Another bitter pill

posted by Mike Boone at 13h44 EST on Nov 24

Guy Carbonneau was sourly philosophical.

Hockey is an unfair sports sometimes," the coach said. "Sometimes you play like s--- and you win. Sometimes you play great and you lose, like we did tonight."

Carbonneau emphasized that the shootout loss could not be pinned on poor Ryan O'Byrne. The game was lost, he said, on the Canadiens' popgun power play (1-for-7) and penalty kill, which yielded two goals in five disadvantages.

To his credit, O'Byrne was in the room answering questions.

Audio:

• Guy Carbonneau

• Ryan O'Byrne

• Saku Koivu

• Christopher Higgins

• Josh Gorges

OT 1:00:

Price huge

OT 2:25:

All Canadiens, so far

3P 00:00:

A kovalev turnover and the boos rain down

3P 1:26:

Another PP to try to salvage this

3P 3:00:

Ineffec tive PP. The team is in shock

3P 4:32:

Un real. I'm in shock

3P 4:47:

NOW I'VE SEEN EVERYTHING!!!!

3-3

3P 5:40:

Heroic PK

3P Break:

Damn! You knew they'd call that.

3P Break:

Damn! You knew they'd call that.

3P 8:00:

Textbook lead protection, and the crowd loves it

3P 9:20:

What a shift by rthe Lang line

3P 10:10:

Consecutive icings by NYI

3P 10:30:

Very smart hockey

3P 11:40:

Pleks line chews up seconds

3P 12:45:

The brothers and Lang

3P 13:53:

Where would this team be without Koivu?

3P 15:10:

Kovy goes offside on the PK.

3P 15:29:

A mess in the goalmouth, and O'Byrne goes

3P 16:35:

Higgins, who's been excellent, sets up Saku for a great shot

3P 17:25:

Those rebounds!

3P 17:58:

Gorges's shot seems to be gaining accuracy

3P 19:00:

I don't understand a LW rim around when the RW is nowhere near gaining the zone

3P 20:00:

No penalties. Short shifts. Chips and dumps. Should work.

The virtue of going to the net:

Two of the Canadiens' goals travelled a total of three feet

Where's J.T.?:

Should we send someone round to the house?

2P 00:20:

PP to start the third?

2P 2:25:

Love that fourth line

2P 3:47:

Kovalev hesitant on the PP ... again.

2P 5:55:

Koivu line on first wave, with Lang and Breeze

2P Break:

AK46 battles Streit into a holding penalty

2P 7:00:

Big rebounds off Price tonight

2P 8:50:

Critical stage.

2P Break:

Quick whistle? I'd say. And then they mob AK46 for tapping it in. Where's BGL when They need him?

2P 10:51:

Koivu line plays solid shift after the goal

2P 11:55:

Ouch! A point shot dings off the post, they can't control the rebound and it's

2-1

2P Break:

This is the best Canadiens have played in weeks. Every shift is all over the Islanders. That PP had six great chances

2P 13:20:

Now that's the PP we remember

2P 15:06:

Another PP. Canadiens are on fire

2P 15:31:

What goal! Lang to Higgins to Lapierre

3-1

2P 16:18:

Kovalev screws up the first wave, then Higgins fails to get a shot in the deep slot.

2P 17:48:

Another PP off hard work

2P 19:00:

Higgins is hustling tonight

2P 20:00:

More smart hockey, svp

Stats:

Pleks 5-1 on faceoffs, Lang 4-1; Higgins and Bouillon: four hits; Hits were 15-5; Canadiens blocked only three shots, NYI eight;

1P 00:00:

Great PK to end the first, but an anxious rebound from Price

1P 2:11:

Not a great penalthy, Hamrlik

1P 2:45:

Say what you will about Breeze, he has the most accurate point shot on the team

1P 4:30:

Robert Lang looks good tonight

1P Break:

The fourth line, with Dandenault, has some quicks

1P 7:00:

Booing Streit?

1P 7:47:

I'd love to have Trent Hunter

1P9:00:

Tense! Price bobbles a rebound

1P Break:

Plekanec is on fire tonight.

1P 10:02:

Messed-up PP ... again, till Koivu line egts on. Sergei smokes one that's deflected into the mesh. Lang and then Higgins get great shots on Macdonald. And then ...

JOSH GORGES!!!!!

2-1

1P Break:

And now a PP: Pleks line, Sergei and Markov

1P 12:49:

Go to the net and good things happen

Steve Bégin

1-1

1P 13:06:

Starts with Markov being beaten to the outside by Hunter and ends with Park burying a great chance

1-0

1P 14:08:

First NYI power play. And a good PK man in the box

1P 14:25:

Brisebois hurt, and they boo another icing

1P 15:30:

Bing-bing-bing: Markov, Kovalev, Plekanec

1P 16:58:

Boos rain down on O'Byrne for a clearing pass that touched no one

1P 17:21:

Price saves off a horrendous Lapierre giveaway in close

1P 18:30:

Two dominant shifts

1P 19:19:

This time, a Gorges shot. Game plan?

1P 19:35:

Nice point shot by O'B off an AK46 pass. Good start

1P 20:00:

Let' see if the discipline and team D played against Boston carries over ..

Lucic:

Another reason he wouldn't dance with BGL: Pierre McGuire says he mashed up his hand something awful beating the crap out of Nick Boynton on Friday night

Pre-game video:

The Brothers K. Sergei doing the talking. Two wild and crazy guys.

To start:

Kovalev line, with Hamrlik, O'Byrne, Price

Mitch Fritz:

Man, that guy is huge!

Hmmmmmmm ... interesting:

My friend Damir Khayretdinov, who covers the Canadiens for the Russian paper Sport Express, says he can't get an interview with Alex Kovalev. When I asked what was up he said Kovalev has been pissed since being overlooked for the Russian team that won the Worlds in Quebec. When I asked if a contract year weren't sufficient motivation, Khayretdinov said money isn't the main thing with Kovalev, who's rolling in dough

Perfect records:

8-0 against Boston last Season. Ain't gonna happen. 4-0 against Philadelphia. Ain't gonna happen. 4-0 against the Islanders?

Blocked shots:

Islanders lead the league with 342. Canadiens are second with 336.

Oh no!:

Chris Lee

Scott Burnside of ESPN:

On Patrick Roy's number being retired:

Does anyone else think it's a bit curious that a man who single-handedly disrupted a franchise for more than a decade is not only feted by that franchise, but is also immortalized with a sweater retirement?

To pose this question doesn't diminish the significant role Patrick Roy played in the Habs' past two Stanley Cup championships in 1986 and '93. They were things of beauty. They were the kinds of performances that put Roy in the Hockey Hall of Fame and cemented his reputation as the greatest goalie of all time (we defer to Roy until Martin Brodeur returns from injury and passes him in the record books, presumably later this season). But he also demanded a trade in a fit of anger back in December 1995, forever altering the course of history for this franchise.

Yes, ill-qualified coach Mario Tremblay had a hand in the famous blowup, but Roy was the star; he knew it and played the star card. Fair enough. But we're not sure it qualifies him for a place in the Habs' ring of honor along with players whose history speaks not just of great play, but of a connection to the franchise and city that goes beyond mere statistics.

Imagine if Guy Lafleur had demanded to be let out of Montreal at the peak of his talents because he got into a tiff with Scotty Bowman. Ken Dryden warred with management, but all he did was retire for a season before coming back and guiding the Habs to more glory.

Roy? He went on to win two Stanley Cups in Colorado after his famous fit, while the Habs have failed to advance beyond the second round of the playoffs since the trade.

Think about that every time you see his No. 33 fluttering from the rafters of the Bell Centre.

JayBo:

Heating up. Jay Bouwmeester will be dealt soon, by all indications. McGuire says economics will figure in the deal. Antoine Vermette and draft picks?

Trade:

Leafs deal defenceman Carlo Colaiacovo and forward Alex Steen to St. Louis for Lee Stempniak, who Pierre McGuire says is a highly-skilled guy who'll help Toronto.

Grim stat:

Cited by Mitch Melnick: Canadiens 4-for-43 on the PP against Boston since the start of the playoffs.

The lines, updated:

Koivu-Tanguay-Higgins

Plekanec-Kovalev-AK46

Lang-Kostopoulos-SK74

Bégin-Lapierre-Dandenault

Ratings:

RDS had 1,153,000 viewers at 6 p.m. for the Patrick Roy ceremony, a number that peaked at 1,381,000. The game against Boston drew 1,176,000 viewers – high for the season to date.

Tags:

Comments

Submitted by captaink4life on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 11:32.

I was at the game last night and I can honestly say that when Guerin sealed the victory for the Isles in the shootout and the fans started chanting O'Byrne's name, I was ashamed to be a Habs fan. Give the guy a break!!! It should've never been a one-goal game in the first place. _____________________________ Koivu for Prime Minister :) Drive for 25!!

Submitted by komo8 on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 17:23.

couldn't agree more! we should have had 5 goals or more. kovy needs to start cashing in or we are in trouble

Submitted by The Teacher on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 14:36.

On that note, I wonder how many guys on the Islanders would like to sign here after hearing that? Not too many I gather, and word does get around. And then some wonder why players don't come here....duuuuh. My suggested overtime format and other sports talk

Submitted by Chris on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 07:38.

Regarding some of the comments that O'Byrne's comment about his goal ("It happens to everybody") reflect some sort of generational behaviour: give me a freaking break. It was, without question, an unbelievably stupid play on his part. And if you watched his gestures immediately after the goal as well as the shots of his face on the bench, he knew it and was extremely uncomfortable. But after the game, 10-15 minutes at least after the incident occurred, I would have been surprised if he had said anything else. He can't go back in time and change the play, so publicly flogging himself does nothing but make some of the fans feel better. As for the Habs, I think the majority of them reacted as well as they could have: Gorges and Bouillon, in particularly, were killing themselves in the last few minutes trying to get a tying goal. If one of those chances had gone in, I would not have been surprised at all to see the scorer skate directly to O'Byrne on the bench to celebrate. As for O'Byrne himself, I can freely admit I am not sold on his future potential. If he were the size of a Josh Gorges or Francis Bouillon, many people would have long ago given up on him, as he simply lacks the hockey sense to be a regular on a team that has aspirations of being a Stanley Cup contender. While he did make a couple of obvious gaffes last night, its his play in between the gaffes that most distresses me: he does not pick his spots to go for the big hits very well, he is far too easily knocked off the puck and he's not that effective as a one-on-one defender. That being said, he did play well last year and could salvage his career. But after what happened last night and with the merciless Montreal fans, I suspect that it will not be here.

Submitted by G-Man on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 05:43.

When the game ended and the cat calls of "O'Byrne" rained down, I thought one thing. The fans in Montreal have found a new whipping boy. When I've listened to the French media for the past 3 weeks, they've always ragged on him. Yes, his gaffe last night was huge, but it did not lose the game. Did the Habs RAISE their level of play to ensure victory? Of course not. They acted and played like spineless jellyfish. Losing this game showed that the team spirit that was there in October has been blasted away by the November gales. This "team" needs to get it together and LIFT their team mates when they are down, not help the fans put a boot on the player's neck. Gilbert 2008/09 is the season of the Habs

Submitted by Wops on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 09:38.

How many games have we lost because of him lately?? Thats why... Believe me if Markov puts it in his own net you would not I've hear those chants... Example think about the ROY night, Who get beat 1-1 for the goal by Lucic? Who was in the p-box for their 2nd goal? Think about Carolina, who was on the ice for the tying goal? Who was in the b-pox for the winner? its just an accumulation and I think its clear OB has problems, and look further than last night' goof....that was just the exclamation point. _______________________________________ CH is for Chris Higgins

Submitted by Habitant in Surrey on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 03:11.

For a game against a second-tier team like the Islanders we often looked good tonight; the frustrations were not finishing on the opportunities. Sign of a very tight team that don't seem to be enjoying themselves for whatever reason. Fans' expectations ?, fans' negativity ?, inadequate coaching ?, or one or more players in the dressing room destroying last year's chemistry ? Might be a combination of ALL the above. I would love Kovalev being on my team only if he was not depended on to be the top-banana. A leader is someone that comes to the rink EVERY night. A leader is someone whom is LOW MAINTENANCE and instinctually can figure out emotional & strategic challenges for themselves, and thereby inspires those he plays with. If we had a Beliveau, LaFleur, Gainey, Lemieux (Mario) or Lecavallier, a Kovalev would be a valued supplemental asset. But being depended upon as one of leaders, I believe he is only IN THE WAY of the K-brothers, Higgins & Pleks among others from blooming as they should. Regarding O'Byrne.... wow !, from my perspective he had a good look at the net BEFORE sending it towards our goal.... and from the direction he approached the puck on the boards he should have at least peripherally seen the net had been vacated by Price. Just remember a lot of good players have made bonehead mistakes. He is a young player still growing as a player, and maybe a bit overwhelmed with the pressure of Habs fans' expectations this year. But, 6' 6" 230 pound defencemen don't grow on trees, and there must be a reason someone like Bob Gainey has kept him up here rather than send him down to Hamilton. I have mentioned it before, there seems to be a cultural swing in what I remember being a Montreal Canadiens fan. I can't remember fans of my generation having today's lack of taste & class booing the American anthem, booing a Ryder, or eviscerating one on their OWN team. Maybe my recent symptoms of encroaching alzheimers is preventing that recall. Yet, I remember a time players around the NHL dreamed of playing for our Habs. For too many years recently we have had difficulty even enticing Quebec born players to play for us. A reason we don't today have the French Canadian core we need to recapture the soul of our team again. Is it possible, as Montreal Canadiens fans, we can return to reason and class ? O'Byrne should know that was a mistake we hope won't be repeated too often if he wants to play for the Habs, but we don't have to go out of our way to destroy him at the same time.

Submitted by captaink4life on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 01:20.

Maybe this is the kind of gaff (rallying point?) that will bring this team together _____________________________ Koivu for Prime Minister :) Drive for 25!!

Submitted by Timo (not verified) on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 01:33.

.. in taking turns punching O'Byrne in the arm :)

Submitted by craz11 on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 02:02.

I'd really hope they'd take turns punching him in the face. Maybe he'll wake up and remember how to play hockey.

Submitted by Chorske on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 01:53.

Hopefully we'll all laugh about this over champers in June.

Submitted by Exit716 on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 07:12.

You have inside information then? Is the league banning the Western Conference teams from the playoffs? Our best chance to get to June was last year. But the Masterful Silent One, he who is never questioned, deemed it smart to go with rookie goalies in the playoffs and dealt the experienced guy to Washington for a second round pick. Mind you that second round pick may come in handy sometime. Perhaps he can send it to a team to get exclusive negotiating rights to a free agent who has ZERO interest in playing there. All the while, the Masterful Silent One will make meaningless false statements about getting an "Impact Player". Of course, the Masterful Silent One is backed up by his trusted associated Head in My Butt, who comes up with great ideas on acquisitions from the pro scouting department. Who can forget Head Up My Butt's stellar recommendations to get a half crippled broken down Finn for a second line centre, the amazing free agent signing of Turgid ScamSomeMoneyOff and the like. Head Up My Butt does have some ability though, he annoys the living crap out the Mouth Media Monster! All in all, The Masterful Silent One has it all under control. Twiddle his thumbs, pick up a 5th string goalie on waivers at the trade deadline and wait until June 30th to start thinking about signing the UFAs. The Masterful Silent One will now do whatever else he does the other 364 days of the year which generally is SFA.

Submitted by The Teacher on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 14:37.

I honestly believe if Huet was in we would not have defeated Boston and that we would be in FAR worse shape this year than we are right now!. My suggested overtime format and other sports talk

Submitted by RGM on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 07:27.

Exit716: exit stage left. ----- Go Habs Go!

Submitted by CHsam on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 00:59.

I think what could be a problem is that this kind of thing may further develop any distrust there is within the team. Aye.

Submitted by likehoy on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 00:34.

surprised that there has been little blame on the refs on the early call on kostitsyn's goal.

Submitted by shakey on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 00:26.

no way should this loss be pinned on o'byrne. Carbo is right, blame the crappy PP or PK, or any of the other missed chances, where this game should have been 7-3 and the goal would not have mattered. This is the Islanders!! for f*((*&(*&'s sake. I knew last year was a bit of an anomaly, but I didn't think they'd take this big of a step back. And, they'd be a better team without kovalev.

Submitted by Gary320 on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 00:11.

I wonder what alot of these comments would look like if it was Latendresse or Kovalev who was in O'Byrnes shoes.. I bet 100 times worse.

Submitted by Timo (not verified) on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 01:32.

Lats - he finally scored! Woo!!! Who cares if it's on his own net. Brisbois - I am not surprised. Sigh. It's breezer, what can you expect. Kovalev - F!F!F!F!F!F! This F russian! Еб твою мать!!! Мудак! Козел! Руки из жопы ростут!

Submitted by Habitant in Surrey on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 03:09.

LOL !!! Great to have a translation Timo !

Submitted by Barts on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 00:48.

Or Brisebois....

Submitted by Kevin on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 00:27.

Fans here are very selective in whom they allow to make mistakes... When people love to hate certain people, there's really nothing you can do.

Submitted by craz11 on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 02:03.

I don't hate O'byrne. I wish the kid well. It's just that he's not ready for the NHL and he's costing us points. Like tonight. Like Saturday vs. BOston. Like the Saturday before that vs. Philly. The guy is single handedly going to keep us from making the playoffs. Read my last 20 posts, I'm not jumping on the bandwagon here.

Submitted by likehoy on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 00:31.

well said...i'll wait to find out who you dislike.

Submitted by ronniech on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 00:21.

Or Breezer. Excuse me as I shiver at the thought.

Submitted by spirit of the Habs on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 00:10.

I wonder if Valentenko would have been this bad? Canadas Team, Gods Team You name it The Habs are it

Submitted by Kevin on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 00:28.

Yeah I was wishing a while ago that he had waited a couple of weeks... he definitely would have been called up and making more than enough to support his family (he's only getting 300K/year in Russia I believe).

Submitted by Y on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 05:38.

Only 300K? Lolz

Submitted by wild flower on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 00:09.

I would never have imagined that Breezer would play as much he has since BG and Carbo got nostalgic and recommissioned him last year. Who could have imagined that another Habs Dman would take the heat off of him by being even less reliable?

Submitted by spirit of the Habs on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 00:09.

What the hell is Obyrne talking about? "it happens to everybody"? No it doesn't! wtf? Canadas Team, Gods Team You name it The Habs are it

Submitted by wild flower on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 00:19.

Ya he has a way of not ingratiating himself. I could be completely wrong, but sometimes I feel that since the Habs are a very polarizing team (you either love them or hate them from childhood on) many of their players don't really care about the tradition. Do these guys even want to play for the Habs. Sometimes I wonder. Maybe BG should do additional psychological testing before signing these guys. If they don't want to be here, quit trying to fit square pegs into round holes.

Submitted by ice_queen on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 00:15.

At least he owned up to it and spoke to the media afterwards! If it were me (not that I'm a hockey player making lots of money) I would have preferred to bury my head in the sand.

Submitted by Gary320 on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 00:12.

I dont know. Kinda hard to think after something like that... the team probably repeatedly told him, "It Happens to everybody" in order to cheer him up.. so that was the only thing in his head

Submitted by Ayan_SB on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:59.

Anybody make an analogy yet between O'Byrne's purse snatching and tonight's umm..win snatching?

Submitted by likehoy on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 00:14.

stealing a purse isn't the only trick he has to score.

Submitted by Mr.Hazard on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 00:08.

La Croyante had a good one, made me laugh: "He's a thief. First it was a purse... now the game." p.7 Ex nihilo nihil fit

Submitted by LongIslandHabsFan on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 00:04.

I wish he would have put the puck in the purse instead of his own net.

Submitted by Will Longlade on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:49.

The Positive Spin: 1. The entire team played with lots of emotion, energy and heart. 2. Your captain continues to skate and play like a 25 year old. 3. Higgins played like a man possessed. 4. Pleks Kovy & AK46 came close to making more magic together, but their timing was a bit off. Carbo should be patient and keep this line intact. 5. Gorges paired with Markov creates some offense that the Habs didn't have before. 6. The Habs have two other defensemen that we didn't realize could score. 7. We limited the opposition to two goals and less than 25 shots on the night.

Submitted by wild flower on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 00:03.

agree - I'm not sure how they failed to get less than five goals tonight (six including OB's)

Submitted by Ian G Cobb on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:55.

Sounds like the effort was there tonight by the sounds of the posts i've read tonight. That is a good thing.

Submitted by t1tan5 on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 00:00.

Hey Ian, I'm curious. What's the difference between "Ian Cobb" and "Ian G Cobb"? Do you have two accounts?

Submitted by Ian Cobb on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 01:01.

Robert L. helped me set up on this site 18 mo. ago and that is what he did for me when I was learning how to work a computer. I have two different browsers, yahoo and firefox. I am just so tecky now or nerdy I guess they call it. ha!

Submitted by Ian G Cobb on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:43.

I missed the game tonight, but I just saw the highlights. I have two comments. The two rookies screwed it up. Price and Obyrne. First Price is so into the game and has the best seat in the house facing the play at all times. He did the correct thing, the minuet the refs arm went up he was gone to the bench, but without notifying his D who had their back to the play. This is how unforgiving this game is, and this is one of the things that this team is not doing. Talk to each other out there, yell out there, communicate out there and don't take things for granted. Obyrne never saw price leave the net and never new a penalty was being called. All the players are taught in pee wee and on to talk to each other and notify each other every play. When they start to do that they will start to become a team, without it they will continue to error

Submitted by Number31 on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 01:24.

Ain't Price's decision to leave, though... Plus he was long gone by then as the play was over in the other end. I'm actually more angry about Kostitsyn's beautiful wrap-around no goal and why the hell did he get mobbed for it? MOB THE REFS!

Submitted by Mr.Hazard on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 00:10.

Yes the effort was there. It was fast-paced and reminded me a lot of our play from last year. Minus Kovy of course. And Streit playing for the opposition of course. And O'Byrne... nevermind. Ex nihilo nihil fit

Submitted by LongIslandHabsFan on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 00:07.

O'Byrne needs a pair of glasses thicker than a WW II Japanese soldier if he couldn't see Price wasn't in there!

Submitted by CHsam on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 00:57.

wow that wasnt ignorant at all!

Submitted by Gary320 on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:40.

What makes this whole affraid really worse is that O'Byrne has been targeted by alot of people the past few weeks, everyone was ready to send him to Hamilton. This just put the nail in the coffin. It sucks.. because he's young and he has the potentional to be really good, and if Montreal continues (which I KNOW they will) then his confidence will REALLY take a while to come back to earth.. He had a brain cramp for sure.. it just sucks it had to happen and worse at home. I was at the game and after we left the building it didnt stop with the sarcastic O'Byrne chants.. one guy even started shouting "THE THIRD STAR: RYAN O BYRNE... THE SECOND STAR: RYAN O BYRNE... THE FIRST STAR: RYAN O BYRNE"

Submitted by ice_queen on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 00:13.

Posted this on the main page: In regards to what happened to O'Byrne tonight: What the hell is the deal with "fans" booing our players? Boo the opponents, especially the jerks, boo the refs on a crappy call, but don't boo your own team! It's just as stupid as booing the American anthem. Morons! Shame on you! I feel for the guy: he already KNOWS he made a huge gaffe, do you really need to rub salt in the wound?

Submitted by likehoy on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 00:51.

are they saying BOO or are they saying "BOO-BYRNE"?

Submitted by wild flower on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:39.

I would rather he said "I effed up and feel bad" than what he did say, "everyone has done this." Could just be a generational problem.

Submitted by ronniech on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 00:10.

At the same time, had he started moping, people might take that as a sign that his confidence is entirely shot to hell, warranting a trip to Hamilton. I would rather he show that he wasn't going to let it trip him up, at least externally.

Submitted by LongIslandHabsFan on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:54.

So true. He showed class by facing the media, but I would have liked him to be more pissed off at himself. But he exhibited the mindset of much of his generation.

Submitted by likehoy on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:42.

good point.

Submitted by MikeL on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:32.

Anyone remember when Josh Gorges basically gave a breakaway pass up at the beginning of last season? If I recall, he played very little for the next couple weeks. Look how he turned out... Hopefully O'Byrne can learn from this and move on. I just hope the Bell Centre fans give him that opportunity.

Submitted by likehoy on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:34.

i remember that but the circumstances are different. No one expected anything more from gorges cause he was an unknown quantity. People have heaped some hopes on OB being the 4th dman on this team so a gaff like that places a lot more doubt in our minds when OB is on the ice.

Submitted by spirit of the Habs on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:30.

WOW! I usually never miss part of a game but tonight I had hockey so I missed the the third period. THE ISLANDERS! LOST TO THE ISLANDERS. Makes one sick. as Judas priest said "some heads are gonna roll" or atleast they should. What a dissapointment this 100th season is turning out to be. Theres still time but wow. A discrace. Oh and the power play SUCKS!!!! Canadas Team, Gods Team You name it The Habs are it

Submitted by rut1212 on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:38.

I agree with Kris, the PP did not suck, they created a lot of chances. Sure they didn't score many goals, but I have seenmany improvements overall in this team. If Kovy can start rolling, some more things should fall into place. He's getting better, but he's not there yet. Be patient.

Submitted by spirit of the Habs on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 00:06.

Yah the pp has been getting chances but they need to score. As for patience while all we can do is see how the seaosn unfolds. I still have faith in this team. Better be them wings Wednesday night. Canadas Team, Gods Team You name it The Habs are it

Submitted by t1tan5 on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:38.

Watch the game first. We dominated the game. OB scored the game tying goal...for the Isles.

Submitted by Kristopher7 on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:34.

Your post is pretty random and straight forward. Having watched the game I thought the Habs played with heart.. it was an OTL but it was a good game nonetheless, calm down there chief.

Submitted by Y on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:27.

Well I hope this wakes OB up. He should be having nightmares about his goof. Maybe we'll see the OB we know he can be? Now Kovy on the other hand...

Submitted by LongIslandHabsFan on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:45.

It goes one of two ways. This is the wake up call he needs to decide he's going to turn things around, make the most of his opportunity with Komi out, and become a real NHL defenceman. Or this ruins the kid, the fans boo him into heart palpitations like they did to Breezer and he ends up back in Hamilton.

Submitted by rut1212 on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:41.

I don't think he should have nightmares. He's played well the last two games, he's started throwing his 6'5" frame around a little. He needs to put that one mistake behind him. On that play, he beat another guy to the puck, and if Price had been there, it would have been a smart play.

Submitted by Timo (not verified) on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:20.

Once again, OB did not lose this game. Our pathetic powerplay did. Our top 2 lines who could not bury 7 PP chances and 3 SO chances. Our top 2 lines are to blame for tonight's loss. He made a mistake, but since that mistake we had 2 powerplay which generated absolutely jack sh!t. All we got is more of kovalev's tiptoeing and more of that nauseating passing along the perimeter. People are so pathetic that they would do anything to dump on the poor chap now... even say ridiculous crap like Brisbois is better than OB. If memory serves me right, Brisbois pulled Kovalev from 2 years ago. When he went into the corner and hit the guy Breezer is the one who got hurt. With Islanders still having possession of the puck he winced, whimpered and just started slowly skating off to the bench, leaving the dangerous situation in our zone. I will take OB over that gutless puke anytime.

Submitted by Gr8stFranchizEvr on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:32.

well, I agree that the OB flub wasn't the winning goal but the team suffered a collective blow from it. Habs should've handled the lowly Isles without much trouble and won by at least 2 goals, but the OB mistake did hurt the team and played a major part in losing this one. at the same time, i know our PP needs more work and our top lines have to find ways of scoring - it won't happen from the outside either. my sympathy is offered because OB is young and has a lot to learn. but, he does have potential and has played better the last couple of games.

Submitted by t1tan5 on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:23.

Stop being so judgmental. If Brisebois did this, you would be shoving a rod up his ***.

Submitted by likehoy on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:22.

i disagree...O'Byrne lost us the game. The PP didn't win us the game.

Submitted by Timo (not verified) on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:23.

Did he score a GWG for the Isles?

Submitted by likehoy on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:24.

no but he did score the game tying goal. did our PP score the Isles GWG? no but it didn't score Our winning goal.

Submitted by Timo (not verified) on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:25.

I don't think our PP can spell "score" let alone actually score. I bet they would not be able to score even on our own empty net.

Submitted by Chorske on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:35.

I don't get the Brisebois hate on. I really don't. He's been reasonably solid on the point and he's done what's expected of him this year, so the only explanation I can think of is that you're a champion grudge-holder. Our defensive core have actually been pretty good past few games- holding opponents to two goals per game even without last years league leader in hits and blocked shots.

Submitted by likehoy on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:40.

i have no problem with brisebois, but i feel our defensive corps with him is not a top-calibre one. You can't deny that if there was a better option, you would take it.

Submitted by Chorske on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 01:54.

True enough.

Submitted by sidhu on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:12.

He messed up royally, but OB is a character guy - he was answering questions to the media after the game when I'm sure 95% of us would have skipped the shower and sped home as fast as possible. OB acknowledged that the fans were chanting his name at the end. Tomorrow's a new day, big boy. Chin up! It wouldn't surprise me if OB starts the game against Detroit.

Submitted by LongIslandHabsFan on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:38.

Owngoal'Byrne did show class facing the media. Carbo certainly supported him with his post-game comments as well. Unfortunately, the kid's on the job training will have to continue with Komi out and this team lacking solid NHL-ready depth on defense. Either that or throw Dandy back their and watch him get smacked around.

Submitted by sam on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 10:43.

and what about that Breezer play?? (you know the play.) wow. i was like, i hope he's got a broken rib or something because that looked like it hurt. but no, he's sitting on the bench .. and minutes later he's back on the ice!! i showed the play to the gf and she was like, that's it? he bumped a guy (not even hit or crushed) and he just left the game? lol. ha! Breezy is a threat to himself :) good ole Breezer.

Submitted by sam on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:25.

wow. i just read he stayed for the media. it takes huge balls to do that. i immediately cringed when i saw the play but i'm happy to see Carbs (and, at least, the players who we've heard from so far) not blaming O'Byrne. that's HUGE coming from Guy :) the shitstorm will fail to pick much s*** because of this. a very good game from the Habs. and it looks like they're likely to work as hard if not harder wednesday night against the Wings. things are looking up.

Submitted by Kristopher7 on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:11.

Anyone else think Josh Georges shots were super hot tonight? Nice accuracy a la Streit.

Submitted by likehoy on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:27.

it's accurate but not a strong shot.

Submitted by likehoy on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:11.

O'Byrne may be a big Dman who can skate but he lacks any kind of intensity or rabidness. His hockey sense is below par and he can't get away with it by being physical. If you watch Komi, he's intense out there, looking for hits, playing physical, working hard. When you see O'Byrne out there, he's always trying to catch up to the play and he rarely ever uses his huge size to his advantage. Look at the way that Chara or Hal Gill plays. They're intense out there and hold nothing back. I've never even seen O'Byrne protect any of his teammates after a whistle. If he doesn't improve his intensity levels then he won't make it far as an NHLer.

Submitted by t1tan5 on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:13.

Maybe this epic fail will do the trick. I honestly hope he scores the GWG on Wednesday.

Submitted by Kristopher7 on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:13.

Good ol' intensity levels. My hockey career ended because I was too intense and aggressive. Give me an hour with O'Byrne and I'll smack some intensity into him.

Submitted by likehoy on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:19.

another player you might want to help out with intensity is AK46... looks like he let up on the penalty shot...if he played like a bull every game he'd be a superstar.

Submitted by t1tan5 on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:22.

Do our guys know how to lift the puck? Jeez, it seems that every time the goalie is compromised, we slide it into his pad.

Submitted by LongIslandHabsFan on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:32.

Our guys like to keep it on the ice so it harmlessly hits the goalie's pads. At least Kovalev usually tries to lift it, but then misses the net most of the time.

Submitted by yathehabsrule on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:07.

Well guys and gals I'm off to bed...A W against Detroit and we forget all about O'Byrne's mistake...unless we somehow miss the playoffs by a single point and start reflecting back on the 'coulda woulda shouldas' of the season. Later

Submitted by No et al on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:05.

Just went to You Tube to see if I could find any other examples of NHLers scoring on their own net... lots of them, and many much worse than O'Byrne. Again - that doesn't make it okay, but there were bigger games on the line or the goal was scored to end the game (McCabe and Backstrom both during OT). The Steve Smith shot into his own net in the playoffs that cost the Oilers the series against the Flames... I could go on. Hoping O'Byrne has a great game against Detroit.

Submitted by jimbo on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:15.

Enough already.This guy has had enough time to show that he actually sucks. It's alright.We've had players who has sucked before and we will again.He shot it into an open net for CS.Why,because he doesn't lift his overly big head up for anything.Passes or one on ones.He continually gets pyloned,rips the puck off the boards,glass anything so he doesn't have to lift his huge melon to take a look.He skates well enough,and is big enough to keep himself out of a lot of trouble but his grey matter gets in the way.Just not smart enough to play in the NHL.

Submitted by LongIslandHabsFan on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 23:59.

Hey, somebody's got to be the pylon since Souray's gone. Wish he had Sheldon's shot (into the opposition's net, of course).

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About Mike Boone

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Mike Boone

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I grew up in Park Extension, within walking distance of Dickie Moore's Dairy Queen on Jean Talon. Moore had a place on L'Acadie Blvd., and we used to see him driving around in his convertible with a Samoyed and a very dishy wife. While "studying" at McGill University during the 1960s, I used to attend games at the old Montreal Forum. My fellow undergraduate reprobates and I would scramble up the stairs to get centre-ice spots in the top standing room section, where aged ushers didn't know or care what we were smoking. I stood out in the cold for six hours to get tickets to the 1975 New Year's Eve game between the Canadiens and Central Red Army. With the exception of the birth of my daughter, the 3-3 tie was the greatest event I've ever seen in my life. The Canada-U.S. Gold medal game comes close .... but I wasn't there. I've been a professional journalist since 1974, when I joined the Montreal Star sports department. I've covered the 1976 Olympic Games, the 1979 Expos, pop music and MSO tours of Europe and Asia (classical musicians are WAY more fun to drink with than athletes). I wrote a TV & Radio column for 20 years and, since 2000, have written a City column for The Gazette. The best part of being a Habs Inside/Out contributor is attending games at the Bell Centre. I think it's a great building: noisy, raucous and packed to the rafters with Montrealers and visitors who live for hockey. And I still get goosebumps every time Michel Lacroix booms out "Accueillons nos Canadiens ..." Having seen the Boston Red Sox win two World Series and the Pittsburgh Steelers add a couple Super Bowl titles, I suppose I can die happy ... but not before another Stanley Cup parade. And I'd really like my daughter to see a historic New Year's Eve game. I like all the players. Covering baseball gives me a profound appreciation of pro athletes who aren't jerks. My weltanschauung was summarized by the late great Bill Hicks when he said "all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration, we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively, there is no such thing as death, life is only a dream and we are the imagination of ourselves." Have a nice day.

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Another bitter pill

posted by Mike Boone at 13h44 EST on Nov 24

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