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Ottawa A Team 3, Canadiens B Team 1
posted by Mike Boone at 19h27 EST on Sep 27
• • •
Chris Neil on the Friday no-show at the Bell Centre:
"Travelling same day kinda sucks."
The man is honest.
• • •
Great save! Gerber on Alfredsson and Heatley.
• • •
What was that, 13 minutes without a whistle?
Why wasn't it more exciting?
• • •
Gord Miler says Guy Carbonneau says we'll get the real Canadiens against Detroit at the Bell Centre on Tuesday.
Meaning cuts after tomorrow's game against Florida.
• • •
Cody Bass: another no-visor tough guy.
• • •
Cedric the Entertainer is in.
Denis didn't quite match Halak's performance last night, but he wasn't bad considering what was in front of him.
• • •
Ferraro: "Pacioretty sells it very well."
I love this guy!
• • •
Daniel F. Alfredsson is in the house.
• • •
The gritty guys get one.
Chris Neil has four in the pre-season.
• • •
Is Ottawa this bad?
Or is Trevor Timmins this good?
• • •
Gord Miller's favourite rule change: No offending-team line changes – and now no TV timeouts – after icing.
Agreed.
• • •
Weak call on Gui.
• • •
Nice kill of the 5-on-3.
• • •
Guy Carbonneau looks MUCH more relaxed than Craig Hartsburg
• • •
Why does it take Ottawa almost a minute to announce a penalty?
• • •
Chad Anderson and Max-Pac on the PK against the team Ottawa will start the season with.
Worst ad: Doogie Howser for Old Spice
• • •
Are there stupider people in Canada than the goobers who go behind TV
stand-ups and make funny faces while shaking their hockey jerseys?
• • •
Hey, did Pierre coach Ray Ferraro in Hartford?
Nice goal by Foligno.
Hey, was that Sheldon Souray wearing number 8?
• • •
Ray Ferraror on Jarkko Ruutu:
"He's miserable to play against ... he just never, never shuts up."
• • •
Ferraro says Canadiens "manage the puck much more efficiently" than the Senators.
• • •
Great commercial: Richard scores from Gretzky.
Some financial guys ... for all the scoring they're doing lately.
Less than a minute in, Chipchura.
As Ray Ferraro said, "not the smoothest of two-on-ones."
It's now 6-0 in the home-and-home.
And it's all yours, posters.
• • •
On Oct. 10, two things will be true:
• Schwartz's will be on the Main
• Sergei Kostitsyn will be playing the right point on the power play
• • •
What a pleasure it will be to listen to Ferraro on TSN this year.
Really smart, analytical guy. I hope he keeps working with Gord Miller and Pierre McGuire.
• • •
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This is in a bit late but I had a 5 hour drive home from Ottawa and forgot to take my laptop with me on the trip to do this last night.
Things I saw from the 5th row:
The Sens as a whole: To paraphrase Mike; Is that was the best you could do against that unit? OR our our kids just that good? And Neil and Ruutu out to start together??? really!
SK74: Like him on the point on the powerplay but he appeared to have difficulty transitioning to a defensive position when the Sens would try to break out..Granted it wasn't the #1 or #2 units that he will see in front of him last night.
Mike Komisarek: Intense! He skated around the net to our side of the rink after Foligno beat him and you could see on his face that he was frustrated. He knew he should have had him. This guy brings his game every day be it pre or regular season.
Cedric Desjardins: Mike is right. He is the #3 guy right now. Denis did not impress me that much in the 40 minutes I watched him.
MaxPac: Man that kid is big! Pretty sure he is bigger than Komi too. An injury here or there and he will see some time with the big club.
Olivier Lats, the law firm of Anderson-Belle and Glumac, Lehoux, etc.: Great bunch of youngsters who will thrive in the A this year. A real encouraging night for them..
Chipchura: Will be on the team. But he'll have to fight to stay there and play like he did tonight to do it.
Lang: Even the Sens fans behind me were saying how good he is! Nuff said!
All i hear about Higgins is "hes our next Captain" but how bout "hes our next leading point getter" first. He wont lead until he learns how to find the net, sorry
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We ride together
We die together
Habs Fans for Life!
He had 27 goals last year "genius"!! 2nd on the team and 7 less than Kovy over 82 games. I'd say he finds the net quite well. He's also our top defensive foward and a team leader.
Yeah KJD?
Well, he shoulda had 40. He missed more open nets and hit more posts than he had goals. Ok?
Kaptain is right. So be nice.
Our top defensive forward? What do you mean? He who plays the best on a 3rd line? Or he who's the best offensive-PLAYER defensively? Cuz Plecky is pretty good on defence. So is Kovy. So is Saku. So is Sergei. So is Bégin for that matter.
As for team leader, I'm sure he will one day BECOME a team leader, KJD. But he ain't one yet. Not as much as say...Saku, Kovy and Komo. Just because he talks a lot and holds himself accountable doesn't mean guys look up to him, listen to everything he says and go to him for motivation, c'mon KJD.
This year though, I'm sure Higgy WILL get his goals AND move up on the leadership ladder.
Think he'll hit those 30 goals too, even if he IS snake-bit. (another post in the shootout vs DET)
Peace Out.
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Lord Bugs Potter, esq. Earl of Fluppitburg, Baron of Flopshlupshire and Knight of the Flannel Republic.
Well waskily wabbit, Kovy, Pleks and AK46 should've had 40 goals too, I guess!!! As far as defensive fowards go Begin, Sergei and Kovy are good, but only Plek's is in Higgin's league on our team. As far as leaders go, Koivu is the man!! People don't follow him because of ra ra speach's or pretty goals, (Kovy) they follow him because of how he carry's himself and the effort and passion he plays with, (Higgins)!!! Now go crawl back to your hole before I get my shotgun, waskily wabbit!!
I dunno, but Koivu has never scored more than 22 in a season while Higgins potted 26 last year. If you are so ga-ga about goals being the measure of a leader, Kovalev should be captain, no?
Gilbert
2008/09 is the season of the Habs
Agreed. Further to Gilbert's Point both Bob Gainey and Guy Carbonneau were very good captains and neither one of them won the Art Ross. As long as a player gives 100% every night, inspires his teamates and pushes them when they are not performing that is all that matters. Point totals are indeed important but are not the be-all, end-all either for criteria to wear the 'C'.
A couple of thoughts from the peanut gallery:
(1) I don't put much stock in exhibition games because they really don't mean much but it's always nice to see the talent in the pipeline being showcased. Take a bow Mr. Timmins and the scouting staff.
(2) I can't recall when we had so much good talent in the pipeline. The last comparable era was when we went to the finals in '89 and had youngsters like Lebeau, Brunet, Leclair, Ronan, Gilchrist, Vujtek, Pederson, Cassels, Chorske, Schneider, Brisebois, Odelein, Lefebvre, Dionne, Dipietro. And we all know what happened 4 years later. Except now the names are Pacioretty, D'Agostini, White, Chipchura, McDonaugh, Valentenko, Carle and Subban to mention but a few.
(3) I feel bad for Dandenault as he signed here as a UFA but if he can't justify a roster spot then he has to go. Either by trade or via a buyout. I'm sure Gainey will pull the trigger when he feels it best. I would have kept him as insurance but there are too many young guns already.
(4) Chipchura may be on the bubble but I think this kid has got leadership and requisite skill to be on the team. I've always felt him, Higgins and Komisarek are the guys who will wear the 'C' and 'A's in the future. Hopefully he will earn a spot this year or get recalled quickly if sent to Hamilton.
(5) Candidly, coming first in the conference is great and all but I just hope Montreal makes a nice deep run in the playoffs. If they made it to the Eastern Conference Finals I would be happy with that. Granted happier with a Stanley Cup in their Centennial year but I'm not sure they are at the level of Detroit yet even if this gets me criticism from mes confreres/consoeurs.
(6) Love reading all the comments from my friends in here who I hope to see at Summit and those of new posters as well. No question this is my favorite sports site. Bar none. Looking forward to reading/discussing another season with friends. It's about freakin time!
enough rookie talk...
where is chris higgins and what has he done for us lately?
Awwwww....has he even played yet?
http://www.barragecafe.com/sports/
i think he's had two games? i could be wrong but i wanna hear something about him like "leadership is great" "in great shape" something just give me something!
when i saw you mention who's going to be the next ryder...higgins popped up in my mind.
I really hope that's not the case. It is a make or break year for him possibly as we have a bunch of RFA and UFA to be.
http://www.barragecafe.com/sports/
Is anybody here gonna be attending the camp in St. John's this upcoming week? I'm gonna be checking it out whenever I get a chance, the school I'm attending is really close to the stadium. I'm really excited to watch the same kids who have been performing so well at our NHL camp get ready to play some AHL hockey.
Does anybody know how Hamilton rank in the AHL compared to other teams? Am I right in assuming that they're a favorite for the Calder Cup? I mean, a lot of the kids we'll be sending back to Hamilton would probably make most NHL teams with camps like they've had.
The Canadiens cleaned house in Hamilton this summer.Only four reguliars returning(Carle,D'Agostini,Stewart,Valentenko),two collegiates that joined during the season(Trotter,Wyman),seven players from Hamilton's farm team, the ECHL Champs Cincinnati Cyclones(Aubin,Beauregard,Desharnais,Desjardins,Latendresse,Martin,Russell),four prospects turning pro(Maxwell,Pacioretty,Weber,White),six veteran UFA's for depth and experience(Anderson,Denis,Flinn,Glumac,Henry,Lehoux)plus (Belle) in the Locke trade and (Lacasse),a prospect from the IHL.
They should make things exciting with a good balance but will take some merging at the start.
Lats played a pretty decent game tonight. On a couple of occasions one can see how really strong he is when he wants to be. I can't say I noticed a dramatic improvements in his skating though... at some point he looked like he was sprinting to the pack but still very average in my mind. I guess we will see as season progresses.
I agree in regard to Dandenault... he does not have a place on this team. We have enough younger players with a lot more potential who can play just as well if not better than him. And with Breezer being the defense insurance (yeah right) Dandenault doesn't really fit there either.
The youngsters played a decent game I thought. You could see that most of them are not NHL ready just yet but there is a ton of potential. I don't know about anybody else but I also liked Chad Anderson (to a degree of course)... I missed when Habs got him... is he a prospect or a off season signing for the farm team?
Anyway... fun to finally have hockey back on TV. Enough with the useless pre-season game. Let the real hockey begin!!!
I don't see the value in Latendresse. There's got to be more to him than what I see. If there looking for a low budget 15 to 18 goal scorer than that's what they got. Those goals will come on rebounds alone. In terms of size he's got it but doesn't use it. He's also got to be encouraged and reminded to use it. With the tremendous amount of depth of youth on the Habs you got to think this guy should not survive the rush. I saw it yesterday when he got "the pass" from the point and seemed puzzled on what to do. What were the expectations for him; I'd say a 30 goal scorer and someone who somewhat played like Mario Tremblay/Wendel Clark. (we all remember the hype surrounding this kid, guy, guy guy!!)
Latendresse led all Montreal forwards in hits last season with 134.
While he did not see a lot of PP time, his 14 even strength goals tied him with A.Kostitsyn for 4th on the team (2nd and 3rd spots, Higgins and Plekanec, had 15 even strength goals). He was 12th on the team in even strength TOI, 6th among the forwards.
People like him don't care about the facts, just their skewed opinions.
I don't know about skewed, but a couple posters sure aren't cutting the kid much slack. If he had been drafted by Dallas he would be in the league now, but playing a darn site meaner.
Lats managed to play two journeyman seasons in the NHL, and had a dismal playoffs last year. People look at the tools he has and forget that inside that noggin is a local kid.
The only thing Lats needs is to want become Alex kovalev or Robert Lang or Saku. Right now he still wants to be Jose Theodore, still sees all his pals, still thinks like a kid.
Shame is, that without a life changing experience, Lats will likely play his best hockey elsewhere.
Love the kid, but want to see the man.
Anderson was an UFA signing.US collegiate, who turned pro last season and played for the Flyers with their AHL team .Was puzzled by why he was not resigned by them after one season at first and more so after last night.Figure Bo signed him for AHL depth as basically we cleaned house at Hamilton.
I can't wait for the regular season to begin. I want to see the team as it will be. We all know that if Pax is sent down he might be the Sergei of this year. Who will falter with the big club a la Ryder? Who knows, maybe nobody, but the season is long and many things can happen or change. Just get here already...
http://www.barragecafe.com/sports/
When I talked about Pac and Stewart not playing, I meant they don't have a roster spot, and Lats and Dandy, (both of whom should not be on this team), do! By December, Pac will definitely have a roster spot and Lats won't! I guess you can't make a hare out of a turtle.
Glad you aren't the coach and GM, throwing players away like that for the unproven. Sure, Pac is a blue chip prospect, but Stewart has played only 1 meaningful game. Dandy does have to go, but who is going to pay that $1.75 million for him? BTW, 16 goals with 8 minutes of ice time per game and a revolving door of line mates isn't bad for someone who has just turned 21.
Gilbert
2008/09 is the season of the Habs
Interesting show on CKAC,
"Who are your top 3 kids in the preseason?"
Personally? WITHOUT eating the bill of goods or following hype? Objectively?
D'Agostini, PK Subban, Weber.
ESPECIALLY Weber. This kid can bloody play.
Special mention for Desjardins, though 2 periods and a shootout may not be enough to judge, as amazing as they were.
Youse's top 3?
Peace Out.
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Lord Bugs Potter, esq. Earl of Fluppitburg, Baron of Flopshlupshire and Knight of the Flannel Republic.
I would say Max Pac, Subban, and Desjardins, although there are a few others that have impressed me so far....
I got more than 3...so I'll throw em all out.
Pacioretty, Subban, Desjardins, Stewart, D'agostini, Maxwell, Desharnais.
Special mention goes to Chips for working off the rust and playing how we hope he'd play more often tonight.
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the notwithstanding clause - The general consensus of an ordinary Habs fan in Montreal
At one point, Murray Wilson on CJAD said Chipchura was 72% on penalties. I assume he meant faceoffs (or my hearing was really bad). Does anyone know Kyle's percentage this preseason? Chipchura was a dominant faceoff guy in junior and I think in the AHL, but he didn't do so well last year during his stint with the big club. We could use a strong faceoff man who is also a strong defender. 55%+ on draws would help kill a lot of penalties.
Of course, stats from the preseason are useless, but I just can't help myself from asking. The last dominant faceoff man we had was Perreault, which was great when we were trying to tie the game late, but not so useful when we were trying to protect a one-goal lead.
Barring anybody getting injured before the season starts our goaltending is set , our 'D' is set and before tonight our forwards were set BUT maybe their is an opening. I see that Lats skating seems to be coming along but once again every time he touches the puck the opposition gets possession. That and his lack of quickness and lack of consistent grit are looming now that we have 8 top skilled forwards and are looking for a ninth that won't hurt our puck possession game. The Pac-Man shows great promise but must start the season in Hamilton to familiarize himself with our system and get rid of the NCAA habits you see him make mostly in positioning and to get use to the faster tempo and gain more confidence cuz the resources are surely there. So i do see an opening for a forward on the 3rd line with Lang and Higgy and Maxim Lapierre, D'Agostini and the disappointing G.Lats will be in the scrum. The team may be made but you can certainly play yourself off it cuz of the importance of this year.
Surprised you haven't offered up BGL for the third line.Although ,I do agree Lats is quickly (or slowly) working himself out of the line up.Maybe with better team mates and perhaps playing RW ,he may still find himself.
Frank - After reading articles and interviews with the coach i'm sure that BGL will be on the 4th line so i left it at that. Right now i'm looking at the team thru Carbo's eyes for the start of the season and i see an opening for a ninth forward and his boy isn't making it easy for him. BGL minor injury and his lack of playing time has set him back so he'll start on the 4th line but will see time on any of the top lines if their play becomes soft or become perimeter boys. I really have no problem with Georges and his skill as the ninth forward and i would love it but i'm not going to beat my head against the wall if he never gets a chance cuz i know Carbo's head set by the interviews and that bird is pigheaded on his thoughts but i reserve the right to bark during the year.