Saturday, April 4, 2009

Montreal at Toronto

Notes on the third:

-Brad May's such an ass. The only reason Burke got him is so he could say "leafs," "hockey," and "May" in the same sentence without laughing.

-One thing the Habs are doing as a team that they weren't during the slump: Taking their time and making sure of their play instead of rushing into a giveaway.

-I'd like to apologize to Halak. I was actually thinking "shutout" when the leafs scored. I swear I didn't know the hockey gods could read minds.

-Plekanec has lost some of his PP time to Lapierre. That's step one on Uncle Bob's scale of discipline. Next, it's the naughty chair.

-It's kind of sad how the leafs fans cheered that shorty after Tanguay fanned on it.

-If Grabovski emerges intact from the first game between these teams next year, there is no justice in hockey.

-Please, Lord, let Markov be okay. There will be no chance of playoff success without him.

-As is typical with a leafs/Habs game, I spent the last ten minutes just hoping the good guys could get out of the building without any further damage by these Burke-in-Stocks.

-Great win. The team just took care of business with an eye to the playoffs.


Notes on the second:

-Why does it fill me with horror when Don Cherry roots for the Habs?

-Jim Hughson described Lats' breakaway as "Speed coming at you." The kid's come a loooong way from being Fatendresse.

-The first line makes me happier than a hottie next door with no curtains.

-Gerber's one goal away from Meltdown: The Sequel. Dude's got crazy eyes.

-The team is trying its damnedest to spring Laraque on a breakaway, but I guess 260 pounds doesn't "spring" that easily.

-The duelling fans make the chanting sound like they're saying "Go, Labs, Go." Woof.

-It's petty, but it annoys me when people talk about getting "pucks" to the net. There's one puck. They get THE puck to the net.

-leafs have firepower, so the Habs have to keep some level of intensity in the third. At this point, though, I'm just rooting for Plekanec to score, and for Jaro.



Notes on the first:

-The leafs can't even tank properly. They're eliminated from the playoffs and should be trying their damnedest to move up in the Tavares Sweepstakes. Instead you get Ron Wilson saying their main goal is to ruin the Habs' season. Brilliant. If bitterness was good looks, Wilson would be Mr.Universe.

-Montreal has the Habs and Cirque du Soleil. Toronto has the leafs and Mounties rappelling from the roof of the ACC. That's about right, I think.

-Has Koivu's left eye always squinted more than his right, or is that courtesy of Justin Williams?

-I have a feeling the Lapierre line is going to be the most effective one in the playoffs. I still remember Lapierre two years ago saying "If I have to break my nose to make the playoffs I'll do it." That's what wins the big games. And that second goal was all him.

-It amazes me that the leafs can score so many goals when they try, but they still suck so badly.

-The only way Kovalev should be back in Montreal next year is if Bob Gainey stays as coach. He is Kovalev's Maharishi Yogi.

-Tanguay's passing is a thing of beauty. He could put black thread through the eye of a needle in the dark.

-It's amazing the difference a bit of confidence makes. It's the soul in an otherwise lifeless corpse of a team.

-leafs tag-teaming Laraque. Classy as always. And Big Georges hitting Grabovski? Be still my heart, but I think The Code might be out the window.

-I'm disappointed when the PP doesn't score. When did I quietly get the expectation that it should?

-HOW could this team be as bad as it was on that western road trip?

8 comments:

Howard said...

Grabovski is beyond codifying. It's too back Sergei is back home licking his wounds. Won't get another chance to see Grabs again this year. Maybe they can square off during the summer in Minsk!

Howard said...

Lapierre and Latendresse! Haven't seen such chemistry since Bogie and Bacall, Tracy and Hepburn...

Howard said...

Gerber...instead of baby food...Habby food! (my apologies for taking liberties with the word Habs)!

Anonymous said...

"It's petty, but it annoys me when people talk about getting "pucks" to the net. There's one puck. They get THE puck to the net."

On a related note, Gary Bettman has a new idea to increase scoring.

Howard said...

Nice win, hopefully not too costly! Schneider AND Markov??? You've got to be hockey-god kidding!
Can you see us going into the playoffs with Breezer as our QB? I think I'd rather invest in Nortel!

Darren Bifford said...

yes, let's all pray for Markov (and Schneider). Grabovski reminds me of Golem from the Lord of the Rings: desperate and sickly and bitterly cruel. I liked Big GL tonight. He was actually mixing it up on the boards and playing as if he really were mean.

GK said...

You opined, "There's one puck. They get THE puck to the net."

Except if you're a colour commentator or analyst, when "the" becomes "that":

"What the Habs have to do is get that puck deep into that offensive zone. When you're winning those face-offs, you've got to get that puck back to that point-man..."

Also, remember to remind the viewers what sport they're watching:

"If they can get those special teams going, they've got a good chance of winning this hockey game."

James said...

"-Brad May's such an ass. The only reason Burke got him is so he could say "leafs," "hockey," and "May" in the same sentence without laughing."

That's gold. Love it!