SB Nation - Hal Gill

Markov Return Sparks Habs

Robert L — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 07:21:19 -0000

Bring on the hyperbole, the rhetoric, the obvious and the outrageous claims.

Or, keep your feet firmly planted in reality, dim as it often can be.

Not sure if the glass if half full or half empty today, but there are still fears that it is made of disposable plastic.

Last night, the Canadiens ended a five game skid, shutting out the New York Islanders 3-0. The game was highlighted by the return of the Habs' best player.

Yes, it sure is hard not to get caught up in the excitement sparked by Andrei Markov's headline snatching return to play, but there are a few points to consider while floating up to cloud nine, eyes glazing with great expectations.

For starters, never use the New York Islanders as any type of measuring stick. Misleading isn't the word.

Markov's two goal contribution cannot be diminished, but it needs to be underlined that Canadiens' special teams and goaltending were factors one and two in this win.

With Markov added, the Habs PP, already pretty decent without him, just got a whole hell of a lot more fearsome. The PK has been rolling along at a freight train's rhythm for a good spell now. Jaroslav Halak offered up his spectacular, once every second game, standout performance.

But.....

Markov's return is supposed to help set the Canadiens defensemen's minutes and usage to a more appropriate tuning. Playing a little over 20 minutes, such was accomplished. He played a somewhat daring game at times.

The concern, and it's been a constant issue, is how come the Islanders get off 75 shot opportunities in a game where the Canadiens' player's responsibilities have gotten more defined?

That's 40 shots on goal, 24 blocked, and 11 misses - a whopping total not entirely explained by the Canadiens giving the Isles 6 PP chances.

Wouldn't you assume that with Markov back, even though it is the first game, that the Canadiens might just keep the Isles to maybe 30 shots? Was that too much to expect?

The bottom line I suppose, is that there will always be ugly wins, the two points in the standings in this type of season being what matters most for now.

Still, I'll take a bit more comfort in a game in which, say the Habs come up a minute short against New Jersey (or Pittsburgh!), than I can, for now, of a whitewash against the Islanders.

But.....

There is also some good news.

Oddly, Tomas Plekanec took three of the Canadiens' six penalties, depriving the PK of his valuable contibution, and they still made out just fine.

The number of Islander shots tend to tell the tale that the Canadiens didn't enjoy a great puck possession game, but the did do one thing very well when it counted most, which was winning faceoffs on the powerplay.

Get a load of this. For the night, Plekanec and Gomez were 64% and 65% victorious on draws. On the power play, the team as a whole was a wicked 86% on faceoffs in the offensive zone, with NYI only winning one of seven. If you break it down, this just might be where the game was won and lost.

Gomez, I'll admit, is finding subtle ways of impressing me of late. I've made it a point to study him more closely, ot simply concentrating on what he does with the puck in the offensive or neutral zones. I watched a solid performance by him against Jersey and against the Isles he was impeccably placed defensively for the majority of his "without the puck" responsibilities. I think that Sergei Kostitsyn can and will become a more valuable attribute to him once Brian Gionta replaces D' Agostini on that line. Sergei has a knack for puck possession deep, which in time, if kept intact, will manifest into passing options for Gomez and slotting time for Gionta.

Some numbers....

Most shifts taken by a player, both teams: Markov with 30, at a 0:40 second average, a total of 20:25.

Longest shift time average: Mark Streit at 1:08, closest was Kyle Okposo (silent K as Pierre Houde tells) at 0:59. Highest Habs, Georges Laraque and Marc - Andre Bergeron at 0:55 each.

Most giveaways: Not so good, Hal Gill (5) and Halak (4) counting for 9 of the Canadiens' 15 giveaways.

Most PP minutes: Streit with 7:17 for the Isles and Gomez with 3:35 for Montreal.

Most PK minutes: Gomez and Sergei with 5:32, Gorges with 4:57, Mara 4:42 and Markov 4:15.

Most shots on goal: For the Isles, Jack Hillen with 5, markov for the Habs with 4.

Can Habs' Markov Be Expected To Be The Team's Miracle Man ?

Robert L — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 07:42:37 -0000

Patience, if Habs' fans have any left, will be required, as Markov is returning to a lineup he is quite unfamiliar with. Discounting exhibition games this past autumn, Markov has played all of 40 minutes this season and there are seven or eight new elements on the team, as well as a new coach, that he has not had time to become accustomed to.

Markov's level of skill foresees that he should quickly become acquainted with Mike Cammalleri, who has essentially upgraded Alex Kovalev on the Tomas Plekanec and Andrei Kostitsyn duo. It is in that regard that a more immediate impact will be expected and felt.

On the power play, it wil be curious to see if he is employed with Marc - Andre Bergeron at his side, or whether he makes the latter's inclusion as a top 6 defenseman on the team somewhat redundant.

Bergeron could see action dressing as a seventh defenseman while getting PP time and work as a fourth line forward.

Coach Martin has stated that Markov could very well make his entrance with Ryan O' Byrne as a partner, a move that resembles his duties alongside the not so mobile Mike Komisarek. Time will dictate if that idea sticks but if such an experiment works, it allows the duo of Roman Hamrlik and Jaroslav Spacek to remain intact with reduced minutes and workload hopefully alleviating their burden. An unhappy sitter will be found in either of Hal Gill or Paul Mara as Josh Gorges remains a sure bet for the third pairing.

As is often the case with players returning from injury, adrenaline will play a part in what should be an exciting and interesting first few games for Markov. There will be setbacks and a slew of rough games, as he's jumping onto the train in mid season, at a time when scheduled games as brisk.

That Markov has his sights set on joining the Russian club for the 2010 Olympics as much as he is invigorated to rejoin the Habs can only be a good thing.

Let us hope that his return is not a moment too late.

It is often said of elite players that they make everyone on the ice with them better players. In the case of the Canadiens defenseman Andrei Markov, returning tonight against the Islanders from a season long injury, is it too much to expect him to turn the Habs' season around?

A player of Markov's talent cannot help but have a certain impact, as his contribution in minutes spills from 5 on 5 play to the powerplay unit and to the penalty kill. Markov in top form plays upwards of 25 minutes per game, which alleviates a burden of responsibility from his defensive mates.

Once Markov returns to form, which should honestly taken a dozen games as the rest of the league is in mid season form, he should drastically improve the Canadiens' transition game as he has been known to do in the past.

It could be a case of too little too late, despite the fact that he is returning way ahead of schedule.

Fifth Straight Habs Loss Colours 2009-10 Chemistry Experiment A Bust

Robert L — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 07:01:43 -0000

Many valiant heroes sometimes go down with a ship.

On the 2009-10 Canadiens, there have been consistent and considerable efforts from many elements, but the sum is weaker than the whole of its parts.

There have been great individual seasons and respectable showings so far. One only has to think of the resurgent Tomas Plekanec, the beaten to death but still kicking (until Jersey) Roman Hamrlik, the captivating Mike Cammalleri, the heroic, for a spell, Brian Gionta, and the often maligned and occasionally faultering backbone that is Carey Price.

Give a good grade to Travis Moen for his gutsy play.

A "nice to finally see ya" for Andrei Kostitsyn.

A positive nod to overused warrior Glen Metropolit.

Respect for the mostly consistent Jaroslav Spacek and the dependable Josh Gorges.

Max Pacioretty is a kid that is coming around at 20, slowly but sure.

When properly employed, Hal Gill's a good guy to have around.

Sergei Kostitsyn has his moments, competes but fails to complete.

Paul Mara has delivered what was expected of him in terms of toughness.

For the rest....

On this Canadiens team, there are plenty of good intentions to go around, but it all comes back down to the weak sum of the parts.

A crooked and twisted notion, is that these Habs strike no fear. They aren't difficult to play against, as was billed and hoped. They give it their all, but cannot win many individual battles. When they attempt aggressiveness, they spend the game parading to the penalty box. On the offensive, they buzz around like mosquitos without stingers, rarely drawing blood, nevermind fouls.

They are in sum a team that can't win the puck, that can't maintain possession of it , and cannot back down opponents.

In a word....screwed!

A hockey player is alot like a child. They are gonna be what they are gonna be. When it comes to habits, traits and tendencies, it is easier to change players than it is to change a player. The most depressing note on that, is that such a cleaning of house was what got this team here in the first place.

Wanting a passive player to be more aggressive's kinda like wanting a blonde to be a brunette. A shift ot two might offer a different colour, but the roots always grow back in.

I don't want to see this team blown up for a second year running. We tried that already and it has been a giant step sideways.

Scott Gomez, the first player added to the mix, has been everything cement is supposed to be.

Cammalleri and Gionta have balls bigger than the pucks they fire, but will never be the difference makers in the trenches.

Plekanec, surely the Habs most rounded player, is a containable asset when not surrounded by players with more killer instinct.

Andrei K, playing his best hockey while the team is all achors, is the poster boy for several other enigmas on the team.

Price, with the right kind of team in front of him, has all the attributes to win and win big. On this team, in this city, his best friend will be his psychologist.

These Canadiens may work very hard, but they work badly because they haven't the required skills, the physical composition, or the mindset to sustain the type of effort required to win more games than they lose. That, and no discernable leadership, does not help.

All the individual attributes of the players add up to one very ordinary team. One many fans couldn't get excited about from the get - go.

The game of hockey will always be one of unstoppable forces versus immovable objects. It's down to speed versus size, and too much of one without enough of the other doesn't cut it.

The top teams in the NHL are always prepared to suffer in order to win. Size, and perhaps the fear of further injuries, prevents these Canadiens from becoming a top team.

The most depressing notion is that they cannot shed their shin, just as a blonde cannot ever truly become the brunette they wished they were.

Remember that old "OFF" repellent commercial, where the dude sprays his arm with the chemical and inserts it into a plexiglass box and the insects lay off?

What constructive evidence of the 2009-10 Habs testifies that they can draw blood?

Remember Bob Gainey's playing card analogy of a few years back, something to do with a hand loaded with deuces and threes making it hard to bluff, or something along those lines?

In a hockey reality of aces and kings....oh just nevermind.

The mid season point is starring this club down with more dread than hope.

A seven game road trip, on the lip of a five game losing streak, hangs like a death knell over this season.

On the road against clubs this Canadiens edition could conceivably beat - Islanders, Thrashers, Hurricanes, Maple Leafs, Senators, Lightning and Panthers - the Habs must win at least 6 out of 7 or its all over folks.

The Canadiens have a combined home and away record of 7-5 against these foes so far this season.

I'd love to find a positive spin to offer on the next 14 days of this Canadiens' season, but I don't believe in miracles, voodoo, ghosts, kewpie dolls, spells, magical creams, Quebec virgins, luck, Zimmerman, the return of Markov, global warming, superstition, lotions, copper bracelets, pyramids, prayer, the power of positive thinking, faith healing or hypnotism.

And I'm a fuckin' optimist!

The 2009-10 Canadiens chemistry experiment has been a bust. Would you prefer that it is admitted now, or in three years time?

It's meat, my friends. Time to stick a fork in its butt and turn it over.

Robert L note: Sorry for not bothering to post a single pic or link with this post, but I felt this one needed to be delivered in plain old black and white.

New Jersey Devils Win a Sloppy Game Against Montreal Canadiens, 2-1

John Fischer — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 04:33:38 -0000

More photos » by Rich Schultz - AP

Patrik Elias' goal in the third period was the most exciting event of the game. Naturally it came near the end to ultimately finish off a sloppy game between the Devils and the Canadiens. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

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Well, that was certainly some game! You had the New Jersey Devils, who were miserable on the power play, sloppy playing anywhere outside of their own zone for most of the game, and seemed out of sync in general. The visiting Montreal Canadiens were more than happy to shoot themselves in their own foot over and over by way of penalties and giveaways, trying to trap the Devils all game with some mixed success, and sleepwalking through the rest of the game after scoring the game's first goal (particularly in the third period). Neither goaltender was particularly tested and outside of it being Martin Brodeur's 1,029th career game - tying him with Patrick Roy for the all-time record in games played for a goaltender - it was a mostly unmemorable affair.

It really was a game no one necessarily wanted to win, neither team stepped up their play to dictate the tempo or the pace of the game. Yet, thanks to a fluke goal helped by Carey Price and Patrik Elias being at the right place and right time on a rebound, the Devils come away with a 2-1 victory over the Bleu Blanc et Rouge. NHL.com has their recap up complete with the boxscore and other stats.

Read on for my further thoughts on tonight's game, check out Robert's thoughts later on at Habs Eyes on the Prize.

Where do I begin? Well, let's talk about the opposition. On paper, one would wonder why in the world they were in this game. Discipline nearly became a huge issue. They didn't just take 5 penalties in the game, they took 5 penalties within the first 30 minutes of the game and 4 in the first period. They giftwrapped approximately a minute long 5-on-3 for the Devils. The only reason why it wasn't a huge issue was that the Devils did very little with these man advantages.

But put that aside for a moment because I have to make this point. These weren't just minor penalties. Oh, no, they were some incredibly stupid penalties! This included a too many men on the ice penalty, Hal Gill throwing a man down while on offense, Carey Price playing the puck outside of the trapezoid (seriously!), and Jaroslav Spacek breaking a stick. Four of those five were just mindless!

And that makes me more unhappy with the performance of the power play. The Devils had a total of 8:47 on the power play tonight across these 5 minors (Rob Niedermayer's hooking call negated the last few seconds of the power play on Spacek) and what was the result? 3 shots and a shorthanded goal against! Yes! Only 3 shots! And one goal against! It's not even that they didn't score, but that they didn't make Carey Price work hard or really pressure the Montreal penalty killers. I'll be fair and give the Canadiens' PK a gold star, they did their job; but the Devils' power play units made it easy for them at times. Those times, it was like watching a dog defecate. And then there's the shorthanded goal scored by Travis Moen. See for yourself with this video from NHL.com:

I have no words. Wait, that's a lie, I have a few. Ugly. Total breakdown. Awful. Unacceptable. What was Langenbrunner thinking? Don't tell me, he wasn't.

Bizarrely enough, this did absolutely nothing for Montreal. At the time, the Devils were outshooting the Canadiens nearly 2 to 1 and...this didn't inspire the Canadiens. The goal did not give them much of a boost. They went on to put 4 more shots on Martin Brodeur, entirely uneventful shots, and then moved on in the game to put only 11 more on net in total. Even in the second period, where I thought the Canadiens were more effective in getting the puck forward on offense than the Devils, they just didn't turn that into any sustained offensive pressure.

Full credit should go to the Devils defense for closing down on the Canadiens forwards and cleaning up every loose puck available. There were times where they made some dumb passes/clearances, but overall, the Devils looked poised. I felt Johnny Oduya and Colin White in particular played very well. They didn't concede the puck and didn't back down from anyone, be it Mike Cammalleri or lesser players like Sergei Kostitsyn, Tom Pyatt, and Scott Gomez (ASIDE: Did Scott Gomez play? The boxscore said he played 17:14, but truthfully, was he really there the all that much time? I think his sole contribution to the game was having the arena boo him when he was on the ice.) I really can't complain when you hold the opposition to 18 shots in the game. And Martin Brodeur wasn't challenged too much on the majority of those 18 shots. In the defensive zone, the Devils looked good. Outside of that, it was like the team was skating through mud.

What I amazingly can't complain about is the faceoffs. I was certain to write a blistering set of sentences about how the Devils seemingly got tossed from every faceoff and proceeded to lose them. Nope. Per the stats, that only happened 10 times. Moreover, the Devils won 61% of total faceoffs and despite seeing Niedermayer (12 for 18) and Travis Zajac (10 for 16) seemingly get thrown out, they did very well. In fact, the Devils seemingly had more possession of the puck than the Canadiens, especially in the first and third periods. Thankfully, in the first 10 minutes of the first and the last 10 minutes of the game, the Devils actually did something and turned that possession into shots on Price leading to acceptable totals of 8 and 10, respectively, from those periods.

As another detour, when you look at the event summary stats, you realize a number of things. You realize that Zach Parise managed to put 5 shots on net. You realize Brian Rolston and Vladimir Zharkov (who skated hard all night long, unlike most of either team's players) followed behind with 4. And you're aghast that the Devils managed to have 18 officially recorded giveaways. From what I saw, I know full well Montreal was giving it away, but honestly the Devils weren't that much better and all this contributed to and continued to make this game even sloppier. Passes not only missing their targets but going right to the other team - that's terrible. And it shouldn't surprise the Devils if Lemaire makes a point of that tonight or tomorrow.

But let's get back on track and point out how the Devils actually won tonight. In a sloppy second period where the Canadiens turned up the heat to "lukewarm" and the Devils were still out of sync, the fourth line actually gave the Rock something to cheer for. 4 blown power plays in the first period and down by 1 led to boos. But the equalizer surprised and delighted the hometown fans. I'm sure it surprised Ilkka Pikkarainen (the goalscorer) and Carey Price (the goaltender). Here's the video of the goal:

For those who didn't quite catch it in the video, the puck hits off of Price's glove, hits the post, slides into the back of Price's left skate, and goes over the line. Congratulations Ilkka Pikkarainen, you scored not only your first NHL goal but it was important (tied the game) and you did it in a very improbable fashion. This game will certainly last as a memory for Pikkarainen, despite how the game looked like from the observers like us.

Alas, the Devils built on this only slightly as they tightened up on defense but still had very little of an attack until halfway through the period. The top two lines started getting aggressive, increased their hustle, and wouldn't you know it, it actually led to shots on net and a general feeling of excitement in the stands. The Devils, they were doing something and perhaps it could win them the game. Of course, the game winning goal started from a good defensive stop followed by a good outlet pass by Bryce Salvador, and, well, see for yourself:

A great goal by Elias that ultimately ended a really dreary game between both teams. Thank you Rolston for putting the shot on net to begin with and thank you Elias for going to the net to put that home. Above all, thank you for essentially putting the game away at that point as Montreal did very little with 6 skaters in the final 1:14 of the game. Seriously, no shots against and much of it was spent outside of the Devils' zone.

Of course, what does one make of the game overall? The Devils didn't play well, aspects of their performance stuck out as very good (faceoffs, defensive zone play) and others as absolutely terrible (power play), and they pull out a regulation win. The Devils were very fortunate, in my opinion, that Montreal was just as bad if not worse than New Jersey tonight. Last week, the Devils came out in a similar haze against Florida and the Panthers soundly beat them, 4-2. The Devils looked good for maybe 20 minutes total and won tonight. Go figure. Maybe the Panthers are better the Canadiens (actually, per the standings after tonight, they are). What a way to go through your 1,029th career game, eh, Marty?

For the big picture, I hope the team doesn't start to make a habit of having sketchy performances leading to wins. Sure, wins are great. I'll gladly take tonight's win. But developing bad habits aren't worth it and I really hope the Devils don't go into games thinking, "We can be lackadaisical, but be strong enough for a part of the game/come from behind to win." I'd love to see the Devils put out a proper effort against Ottawa on Friday. In particular, I'd love to see the power play be less than useless against Ottawa. (Seriously, the Devils put 3 shots on Price across 5 power plays, I can't get over that, it just makes me want to bang my head against a wall.)

Thanks to Steve for putting up the GameThread, thanks to the commenters and readers, and please leave your thoughts on tonight's game in the comments.

Experiencing A Canadiens' Win In Ottawa's (Not So) Rival Rink

Robert L — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 04:52:53 -0000

It's was early Wednesday morning as I began this, a snowstorm between Ottawa and Montreal, a total whiteout, and it has kept me home from my real world job, which today would have seen me venture back up to the capital city, dropping off Oldtimers Hockey Challenge tickets from Orleans to Kanata.

Thank goodness for snow days, eh?

Well not really, as the weather has provided me with more snow to shovel than I want to deal with. Bur ironically, and coincidentally, today's weather has provided me an easy lead-in to story threads from the Habs game last night and my experiences seeing the Canadiens on the road for the first time in my life.

The Canadiens third straight victory, five days into the beginning of their second century, featured a storm of sorts, in that a barrage of shots were fielded by surprise starter Jaroslav Halak, the game's well deserved first star.

The whiteout alludes to Habs' forward Ryan White, called up from Hamilton earlier in the day, only to play four shifts last night, before somehow being declared ineligible for the game, something to do with the Canadiens failing to declare the callup with NHL sources.

With the Habs playing well of late, with back to back wins against the Bruins and Flyers no less, I was real anxious to experience seeing them in Ottawa, where a great multitude of Canadiens fans reside. I've watched Montreal at the ~~Civic Center~~ ~~Palladium~~ ~~Corel Center~~ Scotiabank Place before and seen their fans turn out in droves, but actually being there among them, as I've found out, is a whole other reality.

I won't suggest that the Habs' fans outnumber, or are louder than their Senators fan counterparts, but it is a pretty evenly split room. Together the two sides help bring up the ante and charge up the tempo. From the cheapseats, it's a lively atmosphere, to put it lightly.

Sitting next to a Sens' fan that looked like Ken Hitchcock after dropping 200 pounds, I got on his good side really early by mocking the Senators division title banners just before the drop of the puck. During the game, I further endeared myself to him, all in good fun of course, by pointing out the mass of empty seats in the building and noting everytime a Senators shot was blocked but still registered on the clock count.

His subtle shots directed back to me were almost whispered comments to his friend and they included calling out every Habs player fall as a dive, saying "We're totally dominating" about a dozen times, and suggesting goalie Jaroslav Halak looked nervous while completely stoning Ottawa all game long.

Among the Canadiens fans scattered in Section 323 were a group of Habs Inside Out loyalists along for a mini Habs Fan Summit. Dave Finn (Punkster) was seated next to me. A converted Leafs' fan, Dave is an asute observer of the game, and he spent the evening pointing out all kinds of subtle and interesting game notes to me. It was a pleasure spending time with him.

A few seats away were Chuck Lewis and his girl and Adam Mills (subdoxastic), who's been a commenter at EOTP for a long while now. Other HIOers within reach were Paul Dube (who did a fine job organizing the trip and bringing everyone together), Ian Cobb (who's done the same for two Montreal fan summits now), Dave (DD) Reid, Nate Boisvenue (Natrous) and his brother. Pretty much the entire group had a Sens fans seated next to them.

One good laugh I had was watching Ian, donning his now traditional 1945-46 classic home white jersey, attempting to convince the Senator fans next to him to come over to the Canadiens' side.

The coolest part of being mixed in with the Ottawa fans was leaning over them three times as we'd all high five each other when the Habs scored. We would have had to a fourth time, but by then, all the Sens fans had left to beat the 417 rush home.

One treat of a fan was this guy a couple of rows down from me. Wearing a Marian Hossa jersey, he literally castigated Kovalev at every opportunity. He was in absolute angst each time Kovy hit the ice, yelling "Do something, lazy ass!" and a bunch other obscenities. Kovalev was roundly booed on the evening, a composite hounding from both sides as he floated through the game. I noted to Dave that most of the game, I wasn't even aware he was on the ice.

Overall, the sense I got from Senator supporters is that they are an inhibited bunch among the Habs throng. The "Ole, Ole" chant was omnipresent, from the busride in, to the corridors and throughout the game, and to the tunneling out post game back to the bus.

I was standing in a lineup between the second and third and overheard a snippet of conversation involving a guy with a Carey Price jersey and a man in unidentified colours.

"Who are you going for?" he was asked. "Nevermind," he wilted.

The guy in the Price jersey turned to him friend and they simultaneously nodded "Sens fan!"

One thing I found particularly lame, was when the Canadiens scored, the public address practically mumbled the details as if to neuter the cheering. It caught me off guard, it was so minor league. I was all pumped to scream my head off, and that monotone drone just threw me for a loop.

Late in the contest, when the attendance was announced at eighteen thousand and something, I had to cry "bullshit." The bozos next to me tried to get my ire by mockingly counting the empty seats. My retort was a simple "Wonder how empty this place looks when it's not the Habs playing?"

Scotiabank Place is indeed an old time hockey experience. The musical selections between drops of the puck keep on entertained and amused. For one stoppage we got 30 seconds of the Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop", and for the next we got some cheesy farfisa pump organ playing the "Charge" interlude. You can't help picture a Monty Python skit while listening.

As for the game itself, the Canadiens, backed by a standout performance from Halak, put in a pretty solid road game. The shot margin was high, especially after losing defenseman Jaroslav Spacek at the end of the first. From high up you could see that the Senators were firing from all angles but rarely piercing the perimeter.

The Canadiens made the most of their chances. Mike Cammalleri's goal was a beaut! On the two on one, Tomas Plekanec put a fake on the Sens defender that was a true marvel. The blueliner's stick was properly placed between Plekanec and his winger until a shot was faked and a slip pass made. As the Ottawa rearguard moved his stick to deflect, the pass went the other way. All the streaking Cammalleri had to do was redirect it into the open cage.

Sitting high offers a view in which you can truly appreciate the hardest working players and spot the floaters with ease. The most notable things I took in were how aware Roman Hamrlik is of his surroundings when not in possesion of the puck. You can really begin to understand why there are so few mistakes made from his corner when he does come in contact with the puck or opposing players.

On the Ottawa side, it's clear that Kovalev's teammates haven't a clue what he's about yet. He spent the night eluding any kind of close check, skating arcs and circles outside the perimeter of play. When oportunity arose, he'd streak towards the net from the far board, but linemates weren't looking for him. It gives the impression that he's floating, but that type of evasiveness has always been part of his game. He'd didn't accomplish very much on the night.

I never had much good to say about Jason Spezza and this game didn't change that. As the Senators fell behind, you'd think the team's most talented center would be leading the charge, but I caught Spezza waiting at the Habs blueline for a pass at least four times - in the third period alone.

Another noticable feature of the rink at Scotiabank Place was that the dasher boards are dead. The puck isn't given much bounce when fired off them, which tends to favor a Senators forecheck. The backs of Canadiens defensemen were constantly offered as targets to onrushing Sens forwards. Curiously, Halak rarely got back quick enough to stop the wraparound shoot ins Ottawa employment to break into the zone.

Much credit for the win went to first star Halak, but the work of the penalty killing unit was without fault on seven occasions. A player who is rapidly changing my opinion of him is Hal Gill, who was a tower of strength with a man down. Gill's long stick is always perfectly placed, and after he had broken up a good half dozen plays, the Senators forwards began working away from him as he had completely neutralized any cross ice passed from his side of the rink.

There was about five minutes to go in the game when fans started for the gate. I couldn't believe my eyes that people were hitting the exit in a one goal game. The moment the Kostitsyn goal was scored, it was as if the finger was removed from the hole in the dam and a deluge ensued. By the time of Scott Gomez' empty netter, the rink was half empty, nothing left but the Habs' faithful.

That final scene - about 9,000 Habs fans cheering in a rival rink - is my lasting image of this game. I'd head back to Ottawa and do this all over again in a nanosecond.

If anyone is thinking of heading to Ottawa for the December 28 game, there were all kinds of seats available. If you have a hunch of going, do so. I was seated at the 300 level near the blueline, and the sightlines for the whole rink are great.

Kudos to Paul Dube for organizing this fun get together. If you should ever take in a game in the capital, do as Paul did and get everyone together at Local Heroes on St. Laurent Blvd. From there, they have nightly round bus trips to Scotiabank and back for only five bucks.

85 Reasons to Hate the Canadiens

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 03:57:01 -0000

More photos » by Winslow Townson - AP

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The Bruins will be in Montreal tomorrow night to face-off against the Canadiens. The Habs will be celebrating their 100th anniversary tomorrow night, which is weird because they have been milking this 100th season thing for 2 years now. Instead of doing my typical game preview, I thought I would do something ~~completely unoriginal and hacky~~ different. TSN recently came up with a list of 100 reasons to love the Canadiens, so I decidedly to come up with a rebuttal. The following are 85 reasons to hate the Montreal Canadiens (in no particular order) to celebrate 85 years of Bruins hockey.

1. Almost all of their Stanley Cup wins were a direct result of an unfair player allocation system

2. 2008

3. 2004

4. 2002

5. 1989

6. 1987

7. 1986

8. 1985

9. 1984

10. 1979

11. 1978

12. 1977

13. 1971

14. 1969

15. 1968

16. 1958

17. 1957

18. 1955

19. 1954

20. 1953

21. 1952

22. 1947

23. 1946

24. 1931

25. 1930

26. Their lame fans that flood the streets of Boston

27. Their fans celebrated a first round win over an 8 seed by set their own city's police cars on fire

28. One of their greatest players ever has a nickname that sounds like a sex toy

29. One of their former "coaching masterminds" can't even read a children's book

30. Their fans are living in the past.

31. Ken Dryden F__ that guy!

32. Patrick Roy Just a poor man's Marty Brodeur

33. They are a bunch of purse snatchers

34. They have better diving form than Rodney Rangerfield in "Back to School"

35. Guy LaFleur His son is a creep and the old man isn't much better

36. Ole! Ole! Ole! Ah how cute. You got a little song you sing.

37. I feel guilty every time I order a Molson

38. Who calls for a stick measurement in the Stanley Cup Finals?

39. Their dumb fans that would rather have a team of French Canadians than a competitive team

40. Their jailbird throwback jerseys

41. I hate any team that has a Gionta on it

42. The Habs couldn't give the B's much of a series last year and I think it hurt the B's in Round 2

43. They love to play chippy, but rarely answer the bell

44. Maxim Lapierre's gutless late hit on #81 last year

45. Mike Komisarek's eye gouge on Matt Hunwick

46. George Laraque's idle threats

47. They are the NHL team of choice for Vermont's dirty hippies

48. Most of their forwards aren't tall enough to ride most of the rides at the amusement park

49. Their fans think it is classy to boo the American national anthem

50. They undeservedly got a bunch of their players in the All-Star Game last year.

51. To quote Bill Burr: "their silly little fans who act like they live in Paris even though you can see the place from Vermont"

52. Celine Dion almost bought the team and nobody in Montreal seemed to be embarrassed about this

53. Habs fans boo Chara every time he touches the puck and even the most die hard Habs fan couldn't tell you why.

54. I need to use a passport and my poor high school French to see them play in Montreal

55.

56. They used to employ Mike Ribiero (Timmy's pick)

57. They used to employ Shayne Corson (Timmy's pick)

58. Ryan O'Byrne's turtle move

59. Claude Lemieux gutless puke

60.

61. Guy Carbonneau looks like a movie villain

62. They won the majority of their Stanley Cups in the Original 6 era

63. They thought Hal Gill was a solid off-season pick-up

64. "Too Many Men on The Ice"

65. Red, White, and Blue used to respectable colors

66. The Habs 164 different retro jerseys they have used to commemorate

67. This has been the longest "year" ever

68. Youppi That thing is just flat out creepy

69. They are own by a Brewery, but they can't figure out how to control their team like Doug and Bob McKenzie in "Strange Brew"

70. They hate Michael Ryder

71. They are the only team to get Patrice Bergeron to drop the gloves

72. They cut Mr. Kathryn Tappen

73. Carey Price's haircut

74. Kovalev faking an injury in the 2004 playoffs

75.

76. 1 beer per person limits at The Garden for B's-Habs games

77.

78. The Habs went to a Christian retreat called "Teen Ranch" for team bonding

79. This Guy who took his wife's name and wears a personalized Habs jersey with his new last name on it.

80. Their confused fans

81. Tom Kostopoulos' flying elbow

82.

83. Glen Metropolit used to be a guy you could root for

84. No matter where the B's finish they always seem to draw the Habs

85. Because they are the Habs. You are supposed to hate them.

Your Toronto Maple Leafs: How Did We Get Here?

mf37 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:32:36 -0000

An anonymous comment over at my blog Bitter Leaf Fan raised the question of how exactly the Leafs arrived in their current mess.

There’s not a single cause or easy explantion.

This franchise has gone through three, maybe even four, different phases since 2000, however; with the exception of one small window, all of these phases have focused on the short-term, sacrificing picks and prospects for a supposed fix.

After the jump, a look at the Leafs' propensity to deal away the future and the pile of pocket lint, loose change and used gum wrappers they got in return.

Pre-Lockout

The Pat Quinn teams of the early 2000s were powerful clubs. Each made the playoffs and several flirted with 100 point seasons. They combined a nice mix of talent and flair (Sundin, Mogilny) with grit (Roberts, Tucker) and solid goaltending (Cujo, Belfour).

These teams were often legitimate threats to go deep in the post season and on more than one occasion it was widely thought they could challenge for a cup. As a result, these teams made a number of trades where the future was sacrificed for the present. There was a small window of success and the Leafs went for it, selling off the future in the hopes of a big pay-day.

In 2003, the Leafs trade Brad Boyes (2000 1st round pick), Alyn McCauley and a 1st round pick for Owen Nolan

In 2004, the Leafs trade two prospects, a 1st and 2nd round pick for Brian Leetch.

In addition to dealing away those three first round picks, the Leafs also had some bad luck when their 1999 first round selection (and WJC 1st team all-star) Luca Cereda had to hang up his skates due to health complications with his heart.

From 1999 to 2004, the Leafs emerged with just two first round draft picks: Carlo Colaiacovo and Alexander Steen. Both would later be traded to St. Louis for Lee Stempniak.

The Missing Years

John Ferguson Junior’s tenure was like a ship lost at sea…or maybe it was a ship that kept running into ice bergs…or a lost ship, on fire, that kept hitting ice bergs. Choose your own nautical disaster metaphor and, in keeping with JFJ’s reign of error, the more apocalyptic and dire your selection the more accurate it will be.

Ferguson was GM from the 2004 to 2007 drafts.

Out of those five drafts, he managed to hold on to his first round pick in just once – giving the franchise Jiri Tlusty and a whole lotta NSFW jokes.

Unable to shake-off the "win now!" edict from the MLSE board, in just two years Ferguson sacrificed two first, a second and a fourth round pick in an effort to shore-up the team’s goaltending. Some four years later, goaltending remains a position of weakness that hasn’t been adequately addressed.

JFJ's draft day magic:

The 2005 first round pick (Tukka Rask) dealt for Andrew Raycroft.
The 2006 first round pick was Jiri Tlusty.
The 2007 first round and second round picks (along with a 2009 4th) to San Jose for Vesa Toskala.
The 2008 second round pick to Phoenix for Yannic Perreault.

Draft Schmaft Redux?

In 2008, Cliff Fletcher was brought in to try to move out the NTCs/NMCs on the club and start the, ahem, rebuilding process.

Given the need to get more talent into the system, he made some, shall we say, curious moves:

A swap of first round picks, 2008 3rd round pick, 2009 2nd round pick for Luke Schenn
2008 3rd round pick for Jamal Mayers
2008 4th round pick to get rid of Bryan McCabe
2008 5th round pick for Ryan Hollwegg
2010 2nd round pick for Mikhail Grabovski

In fairness to Fletcher, he also acquired a small parcel of picks:

2008 2nd round pick and a 2009 5th round pick for Hal Gill
2008 3rd round pick for Chad Kilger
2008 5th round pick for Wade Belak

An Eye for Talent? Um. Not really...

If you’re going to trade away picks and prospects, the returning players better pan out.

Clearly that has not been the case for the Leafs.

By my math, the Leafs traded five first round and three second round picks for the following return:

69 games from Owen Nolan.
28 games of Brian Leetch.
91 games (and 268 goals against) of Andrew Raycroft (plus a multi-year buyout)
17 games of Yanic Perreault
127 games (and counting) from Vesa Toskala

Stop and marvel at that return.

Five first and three third round picks for 332 games played (plus Toskala's starts until the end of the season).

I'll spare the Leaf defenders from doing the math - Brad Boyes, one of the former first rounders traded away, has played 347 NHL games, 15 more than this motley collection managed for the Leafs.

What's worse is that every single one of these players left the Leafs without a single asset coming back in return.

I'll wait while you drink it all in.

I don’t know about you, but I don't think there’s an adjective that can adequately summarize this. One could argue that only Bernie Madoff has done a worse job of asset management - and even that might be a stretch.

Making Mistakes Beyond the Draft

Even more painfully, that poor return only reflects the draft side of the equation.

The Leafs have not excelled in the free agency department (Blake, Finger), have made poor decisions in awarding NMCs and NTCs, and have made a series of poor decisions on talent retention – signing McCabe, Tucker and others to long-term deals rather than trading them at peak value. But I’ll save that rant/analysis for another day…

For now, in a nutshell, this is a good first step toward building a franchise that’s on target for a 50 point season and has limited options at hand.

Habs vs Former Habs at the Quarter Point

Robert L — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:00:24 -0000

I haven't taken a look at this since the 10 game mark (October 27), but it seems that the former Habs players are now gaining a slight edge on their current counterparts.

At the quarter season point, it is still too soon to draw much of a conclusion, especially considering how unstable the Canadiens' lineup is these days

Most of the players on both sides have kept up their early season pace going, with exceptions being Tanguay, Lang and Koivu, who have picked it up for the former Habs and Marc-Andre Bergeron, who now leads all Canadiens' D in scoring. Tailing off somewhat, are the Bruins' Michael Ryder and Steve Begin.

Most notable among these statistics may just be the save percentages - added to this list for the first time here. I chose to include them for obvious reasons, that being the Canadiens duos numbers as compared to the former netminders now tending goal for stronger clubs.

The Habs much maligned duo of Halak and Price take a beating a little too often, but as it appears here, they could just as well be the team's saving grace.

*Players below are ranking by points and not in comparison.

Jaroslav Halak 8-5-3-0 2.62-9.04 / Jose Theodore 13-5-3-4 3.24-8.83 (Capitals)

Carey Price 13-5-8-0 2.99-9.06 / Cristobal Huet 15-9-4-1 2.25-9.02 (Blackhawks)

Marc-Andre Bergeron 14-3-4-7 / 21-4-7-11 Mark Streit (Islanders)

Roman Hamrlik 20-4-2-6 / 19-0-8-8 Craig Rivet (Sabres)

Jaroslav Spacek 21-1-5-6 / 19-2-5-7 Francois Beauchemin (Maple Leafs)

Paul Mara 21-0-6-6 / 15-2-4-6 Ron Hainsey (Thrashers)

Josh Gorges 11-1-1-2 / 6-0-2-2 Sheldon Souray (Oilers)

Hal Gill 14-1-0-1 / 16-0-0-0 Mike Komisarek (Maple Leafs)

Totals - Defense　

Habs: Total GP: 101 / Goals: 10 /Assists: 18 / Points: 28

Former Habs: Total GP: 96 / Goals: 8 / Assists: 26 / Points: 34

Tomas Plekanec 21-4-15-19 / 20-6-10-16 Mike Ribeiro (Stars)

Mike Cammalleri 21-8-8-16 / 19-3-9-12 Mikhail Grabovski (Maple Leafs)

Brian Gionta 19-8-5-13 / 18-4-8-12 Alex Tanguay (Lightning)

Scott Gomez 21-2-9-11 / 20-5-6-11 Robert Lang (Coyotes)

Glen Metropolit 15-4-6-10 / 18-4-6-10 Alex Kovalev (Senators)

Travis Moen 21-4-3-7 / 20-2-7-9 Steve Begin (Bruins)

Andrei Kostitsyn 21-2-4-6 / 15-2-6-8 Saku Koivu (Ducks)

Maxim Lapierre 21-1-4-5 / 20-4-3-7 Michael Ryder (Bruins)

Max Pacioretty 21-2-2-4 / 20-2-5-7 Sergei Samsonov (Hurricanes)

Guillaume Latendresse 21-2-1-3 / 14-3-2-5 Arron Asham (Flyers)

Georges Laraque 8-0-1-1 / 20-2-3-5 Christopher Higgins (Rangers)

Matt D'Agostini 11-1-0-1 / 20-1-0-1 Tom Kostopoulos (Hurricanes)

Totals - Forwards　

Habs: Total GP: 221 / Goals: 38 /Assists: 58 / Points: 96

Former Habs: Total GP: 224 / Goals: 38 / Assists: 64 / Points: 102

Totals - Team

Habs: Total GP: 322 / Goals: 48 /Assists: 76 / Points: 124

Former Habs: Total GP: 320 / Goals: 46 / Assists: 90 / Points: 136

Incidentally, I'm not much of a video gamer when it comes to such things as NHL 2010 or EA Sports and stuff. (I used to joke that X-Box sounded like a former girlfriend!) A reader of this site has been looking into aligning the teams above against one another for a series of games. That sounded like an interesting offer, and I took him up on it. Once the results come forth, you'll read about it here.

Zandberg's Top 10 Rick Rypien Fights

Sean Zandberg — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:00:13 -0000

It took a while to go through all of Rick Rypien's fight's on YouTube and then rate them all, but it was time well spent! Has there been a better Canucks fighter since Gino Odjick? I don't know. Rick Rypien has been dubbed the "Pit Bull" and "Middleweight Champion of the NHL" by Tom Larschied. It's hard to argue that. Hell, Ripper will fight the big guys too. With the big layoff between games, we are here to entertain you!

So without further to do, I give you my Top 10 Rick Rypien fights. Enjoy.

10. Rypien vs Hal Gill (October 2009). "Somebody get him a ladder!"

9. Rypien vs Zach Stortini (October 2009) Pop goes Zach's helmet!

8. Rypien vs Mike Moore (October 2008). Decision..Ripper!

7. Rypien vs Jeremy Reich (September 2009). A treat for Terrace, BC. I think Reich takes this one, but it was a beauty regardless.

6. Rypien vs Brandon Prust (October 2008). Short and sweet.

5. Rypien vs Zach Stortini (April 2009) Apeman Stortini eats a hard left early and barely recovers.

4. Rypien vs Ole-Kristian Tollefsen (February 2008). Ole! Tolly gets his ass beat!

3. Rypien vs Brendan Brooks (2007?). Good lord, how many punches does Ripper (then with the Moose) throw here? What a tilt!

2. Rypien vs Brad May (November 2009). I still tip my hat to the older May dropping them with Rypien. He held his own for a bit there.

1. Rypien vs Ryan Carter (September 2009). Oh Carter, next time listen to your buddies when they tell you not to mess with the "middleweight champion of the NHL". This is rag doll city. This is my homer side coming out. Love the ass-whoopin' put on by Ripper here.

Empty Consolation In Habs' Squeaky Win

Robert L — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 10:03:34 -0000

For some probably inane reason, the crevices of the cynical side of my brain wants to search out an old Blue Rodeo lyric to equate the state of the Habs these days, in light of last night's win over Toronto.

A win that felt very much like a loss, for reasons I can't quite get under my thumb.

This post feels like the beginning of a self - therapy session.

Why Blue Rodeo and why now?

I think I own maybe a dozen Blue Rodeo CD's (and I can ever be heard hollering after "Dark Angel" on the live disc!) and their cynical (especially Greg Keelor tunes) and self deprecating lyrics have always had a grip on me. They connect hockey wise with me since I found out what fans of the game they are. They've played Cornwall a good half dozen times and on at least three ocassions I've sought them out after shows for signings and chatter. A great buncha guys!

In the mid '90's I saw them at the Forum opening for John Mellencamp and turned their five song 45 minute set into one long Greatful Dead - like jam, extending "Diamond Mine", "Side Of The Road", "Five Days In May", "Bad Timing" and "Hasn't Hit Me Yet" into the longest stretch of self indulgent soloing you'll ever see. It was my last visit at the Forum, and Jim Cuddy sang and played wearing a Habs home white jersey. Keelor, a Leafs fan, spent the night tugging on the "CH".

A few years later, once my oldest starting playing hockey, I was at the old barn in town and a ragtag bunch were playing a pickup game in front of me as my daughter dressed for her travel team practice. It was Cuddy and the road crew hitting the ice before playing in town that night, and I later learned that the icetime during winter dates was some kind of an occasional contractual obligation for booking dates in certain towns. Like what the hell else are they gonna do for entertainment in Cornwall?

So in that roundabout manner, Blue Rodeo enters my head hockey wise, at this precarious time, when the Canadiens need the added luxury of a shootout to beat a despicably disorganized Leafs time on a Saturday Night, wearing those ridiculous jailbird jerseys from a season none of us ever saw.

I watched the third period of the game from a bar, a couple of casual, but know-it-all hockey fans seated next to me in front of the screen. It's late in the game and I'm sensing the Habs collapse upcoming. One of the two who doesn't seem to know shit about hockey, predicts the Leaf comeback just as it unfolds. Moments before, he was trying to give me a hockey history lesson, telling me that when the Canadiens first started out years ago as a team called the Hochelaga Habitants.

Trust me, I couldn't invent this stuff!

The shootout begins, and he asks, "Who's in nets for Toronto?"

Johnny Bower, he is told.

As I noted the other day, it feels like the Habs are on a never ending ferris wheel ride. Last night, at that moment in the bar, it felt like I was stranded at the top of that wheel while passengers were unloaded, my iron gut giving way to sickness. I was the guy in Keelor's "What Am I Doing Here", a paean to being caught up the useless desolation of bummed out surroundings.　

"On this useless night,
With you so far away,
I stand in front of this ferris wheel,
And I wonder what am I doing here"

A poster at the site yesterday, going by the pseudonym of "Patience Is A Virtue", took a respectable bite out of me, suggesting that my normal state of optimism had run afoul and it had disappointed him of late.

I know.

He saw good things on this team. I'm squinting!

"There are nights full of anger,
Words that are thrown,
Tempers that are shattered and thin,
But the moments of magic,
Are just too short,
They're over before they begin

I wanna go
I know I can't stay
But I don't want to run
Feeling this way
Til I am myself again."

I cannot put myself in a frame of mind to be generous with positivism. Adjectives feel like a stretch. A big fear as a writer - becoming phony!

I want to see a game where the team can elevate its play for sixty solid minutes, consistently. Domination is not necessariliy neccessary (?), but it would be nice to see the Habs control a game start to finish. These guys, and I know they are trying their best, are uncapable.

They need OT to win against patsies and get pummelled against teams with resilience.

If I were to put it any other way, I'd be deluding myself.

"She sees the world through rose coloured glasses
Painted skies and graceful romances
I see a world that's tired and scared
Of living on the edge too long
Where does she get off telling me
That love could save us all, save us all.

And it's day after day
I keep hanging around can you tell me why
Night after night, yeah I know I should leave
But there's something in those eyes
That keeps me hanging on, I'm hypnotized
It breaks my heart and I don't know why."

Yup, it kills me to see my team this way.

I despise shootouts because they are phony wins and I took no satisfaction at all in last night's result whatsoever. Had the Habs lost, at least I could have been furious.

Again, I don't want to be this way. This space is a bummer to read and I can sympathize with readers like "Patience" because in this light, shit, I wouldn't want to read me either.

I'd much rather be debating the notion of why Carey Price, after a decently good showing in Chicago that kept his team in the game, is sitting on the bench and stuff like Marc - Andre Bergeron, despite being a defensive minefiled, not being on the first PP unit.

I've tried psyching myself up, noting yesterday that a Halloween trick or treat game held allure. Of course the usual Twilight Zone crap, how predictable, played itself out again.

Maybe I'm all crappers cause it takes goals from unlikely sources such Latendresse, Hamrlik, Metropolit and Hal Gill (for chrisakes!) to knot the Leafs.

I'm seeing all the good little things, improvements in players like Kyle Chipchura, Max Pacioretty, the contribution of Glen Metropolit, Travis Moen being a thorn, some glimmers from Guillaume, Plekanec's dependability and the stuttered sparks from the Scott Gomez line.

I'm seeing all of it, but I'm seeing all of it not add up to very much.

I cannot profess, at this time, to seeing very much light of day.

Feeling this way, really stinks.