauthier is the interim GM as per McKenzie.
Well, if Bob really is stepping down, I would like to thank him for all the years he put into this team (that includes playing years). He did this because he loves this team. He could have taken a job anywhere else but he chose us. Whether you like him or not, he managed to undo A LOT of the damage Rejean Houle inflicted on this team. Sure, Gainey has made some bad moves but he's also made good ones. Ultimately, he's done a good job because he took a non-contender and had them competing in the playoffs almost every year of his tenure. We all have a "that's just not good enough" attitude towards him... but think about Houle.
Rejean Houle MUST have been that bad...So bad, in fact, you guys have amnesia when it comes to him. A lot of you act like Gainey was worse.
Gainey has had to work with a lot of problems. Whether it be the unfortunate passing of his daughter or having to babysit pre-madonna rookies, Bob managed to not let the team slip into a dismal abyss like the Laffs.
Bob took a big risk this off-season by signing all the new guys, but I mean our team last year completely self-destructed and to have most of the players he let go would be an outrage.
I am still upset that he let go of Koivu. He was a lifelong Hab and Bob gave him the boot. It saddens me to see a lot of supposed fans turn on players, coaches and GMs at the drop of the hat.
Bob was a warrior when he was on the ice and his love for this team is unprecedented. It's hard to be the best when 29 other teams are gunning for the same prize as you are.
Gainey was an unfortunate victim of the new NHL. Had this been pre-lockout style hockey and no salary cap, I can almost guarantee we'd be a top 5 team in the East.
I have said it before, some GMs came into the new NHL and have had great success, despite them. Others have had rotten luck or just terrible failures. Being a new GM in the NHL has been hit or miss and it now seems to be going in a direction where you know what you should do to be succesful. Gainey stepping down would be a sign that he realizes he is not fit for this new era of management. Again, he is doing what is best for this team and you can't fault him for that.
But hey, go ahead and bash me right, because a few bad trades (in your opinion) or a few bad seeds SURELY count for more than the good Bob has done.
You can make a million good things happen, but you will always be remembered for one mistake.
Nice post, Crab.
I agree with most of what you said. Good stuff.
I don't, however, think that letting Koivu go was the worst idea. He'd played his days here, and I think a change of scenery was required. Lots of vets go elsewhere near the end of their careers.
I think his biggest misjudgement was letting Huet go. I think that really hurt Price's development. But retrospect is 20/20, as they say. I guess Bob thought Price was more mature than he really was.
---Hope Springs Eternal---
I'm voting Crab for HIO poster of the year! This outlines in a fair way the great work Gainey has done. Kudo's. Granted Gainey couldnt' trade worth anything, but we don't know if that was the fault of the other GM's or their players, or maybe Gainey just didn't have it in him to do so, who knows? At any rate, given what Gainey had, Gilette and his money making ways and tight budget, Gainey gave us exciting hockey none the less! Kept us guessing what he'd do with Samsonov, or Souray, or we bitched when we lost Streit, but hey, the worst decision Gainey made was to build the team around Carey Price. Who the hell in their right mind builds a team around a rookie who hasn't shown potential?
Trevor Timmins too please!
www.soundcloud.com/le-freak =for sounds http://www.mauvaisoeil.com/extras/gainey/en/index.html =for lulz
I guess the Halak/Price debate is too much for Bob to decide on who to sign.
There have been rumors that when Geoff Molson took over that Boivin was defacto top boss on money and HOCKEY matters.
Under Gillette Bob had total control of hockey decisions, but under the Molsons Bob had to run all decisions past Boivin. Bob is a very proud man and maybe he bristled under this new arrangement and his contract ends soon anyway.
Please stop playing Gill or try to trade him for anything! Thats all I ask of the new coach or GM.
I hope that Bob stays.
He's made good deals and bad deals, but point me to one GM that has only made good choices, and I'll eat a puck.
A lot of our problems this year have come from injuries. We've lost the most man-hours and man/money-hours of any team in the league. The fact that we're seriously still in the playoff race is pretty impressive and shows some good leadership from high up.
A lot of the 'pickups' Bob missed out on were good. Look at Jokinen. People were ready to hang him by his ears after 'missing' that one. And look how well Olli's done since. How about Vinny? He's having a powerhouse year in TB, isn't he?! Especially since we would've lost Plekanec, who's only doing so-so this year. Right? Right?
For all you BG haters, if he goes I hope we get Mike Milbury. THEN you'll know what bad GMing really is.
---Hope Springs Eternal---
So your loyalty is MORE with Gainey than to the TEAM? Nice.
I guess the Molson Bros. agree with the Gainey haters and not you. BOOHOO.
Ummm... Sorry TripleX, but I didn't realize I'd placed subliminal messages into my post. I'll have to watch that in the future.
I never said that I was more loyal to Bob than to the team. Don't know where you got that from...
There's nothing wrong with supporting someone who you think does a good job. Especially if you back it up with a half-decent argument, like I did.
...and nice touch of class with your "boohoo". Really drives your point home.
---Hope Springs Eternal---
Bob McKenzie twittered that he thinks Bob is stepping down. OH HAPPY DAYS...I FEEL AS A GIDDY AS A LITTLE GIRL.
So JM takes over as GM, and brings up Boucher, completing the rape and pillage of the Dogs roster.
I know. They are bringing Breeze back. Gainey would normally annouce it, but this is beyond big, so they need the president to do that. Breeze and MAB is our new defensive #1 pair.
oh, Mike. You sure know how to appreciate a moment, don't you? :)
Fourth period guy saying it could be Gainey resigning.
edit: That's resigning, by the way, not re-signing.
this is the scariest thing anybody ever written on this board.
Resigning = Stepping Down
Re-signing = Contract Extension
"A month before the season I stop putting ketchup on my french fries." -Mario Lemieux on his off-season training.
oh, my bad. Nevermind.
4pm.
Watch what you wish for...
relax --- Bob is probably going to just announce that JM has been his best move as a GM
Or that JM has been fired and Trevor Timmins is now the Habs coach!
LOL
Bob Gainey, Jacgues Martin, Scott Gomez, and a first-round pick for Ken Holland and Mike Babcock.
"A month before the season I stop putting ketchup on my french fries." -Mario Lemieux on his off-season training.
We can ONLY dream!!!
Hmmmmm
WHO DAT? Can it be? Is there GOOD news today?
Pierre Boiven has announced a press conference at 4PM to announce important news on a management issue.
Is Bob gone? Oh happy days!!!!!!!!!!
Habs are holding a 4pm press conference to make "an important announcement regarding the Club's hockey management".
http://twitter.com/TheFourthPeriod/status/8816539630
Pierre Boivin will be holding a news conference at 4:00pm to discuss the direction of the Canadiens franchise
http://twitter.com/EricEngels/status/8816548282
Gainey fired? Jaques Martin Fired? Guy Boucher our new head coach? Speculate away!
JM has a new four year contract at 1.5 million/year...not him.
A coaching change would be announced by Bob....not Boucher.
Pierre Boivin is making the announcement and Bob's contract ends this year.....
The trade deadline is soon to end......if we are changing direction under new management the time is now......
WHOA!!! Man that is so far away!! I need to know now!
"A month before the season I stop putting ketchup on my french fries." -Mario Lemieux on his off-season training.
Oh please let it be so. Ple-e-e-e-e-ee-e-e-e-e-a-se!!!
If JM is made the GM.....then I might as well cheer for the Leafs. The Molson's can't be that stupid.
Only thing worse is that Bob is made GM for life.
Never under-estimate how stupid someone can be. And now I am really starting to be scared that JimVinny is right - it could be Molsons signing Gainey to an extension. Damn you, James!!!
I love how Martin was saying "This isn't the AHL" to the kids when HE was the one sending them out against Lucic and Thornton all of the damned time. Home team = last change. Martin is an idiot.
Yep, it was all AHL kids fault we lost. Nothing to do with the 8 and 6 mil dollar "talent" that didn't score a single goal. Nope. And anyway, Bruins just wanted it more... you can't compete with that.
It kills me because it sounds like he wanted to show the kids up and he didn't care about the game. All he cared about was proving a point. What an ***.
yep he's a real jean - E - us
We need our injured players back badly. What is the word on Pouliot?
Friday.
I agree with Timo :
A day off after a loss is rediculous they should be bag skated till they vomit thier hands should bleed from shooting and passing they should be placed in a pen with rabid rottweilers to learn what attacking means
Nasty, nasty! :D
well they did play back-to-back and probably came out with the number of points JM expected them to. if he were to run them to the ground after Sunday they would have nothing in the tank for the next game. The pattern of this team is a brief winning stretch that inspires some sort of hope followed by a few games where few people show up. Probably due to the fact that for them to win they have to leave it all on the ice and after a few wins, they are spent and running on fumes.
so your saying we have a coach who expected us to lose last night and come away with ZERO points --- wow i like this JM more and more
just a general interest question for the H/IO community :
What is your hockey background? --- how many years played, what level, and do you still play?
thanks people :) --- just wanting to know a bit about all of you.
Started playing organized hockey when I was about 10 (late starter compared to my friends). Played mostly AA teams growing up then played High School hockey then one year of Jr. B and one year of Jr. A. Now a dedicated beer leaguer.
"A month before the season I stop putting ketchup on my french fries." -Mario Lemieux on his off-season training.
kewl thanks dagger
Grew up in the Pointe Claire Arena. Skated and played (for fun as a kid) with a few Canadiens and their families. Played on many different teams from 17-26. No real teams, just as a fill in (in beer leagues) with a few friends who played division 1 in US Universities. I never played seriouslyly, I played soccer. Of course like everyone I played every night in the park next to my house in winter. My cousin lived with us for years, he played a bit in the Q.
There may be other teams, but only ONE Club De Hockey...
right on kewl jeoybarrie
Been on skates since I can remember. Step-dad had me skating in Kirkland arena during free skates when I was 4, holding onto chairs. Played a few years for Lakeshore and moved to Ile-Bizard and played for them. Only played B and A through my "career" cause we were 3 kids and money wasn't really ever plentiful to pay for doubles. Been suspended a few times because of fights on the ice, loved playing in Ontario where you could actually hit without having to be in double letters.
Still play when I can; it's kind of hard to in California. Stopped being interested in playing city leagues around the age of 16-17 because the kids never showed up to practice and never took the game seriously.
I've played every sport there is to play (with the exclusion of curling, tennis, cricket and lacrosse) and I never loved anything as much as hockey. If I had to describe my play, it would be grinding it out and skating fast. I had a bit of motivation problems; which is why it was a good thing to have my step-dad behind the bench, wringing my neck when I didn't perform to expectations.
right on crabvader --- i wish i could be playing in california !!
you know what that's gonna do, right? It's going to create a lot of those "what do you know? you never played the game. I played for xxx years (mind you never making it) so I know a lot better than you. So shut up you idiot. you kow nothing" type of thing.
You got it right on Timo ...say it like it is .
it would be better then Price vs Halak..? or BG vs "Arm chair GM for Windows"
first double post! i feel like one of the gang
i know . its sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.
now shut up you know nothing Timo lol
Some people don't play for a day in their lives and still know a great deal about hockey. Who cares about elitists. I think it's just a harmless question.
interesting question to see what the gang on here is all about!
iv been skating since the age of 3 and playing since the age of 4! That would be 17years and i started off in B and the highest level was Midget BB and spared for the AA guys. I play a stay at home type a la Ryan O'Byrne!
kewl thanks CERF
That kind of road trip with so few games remaining leaves a sour taste. I was feeling optimistic about a playoff spot but now it's looking pretty bleak.
your right ..... a win last night would have given some hope but now not so much we NEEDED that win last night and it pisses me off to hear Gio say the cliche line of "they wanted it more then us" (Huh? if someone else wants it more then why are you playing?) No team should ever want it more then you if your a winner and your goal is to win. Unless this team can pull of some upsets (caps game ect.) it going to be dust off the golf clubs sooner then i was wishing for.
This statement alone from Gio proves that these guys are about nothing else but money. I got my contract, I can't be moved, so now I am just going to relax and enjoy great montreal nightlife. Why bust my *** when win or lose I will get that fat paycheck.
It is beyond me that NHL is a place where you cannot be fired or fined for not performing. There is no responsibility for honoring the contract and playing hard. For the life of me I cannot understand how people can actually idolize hockey players.
ahhhhh..its not only the NHL its all Pro Sports. Your taken this way to seriously.
this is why i wouldnt want Gio to be captin....nice signing Bob :( i dont want b.s. statements about how other teams want it more then we do i want up front statements about how we have been consistently out played because our system doesnt allow us to preform kinda like Kovy would tell Russian news papers --- i want someoen to step up and say what is wrong with this team and what they are going to do to fix it.... not ...... well they wanted it more.
If thats the case why be here take your money and go back to the US ya bum
Pre Game
The real reason Pierre Houde wasn't there. According to the graphic RDS showed during the Habs game, Benoit Brunet was the only member of the entire RDS broadcast staff to pick the Saints. Houde, doubled over with laughter in the broadcast booth and tear-soaked pancake makeup running down his face, was pulled in favour of Alain Crete half-an-hour before the puck was dropped. [ed. note: In view of what transpired last night, for the balance of the season, Houde will now be forced to refer to Brunet as “Big Bad Ben” whenever they're on the air together.]
Separated at birth? I've mentioned this before, but it's worth repeating only because I'm certain of it: Claude Julien is actually Bill Dauterive from the godawful FOX animated sitcom, King of the Hill: http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTM0MzQxODczOF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwNzM3OTQ3._V1._SX296_SY400_.jpg. Bill Dauterive factoid: His actual name is Guillaume Fontaine De la Tour D'Haute Rive, I kid you not. Note that, in this instance, Guillaume is pronounced with the traditional “yome” sound as opposed to the sometimes heard “mauve”.
Game
They call him “The Recching Ball”. You can't blame Mark Recchi for trying to get into it with Brian Gionta early in the game; Mark had clearly been frustrated during the intros when the smaller of the two Habs flag-carriers turtled after Recchi dropped his gloves and challenged him.
Keep it simple, stupid. I'm convinced Claude Julien was adamant there would be no way in hell his legacy for the 2009-10 season would be that his team managed to tie the 3,000 year-old Broonz record for futility. The Broonz threw away their razzle-dazzle, penetrate-the-O-zone-and-go-for-the-kill style of hockey that has been their hallmark over the last two seasons – and one that has not been working without Kessel, Bergeron?, Ryder?, or Savard, for that matter - and went back to good ol'fashioned dump-chase-and-pound hockey which, as Julien knows, is very effective against a Habs team with a fragile transition game and futile one-man forecheck.
Too much to ask, to beat Tuukka Rask? It almost didn't work. The Habs' transition managed to push back fiercely in the second period and the team completely dominated the Broonz slot; it wasn't even close. Problem was this Rask dude. He ended up making all the difference. Tuukka was about as positional as the overrated Tim Thomas isn't and is another wonderful example of the Maple Loafs successfully making other teams better. Second problem was any rebounds were quickly gone and the Habs had to start all over again. Then the Broonz turned on the trap and this one was over.
Halak is a SV% whore. Jaroslav is so solidly confident, he openly passed to the Broonz a total of four times, daring them to try and score. This obviously led to some resentment from the Habs D-corps which subsequently went out of its way to redirect a couple of harmless shots into the net. The Habs dressing room is obviously more divided than post-WWII Germany, my friends.
Post Game
Clothing provided by A Clockwork Orange. Holy Lord, between PJ Stock's inwardly curled, unintentionally oversized shirt collar and too-long tie, and Glenn Healy's crooked four-in-hand knot – otherwise known as a schoolboy knot – the CBC panel looked like a bunch of private school droogs playing hooky. In contrast, and setting aside all the braying and bluster, each and every member of the CBS Super Bowl panel was at the Joel Bouchard standard or higher. Heck, some of those ties cost more than Ron MacLean's bloated CBC contract.
The Edmonton schoolteacher would still get paid. With RDS/TSN now playing the only theme music worth playing, you know, when there's hockey on...at night...in Canada, and noting the CBC sometimes broadcasts the same game, what's to stop the latter from starting out its telecast with Ron MacLean on screen and a TV blaring RDS in the background? Heck, as the RDS theme runs, Ron could even turn and face the camera with a tear running down his cheek, like that elderly native man on the horse in those old anti-pollution commercials.
JD
Ho-hum. The usual post game summary, the usual JD_ excellence. Well done. The Keep America Beautiful reference is classic.
ahahaha... True story about the Clothing provided by A Clockwork Orange part.
as always great read JD.
Agreed! and if Timo likes it...it must be good! :)
Always liked his/her posts.
He is indeed a he. Nice guy...if a little warped ;)
right... cause we are all rather normal here :)
Back to the Halak vs Price nonsense......... I still don't understand the argument of Trade Halak because Price will be great in a couple of years argument.I seen last night's(P.V.R.) game (first period) and Halak was great.What madman trades a great Goalie( Halak)? I'M SERIOUS ,SOME FANS ARE A BRICK SHORT !I like Price too but I wouldn't share spit with him,lol
Yeah, those two goals on 12 shots=great. Right. And am I to understand that your last line means that you would share spit with Halak? Because I can't see him feeling the same about you.
Hahah... I knew they were going to get day off. In the culture of medioctiry what do you reward? Right - mediocrity. They must be oh so tired from all that not skating and not hitting last night (and not scoring) that they sure deserve a day off. Poor little darlings... so tired. Need time with their hoochie mamas.
The coach is the one who needs time off - how about the next decade? Julien puts Lucic on the 4th line, clearly to counteract the forecheck of the new kids. Does Martin even once try to get them a different matchup? Not that I saw. Does he try Trotter, a natural scorer, with Pleks or the Jersey boys? Not that I saw. Rask may have beaten us anyway, but Julien made a move to blunt our attack - and Martin did not respond.
jealousy will get you know where.
Makes me think of when Barry Melrose gave the Kings an optional practice/family day when they were facing elimination in the '93 Cup finals.
PJ Stock , is that you??
does bob make a move today?
Gomez for Nash
who is left in hamilton to call up?
Guy Boucher
Best post of the day!
maybe we should call someone up from the ECHL?
Maybe Louis Leblanc during Spring Break..... We don't want him to par-tay too hardy.....
Or Olivier Latendresse... 47 points in 47 games.
1st: the problem with this team is that we need to be very aggressive. MTL was aggressive against the pens, especially the 'bulldogs' line, and caused turnovers and drew penalties. This lead to goals and scoring chances. And during the B's game, MTL was not as aggressive, was very passive and defensive even when down 2-0. MTL could not get the same amount of chances, and were shutout on home ice (which is embarrassing btw).
2nd:On the issue of PRICE vs HALAK
imo, MTL should trade Halak. Im not really a Price fanboy, but i believe that in the next 2-3 years Price will be the better goalie. He needs work yes... but realistically MTL is a few years from actually making a SERIOUS cup run. So i would trade Halak and keep the franchise goalie. Also, i hate to bring it up and compare him to others, but MA Fleury had a rough start to the NHL, but recovered quite nicely.
3rd: On Gomez
I do not like the money he makes, especially due to the cap now, but remember BG did not sign him to that contract, and his presence brought Cammi and Gio to the habs. And he is a good hockey player with great vision and tons of speed, so give the guy a break. If someone offered you 7 mil to play hockey would you say no because you 'couldnt accepted it because you are not a 7 mil player'?
___________________________________________________________________________
"How would you like a job where when you made a mistake, a big red light goes on and 18,000 people boo?" -Jacques Plante
1. Yup, being aggressive certainly works.
2. Trade Price. Only a swami knows if he will actually improve over the next few seasons whereas we see Halak's excellent play right now.
3. I don't care about the money any of these overpaid millionaires make because if I did, I wouldn't watch any games. Pro sports salaries are all obscene. All I want to see are skilled players doing their thing on the way to a Cup run.