Aftermath: My Buddy

Last night was a glorious Original Six throwback to what hockey was meant to look like. Carey Price and his 42 saves were spectacular, but the Hawks' Corey Crawford was no slouch himself. He robbed the Canadiens outright several times, including twice committing larceny against Andrei Kostitsyn. It was the kind of game in which you could actually cheer the other goalie for a great save with no bitterness. Crawford really should have been given a star, along with the very deserving P.K. Subban and Price, because without his heroics in net, the game wouldn't have been as perfect a battle as it became.

And it was perfect; the kind of game that inspired the great Danny Gallivan to use words like "scintillating." There were small flaws, like the five minors the Canadiens took (yet again), but the perfect PK erased them and made them irrelevant to the overall beauty of the game. The regulation goals were scored by the two teams' snipers, the way they should be. Each side's defence blocked shots and played positionally-sound hockey in their own ends. The forwards skated miles and made skilled and accurate passing plays.

The rest of the show came down to those two young goalies, and what a show it was! End-to-end rushes, stymied by a pad or neatly snagged with a glove you'd swear wasn't there a millisecond earlier. Goalmouth scrambles with screened shots the goalies saw as though they'd borrowed Clark Kent's glasses. Price batting a puck out with his glove as he fell backward into the net, then playing snow angel to keep it out. At the other end, Crawford facing down a wide-open Kostitsyn and snatching a goal right out of the air. Price stopped more shots, but it might be argued that Crawford stopped more difficult ones.

The game could really have gone either way. Both teams were so intense and driven by the necessity of winning, one mistake could have been the difference in regulation time. It turned out the Hawks made the fateful mistake in overtime, with captain Jonathan Toews, after having had a breakaway taken neatly away from him by a brilliant P.K.Subban, took a tripping penalty. The penalty, if called on a Hab, would have been called chintzy. In any case, the call gave the Canadiens the slight edge they needed and P.K.Subban, who's getting better with every game, finished it with a goal worthy of a spectacular game.

The night was perfect for the faithful at the Bell Centre, but the best part of the night was the time immediately after the winning goal, when Subban raced the length of the ice to throw himself at (and bounce off of) Price. The exuberance of the two Canadiens' heroes of the evening was the story of the season for me. For the first time in his young career, Carey Price has someone to help him carry the "Franchise" label people hung on him the day he was drafted. His every move has been scrutinized and his every loss dissected and critiqued since he broke into the league three years ago. It's a difficult load to bear all alone.

Thanks to Subban, Price can now share the spotlight and the pressure that comes along with it. The young defenceman has borne his share of expectation, criticism and pressure too. He's begun his career playing a vital top-six role, that's, by necessity, morphed into a top-two. He's been learning on the job in his first NHL season, while dealing with the scrutiny of critics who want to knock him down a peg for every thrilled celebration or on-ice scuffle. In spite of it all, he's emerging as a developing star and a cornerstone of the team going forward.

The ascendance of Subban is an unexpected gift for Price. It's a lonely job to be the sole star in an environment as demanding as Montreal, in which as many people across the country are rooting for you to fail as there are who hope you succeed. Having a guy in the same kind of position sharing the ice with you is invaluable. Subban understands and shares Price's situation, and his upbeat personality can help keep the goalie out of the lows he hit emotionally last year. Everything's easier when you've got a buddy who gets it.

Watching the triple low five, the chest bumps, the off-ice joking and the in-game support they show each other is such a joyful thing. When a person in his early twenties is expected to be a paragon both at work and away from it, all the time, sometimes joy becomes a rare commodity. If Subban and Price find it in each other, it'll make their load easier to carry, and maybe become the deciding factor that will one day make them choose to stay in Montreal long term.

Last night was, in essence, a perfect playoff game. It reminded us that sometimes the team on paper can be greater than its parts, and it gives us a glimmer of hope for the playoffs. Beyond that, though, it gave us immediate pleasure in a game played the way it was meant to be played. As the beautiful bonus after a perfect night, we had a glimpse at a future anchored by the young brothers-in-arms who'll help each other build a winning team. They were two of the very deserving three stars on a star-filled night to wrap up a star-crossed home season.

Hawks vs.Habs - Clinch Edition

Notes on the third and OT:

-Pleks would have so many more assists if his linemates hate even a vague intention of finishing.

-If Moen's getting paid by the number of puck battles he wins on the boards, he's using the food bank on the weekends.

-This is hurting my heart in a similar way to playoff hockey.

-Pyatt and Moen on a break. Now, there's a threat.

-Toews just stole the go-ahead goal from AK. But at least Kostitsyn was in a position to get robbed.

-Then Crawford steals the go-ahead goal from AK.

-Then AK gets boned by the refs on a marginal holding call that'll probably decide the game. I hate the refs.

-Nope. Solid kill. Whew.

-Why couldn't THIS be the game I attended?

-This is the kind of game in which you could forgive Gomez a lot if he'd score the winner.

-Two minutes to go. I swear to God, if there's a penalty call now, I'm committing reficide.

-I swear I wrote "third and OT" before the period even started.

-If this goes to shootout, I fear Toews.

-What a play by Subban on Toews! He's the only Habs' D who could have possibly made that play.

-And then he scores the goal. I've been revived about nine times tonight.


Notes on the second:

-This game is really even so far. Even the PP ends up in a 4-on-4.

-Nobody's really getting into Crawford's space. Habs should be crowding him like a Tokyo subway.

-Cammalleri finds twine off a killer pass by AK. Those guys are hopefully getting into playoff form.

-Immediately after the goal, Pouliot had a couple of great two-on-one chances, saw the other one was Moen and just shot.

-What a piece of crap call on Kostitsyn, who by, the way, has been connecting on passes with micro-surgery accuracy tonight.

-Price saved his own ass. Physician, heal thyself!

-P.K. is the picture of guilt on his way to the box after taking a DOG penalty. Catholics could meditate on him during Lent.

-Price is auditioning for the role of "Jaro Halak" in the play "Habs Playoff Chances."

-Other than the Darche gaffe on the Kane goal, the period has been a real playoff special. Anyone's to take in the third.


Notes on the first:

-Wow! Just saw the stat that Subban is two goals shy of the team record for rookie Ds. What a nice coup it would be for him to beat out Lapointe!

-Ugh. Early on, Mopel is looking more lost than the cast of Lost.

-Non-hockey-watching spouse: "Don't worry. We got Gomez."

-Does Pierre Houde not know Gionta's name has three syallables? He calls him "John-Ta"

-Great up and down action. The Habs look like a playoff team here.

-Subban just trying to do too much gets called. We forget he's just a kid.

-Not good. Seventy-six trombones led the big parade (to the box.)

-Habs are looking competitive, but they have to stop being stupid if they're going to win this.

Where Gainey Went Wrong

Bob Gainey had a good idea two years ago when he decided to overhaul the Canadiens. The team had been struggling to find an identity, with the hardworking, but second-tier, Saku Koivu and the phenominally talented, but lazy and moody, Alex Kovalev sending two different messages. Neither of those players were the ones who'd lead the team into the future, so Gainey cleaned house.

The team that didn't have an identity suddenly found one. The new Canadiens, focused around Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta and Michael Cammalleri would be fast, opportunistic and slick. It was a style of play that the Bell Centre faithful, many of whom were weaned on firewagon hockey, would surely embrace. The plan was bold, but, in the midst of the spending spree, Gainey overlooked one thing. The defence.

As we know, most responsible coaches espouse the theory that a team playing good defence will generate offensive chances. It's all about moving the puck smartly ahead and not getting caught in your own end. Gainey, however, in building a quick, skilled team at forward, hired a slow, aging defence at the same time. That disparity in team speed between the front lines and the back end has had huge consequences.

If you're going to have a team built to skate, it has to start from the blueline, and, aside from P.K.Subban (and to some degree, James Wisniewski), there's no speed there. As a result, the forwards have to skate harder to keep the gap smaller, and if they don't...if they're hurt or tired or sick or lazy...the D gets exposed. It also means the forwards have to come back deeper to help out when a slow defenceman is under pressure. That adds up to a lot of skating and more distance to travel in order to get back to the offensive zone, and that, in turn, means shifts wasted in the d-zone and fewer scoring opportunities.

That's also part of the reason why the Canadiens are penalized so frequently. Picture a typical play in the Canadiens' end: The opposing winger dumps the puck into Hal Gill's corner, then races to retrieve it. If Carey Price can't get to it first, Gill will pick it up. His first thought will be to pass it to Subban. If the forecheckers are fast and aggressive, however, Gill might not be able to get the puck to the guy who can really move it. In that situation, he dumps it around the boards, hoping one of his teammates will win a battle for it. Often, they don't. That leads to an opposition cycle and, many times, a desperation penalty to prevent a scoring chance.

People miss Andrei Markov and Josh Gorges because they're solid defencemen who can make a good first pass. What the team misses most, though, is their speed. Those guys make quick decisions and they get to the puck first. The defence, with them, manages to balance the slow Roman Hamrlik, Jaro Spacek and Hal Gill. Without them, and with Brent Sopel and Paul Mara...neither of them a speedster...the defence is too slow to maintain the momentum of the forwards. They end up playing a grinding, digging style that doesn't suit their size.

It's wrong to say all the Canadiens' problems start with the defence, but a lot of them do. Without a mobile, active D, it's a lot harder for a group of small forwards to use the advantage of their speed. That's what we're seeing in the last few weeks. They look slow because by the time they get the puck and work up a head of steam, the opponent's defence is ready for them. The Canadiens need a lot of things to improve, but first among them, and something Bob Gainey should have addressed when rebuilding this team, is a defence that can actually skate the puck.

That will be...must be...Pierre Gauthier's biggest decision this summer. Either he chooses to stick with the philosophy of speed and skill directed by Gainey, in which case he will absolutely have to focus on overhauling the defence, or he chooses to keep a ponderous D and change the style of the forward lines. Looking at the magnitude of the second option, and the rarity of the kind of big, productive forwards the Habs would need, it may be easier to just work on the D. The cap favours an overhaul on defence as well, as there will be money cleared up there in the summer, while the big contracts at forward are locked in.

Gauthier doesn't have to get the next Lidstrom, but he should at least be looking for guys who are under 35 and skate faster than the average glacier. Hal Gill and Roman Hamrlik are the kinds of solid, experienced defenders a competitive team can use to round out its top-seven defencemen. They're no longer the players a winning team can play for 25+ minutes a night. The anticipated returns of Andrei Markov and Josh Gorges will help greatly and make Gauthier's job easier. Next year, though, with Jaro Spacek signed for another year, and basically unmoveable, the Gill and Hamrlik spots need an upgrade. Only then can Gainey's original vision be realized.

Aftermath: Hold On a Second

Well, it's really nice to see Habs fans a happier bunch this Sunday than last. And it's extra nice that the reason for today's giddiness is the elimination of the Devils from playoff contention by losing decisively to the Canadiens in their own rink. It's kind of emblematic, though, of how most fans watch a game and see only their own team.

The Canadiens won because they did a lot of things right. They skated hard and backchecked conscientiously. Mathieu Darche was the poster child for going to the net with your stick on the ice. P.K.Subban was brilliant in his puck handling and first pass. He also made a couple of very timely shot blocks that helped avoid trouble. Tomas Plekanec was brilliant on faceoffs and showed promising signs of getting his legs back. Brian Gionta drove the net, Mike Cammalleri shot everything that moved and Carey Price had his most solid road game in ages. Overall, the team was disciplined and didn't resort to the half-dozen boneheaded penalties the players take on a bad night. All of this was balm for the battered Habs-fan psyche.

Now fans, while you're wallowing in delight at a good performance, stop and think back for a minute. Think about the Devils and how they played. Right. The Devils last night were last Saturday's Canadiens. They were the ones taking the penalties and getting to the puck second. They barely pressured the Canadiens defence, and even Hal Gill had time to move the puck. Sopel and Mara, well, they looked like the third pair they are, but the Devils didn't really take advantage. Carey Price saw most of the shots against him and there were few second opportunities, other than when Price himself dropped the puck. The Devils looked like a team that just had nothing left to give after their amazing post-All Star race for the playoffs. The only goal they scored came when Gill got caught out of position and everyone else kind of chased Kovalchuk around the net. They were the team that could come up with only 21 shots in a game they needed to win to stay alive.

So when you put things in perspective, the Canadiens certainly played a strong road game and were full value for the win, but their opponent just wasn't very competitive. If the Devils had played a Bruins or Flyers-like heavy forecheck and really harassed the Mopel pairing, the Canadiens might not have gotten off so easily. If the Jersey D could have held the puck in at the blueline while the forwards were pressing, there might have been a different, or much closer, result. As it turned out, the Devils were completely flat and the Canadiens came at them with discipline and resolve. This doesn't mean the Habs' weaknesses are all gone.

I'm not trying to be a downer here, but until the Canadiens start getting some injured players back, they don't have the resources they need to compete against a good team that really wants to win. So, let's enjoy the day and the win over the hated Devils, but let's keep our hopes and expectations to reasonable levels. Of course, in the playoffs, anything can happen. We just can't expect it to, even after a good game against a fading opponent.

Habs vs.Devils - I Hate Brodeur Edition

Notes on the third:

-Plekanec's unusually strong on the draw tonight.

-What a rocket from Subban! Too bad Skinner's so awesome, or P.K. would have a legitimate Calder shot. Then again, Gomez was a Calder winner, so what the hell does that mean?

-Moen fights, but on the boards he's about as gritty as satin panties.

-Mara and Sopel are the new Dandouillon. They shall be called Mopel.

-Darche again! The man should do a training video called "Good Things Happen When You Go To the Net."

-I think Martin's wearing the same tie he wore last time the team won.

-Uh oh. Marty's mad at Pleky. Pleks looks so scared.

-Subban's just so good with the first pass. More accurate than a laser printer.

-You just knew Price couldn't get the shutout. How many times has his crappy D broken up a whitewash? Gill's fault this time.

-Nice finish. It's nice to have some breathing room for a change.


Notes on the second:

-Fortunately, the Devils D keeps the puck in as well as Deep Throat kept secrets.

-Brodeur is his usual stonewalling, aggravating self. Again.

-Habs PP only works when Subban's on the ice. Martin is gradually realizing that.

-Pouliot has such trouble with gravity.

-Elmer Lach would have potted one on the open net Kostitsyn missed. And HE'S got a broken hip.

-Another chess-match period. So far, the Habs are protecting their king pretty well, even if he didn't know where the puck was a couple of times.


Notes on the first:

-My level of expectation for this game is about as high as my level of expectation that world peace will be achieved by summer.

-Absolutely terrible bench camera on RDS tonight. It's looking down through chicken wire.

-Rebounds are scarcer than Kostitsyn's hairs.

-Great move by Price to force Tedenby outside. The last thing this team needed was to dig itself an early hole. Helps to have a little luck with the angle off the post too.

-The next person who makes a drop pass on the cycle should get a fine and jabbed with a cattle prod.

-It's great to have the sniping ability of Darche back in the lineup. I wish more of his wealthier mates would get the same idea.

-People who criticize Eller forget he still has pimples.

-Gill's like the world's biggest marshmallow. He probably attracts tourists in the offseason.

-Gomez picked the wrong rink if he was hoping to escape the jeers of Habs fans.

-Price bumbled like a bee on that one. Now a penalty. Sigh...every mistake has to cost.

-Pleks looks like he's a half-step slower than usual. Even on the PK breakaway, he didn't have the afterburners.

-Good period. Canadiens should be in this one unless there's a massive second-period collapse.

Aftermath: The Aristocracy

Earlier this week, Georges Laraque decided to be really classy and slam his former team (the one from which he's still shamelessly stealing a salary) while it was on the worst losing streak of the season. He said, among other things, that a player "source" confided nobody wants to play for Jacques Martin anymore. The team, it seems, has quit on its coach.

Laraque, unsurprisingly, got it wrong. The team hasn't quit on Martin. It's taking advantage of him. Jacques Martin has been very, very good to his veteran players. He's hung his reputation and chance for success on those guys, along with Carey Price. He's given them ice time, power play time, days off and an easy ride in the media. Meanwhile, the rookies and younger players get scratched or benched for the slightest mistake. They get bounced from one line to another and get little prime ice time. Martin, in effect is running an aristocracy, not a meritocracy.

It wasn't necessarily a bad approach for a coach in as intense an environment as Montreal. Winning is a must, or life becomes unliveable and job security tenuous at best. So, weighing his odds, Martin went with the guys who'd proven themselves in the past. Gomez, Gionta, Cammalleri, Gill, Plekanec and Hamrlik were the safe options. It was certainly those guys who got him to the third round of the playoffs last season. Now, though, one of two things has gone wrong.

Either Martin has relied so heavily on his vets that he's actually skated them into the ice, or he's given them such a sense of security they've grown complacent. I suspect it's a combination of the two.

Tomas Plekanec can never be accused of taking the easy way out. He is, and has always been, one of the hardest-working Canadiens. After 70+ games with more than 20 minutes of icetime against tough opposition, however, he's playing hurt and he looks drained. Carey Price, who got pulled once in his first 60 starts has been yanked after collapsing three times in his last nine.

Then there are Gomez and Cammalleri. Both of them have big, long-term contracts and they both know that no matter how poorly they play, they'll still get prime ice time and the best available linemates. It would be wrong to say they don't care...they are respected professionals, after all...but they're human. Without a sense of consequence for bad play, there's a natural tendency to get comfortable with it.

So here we have a team of tired and/or complacent veterans and young guys playing in trepidation of making a mistake. The success of last playoffs (although there used to be a time when winning only two rounds wasn't considered success) has disguised the fact that this aristocracy has resulted in the departures of young players who couldn't live up to the standard of perfection required for them to get ice time. It's also produced veterans who have the coach's trust and support, but who are almost all performing more poorly than they did last year. In the end, it adds up to a dysfunctional group unable to score or keep the puck out of its own net.

The playoffs this year are still not a given, and last night's game reconfirmed that even if they were, they probably won't last long. The "anything can happen" theory can take you so far, but it's not likely the Canadiens, as currently constructed, will win much. Down the stretch, Jacques Martin needed the veterans he's spent all season coddling to take their effort level higher. They've failed to do that, and Martin's investment in them has left him with few options as the downward spiral picks up speed.

Some coaches, at this point, would have a revolution and the rich veteran nobility would lose their social standing in favour of the idealistic peasant upstart rookies. So what if Yannick Weber makes a mistake? He's better than Brent "Danger" Sopel. And if Lars Eller gets caught on a bad turnover, who cares? He's working a lot harder than the lazy Scott Gomez. Martin's not an "off with their heads" type of coach, though. He's loyal and he's doggedly persistent. That's why P.K.Subban, although the only guy scoring on the PP, doesn't get time on the man advantage while the coach uses a veteran forward on the point instead. Martin will dance with the ones what brung him, and he'll go home with them too. Probably a lot earlier than fans were hoping they would.

Georges Laraque, in taking his semi-annual cheap shots at the Canadiens, blames the players for quitting on Martin. That's not really likely as long as the veterans the coach has supported are still enjoying their aristocratic privileges.

Habs vs. Canes - Skinner Rocks Edition

Notes on the third:

-At least Martin saved Price the skate of shame across the ice and waited until the new period to install Auld.

-The difference between a guy like Gill and one like Gomez is that Gill will NEVER be caught laughing during a loss, even if he's just heard the funniest line in the world.

-A Carolina fan is waving his terribly fat two-year-old at the camera. He should be arrested for child abuse if he gives her another hot dog.

-The Hurricanes board-fixers all wearing helmets look like they're scared of hockey.

-Terrible PP. That was their chance. I'm going to bed. Without watching the last 12 minutes, I'm guessing Skinner gets the hatty.

-The Canadiens are done. Just done. There will be four regular season games and four playoff games left. Enjoy them well.


Notes on the second:

-Eller looks like he wants to make up for the giant gaffe on the 'Canes second goal.

-DD's trying his tiny buns off.

-Plekanec is NOT himself. There's something wrong there.

-Lovely passing on the Habs PP. Too bad nobody told them it's not illegal to shoot.

-Cammalleri! Finally.

-And, immediately, they give it back. Brutal screen on Price, but not a great goal to give up under the circumstances. Defensive coverage was as visible as Casper.

-Plekanec just saved the Skinner hat trick, but nobody will give him credit for that.

-And the fourth 'Canes goal just goes to illustrate how far the Canadiens are going in the playoffs. Price looks like last year tonight.

-Plekanec, Hamrlik, Price and Subban have been played out to the point of exhaustion. The playoffs are a happy fantasy.

-Good thing there's only one home game left, or Gomez would have his ears scorched with boos.

-The pool betting here is not who'll score the next Habs goal, but how many they'll lose by.

-Wow. Pouliot hasn't scored in 19 games? I guess it's harder to score from your ass than I thought.

-Now a penalty. This team, when it really counts, is sucking harder than a porn star on an audition.

-Price is falling second to Ward yet again. This is hard to watch.


Notes on the first:

-If Gomez MUST revert to previously braindead play, it'd be nice if he could refrain from doing that while Staal's on the ice.

-Desharnais behind the net is like Houdini underwater.

-Feeling like the first goal here will be major.

-Wiz is pinching like a younger sister. And doing a nice job at clearing out the pesky Staal from the crease.

-You just can't dislike Skinner, even when he scores against your team. He's just so damn happy to be there.

-I'm kind of scared to think Spacek is better than Sopel. He sucked on the 'Canes first goal. Not that Gomez or Mara were much better. Skinner had half the rink and all day to get that shot off.

-Brutal giveaways and Skinner with another one. Eller was awful. Their rookie is better than our rookie.

-The impotent Habs are back.