Notes on the third:
-Martin between periods: "Okay, who hijacked The System? Kirkie, I need a nitro tablet for the third."
-Pouliot misses the net so often, I pity the person who cleans his bathroom.
-People crap on Desharnais for only playing well against skating teams like the Caps, but his two best games have been against Philly and the Bs.
-Pax on the PP, and you can hear the collective tightening of Bs' fans sphincters from here.
-This is hell on the goalie stats.
-Wiz is scary on D sometimes, but you can't argue with his points. I say dump Spacek next year and keep the Wiz.
-Just as I write about DD's great game, he takes a dumbass penalty and puts his team back in the hole.
-Subban's just bad tonight. Bad positioning, bad decisions. Bad everything.
-Eight goals on Price. One more and he'll tell Molson he's played his last game as a Hab.
-When Bs fans chant "U.S.A.", it tells us that, contrary to all evidence, they actually do seem to know their geographical location.
-Really? Is there any point to Spacek and Pyatt getting their asses kicked, on top of it all? The sight of Pyatt's blood has the Neanderthals in Boston thinking how cool it would be to invent fire.
-I hope they enjoy their 8 goals and their fights. This is their Stanley Cup. Idiots.
-Good for Pax to pop another one after all the bullshit. Thomas continues to suck against the Habs.
-I hate the Bruins. The leafs pale in comparison.
Notes on the second:
-The Captain's bailing out this sinking boat.
-And Subban gets one back on the boo-birds! (Although that really looked like a tip by Pax.)
-Canadiens' D is gone. They're just completely absent. Unreal.
-Hey, Weber! Nice to see that the bullet shot isn't just a rumour.
-What the hell is going on here? Bruins are cutting through the Habs like a shark through a school of minnows.
-Two cheap head shots on Canadiens before that giant scrum. Let's see how many get called.
-Goalie fight?! Price wins, and the Bs fans are getting their money's worth.
-All the vets get a seat in the penalty box. Eller's got to stand.
-It'd be really helpful if someone would drop a bomb in the Bs penalty box right about now.
-And the goals keep coming. Desharnais is playing really well.
-The odd-man rushes keep coming as well. Is there a National Defence holiday I didn't know about?
-Well. After all that, nothing's really changed. Still down by two, and you have to think Julien will talk his team down for the third.
Notes on the first:
-I think I dislike Rene Rancourt more than Kate Smith...and that's saying a LOT.
-Saved by Bergeron's broken stick. One of the few times a break goes in favour of the Habs.
-Thomas robbed Desharnais like Clyde Barrow robbed banks.
-Why do the Habs have to make a simple zone clearance look like bowling in oven mitts?
-Lucic's Simian arms give him an unfair reach. It's like playing against a baboon.
-Why do Bs fans boo Subban? Other than being total cretins, I mean?
-Hamrlik's close call really makes you look into the "no playoff" abyss. The team can't handle another D injury.
-Can Recchi not retire already? He's got to be a hundred by now. And he kills the Habs every time.
-Someone needs to tell Price and Subban it's not a bloody baseball game.
-That Price theft of a sure Horton goal might have saved what's left of this game.
-Price again! And manhandling Lucic into the bargain.
-Subban's playing a pretty bad game tonight. He's lucky everyone's injured, or he'd be in the pressbox.
-This game is disgraceful. 18-8 down in shots, 2-0 down in goals. The Canadiens have spent the bulk of the period in their own end.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
Grading the Goat
One year ago today, Bob Gainey resigned as Canadiens' GM. At the press conference announcing his decision to go, he said being a general manager requires a long-term vision and a commitment he no longer felt. A breath later, he revealed he'd be succeeded by his assistant and friend, Pierre Gauthier.
Immediately, the overwhelming reaction from Habs fans was some version of "what the hell are they thinking?" Critics pointed to his lack of notable success in the GM's role in either Ottawa or Anaheim. Others were wary of the apparent lack of due diligence by the Canadiens in hiring Gainey's replacement. Guys like Detroit's Jim Nill and Steve Yzerman were touted as management up-and-comers, and didn't get a look in at the Habs job. Still others blamed language, concluding that the Canadiens had just grabbed the first qualified French-speaking candidate for the job and considered it done.
There may be a grain of truth in all of those criticisms, but only the passage of time will allow us to see how much validity they really have. Now, one year into Gauthier's tenure as Canadiens general manager, we have a body of work upon which to base more studied opinions of his ability to build a team.
It didn't take long for Gauthier to get to work last year. Only three days into his new position, he traded a 2011 second-round pick for Dominic Moore. At the time, the trade baffled a lot of fans and convinced them the negative opinions of Gauthier's hire were justified. Moore, after all, was a journeyman who hadn't been able to stick with any team for long. He'd only put up 17 points in 48 games with Florida, and a second-rounder looked like a pretty steep price to pay for a guy like that. As it turned out, Moore helped solidify the bottom six, won lots of faceoffs and scored the game-winning goal in Game Seven against the Capitals. Moore was a valuable contributor, and even though there are still critics who say the second was too much to give up for him, many observers are now of the opinion that losing the pick was worth it because it helped the team make that great playoff run.
Gauthier next made a move that he's repeated several times in the last year. He traded a young player who seemed to have stagnated in his development at the NHL level for a younger prospect, when he moved Matt D'Agostini to St.Louis for Aaron Palushaj. At the time, D'Agostini had only two goals in 40 games in Montreal. He was going on 25 years old and had yet to make a significant bid for a regular spot with the Habs. The jury's still out on that one, but D'Agostini has cooled off since making a quick start in St.Louis this season. Meanwhile, Palushaj is three years younger. He's in his second full AHL season, and has struggled at times in Hamilton. He's got the potential to make it in the NHL, but it will likely be another year or two before we see it happen.
We can't properly judge the winner in that trade yet, but it's emblematic of a philosophy of asset management Gauthier has revealed several times. He moved an underperfoming and troublesome Sergei Kostitsyn for a free-agent gamble that really hasn't worked out. Neither of the players involved on the Nashville side; Dustin Boyd or Dan Ellis, are Canadiens right now, although there's still a slight hope, driven by his goal-scoring explosion in Hamilton, that Boyd could still revive his pro career.
Gauthier also traded a permanently-scratched Ryan O'Byrne for a promising prospect in Michael Bournival and a disappointing Maxim Lapierre for a potential depth defenceman in Brett Festerling as well as a fifth-round pick.
In all four trades, Gauthier attempted to move players who had failed to improve from year to year while bringing younger players or draft picks back to the organization. The philosophy makes sense, as those players would have likely been lost to free agency or waivers for nothing anyway. The success of the trades, because the players they brought to Montreal are still so young, are unknown so far.
There's less doubt about how Gauthier has filled the team's immediate needs. The Moore trade last year certainly helped in the Canadiens' playoff run. This year, faced with the loss of both Andrei Markov and Josh Gorges, he moved this year's second-rounder for James Wisniewski. The Wiz has revived the PP, and won the New Year's Florida game all by himself. The immediate impact of his arrival has helped fill a desperate need and kept the team competitive. That trade could very well be responsible for the Canadiens making the playoffs or not. That Wisniewski is still quite young and seems to be open to re-signing in Montreal next year is a bonus.
Gauthier's free-agent signings have been modest, but astute. Alex Auld is a decent backup for Carey Price, and though he's not the best second stringer in the league, he's a stop-gap guy who came to Montreal for a pretty good deal. Alexandre Picard was a small signing when it happened, but he's been able to step in in games like this weekend's, in which a regular D was out sick, and handle himself respectably. Mathieu Darche has become the poster boy for hard work and determination, and Jeff Halpern was an outright steal. The man is a rock on the third line, wins faceoffs and kills penalties brilliantly. To get him for 600-thousand when free agency pressure was weighing on him was excellent work. And there's no doubt Gauthier's best signing, the long-term extension of Tomas Plekanec, was well done.
Looking to the future, Gauthier has just one draft under his belt as GM, but he made a bit of a splash there too. He traded his first and second picks to Phoenix for their first and fourth. The move enabled him to move up five spots and draft the first-rounder he really wanted; Jarred Tinordi. That move came with a risk because draft picks, even first-rounders are a crap shoot and Tinordi hasn't been the lights-out shut-down defenceman the Habs were banking he'd be in his first OHL season. He's got lots of time to develop, of course, but he's a project and when Habs fans hear "defenceman" and "project" in reference to the team's first-rounders, they get a bit suspicious.
No matter what else he does, however, Gauthier's boldest and most defining move as Habs GM was the Jaroslav Halak trade. Barely a month after Halak led the Canadiens to their best playoff in seventeen years with some absolutely brilliant goaltending, Gauthier pulled the trigger on the deal that sent Montreal's newest hero to the Blues for Lars Eller and Ian Schultz. The trade required a lot of nerve, considering Halak's post-season performance and Carey Price's poor season. Gauthier really put his neck on the line, considering the success of the trade depended on Price outgoaling Halak, when he'd given little indication for the last two seasons that he'd be able to do so. As it has turned out, Price is having a fabulous year while Halak has been inconsistent in St.Louis. Lars Eller is showing flashes of skill that offer hope he'll bloom into an productive NHL player. That trade could have gone either way, but the Habs appear to be the winners right now. As a legacy trade, it's looking decent for Gauthier.
Looking at the ledger of assets moved versus assets acquired, the Canadiens would seem to come out on the negative side. D'Agostini, O'Byrne, Kostitsyn and Lapierre are all filling NHL jobs for other teams while nobody the Habs got back is in the big league right now. The pick for Moore could be seen as a waste because Gauthier decided not to re-sign him last summer.
In the big picture, though, there's only one question we need to ask in judging Gauthier's stint as general manager, and that is, is the team getting better? By the numbers, the immediate answer is in the affirmative. The team is ahead of its points pace from last year. It's allowed fewer goals and it has been amazingly consistent considering the depth of its injury troubles. It seems the Canadiens have a good chance of securing a playoff spot without squeaking in on the last day.
Bob Gainey, before he called it quits on this day last year, supplied the core of this hardworking, dedicated team. His successor has tweaked and trimmed and has helped shape a squad we know will give its best nearly every night. He's also begun to prepare for the future by bringing in new prospects who are known for leadership and effort. The team is not perfect. We know scoring is a problem, as is physical strength up front. Gauthier will have to address those needs if the Canadiens are to keep improving. After a year, we can conclude that he recognizes those weaknesses and will move prudently to fix them as the right players become available. In this age of salary caps and valuable youth, he's made some smart moves. A year has helped him put his own stamp on the team. It's also given fans reason to trust that the Habs...even if it didn't look like it this time last year...are in safe hands.
Immediately, the overwhelming reaction from Habs fans was some version of "what the hell are they thinking?" Critics pointed to his lack of notable success in the GM's role in either Ottawa or Anaheim. Others were wary of the apparent lack of due diligence by the Canadiens in hiring Gainey's replacement. Guys like Detroit's Jim Nill and Steve Yzerman were touted as management up-and-comers, and didn't get a look in at the Habs job. Still others blamed language, concluding that the Canadiens had just grabbed the first qualified French-speaking candidate for the job and considered it done.
There may be a grain of truth in all of those criticisms, but only the passage of time will allow us to see how much validity they really have. Now, one year into Gauthier's tenure as Canadiens general manager, we have a body of work upon which to base more studied opinions of his ability to build a team.
It didn't take long for Gauthier to get to work last year. Only three days into his new position, he traded a 2011 second-round pick for Dominic Moore. At the time, the trade baffled a lot of fans and convinced them the negative opinions of Gauthier's hire were justified. Moore, after all, was a journeyman who hadn't been able to stick with any team for long. He'd only put up 17 points in 48 games with Florida, and a second-rounder looked like a pretty steep price to pay for a guy like that. As it turned out, Moore helped solidify the bottom six, won lots of faceoffs and scored the game-winning goal in Game Seven against the Capitals. Moore was a valuable contributor, and even though there are still critics who say the second was too much to give up for him, many observers are now of the opinion that losing the pick was worth it because it helped the team make that great playoff run.
Gauthier next made a move that he's repeated several times in the last year. He traded a young player who seemed to have stagnated in his development at the NHL level for a younger prospect, when he moved Matt D'Agostini to St.Louis for Aaron Palushaj. At the time, D'Agostini had only two goals in 40 games in Montreal. He was going on 25 years old and had yet to make a significant bid for a regular spot with the Habs. The jury's still out on that one, but D'Agostini has cooled off since making a quick start in St.Louis this season. Meanwhile, Palushaj is three years younger. He's in his second full AHL season, and has struggled at times in Hamilton. He's got the potential to make it in the NHL, but it will likely be another year or two before we see it happen.
We can't properly judge the winner in that trade yet, but it's emblematic of a philosophy of asset management Gauthier has revealed several times. He moved an underperfoming and troublesome Sergei Kostitsyn for a free-agent gamble that really hasn't worked out. Neither of the players involved on the Nashville side; Dustin Boyd or Dan Ellis, are Canadiens right now, although there's still a slight hope, driven by his goal-scoring explosion in Hamilton, that Boyd could still revive his pro career.
Gauthier also traded a permanently-scratched Ryan O'Byrne for a promising prospect in Michael Bournival and a disappointing Maxim Lapierre for a potential depth defenceman in Brett Festerling as well as a fifth-round pick.
In all four trades, Gauthier attempted to move players who had failed to improve from year to year while bringing younger players or draft picks back to the organization. The philosophy makes sense, as those players would have likely been lost to free agency or waivers for nothing anyway. The success of the trades, because the players they brought to Montreal are still so young, are unknown so far.
There's less doubt about how Gauthier has filled the team's immediate needs. The Moore trade last year certainly helped in the Canadiens' playoff run. This year, faced with the loss of both Andrei Markov and Josh Gorges, he moved this year's second-rounder for James Wisniewski. The Wiz has revived the PP, and won the New Year's Florida game all by himself. The immediate impact of his arrival has helped fill a desperate need and kept the team competitive. That trade could very well be responsible for the Canadiens making the playoffs or not. That Wisniewski is still quite young and seems to be open to re-signing in Montreal next year is a bonus.
Gauthier's free-agent signings have been modest, but astute. Alex Auld is a decent backup for Carey Price, and though he's not the best second stringer in the league, he's a stop-gap guy who came to Montreal for a pretty good deal. Alexandre Picard was a small signing when it happened, but he's been able to step in in games like this weekend's, in which a regular D was out sick, and handle himself respectably. Mathieu Darche has become the poster boy for hard work and determination, and Jeff Halpern was an outright steal. The man is a rock on the third line, wins faceoffs and kills penalties brilliantly. To get him for 600-thousand when free agency pressure was weighing on him was excellent work. And there's no doubt Gauthier's best signing, the long-term extension of Tomas Plekanec, was well done.
Looking to the future, Gauthier has just one draft under his belt as GM, but he made a bit of a splash there too. He traded his first and second picks to Phoenix for their first and fourth. The move enabled him to move up five spots and draft the first-rounder he really wanted; Jarred Tinordi. That move came with a risk because draft picks, even first-rounders are a crap shoot and Tinordi hasn't been the lights-out shut-down defenceman the Habs were banking he'd be in his first OHL season. He's got lots of time to develop, of course, but he's a project and when Habs fans hear "defenceman" and "project" in reference to the team's first-rounders, they get a bit suspicious.
No matter what else he does, however, Gauthier's boldest and most defining move as Habs GM was the Jaroslav Halak trade. Barely a month after Halak led the Canadiens to their best playoff in seventeen years with some absolutely brilliant goaltending, Gauthier pulled the trigger on the deal that sent Montreal's newest hero to the Blues for Lars Eller and Ian Schultz. The trade required a lot of nerve, considering Halak's post-season performance and Carey Price's poor season. Gauthier really put his neck on the line, considering the success of the trade depended on Price outgoaling Halak, when he'd given little indication for the last two seasons that he'd be able to do so. As it has turned out, Price is having a fabulous year while Halak has been inconsistent in St.Louis. Lars Eller is showing flashes of skill that offer hope he'll bloom into an productive NHL player. That trade could have gone either way, but the Habs appear to be the winners right now. As a legacy trade, it's looking decent for Gauthier.
Looking at the ledger of assets moved versus assets acquired, the Canadiens would seem to come out on the negative side. D'Agostini, O'Byrne, Kostitsyn and Lapierre are all filling NHL jobs for other teams while nobody the Habs got back is in the big league right now. The pick for Moore could be seen as a waste because Gauthier decided not to re-sign him last summer.
In the big picture, though, there's only one question we need to ask in judging Gauthier's stint as general manager, and that is, is the team getting better? By the numbers, the immediate answer is in the affirmative. The team is ahead of its points pace from last year. It's allowed fewer goals and it has been amazingly consistent considering the depth of its injury troubles. It seems the Canadiens have a good chance of securing a playoff spot without squeaking in on the last day.
Bob Gainey, before he called it quits on this day last year, supplied the core of this hardworking, dedicated team. His successor has tweaked and trimmed and has helped shape a squad we know will give its best nearly every night. He's also begun to prepare for the future by bringing in new prospects who are known for leadership and effort. The team is not perfect. We know scoring is a problem, as is physical strength up front. Gauthier will have to address those needs if the Canadiens are to keep improving. After a year, we can conclude that he recognizes those weaknesses and will move prudently to fix them as the right players become available. In this age of salary caps and valuable youth, he's made some smart moves. A year has helped him put his own stamp on the team. It's also given fans reason to trust that the Habs...even if it didn't look like it this time last year...are in safe hands.
Aftermath: Devilish
It would be easy to say the Canadiens lost to the Devils because of the "Devils Curse." It'd be even easier to say the loss was due to a depleted defence and missing Cammalleri in the top six. Those excuses are just excuses.
It's pretty hard to blame the missing Markov, Gorges and Wizniewski when Gill and Subban were the ones getting beaten like dusty rugs. It wasn't injury replacements giving the puck away like Gill did on the Devils first goal, just over a minute in. It wasn't fatigue on a back-to-back weekend either, because the Habs weren't falling behind late in the period. They were down two before the game was five minutes old.
No, in this case, the Devils came out ready and the Habs did not. End of story. Once Jersey went up by two, they just shut down the Habs' sputtering offence for the rest of the game. If, as some critics say, the Habs are just the "new Devils," the old Devils are still the kings at clogging up the neutral zone and suffocating all hope of offence. They forgot for a while, but the return of Jacques Lemaire has brought it all back. It's not that the Canadiens didn't try to get back into it. They did. After the first five minutes, they tried like hell. It just goes to show how tight the league really is. If a team slacks off for five minutes, it can mean the difference between two points and none.
That said, the Habs have done admirably since the all-star break. With two sets of back-to-back games (what's with all these back-to-backs anyway?) in a week, while battling illness and injury, they still managed to take six of eight points. And even when down against the Devils, they didn't quit. The Canadiens are a competitive bunch and they don't like to lose. That attitude can give us some comfort after a game like yesterday's. Every team loses games. At least the Canadiens lose them relatively infrequently.
As the team gears up for a real measuring-stick kind of game against the Bruins on Wednesday, however, we can be sure Pierre Gauthier is carefully considering what to do about some of the team's persistent weaknesses. The one thing they always have trouble with is getting to the net when faced with a tight-checking opponent. Also, the Habs are a hardworking team that, when on their game, can compete against anyone. The problem, perfectly illustrated by yesterday's loss, is that there's absolutely no room for error. When the Canadiens don't put in a full 60 minutes' effort, they lose. They need to be able to score goals more easily, and they need to be able to drive the net to break other teams' trap.
Max Pacioretty is doing that really effectively. He made a great move to push past a defenceman and get a shot off on the rush. The good news is, he's developing into a real power forward. The bad news is he's the only guy doing that right now. We've seen flashes of it from Benoit Pouliot and Andrei Kostitsyn, but neither of them is a consistent threat. Lars Eller has the size and skill to do it, but he's still pretty green. If Gauthier is shopping at the deadline, he needs to be looking for a mix of size and speed in a guy who goes to the net regularly. Among bottom feeders who are likely to sell at the deadline, Ottawa's Mike Fisher would be lovely. So would Trent Hunter from the Isles (his current knee injury would help him fit right in as a Hab) and the Oilers Dustin Penner. The thing is, all of those guys would be more than just rentals, and they would be expensive to acquire.
If Gauthier is considering a move, it should be for a player like that, who would be part of the team going forward. That way, since he's going to have to give up assets in any case, at least he won't be throwing them away for a long-shot playoff run that will limit the team's depth for next year.
It'll be interesting to see how the GM manouvers in the next couple of weeks. If he decides to stand pat, we know what the Habs' weaknesses will be going into the playoffs. Unfortunately, so will every opponent they face. They'll continue to be a hardworking team that wins when it out-hustles the other guys. When they let up for a few minutes, though, they fall behind. Sometimes, when the games are tight and the opponent stingy on D, the Canadiens just don't have the tools to get back into it.
It's pretty hard to blame the missing Markov, Gorges and Wizniewski when Gill and Subban were the ones getting beaten like dusty rugs. It wasn't injury replacements giving the puck away like Gill did on the Devils first goal, just over a minute in. It wasn't fatigue on a back-to-back weekend either, because the Habs weren't falling behind late in the period. They were down two before the game was five minutes old.
No, in this case, the Devils came out ready and the Habs did not. End of story. Once Jersey went up by two, they just shut down the Habs' sputtering offence for the rest of the game. If, as some critics say, the Habs are just the "new Devils," the old Devils are still the kings at clogging up the neutral zone and suffocating all hope of offence. They forgot for a while, but the return of Jacques Lemaire has brought it all back. It's not that the Canadiens didn't try to get back into it. They did. After the first five minutes, they tried like hell. It just goes to show how tight the league really is. If a team slacks off for five minutes, it can mean the difference between two points and none.
That said, the Habs have done admirably since the all-star break. With two sets of back-to-back games (what's with all these back-to-backs anyway?) in a week, while battling illness and injury, they still managed to take six of eight points. And even when down against the Devils, they didn't quit. The Canadiens are a competitive bunch and they don't like to lose. That attitude can give us some comfort after a game like yesterday's. Every team loses games. At least the Canadiens lose them relatively infrequently.
As the team gears up for a real measuring-stick kind of game against the Bruins on Wednesday, however, we can be sure Pierre Gauthier is carefully considering what to do about some of the team's persistent weaknesses. The one thing they always have trouble with is getting to the net when faced with a tight-checking opponent. Also, the Habs are a hardworking team that, when on their game, can compete against anyone. The problem, perfectly illustrated by yesterday's loss, is that there's absolutely no room for error. When the Canadiens don't put in a full 60 minutes' effort, they lose. They need to be able to score goals more easily, and they need to be able to drive the net to break other teams' trap.
Max Pacioretty is doing that really effectively. He made a great move to push past a defenceman and get a shot off on the rush. The good news is, he's developing into a real power forward. The bad news is he's the only guy doing that right now. We've seen flashes of it from Benoit Pouliot and Andrei Kostitsyn, but neither of them is a consistent threat. Lars Eller has the size and skill to do it, but he's still pretty green. If Gauthier is shopping at the deadline, he needs to be looking for a mix of size and speed in a guy who goes to the net regularly. Among bottom feeders who are likely to sell at the deadline, Ottawa's Mike Fisher would be lovely. So would Trent Hunter from the Isles (his current knee injury would help him fit right in as a Hab) and the Oilers Dustin Penner. The thing is, all of those guys would be more than just rentals, and they would be expensive to acquire.
If Gauthier is considering a move, it should be for a player like that, who would be part of the team going forward. That way, since he's going to have to give up assets in any case, at least he won't be throwing them away for a long-shot playoff run that will limit the team's depth for next year.
It'll be interesting to see how the GM manouvers in the next couple of weeks. If he decides to stand pat, we know what the Habs' weaknesses will be going into the playoffs. Unfortunately, so will every opponent they face. They'll continue to be a hardworking team that wins when it out-hustles the other guys. When they let up for a few minutes, though, they fall behind. Sometimes, when the games are tight and the opponent stingy on D, the Canadiens just don't have the tools to get back into it.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Devils vs.Habs - Football Edition
Notes on the third:
-Okay. Cue the massive comeback!
-Bet Lemaire wishes he was coaching the Habs instead. Except without the media. There's just something wrong about seeing him and Robinson behind the Devils bench. Whatever happened to passing the torch?
-Gio missed that open net like Creationists miss the truth.
-Looked like that Pax tip was a goal, on the reply. It's surprising they didn't even go upstairs.
-One thing you have to credit them: they never quit. Even after playing yesterday, they're still giving it everything they've got left.
-It's funny that RDS pronounces "Zharkov" as "Jack-off."
-Five minutes in a hockey game make the world of difference. At least the team tried like hell after that first brutal five.
Notes on the second:
-That Kovalchuk line is Kryptonite for the Habs together.
-Subban got over his reluctance to shoot and whammo! Puck? Meet twine.
-You know who doesn't get enough credit? Yannick Weber. He's the same age as P.K., and obviously not as prodigiously talented, which does him a disservice in comparison. In his own right, as an NHL rookie, he's doing really well.
-Gomez upended along the boards and not a call in sight. Refs are thinking ahead to the Superbowl too.
-Kostitsyn gets poke(checked) more often than Elton John.
-The Habs are pushing. Crazy prediction of winning this continues.
Notes on the first:
-Crap. That didn't take long. Gill looked awful on that.
-Less than five minutes in and down two goals. Subban and Gill already -2 and the refs calling nothing. This is going to be a very, very long afternoon.
-You know it's not a good sign when it looks like there are twice as many Devils on the ice as Habs.
-Naturally, a penalty. It never rains but...aw, never mind. This is a bloody snowstorm.
-Price is fighting the puck like a six-year-old fights bedtime.
-The boys look like they're thinking ahead to the rockin' Superbowl party at Gomer's after the game. I wonder if Gill figured out what to bring?
-Is it just me, or is Lemaire looking more and more like Lamoriello every year?
-A lightbulb has come on over Pacioretty's head, and it's neon and flashes the words "power forward."
-Subban looks afraid to shoot on the PP. He's got to get bolder.
-I say that, then he makes a brilliant offensive play to shed three Devils at the blueline. He's going to be scintillating to watch for many years.
-Ah, Robinson. The coaching staff could use a Big Bird. So could the D, for that matter.
-Crazy prediction? The Habs will win if the next goal goes for them.
-Okay. Cue the massive comeback!
-Bet Lemaire wishes he was coaching the Habs instead. Except without the media. There's just something wrong about seeing him and Robinson behind the Devils bench. Whatever happened to passing the torch?
-Gio missed that open net like Creationists miss the truth.
-Looked like that Pax tip was a goal, on the reply. It's surprising they didn't even go upstairs.
-One thing you have to credit them: they never quit. Even after playing yesterday, they're still giving it everything they've got left.
-It's funny that RDS pronounces "Zharkov" as "Jack-off."
-Five minutes in a hockey game make the world of difference. At least the team tried like hell after that first brutal five.
Notes on the second:
-That Kovalchuk line is Kryptonite for the Habs together.
-Subban got over his reluctance to shoot and whammo! Puck? Meet twine.
-You know who doesn't get enough credit? Yannick Weber. He's the same age as P.K., and obviously not as prodigiously talented, which does him a disservice in comparison. In his own right, as an NHL rookie, he's doing really well.
-Gomez upended along the boards and not a call in sight. Refs are thinking ahead to the Superbowl too.
-Kostitsyn gets poke(checked) more often than Elton John.
-The Habs are pushing. Crazy prediction of winning this continues.
Notes on the first:
-Crap. That didn't take long. Gill looked awful on that.
-Less than five minutes in and down two goals. Subban and Gill already -2 and the refs calling nothing. This is going to be a very, very long afternoon.
-You know it's not a good sign when it looks like there are twice as many Devils on the ice as Habs.
-Naturally, a penalty. It never rains but...aw, never mind. This is a bloody snowstorm.
-Price is fighting the puck like a six-year-old fights bedtime.
-The boys look like they're thinking ahead to the rockin' Superbowl party at Gomer's after the game. I wonder if Gill figured out what to bring?
-Is it just me, or is Lemaire looking more and more like Lamoriello every year?
-A lightbulb has come on over Pacioretty's head, and it's neon and flashes the words "power forward."
-Subban looks afraid to shoot on the PP. He's got to get bolder.
-I say that, then he makes a brilliant offensive play to shed three Devils at the blueline. He's going to be scintillating to watch for many years.
-Ah, Robinson. The coaching staff could use a Big Bird. So could the D, for that matter.
-Crazy prediction? The Habs will win if the next goal goes for them.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Rangers vs.Habs - Matinee Edition
Notes on the third:
-Muller's ties are so much better than Martin's.
-Habs PP is generating less wattage than a sputtering candle.
-This game is hateful. It's chippier than a lumber yard.
-Weber is getting quietly better as he goes along.
-Have the Canadiens won a single puck battle today?
-Pleks is faster than a shotgun wedding.
-Price completely deserved the shutout, as did the D.
Notes on the second:
-Too bad Gainey didn't trade Higgins et al. for Dubinsky.
-Has Boyle been suspended yet for his blindside hit to Spacek's head? Oh, right. It doesn't count if the guy's not crippled.
-Great PK. That's the best they've done since Gorges got hurt.
-Habs are spending more time in their zone than Lindsay Lohan spends in rehab.
-Unreal. Every time the puck leaves a Hab's stick, it hits something and goes where they don't want it to.
-Some pretty chintzy calls there. Hope the make-ups are on their way for the third.
-GOMEZ!! What a gorgous roof job!
-Nice to see the Habs score that late one for a change. Tortarella is going to spontaneously combust.
-Canadiens need to smarten up for the third, or one goal is not going to win this.
Notes on the first:
-For some strange reason, I've got a feeling Kostitsyn will score today. Don't know why.
-If Spacek and Hamrlik were any slower, they'd start aging backwards.
-Rags, on the other hand, have a solid young D-corps.
-Subban is showing good strength on the boards.
-The PP is less offensive than Ned Flanders.
-Picard gave Avery a couple of good kidney shots. Too bad he couldn't get his arm free.
-Looks like Halpern and Spacek got shaken up a bit.
-Not a bad period, but Rangers are blocking a ton of shots.
-Muller's ties are so much better than Martin's.
-Habs PP is generating less wattage than a sputtering candle.
-This game is hateful. It's chippier than a lumber yard.
-Weber is getting quietly better as he goes along.
-Have the Canadiens won a single puck battle today?
-Pleks is faster than a shotgun wedding.
-Price completely deserved the shutout, as did the D.
Notes on the second:
-Too bad Gainey didn't trade Higgins et al. for Dubinsky.
-Has Boyle been suspended yet for his blindside hit to Spacek's head? Oh, right. It doesn't count if the guy's not crippled.
-Great PK. That's the best they've done since Gorges got hurt.
-Habs are spending more time in their zone than Lindsay Lohan spends in rehab.
-Unreal. Every time the puck leaves a Hab's stick, it hits something and goes where they don't want it to.
-Some pretty chintzy calls there. Hope the make-ups are on their way for the third.
-GOMEZ!! What a gorgous roof job!
-Nice to see the Habs score that late one for a change. Tortarella is going to spontaneously combust.
-Canadiens need to smarten up for the third, or one goal is not going to win this.
Notes on the first:
-For some strange reason, I've got a feeling Kostitsyn will score today. Don't know why.
-If Spacek and Hamrlik were any slower, they'd start aging backwards.
-Rags, on the other hand, have a solid young D-corps.
-Subban is showing good strength on the boards.
-The PP is less offensive than Ned Flanders.
-Picard gave Avery a couple of good kidney shots. Too bad he couldn't get his arm free.
-Looks like Halpern and Spacek got shaken up a bit.
-Not a bad period, but Rangers are blocking a ton of shots.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Aftermath: A Tale of Two Centres
Fans have described last night's game with several adjectives, ranging from "sleep-inducing" to "dull as dishwater" to "zzzzzzz." For the most part, they were right. The 39 minutes when Tomas Plekanec wasn't on the ice were pretty uneventful. When the Habs top centre was involved in the play, though, things happened.
Plekanec is, on paper, a Jacques Martin kind of player. He's defensively responsible. He kills penalties like the KGB killed spies. He never fails to hurry back and assume his responsibility in his own zone. Yet, inside that defensive paragon beats the heart of a Jagr. Pleks, despite his adherence to The System, succumbs to bursts of creativity on a disturbingly (for Martin) frequent basis. Thankfully (for the Habs). He's the team's solution to any slumping winger. He's the go-to guy on the PP and the PK. And he's the team's leading scorer. When he scores, the Canadiens win 79% of the time. So, no surprise that in a Martin Special game, he managed to un-Martin himself long enough to score an important goal.
Scott Gomez, on the other hand, is Plekanec's polar opposite. He's the guy who thinks he's all about offence, but plays D because that's the only way he stays on the team. Yet, in reality, he can't score on an empty net, his passes are frequently off target, he takes stupid penalties at very inopportune times and his only real value to the team is his ability to break into the opposing zone and sometimes set up a better-shooting teammate for an assist. The hope that Gomez' habit of improving as the games get more important proves true again this year is the only reason to keep patience with him.
Brian Gionta is taking full advantage of his escape from Gomez purgatory. Plekanec is finding him in open ice and the captain has three goals in two nights to show for it. Andrei Kostitsyn, on the other hand, relegated to Gomez' line, is even more invisible than usual. This is a trend we've seen all year long: Play with Plekanec, no matter who you are, and score goals. Play with Gomez and vanish from the earth. That's the most disturbing difference between the two top-line centremen. Plekanec makes those around him better. Gomez makes them play at his own level. If he's pushing hard and playing with energy, that's a good thing. If he's floating around the offensive zone and taking dumb penalties, his linemates do nothing either.
Fortunately for the Habs, David Desharnais is showing an admirable work ethic and some nice vision on the ice. He, unlike Gomez, goes directly for the jugular when he's got the puck. Despite his size, it does give Martin an option if it becomes necessary to send Gomez a message via demotion to the third line. Not that Gomez would necessarily care about a demotion. His laconic attitude may be an act or a cover, but it certainly gives the impression that he's not overly bothered by his poor performance.
If Tomas Plekanec is the epitome of a successful Jacques Martin player, Gomez is the antithesis. He's got the ability to be better, without question. Whether he's still got the motivation to do it is a mystery.
After a win, it's a bit unsporting to point out a player's flaws, but looking ahead, it's important for Gomez to pick it up. The defence is doing the best it can right now, with Spacek and Weber playing manageable minutes, Hamrlik performing solidly, and Subban and Gill finding their way in their odd-couple partnership. The bottom-line guys are doing their best too, within their abilities, as are the goalies. The biggest issue facing the team is the lack of scoring, and that lack originates with Gomez and his linemates, whoever they are on a given night.
The coaches have no doubt shown Gomez video of what he's doing right and what he's doing wrong in an effort to get him going. What they really need to do is show him video of Plekanec and say, "Hey, Scott. Do this!" If challenged directly to play up to the level of his teammate, perhaps Gomez would respond with some passion. After all, Plekanec makes everyone else play better. Why not Gomez?
The win over Florida last night was important as the Canadiens fight to solidify a good playoff position. Perhaps, though, these close wins wouldn't be quite so nervewracking if the second-line centre played a bit more like his first-line counterpart.
Plekanec is, on paper, a Jacques Martin kind of player. He's defensively responsible. He kills penalties like the KGB killed spies. He never fails to hurry back and assume his responsibility in his own zone. Yet, inside that defensive paragon beats the heart of a Jagr. Pleks, despite his adherence to The System, succumbs to bursts of creativity on a disturbingly (for Martin) frequent basis. Thankfully (for the Habs). He's the team's solution to any slumping winger. He's the go-to guy on the PP and the PK. And he's the team's leading scorer. When he scores, the Canadiens win 79% of the time. So, no surprise that in a Martin Special game, he managed to un-Martin himself long enough to score an important goal.
Scott Gomez, on the other hand, is Plekanec's polar opposite. He's the guy who thinks he's all about offence, but plays D because that's the only way he stays on the team. Yet, in reality, he can't score on an empty net, his passes are frequently off target, he takes stupid penalties at very inopportune times and his only real value to the team is his ability to break into the opposing zone and sometimes set up a better-shooting teammate for an assist. The hope that Gomez' habit of improving as the games get more important proves true again this year is the only reason to keep patience with him.
Brian Gionta is taking full advantage of his escape from Gomez purgatory. Plekanec is finding him in open ice and the captain has three goals in two nights to show for it. Andrei Kostitsyn, on the other hand, relegated to Gomez' line, is even more invisible than usual. This is a trend we've seen all year long: Play with Plekanec, no matter who you are, and score goals. Play with Gomez and vanish from the earth. That's the most disturbing difference between the two top-line centremen. Plekanec makes those around him better. Gomez makes them play at his own level. If he's pushing hard and playing with energy, that's a good thing. If he's floating around the offensive zone and taking dumb penalties, his linemates do nothing either.
Fortunately for the Habs, David Desharnais is showing an admirable work ethic and some nice vision on the ice. He, unlike Gomez, goes directly for the jugular when he's got the puck. Despite his size, it does give Martin an option if it becomes necessary to send Gomez a message via demotion to the third line. Not that Gomez would necessarily care about a demotion. His laconic attitude may be an act or a cover, but it certainly gives the impression that he's not overly bothered by his poor performance.
If Tomas Plekanec is the epitome of a successful Jacques Martin player, Gomez is the antithesis. He's got the ability to be better, without question. Whether he's still got the motivation to do it is a mystery.
After a win, it's a bit unsporting to point out a player's flaws, but looking ahead, it's important for Gomez to pick it up. The defence is doing the best it can right now, with Spacek and Weber playing manageable minutes, Hamrlik performing solidly, and Subban and Gill finding their way in their odd-couple partnership. The bottom-line guys are doing their best too, within their abilities, as are the goalies. The biggest issue facing the team is the lack of scoring, and that lack originates with Gomez and his linemates, whoever they are on a given night.
The coaches have no doubt shown Gomez video of what he's doing right and what he's doing wrong in an effort to get him going. What they really need to do is show him video of Plekanec and say, "Hey, Scott. Do this!" If challenged directly to play up to the level of his teammate, perhaps Gomez would respond with some passion. After all, Plekanec makes everyone else play better. Why not Gomez?
The win over Florida last night was important as the Canadiens fight to solidify a good playoff position. Perhaps, though, these close wins wouldn't be quite so nervewracking if the second-line centre played a bit more like his first-line counterpart.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Panthers vs.Habs - Dog Days Edition
Notes on the third:
-The PP is, like Alexander, having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
-Plekanec is just a beast, teeth and claws included.
-Oh, Darche. It doesn't matter if you mime the foul. The refs will ignore you and steal the money from your tips cup anyway.
-Boy, I'd love to see Hal Gill score. When he does, I hope it's a huge game winner.
-Pacioretty is showing distinct signs of being a power forward. The moves on the third goal were glorious to behold. Nice finish by the captain too.
-The fall-back position was, once again, overwhelmed to allow the Panthers back into the game.
-Wish somebody would eventually cash an empty net. Wow. They can't score even with no goalie.
-None of the previous matters. Two points are two points.
-Price's toque? Hilarious!
Notes on the second:
-I really like Carey Price, but I find I'm seeing entirely too much of him during games. Oh, wait! That's Auld. Okay, we don't see enough of him.
-Is it just me, or do "Garrison" and "Booth" sound like Old West gunslingers?
-P.K. all the way on the Halpern goal! Lovely tip too.
-Boys on the bench look like baby birds with their mouths open as they watch the replay on the big screen.
-Auld is a great substitute for a non-stress test. Just watch him for a period, and if your heart doesn't explode, you're good to go.
-My only question about Gomez at this point is how did he ever score any goals at all? He misses more open nets than Pyatt.
-And, on Gomez, WHY does he pass backwards so often? Everyone works so hard to move the puck forward, then he moves it back. He's so incredibly frustrating.
-Seriously? What happened to Chris Higgins? It has to be more than booze, to go from three productive first seasons to...this.
-Gomez is really deficient in the decision-making department. How many times do we see him make an impossible pass right on the tape of a guy in serious traffic? Okay, so that other question was not my only question on Gomez.
-Yay. PP to start the third. I should be excited, right?
Notes on the first:
-The boys always look so very awkward when they accept the Molson Cup. It's like the Molson rep just asked them for a kiss.
-The PP has as much power as a candle in a cyclone lately.
-Non-hockey watching spouse says it takes the D half a period to warm up because most of them are "creaky."
-Pacioretty's showing some nice no quit.
-Terrible coverage on the Panthers goal. Auld failed to anticipate the open man and Gill, Pouliot and Subban did nothing about actually defending the net. So kind of the Habs to, once again, give a guy his first goal.
-The Wiz magic against the Panthers seems to have fizzled.
-One more thing to dislike about Jacques the Knife: He taught the Panthers to...play...like...this...zzzzzz.
-Little border-beard notwithstanding, Subban looks so very young.
-I love Desharnais. He's tougher than calculus.
-If only anybody on the Canadiens could score.
-The PP is, like Alexander, having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
-Plekanec is just a beast, teeth and claws included.
-Oh, Darche. It doesn't matter if you mime the foul. The refs will ignore you and steal the money from your tips cup anyway.
-Boy, I'd love to see Hal Gill score. When he does, I hope it's a huge game winner.
-Pacioretty is showing distinct signs of being a power forward. The moves on the third goal were glorious to behold. Nice finish by the captain too.
-The fall-back position was, once again, overwhelmed to allow the Panthers back into the game.
-Wish somebody would eventually cash an empty net. Wow. They can't score even with no goalie.
-None of the previous matters. Two points are two points.
-Price's toque? Hilarious!
Notes on the second:
-I really like Carey Price, but I find I'm seeing entirely too much of him during games. Oh, wait! That's Auld. Okay, we don't see enough of him.
-Is it just me, or do "Garrison" and "Booth" sound like Old West gunslingers?
-P.K. all the way on the Halpern goal! Lovely tip too.
-Boys on the bench look like baby birds with their mouths open as they watch the replay on the big screen.
-Auld is a great substitute for a non-stress test. Just watch him for a period, and if your heart doesn't explode, you're good to go.
-My only question about Gomez at this point is how did he ever score any goals at all? He misses more open nets than Pyatt.
-And, on Gomez, WHY does he pass backwards so often? Everyone works so hard to move the puck forward, then he moves it back. He's so incredibly frustrating.
-Seriously? What happened to Chris Higgins? It has to be more than booze, to go from three productive first seasons to...this.
-Gomez is really deficient in the decision-making department. How many times do we see him make an impossible pass right on the tape of a guy in serious traffic? Okay, so that other question was not my only question on Gomez.
-Yay. PP to start the third. I should be excited, right?
Notes on the first:
-The boys always look so very awkward when they accept the Molson Cup. It's like the Molson rep just asked them for a kiss.
-The PP has as much power as a candle in a cyclone lately.
-Non-hockey watching spouse says it takes the D half a period to warm up because most of them are "creaky."
-Pacioretty's showing some nice no quit.
-Terrible coverage on the Panthers goal. Auld failed to anticipate the open man and Gill, Pouliot and Subban did nothing about actually defending the net. So kind of the Habs to, once again, give a guy his first goal.
-The Wiz magic against the Panthers seems to have fizzled.
-One more thing to dislike about Jacques the Knife: He taught the Panthers to...play...like...this...zzzzzz.
-Little border-beard notwithstanding, Subban looks so very young.
-I love Desharnais. He's tougher than calculus.
-If only anybody on the Canadiens could score.
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