The first Saturday after elimination is always the worst. There's no jarring morning alarm, so you float gently to awareness and the potential of the weekend stretching ahead. A sense of well-being settles over you, and you hazily think...ah...Saturday. Saturday night. Friends. Beer. Hockey. Habs. Who's on deck tonight? Then it hits.
It's game day, but there is no game. At least no game that matters. Sure, there's hockey. Playoff hockey, even, which is bound to be entertaining and competitive. It just doesn't matter. Who cares who wins, when your team's not in it?
That's when all the "almosts" and "what ifs" that, when totted up, resulted in the end of your team's season, start to play over and over in your head. Plekanec almost had that breakaway that would have tied Game Three, you think. What if Moen had any hands at all and could have tipped in one of those Gionta set-ups in Game Four, you wonder? Even though you know your team did all it could, and no group is perfect all the time, making mistakes inevitable, you can't help analyzing the errors and wondering.
This year is the worst for the wondering because of the way it all ended. One minute your team is a contender, battling all out in a next-goal-wins, why-not-us competition. The next minute, their season is over. Just like that. The entire seven-game build up doesn't prepare you for the suddenness of the end. Hockey, then no hockey. Bags packed for the next round, then clubs packed for the summer.
This was a really hard loss in every way. The poor-sport team that won, the damaged team that lost while trying its damnedest, the rivalry, the blown chances, the sudden death. It's only now, on a Saturday that should be a game day, that you really feel it. The first Saturday is always so sad. I miss our team already.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Some Post-Playoff Correspondence
As the Canadiens clean out their lockers and prepare to head off for summer holidays and training programs, it's time for the rest of us to clear up our 2010-11 business as well. I've decided to finally write all of those letters I keep meaning to send. Here are a few of them:
Dear NHL:
I see there's no suspension for Andrew Ference for his elbow to Jeff Halpern's head. Myself and some fellow fans have been joking all season that you guys just spin a wheel of fortune and hand out whatever suspension it lands on. Now I'm starting to think it's not a joke. We've figured out your system, haven't we? It's okay. You can tell us. Don't worry, we understand. If you've painted yourself into an impossible corner by trying to appear tough without actually changing anything, there's not a lot else you can do. Good luck with your excuses for Round Two.
Dear Bruins Fans:
May you be comforted by beating a worn down, depleted team in seven games when your Vezina-winning goalie allows five goals a game against Philly. And may your cheap-shot artists be out-cheapshot. May the class you show to others be revisited to you in spades.
Dear Hockey Night In Canada:
I hope you all brought spare pants to work for after the Bruins scored in OT.
Dear Pierre Gauthier:
For the love of God, please get this team a real bottom-six. A solid defence wouldn't hurt either. Somebody outside Mike Cammalleri and Brian Gionta has to score in the playoffs. It's your job to get some support for those guys, so please, don't leave it another year. Oh, and if you're having trouble justifying sending seven million in salary to Hamilton as your only option for dumping Gomez, I'll try to help. If tomorrow morning I start a facebook group to solicit donations from Habs fans who are willing to pay for him to go away, I should have you covered by lunch time. You have a lot of work to do this summer. Don't screw it up.
Dear Scott Gomez:
You currently owe Habs fans about seven-and-a-half million dollars. Cash, cheque or major credit cards are acceptable.
Dear Tim Thomas:
We're on to your Mr.Nice Guy act. Your disgraceful comments about P.K.Subban and his "diving" and the way he's a "travesty to the game" are disappointing and smack of poor sportsmanship. You couldn't just win with good grace, could you? Your lack of class in your comments about Subban sours your victory and makes you look like a small, petty man. I hope you're eating rubber for four more games before you slink home to complain about how the Flyers are a bunch of cheaters too. And I hope you drop your Vezina on your big toe and miss six weeks next year.
Dear Carey Price:
Enjoy the rodeo this summer. If anyone deserves to chill out by roping a few calves, it's you. Just, please God, don't hurt yourself! Thanks for everything.
Dear Kirk Muller:
I would like for you to stay in Montreal, please. Yes, I know there are a half dozen NHL head-coaching jobs open and you'd very much like to take one of those if you get the chance. However, the Canadiens need you. Somebody who speaks "player" needs to be part of the coaching staff. It also helps that your heart rate has actually risen above "coma" in the last year. The Canadiens need someone who's connected to their last Cup to remind the team why it's important for the Habs to be relevant. That's you. Thanks, and see you at camp.
Dear Lars Eller:
So it's true. You actually dislocated your shoulder in Game Six, popped it back in and came back to finish the series. Man, that had to hurt like a bugger! It appears that you really get what it means to compete and win in the playoffs. I didn't want Jaro Halak to go, but if he had to, I'm glad you've become a Hab instead.
Dear Annakin Slayd:
This doesn't feel a bit like '93. This feels like shite.
Dear NHL:
I see there's no suspension for Andrew Ference for his elbow to Jeff Halpern's head. Myself and some fellow fans have been joking all season that you guys just spin a wheel of fortune and hand out whatever suspension it lands on. Now I'm starting to think it's not a joke. We've figured out your system, haven't we? It's okay. You can tell us. Don't worry, we understand. If you've painted yourself into an impossible corner by trying to appear tough without actually changing anything, there's not a lot else you can do. Good luck with your excuses for Round Two.
Dear Bruins Fans:
May you be comforted by beating a worn down, depleted team in seven games when your Vezina-winning goalie allows five goals a game against Philly. And may your cheap-shot artists be out-cheapshot. May the class you show to others be revisited to you in spades.
Dear Hockey Night In Canada:
I hope you all brought spare pants to work for after the Bruins scored in OT.
Dear Pierre Gauthier:
For the love of God, please get this team a real bottom-six. A solid defence wouldn't hurt either. Somebody outside Mike Cammalleri and Brian Gionta has to score in the playoffs. It's your job to get some support for those guys, so please, don't leave it another year. Oh, and if you're having trouble justifying sending seven million in salary to Hamilton as your only option for dumping Gomez, I'll try to help. If tomorrow morning I start a facebook group to solicit donations from Habs fans who are willing to pay for him to go away, I should have you covered by lunch time. You have a lot of work to do this summer. Don't screw it up.
Dear Scott Gomez:
You currently owe Habs fans about seven-and-a-half million dollars. Cash, cheque or major credit cards are acceptable.
Dear Tim Thomas:
We're on to your Mr.Nice Guy act. Your disgraceful comments about P.K.Subban and his "diving" and the way he's a "travesty to the game" are disappointing and smack of poor sportsmanship. You couldn't just win with good grace, could you? Your lack of class in your comments about Subban sours your victory and makes you look like a small, petty man. I hope you're eating rubber for four more games before you slink home to complain about how the Flyers are a bunch of cheaters too. And I hope you drop your Vezina on your big toe and miss six weeks next year.
Dear Carey Price:
Enjoy the rodeo this summer. If anyone deserves to chill out by roping a few calves, it's you. Just, please God, don't hurt yourself! Thanks for everything.
Dear Kirk Muller:
I would like for you to stay in Montreal, please. Yes, I know there are a half dozen NHL head-coaching jobs open and you'd very much like to take one of those if you get the chance. However, the Canadiens need you. Somebody who speaks "player" needs to be part of the coaching staff. It also helps that your heart rate has actually risen above "coma" in the last year. The Canadiens need someone who's connected to their last Cup to remind the team why it's important for the Habs to be relevant. That's you. Thanks, and see you at camp.
Dear Lars Eller:
So it's true. You actually dislocated your shoulder in Game Six, popped it back in and came back to finish the series. Man, that had to hurt like a bugger! It appears that you really get what it means to compete and win in the playoffs. I didn't want Jaro Halak to go, but if he had to, I'm glad you've become a Hab instead.
Dear Annakin Slayd:
This doesn't feel a bit like '93. This feels like shite.
Aftermath: Over
The Habs are dead. Long live the Habs.
Our team went down swinging last night, and even though it hurts, the players who matter for the Canadiens' future gave everything they had to change the outcome. There's so much to regret: WHY couldn't they hold a 3-1 lead in Game Four? WHY couldn't they score even once in three overtimes? WHY did Gomez have to suck so badly? Still, though, there's so much more about which to be proud.
P.K.Subban has probably saved Trevor Timmins. Despite all the lousy first-round picks to which Timmins has committed, he managed to find a legitimate NHL number-one D in the mid-second round. Not just any number-one D, either. Subban has the offensive ability to break open a game (or score a vital tying goal with less than two minutes to go in a Game Seven), but at 21 years of age, he's also developing on defense by leaps and bounds. He was the most-played and arguably the most effective defenseman in the series against Boston, including Norris-nominee Zdeno Chara. On top of his skills, the mental strength this kid possesses is extremely impressive. After all the criticism he's received from two-bit cheap opponents, so-called media experts and fans, one might excuse a kid his age for fighting back. One could even understand if he decided to take an on-ice jab at someone who's been particularly in his face. He didn't, though. Subban played a very disciplined, controlled series worthy of a player much older. He's a gem.
Carey Price faced more pressure than any other player in the NHL this year. He took over the Habs net in the wake of the Jaro Halak trade, after having a lousy season both mentally and in results last year. It didn't look good for him when he heard boos in the very first pre-season game at the Bell Centre. Somehow, Price took that negativity and erased it with confident, steady play all year long. He gave his team every chance to win in the regular season and continued that into the playoffs. If anyone tries to blame the series loss on him, they're blind.
Tomas Plekanec said last summer he found it disappointing that fans didn't understand the role he played in last year's playoffs. Jacques Martin asked him to put aside his focus on offence and concentrate on shutting down the other team's best scorers instead. In two rounds, Plekanec helped corral Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby and kept them from making a huge difference in those series. Similarly, this year, he contained the Bs'number-one centre in David Krejci. Plekanec tallied five points in seven games, while Krejci logged just one goal. Pleks also played a big part in the Canadiens perfect PK during the series, including notching a gorgeous shorthanded goal. He played a large portion of the season with absent or underachieving linemates, and still maintained his solid two-way game. He's a keeper.
Lars Eller showed flashes of better-than-decent play during the regular season, but in the playoffs he became a different guy. He was fast, aggressive and a giant pain in the Bruins' collective butt. Given linemates with any kind of offensive ability at all, Eller will be a really good centreman in the NHL. Perhaps the most promising thing about his playoffs, though, is the fact that he suffered a significant shoulder injury in Game Six, but played through it with the stoicism of a person who gets it. He knows what you have to do to win in the playoffs and he's prepared to do it.
Michael Cammalleri has proven himself, again, to be a playoff beast. Emerging from a less-than-impressive season, Cammalleri hit the post-season with everything he had. He'll get criticism for not being great defensively, but that's not his job. He's competent defensively most of the time, but he's excellent when it comes to producing vital points. Having lead the league in playoff goals last year, he's bowing out this season with ten points in seven games, tops in playoff scoring. Cammalleri isn't the kind of player who can do it all at both ends of the ice, but when it comes to compete level and the ability to bear down and produce under pressure, he's your man.
These were the players who made a difference in these playoffs, and the good news is they're all young and able to return in the fall to form a pretty decent core of talent.
Lots of the guys whose futures are less certain deserve some respect this year as well. The Old Guards, Gill, Spacek, Hamrlik, Mara and Sopel all tried their damnedest. They were thrust into positions of responsibility for which they weren't suited, but they performed as well as they could despite fatigue and injury. That's something of which to be proud in our team.
The heart displayed by guys like Tom Pyatt, Ryan White (in his limited minutes) and David Desharnais (before blowing out his knee) was also a source of pride.
I'm proud of the way the team battled through the adversity of losing players important both on the ice and in the room, and I'm proud of the way the coaching staff and team veterans held the steady course all year. Most of all, I'm proud of the dignity with which the team carried itself.
I had an email from a reader last night, expressing his discouragement with the way the NHL has become a cheap-shot league. I explained to him I stick with the Habs because they've held themselves above all that. They don't give the other team's fans the finger, then lie about it. They don't make disparaging comments about their opponents. They don't take cheap shots on the ice. The Habs are better and classier than the NHL norm, and that's something about which to be proud.
One has to believe that the odds will balance out and the Canadiens may actually be able to keep the heart of their team in the lineup next year. If they do, they'll be back in the playoffs with all the determination and heart they showed the last two seasons. With a little luck and a little health, we may see better results.
The Habs are dead. Long live the Habs.
Our team went down swinging last night, and even though it hurts, the players who matter for the Canadiens' future gave everything they had to change the outcome. There's so much to regret: WHY couldn't they hold a 3-1 lead in Game Four? WHY couldn't they score even once in three overtimes? WHY did Gomez have to suck so badly? Still, though, there's so much more about which to be proud.
P.K.Subban has probably saved Trevor Timmins. Despite all the lousy first-round picks to which Timmins has committed, he managed to find a legitimate NHL number-one D in the mid-second round. Not just any number-one D, either. Subban has the offensive ability to break open a game (or score a vital tying goal with less than two minutes to go in a Game Seven), but at 21 years of age, he's also developing on defense by leaps and bounds. He was the most-played and arguably the most effective defenseman in the series against Boston, including Norris-nominee Zdeno Chara. On top of his skills, the mental strength this kid possesses is extremely impressive. After all the criticism he's received from two-bit cheap opponents, so-called media experts and fans, one might excuse a kid his age for fighting back. One could even understand if he decided to take an on-ice jab at someone who's been particularly in his face. He didn't, though. Subban played a very disciplined, controlled series worthy of a player much older. He's a gem.
Carey Price faced more pressure than any other player in the NHL this year. He took over the Habs net in the wake of the Jaro Halak trade, after having a lousy season both mentally and in results last year. It didn't look good for him when he heard boos in the very first pre-season game at the Bell Centre. Somehow, Price took that negativity and erased it with confident, steady play all year long. He gave his team every chance to win in the regular season and continued that into the playoffs. If anyone tries to blame the series loss on him, they're blind.
Tomas Plekanec said last summer he found it disappointing that fans didn't understand the role he played in last year's playoffs. Jacques Martin asked him to put aside his focus on offence and concentrate on shutting down the other team's best scorers instead. In two rounds, Plekanec helped corral Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby and kept them from making a huge difference in those series. Similarly, this year, he contained the Bs'number-one centre in David Krejci. Plekanec tallied five points in seven games, while Krejci logged just one goal. Pleks also played a big part in the Canadiens perfect PK during the series, including notching a gorgeous shorthanded goal. He played a large portion of the season with absent or underachieving linemates, and still maintained his solid two-way game. He's a keeper.
Lars Eller showed flashes of better-than-decent play during the regular season, but in the playoffs he became a different guy. He was fast, aggressive and a giant pain in the Bruins' collective butt. Given linemates with any kind of offensive ability at all, Eller will be a really good centreman in the NHL. Perhaps the most promising thing about his playoffs, though, is the fact that he suffered a significant shoulder injury in Game Six, but played through it with the stoicism of a person who gets it. He knows what you have to do to win in the playoffs and he's prepared to do it.
Michael Cammalleri has proven himself, again, to be a playoff beast. Emerging from a less-than-impressive season, Cammalleri hit the post-season with everything he had. He'll get criticism for not being great defensively, but that's not his job. He's competent defensively most of the time, but he's excellent when it comes to producing vital points. Having lead the league in playoff goals last year, he's bowing out this season with ten points in seven games, tops in playoff scoring. Cammalleri isn't the kind of player who can do it all at both ends of the ice, but when it comes to compete level and the ability to bear down and produce under pressure, he's your man.
These were the players who made a difference in these playoffs, and the good news is they're all young and able to return in the fall to form a pretty decent core of talent.
Lots of the guys whose futures are less certain deserve some respect this year as well. The Old Guards, Gill, Spacek, Hamrlik, Mara and Sopel all tried their damnedest. They were thrust into positions of responsibility for which they weren't suited, but they performed as well as they could despite fatigue and injury. That's something of which to be proud in our team.
The heart displayed by guys like Tom Pyatt, Ryan White (in his limited minutes) and David Desharnais (before blowing out his knee) was also a source of pride.
I'm proud of the way the team battled through the adversity of losing players important both on the ice and in the room, and I'm proud of the way the coaching staff and team veterans held the steady course all year. Most of all, I'm proud of the dignity with which the team carried itself.
I had an email from a reader last night, expressing his discouragement with the way the NHL has become a cheap-shot league. I explained to him I stick with the Habs because they've held themselves above all that. They don't give the other team's fans the finger, then lie about it. They don't make disparaging comments about their opponents. They don't take cheap shots on the ice. The Habs are better and classier than the NHL norm, and that's something about which to be proud.
One has to believe that the odds will balance out and the Canadiens may actually be able to keep the heart of their team in the lineup next year. If they do, they'll be back in the playoffs with all the determination and heart they showed the last two seasons. With a little luck and a little health, we may see better results.
The Habs are dead. Long live the Habs.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Habs vs.Bruins - Game Seven
Notes on OT:
-OT certainly favours the Bs, whose depth will figure into this. The Habs are old and depleted on D, and that will hurt.
-If I were a Hab, I wouldn't want to shake Chara's hand. Or any of them, really.
-One goal for the season. This is too much.
-Price has given his team every possible chance to win this. He's answered whatever questions have been asked of him.
-And one last OT loss to put the season to bed. Devastating, but not unexpected.
Notes on the third:
-Wiz looked shaky on D in the first, but his offence really helped keep the pressure on in the second. I hope he survives the third.
-This is giving me ulcers.
-Cheap shot by Ference on Halpern, and another Hab has to go to the quiet room.
-The Bs have been offside so many fortuitous times tonight.
-And, in perfect harmony with the rest of the Habs year, Hamrlik is taken out of the play with an uncalled elbow and a former Sen picks up the go-ahead rebound.
-I'm not sure which I hate more, Gomez or Martin for playing him so damn much. He's minus three again tonight. I just can't believe him.
-I wish NHL teams could pick up guys from eliminated squads. I'd give a lot to have Jonathan Toews in the Habs lineup tonight.
-Cammalleri, with the tying goal on his stick decides to pass. And that's how it's gone.
-Well, you can't say they didn't have a chance. A PP with two minutes to go.
-And SUBBAN WITH THE BOMB!!! Holy crap.
-Losing faceoffs is hurting them so much.
-OT in Game Seven. I can't take it.
Notes on the second:
-I wish Kostitsyn would use his huge, hairy gorilla arms to score a couple of goals. Do you think he understands the term "contract year?"
-Nice flurry to start the second, negated by a dumbass Eller crosscheck.
-Plekanec couldn't have chosen a better time to cash a breakaway if he'd been allowed to write the script himself.
-How on earth did Krejci miss a wide open net? Man, the Habs D is terrible.
-I'm not sensing any real hate between these teams anymore. They're more worried about their own fortunes than they are about each other.
-Price is a bit scary, going for pucks that end up in battles with Bruins.
-Gomez continues to be the worst Hab on the ice, including the hundred-year-old defencemen. Closely followed by Kostitsyn.
-Twenty minutes for the season. What a ride!
Notes on the first:
-I'm nervous because I'd love a Habs win, but at the same time, I'm calm because whatever happens, they did their best. It's a weird feeling.
-I hope Krejci is available to play for Team Czech at the World Championships. They could really use him.
-The Boston anthem singer sounds like he's gargling William Shatner.
-Wow, Mike Cammalleri has a big head. Literally, huge. Almost as big as Marchand's nose.
-First blood to the Bs. Gomez sucks. He's softer on the boards than a feather duster.
-Spacek and Sopel are terrible together. Oh, for the days of even half a Markov.
-It's looking like it was a mistake to play Wiz while he's hurt. He's pretty ineffective under pressure.
-2-0, and again Gomez is on the ice being useless. It's one thing to lose. It's another to lose because your friggin' millionaire is wretched.
-Could Weber be the Thomas Killer? Three playoff goals in his career, all against Timmy. Beautiful shot.
-Gomez' line is losing every battle against everyone.
-Great PK at the end of the period. The Habs will have to spill their guts to tie this in the second, and Price will have to shut it down.
-OT certainly favours the Bs, whose depth will figure into this. The Habs are old and depleted on D, and that will hurt.
-If I were a Hab, I wouldn't want to shake Chara's hand. Or any of them, really.
-One goal for the season. This is too much.
-Price has given his team every possible chance to win this. He's answered whatever questions have been asked of him.
-And one last OT loss to put the season to bed. Devastating, but not unexpected.
Notes on the third:
-Wiz looked shaky on D in the first, but his offence really helped keep the pressure on in the second. I hope he survives the third.
-This is giving me ulcers.
-Cheap shot by Ference on Halpern, and another Hab has to go to the quiet room.
-The Bs have been offside so many fortuitous times tonight.
-And, in perfect harmony with the rest of the Habs year, Hamrlik is taken out of the play with an uncalled elbow and a former Sen picks up the go-ahead rebound.
-I'm not sure which I hate more, Gomez or Martin for playing him so damn much. He's minus three again tonight. I just can't believe him.
-I wish NHL teams could pick up guys from eliminated squads. I'd give a lot to have Jonathan Toews in the Habs lineup tonight.
-Cammalleri, with the tying goal on his stick decides to pass. And that's how it's gone.
-Well, you can't say they didn't have a chance. A PP with two minutes to go.
-And SUBBAN WITH THE BOMB!!! Holy crap.
-Losing faceoffs is hurting them so much.
-OT in Game Seven. I can't take it.
Notes on the second:
-I wish Kostitsyn would use his huge, hairy gorilla arms to score a couple of goals. Do you think he understands the term "contract year?"
-Nice flurry to start the second, negated by a dumbass Eller crosscheck.
-Plekanec couldn't have chosen a better time to cash a breakaway if he'd been allowed to write the script himself.
-How on earth did Krejci miss a wide open net? Man, the Habs D is terrible.
-I'm not sensing any real hate between these teams anymore. They're more worried about their own fortunes than they are about each other.
-Price is a bit scary, going for pucks that end up in battles with Bruins.
-Gomez continues to be the worst Hab on the ice, including the hundred-year-old defencemen. Closely followed by Kostitsyn.
-Twenty minutes for the season. What a ride!
Notes on the first:
-I'm nervous because I'd love a Habs win, but at the same time, I'm calm because whatever happens, they did their best. It's a weird feeling.
-I hope Krejci is available to play for Team Czech at the World Championships. They could really use him.
-The Boston anthem singer sounds like he's gargling William Shatner.
-Wow, Mike Cammalleri has a big head. Literally, huge. Almost as big as Marchand's nose.
-First blood to the Bs. Gomez sucks. He's softer on the boards than a feather duster.
-Spacek and Sopel are terrible together. Oh, for the days of even half a Markov.
-It's looking like it was a mistake to play Wiz while he's hurt. He's pretty ineffective under pressure.
-2-0, and again Gomez is on the ice being useless. It's one thing to lose. It's another to lose because your friggin' millionaire is wretched.
-Could Weber be the Thomas Killer? Three playoff goals in his career, all against Timmy. Beautiful shot.
-Gomez' line is losing every battle against everyone.
-Great PK at the end of the period. The Habs will have to spill their guts to tie this in the second, and Price will have to shut it down.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Aftermath: Heroes and Hope
There wasn't a man in a Montreal Canadiens uniform last night who didn't try his damnedest to drive this series against the Bruins to seven games. When Scott Gomez is blocking shots and Lars Eller is returning to the game with a heavily bandaged shoulder, you know guys are going the extra mile.
When the game began with a disallowed goal that should clearly have been good, the Canadiens could have wilted. They could have sighed and said it was just another example of how they haven't had a break all series. They could have stopped skating, let up and gave the Bruins the advantage. Instead, they shook it off and buckled down to work.
Bruins fans and other assorted Habs haters will say the reffing was biased in favour of the Habs, which accounted for the two five-on-three PPs awarded to the Canadiens. When you look at it, though, there wasn't a whole lot the refs could do. Slashing a stick so it breaks on the faceoff, shooting a puck over the glass and playing a puck when there are six skaters on the ice are all pretty clearly defined penalties. It may have been the Bruins bad luck, or their own rash indiscipline, but those calls were pretty much no-brainers.
As was the five-minute major on Lucic. The Bruins-based outcry today is based on the fact that Mike Richards got only a minor penalty for a much worse hit. The problem with that reasoning is assuming the refs who called the Richards hit were right. In fact, they were wrong, and Richards should have been given a much more severe penalty. Chris Lee (shock of shocks) had the call on Lucic right. He deliberately ran at Jaro Spacek and drove him head-first into the glass, hard enough that Spacek had to be taken to the quiet room for concussion assessment. It was a good call, and the Bruins paid the price.
That's what the Habs were able to do last night. Despite missing David Desharnais and James Wisniewski (on top of all the other injuries they've sustained this year), they were opportunistic and made the most of their PP chances. In a series so evenly matched, the special teams are the one advantage either side can claim. The big difference in last night's game was that the Canadiens ran with that advantage, while the Bruins PP stalled.
It also helped that Carey Price and P.K.Subban played up to their star potential. Price got lucky a couple of times and the goal he allowed was kind of iffy, but he stood tall when it really counted. So did Subban, who played nearly 30 minutes again. He may have been passed over for a Calder nomination, but it's impossible to imagine where the Canadiens would be this year, or this playoff, without him. If these two guys are the core of the Habs future, the future's looking bright.
In the end, the old adage that your best players have to be your best players came true for the Habs. The most aggressive forwards on the team were Brian Gionta, Mike Cammalleri, Scott Gomez and Tomas Plekanec. They had the best chances and scored both goals, and they skated their butts off all night. If a battered, depleted team needed an example to follow, those guys provided it.
Winning again tonight will be a tall order for this team. At one point last night, RDS showed a shot of wounded Habs in the press box. Gorges, Pacioretty, Markov and the scratched Benoit Pouliot sat side-by-side, watching the action somewhat anxiously. The shot made you think about what this series would be like with those guys healthy and/or playing up to their ability. Not to mention if Desharnais and Wisniewski were in the lineup, and if Eller and Spacek weren't playing hurt. Unfortunately, all of those "what ifs" won't be answered tonight. Instead, the Canadiens will face Game Seven with a serious lack of depth and a tired team that busted its collective last nut just to make it to tonight. We can hope they can mount yet another heroic performance and somehow pull it off, but, on paper, we can't expect it.
I'm going to hope there are heroes in white tonight. After all, even if they're almost totally out of gas, it's better to go down to the Caps than the Bruins. And it's better to make it to the second round than not. Either way, the Habs have nothing to be ashamed of, and everything of which to be proud.
When the game began with a disallowed goal that should clearly have been good, the Canadiens could have wilted. They could have sighed and said it was just another example of how they haven't had a break all series. They could have stopped skating, let up and gave the Bruins the advantage. Instead, they shook it off and buckled down to work.
Bruins fans and other assorted Habs haters will say the reffing was biased in favour of the Habs, which accounted for the two five-on-three PPs awarded to the Canadiens. When you look at it, though, there wasn't a whole lot the refs could do. Slashing a stick so it breaks on the faceoff, shooting a puck over the glass and playing a puck when there are six skaters on the ice are all pretty clearly defined penalties. It may have been the Bruins bad luck, or their own rash indiscipline, but those calls were pretty much no-brainers.
As was the five-minute major on Lucic. The Bruins-based outcry today is based on the fact that Mike Richards got only a minor penalty for a much worse hit. The problem with that reasoning is assuming the refs who called the Richards hit were right. In fact, they were wrong, and Richards should have been given a much more severe penalty. Chris Lee (shock of shocks) had the call on Lucic right. He deliberately ran at Jaro Spacek and drove him head-first into the glass, hard enough that Spacek had to be taken to the quiet room for concussion assessment. It was a good call, and the Bruins paid the price.
That's what the Habs were able to do last night. Despite missing David Desharnais and James Wisniewski (on top of all the other injuries they've sustained this year), they were opportunistic and made the most of their PP chances. In a series so evenly matched, the special teams are the one advantage either side can claim. The big difference in last night's game was that the Canadiens ran with that advantage, while the Bruins PP stalled.
It also helped that Carey Price and P.K.Subban played up to their star potential. Price got lucky a couple of times and the goal he allowed was kind of iffy, but he stood tall when it really counted. So did Subban, who played nearly 30 minutes again. He may have been passed over for a Calder nomination, but it's impossible to imagine where the Canadiens would be this year, or this playoff, without him. If these two guys are the core of the Habs future, the future's looking bright.
In the end, the old adage that your best players have to be your best players came true for the Habs. The most aggressive forwards on the team were Brian Gionta, Mike Cammalleri, Scott Gomez and Tomas Plekanec. They had the best chances and scored both goals, and they skated their butts off all night. If a battered, depleted team needed an example to follow, those guys provided it.
Winning again tonight will be a tall order for this team. At one point last night, RDS showed a shot of wounded Habs in the press box. Gorges, Pacioretty, Markov and the scratched Benoit Pouliot sat side-by-side, watching the action somewhat anxiously. The shot made you think about what this series would be like with those guys healthy and/or playing up to their ability. Not to mention if Desharnais and Wisniewski were in the lineup, and if Eller and Spacek weren't playing hurt. Unfortunately, all of those "what ifs" won't be answered tonight. Instead, the Canadiens will face Game Seven with a serious lack of depth and a tired team that busted its collective last nut just to make it to tonight. We can hope they can mount yet another heroic performance and somehow pull it off, but, on paper, we can't expect it.
I'm going to hope there are heroes in white tonight. After all, even if they're almost totally out of gas, it's better to go down to the Caps than the Bruins. And it's better to make it to the second round than not. Either way, the Habs have nothing to be ashamed of, and everything of which to be proud.
Bruins vs.Habs - Game Six
Notes on the third:
-Way too much scary Bruin pressure. Something's gotta give, sooner or later.
-PRICE! He just made up for the lousy goal he allowed.
-They're fighting for this. You have to give them credit.
-Interesting. Martin has Cammalleri taking draws instead of Plekanec on that line.
-Halfway through the period and still the one-goal lead is holding up. It can't last forever. Right?
-Considering the mismatch on faceoffs, it's amazing the Habs are even in this series.
-Holy crap! They're coming SO close!
-Thanks Chris Lee, for catching Kelly with three to go. That'll help.
-Wow. Back to Boston. Happy birthday to me!
Notes on the second:
-Terrible goal for Price to allow. Really deflating.
-Spacek! Oh no. If the Habs had a theme song in this playoffs, it'd be Another One Bites the Dust.
-Lucic gets the boot. Not that he's been a big threat anyhow.
-Eller's playing like one of his Norse ancestors, bloodied and battered and still pillaging.
-Gionta!! The man has better hand-eye coordination than Mr.Miagi catching a fly with chopsticks.
-The penalty parade is on in full force. Good thing the Bs PP is as effective as a chicken wire condom.
-Amazing that last Bruins chance stayed out. They'll have nightmares about that if they don't win.
-Full credit to the wounded Habs for a great shot at taking this one.
Notes on the first:
-It's kind of sad that a goalie can have a 2.00 GAA and a .938 SV%, and still have only a 2-3 record.
-The poor Habs. They're so beaten and battered.
-And with the typical luck of this series, Chris Lee blows down a loose puck and robs the Habs of a goal.
-I don't blame them for throwing the stupid rally towels on the ice. How can you beat the refs as well as the Bruins?
-Now Eller's gone too. A win tonight would be nothing short of a miracle.
-If Cammalleri shot that puck at McQuaid's foot on purpose to create a too-may-men call, he's a bloody genius.
-And the bullet shot beats Thomas to make up for the Great Ref Ripoff.
-I hope Gill thanked P.K. for saving his and AK's bacon on the Lucic break.
-Kostitsyn's playing particularly dumb tonight, which is saying a lot.
-Good period. Surely the Bs will push back with more in the second, though.
-Way too much scary Bruin pressure. Something's gotta give, sooner or later.
-PRICE! He just made up for the lousy goal he allowed.
-They're fighting for this. You have to give them credit.
-Interesting. Martin has Cammalleri taking draws instead of Plekanec on that line.
-Halfway through the period and still the one-goal lead is holding up. It can't last forever. Right?
-Considering the mismatch on faceoffs, it's amazing the Habs are even in this series.
-Holy crap! They're coming SO close!
-Thanks Chris Lee, for catching Kelly with three to go. That'll help.
-Wow. Back to Boston. Happy birthday to me!
Notes on the second:
-Terrible goal for Price to allow. Really deflating.
-Spacek! Oh no. If the Habs had a theme song in this playoffs, it'd be Another One Bites the Dust.
-Lucic gets the boot. Not that he's been a big threat anyhow.
-Eller's playing like one of his Norse ancestors, bloodied and battered and still pillaging.
-Gionta!! The man has better hand-eye coordination than Mr.Miagi catching a fly with chopsticks.
-The penalty parade is on in full force. Good thing the Bs PP is as effective as a chicken wire condom.
-Amazing that last Bruins chance stayed out. They'll have nightmares about that if they don't win.
-Full credit to the wounded Habs for a great shot at taking this one.
Notes on the first:
-It's kind of sad that a goalie can have a 2.00 GAA and a .938 SV%, and still have only a 2-3 record.
-The poor Habs. They're so beaten and battered.
-And with the typical luck of this series, Chris Lee blows down a loose puck and robs the Habs of a goal.
-I don't blame them for throwing the stupid rally towels on the ice. How can you beat the refs as well as the Bruins?
-Now Eller's gone too. A win tonight would be nothing short of a miracle.
-If Cammalleri shot that puck at McQuaid's foot on purpose to create a too-may-men call, he's a bloody genius.
-And the bullet shot beats Thomas to make up for the Great Ref Ripoff.
-I hope Gill thanked P.K. for saving his and AK's bacon on the Lucic break.
-Kostitsyn's playing particularly dumb tonight, which is saying a lot.
-Good period. Surely the Bs will push back with more in the second, though.
The Final Countdown
Will this be the last day of the Canadiens' 2010-11 season? All signs point to...maybe. Today's my birthday, just as it was last year for Game Six against the Caps. I went into that game with absolutely no expectations. After all, the Habs were down three games to one against a very potent Washington offence. The chances they'd pull it off, I thought, were somewhere between slim and none, and would require at least a minor miracle. As it turned out, the required miracle was supplied by one Jaroslav Halak, who pulled off the best playoff goaltending performance I'd seen since Patrick Roy in 1986. His 53 saves stole the crucial win to set up Game Seven and a series victory. So maybe it can happen again this year. Then again, the Habs have also been eliminated three times on my birthday, including a gut-wrenching rout by the Bruins in 1988.
The Canadiens have been, despite their injury troubles, extremely competitive in a series most pundits expected would be an easy win for the Bruins. The mistakes that have cost them games are the kinds of mistakes every team makes in the course of a series. It just seems the Habs have had to pay dearly for every one of them. I've always said to win a Cup, you have to have a healthy team, fully committed to self-sacrifice and a team-first mentality, with its best players leading the way, strong support from the rest of the cast, good goaltending and luck. The Habs' best players are doing okay, the support cast is doing what it can and the goaltending is solid. It's the luck that's been in short supply, and that's something a team can't control. The lack of good luck means the team is dealing with big injury problems. And losing frustrating, close games means the commitment level might be wavering in the face of blame. Despite it all, the team is making a good showing and has nothing about which to be ashamed. Sometimes, two good teams face off and one of them gets fewer breaks. Sometimes, you just lose, even when you give everything you've got.
One good thing about the playoffs is that they offer a sort of perspective we don't get during the season. With games on prime time every night, we get to see other teams up close, and see how they deal with pressure. What's interesting is that we spend so much time with tri-coloured blinders on, analyzing every little flaw in the Canadiens performance, we don't see how they stack up against other teams. Watching the other playoff series objectively, we can see that other good teams make some of the same mistakes the Habs do. We understand better that in the heat and speed of the game, dumb things just happen.
No matter what happens to the Canadiens tonight, they're facing nothing like the pressure the Vancouver Canucks are under. Imagine how terrible we'd feel if our team had won the President's Trophy and looked unbeatable all year, only to choke on a three-to-nothing lead against their nemesis? Imagine if it were the franchise goalie responsible for part of it, and everyone had lost faith in his ability to win in the playoffs? If the Canucks lose tonight, they'll be challenging last year's Bruins for the title of "Greatest Playoff Choke Job." The bonus for Habs fans is, if Vancouver blows it and the Canadiens lose, nobody's going to be talking much about Montreal's exit.
The worst thing about the last game of the playoffs, even if a team wins the Cup, is that it usually marks the end of the team as we know it. There are players we like who won't be back, and other guys we don't know yet who'll take their places. It's a time of transition and always a little sad. Despite some of his brain farts in this series, I like Roman Hamrlik. He's taken on a big role in covering for Andrei Markov the last two seasons, and really helped the team make the playoffs. If the team loses tonight, it's probably his last game in a Canadiens uniform. Ditto for Hal Gill. Unless he comes back next year for a short-term bargain, Pierre Gauthier may have to let him walk in favour of rebuilding the defence to be quicker and younger. James Wisniewski may be too expensive for the team's budget next year, and Benoit Pouliot may have played his way out of a contract. Worst of all, it seems inevitable that Kirk Muller will leave after the season ends. There are a lot of coaching jobs available, and he wants one of them. His departure would be a loss to the Habs, not only because the players love him and look to him for inspiration, but because he's the last link between the current team and the last edition of the Canadiens to win a Cup.
While we feel a bit down about the players who'll be leaving, we'll also have a good picture of who'll still be around next year. Some of that's great news. Lars Eller, David Desharnais and Ryan White have all stepped up their play in the post-season, which is great. Carey Price and P.K.Subban did their part to make the team competitive. We can look forward to the infusion of healthy Gorges, Markov and Pacioretty into the lineup next season, and it's starting to look like a pretty competitive team. Then we come to Scott Gomez. He has to go. Unless he can dramatically turn around a career that's seen declining production for the last several years, Gauthier's got to find a way to get rid of him. He had one good game out of five against the Bruins after the worst season of his career, and that's just not good enough. People will slam me for looking only at his salary, but in a cap world, that's vitally important. He's a major roadblock to improving the team because he makes too much to allow the purchase of better players. And not only is he keeping the team from playing the market for improvements, he's not generating points either. He's a liability the Canadiens can't afford going forward.
Whatever happens tonight, I'm sure the Habs will give it their best possible shot. In the end, that's some comfort if they lose, and some vindication if they win. It'd be a very nice birthday gift to see another miracle Game Six triumph, but if it doesn't happen, at least they tried.
The Canadiens have been, despite their injury troubles, extremely competitive in a series most pundits expected would be an easy win for the Bruins. The mistakes that have cost them games are the kinds of mistakes every team makes in the course of a series. It just seems the Habs have had to pay dearly for every one of them. I've always said to win a Cup, you have to have a healthy team, fully committed to self-sacrifice and a team-first mentality, with its best players leading the way, strong support from the rest of the cast, good goaltending and luck. The Habs' best players are doing okay, the support cast is doing what it can and the goaltending is solid. It's the luck that's been in short supply, and that's something a team can't control. The lack of good luck means the team is dealing with big injury problems. And losing frustrating, close games means the commitment level might be wavering in the face of blame. Despite it all, the team is making a good showing and has nothing about which to be ashamed. Sometimes, two good teams face off and one of them gets fewer breaks. Sometimes, you just lose, even when you give everything you've got.
One good thing about the playoffs is that they offer a sort of perspective we don't get during the season. With games on prime time every night, we get to see other teams up close, and see how they deal with pressure. What's interesting is that we spend so much time with tri-coloured blinders on, analyzing every little flaw in the Canadiens performance, we don't see how they stack up against other teams. Watching the other playoff series objectively, we can see that other good teams make some of the same mistakes the Habs do. We understand better that in the heat and speed of the game, dumb things just happen.
No matter what happens to the Canadiens tonight, they're facing nothing like the pressure the Vancouver Canucks are under. Imagine how terrible we'd feel if our team had won the President's Trophy and looked unbeatable all year, only to choke on a three-to-nothing lead against their nemesis? Imagine if it were the franchise goalie responsible for part of it, and everyone had lost faith in his ability to win in the playoffs? If the Canucks lose tonight, they'll be challenging last year's Bruins for the title of "Greatest Playoff Choke Job." The bonus for Habs fans is, if Vancouver blows it and the Canadiens lose, nobody's going to be talking much about Montreal's exit.
The worst thing about the last game of the playoffs, even if a team wins the Cup, is that it usually marks the end of the team as we know it. There are players we like who won't be back, and other guys we don't know yet who'll take their places. It's a time of transition and always a little sad. Despite some of his brain farts in this series, I like Roman Hamrlik. He's taken on a big role in covering for Andrei Markov the last two seasons, and really helped the team make the playoffs. If the team loses tonight, it's probably his last game in a Canadiens uniform. Ditto for Hal Gill. Unless he comes back next year for a short-term bargain, Pierre Gauthier may have to let him walk in favour of rebuilding the defence to be quicker and younger. James Wisniewski may be too expensive for the team's budget next year, and Benoit Pouliot may have played his way out of a contract. Worst of all, it seems inevitable that Kirk Muller will leave after the season ends. There are a lot of coaching jobs available, and he wants one of them. His departure would be a loss to the Habs, not only because the players love him and look to him for inspiration, but because he's the last link between the current team and the last edition of the Canadiens to win a Cup.
While we feel a bit down about the players who'll be leaving, we'll also have a good picture of who'll still be around next year. Some of that's great news. Lars Eller, David Desharnais and Ryan White have all stepped up their play in the post-season, which is great. Carey Price and P.K.Subban did their part to make the team competitive. We can look forward to the infusion of healthy Gorges, Markov and Pacioretty into the lineup next season, and it's starting to look like a pretty competitive team. Then we come to Scott Gomez. He has to go. Unless he can dramatically turn around a career that's seen declining production for the last several years, Gauthier's got to find a way to get rid of him. He had one good game out of five against the Bruins after the worst season of his career, and that's just not good enough. People will slam me for looking only at his salary, but in a cap world, that's vitally important. He's a major roadblock to improving the team because he makes too much to allow the purchase of better players. And not only is he keeping the team from playing the market for improvements, he's not generating points either. He's a liability the Canadiens can't afford going forward.
Whatever happens tonight, I'm sure the Habs will give it their best possible shot. In the end, that's some comfort if they lose, and some vindication if they win. It'd be a very nice birthday gift to see another miracle Game Six triumph, but if it doesn't happen, at least they tried.
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