Habs Rally in 3rd/OT

Now that the problem was gone, the players no longer had an excuse for not winning. Sure enough, the boys didn't disappoint... in the ladder part of the game, however. You really have to hand it to them because the pressure was surely present in the pre-game atmosphere. But they managed to pull through with the all-important 2 points.

The first two periods were ones to forget for Montreal. 9 shots totaled between the two of them while Edmonton had 23. At 2nd intermission, something had to give. Don Lever, who was "sur la passerelle" in the first two periods, was the ace in the hole for the Habs. Having watched the game through a different dynamic, he took notes and brought them with him to the dressing room. Coincidentally, the third period showed twice as many shots and half as many against. When the ref signaled goal after Koivu's review, you knew the Habs would not lose that game.

The only point where Edmonton had any control of the puck in OT was when they managed to clear it out. Montreal took total domination of the 4th period. The 4-on-3 did help as well. The PP was played to perfection. Schneider took the shot and Koivu, waiting for it, tipped it in. A powerplay goal in OT scored by the captain is a great way to win, especially if it just so happened to be your birthday eh, AFS 58?

Tanguay made a nice comeback. 1G, 1A, +3 tonight is something to get excited about. Koivu's line will return to being number 1 again. But Andrei needs to get some shooting practise in before we can see consistent success. In the second period alone I think he missed the net 4 times. Once his snipe-shot is back on though, with two guys who can dish out the puck to him, watch out.

I wasn't all that impressed by Souray's cross-check on Tanguay. The refs were too stubborn to call it. Then he stood over Tanguay as if he wanted more. Well, at least he had to leave the game injured. Sorry Sheldon, I just lost a whole lot of respect for you.

With teams like Carolina, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh nearby, you can't afford to lose a game. They are all too hot to lose. We'll have to take this one game at a time at this point. Islanders at home should EASILY be 2 points in the bag. But you know what usually happens when it should be easy...

Photos: Yahoo! Sports

Well It's About Time, Bob

Let's cut to the chase here. This is the best thing that can happen to the team for many reasons. Here, in my opinion, is why he was shown to the door.

1- The team quit on Carbo: It was clear that throughout the entire road trip, the team was not interested in putting in the effort for the coach. Why did he never give a real chance to guys like Bégin or Dandenault?

2- Carbo was not a tactician: I can't help but look down and shake my head when I look back on some of the decisions that he made. EX. When he opted to play Gorges on forward as opposed to Bégin, when he played Weber on forward on his first game (which was a completely unfamiliar position for him), he played Price as opposed to red-hot Halak last night (I don't care if he played well), etc.

3- He is not a good communicator/motivator: I wonder how many players on the team are happy that this change was made? He had a few damaged relationships with players because he neglected them. Normally, he wouldn't go up and talk to them about it.

4- He was living in the past: The title says it all. The constant reuniting of 46-14-27 was getting annoying yet was clearly not working. He's been trying to find replacements for Mark Streit by forcing unfamiliar roles onto some players (Gorges, Weber). Everything he can do to make things exactly like last year. Sorry, the world isn't that perfect. A good coach can adjust to what's given to him.

Like my father recently told me, in business you have to look at the big picture. You can't get sucked into the small and recent stuff. My point is that Gainey has clearly been analyzing the team and it's performances. He finally realized that enough was enough and the team can only benefit from this. Gainey's got a huge job ahead of him. As notbigbird mentioned on Habs Inside/Out, it seemed as though Carbo was giving many chances for players to mess up, but not as many for those to succeed. That is why, he got the boot

Photo: The Washington Post

Hard Work Pays Off

Kerry Fraser was on top form tonight. Not that I'm saying we didn't deserve them, but 9 penalties in one period? Take it easy, Kerry. Anyway, the fact that we managed to kill off those long 5 on 3s is something of an achievement, with most of the credit going to Plekanec. Sure enough, this was nothing but a boost for the Habs as we managed to take the lead in the second. Solid play in the third, and a bank goal from Higgins put away the game from Dallas' reach. Hard work in the 2nd and 3rd period is what led to the win tonight.

Let's look back at Stewart's part in this. I consider him Bégin's cheaper and younger replacement. Not only that, he's much faster, stronger, and knows how/what to do when you drop the gloves. What he did to Ott is something that we rarely see in Montreal. Brunet on RDS even said that he had absolutely no problem with the fight. Obviously being the instigator, he got a few penalties. But he sent a message to the team as well as Ott. This is the problem with Georges Laraque. Because of his code, you will never, EVER see him chase after a guy like that. Kudos to Stewie because he played a huge part in this win.

Carey Price has now had back-to-back solid games. Halak's got to be feeling so awful because of this. As a result of this solid 'tending, Carbo's most likely going to give Price the start on Tuesday. It's too bad for Jaro who's had this flu come and go for the past while. However, I look at it this way: it's better to have two goalies who are hot rather then two who are cold.

This was a big win for Montreal. Had we not won this game, we would be in 8th place. That's not to say we're safe though, the Habs are still 2 points from 9th and Buffalo isn't much furthur behind. Looking forward, I'm feeling good about the schedule. 9 of the next 10 are at the Bell Centre. With a record of 20-6-4 at home, how can you not be optimistic?

Photo: Yahoo! Sports

Another Quiet Trade Deadline...

I don't really find it necessary to waste my time complaining about this team. If it were up to me, management would go through a makeover. The fact that Gainey and Carbo are satisfied with the current roster is beyond me. Apparently we're contenders with this team... HA! The reality is that while we were all standing by watching all the trades, the buyers bought and the sellers sold.

Let's analyze the trade day. Burke did a great job. He must have gotten 3 or 4 draft picks. Tampa Bay made some cap room and brought in some prospects/picks. On the other side of the equation, teams like the Rangers, Penguins, Hurricanes, Boston, Florida, and Ottawa (I don't really care what happens in the West) were buyers, and essentially improved their teams. Rangers got Morris and Antropov, Pens got Guerin, Canes got Cole, Boston got Recchi and Montador, Panthers got Eminger, and Ottawa finally got a keeper (Leclaire). Coincidentally, these are teams a few points around us. And what exactly did they give up? Drafts and some prospects! Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't those things that we already have enough of? In fact, enough to maybe... trade away? Apparently not.

Gainey did go out and bring in some new guys, but in the end... I'm not too sure if they're all that great. Schneider has resuscitated the PP, and Metropolit is at least better than Chipcura. But where is that impact player we have been waiting for? Every single year just before the trade deadline, the TRADECENTRE panel on TSN all predict that the Canadiens would be the most active team in trade-talks. And every year, we get next to nothing.

Bob, was it too much to ask for to make a gutsy move? Are you just scared to pull the trigger on Carbo? Does he have a picture of you of the time you had a few too many Coronas at that one party? How many players do you think are going to resign here next year? How many will test the market before they consider resigning with you? There are GMs that are willing to throw huge sums of money at anyone, and this "no contract extension" policy is getting really annoying. Thanks to this particular policy, we lost Streit. I'll bet you a dollar to the donut he would've resigned with us for half of what he's making now had he received an offer before the end of the season. How good of a team do you think you really have right now?

Rack Em' Up

Another typical Habs/Flyers game: full of goals, fast-paced and chippy hockey. For the third game in a row, the Habs managed to pull through with a win. Not too long ago, we were getting clobbered 6-2, 7-2. I'm telling you, when you've got solid goaltending and productive special teams, wins are hard to miss.

Glen Metropolit, Gainey's latest pickup, sure didn't raise my eyebrows. However, for a 4th line center at 34 years old, I'd say we may have gotten our money's worth out of this guy. While he may not have had the best start with us, he's at least a step up on Chipchura. Plus he's not a UFA at the end of the season which is a fad on the team. He's also a must-needed right hand centerman.

Once again Mathieu Schneider, who's showing us just how much one man can help a team's powerplay, did his job. Mark down 5 points (3G, 2A all on the powerplay) in 5 games. I'd take that from a 39 year old. Heck if he keeps this up, I wouldn't be surprised to see him back next year!

What can I say about Plekanec and Halak? They are the two hottest players on team right now. Plekanec is now 7-5-12 in his last 7 games while Halak has averaged 37 saves in his last 6 starts. I'm not going to repeat myself, so I'll conclude by saying that whatever these two are doing, I highly suggest they don't change it. Kovalev has also been playing well. 11 points in 10 games ain't too shabby. As the trade deadline quickly approaches, Kovy's name will surely come up in trade-talks. TSN is saying that Columbus and Edmonton have shown interest in him. Whether it's true or just trade-talk, you're all welcome to waste x amount of hours of your life watching TSN's TRADECENTRE '09 next Wednesday (yes, all capitals, it's that important).

Breezer was at his best tonight. He, of course assisted on Gagné's game-tying goal. He also pulled a couple needless icings because of those center-ice passes of his. Just a reminder to everyone, he is 3 games away from reaching 1000. Thus CONFIRMING his never coming back after this season. Komisarek is another guy who's getting on my nerves (Breezer's always been on my nerves, Komisarek's still working on it). For whatever reason, he's having so much trouble controlling the puck along the boards which is leading to needless penalties on his part and odd-man rushes for the other team. This is a hole he better dig himself out of, fast.

Basically, another confidence booster for Montreal, which will hopefully turn routine by the time we reach the playoffs. Tanguay's comeback is something I have been looking forward to for the past 3 weeks. Don't be surprised to see minor trades here and there between now and the deadline. Don't expect it to be minutes before it though, Gainey's too smart to buy into that nonsense. Sharks are in town tomorrow night.

Photos: Yahoo! Sports

Halak, Halak, He's Our Man, If He Can't Do It, No One Can!

Finally, 2 W's back-to-back! It's been a while since I've last seen that. It's also been a while since I've believed in this team. It's almost as if the handful of distractions have given these guys a boost. The right pieces are falling into place, finally. Let's begin, shall we?

Let's start with the best. The essential piece to any cup-contender, is a goalie. Jaroslav Halak, who never accepted being backup, has made the absolute most out of his opportunities. In his last 4 starts, which have been his best so far, Jaro's saved 153 of 162 shots, and has a save percentage of .943. Carbo needs to keep playing him and not focus on getting Carey back on track. There is no way that we would have won had it not been for #41.

Next are the special teams. The confidence is definetly there. The puck is moving a lot quicker and there are a lot more cross-ice passes. Before, no one would move and the puck would stay to the outside. Hey, 8 for 19 is good enough for me. Also important, the PK. Koivu especially did very well on this last night. Faceoff wins are key, and they are starting to get them. We've only let in 2 PP goals out of the last 19 chances.

Finally, a top scoring line is getting back into form. Yes, the K-P-K line has been producing. Plekanec has had a season to forget, but he seems to be regaining confidence. 6 points in 10 games!

3 key components: a goalie, a powerplay, and a scoring line are all lights on. However, 16 shots in an entire game will not win you games. Montreal has also allowed too many shots game after game. Tanguay cannot come back soon enough, and Bouillon's injury just adds to the frustration. Next up, Flyers on Friday in Philly.

Photos: Yahoo! Sports

Maybe, There is Hope...

What with all that's been going on in the past week, whether it be Kovy's benching or the criminal inclusions, I was pretty much sold on the fact that all of these distractions would bring us down. On top of that, with a handful of losses on the road trip, I didn't find it necessary to post reviews on them. Nevertheless last night, the boys showed up to play.

One of the things that most impressed me was the quick start. Finishing the first 2 goals up, both of them created by Kovalev, usually gets the crowd going. Take that critics (and myself)! Kovalev completely showed them up tonight. Maybe he does care and wants to finish his career in Montreal... Gainey definitely has the bragging rights on this move. Kovy played 19:54, more then any other Habs forward, and recorded 3 points and 2 on the powerplay.

Oh, and did I mention the powerplay? We went 3 for 4 last night, and 7 for 11 in the last 3. 7 PPG! About a month ago, you would have to add up 15 games to get 7 PPG. The Schneider effect has really kicked in. 1 point in each of his 3 games played for us, all coming on the powerplay. Money in the bank! Funny what 1 guy will do for you on the powerplay.

Halak had yet another career night. Two shaky first periods led to an unbelievable 3rd one. He made 44 saves (only second to his 46 saves a week ago). As far as I'm concerned, this guy is our number 1 from now on. Sorry Carey, you've failed to keep us in games unlike Jaro.

As games go by, Plekanec is playing less and less like a "little girl". 5 goals in as many games, throw in a point streak (8 points in it) and you've got a real man! Here's hoping that he can only build on this.

Aside from being a wanted criminal, Andrei Kostitsyn has been one of the few consistent players for us. Prior to last night, he was enjoying a four game point streak (7 points, 4 goals). If anyone is going to reach the 30-goal plateau, it'll be him.

But with positives, negatives follow along as well. Komisarek has been one of the worst players since the All-Star break. Remind me why he there in the first place? He took three avoidable penalties that could have easily cost us dearly. I'm not very impressed with this guy.

The Canadiens finished the road trip by getting only 3 of a possible 12 points. However, they need to put all of that behind them and never look back. Last night's effort was a sign of good things to come. Tanguay's aiming for a return next week and our powerplay has never looked better. After a two-day break, they play Vancouver's next on Tuesday at the Bell.

Photos: Yahoo! Sports

Welcome Back, Schneider

Finally! A trade that we've been all waiting for. 39 year old Mathieu Schneider, who started his career off with the Habs, has been acquired by Bob Gainey for a 2nd rounder in 2009 and a 3rd rounder in 2010. On top of that, the Habs also get a conditional draft in 2009.

So he might not bring us back to the top in terms of our powerplay. But as far as I'm concerned, he's at least a step up on Breezer! To make room for him, RDS reports that Ryan O'Byrne has been sent back down to Hamilton. It's too bad for Ryan, I thought his game has really picked up since being recalled. Maybe this is why he was a scratch last night.

Either way, this guy has always been a Tom Brady on the powerplay. I wasn't around when he first was a Hab, but some good sources have shown me thumbs up on him.

Mathieu's on his final year of his contract, which the Canadiens will have to pay the rest of. He brings experience and talent, but is most likely nothing more then a rental. Hopefully, this will be the first of many trades made by BG. Because this alone, is not nearly enough.

Photo courtesy: Geocities.com

A Letter to Mr. Gainey

Dear Bob,

Enough is enough and in the interest of all of your disappointed fans, please make the right decision. Please fire Guy Carbonneau.

Thank you,
Bradley M.

Sorry For the Belated Posts, I Was Throwing Up

Let's start with the better of the two: The 3-2 loss to Buffalo. I was lucky enough to be sitting in section 304, row 8, seat 11 on that awful night. Considered a "gold value" game, the tickets weren't exactly a giveaway but, I consider a ticket to a Habs game as a blessing from the Lord. But, for the second time this season, the team failed to show up when I have. The Buffalo wings I ate before the game were better then the game.

We started the game well by tripling Buffalo's amount of shots, but no goals. So my hopes were high, and so was my belief that we could pull out with a win. Early on in the second, Price let in a weak one. We managed to capitalize on a powerplay and tied it up. However Buffalo retook the lead nearly a minute and a bit later. Here we go again. We're down going into the third, and the next goal ends up deciding the game. Sure enough, Buffalo got that goal because of yet another costly mistake from Mike Komisarek.

All period long was pretty disgraceful to watch, until Hammer pulled one back with 3 and a half to go. After that, we were flying. Shots, pressure and everything needed to score. But Alexei Kovalev, l'Artiste himself, oddly enough as this was VERY rare of him, took a stupid tripping penalty which limited us to any chance of scoring. Thanks Alex, you really know how to ruin a kid's night. I had to sit through all of that crap, to see a comeback canceled by #27? No way. I blew up and probably annoyed some people around me. It took my father to nudge me to shut me up. From that point, until we reached the car, I didn't say a word. Call it silent rage.

Now in the car on the ride back home, my father and I had a lengthy analysis about the joke we had to sit through. First off, Price had another weak night and did not look good at all. But the main topic of conversation that came up, was that of the problem with this team. I complain about Kovalev night after night, but who is it that sends him on the ice? Guy Carbonneau. Management is the biggest of our worries right now. Why in the world was Kovalev even on the ice with 2 minutes to go? He did absolutely NOTHING at all throughout the entire game and even took another idiot penalty halfway through the third. Carbo refuses to get mad at this guy (which is something I would've 2 months ago), and instead gives him more playing time. Are you kidding me? Carbo, instead of making the right decision that would benefit the team, decides to suck up to "l'artiste".

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Now for Saturday's game against the Leafs. I'll be completely honest with you. Going into this one, I had never been more sure in my life that we were going to lose. And the fact that Halak was sick, and that Price would start, made matters even worse. Unfortunately my prediction was dead on. Price let in goals that would've been easy for him to save before his injury. Every time a Leaf would skate up across the blue line, he would go into a butterfly stance, and back into the net leaving many open holes that lead to 5 soft goals. This guy's confidence is at an all time low. He even looked like he was going to cry in an interview after the game. Carey, you're in the big leagues now and this is part of a normal goalie's career. It happens to the best of them, yes even your hero Martin Brodeur. He puts all the pressure of the world on himself and acts like a baby whenever things don't go his way. "Take off your dress and let's end this tea party" - Dane Cook.

Carbo messed up once again by playing Kovalev on the powerplay, 7 times. Montreal scored once (on a 5 on 3) out of the 7 powerplays that we got. Bouillon hit the bar on a WIDE open net. Higgins failed to capitalize on a few chances, including a runaway breakaway. All of these opportunities would have completely changed the outlook of the game. Things that would have been day and night for us last year, are very hard to do now... This is right up there with the worst loss of the season.

To rap it up, these were both brutal games. Just really uninspired play on both nights. Maybe the team is quitting on the coach? Or maybe they just don't care. The team is in a much worse position then I thought and if changes aren't made real soon, things are only going to get worse. The fact of the matter is, we've now lost 7 of our last 9 games. The pressure is now on Gainey to shake up the team. He's got to do something, because with this same team, we aren't going ANYWHERE.

Photos: Yahoo! Sports

Funny What a Fight'll Do For Ya!

Well the title says it all, really. Pittsburgh scored first and the next shift Alex Henry dropped the gloves. This, essentially, woke up the team and inspired them to play. Sure enough, two minutes later, a steal by Sergei lead to Hamrlik's 3rd of the year. And the rest just came naturally, and that's how we played. We played as if it were the 2007-08 season.

For the first time in a while, it'll be hard to cover all standout individual performances. Tonight was a team effort, not only offensively though. The right players stepped up to shut down Crosby and Malkin. Goaltending wasn't half bad either.

Hamrlik play of late has not been the best, but he sure made up for it tonight. He's posted a -9 rating in his last 10 games but tonight had a goal, an assist, 3 shots and a +4 rating. You know, he doesn't do it often enough, but Hammer knows how to get some points. I'd like to see him do a little more of his back-door sneak-ins like at the beginning of the year. Another defenceman who played well is O'Byrne. +1 and 17:53 TOI is all the more encouraging to see from this guy. Honestly, from what he showed tonight, I think he is a better passer than Komisarek. At least twice he sent players on offensive rushes. For a guy who was supposed to be injured, Josh Gorges sure played like he wasn't. He's shown us a warrior side to him. He's come a long way from not being able to stand up!

When everything goes well, everyone chips in. Kovalev's hard work seemed to revive the old trio. How many times has Carbo tried this line together? Personally, I think the chemistry is gone and it's a waste of time. But you never know with these three. They did get a goal tonight, need I remind you.

I'm loving what I'm seeing of Chris Higgins since his return. He's reminded me of the Higgins that had 14 goals in 21 games way back in 06-07. Being the streaky player that he is, I wouldn't be at all surprised if he becomes a regular in the goals column. It's those first few strides that give him the advantage. One on one with Higgy, you might be lucky to poke the puck away before he takes off with it. And his shot? Well, watch the replays, they'll do the talking.

Yes, this was a real refreshing performance that was long overdue. However, let's not get in over our heads here. Pittsburgh is a 2-man show that has now lost 4 of their last 5. This really should be a win either way. It's one thing to win a pretty one, it's another to keep it going. Next, the Habs travel to HSBC Arena to play the Sabres and, yours truly, will be there live in colour. The boys have a 2 day break and should benefit from the time off. They have a busy few weeks ahead of them including a long and demanding road trip. This'll be a test for the team. Here's hoping we can keep this up!

Photos: Yahoo! Sports

Robert Lang, You Will Be Missed

For those of you who may not already know, the suspicions on Robert Lang's injury have been confirmed today. Thankfully, he went through successful surgery on his Achilles tendon. He will have to miss the rest of the season to recover from this injury. The 38 year old finishes the season with 39 points (18G, 21A) with a +6 rating in 50 games.

Lang, a native of Czechoslovakia, was drafted 133rd overall by LA in 1990. After shuffling back and forth between the NHL, IHL and Czech, he was signed by Pittsburgh as a free agent in 1997. He settled into a niche and put up solid points throughout his 5 seasons with them. The best season of his career came in the 2000-01 season where he put up 80 points (32G, 48A) in 82 games on a line with Alex Kovalev (that too was Kovy's best season as well).

In 2002, Lang was signed by Washington as a free agent. In 145 games with the Caps, he recorded 143 points. Now at age 33, Robert was truly in his prime, and highly valuable. A struggling and desperate Washington went for broke and traded their star player to Detroit for a T.Fleischmann, a first round pick (Mike Green) and a 4th round pick. He again put up solid points (119 in 159 points) for Detroit and 54 points in one season for Chicago.

With one year left on his contract, Bob Gainey acquired Lang from the Blackhawks in exchange for a 2nd round pick. The plan was for Lang to be a two-way 3rd line center who could contribute every now and then on offense. Also, many believed that he would spend the year in Montreal and then become a free agent at the end of the year. Well, knowing the Canadiens, things never go as planned. When top center Koivu got injured for a lengthy period, a number 1 centerman was needed, and Plekanec wasn't getting the job done. Lang stepped up for the Canadiens, and was a regular on the score sheet. Getting powerplay, shorthanded and 1st line playing time, Lang ended up becoming the leading scorer on the team. He quickly became a fan fave because of his consistent production.

Maybe it's because so much is going wrong for Montreal right now that losing this guy hurts that much more. And maybe it was his smile or his long streaky hair that made him so graceful. Exceeding all expectations, Lang was a discreet leader, a positive energy and a workaholic. Because of all these characteristics, he had me sold on him! Robert Lang, we all wish you a speedy recovery!

Photos: Montreal Canadiens Official Website, Daylife

References: Yahoo! Sports, Wikipedia

Shut Down, Again

It seems that this type of game is turning into a trend when we play the Bruins. They maintain a lead going into the late stages of the game, and go into this shutdown game style. You've really got to hand it to Claude Julien. He's taught his team a good style of play that works, night after night. As much as I hate hearing myself saying this, the Bruins are a much better team then Montreal, this year.

I was not very impressed with the play of a few guys. Now that Captain Koivu is back in the lineup, Kovalev has disappeared from the scoresheet. This confirms that the two cannot play on the same team. If I were Bob Gainey, I would start including one of the two in those trade offers. I may be sounding extreme here but as far as I'm concerned, it's necessary. Hopefully Carbo giving Kovalev only 11:24 TOI will send a message through that thick skull of his. Number 27 is really getting on my nerves, once again. Komisarek has had better nights. I wonder how many giveaways he had tonight, and what his passing percentage was. As far as I'm concerned, he cost us the game because of his idiot mistake at the end of the first.

The two big guys played their roles well. Alex Henry is nothing more than a fighter who lacks the ability to skate. His first shift confirmed that. Thankfully he dropped the gloves with that idiot Thornton. O'Byrne would be my choice to play between the two in games to come. He played 16:42 and was one of only 5 players who weren't in the minuses. He's been steadily hitting more and his passing has improved. With Gorges out, he might take his spot alongside Hamrlik.

As if we already have enough injuries. Our most consistent player, Lang, could very well have played his last game of the season. And hard-worker Latendresse is probably concussed. D'Agostini put up a scare as well. You know, if the team was doing well I wouldn't be so worried, but because we've lost more than we've won lately, it's the worst thing that can happen. We've had trouble scoring goals, now the team-leader is done? Give me a break, how unlucky can we get?

To sum up the game, it was a good effort that was matched and doubled by a more rounded team. Something needs to be done to shake things up, and that's when Big Guns upstairs steps in. It's time to make changes. Boston on the other hand have absolutely nothing to worry about. From lines 1 to 4, they have a team full of players that are hungry for the cup. We need more inspiration like that in Montreal. Kovalev whining about losing the C is not the answer to our problems. God I hate those damn Bruins...

Photo courtesy: Yahoo! Sports

Habs Do Just Enough to End Losing Skid

Can you believe it? They were 2 minutes away from me destroying my television. Nevertheless we managed to pull through with 2 points and end the 4 game skid. With so many mistakes, this was one of the sloppiest wins of the season. There's so much to cover here, so let's get started.

First off, I would like to bring up Denis Gauthier hit on Gorges. This is exactly the kind of hit that everyone has been saying the same thing about. (I must have heard these same words about 1000 times) "The league needs to step in and do something to eliminate these hits from the game." I was watching the game on CBC and catched the panel discussing their thoughts on this hit. Thank God the refs gave Gauthier the boot because Gorges didn't look like he remembered what number he was. He didn't see him coming, Gauthier jumped into it and brought up the elbow to the head. It's a suspension plain and simple. Ron MacLean went as far as saying that he would be nailed with 20 games as he is a repeat offender. You know, there's only so much the league can do in this situation. At the end of the day, Bettman can't run out onto the ice and put up his hand to stop these hits. The players are the ones throwing them, so they need to take this seriously. Here's another interesting point brought up by the panel. PJ Stock, who back in the day was a fighter himself, said that he was disappointed in Montreal because of the fact that no one stood up for Gorges. This has been a problem year in and year out. Why didn't anyone jump on top of Gauthier and beat the living hell out of him? Not very impressed by the lack of standing up for your teammate. So what if we got penalty minutes? The game was tied and it was early in the 2nd. Let's hope to God his injury isn't too serious. The last thing we need is another injury, and to Gorges no less!

Moving on to the game. I saw some of the sloppiest play in the defensive zone today. How many times did we mess around with the puck and fail to clear the zone? Awful lazy play like that may not cost you against a team like LA, but tomorrow against a team like Boston, they will make you pay. If, in our defensive zone, we show up with that kind of performance, we're going to get pommeled.

Everyone who needed to score, did just that today for Montreal. Plekanec's play has improved in the past couple of games and he finally scored tonight. Koivu and Higgins getting a goal each is good for confidence for the comeback. A.Kost was pointless in 4 going into this one, and his goal was good enough for his 5th goal on PP.

Kovalev didn't seem to really care about the outcome tonight. There wasn't much effort coming from l'artiste when battling for the puck along the boards. Knowing Boston's solid shutdown play, he probably won't be much of an offensive threat tomorrow.

Carbo is in for a tough decision tomorrow. Well, a couple actually. First off, who starts in net? Do you go with your number 1 who is still looking rusty after 5? Or do you go with Halak who craps his pants whenever Price is on the bench? On another note, what to do with Sergei? Do you stay with the same lineup, or bring him back in? I don't know guys, only time will tell for these answers.

To rap it all up, the hockey gods were really on Montreal's side for this one. Alexander Frolov must have had 3 chances to put the game away but was either denied by Price or the post. LA's work ethic was truly admirable and will hopefully be compared to ours. Carbo needs to tell the boys to come out fast and score first. If I'm not mistaken, Montreal's record when scoring first is 17-3-3. The fact of the matter is, there is no way in hell we will win tomorrow if the same effort is repeated. You can't beat Boston by sleeping for 58 minutes and lighting up for the final 2. Hopefully, the boys will show up to play tomorrow afternoon, because another loss to Boston is the last thing I would like to see.

Photo courtesy: Yahoo! Sports

They Just Keep Getting Uglier and Uglier

There is only so much a blogger can say after watching a game like this one. Montreal has now dropped 4 consecutively and are showing no signs of ending the drought. A number of factors key in to this. First off, we've allowed 19 goals (4-5-5-5) in this drought. Price's awful comeback includes 16 goals allowed and 0 wins. Maybe all these players returning to the lineup has psychologically influenced the team? Well it certainly hasn't helped because were not scoring either. The effort has not been there.

Honestly, Sergei Kostitsyn has not been an NHL-caliber player since day 1. It's almost as if he believes his spot is cemented into the roster. Hmph, I beg to differ and as soon as Tanguay's back, he will be sent to Hamilton just as quickly. If it weren't for all of these injuries, he would be with Don Lever right now. Brother Andrei hasn't exactly lit the lamp of late. Since going on a 7-game point streak, he's vanished from the score sheet in the last 4 games (hmm, seeing that number a lot..) And Gorges! My man Gorgeous Gorges is now -11 in his last 8 games, Josh of all people! This isn't golf buddy, it's not 11 under par after 8 holes.

Now looking back to last night. Whew, 5-1 to Florida. Ouch. Boy I would love to see Jay Bouwmeester in a Habs jersey. Apparently, we were too stupid to pick up on the fact that he pinches to the back door every time. Didn't he score one like that? And almost set up another? Florida went into this one 27th in the league on the PP but managed to pot 2 on us. Disgusting.

And can someone please tell me what's with this "lose all hope when we're down"? Why is it that when we go down early, no matter how bad the team is, we fall back and pray for the buzzer. Isn't that the first thing that we were told as kids, never to give up. It's ridiculous!

For those of you who watched the game on TSN, you might have noticed the stat that was shown. If my memory serves me correctly, they said that Montreal is 17-3-3 when they score the first goal. I wonder what our record is when we don't? We dig ourselves into to holes that were to stubborn to get out of.

For whatever reason, I have a strange feeling about our upcoming games. I highly doubt that Carbo will allow the "dream team" to drop their 5th in a row to LA on home ice. Even more likely, we just might show up to play against Boston.

Alright, I'm done.

Photo courtesy: Yahoo! Sports

Good Things Happen to Those Who Try...

Well it's the first time in almost a month since my last post and I get to start over with this. Perhaps it's some sort of hex or curse that someone cast upon Montreal that disables our talent whenever we play >playoff teams. Whatever the case may be, Tampa Bay (now 17-21-10) has picked up 5 of a possible 6 points against us.

It's simple, the Bolts won tonight by doing the exact opposite of what Montreal did: They worked their buts off. Yes, the first period was all Habs however, one period doesn't win games. Starting right from the get-go of the 2nd, the gritty players stepped up (Downie, Artyukin). By fore checking, hitting, winning the one-on-one battles, they managed to completely shut us down. Plus, throw in 9 penalties called on Montreal to the equation. Vinny and Marty combine for 2 on the PP while everyone else works to get 3. Kudos to them, because they're not too far off from a playoff spot.

I have to say, Ryan O'Byrne played quite well tonight. Not spectacular, but managed to stay at even par in +/- with 12:38 of TOI. Perfect, boost up his value right in front of the eyes of both of Florida's GMs. Higgins also, made a very good comeback. If it weren't for Lang's lack of finishing, he would have gotten at least gotten a point.

Just like Carbo said after the game, something is not right when your 4th line is your best one. Lapierre, Kostopoulos and Latendresse combined for 2 goals and 13 shots. Hmph, if it weren't for these 3 and Smith's bad pass, we'd have been shut out.

We have to look at the big picture here. The amount of pressure on le tricolore is tough to match. When you're expected to win 82 of 82 games, chances are some might crack. However, when you play sub-par teams like Tampa Bay or Atlanta, these are the points that are going to kill you in the long run. A good team would have come out flying, but played a full 60 minutes. We have failed to do that on multiple occasions this year and it is costing us some valuable points. Hopefully, we'll take the Panthers a little more seriously on Thursday night.

Photo courtesy of: Yahoo! Sports