Beaten by a very good hockey team

posted by Mike Boone at 7h17 EST on Feb 1

What are you gonna do?

Boston is full value for its lofty spot in the standings.

They play smart and they play tough.

And they left the Canadiens beaten and bloodied:

• Robert Lang, hospitalized, suspected toern Achilles tendon, which would do him for the season.

• Guillaume Latendresse, left shoulder injury

• Alex Kovalev, day-to-day with a bruised ego

3P 00:57:

Kostopoulos? D'Ag? Bruins empty netter by Savard

3P Timeout:

Dupont says all the mystery that remains is the nature of the controversy after the Canadiens' tying goal. He says high stick making contact.

3P 1:19:

Tom the Bomb keep trying.

3P 2:00:

Three injuries and Kovalev plays

3P 2:32:

Kevin Dupont of the Boston Globe: "I'm sure this is breaking Rob DiMaio's heart."

3P 2"35:

Another one down. Gui!

3P 4:25:

Almost. Great effort

3P 5:47:

RDS keeps showing Kovy on the bench

3P Break:

Good today: Plekanec, AK46, Max-Pac, D'Ag, Koivu

3P 6:30:

Not many shifts for Sergei

3P 7:40:

Kovalev benched?

3P Break:

Give the boys credit: trying hard and getting some chances

3P 9:00:

D'Ag crunched by Chara

3P 10:00:

Used up the miracles yesterday

3P 11:18:

Lang didn't look good. Knee or ankle

3P 11:27:

Uh-oh. Lang down

3P 12:00:

Some very good shifts, but the Bruins D is impenetrable

3P Break:

No matter how this ends, Kovalev will be the talk of the town tomorrow

3P 13:00:

O'B has been OK

3P 14:27:

Getting shots, but Thomas's positioning is impeccable

3P 14:40:

Kovy shaking his head on the bench

3P 15:08:

Kids gassed at the end of a shift but Price gets a stoppage.

3P 16:25:

Great chance for AK46

3P 18:04:

Huge PP, eh?

3P 18:30:

Love those kids. Don't love much else

Alex Henry:

3:30 in the first period, 1:13 in the second. Good call-up.

3P 20:00:

Do they have another A.A. miracle in them? The Bruins are better than the Kings ... and have yet to lose this season when leading after two periods.

2P 00:00:

Another last-second chance

2P 1:00:

Max strips Chara

2P1:45:

Total confusion

2P 1:45:

Another PP?

2P 1:45:

Maybe that nonsense will wake the boys up

2P 2:00:

Bruins make zone clearances with dismaying ease

2P 2:45:

Lucic crunches Lang

2P Break:

Again, the fourth-line pluggers give the Canadiens fits. Domination here. The PP: Icing, dump-in of the screen, two offsides

2P 5:25:

Embarrassing PP

2P 6:40:

The PP is a mess.

2P 7:24:

Refs huddle up and call delay of game

2P 7:48:

Dump in off the screen on the PP. Quand ca va mal ...

2P 8:00:

Icing on the PP. They're killing me here.

2P 9:10:

Koivu and the Kids on first wave. And Savard takes a REALLY idiotic penalty

2P 10:20:

Higgins bats aweay at it in close. To no avail

2P 11:30:

Gut check time. I'd bench Kovalev

2P Break:

You can see why Boston has won a lot of games. Very disciplined, well-organized, passes that click and forechecking that's effective

2P 11:58:

What a mess. Bouillon loses his stick. Gui! coughs up a clearing attempt. Bs keep buzzing and Thornton makes it 2-1

2P 13:00:

Tednse PK, but it worked

2P 14:52:

Kovalev is killing me

2P 15:30:

Scary moments on the PK

2P 17:30:

Another bad Kovy penalty

2P 17:58:

Great hustle by the kids, and Max-Pac nearly gets on a Markov rebound

2P19:12:

Pad saves at both ends

2P 20:00:

4-on-4 to start

Slow blogging:

Bear with me

Hits:

An astounding 27-10 in favour of the Canadiens. Komo has seven already, O'B five

1P 00:00.6:

Brutal. Wideman from far out

1-1

1P 00:36:

Kessel for a high stick I didn't see

1P 00:58:

Not a good penalty, O'B. The other D-man was in position

1P 1:42:

The power play magician

Lang

1-0

1P 2:08:

Nice dive, Max. Kid is learning fast

1P 2:40:

D'Ag gets worked over by Stuart but stays on the puck

1P 3:58:

Plugers always bottle up the Canadiens

1P Break:

Shots are only 4-4. First goal will be HUGE ... and will open up the game

1P 4:50:

Koivu demolishes Wideman on the PK. Spectacular.

1P 6:51:

First penalty: Higgins

1P 7:30:

Kovy makes a play to the point, but Henry didn't see it coming

1P 8:00:

Building is dead

1P 8:59:

Thomas gives up a rebound on a 190-foot shot

1P Break:

Atmosphere of a playoff game

1P 9:40:

Rough shift for O'B, and crowd noticed

1P 11:00:

Big shift for Kessel, Lucic

1P 13:03:

Both teams careful. Shots are 2-2

1P Break:

Price very alert on deflection of Wideman blast and Gui! nearly tucked one past Thomas at the other end

1P14:00:

No whistles

1P 17:00:

Chara got a good lick on Sergei near the bench. VERY physical game so far

1P 18:00:

Koivu comes out hitting

1P 19:00:

Sergei took a run at Kobasew, and then Henry and Thornton in a long one. We'll be here all day.

Loud Bruins fans:

Is there any other kind? In sections 405 and 402

Molson Cup for January:

Robert Lang

Starters:

O'B Lang, Kovy, Hamrlik, Sergei

And no Gorges, natch:

Lineup:

No Breeze, no Bégin. Price to start

Should be a dandy!:

We can hope

Good ref:

Bill McCrearey

Broken glass panel:

Right where Gorges got clobbered. Delayed reaction?

Shout-out:

To my friend André Picard of the Globe and Mail, who's in Section 217 with his daughters, Anaïs and Raphaëlle

Trash-talking the unis:

We'll be able to hear it from up here.

Suggested names?:

The Hookah-Smoking Caterpillars?

The unis!:

Part of the secret strategy to make the Bruins laugh so hard they're off their game

Odd stat:

In 21 games in which they've outshot opponents, the Bruins' winning percentage is .619. In the 29 games in which Boston has been outshot, it's .793

Unreal numbers:

Dennis Widemnan: plus-29; rookie Blake Wheeler and Marc Savard: plus-27; David Krejci: plus-25; Lurch plus-24; Michael Ryder ... MICHAEL F. RYDER: plus-20

If Henry dresses:

Is that a shot across the bow to Claude Julien? Man, I am not up for a goon show that will have me missing the beginning of the Super Bowl.

Depth on D:

Alex Henry?

Tags:

Boone
Bruins

Comments

Submitted by Habitant in Surrey on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 08:47.

...I can't believe all those that can't see through 'The Enigma'... Kovalev... ...the sooner Kovalev is gone... the sooner The Habs will be able to rebuild into a REAL Team and contender... ...Lang is one Euro I would have on my Team anytime... at least for what he brought to the table so far this season... Lang gone is a BIG loss... ...Kovalev gone ?... I can't wait... Habitant means PASSIONATE HOCKEY http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=423049

Submitted by Garbo on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 17:25.

Kovalev is practically tied with Lang for points, and having a not-so-stellar. In terms of what they brought to the table, the I don't see how the loss of Kovalev would be less than Lang. Sure Kovalev hogs the puck alot, but you can't deny his talent. How many empty nets has Lang missed this year?

Submitted by Montrealer2 on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 12:55.

Submitted by Montreal Fanofold (not verified) on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 11:50. Some serious thinking must be hapenning in Gainey's office today. Thoughts of how to shore up this ailing team,aside from obvious injured players,Montreal does have a many players still not playing up to their potential or at least percieved potential. I see a different Carey Price these days,whose goals against are not that great ,yet he seems more animated with the press,& an air of cockiness,which right now he doean'y always deserve to exhibit. When he was the calm,quiet, never rattled.always cool player that started here, He was far better ,showing his expertise on the ice,and not in front of the camera's & press. Montreal has (as always) several good goaltenders, & perhaps looking at a blockbuster type deal trading Price ( along with ????) could go a long way to really improving this team.Right now they are mediocre,Rememeber Montreal had an opportuniy years ago to trade Patrick for plenty,after having won the 2nd cup in '93..Instead we hung onto him & got really nothing in return after his & Tremblay's bonehead move. It will be interesting to see, what, if anything , comes out of the front office soon. We get excited to see them come back against a team like LA...........please we can do better than that,& if we start to appreciate miniscule wins like that,.then we have become nothing better than a leafs supporter.... Demand the best & don't support a loser, Just an Opinion

Submitted by Habitant in Surrey on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 08:03.

Boone... Lucic was born with a deformed spine causing the hump in his back... Lucic is the kind of hard-nosed but skilled player We can badly use on Our Habs... He is also a nice kid off the ice, as most out here on the wrong-coast knows... Calling Lucic 'Lurch'... I think is below contempt... and Shame On You... Habitant means PASSIONATE HOCKEY http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=423049

Submitted by Garbo on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 17:22.

Lucic is a disrespectful goon. Maybe you missed it, but after beating the hell out of Komisarek he went beserk celebrating his victory. This isn't even done by the most vilified idiots in the league. It shows a great lack of respect for the game, the opposing team, and mostly the player you fought. Keep that kind of "nice kid" off my team thank you very much.

Submitted by P St. Pierre on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 05:20.

The new top RW on the Canadiens is Andrei Kostitsyn and the sooner people accept that, the better. He's played the right side the last two days and has looked great. He has jump and he's getting shots and he actually hits guys when he forchecks and backchecks, unlike that other guy who used to be the top RW on the team. Obviously it would be nice to have Carter or Getzlaf, but we don't and I'm not going to complain about something from the past that can't be changed. The Canadiens have drafted a lot of good players and maybe they missed it a little with AK46. Still, he's looked fairly good and I like him playing with Plekanec just like last season. They seem to read each other fairly well. Other than that, a few players played pretty decent games today and O'Byrne was one of them. I also liked Lapierre, D'Agostini, Pacioretty and Koivu. Without Lang for the rest of the season, however, this team could be in big trouble.

Submitted by projectpete19 on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 09:28.

not to mention the laser of a shot AK46 has coming from his off wing

Submitted by The Teacher on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 00:54.

Well, I think it's clear from this game that Kovy is on his way out. On the go ahead goal, Kovy committed no fewer than 3 glaring errors #1- Lazy giveaway, did not try to get the pass and merely tipped it to the Boston D. #2- after giving up the puck he stands stationary allowing the Boston D to take his time and make a good pass out of the zone #3- Lackadaisical back checking and letting his man go and score. #4- turning to go on offense before the puck had even been returned to our possession. Never mind the goddamn horsespit in the second period where he decided to figure skating the the corner by himself and do a pirouette. I guess he was mad because the Boston player interrupted his pirouette by sticking his head in front of the stick. back to back even, ridiculous. Send Sergei down already, he needs a real wake up call, and what's with Andrei K disappearing? As for the hit on Gorges yesterday, if Gauthier doesn't get 10 games the NHL becomes even more a a black hole of a joke than it already is. #1 Blindside hit #2 elbow straight to the head #3 Gauthier left his feet What I am really ticked off about is the lack of response by the Hab players on the ice. Pathetic. And wtf was he allowed back for? Could not believe it!

Submitted by Chris on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 01:09.

I'm confused...are you talking about the Thornton goal in the second period? Because Kovalev had been off the ice for more than a minute before that goal was scored. That one can be hung on Latendresse, who had to get the puck out of the zone when one of his teammates had broken his stick and Montreal had the long change. The first goal was all Komisarek. The last goal was all Price's fault for leaving the net so unprotected. ;P I think Kovalev was terrible today, but he certainly wasn't to blame for any goals.

Submitted by The Teacher on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 01:18.

Latendresse gave the Stick to Bouillon as he had been without one for like 40 seconds. Lats can not be blamed he had no stick. I'm talking about the one where the Bruin player roofed a top corner shot, must have been the tying one then with 0.6 seconds left in the first. Kovy lost the puck at the offensive blueline, which started the whole sequence, and then it was his man who scored when he decided to turn on offense before we secured the puck.

Submitted by Chris on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 01:30.

Latendresse had a chance to clear the puck, but shot it to the Boston defenceman at the point. He did mostly cover up for that mistake by giving his stick to Bouillon and diving to the ice to try to break up another scoring chance, but if he gets it out, there shouldn't have been a problem. On the goal at the end of the first period, Komisarek had the puck on his stick with 2-3 seconds to go and all he had to do was loop behind his net and kill off the period. Instead, he panicked and threw the puck right up the middle to nobody in particular and that was all she wrote. Regardless of whether Kovalev made mistakes, the goal should never have happened if Komisarek had made the smart and safe play. Its the little mistakes that are killing the team right now. Clearing the puck (without icing) when its on their stick has been a consistent problem for the Habs in the defensive zone of late. The culprits have been varied, but the results have been consistent: scoring chances and goals against.

Submitted by Ben on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 00:26.

Hey Boone, at least we can celebrate tonight!! The streets of Pittsburgh are on fire!

Submitted by Steve in Kingston on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 00:06.

Alex Kovalev isn't the only one around here who is day-to-day with a bruised ego.

Submitted by crabvader on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 00:11.

What a stupid picture.

Submitted by Y on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 00:02.

Looks like the ASG MVP award was what Kovy was working towards this whole season. I'm betting he leaves it on cruise control from here on in. This loss hurts, in more ways than one. Chipper clearly can't fill Lang's shoes (skates) and I'm with those who think Bobby G should swing a deal for some hulking bruiser who can actually score, namely that Arthukin (sp?) monster down in Tampax bay. PS: I really like those jerseys, though I'd never wear one.

Submitted by forskis on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 23:53.

Unfortunately I did not catch the game and it is too bad Les Boys lost the game and more players...at least it looked like they played better and it was not the shell-lacking many were calling for here; just a typical Habs game: a couple of brain cramps at the worst time...and they could not pot their chances, it happens when you are struggling... Also, good to see that not TOO many people are upset at the loss, since some were expecting it but most seem to be satisfied they went down competitively...This is the time for those struggling to cover for the losses...I am looking at you Kovy and Sergei for starters... Habs Professor one other thing, normally I do not comment on your stuff since it is one opinion amongst many for Habs fans (although you are the most consistent)...it does not matter what Kovalev has done in the past and how many years he has been around...it does not lead to entitlement in how you are treated, this isn't Baseball or Basketball nor Football, it FEELS like there is more accountability in Hockey...if you are not playing well and making the same errors every time and not helping the team, you deserve to be punished or sat or whatever... Bring on the Pens.

Submitted by HAB-PROFESSOR on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 00:00.

forskis, I agree, he shouldn't be entitled to his entitlements...even if he makes DVD's of his skills! all I'm saying is as a coach you want to get the best use out of your players based on what their strenghts are...we all know what Kovy is good for, so you use him for that, which is the puck possesion game, he needs players with good hands skating into openings, like Pax, D'ags or Andre, and he needs a good centerman with speed to cover for defense...

Submitted by jimbo on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 00:14.

Also he needs to play.More than the other 3rd line jokes that Carbo seems to play way to much at the wrong f ing times.Late in the game and power plays please.These are the times for your skilled guys.Carbo rolls 4 lines like a Pee wee rec coach

Submitted by Gary320 on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 23:50.

The Habs Need Oleg Petrov and Pierre Dagenais

Submitted by Yeats on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 23:56.

Don't leave out Juha Lind, Craig Darby, Christian Laflamme and Patrick Traverse.

Submitted by jaymster790 on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 00:50.

Gino Odjick and Andreas Dackell...

Submitted by Gary320 on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 00:16.

And people complain about our current GM?

Submitted by MikeL on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 00:01.

You forgot Patrick Poulin, David Wilkie, Sebastian Bordeleau, and Mark Bureau.

Submitted by twocents on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 00:09.

Eric Landry and Nicolas Sundstrum.

Submitted by Chris on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 00:19.

Turner Stevenson, Brent Bilodeau, David Wilkie, Brad Brown, Terry Ryan, Matt Higgins, Jason Ward, Eric Chouinard.... Thank goodness for Saku Koivu, because that list of 1990's 1st round picks will make you cry very, very fast. :(

Submitted by twocents on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 00:31.

To think the Remparts were extensively scouted by the Habs staff and they chose Chouinard over his linemate Gagne?

Submitted by Yeats on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 00:35.

Pull up the 2003 NHL draft on Hockeydb.com and just cry.

Submitted by twocents on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 00:44.

I know, I know. But Andrei Kostitsyn doesn't belong with that group of flops. Sure players who were drafted after him have developed faster, but he still has plenty of space to progress and he's doing alright as it is. Would I prefer Getzlaf or Carter right now? Sure, but this is not on the scale of what Chris was referring to. I hope this doesn't mean a certain poster is about to rear his ugly head G.I.G.!

Submitted by Yeats on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 00:49.

Somehow, I lost control over Ryan Getzlaf is God. Don't know how I did it. He was a cracker. I guess it was just bound to happen with all the other characters floating around in my head.

Submitted by twocents on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 00:54.

You should probably develop some sort of registry. Maybe even be forced to make it public!

Submitted by Chris on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 00:42.

Oh thanks...now I will cry. That draft was ridunkilous. Look at the SECOND round picks: Patrice Bergeron, Matt Carle, Shea Weber, Patrick O'Sullivan. I still think Andrei Kostitsyn has great stats if he's playing for a different market...something about Montreal just seems to prevent guys from breaking out.

Submitted by Yeats on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 00:46.

I know I can't mention his name here, but they passed on Ryan Getzlaf. Isn't he precisely the type of player they need?

Submitted by Chris on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 01:01.

An elite centre like Getzlaf is precisely the type of player every team needs, but its hard to foresee how these guys will turn out from their junior careers. To wit: Ryan Getzlaf: 2001-02 Calgary Hitmen WHL 63 9 9 18 34 2002-03 Calgary Hitmen WHL 70 29 39 68 121 2003-04 Calgary Hitmen WHL 49 28 47 75 97 2004-05 Calgary Hitmen WHL 51 29 25 54 102 WJHC: 2004, 2005 Kyle Chipchura: 2002-03 Prince Albert Raiders WHL 63 9 21 30 89 2003-04 Prince Albert Raiders WHL 64 15 33 48 118 2004-05 Prince Albert Raiders WHL 28 14 18 32 32 2005-06 Prince Albert Raiders WHL 59 21 34 55 81 WJHC: 2006 (Captain), missed chance at 2005 due to severed Achilles tendon Overall, Getzlaf always looked to be a better goal-scorer and Chipchura was projected to be a good to very good all-around player. Getzlaf just found that extra gear that made him a tremendous 19th overall pick...doesn't necessarily make the guys ahead of him bad picks, just means that he deserves extra credit for taking his game to the next level.

Submitted by jaymster790 on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 00:55.

A guy like him or Perry would be nice.

Submitted by Yeats on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 00:05.

I cried when those four guys walked into the Hall of Fame in Toronto with the rest of us tourists!

Submitted by HabsDawg (not verified) on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 23:38.

Bob is running this Side show. It's Carbo's BBQ & it Stinks........

Submitted by Yeats on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 23:44.

Needs more sauce!

Submitted by Instant Karma on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 23:29.

the loss of langer is going to hurt, but on the bright side hopefully it will give a guy like chipper the chance to show what he can do with the big club

Submitted by thirdstone on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 23:27.

Okay so if Lang's out for the season, who would YOU make a move to acquire? The obvious choice in these discussions have been a solid dman of the likes of Bouwmeester. This would be killing two birds with one stone; not only would our D be heavily reinforced, the added presence would take a load of Price's shoulders, giving him some breathing room to find his form. If we're really lucky we could a third bird by getting a guy that can quarterback the powerplay. Let's get a good discussion going here.

Submitted by MikeL on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 23:51.

Perfect time for Bob to land a big, hard working center. I think Nik Antropov would be a great addition.

Submitted by Yeats on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 23:43.

A "signed" Bouwmeester would be the best deal Gainey could possibly make. I would not risk a potential Hossa fiasco like the Pens and trade for him if he will be a UFA in July.

Submitted by Chris on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 23:52.

I agree whole-heartedly, but unless Komisarek goes the other way, the Habs can't afford Bouwmeester.

Submitted by Y on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 23:58.

Artukhyn please

Submitted by port elgin on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 23:37.

Bob won't make a trade , end of discussion.

Submitted by Instant Karma on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 23:34.

i was pretty impressed with henry with the little bit of ice he saw today. OB also looked good and played physical. if they can keep it up then i would rather see bob grab a star forward to score the big goals and make the big plays. i love kovy but he is not playing with the intensity he had last year and he is playing himself right out of mtl. im sure the constant line shuffling has not helped him and i would like to see him back with pleks and ak46, the chemistry will come back!

Submitted by Kristopher7 on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 23:34.

J-Bo please.

Submitted by Chris on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 23:24.

Crap...have been on the road since the end of the game only to find out that my fears were actually true: I had an awful feeling that Lang's Achilles was gone the way he grabbed his foot and the way he left the ice. That is an awful blow, and I really doubt we will see him again in Montreal. At his age, I'm not sure he would really want to go through all the rehab to get back to the strength in the tendon required to play NHL-calibre hockey. Here's hoping the injury isn't as serious as it sounds at the moment.

Submitted by HabsFanInVictoria on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 23:22.

Don't hit the panic button yet. This team has been streaky all year. They will bounce back. They aren't playing like the team we thought they were and it's making us nervous. Last year we would have been happy to be where we are in the standings. This team is not Detroit or San Jose. We aren't built with proven superstars. Last year was a great success but we have to just accept the fact that we should be exactly where we are in the standings. That doesn't mean we can't still win the cup. Detroit is #1 in the league or close to it every year and they don't always raise a banner. Give it time, you never know what could happen. Get to the post season and go from there. Sad to see how many negative fans we have on a habs exclusive site. I expect as much on TSN.ca or something, but not on here. Get it together and stop the bitching. You're either with them or against them... no in between. You're giving us a bad name. If you don't like it, Florida or Atlanta could use some more fans.

Submitted by TripleX on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 23:15.

Carbo still sucks.....LOL.

Submitted by rswinter (not verified) on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 23:13.

Why wasn't that last play reviewed?

Submitted by TripleX on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 22:49.

YEAHHHH! Fitzgerald! Arizona is in the lead.....what a game!

Submitted by Yeats on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 23:02.

Not any more!

Submitted by TripleX on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 23:04.

Damn! I hate the Steelers almost as much as the Bruins! I guess the night will end up lousy after all. Cinderella teams almost never win!

Submitted by Bill on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 23:08.

Well, you had one last year.

Submitted by Yeats on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 23:05.

I was rooting for AZ too. Super day all around!

Submitted by TripleX on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 23:14.

Now I am really pissed and depressed. Only 8PM, but I am going to my bed and roll up into the fetal position till morning.

Submitted by HAB-PROFESSOR on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 22:09.

I expect nothing less than Carb to be FIRED tomorrow Morning. Stop the presses, and call a press conference...this has gone on too long. Every single move he makes is destructive to the team. HENRY play'd under 4 minutes, and had more of an impact in that time then Breeze had all year...he quickly demonstrated grit, toughness and fighting and his defensive play was easily at a 5th D level...and it was his first game...so why in the HELL DID HE ONLY PLAY A FEW MINUTES! OBRYNE delivered some dismantling hits, and again did more than Breeze has the entire year...but I'm sure he'll be back in the pressbox sometime this evening... KOVY...this is unreal, what in the world is that imbecile coach doing or hoping to accomplish by benching an elite player? DO YOU THINK YOUR DEALING WITH A ROOKIE?, Kovy knows what he has to do, he gets called some foolish penalties which were not penalties at all and is benched for the ENTIRE GAME basically...Carb really went overboard on this one. Our PP looked like a bunch of kids trying to play keep away with the B's pressing, no strategy, no calmness and setups...real improvement without Kovy. CARB continually puts his dirty thumb prints on every single combination at every single opportunity, with total disregard to the development of chemisty....and when it happens to appear by chance, he quickly destroy's it in an attempt to improve somewhere else, instead of having the lines work through adversity. There is only one problem with this team, and now its become really clear. CARB. and for the people on here blaming Kovy for the loss? damn idiots, the guy didn't even play today...bloody fools. Going forward we have to keep OBRYNE and HENRY IN...what they add is exactly what we are missing - toughness and grit. Pax and D'ags have to be splitup between KOVY and KOIVU's line. the can work there way out of this, as long as CARB keeps his dirty mits to himself. ----- 1. Kovalev is now in his prime, he just needs linemates at his level.. 2. Our VETERAN YOUTH: PAX, D'AGS, OBRYNE, HENRY & STEW must stay on the team if we hope to contend for the cup.

Submitted by MikeL on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 23:30.

1. Alex Henry is 29 years old, and obviously not an NHL defenseman. If you watched the game today, you'd clearly see that. 2. Kovalev needs to wake up and realize he must compete every night - for the team, not just for himself. If he wants the C and only plays well when he has it, then it truly shows its all about him, not the team. Our best player cannot be taking nights off. Period.

Submitted by Chris on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 23:16.

The problem with Kovalev is Kovalev, not Carbonneau. There is a reason he has been let go from every team he has played for after a few seasons, often somewhat acrimoniously. Kovalev is an almost impossible player to coach, and certainly a very difficult player to play with. He has other-worldly skill, but it is married to a personality that would take Jung or Freud a lifetime to actually decipher. Was the loss today his fault? No way...the Habs made a few mistakes, the Bruins made them pay. I felt the second Kovalev penalty was a bit silly...he got punched in the face, and I'm not sure that his stick actually made contact with Aaron Ward's face, but kudos to him for selling it. Maybe it was payback for the phantom high-stick of Komisarek by Kessel in the first period. As for the defence, I guess I'm going to disagree with Henry's contributions. One meaningless fight at the beginning of the game accomplished nothing. Henry has been bouncing around the NHL for years and hasn't played an NHL game in over two seasons...if Carbonneau is really such an idiot for not recognizing Henry's potential, than what does that say for coaches like Jacques Lemaire and Craig MacTavish that got rid of him altogether? I felt O'Byrne had a good game tonight, although his one truly big hit (on Ryder, I believe) once again resulted in him ending up on the ice while his mark kept going. He (and Komisarek) is much better when he plays within himself...I would give up 5-10 attempts at big hits per game for not having to watch him skating around aimlessly and hanging his partner out to dry for a 2 vs. 1 in the crease area.

Submitted by twocents on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 00:07.

Chris didn't we have a conversion months ago where your points about Kovy were brought up? Except wasn't it me saying them then? ;-)

Submitted by Chris on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 00:13.

Yep, I remember it well. And I don't think I completely disagreed with you. Kovalev has always been maddening to me...I would be perfectly content if he was let go at the end of the season. That being said, I still don't agree with many people that his issues are due to a lack of work ethic...its often an issue of trying too hard. I think he has a complete lack of trust of his teammates (a notion I can't completely condemn, as many of his teammates have stunk of late) on the ice and figures "Screw it, I'll do it myself" more often than not. That worked for him the past couple of years, but as he gets older and the season takes its toll on him, I think that the plans are no longer executable. One thing I will say: I was shocked that he got benched after he took that stupid second penalty. A mad Kovalev is usually a good Kovalev, and I think he was good and steamed at that point. I would have fed him 3-5 shifts and see what he could do with them before benching him.

Submitted by twocents on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 00:26.

I was just messing around. You didn't completely disagree with me then. I don't remember leaving that conversation feeling we were that far apart. I don't doubt thoughts like those, about his teammates, cross Kovy's mind and that they shape the way he plays. But, I would say there is more to it than simply not being able to execute what he desires. His responses to losing the puck and the way he will hang back and watch things unfold on the boards at times, clearly show a lack of intensity. Besides AK46, Lang and Pax, to a lesser degree, were playing good hockey over the last month or more and Kovy still wasn't making much use of them. I also don't think the penalty was the main motivation for the benching. He was playing a listless game and has been for a few weeks. It had been coming for a while.

Submitted by Chris on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 00:44.

Agree whole-heartedly. This benching was a month's worth of poor play.

Submitted by HAB-PROFESSOR on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 23:26.

I made a response about KOVY on the main page game thread, so I won't repeat myself here...but I agree on your observation about him being punched (a defensive move with the free hand) and then the phantom stick that did not touch Ward.. But I differ on Henry, because the game was calm up to Kostop's kamikazi play (great heart)...so Lucic and Thornton were disciplined by Henry's presence...don't forget Henry was fighting BERTUZZI and DOMI when most of these punks were in Pee-Wee Houseleague. I would keep him on the roster because having a fighter as your 6th defenseman who isn't that bad either, is a big bonus in Larocks absence. and to have a 6th D in the box isn't that bad. I thought Obyrne and Henry delivered more in places we need it (mainly toughness) than Breeze is capable of...so that alone keeps Breeze out and those two chaps in.

Submitted by Chris on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 23:31.

Here's why I disagree: 5/6 of the Canadiens defence corps tonight could not complete a tape-to-tape pass to a moving target if the Stanley Cup depended on it. With the exception of Markov, they flat out stunk at providing the fundamental need of a good transition game, an intelligent breakout of the zone, for the Habs tonight. While the toughness of guys like Komisarek, O'Byrne and Henry comes in handy occasionally, it comes at the cost of watching them handle the puck like its a live hand-grenade. I don't know how many times in the past few games I've had to watch passes go behind the forwards as they attempt to break into the opposition zone. There are two huge dangers to passes like that: they slow the attack to a crawl, letting the opposition stack the blueline and make it impossible for anybody but Kovalev to enter the zone with the puck, and its a suicide pass that's going to get one of the forwards maimed.

Submitted by HAB-PROFESSOR on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 23:42.

there is an answer to your concern...the forwards go back and take the puck through a cycle and/or receive a shorter pass within their own zone since the opponents are lined up across the red line. If its between toughness and a suicide outlet pass (most good ones can be) then I'd take the more stay at home approach and have our fancy forwards come back and carry the puck out and make the outlet.

Submitted by Chris on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 23:49.

You are absolutely right in that the forwards can come back and take a shorter pass. But then any speed advantage the team might have gets nullified by giving the opposition a chance to get back and clog up the neutral zone. To each their own...I actually think Brisebois has to play until the Habs can get another defenceman that can pass the puck, thereby lessening the pressure on Markov to do everything back there. And I think the Habs HAVE to get that puck-moving defenceman after watching the team play the past few weeks. Their transition game has just vanished when Markov isn't on the ice. No stretch passes means a clogged up neutral zone, and the Habs forwards simply aren't big enough to fight through an organized neutral zone trap.

Submitted by HAB-PROFESSOR on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 23:56.

But all Markov has been doing lately is circling and turning back because he can't make the pass!! haven't you noticed that, today he did it 3 times once in a row...so what does that tell us? the outlet pass is dead..it only works if the opponent is forcing with 1 or 2 forwards, but if all 5 forwards are clogging at centre ice, then whats the point. I say draw them in, let HENRY or OBYRNE go behind the net and have a forward come back and cycle for the puck...not every time, but unless its a sure pass, take your time and go back.

Submitted by Chris on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 00:08.

I have noticed that Markov has been circling more of late, and part of that problem is every opposition player, every Hab and every fan in the rink know that he's the only guy capable of making an outlet pass, so they just key in on him and cut off his passing lanes. What's he going to do, give it to Komisarek? Its just coming back to him as soon as Komisarek receives it, or its going to be dumped off the boards to the opposing team's defencemen. I almost wonder if Markov should start rushing the puck more. If Komisarek is the defensive stud that many think he is, he should be able to cover for Markov to be even more offensively minded.

Submitted by HAB-PROFESSOR on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 00:09.

sure thats the other option, having the defenseman (if he can't make that pass) to bring the puck to the red line and dump it from there, if not gain the blue line! I guess it really boils down to what do we really need: 1. A puck moving defenseman 2. A tough S.O.B. towering stay at home animal and before you think of the answer, think of the type of game played in the post season.....

Submitted by Chris on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 00:26.

I don't have to think of the playoffs to see the answer: Anaheim has Niedermayer and Pronger (although he's also a physical beast), Detroit has Rafalski, Lidstrom and Stuart, Boston has Wideman & Chara (also a beast), San Jose has Boyle, Vlasic, Blake and Ehrhoff...all the contending teams in the NHL have multiple guys who can make plays out of their own end. Pittsburgh has Gonchar and Whitney. At the moment, Montreal has a lunch-bucket brigade of one-dimensional defencemen (Hamrlik, Gorges, Bouillon, Henry, O'Byrne, Komisarek) that are not particularly gifted offensively. Until they get somebody else back there that can make plays, they will be in tough. I know that many in here love big, tough defencemen. It is a love I don't share, especially as I watch the games and see the revolving door of guys walking right around our supposed defensive studs like Komisarek to get quality scoring chances.

Submitted by HAB-PROFESSOR on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 00:43.

you make a good case for another high level puck moving defenseman, you've got me convinced. I think we're looking for more of an aggressive D man because toughness is lacking up front in the ranks of forwards. So I think we need to correct 2 areas...because if we pick up a guy like Kaberle who can move the puck, that doesn't address us being pushed around come post. Damn....we are good, but not good enough....

Submitted by Chris on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 00:49.

I agree with you about the forwards. They do need more toughness up there...we have a lot of guys who have the size, but not the personality to go in and really pound the opposition defencemen. Guys like Higgins, Lapierre, Latendresse, Begin and Kostopoulos can all win the battles on the boards (they are actually a pretty skilled board team), but they don't have the talent level to do much other than cycle it back in for more battles. What they lack is the malice to really wear down the opposing defencemen with their hits. Lapierre, Latendresse and Kostopoulos get lots of hits in, but I sometimes get the impression that their hits hurt the opposing D men about as much as the mosquitoes hurt the winshield of my car in the spring...

Submitted by HAB-PROFESSOR on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 01:15.

thanks for some comments of reason...there are alot of rose colored diehard fans on this board who can never critique this team. Just one other subject if you could comment: The Youth Movement. Pax & D'ags (and potentially Stew) are they what we need, are they getting better, have they proven themselves, should they be sent back, do they add some grit, will this experience make them mature and can they play a role in the playoffs etc... you probably know my position on the Youth Movement, but I'd like to see yours in regards to your understanding of what we need based on your comments - thanks.

Submitted by Chris on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 08:57.

I've commented quite a number of times there... Pacioretty - He is a keeper, a great player who I think is far faster than any of us thought and has a big frame. But he is very, very raw. He should be in Hamilton this season, getting top line minutes and having the chance to dominate down there before coming up to the NHL. He will be here soon enough, so I don't think he needs to be rushed unless injuries continue to plague the team. D'Agostini - What you see is what you get. He's a good player but will never be a great player. I had the pleasure of watching him play his junior here in Guelph and he was a dynamic passer with some fantastic moves that I was surprised to see scoring so many goals in Hamilton and when he first came up. I see him as a Chris Higgins type player without the defensive acumen. He somehow learned to drive the net, so I am now firmly in agreement that he should stay in Montreal. Stewart - I just don't see him as an improvement skill wise over the guys we have. He's faster than I thought, but he does not appear to be very offensively talented. I would be okay with him as a fourth line player, but the team is actually full of that type of guy (Begin, Kostopoulos, Laraque) who are better in that role. I don't get the impression watching him that he could hold up to a season of being the team's enforcer. The young guys do bring a jolt of energy and enthusiasm to the lineup, but it comes at a cost of team defence. I don't think it is entirely coincidental that the team's defensive woes began at roughly the same time that Koivu, Higgins, Tanguay and Laraque went down to injury. This is not to say the young guys are at fault, but the leadership capabilities and two-way game of guys like Koivu, Higgins and Tanguay are definitely missed, in my opinion.

Submitted by HAB-PROFESSOR on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 11:17.

much appreciated...

Submitted by twocents on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 01:18.

Malice, yep we have an absence of that. ;) Koivu showed some on the first penalty kill today. He is too small to inflict it consistently though.

Submitted by Xtrahabsfan on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 23:21.

Agree

Submitted by HugeHabsFan on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 22:15.

Your post is funny! (it was a joke, right??) Your signature is even funnier. ........... "To you from failing hands we throw the torch. Be yours to hold it high." I STILL BELIEVE. I WILL ALWAYS BELIEVE.

Submitted by HAB-PROFESSOR on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 22:17.

whats funny, is that which appears to be taken as funny and is in fact true.

Submitted by punkster on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 23:29.

Oh for heaven's sake, have you finished your homework yet and cleaned that mess up in your room? Then go to bed.

Submitted by Xtrahabsfan on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 22:05.

Tampa got blown out 10 -0 the other night,they want Markov in a deal for Vinny.Give them Plecs ,Dandy and a draft pick as well.The Kovy to the Oilers for Erik Cole..........

Submitted by zamboni on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 21:43.

Turning point of the game part 1: Mike Komisarek turns the puck over, which results to a huge Boston goal with 0.6 secs left in the period. ..., Gazette picks Komi as 3rd star of the game, go figure. Turning point of the game part 2: 2nd Period, Between 9:56 - 14:36, we get 1:20 of two man advantage and 3:20 1 man advantage, that's 4:40 PP folks This is who was on ice for that stretch (Player#, 1man adv. time, 2man adv. time, total time) 79, 2:43, 1:20, 4:03 46, 1:37, 1:20, 2:57 11, 1:28, 1:20, 2:48 20, 0:46, 1:20, 2:06 27, 0:46, 1:20, 2:06 74, 1:57, 0:00, 1:57 14, 1:39, 0:00, 1:39 84, 1:27, 0:00, 1:27 36, 0:54, 0:00, 0:54 67, 0:54, 0:00, 0:54 51, 0:36, 0:00, 0:36 21, 0:24, 0:00, 0:24 44, 0:24, 0:00, 0:24 When asked what aspects of Kovalev’s performance were found lacking, Carbonneau said: “That’s between him and me.” What a spineless weakling, he has no problem calling out on players publicly but when asked about it, all of a sudden it's a private matter.

Submitted by Omit on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 22:03.

zamboni Maybe I can finish Carbo's statement for you. Kovalev has a bad habit of trying to make the lowest percentage play possible. He hangs on to the puck too long until the simple play is no longer possible. Then his teammates get caught up in a scramble when there's a needless turnover caused by his boneheaded play and there's an odd man rush by the other team. Unfortunately, Carbo is too much of a gentleman to say this publicly. However, he did nail his *** to the bench, so he is improving.

Submitted by Harani on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 21:41.

I don't mind losing to the Bruins, we all know they're a tough team but Lang's injury is scary. He's such a consistent player and just looking at him makes us all smile. Constant effort and his character is exemplary. Just to think that we might possibly lose him just hurts. Even more to know that this might end his career. I hope he gets well soon and my prayers will be with him to come back soon.

Submitted by Number31 on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 22:46.

Yeah... Losing Lang is a bigger blow than losing 2 points :( ****** the notwithstanding clause - The general consensus of an ordinary Habs fan in Montreal

Submitted by Yeats on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 21:38.

Have any of you guys also noticed that Price is having a very difficult time tracking the puck lately. That has to be addressed. This team is nowhere good enough to slide by with merely adequate goaltending.

Submitted by HabsDawg (not verified) on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 21:25.

Julien would have done wonders with the current Habs team. We can thank Gainey again for another bonehead move, one of many. Don Lever would be a perfect Coach for the Habs now......

Submitted by Omit on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 22:05.

Maybe Julien learned some lessons after being fired twice. Lever doesn't speak French. Didn't you know that?

Submitted by HabsDawg (not verified) on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 22:12.

Who gives a *** if Don can't speak French. All the Players speak English. That's all that matters. In the NHL is English comes first.......

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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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Beaten by a very good hockey team

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