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Audio: How do Habs stop a speeding train?
posted by Dave Stubbs at 6h43 EST on Feb 10
Caps come into today game on this little winning-streak they've got going... a franchise-best 14 straight and counting.
Caps hot play really dates back to Jan. 5, the last time they played Montreal. Since then, Caps have won 17 of 18.
A lot happened in early January that set the stage for this hot-streak:
Jan. 5: Ovechkin named captain... Caps have gone 17-1 since...
In 18 games as captain, Ovechkin has 16G, 20A and is a +22...
He's an NHL-best +40 on the season (he was +8 last year).
Am attaching a good clip from Mike Green describing the change in Ovi's game since he was named captain.
That Jan. 5th game was also the Caps first, after a 3-game losing streak...
Coach Brude Boudreau juggled the forwards lines that night and they've remained the same for the last 18 games.
Top-line has been unreal with Ovi-Backstrom-Knuble.
Good clip attached from Brooks Laich describing Backstrom as the quietest superstar in the NHL.
The B-OK line has combined for 33 goals, 36 assists during the Caps 14-game winning streak.
Knuble scores the majority of his goals on the tip of the crease, but it's been the perfect compliment to Ovi & Back.
Knuble also approached Boudreau a few games into the streak and asked him not to touch the lines, that they had a good thing going (all 4 of them).
The second-line was also created that night when Boudreau shifted LW Tomas Fleischmann to center (a position he hadn't played since WHL days in Moose Jaw)...
2nd line of Laich-Fleischmann-Semin has also been very strong over the past 18 games.
Seperating Semin from Ovechkin-Backstrom really gives the Caps two powerful top-lines.
Semyon Varlamov is making this trip (all 3 goalies are)... he's been out with two lower body injuries (groin, knee) since Dec. 7... Caps went 6-6-0 in the first 12 games without him... 17-1 since...
Jose Theodore has been a treat to watch... Not winning games 1-0, 2-1 like he did in the MVP year of '02, but then again, he doesn't really need to with this bunch.... Theodore is riding a career-high 10-game winning streak.
Theodore audio here, including one in which he compared this winning streak to his previous career-high of 7 straight wins (Habs, 2002).
14 game winning streak began with 5-4 shootout win in Florida on Jan. 13...
Caps overcame 4-1 deficit that night.... Just as they did in OT win over Pittsburgh on Sunday.
Comebacks have been big theme of the streak....
They've outscored opponents 30-6 in third periods... plus the shootout 'goal' and the OT winner on Sunday vs. Pitt.
All 18 'everyday' players have scored at least once during this 14-game streak.
Audio Attached: (in addition to highlight montage of 13-game streak):
Mike Green - on Ovechkin's play as captain
Alex Ovechkin - on playing in Canada this week.
Brooks Laich:
1. Proud of Caps going to Olympics... Lets Stevie Y know that he'll pay for his own flight if he wants him.
2. Nicklas Backstrom is the quietest superstar in the NHL.
3. Not worried about Ottawa or St. Louis yet.... Montreal will be tough
4. We've got loftier goals than the streak... looking at conference and 1st overall.
5.. On team bouncing back after 3-game losing streak late December and how that losing streak put in motion this stretch of 17 wins in 18 games.
6. On team coming back in 3rd periods....
Jose Theodore:
1. Streak is nice, but we have bigger goals.
2. Played well in return to Denver this year (6-1 win)... going to Montreal tho, no big deal... lots of turnover since 06.
3. 3rd period comebacks, no surprise with all the firepower on Caps
4. More on Caps offense
5. Compared this streak to the one in 2002 with Habs...
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Lately we have been playing very well against the great teams and horrible against the pathetic teams. I guess we are due for a good one tonight. Go HABS Go!
http://gushuecards.webs.com/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRRiyN3A0pg
Doesn't Price have a great record against the Caps? Or was that Halak? At any rate, this whole business of having two backup goalies for Montreal sucks. Gauthier, time to find a number one goalie for Montreal, top priority.....enough of these promoting rookies from the ranks hoping they will become top 3 or top 6 NHL goalies, hasn't worked in Montreal in ages, or any other team for that fact, do the tried and tested, find a veteran, and then have him mentor your rookies. Only question now is, who is better mentor material, Price or Halak? I think Price has all but burnt his bridges in Montreal, and Halak has the support of his team, so the obvious trade would be Price for Giguire, we can't have the Laffs become contenders now can we?
really very very interesting piece by Renaud Lavoie (RDS) on Mr Gainey.
http://legrandclub.rds.ca/profils/608456/posts/56979
Price getting the nod?
Is the team going to play with some fire now in honor of Bob?
Is the team going to play better to please new GM PG?
Will JM have his system in place to shut down the Ovie line?
Will the Hab team that we see once every 20 games show up?
1. Maybe
2. No
3. No
4. No
5. Maybe
We are an average team and will be for seasons to come. It will get worse before it gets better for our club.
We will rebuild with a new Sheriff in town!!!!
"We will win the Cup one day only with ? in the nets "
The only good thing is that all streaks come to an end at some point so why not tonight...they can't win 'em all all the way to the playoffs. Besides, Jose at 10 in a row is plenty...he is due for a very lack lustre game. As long as the Habs can muster anywhere near 30 shots, we may have a chance.
How do you stop a speeding train? Just throw Gill in front of it. Go Habs Go!
Trains can't go high glove so maybe Price could get the call tonight.....
Price isn't the only one on this team with a suspect glove.
Wash,as 23 player incl. 3goalies on team avrg. 6.44 "that why we;re hurt all the time.Smallest player morrison and theodore 5.11"
Or due to the fact that they have Ovie, Semin, Backstrom, Green, (atleast 2 franchise player right there) etc that can score at will, especially Ovie
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"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
Reading about OV's performance after being named captain, I feel it would be in the best interests of our team to have one. Someone who would feel compelled to overachieve to set an example to the rest of the team. I don't think it's any coincidence that the Caps' winning streak started with the naming of a captain (yeah, I know their previous captain got traded). They went from being a very good team to an unstoppable juggernaut. I hope that ends tonight!
Who do you suggest? Gomez would be a joke. Cammy's gone until mid-March. Markov is coming off the worst injury of his career and is still trying to find his legs. Same goes for Gionta. Pleks is still not signed.
The problem with the Habs is they have no identity and are loaded with inconsistant players. The Caps on the other hand are not just a one-trick pony. They have serious depth up front besides Ovie, they have one of the best young defenseman in the league, and they've had pretty good goaltending. Aside from goaltending, the best teams in the league (Caps, Pens, Hawks, Sharks, etc.) are head and shoulders above the Habs in every position.
I hesitate to agree with you but I think you are right. The habs are already overachieving this year. I don't think anyone has another gear to shift into like an Ovi does. The only guy that should be producing more is Gomez but saddling him with the "C" doesn't seem to be a good fit.
Hahaha! Heads and Shoulders above the habs, heck that is every team in the NHL, the habs are probably the smallest midget team in the world, professionally anyway. Come and watch Bob Gainey's 3 ring flea circus of a team! Anchored by the shrimp line!
have they beat us yet this year??? I cant recall
We won 1 in OT.
We lost 1 in OT.
We lost 1 in regulation.
There may be other teams, but only ONE Club De Hockey...
Naw dude, we beat them 3-2 in regulation,
Lost one in OT which we should have won in regulation
Then got outplayed brutually last time we played them
I knew I should have looked it up..........thats right they have 4 points vs us we have 3 vs them..... GOD I HATE THE CAPS........
There may be other teams, but only ONE Club De Hockey...
ALWAYS REMEMBER, THE HABS WILL OFTEN WIN THE GAMES THEY SHOULDN'T AND LOSE THE ONE
THEY SHOULD WIN. THEY HAVE A GOOD CHANCE OF WINNING TONITE
Isn't it wonderful how the Caps have a real hockey team and we Habs fans only get a marketing machine.
Aww the marketing machine, that has us thinking a two 20 goal a year multimillionaires will turn our season around....aww the marketing machine that has us thinking Carey Price cause he did well, is the reincarnation of Patrick Roy, Ken Dryden, and that last year Price was going to get us a cup....aww the marketing machine that propogates the myth that there is a conspiracy out there by Gary Bettman, the NHLPA and the Quebec Taxman all trying to make sure we can't get superstars here. Oh wait we have two 20 goal a year superstars, although combined head to toe they still are not as tall as Zdeno Charra!
GREAT for the Caps. As I tell all my friends here in Wash DC. Win a Cup then talk... At least 1.. Even then they will be at the wonderful level of the Hurricanes and Lightning.......Let's see what happens when they have to sign Fehr, Gordon, Fleischman, Pothier, Morrison next season AND somehow sign Varlamov, Backstrom, Laich, Bradley, Semin and replace Knuble next year UNDER THE CAP... Still they are looking damn good, and it pisses me off... But they have Theodore, so you never know when he will meltdown.
There may be other teams, but only ONE Club De Hockey...
HH-Are you even a Habs fan? I think you might check out the TLM boards, you might be lost!!
I've probably been a Habs fan before you were even born. I am a Montrealer and nobody from Ontario is going to tell me how to view my team. If they start looking good I'll praise them. If they tank and start rebuilding I'll praise them. If they continue this 8th place make the playoffs at all costs perpetual mediocrity I'll rip into them.
I am a Montrealer not you. This is my team not yours.
Idiot, where one lives doesn't define where one is from. Je suis Quebecois, and just because you live in Mtl doesn't make it your team. See PJ stock. You always bash the team you are supposedly a fan of, and I find it tiring. What a fool......
BTW I was born in 1969 in Montreal, making me a fan longer than you A-wipe.
It's OK really. The fact that your only recourse is to resort to insults only leads me to believe that I am wasting my time even responding to you. I started watching the Habs in '73 at 11 years old so I am way ahead of you in watching them or being a fan. I saw the "too many men on the ice game" when it happened. I watched the Habs sweep the Flyers in '76. I was at the 1-0 game where Claude Lemieux scored in the finals in '86.
I don't bash the team. I speak my honest opinion. It's my view that this team is going nowhere. It is my view that the way to build a team is via the draft and not free agency. I am tired of this organization always putting together 8th place teams and not real contenders. The Habs are poorly managed and fans like you are the problem because you and others like you accept this mediocracy.
I live in Montreal so they are my team. I follow the Saints too and am glad they won but they are the team of New Orleans and it's citizens. I would never claim them to be my team. You may have an attachment to the Habs and that's fine but I live and breath them on a daily basis. I work across the street fromt the Bell Centre. You left Quebec for whatever reason but I am sure it's related to the reasons why I am frustrated with this team.
So to tell me I am at the wrong message boards is ignorant to say the least.
I merely wondered why you spend your time littering these boards with hatred towards your team?!!
You assumed I was from Ontario and said I had no business telling you about your team. Are you a Molson. Obviously others felt as I did about the foolishness of assuming that where one lives gives him rights to tell others it's not their team.
I grew up in Montreal and left for career reasons. That makes me less of a Hab fan? I think you have a real problem with the Habs and perhaps dont love them as much as you profess.
I always chide the dissidents with the TML boards as a gentle nudge, but you decided to tell me not to cheer for your team. I have tickets to April 10th against Leafs and would love to meet and discuss the Habs with you, in english or french....See I am a Montrealer too, and they are my Canadiens as much as yours....
sorry HH but that whole you are a MOntrealer thing is a joke.....they are not your team....the players aren't even from Montreal so I hope you are joking because that is one of the more offside rants I have ever seen. There are 5 guys from Ontario who are a far bigger part of YOUR team than the 4 guys from Quebec (not taht it shouold matter but apparently it does to you?).....so think of how ridiculous it would be if all of the sudden us folks from ONtraio started claiming it is our team, blah, blah, blah......leave the geography out of the posts from now on please and thank you as they are irrelevant
I live in Montreal. The Habs are Montreal's Team. I am a Montrealer. They are my team.
They are not Quebec's team. They are not Canada's team. Regardess of how many supporters they have elsewhere they are Montreal's team. It's quite simple.
We'll have to play a very tight, close-checking game to have a chance to win. If we give the Caps a lot of open ice, they'll bury us. Markov will have to stick to Ovechkin like a leech; Ovechkin has said he's the toughest defenseman to play against and we have last change, so it's not impossible. Our goaltender will have to be very sharp, and we'll need some scoring from our 3rd and 4th lines or the defense. Special teams will have to excel; the Caps' powerplay is deadly. A tough assignment, but no one thought we'd beat the Devils a few weeks ago or the Penguins last week. All streaks come to an end; lets end the Caps' streak tonight.
I like to think its as simple as this:
If MTL plays like they did against PIT, they have a shot
If MTL plays like they did against BOS, it will be uglier than a weekend at Michael Vicks Dog Ranch
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"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
I think if we loose these next 3 games, management should make some decisions on what place we should finish this year. Obviously they have a few years work. We should clear as much cap sapce as possible at deadline, sign plecks and honeslty try to sign both goalies.
Mostly everyone has given up on Price and thinks Halak is the next brodeur, But if Price is what lots of people in and around the league think he is, the we will have a superstar goalie.Now here me out. Try for a guy like Kovalchuk...YA YA im crazy but listen honeltly a super star is what the fans want, and a superstar will fill the Bell center for years to come and then we can properly build a nice team. To be perfectly real The Molsons spent 600 million and will want that building FULL when they rebuild the team. Its just what i think, and if you dont think so, Just take a look at the teams that are winning the cups and who is on them, and look at the top teams in the NHL and who is on them.
“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"
The Bell Centre was filled, is full and will be full no matter what stage the team is in. Whether it's rebuilding phase, growth phase, while we're at the apex, on the decline and on the complete low. This arena will ALWAYS be full. So owners and management have absolutely NOTHING to worry about regarding filling house.
What I think should be taken care of is our ridiculous language barrier that is making it so hard to get a proper coach or GM. Mr. Boivin stating that the French language is a big importance regarding the organization as a whole, (don't get me wrong, I am born Quebecois and watch all our games on RDS and always speak both of our beautiful languages) I found that statement to be a terrible, terrible to the future chances of our team attaining success.
As I read elsewhere regarding this same issue, the vacancy of available GM's and coaches with good skill is already narrow. Adding the language factor only makes finding a "fit" GM/Coach for the job even harder. Sort of like trying to find your own hockey pucks on the busiest day at the local rink.
I personally like our team. A lot. I love our goalies. And I think we can compete with the best of them when we have our Canadiens playing rather than our very hard working Bulldogs. As for this year, all will be decided after the Olympic break. If all players are healthy. then we should push it hard for the playoffs. Maybe even reach an incredible win streak like the visiting Capitals. If we still have health issues after the break, we should be playing like we have nothing to lose, and lower our exaggerated expectations of a half-dressed team. Patience is a virtue.
Sorry for the long post. Hopefully this was more enjoyable than annoying.
I agree with you, but if you listened to the Podcast on HIO the bell center was not full prior to the lock out and the year after, so there is no guaruntie that it will always be full. Kovalchuk has never scored under 40 goals in his career, and thats something we are missing, our team has a bunch or nice playmakers, thats all we seem to attract.
“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"
I agree with you, but if you listened to the Podcast on HIO the bell center was not full prior to the lock out and the year after, so there is no guaruntie that it will always be full. Kovalchuk has never scored under 40 goals in his career, and thats something we are missing, our team has a bunch or nice playmakers, thats all we seem to attract.
“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"
We have Pouliot. He'll prove to be a 50 goal man if he can stay healthy.
I wonder if the "superstar" must also speak French. Wouldn't be surprised if we swapped Gomez for Vinny at the deadline. Kovalchuk would be a great one-two punch with Markov as far as Russian superstars go.
We already have our franco superstar, just be patient (he's from ontario, see post above)
"a superstar will fill the Bell center for years to come"
Not exactly. A winning team will fill the Bell Centre. Kovalchuk would only fill the place in as much as he could make the Habs a winning team.
If he takes up 20% of the cap he might make it harder to build a winner. He's not a one man band like Ovechkin. He's just a very good player.
Even thinking about Kovalchuk begins with getting rid of Gomez's contract. That's a huge hurdle. A contract that I can't imagine another GM taking on. But you never know. There's already been 2 GM's willing to pay him that money.
"He got in my way, so I took him out." - Jean Chretien
What is that you are standing on?
It's a squirrel.
"He got in my way, so I took him out." - Jean Chretien
Your avatar is very offensive. Disgusting really. I suggest you change it.
Your suggestion has been duly noted.
"He got in my way, so I took him out." - Jean Chretien
leave it, it's funny and creative.
Oh, I'm leaving it. I just wanted HH to be sure he was aware his suggestion was received and being 'seriously' taken into consideration.
"Maybe I'll play the piano." - Bob Gainey
Not too many people thought we'd beat the Pens either.
"The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop, at late or early hour. Now is the only time you own. Live, love, toil with a will. Place no faith in time. For the clock may soon be still."
Chez Paree. lol
I'm afraid a fully healthy Habs squad wouldn't stand a chance against this team. That's not a knock against our Habs. It's just that the Caps are that good. That being said anything can happen on any given night. Hopefully Halak has been working on his balance, because he'll need to stand on his head to pull this one out of the bag.
I never miss a Habs game and I love watching the Caps play, so no matter what the result, I plan on enjoying tonight's game.
"He got in my way, so I took him out." - Jean Chretien
It's Pricey's turn to shine tonight....
If he gets the nod, I hope you're right.
"He got in my way, so I took him out." - Jean Chretien
"How do Habs stop a speeding train"?
Well Mr Stubbs, to answer your question, you put Carey Price in net tonight...
Lol!
Phew... Unreal. Gotta hope Ovie & co. is going to underestimate us and we can strike immediately at first couple of miunutes. Extra shields to every D-men's skates and block-block-block...
http://media.turku.fi/kamera1.html
The perfect synonym for POWERHOUSE. I gotta admit these guys are SICK to watch! I'll be goign to the game tonight and to be completely honest, it'll be a great game no matter the outcome. The Caps are a joy to watch. Even better if the Habs can pull it off, but if not let's say I won't have any regrets. It's not like watching the Habs lose to the lowly Bruins or Laffs.
"I gotta a feeling...that tonight's gonna be a good night!"
Harani saying "I'm going to the game tonight" should be music to everyone's ears.
/\\ike
GO HABS GO!
This just feels like a beating coming our way. Ovechkin just can't seem to be stopped this season.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu. http://habsandhockey.blogspot.com/
Im not so sure being dominated by the opposition is something to be afraid of.
Bring Guy out of retirement to smother OV and let the rest of it take care of itself. Oh, score at least 5 goals since Wash.'s average is 4 per game.
Go Habs Go