Ah...what a win! The Habs were in control throughout the whole of their first playoff game of 2007-08; speed demons for sixty fun-filled, hard hitting minutes. The forwards were like fighter jets, buzzing the target and generally harrying the ponderous Bruins defence all game long. Tim Thomas did his best, but there was little he could do to keep the dogfighters at bay indefinitely.
But if the forwards were the fighters, the defence was their base. And (pushing it, I know, but trying not to completely beat a metaphor to death), Roman Hamrlik was their control tower. When the Bruins recovered from the Habs' initial two-goal attack and tried to find some momentum, Hammer was back there, game cranked up to another level, collecting pucks in the corner and distributing them to the forwards without hesitation. This is a guy who knows what it takes to win in the playoffs. Even when some of the other defencemen muffed clearing passes and when the Bruins threatened to sustain pressure in the Habs' zone, Hamrlik never lost his cool or his smarts. More often than not, when a potential Bruins threat was diffused, Hamrlik was the one responsible.
His physical game too, often used sparingly during the regular season, reached another level in his first playoff tilt as a Hab. All week, Bruins fans have been talking about how tough-as-nails rookie Milan Lucic would make the Habs pay. As it turned out, Lucic was the one finding himself out of pocket when he wound up on the receiving end of two massive Hamrlik checks on the same shift. Like all savvy veterans (Smolinski, anyone?), it turns out the Hammer has kept some reserve jet fuel in the tank for the post-season.
Remember back in July, when the Cirque de Souray was at its height? Habs fans were torn: convinced the powerplay would suffer without him, but loathe to pay what it would take to keep him, with his defensive liabilities and fragile physique. The pendulum of public opinion swayed back and forth on an almost hourly basis: "Keep him, no matter what...you won't find a better replacement!" "Let him go...the team can't afford the contract he wants!" But no matter what opinion most fans held about the cost of retaining Souray, almost everyone agreed the team would be poorer for his loss. In the end, of course, Souray walked and Gainey went into replacement mode. When he announced Hamrlik's signing, again fan reaction was almost universal: "He's been solid in his career, but Gainey overpaid in his desperation to fill the hole left by Souray."
I think it's safe to say no one believes that now. In the relative world of fantastic salaries paid to hockey players, Roman Hamrlik has been worth every single copper of the 5.5 million dollars Bob Gainey decided to give him. In six months, he's become a rock for the Habs defence, and showed us what "hard to replace" really means. In the five games he missed with a viral ailment earlier this season, the team lost three in a row...matching their longest losing streak of the season.
If one of the sticks by which we measure the value of a hockey player is how well he improves the play of those around him, Hamrlik passes muster there too. This season, he's shown young Ryan O'Byrne how to be responsible in his own zone and how to hit without taking himself out of the play. He's covered up for Brisebois, who sometimes doesn't make the wisest of decisions with the puck. And he's freed up Mark Streit and allowed him to go on the rush rather than struggle on the boards in his own zone. The forwards, too, benefit from having Hamrlik find them with quick break-out passes that speed up the transition game to levels we've not seen from the Habs since Cournoyer's back was healthy.
I was thrilled to see Hamrlik named a star of the game last night. In a match in which team speed, hitting and pure offensive dominance were on display, it was nice to see the guy whose steady, unspectacular game made the rest possible get a little credit.
Bob Gainey may or may not be a card-carrying member of Mensa, but he sure looks like he belongs in that club today for his signing of Roman Hamrlik. If the big guy can keep his game up to this level for the rest of the playoffs, it could be a long spring.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Jive Talkin'
Well, here we are...game day! What a relief, because the last four days have been a carnival of talk. Carefully chosen words from players and coaches, overdone predictions from the pundits and a plethora of smack talk from the fans. Maybe I wasn't as plugged in two years ago, the last time the Habs made the playoffs. But it seems to me the number of electronic venues hockey fans have in which to connect with each other and dis the other guy have multiplied like Mr.&Mrs.Cottontail.
This week, the volume of traffic on Habs fan boards has increased alarmingly, with topics ranging from "What strategy should the Canadiens take to counter the Bruins' physical game," to "Should the players grow full beards or just goatees?" There are polls on everything from who'll win the series to what people think of the team playoff slogan. And if you turn off the lights, seventeen new Habs-themed blogs will have sprung up in the dark by the time you turn them on again. Go to youtube and enter "Kovalev." There are pages and pages of video and slideshows set to music...dozens of them made in the last month.
Some of this stuff is fun, and some tedious (Really...I think I never want to hear Carey Price's name in the same sentence as "Roy and Dryden" again. Unless, of course, he wins the Conn Smythe this year.) But the amount of access we now have to the thoughts and words of others is really showing me for the first time how in love people are with this team. And, on the flip side, how much fans of other teams hate them. Considering the dearth of success the Canadiens have had in recent years, I would have thought the level of antipathy towards them would have dropped off. Not so.
Most Bruins fans are like us...fairly realistic and mostly rational. They know their team is in tough, and while they may hate the Habs for the damage they've done to the Bruins over the years, they're generally being cautiously optimistic. But some of them are not. Some are convinced that Kovalev or Markov or Price alone are the key to Montreal's success. And they're advocating things like sending Thornton to take out Kovalev's knees. Or have Lucic slam Markov's head into the boards. They're promising to do things like call the Habs' hotel at all hours and wake them up all night on Saturday. Sometimes I think being able to access the thoughts of opposing fans isn't such a good thing. I had a random Bruins fan, whom I'd never met, send me an email describing how my team sucks and how "you're going down hard." We just hope Claude Julien isn't the kind of guy who thinks the same way.
But while the B's fans send cyber-trash talk at us, we're finding others of our own kind out there too. I'm far away from Montreal, so I'll spend my playoffs chatting with a handful of equally rabid fans...friends I met first online and then in person...who get it. They know what it means to be a fan of this team outside the city where it all goes down. In 1986 I celebrated the Habs' win by myself beside a crackly radio in my room because no one else in the house liked hockey and they'd turned the television off and gone to bed. Seven years later, I saw the '93 win on TV, but again, I was the only one in the house who cared about what was happening. This time, if the team goes far...or if it doesn't...I'll have other fans to laugh and cry right along with me. If overexposure of the players in the media and the dissection of every possible piece of Habs-related minutae in print and online is the price we pay for the ability to share our love of the team with others, it's not too great a toll. Even if it means listening to jive talking from the other team's fans.
We'll talk about it together...and we'll see who gets the last word.
This week, the volume of traffic on Habs fan boards has increased alarmingly, with topics ranging from "What strategy should the Canadiens take to counter the Bruins' physical game," to "Should the players grow full beards or just goatees?" There are polls on everything from who'll win the series to what people think of the team playoff slogan. And if you turn off the lights, seventeen new Habs-themed blogs will have sprung up in the dark by the time you turn them on again. Go to youtube and enter "Kovalev." There are pages and pages of video and slideshows set to music...dozens of them made in the last month.
Some of this stuff is fun, and some tedious (Really...I think I never want to hear Carey Price's name in the same sentence as "Roy and Dryden" again. Unless, of course, he wins the Conn Smythe this year.) But the amount of access we now have to the thoughts and words of others is really showing me for the first time how in love people are with this team. And, on the flip side, how much fans of other teams hate them. Considering the dearth of success the Canadiens have had in recent years, I would have thought the level of antipathy towards them would have dropped off. Not so.
Most Bruins fans are like us...fairly realistic and mostly rational. They know their team is in tough, and while they may hate the Habs for the damage they've done to the Bruins over the years, they're generally being cautiously optimistic. But some of them are not. Some are convinced that Kovalev or Markov or Price alone are the key to Montreal's success. And they're advocating things like sending Thornton to take out Kovalev's knees. Or have Lucic slam Markov's head into the boards. They're promising to do things like call the Habs' hotel at all hours and wake them up all night on Saturday. Sometimes I think being able to access the thoughts of opposing fans isn't such a good thing. I had a random Bruins fan, whom I'd never met, send me an email describing how my team sucks and how "you're going down hard." We just hope Claude Julien isn't the kind of guy who thinks the same way.
But while the B's fans send cyber-trash talk at us, we're finding others of our own kind out there too. I'm far away from Montreal, so I'll spend my playoffs chatting with a handful of equally rabid fans...friends I met first online and then in person...who get it. They know what it means to be a fan of this team outside the city where it all goes down. In 1986 I celebrated the Habs' win by myself beside a crackly radio in my room because no one else in the house liked hockey and they'd turned the television off and gone to bed. Seven years later, I saw the '93 win on TV, but again, I was the only one in the house who cared about what was happening. This time, if the team goes far...or if it doesn't...I'll have other fans to laugh and cry right along with me. If overexposure of the players in the media and the dissection of every possible piece of Habs-related minutae in print and online is the price we pay for the ability to share our love of the team with others, it's not too great a toll. Even if it means listening to jive talking from the other team's fans.
We'll talk about it together...and we'll see who gets the last word.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
A few of my favourite things
I know the playoffs are a new season and we have to throw away all the assumptions and all the understandings we gleaned from the last 82 games. Rightly so, I think. There's no point getting overconfident about beating the Bruins because of the Habs' unbeaten regular season record against them. That makes us insufferable if the team wins and devastated if it doesn't. But with another day to go before that magical second season begins, I find I'm not ready to file the last six months under "done" just yet.
So, before the 2007-08 regular season is officially relegated to the annals of history, a little walk down memory lane. These are a few of the special or notable moments that made this year so very enjoyable for me:
-The first time Mark Streit teed one up from the blue line on the powerplay and blasted it through the goalie into the net and we all said, "Sheldon who?"
-Kirk Muller and Claude Julien screaming at each other at the end of a Canadiens' blowout of the Bruins. That was so bloody entertaining. I half expected them to go, and it made me laugh to see Muller so riled up.
-Kovalev beating Chara behind the net, dropping his glove, turning back and picking it up, putting it back on and STILL keeping the puck from Chara. Beautiful. I'm still smiling at that one.
-Another Kovalev moment: levelling Ryan Hollweg with the elbow and getting away with it. I know it wasn't a clean hit, but Hollweg deserved it, and Kovalev sent a message about what happens when someone messes with him.
-Cristobal Huet stoning the Rangers in the shootout of the comeback game on February 19, after admitting he doesn't like shootouts, and having looked so brutal in them earlier in the year. That was the perfect cap to a great game.
-Andrei Markov's reaction after scoring the shootout winner against the Pens in the ninth round. I'd never seen him so obviously exuberant about anything before, and it was great.
-Josh Gorges, refusing to fight a Philly defender and pointing down the ice to where Francis Bouillon had broken away for his first goal of the year. That was brilliant and hilarious.
-Guillaume Latendresse dropping Nolan Pratt with a good smack right to the schnozz. The big guy showed he can look after himself if he has to.
-And on the fights front...Maxim Lapierre's stance is an absolute riot. He looks like the Karate Kid standing on the log.
-Tomas Plekanec's goal celebration, both arms up in ecstasy, throwing himself at the glass...no better than when he scored his first hat trick this year.
-Saku Koivu pulling off the shootout winners when it really counted.
-The Carey Price facewash that started after his first shutout and has gotten better (or worse...for him) after every win.
-Carbo's horrible tie on the night they clinched the division against Ottawa, and his laughing at it the next day.
-Gainey Night, with the big man skating out in full uniform. That was unexpected and completely emotional. Too bad the game sucked, but the ceremony will never be forgotten.
I could go on, but those are some of my favourite moments from the season on which we're about to close the book. It was a great one, and a fun one, and no matter what happens now, it's worth remembering.
So, before the 2007-08 regular season is officially relegated to the annals of history, a little walk down memory lane. These are a few of the special or notable moments that made this year so very enjoyable for me:
-The first time Mark Streit teed one up from the blue line on the powerplay and blasted it through the goalie into the net and we all said, "Sheldon who?"
-Kirk Muller and Claude Julien screaming at each other at the end of a Canadiens' blowout of the Bruins. That was so bloody entertaining. I half expected them to go, and it made me laugh to see Muller so riled up.
-Kovalev beating Chara behind the net, dropping his glove, turning back and picking it up, putting it back on and STILL keeping the puck from Chara. Beautiful. I'm still smiling at that one.
-Another Kovalev moment: levelling Ryan Hollweg with the elbow and getting away with it. I know it wasn't a clean hit, but Hollweg deserved it, and Kovalev sent a message about what happens when someone messes with him.
-Cristobal Huet stoning the Rangers in the shootout of the comeback game on February 19, after admitting he doesn't like shootouts, and having looked so brutal in them earlier in the year. That was the perfect cap to a great game.
-Andrei Markov's reaction after scoring the shootout winner against the Pens in the ninth round. I'd never seen him so obviously exuberant about anything before, and it was great.
-Josh Gorges, refusing to fight a Philly defender and pointing down the ice to where Francis Bouillon had broken away for his first goal of the year. That was brilliant and hilarious.
-Guillaume Latendresse dropping Nolan Pratt with a good smack right to the schnozz. The big guy showed he can look after himself if he has to.
-And on the fights front...Maxim Lapierre's stance is an absolute riot. He looks like the Karate Kid standing on the log.
-Tomas Plekanec's goal celebration, both arms up in ecstasy, throwing himself at the glass...no better than when he scored his first hat trick this year.
-Saku Koivu pulling off the shootout winners when it really counted.
-The Carey Price facewash that started after his first shutout and has gotten better (or worse...for him) after every win.
-Carbo's horrible tie on the night they clinched the division against Ottawa, and his laughing at it the next day.
-Gainey Night, with the big man skating out in full uniform. That was unexpected and completely emotional. Too bad the game sucked, but the ceremony will never be forgotten.
I could go on, but those are some of my favourite moments from the season on which we're about to close the book. It was a great one, and a fun one, and no matter what happens now, it's worth remembering.
Monday, April 7, 2008
News and random views from the trenches
I had the opportunity to attend a regional Midget AAA tournament on the weekend, and had some time to chat with a couple of scouts for QMJHL teams who were also there to check out the action. Good news for the Habs on that front. The only player whose rights they own in the Q is centre Olivier Fortier...last year's third-round pick, 65th overall. He's not big, at about 5'11" and 170lbs. But the consensus among the scouts is his future could very well include the NHL. They say he's super fast, and very, very smart. They also say he never takes a shift off, and will go to the wall to win. The name that came up several times as a comparison was Guy Carbonneau's. In fact, Fortier won this year's Guy Carbonneau trophy as the best defensive forward in the Q. So, in all the euphoria over Pacioretty, McDonagh, Maxwell, White, Subban, Weber, Emelin and Valentenko, we can have hope the Habs' lone Quebec junior prospect could also be a player to watch.
I couldn't resist asking these guys about Angelo Esposito as well. The Habs got so much flack for not picking him, then he went to Pittsburgh, then Pittsburgh unloaded him to Atlanta in the Hossa deal. In the meantime, he got cut for the third time from Team Canada at the world juniors and dropped from 98 points as a sixteen-year-old to 79 last year and 69 this season. The scouts I spoke to said he's not got attitude problems, as some have speculated. He's just not as good as his hype. They pity him because he was built up to be the next great thing, and he never had the skills to live up to that. They say he should have been a second-round pick and he'd be right on track now. But living up to the first-round expectations are too much for him. They still think he'll make a decent NHLer, but he'll never be what everyone thought he'd be.
The other point of interest we discussed was the idea of banning fighting in the Q, given impetus by the Jonathan Roy incident a couple of weeks ago. Scouts say they're actively changing the type of player they're looking for now, when it comes to toughness, in anticipation of a fighting ban.
Ironically, the first thing I saw when I walked into the rink in the middle of the first game was a couple of sixteen-year-olds ripping off each other's face cages and pounding the crap out of each other. It was meant to inspire the team that was down 5-1 at the time, and maybe entertain the crowd in the process. But the team that was down went on to lose 7-1 and a lot of people in the crowd just continued to eat their ketchup-drenched fries while the fight went on. The worst thing was, the players involved weren't doing it because they thought it would really make a difference. They were playing a role...one they seemed ill-suited to play. They reminded me of little kids tottering around in dress-up clothes and their parents' shoes. What they were doing seemed unconvincing and self-conscious. I didn't like it.
I've never really had an opinion on fighting in hockey. It just always seemed to be there, and I wasn't either thrilled to watch it or disgusted by it as so many say they are. But if we're teaching our sixteen-year-olds that this robotic, calculated display of fisticuffs is part of the game, I think we're wrong. So, if the Q decides to ban fighting, it might be a good thing.
And if a fighting ban means that a kid who's small and not that great with his fists gets a chance to play some hockey over a player whose main skill is pugilistic, maybe we'll see more skilled NHLers coming out of the Q. Maybe next time I get a chance to talk to some scouts about the Habs' prospects in that league, we'll have more than one guy to discuss.
A lot of people are recognizing the fact that Guy Carbonneau...the guy that trophy Fortier won is named for...might actually know what he's doing as an NHL coach. It might take a little longer for them to recognize part of Carbonneau's wisdom includes his refusal to carry a goon, deciding to roll four lines of guys who can actually play hockey instead. I think his philosophy is one that will only convince others if it's backed up by winning.
So far, so good.
I couldn't resist asking these guys about Angelo Esposito as well. The Habs got so much flack for not picking him, then he went to Pittsburgh, then Pittsburgh unloaded him to Atlanta in the Hossa deal. In the meantime, he got cut for the third time from Team Canada at the world juniors and dropped from 98 points as a sixteen-year-old to 79 last year and 69 this season. The scouts I spoke to said he's not got attitude problems, as some have speculated. He's just not as good as his hype. They pity him because he was built up to be the next great thing, and he never had the skills to live up to that. They say he should have been a second-round pick and he'd be right on track now. But living up to the first-round expectations are too much for him. They still think he'll make a decent NHLer, but he'll never be what everyone thought he'd be.
The other point of interest we discussed was the idea of banning fighting in the Q, given impetus by the Jonathan Roy incident a couple of weeks ago. Scouts say they're actively changing the type of player they're looking for now, when it comes to toughness, in anticipation of a fighting ban.
Ironically, the first thing I saw when I walked into the rink in the middle of the first game was a couple of sixteen-year-olds ripping off each other's face cages and pounding the crap out of each other. It was meant to inspire the team that was down 5-1 at the time, and maybe entertain the crowd in the process. But the team that was down went on to lose 7-1 and a lot of people in the crowd just continued to eat their ketchup-drenched fries while the fight went on. The worst thing was, the players involved weren't doing it because they thought it would really make a difference. They were playing a role...one they seemed ill-suited to play. They reminded me of little kids tottering around in dress-up clothes and their parents' shoes. What they were doing seemed unconvincing and self-conscious. I didn't like it.
I've never really had an opinion on fighting in hockey. It just always seemed to be there, and I wasn't either thrilled to watch it or disgusted by it as so many say they are. But if we're teaching our sixteen-year-olds that this robotic, calculated display of fisticuffs is part of the game, I think we're wrong. So, if the Q decides to ban fighting, it might be a good thing.
And if a fighting ban means that a kid who's small and not that great with his fists gets a chance to play some hockey over a player whose main skill is pugilistic, maybe we'll see more skilled NHLers coming out of the Q. Maybe next time I get a chance to talk to some scouts about the Habs' prospects in that league, we'll have more than one guy to discuss.
A lot of people are recognizing the fact that Guy Carbonneau...the guy that trophy Fortier won is named for...might actually know what he's doing as an NHL coach. It might take a little longer for them to recognize part of Carbonneau's wisdom includes his refusal to carry a goon, deciding to roll four lines of guys who can actually play hockey instead. I think his philosophy is one that will only convince others if it's backed up by winning.
So far, so good.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
We're Number One!
Whoa...getting a little dizzy. The air's a bit thin up here, on the summit of Mount Eastern Conference. I have to hold onto the flag the Habs have planted right in the middle of it to make the world stop spinning.
Nineteen years. Nineteen years, including eliminations, playoff misses, disappointments and shame since Habs fans could look at the conference standings on the last day and say, "We're number one!" (The '93 Cup helped ease the pain, but it *is* very nice to have something to show for 82 games of toil once again.)
The season's over and there are three excruciating days to wait before the playoffs open for the Habs. So, there's no better time to look back at the climb up the mountain and remember our favourite milestones. Here are my top ten games of significance...the games that have made the Habs the team they are today:
10. October 10...the Arrival. Carey Price's first NHL game, against Pittsburgh. He played a solid game, got the win, starting on the same date and against the same team as Ken Dryden and Patrick Roy before him. If he's going to become a legend, that was a fitting start, serving notice to the league that he's for real.
9. October 27...the Shootout. Nine rounds of shootout agony versus Pittsburgh. Watching Crosby, Malkin, Gonchar and company fire away at Price and him stoning every one of them. Then Andrei Markov, with the slick move and the winner just when we couldn't take it anymore. That one showed us what a confident Price can do under pressure, and it is good.
8. November 1...Team Toughness. In a 5-2 win over Philly, the Habs proved that their lack of a goon wouldn't slow them down. Philly hit, and the Habs hit back. Philly dropped the gloves and so did the Canadiens. In a time when the Flyers were the talk of the league for having appeared to resurrect the Broad Street Bullies, the Habs weren't afraid and they stuck it to them.
7. December 27 and December 28...the Road Trip. With memories of last year and the team's post-Christmas collapse still haunting the team, they embarked on the same holiday road trip again this season. This time, they left no doubt this is a different team with a different outlook. Result? Back-to-back wins, 5-2 over Tampa and 5-1 over Jacques Martin's stifling Lightning...the only team with a winning record against Montreal.
6. January 24...the Comeback, Part One. Facing the traditional Curse of Brodeur, with the understanding that the Jersey goalie owns them, the Habs fought back from 2-0 and 3-1 deficits, with three unanswered goals in the third to vanquish the wretched Marty IN New Jersey. The win showed the boys they have heart, they're never out of a game if they keep working at it, and that they're no longer Brodeur's Bitch. The mental impact of that realization can be measured by the fact that they've not lost to Jersey again since.
5. February 3...the Choke. Up 3-0 against the Rangers, the Habs proceeded to allow five straight goals to blow the lead and the game. It was a stunning collapse and taught the team no lead is safe if you let up for an entire period. The lesson has been learned well.
4. March 1...the Defence. Beating New Jersey 2-1, the Habs prove they don't have to score four goals to win a game. They overcame their tendency to give up late tying goals and showed themselves and the league that they can play tough, defensive hockey with the best of them and prevail.
3. March 24...the Clinch. Facing an Ottawa team that had owned them all year long, the Canadiens dominated them in their own building, powering to a 7-1 lead before forgetting to play the third. Still, clinching a playoff spot with a 7-5 victory over an archrival went a long way toward healing the wounds left from last year's disasterous finale.
2. April 1, 3 and 5...the Exclamation Point. Coming down the stretch, needing to keep pace with a hot Penguins team for a chance at the Conference title, and hoping to show themselves and their potential opponents that they're serious about making a splash in the post-season, the Habs resist the urge to let down after making the playoffs. They played three consecutive games as perfectly as a team can play, clinching the division with a shutout against Ottawa, eliminating the defending President's Trophy winning Sabres and completely dominating the Leafs. Those three games won them the East, and send them into the playoffs on a roll.
1. February 19...the Comeback, Part Two. You knew this one had to be the moment of the year. Down 5-0 to the Rangers, the Canadiens, borne on the emotion of the Bell Centre crowd, clawed back to win 6-5 in OT. It was the first time a Habs team had ever done that, and it proved to them that they're never out of it. It gave them confidence to have patience in their ability, and it taught them the value of home ice advantage. This was the game of the year, and the one that really showed what the team is made of.
So, there you go...those are the games I see as the ones that really created the team we're seeing now. The lessons learned are the ones that will make them competitive in the guts-and-glory season they're about to begin. And they're the ones that lifted us out of our seats and made us fall in love with this team over and over again. For that, we're grateful.
Now it's time to make other memories and climb other heights. I'm looking forward to the view from the top of Mount Stanley.
Nineteen years. Nineteen years, including eliminations, playoff misses, disappointments and shame since Habs fans could look at the conference standings on the last day and say, "We're number one!" (The '93 Cup helped ease the pain, but it *is* very nice to have something to show for 82 games of toil once again.)
The season's over and there are three excruciating days to wait before the playoffs open for the Habs. So, there's no better time to look back at the climb up the mountain and remember our favourite milestones. Here are my top ten games of significance...the games that have made the Habs the team they are today:
10. October 10...the Arrival. Carey Price's first NHL game, against Pittsburgh. He played a solid game, got the win, starting on the same date and against the same team as Ken Dryden and Patrick Roy before him. If he's going to become a legend, that was a fitting start, serving notice to the league that he's for real.
9. October 27...the Shootout. Nine rounds of shootout agony versus Pittsburgh. Watching Crosby, Malkin, Gonchar and company fire away at Price and him stoning every one of them. Then Andrei Markov, with the slick move and the winner just when we couldn't take it anymore. That one showed us what a confident Price can do under pressure, and it is good.
8. November 1...Team Toughness. In a 5-2 win over Philly, the Habs proved that their lack of a goon wouldn't slow them down. Philly hit, and the Habs hit back. Philly dropped the gloves and so did the Canadiens. In a time when the Flyers were the talk of the league for having appeared to resurrect the Broad Street Bullies, the Habs weren't afraid and they stuck it to them.
7. December 27 and December 28...the Road Trip. With memories of last year and the team's post-Christmas collapse still haunting the team, they embarked on the same holiday road trip again this season. This time, they left no doubt this is a different team with a different outlook. Result? Back-to-back wins, 5-2 over Tampa and 5-1 over Jacques Martin's stifling Lightning...the only team with a winning record against Montreal.
6. January 24...the Comeback, Part One. Facing the traditional Curse of Brodeur, with the understanding that the Jersey goalie owns them, the Habs fought back from 2-0 and 3-1 deficits, with three unanswered goals in the third to vanquish the wretched Marty IN New Jersey. The win showed the boys they have heart, they're never out of a game if they keep working at it, and that they're no longer Brodeur's Bitch. The mental impact of that realization can be measured by the fact that they've not lost to Jersey again since.
5. February 3...the Choke. Up 3-0 against the Rangers, the Habs proceeded to allow five straight goals to blow the lead and the game. It was a stunning collapse and taught the team no lead is safe if you let up for an entire period. The lesson has been learned well.
4. March 1...the Defence. Beating New Jersey 2-1, the Habs prove they don't have to score four goals to win a game. They overcame their tendency to give up late tying goals and showed themselves and the league that they can play tough, defensive hockey with the best of them and prevail.
3. March 24...the Clinch. Facing an Ottawa team that had owned them all year long, the Canadiens dominated them in their own building, powering to a 7-1 lead before forgetting to play the third. Still, clinching a playoff spot with a 7-5 victory over an archrival went a long way toward healing the wounds left from last year's disasterous finale.
2. April 1, 3 and 5...the Exclamation Point. Coming down the stretch, needing to keep pace with a hot Penguins team for a chance at the Conference title, and hoping to show themselves and their potential opponents that they're serious about making a splash in the post-season, the Habs resist the urge to let down after making the playoffs. They played three consecutive games as perfectly as a team can play, clinching the division with a shutout against Ottawa, eliminating the defending President's Trophy winning Sabres and completely dominating the Leafs. Those three games won them the East, and send them into the playoffs on a roll.
1. February 19...the Comeback, Part Two. You knew this one had to be the moment of the year. Down 5-0 to the Rangers, the Canadiens, borne on the emotion of the Bell Centre crowd, clawed back to win 6-5 in OT. It was the first time a Habs team had ever done that, and it proved to them that they're never out of it. It gave them confidence to have patience in their ability, and it taught them the value of home ice advantage. This was the game of the year, and the one that really showed what the team is made of.
So, there you go...those are the games I see as the ones that really created the team we're seeing now. The lessons learned are the ones that will make them competitive in the guts-and-glory season they're about to begin. And they're the ones that lifted us out of our seats and made us fall in love with this team over and over again. For that, we're grateful.
Now it's time to make other memories and climb other heights. I'm looking forward to the view from the top of Mount Stanley.
Friday, April 4, 2008
To sit or not to sit
I love this year's edition of Alex Kovalev. The temptation to compare him to some kind of machine is almost irresistible when trying to describe his play. But how do you combine the power of a locomotive, the manouverability of a fighter jet and the brains of Deep Blue? He is, without doubt, the single most consistent reason the Habs are where they are at this moment...playoff position and division title safely wrapped up and conference title within reach.
So, I was understandably a little worried when the team announced Kovalev missed practice this week because he's fighting a flu. Yet, in the warmup before the Buffalo game last night, there he was, swooping around his half of the ice like a caged tiger. When he stopped to do a pregame interview with RDS, I was a little dismayed to hear him say he was offered a game off, but declined because he'd miss playing too much.
Don't get me wrong. I love watching Kovalev. I think if Koivu had to miss games, the team was very, very lucky AK27 was ready to pick up the reins of leadership in his stead. I want to see Kovalev pad his stats and make the season as memorable on a personal level as possible. But with the spectre of Komisarek, Koivu, Bouillon and Ryder sitting out last night with injuries, and Streit likely playing hurt, I became really afraid some bitter player is going to hurt Kovalev just because he's out there.
In watching the highlights (or lowlights, depending on your point of view) of the Toronto/Ottawa game from last night, I saw an already less-than-100-percent Daniel Alfredsson get crushed by Mark Bell. The debate is raging now about whether the hit was legal. But if it was or not means little to the Sens who will likely be missing their captain...the player who singlehandedly dragged them through the early playoffs last year...for this year's first round. They also lost Mike Fisher, which will hurt any chance they might have of a repeat appearance in the Cup finals as well.
Now, the Sens had no choice about playing those guys, even against potentially vindictive non-playoff teams with nothing to lose like the Leafs. Ottawa's fighting the ignominous proposition of being finalists one year and out the next. They need their ailing captain on the ice, just to keep their postseason hopes alive at all. Last night, they paid a big price for that.
The Canadiens have the luxury of being able to rest their tired warriors now that their playoff position is secure. And they should do it. Not just to get the key guys a little more rest, but to protect them from aggressive loser teams who want to make statements or win moral victories by beating on Montreal's best players. Accidents can happen in any game...sure. But there's no point in exposing important players to intentional head-hunting. I'm not saying the leafs will definitely do that...but there's a lot of bitterness and anger in that group right now, which won't be calmed by getting taunted in the Bell Centre and watching a hated rival cruise to a high playoff spot.
I know Kovalev wants to play. He likes being captain and he wants to put up as many points as he can. Plekanec wants one more goal to give him thirty on the year. Price always wants to play every game...especially when every win helps his chances of a Calder Trophy nomination. Markov and Higgins likely want to finish the year having played all 82 games. Everyone wants to be Conference champs and wants to ice the best team possible to achieve that. And there's something to the point Kovalev made this week that a team should end the season the same way it wants to begin the playoffs. But those reasons for playing the most important players on the team in this pretty meaningless game against the leafs tomorrow pale beside the thought of Kovalev or Markov going down with a concussion. Or Plekanec breaking a leg because some leaf decides to take a cheap shot at him.
At least in the playoffs, tough and dangerous as they can be, the other team has something to lose too. Playoff competitors (except for Chris Pronger) usually think twice about cheapshotting an opponent because retribution by the wronged player's teammates could hurt his own team. The leafs have nothing to lose, and a collective belly full of bile and spite to vent on the Habs.
So, for one night only, I'd put the Kovalev Show on hold...and his valuable co-stars along with him. And if I were Guy Carbonneau, I wouldn't ask them their preferences. I'd just do it.
So, I was understandably a little worried when the team announced Kovalev missed practice this week because he's fighting a flu. Yet, in the warmup before the Buffalo game last night, there he was, swooping around his half of the ice like a caged tiger. When he stopped to do a pregame interview with RDS, I was a little dismayed to hear him say he was offered a game off, but declined because he'd miss playing too much.
Don't get me wrong. I love watching Kovalev. I think if Koivu had to miss games, the team was very, very lucky AK27 was ready to pick up the reins of leadership in his stead. I want to see Kovalev pad his stats and make the season as memorable on a personal level as possible. But with the spectre of Komisarek, Koivu, Bouillon and Ryder sitting out last night with injuries, and Streit likely playing hurt, I became really afraid some bitter player is going to hurt Kovalev just because he's out there.
In watching the highlights (or lowlights, depending on your point of view) of the Toronto/Ottawa game from last night, I saw an already less-than-100-percent Daniel Alfredsson get crushed by Mark Bell. The debate is raging now about whether the hit was legal. But if it was or not means little to the Sens who will likely be missing their captain...the player who singlehandedly dragged them through the early playoffs last year...for this year's first round. They also lost Mike Fisher, which will hurt any chance they might have of a repeat appearance in the Cup finals as well.
Now, the Sens had no choice about playing those guys, even against potentially vindictive non-playoff teams with nothing to lose like the Leafs. Ottawa's fighting the ignominous proposition of being finalists one year and out the next. They need their ailing captain on the ice, just to keep their postseason hopes alive at all. Last night, they paid a big price for that.
The Canadiens have the luxury of being able to rest their tired warriors now that their playoff position is secure. And they should do it. Not just to get the key guys a little more rest, but to protect them from aggressive loser teams who want to make statements or win moral victories by beating on Montreal's best players. Accidents can happen in any game...sure. But there's no point in exposing important players to intentional head-hunting. I'm not saying the leafs will definitely do that...but there's a lot of bitterness and anger in that group right now, which won't be calmed by getting taunted in the Bell Centre and watching a hated rival cruise to a high playoff spot.
I know Kovalev wants to play. He likes being captain and he wants to put up as many points as he can. Plekanec wants one more goal to give him thirty on the year. Price always wants to play every game...especially when every win helps his chances of a Calder Trophy nomination. Markov and Higgins likely want to finish the year having played all 82 games. Everyone wants to be Conference champs and wants to ice the best team possible to achieve that. And there's something to the point Kovalev made this week that a team should end the season the same way it wants to begin the playoffs. But those reasons for playing the most important players on the team in this pretty meaningless game against the leafs tomorrow pale beside the thought of Kovalev or Markov going down with a concussion. Or Plekanec breaking a leg because some leaf decides to take a cheap shot at him.
At least in the playoffs, tough and dangerous as they can be, the other team has something to lose too. Playoff competitors (except for Chris Pronger) usually think twice about cheapshotting an opponent because retribution by the wronged player's teammates could hurt his own team. The leafs have nothing to lose, and a collective belly full of bile and spite to vent on the Habs.
So, for one night only, I'd put the Kovalev Show on hold...and his valuable co-stars along with him. And if I were Guy Carbonneau, I wouldn't ask them their preferences. I'd just do it.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Gorgeous Gorges
I wonder if Bob Gainey has allowed himself a small, secret smile at the way Josh Gorges is playing these days? Or whether Doug Wilson has stopped kicking himself yet. I wasn't sure how things would work out when Craig Rivet got traded to the Sharks for Gorges and the Sharks' first-round pick last year. I wasn't even sure how I felt about it. On one hand, Rivet was a lifetime Hab who'd given a lot of himself to the team. On the other, he was having a pretty rotten season and had betrayed the "A" on his sweater by getting angry and dividing loyalty in the room between himself and the coach when Carbonneau benched him for a game. I figured Rivet likely wouldn't be back when Markov and/or Souray were signed, and I'd hoped Gainey might get something in return for one of his free agents rather than let them all walk. That said, I thought it would be Souray bringing back a first-rounder and I was pretty shocked when it turned out to be Rivet instead.
So, Gorges showed up and promptly found himself a pressbox seat. He was okay in the seven games he played, but his name was grouped among those of Aebischer, Johnson and Murray as a guy most fans didn't mind dismissing from the roster without a backward glance. He went home and worked hard to keep in shape, showed up at training camp and again did okay. Still, he was a seventh defenceman at best, and some were surprised he didn't get a ticket to Hamilton back in October. The season started and most nights, Brisebois beat him out for a place on the team.
Then things turned. Brisebois got hurt. Dandenault and Streit proved to be better forwards than defencemen. Gorges got into a few games. One of my first memories of him this year was from an early game against Ottawa. He made an atrocious cross-ice pass which got picked off for a breakaway and a goal. He looked like he wanted to crawl into a hole and I'm sure he feared he'd never play again. But to Carbonneau's credit, he boosted the kid's morale and said those things could happen to anyone. Given the second chance, Gorges thrived, and I've not seen a careless error like that since.
Next, I remember an early game against Pittsburgh. Someone...Talbot, I think...flattened Saku Koivu. Chris Higgins was there, but didn't react. Next thing we knew, an angry Hab hurtled into the picture on the TV screen and smacked the guy who'd hit his captain. That was Josh Gorges. We learned then he'll come to a teammate's rescue, and he isn't afraid of anyone.
Other memories of Gorges are from the second half of the season...teaming up with Francis Bouillon to make a very solid third defence pairing for the Canadiens. Taking hit after hit and bouncing up to clear the puck every time, and throwing a few smacks himself. Making nice, crisp clearing passes and not panicking under pressure. Coming off the boards with the puck on his stick against bigger, stronger and sometimes multiple opponents. And my personal favourite, standing there beside his own net, refusing to fight a lumbering Flyers defenceman while pointing up the ice as Bouillon broke away and scored a backbreaking goal. Brilliant.
Then came the Komisarek injury. I know I wasn't alone in my dread about what would happen to the Canadiens' efforts to win the division and secure a playoff spot without the Komisaurus patrolling the blue line. Gorges has stepped up beautifully, playing huge minutes and looking as solid as concrete. The penalty kill, featuring Gorges, hasn't been better all year. He's out there for 5-on-3s and in the last minute of close games. He's become a rock for the Canadiens, and we fans are very, very lucky he was able to play beyond our humble expectations of him. Who knew the Habs had secured such a jewel in the Rivet trade this time last year? Well, aside from Bob Gainey, of course. And we haven't even talked about Max Pacioretty. The Rivet trade could be the best trade Gainey's ever made, including stealing Alex Kovalev for a second pick and Jozef Balej.
My fears of the Habs entering the playoffs with injuries on defence are not nearly as debilitating as they would have been if Josh Gorges hadn't been part of the team. I hope wherever Bob Gainey is tonight, he's smiling as he watches #26 help his team in its quest for first place.
At least just a little grin...even if it's on the inside.
So, Gorges showed up and promptly found himself a pressbox seat. He was okay in the seven games he played, but his name was grouped among those of Aebischer, Johnson and Murray as a guy most fans didn't mind dismissing from the roster without a backward glance. He went home and worked hard to keep in shape, showed up at training camp and again did okay. Still, he was a seventh defenceman at best, and some were surprised he didn't get a ticket to Hamilton back in October. The season started and most nights, Brisebois beat him out for a place on the team.
Then things turned. Brisebois got hurt. Dandenault and Streit proved to be better forwards than defencemen. Gorges got into a few games. One of my first memories of him this year was from an early game against Ottawa. He made an atrocious cross-ice pass which got picked off for a breakaway and a goal. He looked like he wanted to crawl into a hole and I'm sure he feared he'd never play again. But to Carbonneau's credit, he boosted the kid's morale and said those things could happen to anyone. Given the second chance, Gorges thrived, and I've not seen a careless error like that since.
Next, I remember an early game against Pittsburgh. Someone...Talbot, I think...flattened Saku Koivu. Chris Higgins was there, but didn't react. Next thing we knew, an angry Hab hurtled into the picture on the TV screen and smacked the guy who'd hit his captain. That was Josh Gorges. We learned then he'll come to a teammate's rescue, and he isn't afraid of anyone.
Other memories of Gorges are from the second half of the season...teaming up with Francis Bouillon to make a very solid third defence pairing for the Canadiens. Taking hit after hit and bouncing up to clear the puck every time, and throwing a few smacks himself. Making nice, crisp clearing passes and not panicking under pressure. Coming off the boards with the puck on his stick against bigger, stronger and sometimes multiple opponents. And my personal favourite, standing there beside his own net, refusing to fight a lumbering Flyers defenceman while pointing up the ice as Bouillon broke away and scored a backbreaking goal. Brilliant.
Then came the Komisarek injury. I know I wasn't alone in my dread about what would happen to the Canadiens' efforts to win the division and secure a playoff spot without the Komisaurus patrolling the blue line. Gorges has stepped up beautifully, playing huge minutes and looking as solid as concrete. The penalty kill, featuring Gorges, hasn't been better all year. He's out there for 5-on-3s and in the last minute of close games. He's become a rock for the Canadiens, and we fans are very, very lucky he was able to play beyond our humble expectations of him. Who knew the Habs had secured such a jewel in the Rivet trade this time last year? Well, aside from Bob Gainey, of course. And we haven't even talked about Max Pacioretty. The Rivet trade could be the best trade Gainey's ever made, including stealing Alex Kovalev for a second pick and Jozef Balej.
My fears of the Habs entering the playoffs with injuries on defence are not nearly as debilitating as they would have been if Josh Gorges hadn't been part of the team. I hope wherever Bob Gainey is tonight, he's smiling as he watches #26 help his team in its quest for first place.
At least just a little grin...even if it's on the inside.
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