Laughing all the way to a W

I love it when the Habs win. The day is a little brighter, the energy a little higher when they do. I love it even more when they make me laugh while they're winning. Last night's victory over the Flyers was full of moments, some of which will make the highlight reel and some that won't, but they all made me smile.

I loved watching Cristobal Huet standing in the tunnel after the first period, high-fiving his teammates as they passed by into the dressing room, then verbally slamming some loud-mouthed Flyers' fans who were hanging over the glass taunting his team.

The look on Guy Carbonneau's...the Crown Prince of Sardonic's....face after the Flyers' weird second goal was priceless. I can't actually describe it in a way that does it justice, but it was a unique combination of rolling his eyes at the heavens, a sarcastic smirk and a kind of Gallic eyebrow-raise that perfectly expressed his displeasure with the vagaries of Fate and the whims of the hockey gods.

Alex Kovalev's genuine pleasure after Michael Ryder's second-period goal was contagious. It didn't fall into the "funny" category, but it made me and everyone who saw it smile and feel really good to see Ryder's teammates are still rooting for him.

Steve Begin's takedown of Jason Smith was brilliant. He just grabbed Smith and slammed him to the ice in a memorable show of strength and heart (after the initial fight, inspired by a clean hit, started to go south on #22). It was such a microcosm of the Habs' general manhandling of the Flyers this year, it made me laugh.

But the moment that stole the show...the one for which this game will be remembered...was the Bouillon goal at the end of the first period. With ten seconds to go, Andrei Kostitsyn was violently slammed to the ice. The players on both sides seemed to think there'd be a whistle, and several Flyers prepared to scrum with Josh Gorges who'd come to Kostitsyn's defence. Unfortunately for the Flyers, there wasn't a whistle and the only ones who seemed to recognize that fact were Francis Bouillon and Tomas Plekanec. They turned the play the other way and broke into the Philly zone on a two-on-one. Bouillon held the puck and with one second to go in the period, blasted it past Niittymaki for his first goal in a year. That was funny enough. But the best part was back in the Habs' zone. While Bouillon was racing down the ice to score, Flyers' defenceman Jim Vandermeer was 200 feet away, challenging Josh Gorges to fight. There he was, completely unaware of the play and his own role in the game, glaring at Gorges, gloves on the ice. Gorges just sort of shook his head and pointed down the ice to where Bouillon's shot was beating Niittymaki. It was brilliant. I'm laughing right now as I think about it again.

Yes...I love it when the Habs win. I'll take two points any night. But they get bonus points for doing it with style, and humour.

Getting high on trade rumours

Well, the days are finally starting to get longer, the hockey is getting more serious and the trade deadline is looming with all its inherent speculation and crazy rumours. I hope the players who say they don't listen to rumours or read the sports pages these days (hello, Michael Ryder) really mean it. Because if, as a fan, it's hard to think of anything else, I can imagine how much more distracting all the talk is for players.

Will Bob Gainey move Ryder? Will he package Chris Higgins, picks and prospects for Marian Hossa or Olli Jokinen? What about the goaltenders...can Yann Danis or Jaroslav Halak bring something useful at the deadline? The questions are many, and as each day without any action passes I find myself scouring the web, even...God forgive me...reading Eklund for any hint of a juicy rumour. And I'm not the only one. Fan forums (fora?) and blogs all over the place...even legitimate media...are rife with speculation. It's distracting us from the fact that the Habs are only three points out of first in the East and could overtake Ottawa with a couple of good games this week. It's also making us overlook the contributions our players make in favour of speculation on what they might be worth on the open market and whom the team might acquire in exchange.

So, it's time to take a deep breath and channel Patient Bob for a moment. First, we must understand that Gainey never makes the trade everyone thinks he's going to make. Second, the trades he does make at the deadline tend to either add necessary pieces at cheap prices (Balej and a second for Kovalev), or exchange extraneous pieces for building blocks for the future (Rivet for Gorges and a first).

Focussing on what the team really needs right now, the priorities are obviously a big scoring winger to play with Koivu, a fourth very strong defenceman and a big, shut-down centre who's good on the draw. Of those needs, we then have to examine what Gainey can afford. Goalscorers with size are at a premium. They're what every team needs, and any good ones potentially on the market, like Hossa is rumoured to be, will cost young, talented roster players, picks and prospects, with no guarantee he re-signs after this season. The other needs might be more affordable, but before giving away assets, Gainey should look at options that cost the least first.

For low cost (just money, not money AND players) I advocate looking for free agents first. What's Danny Markov doing in Russia right now? He'd fit nicely in the number four defence slot next to Hamrlik and would help a lot for a playoff run. I'd also throw some money at Forsberg and see what happens. If free agents aren't available, then it's time to look at a trade.

I think if there's only one deal to be made before the deadline, it should be for a real shut down centre. The problem the Habs are running into repeatedly, especially when Carbonneau insists on linematching, is that the Smolinski line is out there against the other team's top line. Smolinski isn't the complete waste of space he was impersonating for a good chunk of the season to date. But he's no Guy Carbonneau either. The Habs need the guy Smolinski was supposed to be when Gainey signed him. I don't know who's available in exchange for Mathieu Dandeault or Michael Ryder and a pick, but if he's out there, I expect Gainey to land him.

That's the trade to which we can realistically look forward. I know the talk this year is that the East is wide open and the addition of a big gamebreaker could mean a guaranteed trip to the finals. But Gainey isn't going to trade players he's carefully cultivated for years for an UFA like Marian Hossa. He isn't willing to part with the price of an Olli Jokinen. If he can steal an underachiever for cheap, he might. But anything other than the quiet addition of a fourth d-man or checking centre would be not just surprising, but a good reason for me to have to use the crash cart I'm keeping in the closet for the playoffs.

So while we obsess over every scout spotted in the Bell Centre pressbox and every whisper of Ryder for Tanguay, we can rest assured that Patient Bob is quietly improving the team he's quietly built. It's not very exciting for flamboyant GM wannabes, but it's better for the heart. And it's certainly better for the team on the ice, which is turning out to be providing all the excitement we really need.