No Canadiens practice today

Everyone is entitled the their opinion. I am usually a huge optimist when it comes to the Canadiens. Just because I don't feel that Carbonneau has what it takes - and have felt that way since December 2006 - doesn't mean that I'm not a Habs fan. The posts about "if you say anything bad about the Habs get off the bandwagon" reek of Soviet-era communism and implies I've not taken my punches over the last 15 years, the "shame on you for saying that" genre is most effective when heard by a nine year old from his mother, and the "Carbonneau knows best and you've never been in a hockey room locker" is how the U.S. senate voted to invade Iraq for weapons of mass deception.

It's okay to disagree in a democracy. It's certainly okay to disagree about hockey. If you want to drink your Kool-Aid with blindfolders on then that's for you. If you need an outlet to vent in, if you have an observation that might help us enjoy/understand the game more, if you have an opinion, that happens to be for me. I'm not trying to rain on your parades. Stop saying that those of us without blind faith haven't the right to congregate in public. Optimism is a fine trait, as is realism. Pollyanna I ain't and I don't ever aim to be, but neither are any of my comments or most of those from others critical of Carbonneau intending to injure because we're spoiled brats who expected an easy series. I predicted Canadiens in 7 at the outset - I've watched the Bruins all year and knew they were a good team. I just thought it would be a hard-fought series where we'd eventually come out on top. It's been a massacre where we're lucky to be alive; any even-headed viewer would have to agree with that, in my opinion. The gap between wins and losses has not been what has so incensed some of us - it's the path we took to getting there and the resolute arrogance that Carbonneau has displayed with his "no practices" and "I look forward to Game 7" as if he doesn't understand what the issue is, which he may not. I think that's disingenous in the latter case and incompetent in the former. Reminds me of George W. with his "bring it on" statement.

Carbonneau has a chance to redeem himself. As some of you have stated, he is the captain of the ship, he is in the locker room, he knows what we cannot. We are simply observing symptoms and attempting to identify a cause. All true. Further, I reserve the right to change my opinion if he surprises me with a change of gameplan and the team executes in Game 7. However, I similarly reserve the right to recommend execution if he doesn't surprise me and comes out with a different cast of characters and squeaks by on luck (games 2 & 4) or we get killed again.

I'm a fan and have been since I was born. I'm not going to challenge anyone to a silly "who's a bigger fan contest". I've stuck by them year in year out and will again next year. This series is extraordinarily difficult because after 15 years of appearing lost we finally seemed to find our way in the first half of last year, then disappeared when the going got tough. This year we've had no injuries and no controversies, and after the perfect season won the conference. Even the Habs joined in the hysteria with the "16 for 25, all for 1" and the normally stoic Bob said, uncharacteristically, "our goal is to win the Stanley Cup." The city and its fans have come out in full force - no fans support the team like we do when they are winning and when they are trying. Unfortunately, we are not winning right now and, while we are certainly trying, we haven't a system built to win. What am I supposed to do - suggest wholesale changes on the team (akin to changing all the body parts) or wonder whether there might be something central responsible like the coach (akin to the brain, the heart, etc.)? You're all entitled to your own opinions and I won't chastize you for them, although I reserve the right to disagree. I'm not Johnny-come-lately to the Carbo hypothesis - it was rampant last year and mjames was the first to repeatedly point out issues with Carbo's one man forechecking scheme. Coaching requires adaptation. Coaching requires confidence. Coaching requires communication. I don't see it and I think the team wants to win for the fans and for themselves, but don't mind Carbonneau losing. Pure supposition? Yes. Where's it come from? From my own sentiment that I wouldn't mind the man getting axed before he ruins our chances at a year-to-year contender based on the outstanding work by Timmins and Gainey.

Not practicing, working on correcting some of the things they are doing that ain't working....mind boggling to say the least.

When's the conference, anyone know?

CBC just showed a live clip of the Habs PRACTICING! Woohoo, it even had a picture of Carbo in front of the players pointing at a whiteboard. Maybe, just maybe Carbo has something in mind for the game seven. Oh Lord, I hope so.

Wait a few years to win The Cup? Excuse me, wasn't it Gainey who said this team was hungry and wanted the cup this year?

WHATS GOING TO HAPPEN THEN?? IF NO PRACTICE THEN WHAT??

ARE ALL THE PLAYERS GONNA SULK UNTIL GAMETIME TOMORROW??

SERIOUSLY THEN WHAT?

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OFFICIAL ESPN CUP PREDICTION: Montreal vs San Jose

Tired? Why isn't Boston tired then? Not a credible excuse. Sorry.

I have read only a few posted and I find it disgusting that we find Carbo arrogant and too confident. He led this team all season behind the bench and now that it is not going to well we bash him. Come on...

The team is tired plain and simple. This series has warn them out. Andrei Kostitsyn looks very tired. Kovy I am sure is playing injured and frankly Price was left to himself last night.

To win it is simple... Instead of dumping because we are damn tired.. Carry the puck in an use our speed... Shoot the puck on net (like bouillon did last night) and pray for a rebound.. Finesse won't get you anywhere in the playoffs...

My personal feeling on this team was this... They achieved their goal of the year of making the playoffs... Even though they would be out in the first round, they gave us the best hockey in years... There will be next year.. We have many young guys that didn't know what NHL playoff hockey was like. Well they are getting a Playoff 101 class... Prof is Dr. Claude Julien... We will win the cup... Give it a few years and have faith...

Players win games, teams win championships.
- Bill Taylor

Carbo"I said before the playoffs started that I was planning to play 28 games, so that hasn't changed," Canadiens coach Guy Carbonneau said. "That's why you play 82 games (in the regular season), to have a chance to play that seventh game at home, and we're going to look forward to it

What an idiot! Hey Carbo, go have your wife blow another 150 on a new tie. That seems to be your only strategy you have been able to come up with. Glad you are looking forward to a game seven. I guess the Captain of the Titanic was looking forward to meeting that iceberg!

Carbonneau is an arrogant (not changing or practicing), hyperreactive (benching and line changes that are random since he began), moody (snaps when questions asked), inflexible (definition of an idiot is someone who, when faced with failure, continues to do the exact same thing), indecisive (line changes), unmotivating (sulks instead of leads; never calls timeouts), and poorly communicative coach.

We didn't face any adversity all season - no injuries, no slumps, nothing. We did last year, and we saw how the brooding coach responded.

Bruins have outplayed us in five straight and the sixth one was not a fair test because of our two fluke goals in the first couple of minutes. I'll be shocked if we don't get our asses handed to us tomorrow. Ever worked for a boss that's a prick? I did, and we were doing extraordinarily well and it was a mixed feeling - you actuallly found yourself hoping for a downturn so he'd get canned. If you're the Habs, you win and Carbonneau and his regime continues. If you lose, the team gets broken up, Carbo stays, it's a mini Mario Tremblay situation.

Gainey has to forget his allegiance to Carbonneau and fire him next year at the first sign of the above traits. The team is much better than the system. I do find myself thinking xenophobic thoughts about what it would be like to have another skilled north american, i'm embarrassed to type. It's not because of lack of heart - it's just contextual: do 21 year olds who haven't grown up in north america really consider the stanley cup on par with international competition? It would be natural if that were a learned trait.

Anyways, back to carbo. . . prove me wrong. Last year you ruined my memories of you as a player. This year you've taken away my PRIDE in the organization by playing with my emotions. I feel completely cheated, and while I'm aware just how pathetic this paragraph reads, I feel like the Habs really lost an opportunity with the squad Gainey's been building and I'm devastated. Glad the most contemplative GM in the league is calling the shots - at least there will not be an overreaction - but hope that this eventually gets Carbo fired. We can't win with him.

After watching this series,I have come to the conclusion that Carbo is unable to counter Juliens trap system. In the first two games Montreal outplayed the Bruins, but Julien was able to put a system in place to counter the habs speed, to his success. But in the last couple of games Carbo has not been able to outcoach the Bruins. When you see the habs coming out of their end in a disorganized way, you can see they are playing subpar hockey. I surely hope they bring their A game to next game, and play hard hockey.

The Habs only trailed for a couple minutes last night, but it was the most important two minutes. They didn't play that bad, they just couldn't handle the B's attack when it counted.
Please Habs, learn from your mistakes in time for tomorrow night. Everyone's gotta be on the same page, and FIGHT for every puck like your career depends on it.

I BLEED BLEU BLANC ET ROUGE!!!

what the HELL!?!?!?
sorry Carbo, but when you lose like you did last night, you need to practise. you know, like, fix the things that went wrong?!? other coaches do it, tune in!

I always said that Carbo is not an NHL coach. He has no idea what to do. Gainey needs to have a chat with the players on Monday. Carbo says the stupidest things. We've never lost 3 in a row! does that mean it can't happen? Carbo shut your trap, you're an idiot!
As long as Carbo is our coach, habs will never win a cup!
We have no defence, and no PP, but Carbo would prefer to let the boys sleep in, instead of trying to right the ship! pathetic!