I think one thing a lot of Habs fans can agree on right now is that the team's defence needs a bit of work. Okay; a lot of work. Andrei Markov needs a solid partner with some jam to his game, as well as the ability to play big minutes without getting burned in his own end. Some offensive talent would be a bonus. The D-corps as a whole needs a guy who can man the point on the PP like Bergeron, but without the defensive liabilities he brings. Size and strength, combined with mobility would be very useful. There's no doubt, either, that the Habs blueliners could use an infusion of youth. Guys like Hamrlik and Spacek have value in their experience, but now, in their mid-thirties, they get tired on big minutes and make mistakes because of fatigue. Add up all the needs on defence and the sum, for many fans, is PK Subban. The cries to call him up to help save the series with the Caps are escalating.
Do you remember the first game Subban played for the Canadiens? I remember an overall impression of speed and enthusiasm, but the one outstanding moment for me was a beautiful spinorama move at the blueline, followed by a couple of quick strides and a good, hard shot on goal. It was a great play; the kind that's going to make PK a star in Montreal. It's also the kind of play that's going to put him at risk of falling out of favour quickly.
The thing is, the kid is a thoroughbred. He's a great skater, he's got a hard shot, he can pass and he can play a tough game. Best of all, he's enthusiastic, positive, smart and well-spoken...and he can't wait to play for the Habs. We've seen his big smile on draft day and followed him through his World Juniors triumphs and his resoundingly successful rookie year in Hamilton. We caught tantalizing glimpses of what might be in his two games in Montreal. It's no wonder fans look at him and see a halo or a hero, depending on their sentiments.
It's also no wonder fans forget he's a twenty-year-old kid playing a very difficult position. All the positives about PK...and there are so very many...make us overlook the quiet warnings we're hearing from people like Guy Boucher. Boucher says PK is still learning to channel his enthusiasm properly. He says PK is getting better, but he doesn't know when the kid will be ready for the NHL. When the coach, especially the coach who's a bit of a budding superstar himself in many fans' minds, says the player isn't ready, we have to listen.
The last guy who was supposed to save the Habs from mediocrity rode into Montreal on a high, after winning the Calder Cup and being named the MVP. Carey Price ended up struggling midway through his rookie season and was sent back to Hamilton to clear his head. He went from god-like status (Jesus Price, anybody?) to the focus of very vocal derision at the Bell Centre during last year's playoff sweep by the Bruins. Price may yet become a big star for the Habs, but his road to this point has been bumpy, to say the least. A lot of people thought Price was ready for the NHL and to take on the Habs' number-one goaltending job at the age of twenty. Physically, at least, I agree he was; he could stop pucks as well as anybody. Mentally and emotionally, however, he wasn't ready and he's had to learn some hard lessons under the unflinching gaze of the public eye.
I see Subban piling up great stats (53 points in 77 games, plus-46) and honours (first-team AHL all-star, AHL all-rookie team) in Hamilton. He's saying all the right things too, about how he's learning everything he can in the minors, and that while he's looking forward to playing in the NHL, he's content to wait until the coaches think he's ready. All of this is good stuff and a sensible approach by the organization to managing the development of its best player.
My concern is the team has obvious needs on defence now, and the fans want a saviour. Depending on what happens in the off-season, Subban has a very, very good chance of making the NHL next fall. One of Hamrlik's or Spacek's contracts will almost certainly have to be moved to free cap space. There's probably not a better, cheaper option to fill the resulting vacancy than Subban. When he cracks the lineup, the team will get a great infusion of energy and blossoming ability on the blueline. The problem is, he won't be perfect.
That gorgeous spinorama he made in his first game as a Hab has been his go-to move for years. It'll work for him in the NHL too, as it did in his first game...for a while. Then, smart forwards are going to catch on and anticipate that play. Subban will get burned and it will take him some time to figure out how to adjust. He'll need tolerance and support from his team and its fans while he's making that adjustment. He won't get it for long, though. The impatient fans who pleaded for Carey Price to take the net in Montreal, then booed him off the ice a year later, will be screaming for Subban's head after a particularly juicy giveaway leads to a Habs loss.
I harbour no illusions that people will be supportive of a rookie's mistakes when two points are on the line. What I do hope for, however, is that when Subban *does* make the team, he's mentally ready for the criticism that comes his way. He's been among the best wherever he's played, and his sparkling personality has drawn people to him in a positive way. He says he's ready for adversity as he learns the NHL game, but he's never been the subject of public ridicule before. It's going to be tough.
The team did the right thing to leave Subban in Hamilton for the playoffs. His presence wouldn't change the outcome of the Habs/Caps series on its own, and the negative fallout of being part of another season of post-season futility in Montreal if the Habs lose wouldn't help his development. When he makes the team, he'll make a difference, even if it's not right away. Leaving him alone to develop under Boucher and the Hamilton staff is the best chance fans have of seeing the best PK Subban their ticket money can buy.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Aftermath: Fan Abuse and Dummies
Well, wasn't that a great display of overall stupidity last night? Bruce Boudreau said after the game he thinks Jacques Martin is one of the smartest coaches in the league. I think that's how an opposing coach soothes a guy like Martin into continuing to make the same stupid decisions that helped the Caps win Game Three. Sure, the Habs had a great first period, but one period, as we've seen from this team all season, isn't enough to win a hockey game. Especially not a playoff hockey game. It is, however, more than enough time in which to lose a game. Right from the starting lineup and into the second, dreadful period, the Canadiens were generally trading helmets for dunce caps, their coach wearing the pointiest one.
Okay, yeah, Sergei Kostitsyn can be maddening. He can try to be too fancy and give the puck away. He can try to duck a hit and end up costing a turnover. But you know what? He can also score important goals, and he'll kill penalties and fight for the puck, doing creative things to get it out of trouble. So, instead of playing Sergei Kostitsyn, Jacques "The Genius" Martin decided to play Mathieu Darche. Okay, fine. That's the coach's choice, and he obviously sees things in the room and in practice that we don't. BUT, and this is a big but, WHY did he play the guy he chose over Kostitsyn for less than three minutes in the game? This, my friends, is stupid coaching.
If Darche isn't good enough to play a regular shift, then Kostitsyn has got to draw in. It's common sense. You cannot put all the pressure on three lines and expect last night not to happen, not in the playoffs. Then again, Martin isn't accustomed to winning in the playoffs, so who are we kidding here?
It's also stupid coaching to have Marc Andre Bergeron, who can't keep an NHL job with any one team because the only NHL-level skill he owns is a point shot on the power play, in the lineup alongside your best defenceman. Markov is great, but he needs someone who can stay at home and give him a bit of offensive freedom. Komisarek did that. O'Byrne can do it. I admit, OB isn't yet the most consistent of defencemen, but if you give him a simple job he can do it. He'd have a damn sight better chance of controlling big wingers than little, easily-pushed-around Bergeron. Markov needs to be on the ice a lot, and he needs a steady partner who can play those minutes without hurting the team. MAB was on the ice for three of the Caps five goals last night, and even Markov couldn't save him.
Beyond the stupid coaching, the team fell into a lack of discipline after the Caps started scoring. Gomez taking a ten-minute misconduct was inexcusable, especially when the team had power plays without him. I don't know what Pleks said to the ref or did to the goalie that got him an unsportsmanlike minor, but that was stupid too.
Also stupid was Roman Hamrlik's play for much of the night. He's making panicky passes, fumbling the puck and not skating well. He's not the same guy who filled in for Markov in the fall, and he looks terrible. If he and Spacek were competing to see who'd get traded in the off-season, Spacek stays. That's despite the fact that the Caps' short-handed goal, which broke the Habs down, came on a particularly stupid play in which Spacek backed right into his own goalie and fell on him.
Carey Price looked decent for being called in cold, and he'll start Game Four, barring yet another stupid Martin decision. Halak didn't deserve what happened to him. He was rough in Game Two, but the team let him down in Game Three. I hope Price can pull the next one out of the fire, because, after three games, it's clear the only way the Habs are winning this series is via divine intervention. And so far, it looks like divinity is not on their side.
I feel sorry for all the fans who came out in their innocent joy to watch their team compete. They got it for twenty minutes, then the Habs collapsed and looked wretched for the other forty. I think everyone who was at the Bell last night, and all RDS subscribers, should get a 66% discount for fraud, caused by stupidity.
They told us we're getting the Montreal Canadiens in the playoffs. Instead we're getting a badly-coached bunch of overwhelmed hockey players who've managed to play four good periods out of nine. Still, give Guy Boucher or some other young, progressive coach the same group to manage and I think they'd be better than what we're seeing, even if only a bit better. If this team fails, it's because they're just not good enough to sustain the level of play needed to consistently beat an offensive powerhouse like the Capitals. That, and the coach is an idiot. It's just too bad the faithful fans are taking the abuse.
Caps vs. Habs Game Three: Accueillons Nos Canadiens!
Notes on the third:
-I'm watching this period because I love this team and I don't expect it to be on the ice much longer. Knowing the end is near makes me want to enjoy it as long as possible, even if it's the kind of enjoyment you get from eating something so incredibly spicy it hurts.
-Pleky with his third in three games, including the OT winner in Game One and what should have been the winner in Game Two. Anyone who thinks he can't play playoff hockey should just stop thinking.
-They keep showing Jaro on the bench. If I was the goalie, I'd wear my mask on the bench so nobody could see my face. Then I'd make ugly expressions and talk under my breath about everyone.
-Okay, either Bergeron replaces Lapierre next game and O'Byrne goes in on D, or they concede the series now. MAB is WAY overmatched.
-Ever since Pleky's goal, it's been boring. The Habs know they're not winning, but they're making a case for Price starting Game Four. I think it's about his time.
-Hey, when's the last time Pouliot scored anyway? Or Markov?
-Another question: Will we miss Hamrlik next season if he's traded and Subban makes the team instead? I'm torn. Early on, he was great. In the playoffs he sucks.
-Too bad Beliveau's in the stands and not on the ice. His team-record 44-second hat trick would be very useful right now.
-It was nice to see the guys come out in support of Price at the end of the game. Too bad they weren't so much in support of their goalies DURING the game.
-Fantasies are over. This is not happening for the Canadiens. They should have fought harder in the last week of the season and drawn Buffalo, but they didn't.
Notes on the second:
-Metro on RDS talking about how "The pain goes away quick" after he gets hit. The guy's so tough you'd have to boil him for a week to make a decent soup.
-What a dive by Markov. Maybe it's cosmic justice that the Caps get a shorty on that. That hurts. Like boils on your ass on an international flight.
-I was just going to praise Spacek for his great work on D, then he backs into and falls on his own goalie like that. Brutal.
-And now 2-0. If Theo was in, I'd say they have a chance, but Varlamov's playing great.
-Crowd is totally quiet, at least on TV. I hope it's a little more enthusiastic in person. Habs need the seventh man now more than ever.
-The Bergeron on D bubble has officially burst. And Jaro gets chased.
-It's got to feel absolutely terrible to be sitting there after getting pulled, with everyone AND the TV cameras staring at you, and all you want to do is swear and break things.
-Now the temptation is to open things up, but that will lead to further burnings. I guess the Habs know how the ladies of Salem used to feel.
-I'm learning to hate Ovechkin. For ten million bucks a year, you'd think he'd buy himself a friggin' tooth. Cretin. And I hope he gets herpes by kissing his dirty glove all the time.
-Well, at least I'm not having a heart attack this game. Just crying. It started out so well.
-Maybe whatever Pleks said to the ref in Czech just *sounded* like something rude in English? Because he's not a jerk and they're treating him like he is one.
-This is so awful. Can they even take anything positive into the third?
Notes on the first:
-Dressing room shots show the goalies. Varlamov's hair looks like a cross between a Ken doll and a shag carpet helmet.
-Hey...what ever happened to introducing the entire lineup before the first home playoff game? Great to see Mr.Beliveau in the crowd, though.
-Good, aggressive first couple of minutes. I'm taking heart.
-You don't think of Backstrom as being all that strong, but he's really like a big old Swedish ox on skates.
-Just before midway through the period, they're looking like they did in the first of the Game One: way too many giveaways, missed passes and icings.
-Pleky's line is rocking and/or rolling tonight. It's a good sign to see AK banging the stick for the puck. When he wants it, he's on.
-The kill on the AK penalty lit them up like August grass in California. Varlamov's hot, though.
-I hate to criticize Spacek, who's been heroic, but damn! If he could only hit the net, he'd have scored.
-Lapierre is not great on the boards. For a guy his size, he loses a lot of battles. I guess you CAN turtle in the corners.
-Jaro's looking pretty decent so far. He's going to have to be very strong for the next forty.
Pre-game notes:
-I'm as nervous as a goalie's mother.
-Just two wishes for tonight: fair reffing and no booing the home team, no matter what.
-I can't believe Metro is back already. The man is at least one part titanium.
-Goalie I most hope to see in this game: Theodore. Yeah, yeah, I know Varlamov is starting. You know what I mean.
-Cap I'm most scared of tonight: Green. He's been invisible, but I don't think it'll last.
-I wonder if the people at TSN had to send out a memo to the on-air crew, to at least appear to be unbiased, just for this series?
-The noise is going to be tremendous. I hope the Caps don't get inspired by accident.
-I'm watching this period because I love this team and I don't expect it to be on the ice much longer. Knowing the end is near makes me want to enjoy it as long as possible, even if it's the kind of enjoyment you get from eating something so incredibly spicy it hurts.
-Pleky with his third in three games, including the OT winner in Game One and what should have been the winner in Game Two. Anyone who thinks he can't play playoff hockey should just stop thinking.
-They keep showing Jaro on the bench. If I was the goalie, I'd wear my mask on the bench so nobody could see my face. Then I'd make ugly expressions and talk under my breath about everyone.
-Okay, either Bergeron replaces Lapierre next game and O'Byrne goes in on D, or they concede the series now. MAB is WAY overmatched.
-Ever since Pleky's goal, it's been boring. The Habs know they're not winning, but they're making a case for Price starting Game Four. I think it's about his time.
-Hey, when's the last time Pouliot scored anyway? Or Markov?
-Another question: Will we miss Hamrlik next season if he's traded and Subban makes the team instead? I'm torn. Early on, he was great. In the playoffs he sucks.
-Too bad Beliveau's in the stands and not on the ice. His team-record 44-second hat trick would be very useful right now.
-It was nice to see the guys come out in support of Price at the end of the game. Too bad they weren't so much in support of their goalies DURING the game.
-Fantasies are over. This is not happening for the Canadiens. They should have fought harder in the last week of the season and drawn Buffalo, but they didn't.
Notes on the second:
-Metro on RDS talking about how "The pain goes away quick" after he gets hit. The guy's so tough you'd have to boil him for a week to make a decent soup.
-What a dive by Markov. Maybe it's cosmic justice that the Caps get a shorty on that. That hurts. Like boils on your ass on an international flight.
-I was just going to praise Spacek for his great work on D, then he backs into and falls on his own goalie like that. Brutal.
-And now 2-0. If Theo was in, I'd say they have a chance, but Varlamov's playing great.
-Crowd is totally quiet, at least on TV. I hope it's a little more enthusiastic in person. Habs need the seventh man now more than ever.
-The Bergeron on D bubble has officially burst. And Jaro gets chased.
-It's got to feel absolutely terrible to be sitting there after getting pulled, with everyone AND the TV cameras staring at you, and all you want to do is swear and break things.
-Now the temptation is to open things up, but that will lead to further burnings. I guess the Habs know how the ladies of Salem used to feel.
-I'm learning to hate Ovechkin. For ten million bucks a year, you'd think he'd buy himself a friggin' tooth. Cretin. And I hope he gets herpes by kissing his dirty glove all the time.
-Well, at least I'm not having a heart attack this game. Just crying. It started out so well.
-Maybe whatever Pleks said to the ref in Czech just *sounded* like something rude in English? Because he's not a jerk and they're treating him like he is one.
-This is so awful. Can they even take anything positive into the third?
Notes on the first:
-Dressing room shots show the goalies. Varlamov's hair looks like a cross between a Ken doll and a shag carpet helmet.
-Hey...what ever happened to introducing the entire lineup before the first home playoff game? Great to see Mr.Beliveau in the crowd, though.
-Good, aggressive first couple of minutes. I'm taking heart.
-You don't think of Backstrom as being all that strong, but he's really like a big old Swedish ox on skates.
-Just before midway through the period, they're looking like they did in the first of the Game One: way too many giveaways, missed passes and icings.
-Pleky's line is rocking and/or rolling tonight. It's a good sign to see AK banging the stick for the puck. When he wants it, he's on.
-The kill on the AK penalty lit them up like August grass in California. Varlamov's hot, though.
-I hate to criticize Spacek, who's been heroic, but damn! If he could only hit the net, he'd have scored.
-Lapierre is not great on the boards. For a guy his size, he loses a lot of battles. I guess you CAN turtle in the corners.
-Jaro's looking pretty decent so far. He's going to have to be very strong for the next forty.
Pre-game notes:
-I'm as nervous as a goalie's mother.
-Just two wishes for tonight: fair reffing and no booing the home team, no matter what.
-I can't believe Metro is back already. The man is at least one part titanium.
-Goalie I most hope to see in this game: Theodore. Yeah, yeah, I know Varlamov is starting. You know what I mean.
-Cap I'm most scared of tonight: Green. He's been invisible, but I don't think it'll last.
-I wonder if the people at TSN had to send out a memo to the on-air crew, to at least appear to be unbiased, just for this series?
-The noise is going to be tremendous. I hope the Caps don't get inspired by accident.
Recovery Mission
A few of you have been expressing your belief that the Habs are in a great position in this series and have every chance to win it, despite the horrible shock of Saturday's loss. With twenty-four hours to recover from that heartbreaker, I'm feeling a little bit better about the situation as well. Hope's a funny thing. It can drain out of you like the sand running through an hourglass until you feel empty and desolate. Then you pick yourself up and flip the glass over and you can almost feel hope trickling back. I think situations like Saturday's might be harder on the fans than on the players in some ways. We can do nothing but stand by and watch and hope. The players are the ones with their fate in their own hands. They can get out there and fight back, if they're prepared and focussed.
That's where the veterans and coaches come in. A guy like Hal Gill, who won the Cup just last year and wears the "A" well, or a coach like Kirk Muller, who captained a Cup winner in Montreal himself, needs to stand up and get the team ready. The question is, what do they say? How can they get a team that just got an emotional kick in the nuts back on its feet and ready to rumble tonight?
I'd start with a video session showing all the things they did right. There's lots to show, too. Spacek and Gill are playing some great shut-down defence. Moore and Moen are forechecking machines. Both of the top lines are playing fast, aggressive, skilled hockey. Then I'd contrast the "good" video with lowlights of the third in the last game...not to rub it in, but to illustrate the difference. I'd show them how the D was backing in in the third, when it had been challenging more earlier in the game. I'd point out how the fourth line started using their sticks a lot more than their bodies once the Habs had a lead.
In my pre-game speech, I'd say a loss like Saturday's sucks, but there are lessons to take from it. Washington was the more desperate team because they couldn't afford to give up both home games. Yet, the Habs stayed with the most talented team in the league, which was extra-primed by the necessity of winning, and got them to OT. That's really something. They also learned to keep a closer eye on Backstrom, and never let up against this team because even a big lead isn't safe.
I'd tell my team they can do it and if they stick to basics with hard work, they *will* do it. The most important thing to remember is never give up. If they keep fighting, they'll always have a chance. And I'd reinforce the dream of winning in Montreal, a city that will love them more than any other if they can pull it off.
I'd tell them if they're mad about the crappy officiating, that they should put that anger into skating harder, shooting more often and hitting everything that moves. I'd remind them that everyone's talking about the crappy officiating, so they might actually get a break from referees who are paranoid about looking biased. I'd finish up by telling them I believe in them and I believe they can do it. Then tell them to go out and kick some Crapital ass.
So, what would you say, if you wanted to get a team primed for tonight?
That's where the veterans and coaches come in. A guy like Hal Gill, who won the Cup just last year and wears the "A" well, or a coach like Kirk Muller, who captained a Cup winner in Montreal himself, needs to stand up and get the team ready. The question is, what do they say? How can they get a team that just got an emotional kick in the nuts back on its feet and ready to rumble tonight?
I'd start with a video session showing all the things they did right. There's lots to show, too. Spacek and Gill are playing some great shut-down defence. Moore and Moen are forechecking machines. Both of the top lines are playing fast, aggressive, skilled hockey. Then I'd contrast the "good" video with lowlights of the third in the last game...not to rub it in, but to illustrate the difference. I'd show them how the D was backing in in the third, when it had been challenging more earlier in the game. I'd point out how the fourth line started using their sticks a lot more than their bodies once the Habs had a lead.
In my pre-game speech, I'd say a loss like Saturday's sucks, but there are lessons to take from it. Washington was the more desperate team because they couldn't afford to give up both home games. Yet, the Habs stayed with the most talented team in the league, which was extra-primed by the necessity of winning, and got them to OT. That's really something. They also learned to keep a closer eye on Backstrom, and never let up against this team because even a big lead isn't safe.
I'd tell my team they can do it and if they stick to basics with hard work, they *will* do it. The most important thing to remember is never give up. If they keep fighting, they'll always have a chance. And I'd reinforce the dream of winning in Montreal, a city that will love them more than any other if they can pull it off.
I'd tell them if they're mad about the crappy officiating, that they should put that anger into skating harder, shooting more often and hitting everything that moves. I'd remind them that everyone's talking about the crappy officiating, so they might actually get a break from referees who are paranoid about looking biased. I'd finish up by telling them I believe in them and I believe they can do it. Then tell them to go out and kick some Crapital ass.
So, what would you say, if you wanted to get a team primed for tonight?
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Aftermath: Broken Hearts
Oh, this hurts. They had it in their hands. Twice. They had it. We can talk about the atrocious reffing or the Caps' blatant interference on Halak, but they had it and they blew it. I won't talk about the goaltending, even though Jaro should have had the fifth goal, because a team wins as a team and it loses as a team and our team blew it last night.
While the conspiracy theories rage and the hand-wringing and tooth-grinding escalate, the fact is the game is in the books. There's no going back now, and there's another one tomorrow night. The question I have now is how will the team approach it?
One of two things will happen. In the best case, the team will be able to dismiss this heartbreak and reset mentally to dealing with a five-game series. They'll look at the things they did right, like the way they shut down the best offensive team in the league for five periods and an overtime. They'll focus on the way both of the top two lines have found their scoring touch simultaneously for the first time all year. The veteran Cup winners on the team will buoy the younger guys and explain that hearts get broken in the playoffs, but as long as there's another game, there's another chance to mend them. Nobody gets through the post-season without adversity. They'll realize that the Caps threw everything they had at them, and the Canadiens hung in there and stayed right with them. They'll learn from their mistakes.
The other choice is to wallow in the heartbreak. It's a tempting choice, because the vision of going home up two games to none was close enough to touch. Imagine coming within one number of winning the lottery, but you need a 3 and they call a 4? You're no worse off for having missed money you never had to begin with, but the spectre of almost being rich would haunt you. They've got to be angry at themselves, frustrated and completely disheartened. They played a beautiful game with great defence, and they capitalized on their scoring chances. They should have had it, but even playing nearly as well as they're possibly capable of playing, they couldn't hold off the Caps. That's got to be a devastating revelation.
I'm not sure how the team will take it or how they'll recover mentally from last night, but I know the fans have taken a real emotional blow with this loss. If any of us had been told last week that the Habs would not only get a split in Washington, but would come to within a minute-and-a-half of taking both games, we'd have been thrilled. Now, though, when they were so close to having it all, that split feels really hollow. When Plekanec scored the game winner on Thursday, I felt like this team could have a chance, if they kept doing what they did in Game One. They did that for most of last night, but couldn't hold them off anyway.
I truly believe anything can happen in the playoffs. But I also believe in momentum, and the Caps have it now. That win last night had to have been hugely inspiring for them and let them prove their offence can carry them out of trouble. They'll have confidence and be cocky heading into Montreal. While it's true this is now a best-of-five series and the teams are square, it's not like starting from scratch. The first game of a series is always about feeling out the opponent, but now the teams have each other's measure. Game Three will be a war, if the Habs stand up and fight. It will be outright destruction if they don't.
I have to confess, even though the series is tied, I feel like last night was a turning point. The Habs gave it everything they had, and it wasn't enough. Nobody backed down or failed to show up. They were just overwhelmed. I'm not sure they can recover from this blow, or have enough in the tank to eke out three more wins against this juggernaut. I want to believe they can. I really do. But the Caps showed us that sometimes the favourite is the favourite because they just have more and bigger weapons to throw at you.
There's always hope that the Caps can't sustain that level of ferocity, and that the Habs will learn from their mistakes and hold the lead next time they're lucky enough to have one. But it feels an awful lot like they climbed Everest, only to stumble and fall just before the reached the summit. Wasting a phenomenal effort like that is enough to make anyone want to give up. Whether they can catch themselves before plunging all the way down is the big unknown. I hope they'll fight, even if the climb is hard.
We'll find out tomorrow what they're made of mentally. It would be difficult for any team to recover from having it in their hands and handing it back. When the team is the underdog, though, it's that much harder. And boy, does it hurt.
While the conspiracy theories rage and the hand-wringing and tooth-grinding escalate, the fact is the game is in the books. There's no going back now, and there's another one tomorrow night. The question I have now is how will the team approach it?
One of two things will happen. In the best case, the team will be able to dismiss this heartbreak and reset mentally to dealing with a five-game series. They'll look at the things they did right, like the way they shut down the best offensive team in the league for five periods and an overtime. They'll focus on the way both of the top two lines have found their scoring touch simultaneously for the first time all year. The veteran Cup winners on the team will buoy the younger guys and explain that hearts get broken in the playoffs, but as long as there's another game, there's another chance to mend them. Nobody gets through the post-season without adversity. They'll realize that the Caps threw everything they had at them, and the Canadiens hung in there and stayed right with them. They'll learn from their mistakes.
The other choice is to wallow in the heartbreak. It's a tempting choice, because the vision of going home up two games to none was close enough to touch. Imagine coming within one number of winning the lottery, but you need a 3 and they call a 4? You're no worse off for having missed money you never had to begin with, but the spectre of almost being rich would haunt you. They've got to be angry at themselves, frustrated and completely disheartened. They played a beautiful game with great defence, and they capitalized on their scoring chances. They should have had it, but even playing nearly as well as they're possibly capable of playing, they couldn't hold off the Caps. That's got to be a devastating revelation.
I'm not sure how the team will take it or how they'll recover mentally from last night, but I know the fans have taken a real emotional blow with this loss. If any of us had been told last week that the Habs would not only get a split in Washington, but would come to within a minute-and-a-half of taking both games, we'd have been thrilled. Now, though, when they were so close to having it all, that split feels really hollow. When Plekanec scored the game winner on Thursday, I felt like this team could have a chance, if they kept doing what they did in Game One. They did that for most of last night, but couldn't hold them off anyway.
I truly believe anything can happen in the playoffs. But I also believe in momentum, and the Caps have it now. That win last night had to have been hugely inspiring for them and let them prove their offence can carry them out of trouble. They'll have confidence and be cocky heading into Montreal. While it's true this is now a best-of-five series and the teams are square, it's not like starting from scratch. The first game of a series is always about feeling out the opponent, but now the teams have each other's measure. Game Three will be a war, if the Habs stand up and fight. It will be outright destruction if they don't.
I have to confess, even though the series is tied, I feel like last night was a turning point. The Habs gave it everything they had, and it wasn't enough. Nobody backed down or failed to show up. They were just overwhelmed. I'm not sure they can recover from this blow, or have enough in the tank to eke out three more wins against this juggernaut. I want to believe they can. I really do. But the Caps showed us that sometimes the favourite is the favourite because they just have more and bigger weapons to throw at you.
There's always hope that the Caps can't sustain that level of ferocity, and that the Habs will learn from their mistakes and hold the lead next time they're lucky enough to have one. But it feels an awful lot like they climbed Everest, only to stumble and fall just before the reached the summit. Wasting a phenomenal effort like that is enough to make anyone want to give up. Whether they can catch themselves before plunging all the way down is the big unknown. I hope they'll fight, even if the climb is hard.
We'll find out tomorrow what they're made of mentally. It would be difficult for any team to recover from having it in their hands and handing it back. When the team is the underdog, though, it's that much harder. And boy, does it hurt.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Habs vs. Caps Game Two: Diggin' A Hole
Notes on OT:
-Ugh.
Notes on the third:
-Great penalty kill.
-What a crap goal! Lapierre is the weak link here tonight.
-Gomez dropping the gloves for the win is so glorious. He's earned two-thirds of his salary now.
-What the hell is the Caps' mascot supposed to be? It looks like something from a Bugs Bunny cartoon.
-God, it's like being Germany against Team Canada
-When did pinching your man off become interference? I hate the refs.
-Jagr with the go-ahead goal. I'm so glad the Habs signed him.
-Pouliot...if the Caps tie it on this PP, you're a dead man.
-I love Halak, but come ON. That tying goal was atrocious. No, beyond atrocious. It was crippling.
Notes on the second:
-What's with Pouliot and the falling down? It looks like he's got an inner-ear imbalance.
-It seems like the glass in Washington is very low.
-They're all over Plekanec. He can't have a crap without a Cap.
-Hal Gill is doing his thing again tonight. He's pushing people to the outside better than a snobby cheerleader.
-If the Habs could complete a pass, they'd be up by three.
-AK! That's the way to hurt your compatriots!
-I think Muller must have had a bet with Martin about whether the Habs would make the playoffs and the forfeit was that if they made it, Muller would get to coach the team. That's the only explanation for this.
-People say Spatch is fat, but if he is, he's on the Ovy diet now.
-Speaking of whom, if Spacek was going to hit the net once this year, this was the time to do it.
-Aaaaannnd...he doesn't get the goal anyway because AK gets the hatty. No problem. I'm sure Spatch will wait for his first.
-Great call on the hand pass by the Caps. Sometimes they're right on the money.
-Up by two, going into the third, and you can't trust that the Caps won't come back. The Habs have to keep pushing hard.
Notes on the first:
-How lovely would it be to go back to Montreal up 2-0? I'm almost afraid to hope.
-GIONTA! Miniature playoff warrior. He should have his own breakfast cereal or something.
-This must be what soldiers in the trenches felt like while they were waiting for reinforcements. Only, the Habs don't get reinforcements. They just have to wait for the clock to run out.
-Andrei Kostitsyn is like an anti-tank weapon...when he wants to be.
-Theeeee--ooooo, Theeeeee---ooooooooo
-I'm worried about Varlamov, though. He was really good in the first round last year.
-The fourth line looks a little bit overmatched tonight. They don't have quite the jump they had in game one.
-Bergeron stood Backstrom up like an ugly blind date. He's playing his heart out.
-Dear Bob Gainey, thank you very much for the very nice Spacek you got us in the off-season. It was a bit wobbly at first, but now it's working just fine.
-Good period, all things considered. I want a win so, so badly!
-Ugh.
Notes on the third:
-Great penalty kill.
-What a crap goal! Lapierre is the weak link here tonight.
-Gomez dropping the gloves for the win is so glorious. He's earned two-thirds of his salary now.
-What the hell is the Caps' mascot supposed to be? It looks like something from a Bugs Bunny cartoon.
-God, it's like being Germany against Team Canada
-When did pinching your man off become interference? I hate the refs.
-Jagr with the go-ahead goal. I'm so glad the Habs signed him.
-Pouliot...if the Caps tie it on this PP, you're a dead man.
-I love Halak, but come ON. That tying goal was atrocious. No, beyond atrocious. It was crippling.
Notes on the second:
-What's with Pouliot and the falling down? It looks like he's got an inner-ear imbalance.
-It seems like the glass in Washington is very low.
-They're all over Plekanec. He can't have a crap without a Cap.
-Hal Gill is doing his thing again tonight. He's pushing people to the outside better than a snobby cheerleader.
-If the Habs could complete a pass, they'd be up by three.
-AK! That's the way to hurt your compatriots!
-I think Muller must have had a bet with Martin about whether the Habs would make the playoffs and the forfeit was that if they made it, Muller would get to coach the team. That's the only explanation for this.
-People say Spatch is fat, but if he is, he's on the Ovy diet now.
-Speaking of whom, if Spacek was going to hit the net once this year, this was the time to do it.
-Aaaaannnd...he doesn't get the goal anyway because AK gets the hatty. No problem. I'm sure Spatch will wait for his first.
-Great call on the hand pass by the Caps. Sometimes they're right on the money.
-Up by two, going into the third, and you can't trust that the Caps won't come back. The Habs have to keep pushing hard.
Notes on the first:
-How lovely would it be to go back to Montreal up 2-0? I'm almost afraid to hope.
-GIONTA! Miniature playoff warrior. He should have his own breakfast cereal or something.
-This must be what soldiers in the trenches felt like while they were waiting for reinforcements. Only, the Habs don't get reinforcements. They just have to wait for the clock to run out.
-Andrei Kostitsyn is like an anti-tank weapon...when he wants to be.
-Theeeee--ooooo, Theeeeee---ooooooooo
-I'm worried about Varlamov, though. He was really good in the first round last year.
-The fourth line looks a little bit overmatched tonight. They don't have quite the jump they had in game one.
-Bergeron stood Backstrom up like an ugly blind date. He's playing his heart out.
-Dear Bob Gainey, thank you very much for the very nice Spacek you got us in the off-season. It was a bit wobbly at first, but now it's working just fine.
-Good period, all things considered. I want a win so, so badly!
Friday, April 16, 2010
Long Live the Underdog
There's something about a team everyone says doesn't have a chance that makes you hope they prove the experts wrong. I think there's something about it that makes a team believe in itself, too. If everyone says they don't have a chance, the guys on a team tend to pull together and say, "What the hell, it's us against the world."
Those are the teams you can love. They're the teams you can root for in the playoffs, even if you hate them in the regular season. I don't love the Nashville Predators ordinarily, but watching them stand up to the mighty 'Hawks last night was fun. Watching the eighth-seed Avs take the lead on the powerful Sharks for the second game in a row was impressive.
I'm sure part of it stems from the feeling that it's somewhat unfair for the strong teams to be so strong in the first place. Most of them...the 'Hawks, Caps and Pens, for example...are strong because they sucked for years and claimed franchise players in the draft. Others, like the Sharks, are so doomed in the playoffs it's like a train wreck; we can't turn away from their continued failure. And others, like the Wings, we just get sick of. We liked them once, but now we're tired of their success and we want to see them finished.
For us poor Habs fans, rooting for the underdog generally stems from our love of fairy tales, and the situation with our own team. That's what we get these days. Our team isn't the powerhouse it was years ago. Now, it just barely scrapes into the playoffs and it's almost always the underdog. So we have sympathy for the others in our class. We support the working team and shun the elite. It's no different from trade unions versus bosses. We want heroes. Tough, underdog goalies and failed big-money superstars make our day. We want teams who tell OUR story and make us relevant.
Most of all, if one underdog can win, so can another. It gives us hope to root for them. That's why we look back at '71 and ask, "Hey, if that team could do it, why can't this one?" Why can't it, indeed. The stories of underdogs prove anything, and everything, is possible. Those stories are what keep us coming back, and they're what make us believe.
There's nothing on paper that says the Canadiens, or the Senators or Flyers or Predators or Avalanche should win their playoff series. But off paper, on the ice, there's heart and luck and skill and grit that says they might. That's why we love underdogs. They give us a chance to believe and hope in a way that cheering for a favourite, with the automatically assumed sense of entitlement, doesn't give us. We appreciate the miracle wins. We love the hero goalies and the clutch goal scorers more than those who expect those things.
So far this playoff season, it's the year of the underdog and I love it. Who let the dogs out? Parity, hope and good luck let them out and I hope they run free for a long while yet.
Those are the teams you can love. They're the teams you can root for in the playoffs, even if you hate them in the regular season. I don't love the Nashville Predators ordinarily, but watching them stand up to the mighty 'Hawks last night was fun. Watching the eighth-seed Avs take the lead on the powerful Sharks for the second game in a row was impressive.
I'm sure part of it stems from the feeling that it's somewhat unfair for the strong teams to be so strong in the first place. Most of them...the 'Hawks, Caps and Pens, for example...are strong because they sucked for years and claimed franchise players in the draft. Others, like the Sharks, are so doomed in the playoffs it's like a train wreck; we can't turn away from their continued failure. And others, like the Wings, we just get sick of. We liked them once, but now we're tired of their success and we want to see them finished.
For us poor Habs fans, rooting for the underdog generally stems from our love of fairy tales, and the situation with our own team. That's what we get these days. Our team isn't the powerhouse it was years ago. Now, it just barely scrapes into the playoffs and it's almost always the underdog. So we have sympathy for the others in our class. We support the working team and shun the elite. It's no different from trade unions versus bosses. We want heroes. Tough, underdog goalies and failed big-money superstars make our day. We want teams who tell OUR story and make us relevant.
Most of all, if one underdog can win, so can another. It gives us hope to root for them. That's why we look back at '71 and ask, "Hey, if that team could do it, why can't this one?" Why can't it, indeed. The stories of underdogs prove anything, and everything, is possible. Those stories are what keep us coming back, and they're what make us believe.
There's nothing on paper that says the Canadiens, or the Senators or Flyers or Predators or Avalanche should win their playoff series. But off paper, on the ice, there's heart and luck and skill and grit that says they might. That's why we love underdogs. They give us a chance to believe and hope in a way that cheering for a favourite, with the automatically assumed sense of entitlement, doesn't give us. We appreciate the miracle wins. We love the hero goalies and the clutch goal scorers more than those who expect those things.
So far this playoff season, it's the year of the underdog and I love it. Who let the dogs out? Parity, hope and good luck let them out and I hope they run free for a long while yet.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
