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Thanks for the report RGM. As many have noted already. The game is not a meaningful one. The point is to give the coaches a chance to evaluate prospects and try line combinations while the players work some of the rust out and get their timing back. On the other hand, it sounds like Boston came to the game with something to prove, which is likely the cause of the bloated score and the fights. However, what is important to note is your comments on Weber and Valentenko, especially the latter. Its only one game, and the first one at that. Valentenko, along with Carle, is the top defensive prospect in the system. I was hoping he was about ready to make the jump to the big team. I'd like to see him get some time with the Canadiens and gain some valuable experience. Brisebois, in my opinion, is at the end of his career, is a stop gap and it would be preferable for a young player to move into his 7th spot. But only when one is ready to do so. It may yet come to pass. I hope Carle and Valentenko elevate their games.
O,O, just got in, and by the sounds of it, I'm glad I missed it. But Yeats is right, it is only pick up hockey right now. When the roster players are left in camp, that is when the club starts to get serious.
Won't be to long now.
Just got back home from the Metro Centre. We got there just as the Habs' bus arrived. The coaching crew hung around outside for a couple minutes so I was able to get auto's from Carbo & Mr. Gainey. Once they opened the door to the arena the players pretty much streamed inside. I was able to get stop and chat with Josh Gorges for a few moments, got him to sign a postcard. Good old Kelowna boys sticking together!
Sadly, that was pretty much the highlight. It was an ugly game to watch. Habs had maybe 18 shots, while the Bruins had over 40. Halak didn't look good of a couple of the goals (Slobotka beat him for a beauty deke on the first one, though) and Denis never seemed to get a good feel for the game's flow (such as it was). Horrid refereeing, with penalties being called every couple minutes. There was precious little 5-on-5 play in this game.
Let's just say that the prospects have a ways to go yet and there's very few who played tonight that will be challenging for a roster spot. Both Weber and Valentenko made rookie mistakes that directly led to goals, while the forwards did nothing to stand out. There was a marked difference between the shifts manned by NHL'ers and those by the prospects. Maxwell did score on a nice wrister, though. Tanguay was all right in his Habs debut. Plekanec and the brothers never really got off the ground. After it got out of hand there were three fights in a row, including one where Andrei Kostitsyn got himself potatoed pretty good by Andrew Ference.
Afterwards we got to see the bus with the Habs come around the corner and got to wave goodbye. Then we saw Michael Ryder make his way out of the arena. My girlfriend yelled over to him, "We still love you, Michael!" which got a pretty mixed reaction from the many Habs fans in the area.
Yeah they got beat up pretty badly tonight, but it was half the roster (granted, it was only about half the B's roster too) in the first pre-season game of the year. A team's performance isn't judged on games in September, which is very fortunate for just about everybody who played tonight.
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Go Habs Go!
looks like another season of that idiot habitant5 and his tsn trolling....
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=250366
and by posting about it, you are giving him what he wants. Attention.
This is a huge blow, an 8-3 shallacking for our first game, the Canadiens confidence will be shattered and we will be forced to send Denis to the minors and Halak will be relegated to a back-up role and Ben Maxwell will be have to centre the second line for the BUlldogs.........wait...
To be honest, I wouldn't be worried if we lost every preseason game. The w's and l's are meaningless at this time of year. Sure it's nice to win a couple of the last few before the start of the regular season but, it's still not worth getting worked up if we don't. Besides, this isn't even anything close to the team that will begin the season.
8-3 L who cares? Tanguay was the best player on the ice for the Habs... that I care about, that's great news. The Bros K. and Pleks had spark, that's awesome, that matters. 8-3 L bah! who cares.
Didn't the Habs lose most of the preseason games last season too? We all know how that year turned out :) I think it's good for the prospects to see what they're going to face if they're really serious about heading to the NHL. It gets things into perspective for them.
The fact that Tango's line with Pacman and Maxwell was one of the best in the game is music to my ears though. And that Sergei still delivers those hip checks of his (at least from what I heard on the radio...just not the same when you're listening).
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the notwithstanding clause - The general consensus of an ordinary Habs fan in Montreal
Exactly, who cares, I'm actually glad we got our asses kicked so players don't take thingsfor granted that it's going to be easy.
To win or lose a preseason game is meaningless.
Laraque will make them Pay the Price!
Ditto
I agree. It's just pickup amongst professionals. Let them stretch, work up a sweat and get their sea legs. And, most important, grab a few beers after the game as a team!
Especially at this point, it 's mainly a chance to see the newbies in a pseudo-game.
And, walk away uninjured. This stuff can be one big groin pull if the boys are not careful.
... or lucky! (there's an intended double entendre there)
Whenever you think your job really sucks, grab a beer, sit back and reflect that it could be a lot worse:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gi5nCd1ZVrw
does ottawa think they're in the WWE or the NHL??!!
Unfreakinbeleivable... how humiliating for all in attendance.
How does one come back from something like that? I would just tape the exhaust pipe on the ride home from work!
If that is how they kicked off last season, everything makes sense... then again they didn't need that to go down the crapper. They've proved skilled at that for years.
That's how they kicked off the playoffs against Pittsburg, who steamrolled them in four straight. I remember that night, I thought I had the wrong channel on and started flipping then went back. I honestly couldn't believe my eyes. I e-mailed one of my co-workers (a Sens fan) the next morning, he was totally humiliated. That's probably the worst thing I've ever seen.
Oh god! even worse. sad...sad...sad
Yeah!,you could have his job or be a Sen's fan...just bad!
Poor guy! He was at the top of the list to play Hamlet at the summer stock theatre in his town and the producers got a look at that. Needless to say, he ended up serving refreshments at the snack bar.
Sucks!! Two points down the tube tonight...what!!
Did someone muff two foul shots and I missed it?
Just get a few cases of adult beverages, veg out and, in the words of "Slip" Mahoney of The Bowery Boys, see what perturbulates. You won't really have a good idea of what this team is made of until Game 25. Just sit back, watch the show and hope for the best. Don't get twisted about a "pickup" game. Heck, I don't even do that anymore.
I hope you've gotten over the Lang signing, he and Kovy are thick as thieves. If Kovy's happy we're all happy, you could see he was switched on even at camp. He loves the crowd who love him back, he'll be even better this year.
Mats is still a massive member, in my opinion. I'm just going to sit back, shut up and watch the first 25 games. By then, we should have a pretty good idea of what we have, what our chances are and what needs to be changed. The pre-season stuff should be subject to a media blackout for all it's worth.
You might want to re-phrase that first comment :) For sure at least 25 games in before the chirping starts, but you and I know it'll start on Oct. 10th. My problem with Sundin is the chemistry factor. Just look at the Sens, still the same skill set but obviously a big breakdown in the room. It has to be a combination of both and right now we have that.
You tell him Moey ,no eye candy there or any of that other pseudo stuff please .