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Blanked at the Bell, Canadiens cut three
posted by Mike Boone at 14h09 EST on Oct 4
Ça sent something ... and it's not the Cup.
Fourth line out to finish this mess.
And Bégin fights Eric Reitz.
• • •
Scattered booing. Could reach a crescendo in the last minute.
• • •
The pluggers nearly got one.
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Gui! missing his guy and slamming into the boards while the Wild wheel up ice is not forechecking.
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More cycling than the Tour de France ... but no shots.
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Be nice to avoid the ignominy of a home-ice shutout.
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Price has made some spectacular stops.
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Canadiens Too Many Men
What a night!
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Not a career night for Kovalev. Many intercepted passes.
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Higgins hit the outside of the post.
We celebrate small victories
• • •
• • •
Stretch pass to Antti Miettinen, who uses Dandenault as a screen on a nice wrister.
3-0
Totally over.
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There's some excitement: Tom the Bomb bowled over Backstrom.
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John Lu of TSN says this is the most boring game he's seen since Columbus was here on the nightg they retired number 23.
Eric Engels concurs.
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Two third-period goals against a Jacques Lemaire team?
Hmmmm.
Suppose he read Fisher's description of Carbo as the best coach in the league?
That Lang-Gui!-SK line is going to be good.
• • •
Nice play: Gui! muscles Johnssopn off the puck, Lang gets it and feeds
Gui! in the slot for a shot that forced Backstrom into a glove save.
They ain't dead yet.
• • •
Great sequence keyed by AK46, who suddenly caught fire.
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Kim Johnsson dinged one off the post after a neat set-up
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13 shots through 32 minutes isn't going to do it.
And now Minnesota goes on the PP
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No stats on completed passes. But if there were it would be 115-22 Minnesota.
• • •
How many games against the West this season?
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Did Pleks think a weak backhander from the slot would find the net?
The crowd didn't like it.
• • •
The fourth line (as constituted) tries, but they are a less-than-zero threat to score.
Tanguay finds Weber with a lovely cross-ice pass. He's going to be great this season (Tanguay I mean)
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Man, that Gaborik can fly! Right around Komisarek.
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Canadiens HAVE to be better in the second period. Shots werte only 10-8, but that was brutal.
Bad period winds down with Bégin taking a run at Veilleux.
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First power play:
Koivu, Lang, Higgins, Breeze, Tanguay
Then Pleks line with Weber and Hamrlik
A Kovalev shot from the LW hlaf-boards ain't gonna cut it against this team
• • •
Price has been spectacular, or it would be 5-0
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Minnesota is running a clinic on puck-possession hockey. This is how
Detroit played to win the Cup: short, crisp passdes, constant movement,
forwards back in puck support, ferocious forecheck,
Just an exhibition game, mais ....
• • •
Worst Canadiens have looked at the Bell Centre in pre-season.
Can't complete passes. Can't handle the Minnesota forecheck. Shots are
7-3 Wild ... and Canadiens had the first two of the game.
• • •
The Wild are just dancing through the Canadiens' zone.
• • •
UGLY
A tip-in off Kovalev,
Veilleux makes it 2-0.
• • •
Great passing, Lang to SK74 to Gui!, who couldn't finish.
Price very sharp on Brunette close in.
• • •
Using Breezeas a screen, Gaborik beats Price high to the glove side.
• • •
A Jacques Lemaire team: Great on D, lightning fast in transition.
• • •
Aggressive Wild forecheck and a penalty already. Guess who for hooking?
Terrific PK work by Lapierre, Plekanec, Kovalev and Lang.
• • •
Mikko Koivu will take the opening faceoff against his much smaller older brother.
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Best name of the pre-season and a scratch tonight for Minnesota:
Cal Clutterbuck
• • •
Neither Max Pacioretty nor Kyle Chipchura will be dressed against the Wild tonight.
The forward lines – and it's a good bet they'll be facing the Sabres when the season begins in Buffalo – are:
AK46 - Tomas Plekanec - Alex Kovalev
Christopher Higgins - Saku Koivu - Alex Tanguay
Guillaume Latendresse - Robert Lang - SK74
Steve Bégin - Maxim Lapierre - Tom Kostopoulos
Francis Bouillon's injury means Yannick Weber gets another start,
paired on defence with Mathieu Dandenault. Roman Hamrlik is back, but
Andrei Markov and Ryan O'Byrne aren't playing.
Carey Price in nets.
• • •
RDS is offering free streaming of the game tonight.
• • •
Canadiens number 2, behind Detroit and ahead of Anaheim.
Share the agony and ecstasy of Habs fandom and read live blogs from every game with Gazette columnist Mike Boone.
Habs Inside/Out main RSS feed
The links for some of the audio clips [namely, Carbo, Higgins & Max] do not work. It seems that the URLs just go back to the main Habsinsideout.com page.
wouldnt having begin and lapierre in the line up be two of the same.pesky grinders.i say keep in mad max and chipy.
I must say I prefer Chipchura over Lapierre. Too bad we couldn't put Chips head & body on Laps' legs.
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If a man speaks in a forest where no woman can hear him, is he still wrong?
I really hope that this time, the media and the fans show more patience with the team. The second and the third line will need at least 10 games to establish the chemistry. We have the right people. Please sit back and enjoy the game.
"Hope" is the key word eh ;)
http://www.barragecafe.com/sports/
My thoughts on the game (in which I was present, high in the greys):
It was the last pre-season game, what do you expect? It was a pretty boring game. Would you rather have seen Kovalev get injured because he played too hard for a meaningless game? How about Price? The only line that was even remotely exciting was the 4th line, and they were the only ones with the chance to score most of the time. Backstrom was great, I love him, he's on my fantasy team, and so was Gaborik. The Wild really showed up last night. Maybe they thought beating the habs would be a great way to end the pre-season or something like that. Anyway, at least my nephew was happy. His favorite team in the west is the Wild because of Gaborik and he finally got to see him play (last time around he was injured or something). My nephew also got to meet Pierre Marc Bouchard outside the Bell Centre. That's why I am not so mad. It was only pre-season, and if I wanted to fall asleep during the game, well who cares? At least my nephew had fun. I just wish the people behind me were not so annoying, I really really wanted to turn around and give them a piece of my mind because all they could say was "BORING! BORING! C'EST PLATTE!" etc. If it was so boring why didn't you just get up and leave you mofos. We all get your point so shut up already! haha. Grr, some people.
Another great read by Kevin Paul Dupont - Tidbits and Metro ..... http://www.boston.com/sports/hockey/bruins/articles/2008/10/04/metropoli... .............................................. Empty Netters .. by Seth Rorabaugh ..... http://community.post-gazette.com/blogs/emptynetters/default.aspx ........................ Little Off Topic .. excerpt from bits and bites by Cam Hutchinson .... Professional imposters
A man was charged last week with trespassing, after posing on the field at Dodger Stadium as a Major League Baseball player. If posing as a professional athlete is a crime, shouldn't Toronto jails be overflowing?
LMAO, nice one ;)
Hey NM49 are they retiring Odelein's number anytime soon?
http://www.barragecafe.com/sports/
Yuk Yuk!! may be the reason what's-his-name didn't want to come here!!
Boone et al., who are finding all this fault in the effort:
You guys should take a breather. Irrespective of the fact that our "real" lines were out tonight, it was obvious no one cared about this game, and why should they? Do you want them hustling at 100% so that they risk an injury? In a meaningless game, they came with the attitude that the outcome was - well - meaningless. I would've done the same. As illustrated in the Saku audio, this is the type of game where you step on the ice, breathe a sigh of relief to see some familiar faces on your line, and pray you dont get hurt.
All of this talk about "bouncing back" is absurd. To bounce back you have to get knocked down. There is no difference between this game and any other preseason match. Boone, I can't believe you'd make a statement like "Ca sent something and its not the cup". Sheesh, talk about dramatic and unwarranted. And you were surprised the fans booed? Sounds to me like you're booing on paper!
As for the verbal booing, we all know the Bell Centre faithful (which on many nights includes myself) expect nothing but the best, and it should come as no shock that on this saturday night they would forget that both teams go home with 0 points. I know it's not about that, its about wanting to be entertained and see some goals, so I don't blame them for being upset - particularly because this may be the only game some of them get to see all year. But it's still not a reasonable reaction by any stretch.
I don't agree with you very often JB, but on this one you hit the mark.
Come on Boone, spare us the unnecessary hyperbole.
LOL...it's nice to see all the Carbo & Gainey critics are out of the closet. I really don't think they need to explain their motives after the season they had !!!!
I for one will put my trust and faith in gainey and the staff behind the bench.
I've got the privilege of going to the game opener in Buffalo Friday night as well as going to the game in Toronto the next night.
Living in Hamilton does have its advantages.
In all of my years attending games in these two cities, this will be the first time that I will be attending back to back games to see the Habs play.
As for last night's game, such a boring game to watch but we will bounce back.
The roster is set and as Mike Boone has stated, there will be changes sooner than we anticipate if Pacioretty, Denis and even Weber shine on the farm. Boy, I would love to have Gaborik on our team!
"We will win the Cup only with Carey Price in the nets"
Good for you Mikey! Enjoy the games :)
Don't forget to bring a sign plugging HIO ;)
http://www.barragecafe.com/sports/
1926-27 Hainsworth Revives Canadiens
http://wwwrealitycheckeyesontheprize.blogspot.com/2008/10/1926-27-hainsw...
Hey... what happened to 1925-26?
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Here you go Chuck , I didn't skip a year!
1925-26 All That Could Stop Georges Vezina
http://wwwrealitycheckeyesontheprize.blogspot.com/2008/09/1925-26-all-th...
Made my day Robert.
Coutu must have gone really wild(altercaton with official) to get banned for life. Some great names I'd never heard of; Carson Cooper, Gizzy Hart, Peter Palangio, sounds like a mean bunch.
As per usual ,very informative Robert.In the top team picture, does it say who the kid (stick boy?) is? This loaning of players they did back then is a bit puzzling,must of been a lot of under the table cash deals or something.
The stick boy was trainer Pat Kennedy.
Loaning seemed a safe way to trade players and jerk them around all the while.
Can't wait until Friday, when the real deal begins. Until then, I am going to try to remain patient whilst the madmen on this site bay at the moon, blaming Gui and Carbo and Dandy and Breezer for everything that is wrong with the club and claiming a 19 year old winger is the savior of the franchise. Damn! This is going to be a looong week. :)
Gilbert
2008/09 is the season of the Habs
I think The Canadiens are allowed to have one off night in 9 games. If you are into numbers that would put them around 9 loses over 82 games, of course that all changes whenever reg season starts. Enjoyed the pre-season, bring on Buffalo!
sholi2000.com
God Bless Our Infantry
2PPCLI
Shane ,went in to check out how you did with your draft but can't find results on your site.Were you able to get Price or did one of your buddies beat you?
My hobby pool I missed out on Price by one position, and my work pool (took 4 hours) I missed out on Price by one position. Both managers said before they picked him "and because Shane wants Price so bad, I'll draft him" lol. Very entertaining!
I should update the Pool site, thanks for the lookC Frank.
sholi2000.com
God Bless Our Infantry
2PPCLI
Koivu is still on our top line?!?!?! Give me a break. Latendresse still plays in the NHL?!?!?! Do they really want to win this?
The top line is Kostitsyn-Plekanec-Kovalev.
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Go Habs Go!
I know it's only preseason but we really looked sluggish tonight. I dont understand the Koivu, Higgins, Tanguay line, 3 playmakers on one line? Anyways the drive for 25 starts friday, I can't wait to start yelling at my TV again til then I'll take it easy.
i wouldn't call higgins a playmaker, but he does create chances for his linemates. tang and koivu both seem to enjoy passing the puck. i think a sniper like andrei k would thrive on a line with them.
I'm with you Vaya, on both points. AK46 would look great with Koivu and Tanguay and I have never thought of Higgins as a playmaker. If anything he shots too often when a pass would be a more effective play. Despite his propensity to shoot he has yet to develop top tier finishing. His tenacity, and especially his speed, do create chances but I feel he would be most useful to the team if he were cast more in a Gainey/Carbo kind of role. Focusing first on D and producing good offence(20-25 goals) through fore-checking and quick transition turnovers.
Really, I think he would have made a great third line center about now. The only reason he is a winger is because the team was full at center(small ones though) when he was breaking in, with Plecanec and Ribeiro ahead of him and the team thin on wing. Had the Ribeiro trade happened a year or more earlier or if Higgins was a year delayed in his arrival he would have stayed at centre. I know people have said Higgins hasn't worked out when he has played centre but that's because people are looking for him to be more of a top-two line guy, when really he would make an ideal third line centre.
i truly don't understand dandy making the team. what kind of message are you sending the young guys when even if they have a great camp you still get sent to the A. breezer is what he is. a guy who will play 40 games. i have a bigger problem with dandy because we have way too much skill to have a defensemen playing up front.