Notes on the third:
-Dandy's been invisible tonight. Considering that he's filling in on D for Breezer, that qualifies as a fantastic night's work.
-Komisarek's alive! Call off the search!
-Tonight was the only time in my entire life that I was happy Rod Brind'Amour scored. I'll recant if anyone asks me later, though.
-TK on a penalty shot was very entertaining. It's as though when he was given the puck with no opposition, his brain short-circuited.
-I wish the Plekanec line would connect. But I think there's a loose wire there somewhere, and I suspect it's in Andrei Kostitsyn's head.
-Wow. Seventh. The view from here looks nice, but I think the Habs had better push for fourth. Anything to avoid Brodeur in the first round. I know they suck right now, but do you want to bet that would hold true against the Habs? Me neither.
Notes on the second:
-THAT'S better. The only thing that would make me more satisfied right now would be a goal from the CAT line. And some Hagen Daaz.
-Markov is better at the back-door sneak than Oscar Wilde.
-What is it with Habs goalies and the inability to nail down a shutout? This was Halak's best chance for the rest of the year, and he gives up a cotton ball like that.
-I guess Laraque earned the hundred and fifty grand he makes per fight. Now he can chill for a few games.
-Let's play "How many AHLers can beat Komisarek tonight?" I've seen three so far. I'll bet a deuce on seven for the game.
-It's amazing to me that after the darkness the team went through, they can still finish fourth. Wow. Can you imagine how the team would have done this year if it'd had a powerplay for seventy-five percent of it?
-Alex Tanguay has a better career points average than Vincent Lecavalier. I'm just sayin'...
-Just hoping nobody gets hurt in the third. Take the two and get out of town.
Notes on the first:
-If the Centennial season was an ice cream flavour, it'd be Rocky Road. If it was an Eagles song, it'd be Desperado. If it was a mineral, it'd be iron pyrite.
-Completely off topic, but I saw a picture of Carey Price in chaps tonight and realized, since he's Native Canadian, he's both a cowboy and an Indian. I wonder if he had conflicts of identity in his childhood games?
-Not an auspicious start. My TSN coverage lasted until the first Komisarek giveaway, then it was bye-bye Mcguire, hello Houde. From one Pierre to another. Just as well, because RDS is three seconds ahead of the TSN feed, so you get to watch the goals twice if you switch quickly.
-I wonder which Islander will be the next player to score his first NHL goal against the Habs?
-I keep forgetting Dandy's on D tonight, and wondering why he's out there with Kovalev and Tanguay.
-Anyone else think Komisarek's ass should be crazy-glued to the bench next time he plays pokey-check along the boards instead of nailing the guy?
-Give me a P. P! Give me an A. A! Give me a T. T! Give me an H. H! Give me an E. E!...ah never mind. You already know it's pathetic. And it's their play in their own zone...again. Halak's made some nice saves.
-The captain takes a knockin' but he keeps on rockin'. Thankfully someone goes to the net, even if he is the smallest forward on the team.
-Two posts so far. I'm sure the Habs must be leading the lead in that category.
-In a perfect world, Schneider would be only called out for powerplays. What a bomb!
-Watching the guys walking down the tunnel and the TV flunkies throw towels on the guys who are supposed to be interviewed, you can just see them thinking, "Not me, not me..."
-I hope there's more cohesion to this game in the second, because this needs to be a dominant win to keep the confidence going. Barely beating these guys is mentally as good as a loss.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Chicago vs. Montreal
Notes on the third:
-I think that sweet and sour odor you might smell is Ryan O'Byrne rotting away in the pressbox.
-Hmmm...the prison shirts might have been banished, but it seems their cursed legacy lives on. Hamrlik AND Sergei Kostitsyn gone for any length of time will make this run a lot harder. Is there no end to the injuries this year?
-Stupid Senators. It seems the Habs really will have to take their own destiny in hand if they're going to make the playoffs. Not that that's a bad thing.
-Price played a great game overall...but he's just not a shutout goalie. Some weird shot always seems to beat him. Too bad. I thought he had a goose tonight.
-The defence looked much more organized than they have recently overall. Maybe they've replaced Jarvis with Martha Stewart as D coach.
-Gainey hockey is back in Montreal. I feel good about the team right now.
Notes on the second:
-It's funny how when an injured player goes back to the bench, nobody speaks to him and his teammates look like they want to make signs of ward to keep the bad luck away.
-Lapierre and Latendresse should never be separated. They're like siamese twins connected at the brain.
-I'm afraid to say much about Price. My superstition knows no bounds when it comes to placating the goalie gods.
-Too bad about the taunting of Huet. He's the least deserving of a whole bunch of ex-Habs who don't deserve taunting in the Bell Centre, enemy or not.
-Why does the Habs play in their own end so often resemble a frantic rush to orgasm in the back of a Volkswagon Rabbit?
-I love the Smiling Markov. It's like spotting a rainbow on a cloudy day.
-Schneider said when he arrived in Montreal that if the team could put up one PP goal per game, they'd be more likely to be a winning game. The vet knows what he's talking about.
-I'm really glad the boss-man killed the prison unis for tonight. Those things are a tri-coloured fabric curse.
-Go (gag)Sens(gag) Go!
Notes on the first:
-I wonder if there's such a thing as a consistent Kostitsyn? Say THAT five times fast!
-I didn't even have time to cheer on Kovalev's goal. It was more like a surprised hiccup, a laugh and then a little bit of feeling bad for Huet that quickly passed.
-I'm glad Higgins is playing tonight. It seems every time he finds a role for himself, illness or injury knocks him out of it. He's been stellar in his defensive role. Like Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke.
-Uh oh...after that first early goal, Huet looks slightly cross-eyed behind his mask. That's not a good sign for the Habs.
-The D is playing much better in the last few games, but you can't help but worry that every chance the opposition gets has an even-money chance of going in. I think I'm gun-shy after some of the atrocities committed against my fanship this season.
-Not to be mean, but Mike Komisarek has one goal and seven assists this year. So why does he think it's a good idea to pinch as often and as deep as he does?
-Good to see the brotherly love between the Kostitsyns, but I hope Sergei's not hurt. I think he's the best chance to complete his brother and Pleks as an effective line.
-Price is standing up. Pierre McGuire can blather all he wants about how Price's confidence shows in his puck-handling, but to me it shows when he's not flopping around like a dying salmon with no idea where the puck might be.
-Habs look like they've been skating in concrete boots since Christmas and have just been sprung for the playoff race. Hope they can keep it up in the second.
-I think that sweet and sour odor you might smell is Ryan O'Byrne rotting away in the pressbox.
-Hmmm...the prison shirts might have been banished, but it seems their cursed legacy lives on. Hamrlik AND Sergei Kostitsyn gone for any length of time will make this run a lot harder. Is there no end to the injuries this year?
-Stupid Senators. It seems the Habs really will have to take their own destiny in hand if they're going to make the playoffs. Not that that's a bad thing.
-Price played a great game overall...but he's just not a shutout goalie. Some weird shot always seems to beat him. Too bad. I thought he had a goose tonight.
-The defence looked much more organized than they have recently overall. Maybe they've replaced Jarvis with Martha Stewart as D coach.
-Gainey hockey is back in Montreal. I feel good about the team right now.
Notes on the second:
-It's funny how when an injured player goes back to the bench, nobody speaks to him and his teammates look like they want to make signs of ward to keep the bad luck away.
-Lapierre and Latendresse should never be separated. They're like siamese twins connected at the brain.
-I'm afraid to say much about Price. My superstition knows no bounds when it comes to placating the goalie gods.
-Too bad about the taunting of Huet. He's the least deserving of a whole bunch of ex-Habs who don't deserve taunting in the Bell Centre, enemy or not.
-Why does the Habs play in their own end so often resemble a frantic rush to orgasm in the back of a Volkswagon Rabbit?
-I love the Smiling Markov. It's like spotting a rainbow on a cloudy day.
-Schneider said when he arrived in Montreal that if the team could put up one PP goal per game, they'd be more likely to be a winning game. The vet knows what he's talking about.
-I'm really glad the boss-man killed the prison unis for tonight. Those things are a tri-coloured fabric curse.
-Go (gag)Sens(gag) Go!
Notes on the first:
-I wonder if there's such a thing as a consistent Kostitsyn? Say THAT five times fast!
-I didn't even have time to cheer on Kovalev's goal. It was more like a surprised hiccup, a laugh and then a little bit of feeling bad for Huet that quickly passed.
-I'm glad Higgins is playing tonight. It seems every time he finds a role for himself, illness or injury knocks him out of it. He's been stellar in his defensive role. Like Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke.
-Uh oh...after that first early goal, Huet looks slightly cross-eyed behind his mask. That's not a good sign for the Habs.
-The D is playing much better in the last few games, but you can't help but worry that every chance the opposition gets has an even-money chance of going in. I think I'm gun-shy after some of the atrocities committed against my fanship this season.
-Not to be mean, but Mike Komisarek has one goal and seven assists this year. So why does he think it's a good idea to pinch as often and as deep as he does?
-Good to see the brotherly love between the Kostitsyns, but I hope Sergei's not hurt. I think he's the best chance to complete his brother and Pleks as an effective line.
-Price is standing up. Pierre McGuire can blather all he wants about how Price's confidence shows in his puck-handling, but to me it shows when he's not flopping around like a dying salmon with no idea where the puck might be.
-Habs look like they've been skating in concrete boots since Christmas and have just been sprung for the playoff race. Hope they can keep it up in the second.
The Unknown Soldier
A fellow Habs fan asked me the other day, "So, do you think Andrei Markov will get a Norris nomination this year?" Without really thinking about it, my immediate answer was "probably not." Then I started to actually consider why that is.
There's no question the man is the Canadiens' MVP. He's not only leading the team in scoring, he leads in icetime as well. He's completely unflappable in his own end and has actually increased his personal power play production over last year, even as the team's PP ranking has dropped. He can make passes that would put the Fonz to shame. He does creative things with the puck that look like they must be choreographed, because how could a guy do that without planning and practicing it first? To top it all off, he has often proclaimed his affection for Montreal and the team's fans and proved it by signing a four-year contract at a discount price. Without Markov, the Canadiens' defence would be very sketchy indeed. But of course, how valuable a player is to his own team doesn't necessarily mean he's worthy of consideration as the best at his position.
League-wide, he's first among defencemen in assists with fifty, which also ranks him tenth overall in that category. His sixty points puts him second among defencemen, seven behind Mike Green. Since he signed his big contract, he's improved every season in terms of points. This year, he's also playing a more disciplined game, accumulating only 36 minutes in penalties. And he's durable, having missed only five games in the last three years. He's hitting more than he used to, with a total of 57 so far this year, to go along with his 110 blocked shots. He's been a starting all-star the last two seasons, and would have made the team easily even without fan votes.
On the negative side, he leads defencemen in giveaways with 99. But he balances that with an impressive 56 takeaways which is the third-highest number among Ds league-wide. Then again, if you look at the other league leaders in giveaways, Alex Ovechkin is tops with 100, Derek Roy has 90, Mike Green 89, Mike Richards 86 and Evgeni Malkin 80. Offensive-minded players take chances and they give the puck away. In plus/minus he's an unimpressive minus one, although some of that can be attributed to the often abyssmal play of partner Mike Komisarek this year.
Overall, there's nothing on the statistics side of things that says Andrei Markov doesn't deserve to be considered among the top three defencement in the league. Stats aside though, Markov is too unassuming to attract a lot of attention. Zdeno Chara has his monstrous size that makes him noticable, even though he's also a quiet type of guy. Nik Lidstrom has his perennial-winner status to offset his quiet efficiency. Mike Green has the huge goal total. Other guys have other reasons why they attract notice. Markov is just quiet, steady, competent and extremely good at his job. But he doesn't shout it from the rooftops, and so the league doesn't notice.
It's too bad, really, because when you think about it, Markov probably does deserve a Norris nod. But in the end, I'm sure he'd take a Stanley Cup instead. And if he continues his stellar play as the Habs defensive anchor and MVP in the next few years, you never know...
There's no question the man is the Canadiens' MVP. He's not only leading the team in scoring, he leads in icetime as well. He's completely unflappable in his own end and has actually increased his personal power play production over last year, even as the team's PP ranking has dropped. He can make passes that would put the Fonz to shame. He does creative things with the puck that look like they must be choreographed, because how could a guy do that without planning and practicing it first? To top it all off, he has often proclaimed his affection for Montreal and the team's fans and proved it by signing a four-year contract at a discount price. Without Markov, the Canadiens' defence would be very sketchy indeed. But of course, how valuable a player is to his own team doesn't necessarily mean he's worthy of consideration as the best at his position.
League-wide, he's first among defencemen in assists with fifty, which also ranks him tenth overall in that category. His sixty points puts him second among defencemen, seven behind Mike Green. Since he signed his big contract, he's improved every season in terms of points. This year, he's also playing a more disciplined game, accumulating only 36 minutes in penalties. And he's durable, having missed only five games in the last three years. He's hitting more than he used to, with a total of 57 so far this year, to go along with his 110 blocked shots. He's been a starting all-star the last two seasons, and would have made the team easily even without fan votes.
On the negative side, he leads defencemen in giveaways with 99. But he balances that with an impressive 56 takeaways which is the third-highest number among Ds league-wide. Then again, if you look at the other league leaders in giveaways, Alex Ovechkin is tops with 100, Derek Roy has 90, Mike Green 89, Mike Richards 86 and Evgeni Malkin 80. Offensive-minded players take chances and they give the puck away. In plus/minus he's an unimpressive minus one, although some of that can be attributed to the often abyssmal play of partner Mike Komisarek this year.
Overall, there's nothing on the statistics side of things that says Andrei Markov doesn't deserve to be considered among the top three defencement in the league. Stats aside though, Markov is too unassuming to attract a lot of attention. Zdeno Chara has his monstrous size that makes him noticable, even though he's also a quiet type of guy. Nik Lidstrom has his perennial-winner status to offset his quiet efficiency. Mike Green has the huge goal total. Other guys have other reasons why they attract notice. Markov is just quiet, steady, competent and extremely good at his job. But he doesn't shout it from the rooftops, and so the league doesn't notice.
It's too bad, really, because when you think about it, Markov probably does deserve a Norris nod. But in the end, I'm sure he'd take a Stanley Cup instead. And if he continues his stellar play as the Habs defensive anchor and MVP in the next few years, you never know...
Monday, March 30, 2009
Fear and Temptation
Doesn't this week feel completely different from last? This time last week we were praying the Canadiens could pull off a couple of wins against bottom feeders, just to stop the slide down the standings before they found themselves looking up at eighth place. But we were praying without a lot of hope behind the prayers. The team was getting killed every night, the goaltending was iffy, the D suspect and the forwards couldn't score. Now here we are a week later, after three solid efforts from everyone in uniform, better goaltending, timely scoring and reeling in five points out of six.
The temptation is to believe the team has turned the corner. I really like the fact that the players are skating hard, hitting and potting timely goals (even if they couldn't get one in six chances in the SO against Buffalo...grrr). The PK has been fantastic and the PP, with the Koivu line controlling things, has been better. A month ago, if the Habs had been down by two goals against the Sabres, (wait...weren't they?) they would have folded and given up the third one in short order. Now we're seeing a team with a gameplan, with players who know their roles, that can fight back when down.
Still, though the temptation to buy into the dream that the Habs have turned things around is strong, the jury must be out until they win a game against a serious team with the new kind of effort they've been showing. The Hawks game tomorrow is going to be a big indicator of how strong this Canadiens squad really is. If they win...I'll officially give into the temptation and believe the team is making a serious stretch drive and improving as it heads into the playoffs.
The fear behind the temptation though, is what if it's not enough? What if the Canadiens really try and they look good, and even manage a few wins in the last eight games, but they still fall short of the post-season? I don't think I can stand to get my hopes up only to see them dashed in the last week of the season. I'd been resigned to missing the playoffs a month ago. Now expectations are rising again, in what could be the cruelest blow of a weird Centennial.
In the end though, I'll probably be a typical Habs fan and expect big things. Every two points will raise my hopes. I'll be a believer. But if the crash comes, it'll be a long, long summer of gathering up the pieces of broken fan heart in time for next October.
The temptation is to believe the team has turned the corner. I really like the fact that the players are skating hard, hitting and potting timely goals (even if they couldn't get one in six chances in the SO against Buffalo...grrr). The PK has been fantastic and the PP, with the Koivu line controlling things, has been better. A month ago, if the Habs had been down by two goals against the Sabres, (wait...weren't they?) they would have folded and given up the third one in short order. Now we're seeing a team with a gameplan, with players who know their roles, that can fight back when down.
Still, though the temptation to buy into the dream that the Habs have turned things around is strong, the jury must be out until they win a game against a serious team with the new kind of effort they've been showing. The Hawks game tomorrow is going to be a big indicator of how strong this Canadiens squad really is. If they win...I'll officially give into the temptation and believe the team is making a serious stretch drive and improving as it heads into the playoffs.
The fear behind the temptation though, is what if it's not enough? What if the Canadiens really try and they look good, and even manage a few wins in the last eight games, but they still fall short of the post-season? I don't think I can stand to get my hopes up only to see them dashed in the last week of the season. I'd been resigned to missing the playoffs a month ago. Now expectations are rising again, in what could be the cruelest blow of a weird Centennial.
In the end though, I'll probably be a typical Habs fan and expect big things. Every two points will raise my hopes. I'll be a believer. But if the crash comes, it'll be a long, long summer of gathering up the pieces of broken fan heart in time for next October.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Buffalo vs. Montreal
Okay, gentle reader: Some of you have been asking for period summaries on the blog. As they say, ask and you shall receive. But I warn you, there will be angst and sarcasm and way too many similes of varying degrees of ridiculousness and, if the Habs are winning, unadulterated cheerleading. If that's okay with you, read on and feel free to throw your own comments in too.
Notes on the third:
-The biggest dilemma of the Centennial season: What do you pay Mike Komisarek for next year? If he was RFA, it'd be less than two million. But he's UFA so...
-I spend WAY too much time yelling "GET UP" at the TV when watching Habs goalies. Maybe Rollie should reconsider his "drop on every shot" strategy.
-It's great to have a "number one line" but if they can only score on the PP, are they still dangerous?
-Higgins is the new Gainey. Dryden wrote about the first time he saw Gainey. It was on TV during Dryden's sit-out year. He says he saw this guy who could skate like the wind, blow past a couple of defenders and take a good, hard shot on net. He says it was only later that he discovered the guy (Gainey) couldn't score. Is that Higgins or what?
-I really like Metropolit. He's a guy who kills himself for whatever team he's playing for. He's just happy to be in the show.
-I hate the shootout. Seriously. Whatever was wrong with a tie?
Notes on the second:
-I was afraid last year that Hamrlik wouldn't maintain his great play for the full four years of his contract. Now I'm afraid I was right.
-If the Habs miss the playoffs at this point, it'll be for two reasons: Missing open nets and Patrice Brisebois. Boy, the Breeze is done. O'Byrne can't really be consistently worse, can he?
-Why can the Sabres goalie come back from an ankle injury with back-to-back strong games when the Habs' guy struggles for six weeks? Miller's hotter than Middle Earth.
-I don't think I've been happier to see a guy rewarded for hard work more than I was to see Higgins score that goal. That was like Old Yeller getting a reprieve at the end of the movie.
-Oh Captain, my Captain! He's like the wick in the candle. The secret vodka in the punch bowl.
-Kovalev's strength is in his scruff. Since he let the early playoff beard grow, he's been on fire.
-Oh boy...can you hear the Bruins sweating?
-Price is going to have to be very strong in the third because the Sabres won't die. This is their year in twenty minutes.
Notes on the first:
-I wonder if the Centennial loonies are worth the nickel alloy they're minted on? Or does their exchange rate fluctuate based on how badly the Habs suck on a given day?
-Mathieu Dandenault must have been put on earth to negate icings. Picasso painted, Hemingway wrote novels and Dandenault chases loose pucks. Who says we don't all have a talent? This time last year I wouldn't believe I'm saying this, but I'm really glad he's still a Hab.
-Ooh, boy, Mrs.Kovy is gettin' some tonight. L'Artiste is frisky!
-Lapierre is really reminding me of Mario Tremblay...the player. Snippy and gritty and tough as nails and able to hurt you on the scoreboard too.
-Higgins kills penalties like the leafs kills their fans' hopes. Quickly and definitively.
-The Habs look like they've finally turned the corner, but that was one hell of a straightaway of suck, wasn't it?
-I don't know what TK's fight record is, but I think it's safe to say he's not going to challenge Laraque in the wins column any time soon.
-Breezer scares me more than Freddy, Jason and the threat of an alien invasion all rolled into one.
-Hope the boys can keep skating in the second. You have to think last night's game might have made the Slugs tired. Right?
Notes on the third:
-The biggest dilemma of the Centennial season: What do you pay Mike Komisarek for next year? If he was RFA, it'd be less than two million. But he's UFA so...
-I spend WAY too much time yelling "GET UP" at the TV when watching Habs goalies. Maybe Rollie should reconsider his "drop on every shot" strategy.
-It's great to have a "number one line" but if they can only score on the PP, are they still dangerous?
-Higgins is the new Gainey. Dryden wrote about the first time he saw Gainey. It was on TV during Dryden's sit-out year. He says he saw this guy who could skate like the wind, blow past a couple of defenders and take a good, hard shot on net. He says it was only later that he discovered the guy (Gainey) couldn't score. Is that Higgins or what?
-I really like Metropolit. He's a guy who kills himself for whatever team he's playing for. He's just happy to be in the show.
-I hate the shootout. Seriously. Whatever was wrong with a tie?
Notes on the second:
-I was afraid last year that Hamrlik wouldn't maintain his great play for the full four years of his contract. Now I'm afraid I was right.
-If the Habs miss the playoffs at this point, it'll be for two reasons: Missing open nets and Patrice Brisebois. Boy, the Breeze is done. O'Byrne can't really be consistently worse, can he?
-Why can the Sabres goalie come back from an ankle injury with back-to-back strong games when the Habs' guy struggles for six weeks? Miller's hotter than Middle Earth.
-I don't think I've been happier to see a guy rewarded for hard work more than I was to see Higgins score that goal. That was like Old Yeller getting a reprieve at the end of the movie.
-Oh Captain, my Captain! He's like the wick in the candle. The secret vodka in the punch bowl.
-Kovalev's strength is in his scruff. Since he let the early playoff beard grow, he's been on fire.
-Oh boy...can you hear the Bruins sweating?
-Price is going to have to be very strong in the third because the Sabres won't die. This is their year in twenty minutes.
Notes on the first:
-I wonder if the Centennial loonies are worth the nickel alloy they're minted on? Or does their exchange rate fluctuate based on how badly the Habs suck on a given day?
-Mathieu Dandenault must have been put on earth to negate icings. Picasso painted, Hemingway wrote novels and Dandenault chases loose pucks. Who says we don't all have a talent? This time last year I wouldn't believe I'm saying this, but I'm really glad he's still a Hab.
-Ooh, boy, Mrs.Kovy is gettin' some tonight. L'Artiste is frisky!
-Lapierre is really reminding me of Mario Tremblay...the player. Snippy and gritty and tough as nails and able to hurt you on the scoreboard too.
-Higgins kills penalties like the leafs kills their fans' hopes. Quickly and definitively.
-The Habs look like they've finally turned the corner, but that was one hell of a straightaway of suck, wasn't it?
-I don't know what TK's fight record is, but I think it's safe to say he's not going to challenge Laraque in the wins column any time soon.
-Breezer scares me more than Freddy, Jason and the threat of an alien invasion all rolled into one.
-Hope the boys can keep skating in the second. You have to think last night's game might have made the Slugs tired. Right?
Sick of Humility
I have to say, I was never one of those Habs fans who gloated when the team was good. I never threw the 22 or 23 or 24 Cups in the faces of other teams' fans or bragged about how the Canadiens would annihilate every team in their path when the playoffs rolled around. I enjoyed the '86 and '93 Cups with tears of joy and a little perma-smile that I caught in my mirror for months afterwards. I even collected my '93 playoff pool winnings (thanks, Gilbert Dionne!) from my leaf-fan friends with grace and very little rubbing it in. So I'm a little taken aback when the rabid Habs hatred that exists in the hearts of 29 other teams' fans hits me like a pie in the face.
I know the Canadiens tradition of winning everything in sight and destroying other fans' hopes and dreams on an annual basis probably planted the seeds of hate in those fans' hearts. (Sorry, Bruins fans. Well, not really, but sort of.) In the seventies, I didn't know the team was called the Montreal Canadiens. I thought they were the "Goddamn" Canadiens, which is what my Wings-fan Dad called them. But here we are in 2009 and it's been a generation since those Habs hit the ice. Our team has struggled, lost, missed the playoffs, made horrible trades and worse signings for fifteen years now. Our glorious Habs spend more time contemplating history than looking to the future. Yet the humbling of the franchise hasn't dimmed the hatred for the Canadiens and their fans. If anything, it's grown worse. When the Habs were winning, other fans could only grumble and hate the Canadiens among their own. They knew they could never win an argument with a Habs fan because Montreal would always have better players, more Cups, more Hall of Famers, more honours, a longer, brighter history and a better chance of winning in any given year than most other teams.
Now that the Canadiens are either scraping into the playoffs or missing them altogether most years, the fans of other teams are getting their own back. They laugh at the Habs' humiliation and gloat in rooting against them. Right now, there are legions of leafs and Bruins fans praying to whatever loathsome deity they worship for the Habs to bomb the rest of the year and miss the playoffs. If they do, they'll seek out Canadiens fans specifically to laugh and rub it in. Already, I've had calls at work from total strangers who know I'm a Habs supporter and who feel the need to ring me up and say, "What happened to your great Habs, eh? Not looking so great now, are they?" I just can't fathom taking the time and effort to actually look up a leaf fan and call him to gloat. Bruins fans are feverishly watching the Canadiens games and rooting just as hard for them to lose as they do for their team to win. Again, I don't understand. I might possibly catch a period of a Bruins game if there's one on TV and I have nothing else to do. But I'd never specifically look for a place to watch the game just so I could root for them to lose.
You know where that comes from, though? They're afraid. The Canadiens have such a long history of breaking other fans' hearts, those fans are trying to get their gloating in while they can. They're afraid the Canadiens are going to be for real again very soon, and that they'll once again be a source of misery for them. Bruins fans, right this minute, are afraid to meet the Habs in the first round of the playoffs. Even though the Bs will finish miles ahead of the Canadiens in the standings, have beaten the Habs convincingly in several of the head-to-head meetings this year and will have home-ice advantage and the "favourite" label in the playoffs, Bruins fans are afraid the Canadiens will defy all the odds and once again rise up to thwart what, on paper, should be a deep playoff run for their team. I guess that's what history does. It seeps into the collective consciousness and the very bones of a group of fans and becomes part of the fabric of their team's lore. Once you've felt the agony of losing to the same team year after year for decades, it takes more than a few years of that team's humiliation to shake the fear.
I know one thing, though. I'm sick of the gloating and the humility shoved down our throats by other teams' fans. I'm tired of having to say, "Yeah, I know. The Habs suck," and pretend to be laughing it off. It burns me that those guys are right, and I want the Habs to rise up and smite them all. I think that's been the worst part of watching the Canadiens tank the second half of this season. It's making so many people so happy to watch the Habs' hubris in promoting the crap out of the Centennial come back to bite them in the ass. Nothing would make me happier at this point than to take that gloating and enforced humility dished out by other teams' fans and feed it right back to them.
So, Go Habs Go! If they can somehow turn this sow's ear of a season into a silk purse, I'll be the first to graciously say, "Well, what do you expect? They're the Habs." And every one of those fans will know what I mean.
I know the Canadiens tradition of winning everything in sight and destroying other fans' hopes and dreams on an annual basis probably planted the seeds of hate in those fans' hearts. (Sorry, Bruins fans. Well, not really, but sort of.) In the seventies, I didn't know the team was called the Montreal Canadiens. I thought they were the "Goddamn" Canadiens, which is what my Wings-fan Dad called them. But here we are in 2009 and it's been a generation since those Habs hit the ice. Our team has struggled, lost, missed the playoffs, made horrible trades and worse signings for fifteen years now. Our glorious Habs spend more time contemplating history than looking to the future. Yet the humbling of the franchise hasn't dimmed the hatred for the Canadiens and their fans. If anything, it's grown worse. When the Habs were winning, other fans could only grumble and hate the Canadiens among their own. They knew they could never win an argument with a Habs fan because Montreal would always have better players, more Cups, more Hall of Famers, more honours, a longer, brighter history and a better chance of winning in any given year than most other teams.
Now that the Canadiens are either scraping into the playoffs or missing them altogether most years, the fans of other teams are getting their own back. They laugh at the Habs' humiliation and gloat in rooting against them. Right now, there are legions of leafs and Bruins fans praying to whatever loathsome deity they worship for the Habs to bomb the rest of the year and miss the playoffs. If they do, they'll seek out Canadiens fans specifically to laugh and rub it in. Already, I've had calls at work from total strangers who know I'm a Habs supporter and who feel the need to ring me up and say, "What happened to your great Habs, eh? Not looking so great now, are they?" I just can't fathom taking the time and effort to actually look up a leaf fan and call him to gloat. Bruins fans are feverishly watching the Canadiens games and rooting just as hard for them to lose as they do for their team to win. Again, I don't understand. I might possibly catch a period of a Bruins game if there's one on TV and I have nothing else to do. But I'd never specifically look for a place to watch the game just so I could root for them to lose.
You know where that comes from, though? They're afraid. The Canadiens have such a long history of breaking other fans' hearts, those fans are trying to get their gloating in while they can. They're afraid the Canadiens are going to be for real again very soon, and that they'll once again be a source of misery for them. Bruins fans, right this minute, are afraid to meet the Habs in the first round of the playoffs. Even though the Bs will finish miles ahead of the Canadiens in the standings, have beaten the Habs convincingly in several of the head-to-head meetings this year and will have home-ice advantage and the "favourite" label in the playoffs, Bruins fans are afraid the Canadiens will defy all the odds and once again rise up to thwart what, on paper, should be a deep playoff run for their team. I guess that's what history does. It seeps into the collective consciousness and the very bones of a group of fans and becomes part of the fabric of their team's lore. Once you've felt the agony of losing to the same team year after year for decades, it takes more than a few years of that team's humiliation to shake the fear.
I know one thing, though. I'm sick of the gloating and the humility shoved down our throats by other teams' fans. I'm tired of having to say, "Yeah, I know. The Habs suck," and pretend to be laughing it off. It burns me that those guys are right, and I want the Habs to rise up and smite them all. I think that's been the worst part of watching the Canadiens tank the second half of this season. It's making so many people so happy to watch the Habs' hubris in promoting the crap out of the Centennial come back to bite them in the ass. Nothing would make me happier at this point than to take that gloating and enforced humility dished out by other teams' fans and feed it right back to them.
So, Go Habs Go! If they can somehow turn this sow's ear of a season into a silk purse, I'll be the first to graciously say, "Well, what do you expect? They're the Habs." And every one of those fans will know what I mean.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Top Ten Things I Hope I Don't See Again for the Rest of the Season
Nine games to go and we're in the home stretch. Hopefully at the end of it, we'll see the Good Ship Canadiens tucked safely into a nice, comfortable playoff berth. In the meantime (at the risk of murdering a perfectly innocent metaphor), we can expect some choppy seas and stormy weather as the team tacks home. Nothing's ever easy for the Montreal Canadiens. But at least some of what troubles them is self-inflicted. To that end, here's the top ten things I hope we don't see again for the rest of the season:
10. Chris Higgins giving a post-game interview about how the team needs to work harder and how Montreal is a really tough place to play when you're losing. I appreciate the fact that somebody has to talk to the press after losses, even when they don't want to do it. But I'm sick of Higgins and his excuses. If we're going to have excuses, at least let us have different ones from different guys. Besides, with any luck at all, maybe there'll be no cause for a loser interview after the next nine games.
9. Carey Price crying. He's young and fragile, but it scares me when the guy we've been calling the franchise saviour cries after a loss. I like my goalies impenatrable in the net and inscrutable out of it. Hopefully, he'll have no reason to cry anymore, but if he does, I hope he keeps the tears in check until he gets home...or at least until the cameras are off.
8. Defencemen attempting to clear their zone under pressure with weak backhands along the boards. I don't know how many times I've seen that play in recent games, but I know it's way too many. It's a move that not only reeks of desperation, it NEVER works. It's one of the main reasons why the Canadiens have such trouble clearing the puck out of their own end. There's no excuse for having the puck on your stick with time and space and then giving it away.
7. Five red sweaters facing the net. When the team is in a panic in its own end, everybody suddenly forgets the guys they're supposed to be covering and they start chasing the puck instead. Lots of times we've seen the puck go in the net after the opponent has three or four whacks at it as all the Canadiens stand around looking for it instead of clearing bodies out of the crease. That has to stop, immediately.
6. Alex Kovalev standing still on the right boards during the PP. The powerplay worked so well in the Atlanta game because everyone was moving. The Koivu/Kovalev/Tanguay line with Markov and Schneider were constantly changing positions and passing the puck quickly as they did it. It stretched the Thrashers' PK box and opened lots of holes for shots. They have to keep doing that if they want to be a threat. So, no more stagnant standing around waiting for the perfect shot, Kovy!
5. Mike Komisarek arguing with the ref after he's taken a dumb penalty to cover for the fact that he's lost his man. I don't know what's wrong with Komisarek this year, but he's looking very lost on the ice much of the time. If he's not giving the puck away, he's being beaten one-on-one at least a couple of times every game. He's making up for that by hooking or tripping the guy who beats him...then whining when he gets caught. He's got to pick up his game: cut out the mistakes and cut out the complaining.
4. Andrei Kostitsyn meandering back to the bench as his line changes "on the fly." Bad line changes are one of the things that have burned the Habs for odd-man rushes so many times this season I've lost count. Kostitsyn is one of the worst culprits.
3. Lack of effort against lower-ranked teams. The last nine games should offer some cushion points if the Canadiens show up and play properly. The losing to worse teams because they just don't seem to care has nearly cost them a playoff spot, and WILL cost them a spot if they keep doing that in this last stretch.
2. Fans booing and jeering at the Bell Centre. Yes, the Habs deserve to be booed. They've been awful, embarrassing, shameful and distressing. But even if they deserve it, I think it doesn't help to actually boo them off the ice in their own rink. As much as they've been sucking, they're still young guys with egos and slamming them that way is more likely to make them slink off in defeat than come out firing to win the next one. A little support from the stands might help fuel whatever turnaround the team has in it.
And the number one thing I hope I don't see again for the rest of the year:
1. Patrice Brisebois. I know the Breezer has filled in when the team's been desperate for blueline help. But he's bad. He's really bad. The other night against Atlanta, the Habs scored six goals and allowed three...and Brisebois managed to be minus two. And it wasn't one of those cases where a guy has the bad luck to be stepping on the ice as a goal against is scored. It was entirely deserved. He was awful on both goals against, AND he blatantly gave the puck away in the slot right in front of Price, who then bailed him out. Unfortunately, the guy who was hired to be the number seven, insurance defenceman has been playing top-six minutes and he can't do it anymore.
Honourable mention: I really don't want to see anybody over 35 years old or with less than twenty points leading the team in icetime. Maybe it's just me, but those guys should be the supplement to your core...not the core itself.
On the other hand, the number one thing I do want to see: A major push into the playoffs with the team gathering some convincing wins and getting on a roll as the season winds down. The Habs are not as bad as they've been playing. And, as they say, once you make the playoffs anything can happen. It starts tonight.
10. Chris Higgins giving a post-game interview about how the team needs to work harder and how Montreal is a really tough place to play when you're losing. I appreciate the fact that somebody has to talk to the press after losses, even when they don't want to do it. But I'm sick of Higgins and his excuses. If we're going to have excuses, at least let us have different ones from different guys. Besides, with any luck at all, maybe there'll be no cause for a loser interview after the next nine games.
9. Carey Price crying. He's young and fragile, but it scares me when the guy we've been calling the franchise saviour cries after a loss. I like my goalies impenatrable in the net and inscrutable out of it. Hopefully, he'll have no reason to cry anymore, but if he does, I hope he keeps the tears in check until he gets home...or at least until the cameras are off.
8. Defencemen attempting to clear their zone under pressure with weak backhands along the boards. I don't know how many times I've seen that play in recent games, but I know it's way too many. It's a move that not only reeks of desperation, it NEVER works. It's one of the main reasons why the Canadiens have such trouble clearing the puck out of their own end. There's no excuse for having the puck on your stick with time and space and then giving it away.
7. Five red sweaters facing the net. When the team is in a panic in its own end, everybody suddenly forgets the guys they're supposed to be covering and they start chasing the puck instead. Lots of times we've seen the puck go in the net after the opponent has three or four whacks at it as all the Canadiens stand around looking for it instead of clearing bodies out of the crease. That has to stop, immediately.
6. Alex Kovalev standing still on the right boards during the PP. The powerplay worked so well in the Atlanta game because everyone was moving. The Koivu/Kovalev/Tanguay line with Markov and Schneider were constantly changing positions and passing the puck quickly as they did it. It stretched the Thrashers' PK box and opened lots of holes for shots. They have to keep doing that if they want to be a threat. So, no more stagnant standing around waiting for the perfect shot, Kovy!
5. Mike Komisarek arguing with the ref after he's taken a dumb penalty to cover for the fact that he's lost his man. I don't know what's wrong with Komisarek this year, but he's looking very lost on the ice much of the time. If he's not giving the puck away, he's being beaten one-on-one at least a couple of times every game. He's making up for that by hooking or tripping the guy who beats him...then whining when he gets caught. He's got to pick up his game: cut out the mistakes and cut out the complaining.
4. Andrei Kostitsyn meandering back to the bench as his line changes "on the fly." Bad line changes are one of the things that have burned the Habs for odd-man rushes so many times this season I've lost count. Kostitsyn is one of the worst culprits.
3. Lack of effort against lower-ranked teams. The last nine games should offer some cushion points if the Canadiens show up and play properly. The losing to worse teams because they just don't seem to care has nearly cost them a playoff spot, and WILL cost them a spot if they keep doing that in this last stretch.
2. Fans booing and jeering at the Bell Centre. Yes, the Habs deserve to be booed. They've been awful, embarrassing, shameful and distressing. But even if they deserve it, I think it doesn't help to actually boo them off the ice in their own rink. As much as they've been sucking, they're still young guys with egos and slamming them that way is more likely to make them slink off in defeat than come out firing to win the next one. A little support from the stands might help fuel whatever turnaround the team has in it.
And the number one thing I hope I don't see again for the rest of the year:
1. Patrice Brisebois. I know the Breezer has filled in when the team's been desperate for blueline help. But he's bad. He's really bad. The other night against Atlanta, the Habs scored six goals and allowed three...and Brisebois managed to be minus two. And it wasn't one of those cases where a guy has the bad luck to be stepping on the ice as a goal against is scored. It was entirely deserved. He was awful on both goals against, AND he blatantly gave the puck away in the slot right in front of Price, who then bailed him out. Unfortunately, the guy who was hired to be the number seven, insurance defenceman has been playing top-six minutes and he can't do it anymore.
Honourable mention: I really don't want to see anybody over 35 years old or with less than twenty points leading the team in icetime. Maybe it's just me, but those guys should be the supplement to your core...not the core itself.
On the other hand, the number one thing I do want to see: A major push into the playoffs with the team gathering some convincing wins and getting on a roll as the season winds down. The Habs are not as bad as they've been playing. And, as they say, once you make the playoffs anything can happen. It starts tonight.
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