It's a trap! Habs 2, Wild 1

Leave it to the Canadiens to walk into Wild Country and put on a show. The trap and the constant stream of rather questionable penalties dragged Habs offense to the defensive, but the Tricolore snuffed 10 power plays granted to the Wild, including two and a half 5-on-3s. Also, it's the second time they won a game even though they gave up the first goal. Interesting!

Evening notes:
- Lemaire has quite the tan.
- Both Canadiens goals were scored from the blueline, with Cube netting his 2nd of the year and Markov getting his first after nearly decapitating Josh Harding with a rocket on an early 2nd period powerplay.
- Habs played through the trap and managed very well.
- Wild fans BOOED their team after not being able to get anything thanks to excellent PK units and Carey Price being the wall.
- History! Captain Saku and Captain (of the month) Mikko face off as the first pair of brother captains for their respective teams. I don't much understand the Wild's captaincy policy, but whatever.
- History! Habs played their 2 900th road game.
- Mom and Dad Koivu were in the crowd watching their sons.
- Saku's first penalty of the season was uh...holding his brother (a light tap on the stick, really).
- Hanson brother wearing a Chiefs sweater in the audience right beind Lemaire!

WOO!

- If Lemaire had pulled Harding at the end and Price had shot that a little bit to the right, he would have gotten a goal! Instead, he got icing.
- Pileup right at the end, involving the Koivu brothers with Mikko arguing with Markov (woah, he speaks) and Price trying to hold Mikko back.
- Both coaches invested in some antacids thanks to the refs. And Carbo on the 5th penalty of the 2nd period mouthing "fuck me..." right as the camera took a shot at him.
- The RDS intermission comment crew love Price and Kostopoulos.

In other news... Habs blueliner prospect, Pavel Valentenko, has apparently signed a 3-year contract out of the blue with the KHL's Moscow Dynamo. Apparently, he was given an indefinite leave to attend to some family matters back home (watch out Capitals, isn't that what Ovechkin is on?) which seems kind of sneaky, or suspicious. I'm wondering if the mob has any hold on the new hockey league like in the old days. Apparently on Tank's facebook he left a note saying he was sorry to leave and that he just wanted to be close with his family. If it's a personal thing, then I guess there's nothing you can do about it. It still hurts though, especially since he was working hard to join the Canadiens and knew the place of the depth chart and completely understood the waiting. Also his rather North American style might not do him a whole lot of good in the KHL. Another prospect over there named Alexei Yemelin plays the same way and finds himself constantly in the penalty box. He claims to be rather annoyed with it all and wants to come over here. Anyway, the downside of it is despite how good the Habs and the Russians have been to each other since the Summit Series, we might see less of these guys drafted in the coming years. Probably why Gainey is picking more and more from Minnesota eh?

Jekylls 2, Hydes 3 (SO)

Ok, take those two points and run my little Habs. Run far away. Because if you keep playing like that, it will be a short postseason. Or will it? It seems the Canadiens can only win games when they are outshoot and outplayed. (I'm talking more even teams, not games against the Leafs and et cetera).

Things of note:
- Pre-game nod to legendary coaches Scotty Bowman, Dick Irvin Sr, and Toe Blake. Bruce Blake came out in his late-father's team sweater and put on the HAT. There was much rejoicing.
- The Bello-Mullet is back~!
- I don't think I remember a game where the Habs won by scoring un-assisted goals. One beautiful pot-stuffer by Kovy that soared right over Wardo's head as he picked a pocket and waltzed right in. The other was Tanguay on a penalty shot (another hand-on-the-puck thinger). Koivu with the patented 5-hole deke for the win.
- Price played goalie and defensemen and tried to generate offense for the team while catching the 'Canes napping on line-changes. Unfortunately no takers, and an inevitable off-the-glass play soars too high for the officials. Thankfully he's also the top player on the penalty kill. I sure if they'd allow goalies to go that far down the ice, he'd probably be a top forward on the team too. (Wrist shot!)
- I lost count at how many wide open nets were missed despite each player being within a foot from the crease.
- Samsonov came in expecting to be booed. Said it felt like old times.
- The bigger the Staal the harder they fall? When Cube is telling you to stop whining, please, just stop whining.
- Ya, no one knows what the hell happened on that second Carolina goal. Bounced out Price's glove to Markov who proceeded to ignore it while Cullen chopped it back to the net just as Price was getting back up to reposition himself. It was a facepalm.
- Are the ghosts angry or are they just challenging the current lineup? Broken sticks galore! And Hammer blocks a shot and leaves the game with a "leg injury". WE'RE FUCKED!
- Brind'Amour is one ugly dude.
- It takes 30 seconds for Pleky to feel pain. Either that or he burries it for 30 seconds because he's THAT focused and just doesn't want to move out of position.
- Another 30+ shots on goal night for Price, and perfect on the shootout.
- Wardo Voodoo Hex broken! First win (sort of) against the Hurricanes in the Bell Center since...ever.

Bring your pillows: Next, Minnesota Wild. It's Koivu VS Koivu! The Wild have just received their first regulation loss, against the old Minnesota team, and Backstrom was pulled after 3 quickies. Seriously, Steve Fucking Ott scored and Dallas didn't even have Turks in nets. (Which, considering how he's been playing lately, was probably a good idea. Poor Turks...) Guess it was one of those nights eh Nik? You can trade notes with Pricey on "My Team is Trying To Kill Me Early With a 32 SOG Per Game Average". They should get along fine.

PUNK'D! Marty... Devils lost twice to the fucking Flyers, giving them unneeded confidence, and tonight the Devils LOSE again. To the farking LEAFS! Granted it was also a shootout. But final scores like 6-5 do not look good, especially since Toskala was nearly yanked for Cujo. I think I know the problem though. It's Patrick Roy! Brodeur is very close to beating his wins record and he needs 8 more for the equalizer. But like the Habs and Cup Championships after St Pat ran off, as he nears the record, St Pat is threatened and did something to Brodeur! Don't worry, Marty. I'm sure the Thrashers will be pleased to lend a hand and breaking the Curse of St Patrick.

You are not the REAL Tim Thomas! Seriously, 2nd straight shutout? Are the Oilers and Canucks that bad or did Tiny Tim learn a few things in goalie camp this summer? Either that or the Bruins are just offensively challenged and can't score more than 1 goal, shootout or otherwise. What is going on?!

I'm sick and it isn't from the weather...

I'm so tired of elections and general politics that I'm really close to dumping my new condo, quitting my job, and hiding somewhere in the brush of the Northwest Territories. Or London, Ontario (assuming I can try again for that other job). And I'm not talking Canadian politics. My dad insists on leaving the TV on CNN every morning and night, even though he really just uses it to put himself to sleep. My friendly Americans, just watch the Daily Show, that's really all you need to know... And now there's word of a Provincial election that might happen. Great, just what I needed. More stomach churning worries that the PQ might be elected once more after they were booted out years ago 'cause god knows my fellow citizens for the most part have short-term memories even though our motto is "Je me souviens". (They don't even remember what that's from either). Thank god there's some hockey tomorrow.

I'm in your systems, raining on your day.
Tomorrow's forecast calls for rain, rain, snow, and rain. And I'm not talking about the Hurricanes. Well, no, they'll be here too. Hope the boys are awake, 'cause we all know how they tend to play on rainy days. Our ray of sunshine will be from Sergei's smiling face in practice pictures as he wrestles with Price (what? practicing goalie interference?) while big brother Andrei is skating around looking just fine. C'mon Doc, give the man clearance. Other than another black eye, he looks fine to me. (Which is good to see, considering he has epilepsy and god knows what head shots do to people with such conditions).

The 'Canes also just came off their own brush with the Head Shot. And I agree with their GM, the league just wants to say they care but don't give enough of a damn about it. Guess the same rule of fixing a bad intersection here applies: it takes 50 people to have their career end prematurely before they'll actually make a move. Or, maybe just Crosby. Thankfully it didn't end the career for Andrei, nor Mathieu Carle (who was just cleared and sent to the Bulldogs), and doesn't look like it'll end for rookie Brandon Sutter.

Carbo said it best, that hey in case you didn't notice, when you play hockey, the puck is usually on the ground, so you know, you're head is going to be down. He just doesn't buy that "keep your head up" crap. I'm also tired of hearing that old mantra. The league is quick to up scoring and changing rules there, but what'll happen if everyone is too concussed to do anything? Until players get some kind of suspension, they'll never learn to think about making a move on a vulnerable player. The game is fast, and accidents happen when one play goes bad, but that doesn't mean you can't think. I'll give it to Sutter, he actually had the puck, and it was just a hit gone wrong because he suddenly leaned down to play the puck forward just as Weight smacked him one. But Andrei didn't have it anymore, not for a while, and Carle was just off a simple dump in that really didn't warrant an open-ice Kronwall-y smackdown (in preseason, no doubt). It's just all stupid. (Of course I'm the first to note that no-check hockey is a fucking snorefest, I'm just asking for a little bit of brains, that's all).

Come down from Cloud 9
- Hey, like the Habs, the glaring errors on the Sabres finally caught up to them as Miller wasn't in nets to bail 'em out (nor was he being switched in). Sens HIGH-FIVE, Slugs 2. Lalime was in nets for the Slugs here. So that leaves the Minnesota Not-So-Wild as the only team that has yet to lose in regulation (6-0-1). Wee...Habs visit them Thursday...
- Detroit had to take the Kings to a shootout, 4-3. I'm intrigued by this.
- Rangers beat the...ya, it's not that hard to beat the Islanders these days, though.
- The Palin Curse didn't affect their games, but the Blues have no more goalies thanks to her. They now rely on two untested rookies that they seem to like swapping mid-game as if it were still pre-season. Not that they're facing many shots anyway.

Taberquack? Ducks rain on an already rainy day

Dunno, I found this somewhere. It makes me laugh every time.

Well that was a cross between CURSE OF THE FRANCO-GOALIE and a skanky game and a good game (for the wrong reasons). Actually, ya, I don't know what to make of it. First loss in regulation since the beginning of the year isn't too bad. However, Price has been sick in bed puking up everything for 3 days. What's the excuse for the rest of the team who were actually practicing all week?

The Good: J.S Giguere stops 47 of 51 shots. What? He's not on our team? Ya, that's the Curse of the Franco-Goalie, and probably why the Habs try to get them all before they go to other teams. Well, to the team's credit, most shots launched his way were rather superfluous teases, but he did make a few steals. Should have been the first star though. Corey Perry? Whatevs. Wait. I'm supposed to be talking Habs, not Quacks.

Josh Gorges has become the love of my life. This has been building since he started playing more last year. Even if his picking up the puck in the crease after Price pooped it to prevent it from going goal lead to a penalty shot, no problem. The Priceberg is so big, he freaked out the Duck to completely miss. Saku Koivu gets another goal! That's #4 in four games now, and I'm freaking out. Tanguay pots two because he did what more people on the team should do: sneak in and send those rebounds to the bank. The other love of my life, Tom Kostopoulos gets Flukey Goal of the Game award. I really have no idea how that went in, honestly, but it did, and it put the team ahead by one at the start of the 2nd period.

The Bad: Well, he wasn't necessarily bad, but he didn't look too hot out there, even in warmup. Halak let in 4 of 12 shots and got switched with Price midway 2nd perioid. What got the better of him were his rebounds that he just couldn't contain, or no defense help, or decided going down was better instead of staying up.

Offense should take notes. Stop shooting directly at the goalie and pick the waterbottle to aim for. Tanguay seems to be doing that, seems to be working. I don't know if I should put the Defense in this category though, because the shotblockers were excellent.

The Ugly: Actually, I'll put Defense here. Hello? What have you learned all week? I don't know who's errors were worse defensively, forwards doing the turnovers and not getting back faster or Breezer's. If Rhino was sitting in the pressbox eating cookies with Dandy, maybe it was a good lesson for him. "See, watch Breezer down there, that's what we want to avoid doing." Also, Markov, stop falling down please.

I'll put the refs in here too. I seriously believe the Ducks' game plan consisted of "how many times can we cross-check Kovalev and get away with it". And yea, tripping penalty usually goes to the guy who trips a player, not the one who gets tripped. Just making that clear.

Closing Notes: I'm leaning from not-minding to actually actively campaigning for Bob Gainey's suggestion to generate more offense by making it illegal for players to "sweep" with their bodies on the ground as they attempt to block shots. Habs did not sweep, blocked lots of shots. Ducks did sweep way too much, or went completely horizontal in front of Giguere, blocked and annoyed the piss out of me. If anything, Habs proved you can block shots without kissing the ice.

Anyway, my friend had fun tonight. He took my brother's ticket, as I was bugging him about seeing a game in hockey-crazed Montreal. (Only previous exposure to live hockey was Boston/Providence). Says the Bell Center is awsome and he was very impressed with how explosive the Canadiens could be. How they would be quiet, cycling the puck and then suddenly speed down to the net and attack. Too bad they didn't win it, though. Oh well, at least the Ducks didn't get an empty netter at the end, so the boys saved some face.

Next up: Hartford Whalers, er...Carolina Hurricanes.

Rubber Ducky, you're the one...

It's cold, pouring rain, and generally miserable today as Montreal gets slammed by two systems coming up from the States. Anaheim and Carolina are up this week, and both systems came from the West and South. Anyway, I'm about to get ready to go meet my friend, who's phone never works, so I'll have to meet him outside like I initially suggested instead of inside where it's warm and dry. Yippee...

Tonights menu: Anaheim (Not-So-Mighty) Ducks. Fresh off a few road victories practically handed to them by even more skankier teams, so I don't know what to make of them.

Lineup dance MASTER HIGGINS IS IN! But they'll ease him in slowly. He joins Laraque and Fruit Punch on line #4 while Bégin joins Kostopoulos and Lang on line #3. Gonna bust some skulls and score some goals? That's what those lines tell me anyway. Hammer and Gorges become the odd-couple on defense #2, while Bouillon gets BreezerGeezer on #3 even though we all know Gorges and Bouillon are better together. But, I guess that's ok. The Human Bowling Ball can make up for Breezers errors and lack of hitting things.

Scratch and sniff O'Byrne has a confidence problem thanks to the many errors he made in the past few games so he gets the cheap seats. However, he's still learning and it's all part of the growing pains for an NHL defender. Dandy joins him for milk and cookies.

CBC actually cares? Koivu's home is open to the public on CBC tonight before the game. Yes, they're actually televising our Saturday game instead of the Battle of Ontario between crappy-Leafs and crappy-Senators, AND pregame show Inside Hockey will take a look at Captain K's home and family life away from the rink. Um...I think I want to tape this.

Write if you're bored...

This week has been rather long and tiresome and Friday has finally arrived. Wednesday was interesting though. Not too many of us showed up for hockey, so we had 3-on-3 until 2 more showed to alternate. My feet keep cramping though even after taking the time to warm up and stretch. (Same problem as when I snowboard). I'll try using my other shoes next week and see if that works any better. After, on my way to the metro, I discovered Wednesday night is apparently Cat Night in St-Henri. The streets were full of cats! I tried making friends with some but it didn't work too well. Maybe my giant bag and stick looked scary...

On the Habs front:
Carey Price was still down with the flu, so Rollie called in Montreal Stars/Team Canada golden goalie, Kim St. Pierre to help out in practice. She's currently the envie of every girl in town who wanted to play hockey with the Habs but well couldn't, myself included. Nice of them to let her play. Doubt she'll get the call Saturday vs the Ducks though. Stars play that night anyway.

And because of the flu, Halak will most likely start that game. Higgins also looks to be ready. At least he hopes so. The poor guy seems so frustrated with his situation and the trade talk garbage, but can't do anything about it because he hasn't been allowed to play yet. I just want to say if you think Higgins, Halak, a Kostitsyn, McD and draft pick are going to Minny for Gaborik, then there's something wrong with you...

Good news on the grapevine though: Andrei Kostitsyn might be back on practice ice tomorrow. He won't play Saturday though, but this is a good sign. The Kostitsyn are tough little buggers. (Well, ok, actually Andrei isn't so little).

Meanwhile, as the dollar dives and an angry online divorcee kills her virtual husband...
- Yea, the Flyers seem doomed no matter who is in nets. A 6-7 loss to the Sharks in a shootout while Nabby's game save percentage is in the .700s and JR gets the winner on his former team.
- Leafs beat the Bruins 4-2. And Lucic checked Van Ryn so hard the glass broke and injured 4 fans.
- Leafs lost to the Ducks just before that in a shootout where Wilson thought it would help Tosky's crappy play at shootouts by putting in Cujo. BUZZER: WRONG!
- Jarome gets a hat trick! Flames beat the Preds 5-3 after being down 2 goals by following the Habs method of play: 3rd period bonanza!
- Tellqvist reminds Gretzky he's still there, Yotes beat the Caps late 2-1. Theodore?
- Backup Anderson turned away 41 bloody shots and makes the Senators drool for an actual goalie, Florida beats them 3-1 which sounds exactly like Monday's game. Hartsburg continues to yell at his team.
- Mickey Ribs wakes up, preys on the weak, gets 5 points. Stars beat the Islanders 5-3 after being shutout 5-0 in New Jersey just before. Marty needs to pull himself together...

Happy Birthday Bouillon!

It's been a long, long time since I've seen a pure hockey game. Defense, offense, power play, penalty kill, no goonery, no intimidation, turnovers and recovers, dueling goalies... it had it all. But above all, for the Habs, it was a test of the depth we've all heard about.

The Panthers usually play their best hockey in Montreal for some reason. The Canadiens used to always send it to either a loss or a shootout. But now, with the team as strong as it is, it ended in a 3-1 win, and not a goal on either power plays.

Kyle Chipchura (OMG CHIPS! YAY!) was recalled from Hamilton to take a spot on Lang's line, since Higgins wasn't cleared yet. And what a game did this young man play, true to the name of "Bob Gainey's Clone". With Lang at the center, Chips looked right at home on the wing, and I've heard from loyal Bulldogs followers that they've seen him playing more there recently. If playing the wing increases his chance at a permanent spot on the roster, then I say go for it!

Francis Bouillon was cleared to play his first game, but not on defense. He was used as a forward on the fourth line, but in the 3rd switched back to a blueliner where he got his first goal of the season on his first game, just a day after his 33rd birthday. He took Laraque's spot, since BGL's groin is apparently acting up again.

Sergei Kostitsyn took his brother's spot on the Kovalev line. Unfortunately Kovy looked a little off tonight, so while Sergei led the charge every now and then, no one was following him. As the game went on though, Kovy got better, and his line got more chances. One excellent powerplay, where Kovy dinged a post, they had the puck in the Panthers' zone for nearly the entire penalty.

Carbo seemed to have mixed up the lines in the 3rd, but it worked well. For once, the Habs played a full game of 3 periods! Something they seemed to be working on, and the results are showing. Even a terrible holding penalty by Lapierre with 2 minutes left was no problem with Halak being solid and Plekanec's taking the empty netter (Kostopoulos almost snuck one rink-wide as Vokoun was leaving too).

Captain K got another goal tonight, his 600th point and, seasonally he's tied with his little brother Mikko. And in 5 games, our dear captain hasn't HOOKED anyone yet! I'm shocked!

Halak, who hasn't played a game since the one in Toronto, used his speed and positioning and stopped 35 shots, allowing only 1 goal. (That's 2 goals in two games). He did lose a few pucks though, but thankfully they were either gobbled up by a teammate or flubbed by a Panther, as well as a post or two. Of course RDS immediately said he's upping his trade value. It's true, yes, however, I'd be wary of that... The Habs need two number 1 goalies because if this were Denis doing backup duty, it would have been a 5-3 win for the Panthers. I'm thinking Halak will stay as long as he can with the team. Why? Well, why would he leave a winner? He could go be a number 1, but would that be a winning team? A team that would be seaking his services probably (usually) has problems. Even when he was up for a new contract, he told his agent he just wants to play in Montreal. On another team, it would be like Mike Smith in Tampa Bay. A good goalie who used to be the Dallas backup sitting behind no defense. Habs defense block a lot of the shots to the point where I'd say there are 3 goalies on the ice, but still need their goalie for many of their mistakes. And look at another team where the goalie needs to do it all himself, and you've got Marty Turco completely left out to dry while no one on his team seems willing to block any shots or help out, and with Smitty gone, no one really thinks his current backup is capable of carrying much of a load. Depth! Habs have the number 1 goalie confidence! And a good tandem will carry this team far.

Good start to the season, boys. Next week, the Previously-Known-As-Mighty Ducks quack into town. I just got free tickets in the mail, courtesy of the Bruins sucking at shootouts. (They lost again tonight in a shootout against the Penguinos). QUACK!

I Can Has A Hockey Game

Awww... Isn't that precious? Give it a hockey stick.

The Florida Panthers are in town. A team that oddly enough plays it's best hockey when in Montreal for some reason despite being stationed in an area that can't keep ice. Is it the ex-Hab goalie factor? Who knows.

Anyway, Halak will be in nets since Les Boys don't play for another week and Carbo likes his goalies froosh. Sergei Kostitsyn will take big brother Andrei's spot on the Kovy-TurtlePleks line. Master Higgins should be back and will take Sergei's spot on the Lang line. Bowling Ball Bouillon should be back too! That means Breezer gets benched? We only hope so. I mean he hasn't been terrible, but he hasn't be anything special either. Same ol' Breezer. And you know what that means... No idea what the 4th line will look like, as Laraque is a rock when he's got the puck while Bégin still has that incredible ability to take stupid penalties at the most inappropriate moment. Still, his energy might be needed. Guess it's a surprise!

Good news on Andrei's condition, though. It has been reported that he's feeling much better, and hasn't had any headaches so thankfully it doesn't look like a serious concussion. He won't be playing tomorrow though, since Carbo doesn't want to risk further injury to him. That's ok. They got about a week off anyway before their next game when the Ducks quack into town.

Centennial Jersey Night #1! And Halak has some vintage-looking pads to match (not real 10-ton vintage pads though, just new ones styled like old ones). It's also the magnetic calendar night, and goddamn I wish I was there. I wanted one of those... (Still can't find any pocket skeds either. Guess I'll try emailing the Habs website).

A 4-1 Win but...Man Down! Sergei says "My gang will get you"

I wasn't very impressed by the Coyotes. And this was before the headshot to Andrei Kostitsyn.

Gretzky may have been the Great One in his days, but as a coach, his result is awful. In fact they look worse than Toronto. Sure Gretzky might say the right things to his group or to the press, but the way they play together just looks like no one is taking charge. They look lost most of the time, with only a few flashes on individual efforts or absolutely chaotic PK plays.

The Canadiens meanwhile, are a band of brothers. And I'm not just talking about Sergei and Andrei. It's a bonded team, where even those who just arrived look like they've been here together for years. Practice pictures that are posted for us to see are always full of players smiling, having fun, joking around, and generally just being happy, and it shows in their game. It was like that last year, even when facing elimination from the playoffs, they never looked any different. So whatever Carbo and the rest of the staff are doing, keep it up. A week of practice is on the planner after Monday's game, which gives the lines more time to gel. This is, after-all, only the 5th game of the season.

Trade helmets: Gorges and Price

Though it was a rather strange dirty goal assisted by Rhino's foot and Price's stick, what's up with Doan always able to score at least once on his cousin?

Hopefully Andrei will be back soon. Clean or not, it was a headshot and he landed face first on the ice after kissing the glass. Yotes just made enemies, not only with Sergei or the rest of the team, but the entire city.

Tonight was also my mother's first time at a live hockey game, taking my brother's place since he was studying. She really enjoyed it, though wasn't so sure about all the fighting but in the end just accepted it since she didn't really like the Coyotes either.

Meanwhile...
- When I came home my brother was watching HNIC and it was 2-0 Flames. Suddenly the Oilers beat them with 3 goals.
- Crosby finally uses the Leafs like we do, and gets himself his first goal of the year.
- Rangers finally LOSE, but it goes to a 5-4 score against the Red Wings?
- The Stars are looking kind of shitty recently... I'm kind of disappointed.
- Hmm as I write this, the score is tied between the Flyers and the Sharks at 4 a piece. I don't know what's worse, the Flyers getting 4 goals or that it take the Sharks more than 4 to try and beat them.
- Chicago fired Savard and still loses. Ya, methinks your coach was far from the problem, but whatever. Any monkey will do? Of course, I don't think you can expect an immediate solution, especially from somehow who just had a DUI trial.

Close Encounters with Coyotes

When I was 12, my family and I stuffed ourselves into mom's topaz-coloured Topaz and went camping across Canada from KOA to National Park, and back through the northern states. We came across many coyotes in Alberta, from the pack wandering a golf course in Drumheller, to the extremely happy one with a deer leg in it's mouth running along a rocky mountain highway. They'd also start howling at night.

I don't know much about the Phoenix Coyotes, except that they used to be the Winnipeg Jets...and that still irks me every time. There's a serious black hole in hockey Canada and Winnipeg is right in the middle of it. The fact the team moved to a place where no one gives a damn about them or even knows Shane Doan doesn't help it either. The fact it went to a non-hockey market that seems to be doing worse financially is also aggravating. Bring back the Jets! I might wear my Winnipeg Jets t-shirt actually, but I don't think the Great One will see me way up there.

Speaking of Gretzky... Is it penance for him stealing the last puck from the Jets that he now owns/coaches the team (to ruin)? I always wondered about that...

So Price will face his cousin, Shane Doan, for the second time in his career. Nevertheless, I don't want to see another "let's play 1 period and then let Carey do the rest" game. It's the Jets guys! Don't lose to the Jets, no matter how cool their old logo was and how lame their new one is.

On another note...
I don't know why, but my room is freezing. I also really need to get my snowtires on my car...

Habs 4, Zebras 3 (SO)

Zebras?

Yes.

Tonight's magical home opener for the 100th season, which diligently paid tribut to our Hall of Famers (many of whom were present) and the two eldest living Canadiens players (Elmer Lach and Butch Bouchard), was crashed by 4 Zebras who need a refresher course with "Icing, Offside, Boarding, Goalie Interference, Too Many Men on the Ice, Tripping, Holding, Hooking, and Interference For Dummies". Oh and 1 point to the boards courtesy of Disney on Ice for not putting it back properly and assiting on Marc Savard's rather empty netter.

Thankfully our Wunderkin in nets was able to hold the fort as his teammates got gloomier than the last game of the playoffs last season. Here's a quick recap, 'cause I'm tired...

- The Ring of Honour was unveiled and a few who's name now sit on our walls were present. (Béliveau doesn't really count 'cause he's always there--guys were bowing down to him when the camera came on though). I was between Dick Duff and Larry Robinson. Not ever day these fine gentlemen venture into our neck of the woods!
- Pregame footage mixing today's Habs playing vintage footage foes. Beautiful!
- Team intro, guys barely wave, but I remember Price, Kovy and Captain K (of course) giving us the stickwave.
- Booins join the ice.
- Elmer Lach is 90 years old and still walking. Butch Buchard is in a wheelchair. They perform the ceremonial faceoff.
- Over twenty-one thousand people singing O Canada loudly in Quebec by their own free will always warms my heart.
- Ask a Hab is playing on the screen. Something about who they like better between Chuck Norris, Steven Segal, Jean-Claude Van Damme. TK says "Chuck Norris because when Chuck Norris jumps into water, he doesn't get wet, the water gets Chuck Norris". (Kovy, Price, Rhino also pick the Chuck... I don't know why it's not on Habs TV yet).
- Kovalev is magic, from that goal to dancing around Bears.
- Captain gets his first goal of the season!
- Fruit Punch scores shorthanded!
- Thooooooooomaaaaaaaaaaaaas got beat on the same side at 3 different levels for each goal (low by the foot, 5 hole, top-shelf).
- Gorges is my favourite defender
- There's something wrong with Markov when he goes 1-on-1 with a breakaway attacker in that he gives them too much room whereas last year he would always stickcheck or really force them off to the corner...
- Gorgeous Georges answers Thornton's call, falls and gets back up swinging like nothing happened.
- Lucic is a douchbag.
- Andrei Kostitsyn continues to hit things that move and seems to enjoy it.
- Tanguay also hits things. Who said he was soft?
- Bears have a tendency to slapshot when they want to put the puck in the opposing zone. And I'm talking right at the goalie, not in the corners.
- Thomas is tripped by his own player
- Ryyyyyyyydeeeeeeeer is being shutdown by his former team or psyched out by his former fans.
- Tom Kostopoulos rocks!
- I'm blind, I'm deaf, I wanna be a ref!
- Gui! hits more things but REALLY should just shoot the puck instead of trying to dangle.
- Carey Price, glove save, big smile. That was a rocket from the point.
- Instead of trickling around, the puck FLIES off a broken board and Savard hits in in a net while Price was trying to get back but gets tangled with Gorges.
- Refs make the Bears so innocent and continue to get booed by unhappy spectators.
- Shootout, Boston snipers stopped by Price. Tanguay aims for the water bottle. Habs win and I get a free ticket again.

Tonight, Habs proved that even when the refs hand a game to the Bruins on a silver powerplay platter, they'll still try to win it whether it's from Price's efforts alone or some offense trying to shake off the gloom of being penalized for breathing... I also think that makes it 12-0 regular season games the Habs have won against the Bruins? Something like that...

One question though: If Chuck Norris were a Hab playing against the Bruins, what would happen?

Home Opener Frenzy, No "Hockey Moms" in Sight

Did you vote? I did. Took me 5 minutes, no one in line. Much ado about nothing. Yawn. Oh what? Hockey! YES! That's right tomorrow will be the home opener for the 100th season! And who better to start off the home stretch than a visit by some not-so-cuddly bears.

You know, it's always fun when Boston comes to town. As the Habs only proper rival they've got left from the old days, they always put on a show. Whether it's high sticking Kovy 5 times a game and getting away with it, or some big lug trying to fight one of the Kostitsyns after a clean hit, or Lucic whining like a big baby, or Kostopoulos getting a match penalty and throwing sticks to the crowd as thank yous while wearing shorts, or spinning Price in his crease and getting away with it, or Kirk Muller nearly jumping the glass to strangle Claude Julien's rather large neck... Yeah. We love the Bears. I got my boo gun ready, do you?

But this year, a familiar face has joined their musky ranks. Ryder found a home in Beantown this summer, lured by lots of cash and the promise of being coddled by Julien himself while trying to restore his stature as a 30-goal scorer. I've nothing against him, really. I like(d) the Newf. Actually I always thought he'd look good in the black and gold. Some players, certain uniforms just fit them perfectly. Their captain, however, gets no love from me.


There's something about Zdeno Chara that just creeps me out to the point where I just call him "Lurch". He's a rather overrated defenseman who somehow made his way to the All-Stars a few times 'cause he launches bombs from the points and uses his wrestler genetics to fight a lot of smaller guys and generally throw people around like ragdolls. I personally perceive him as the worlds largest pylon, dangled by every member of the Kovy-Pleky-Kostitsyn line, soon to be joined by well...every other line on the Canadiens. Kostopoulos ain't afraid of that lug. Even Gui! took offence to him for a nosejob he created on Kovy. (Not very successful, but hey, at least the kid has stones). It's unknown if Laraque will join the lineup tomorrow considering he's a little rusty. But last time those two tangled, well... Lurch didn't exactly fair too well. My big man is bigger than your big man! Nanny nanny fuufuu! Really... Just play some hockey already.

Habs 5, Orange Crushed 3

I normally do play-by-play chat on a few forums with fellow fans, so here's a recap to a rollercoaster of an evening.

1st Period
- The Habs came out sleepwalking, almost like they were skating with cement blocks. Once again, Carey Price was left out on his own while his defense flatfooted and his offense couldn't get onside.
- There were about 26 faceoffs, half of them icing...
- Four penalties on each side, including a 5-on-3 for the Flyers.
- Downie looked rather subdued. Probably floating on painkillers.
- Komisaurus left his calling card on Cote. They proceed to go after him the rest of the night. (Hey, I told him to Big Bird their ass, guess he heard).
- Kovaleve: 1 post
- Shots 8-14 in favor of the Flyers. Price says he ain't afraid of no Phantoms.

2nd Period
- Andrei Kostitsyn hits a man, gets the puck, shoots from near the blue line, and scores. Goal number 1 for the game and for the older brother this season!
- Carter takes advantage of a sleeping Markov and Komisaurus and sneaks one by Price.
- Lang takes a hooking penalty, Richards hits a fast one from afar by Price. Never saw it coming.
- Lapierre and Downie start hugging, but I think Downie's knee is buging him 'cause they don't do much...
- Price throws another in the bin for the Save of the Year as he robs an open net with his glove. It rivals Nabby's in that 4OT playoff game against the Stars. In other words, it was amazing! (If this were TSN, we'd all be deaf by McGuire).
- Habs continue sleeping with weak passes. Someone needs to tell them that Price can only do so much...
- Lang: 1 post
- Shots are 18-23 Flyers. Tussle at the end that doesn't go anywhere.

3rd Period
- Right at the start, Kovalev remembers he's the star of the show, dangles the Flyers and feeds Hammer a goal. (Goal number 2 for the usually stay-at-home defenseman!) It's tied and the fans have gone quiet.
- Almost immediately, Gui! gets hit in the face (ignored by the refs) and then parks himself infront of Biron where Komisaurus slaps one over his head. Now 3-2 Habs and the fans have just died.
- Penalty for Sergei almost right after, Kostopoulos shows me why he rocks on the PK.
- Kostopoulos almost scores but is knocked off before it connects
- Knuble is a knob, flubs all his shots and passes.
- It's like a whole new team came out to play in the 3rd so either Carbo threatened them with a trade to Toronto or tickets to Celine Dion, or Price said he was gonna switch with Denis for the year.
- 4-on-4 hockey and Lang score a lovely one. Now 4-2 and the fans are zombies.
- Price gets stuck after making a save with a rebound that lands right in front of Gagné, who beats Gorges to it, and it's 4-3, fans live again.
- Kovalev checks the new kid, and Italian defenceman. I've actually fallen for this kid. He's good! (And it's hard to impress me when you play for the Flyers). His name is Luca Sbisa and he's 18 years old. Keep that name in mind...
- Is Biron really the same height as Price? He looks smaller in nets...
- With the Flyers net empty, Habs force in on the attack. Bégin shoots first, misses, gets the puck back, is checked from behind so he spins and dumps it in the net without looking. It's 5-3 and the fans have been crushed.
- The game ends and Hartnell leaves a calling card on Kostopoulos (or Gui!, I couldn't tell since they were next to each other). Take a loss like a man and go to your bench! It's players like him that make me hate the Flyers because they do have some good players, but these constant douches always ruin it. Gui! also tackled Lupul (who was suddenly dancing with him) under his weight, just to hold him down so he won't do anything.

Bonus: No one got hurt. Markov blocked a shot by that Sbisa kid right on the hand though, so we HOPE nothing is broken... Komisaurus got hit in the nose with Markov's stick during an interference call.

Stars of the evening: 1 Andrei Kostitsyn, 2 Jeff Carter, 3 Carey Price.
Total shots: 27-32 Flyers!

Free wings at Cage aux Sports! Good comeback, boys. That third period reminded me why I love you. Just don't do that first/second ever again. (Ya, right).

And on a "kill your day" note...
Ranger's 2007 first round pick, Alexei Cherepanov has died of a heart attack after colliding with his teammate, Jaromir Jagr, while on a line change. It's a complete tragedy. He was only 19 years old. The Rangers won their game tonight against the Devils in his memory with a final score of 4-1. My deepest condolences to his family and friends, to Jagr (who was very close to the young man) and the Rangers.

Thanksgiving Monday, or How I Wish Someone Would Shove Their Stick Up Steve Downie's Arsehole

Here's my self-made Flyers shirt

Ok so maybe that wasn't very nice of me to say but fuck it. It's no secret I hate the Flyers and what they have brought to hockey since spawning from hell in 1967 and intimidating their way to a few Cups. It's no secret I think Bobby Fucking Clarke is a toothless douchebag who should have been banned for life for just breathing and not allowed near the NHL in any shape or form. It's no secret I think Steve Fucking Downie is a basketcase two steps shy of murdering someone on the ice. (Sergei! Your patented hip-checks are beautiful). And don't give me his sob story. He's a psycho, on skates, wielding a stick.

When you look at the history of this club, from the maniacs tending the net to a record of suspensions from all corners of the ice, you gotta wonder how long this club will go on before some dies by their hands. In Dryden's book, he takes a look at what the Flyers have done. Like myself, he believes they destroyed hockey. Sure the Bruins were "big and bad" but they paled in comparison to the Flyers, who's mantra appears to be based on how many crackheads they can draft by how many penalty minutes they've got in relation to how many goals they've scored.

So sitting for my morning coffee, I picked up the Sports section and took a gander at the pre-game article where actual players will face the goons at the "Bankrupt Bank Centre" tonight at 7. My only consolation is that half their D is awaiting surgery already, Biron was pulled from their home opener with a 15.00 GAA, Downie's got sore knees and Hatcher the Skating Gorilla is sideline indefinitely. Maybe there is a god?

Ok, I do like Niittymaki. I think he was robbed that starter position from Biiiiiirooooon. Even though he's still recovering from surgery, I'm hoping he'll be in nets tonight instead of that Nords-loving chirper (you are not Ron Hextall, Biron). Still, some things don't sit right.

Flyers coach John Stevens says Downie will be in the lineup and that the Habs can expect a physical game. Translation: I can't coach these idiots to play well enough so they'll come in elbows-first, as usual.

Captain K, meanwhile, is paging Serge Savard by saying he hopes the momentum of whipping the Leafs and last years playoff loss will fuel his team's confidence. Translation: Let us show you how it's done.

"This is not only a victory for the Canadiens; it is a victory for hockey. I hope that this era of intimidation and violence that is hurting our national sport is coming to an end. Young people have seen that a team can play electrifying, fascinating hockey while still behaving like gentlemen." - Serge Savard

Sorry, Serge. It's 2008 and we're still seeing it.

The Flyers are pissed from their home opener loss, the Habs are stoked from crushing Toronto's hopes of an 82-win season. All I want is a win, boys. And please, no one gets hurt...

Soapbox: Blah Blah Blah and More Excuses

To quote the biggest Leafs fan ever, Mike Myers, "Ex-squeeze me? Baking powder?" but I'm really sick to death of hearing all the grief Nos Glorieux are getting for their 7-1 wake up call to Toronto. And I'm not just talking about random fans posting on random comment boards. I'm also talking about you, the nation's television station generously paid for mostly by my tax dollars just like everyone else, CBC's Hocky Night In Canada, with your one-sided biased announcers and Don Cherry. Let me show you a comment posted on The Star about last night from Leafs Nation because it basically mirrors the HNIC staff's own perception:

"There was no reason to attempt to run up the score on the Leafs last nite. It was a shameful move to bulk up some aging players stats. Our Leafs will remember this crap & pay-back will come. Cujo halted the Habs futile attempt at this cowardly move that they will regret sooner than later. Give the youngster a break, it's a long season and there are more positives now than the Muskoka 5 had to offer. Enjoy the moment Hab (Contender or Pretender)fans Ha! Ha!"

Firstly, this ain't your grandma's hockey anymore. Every point counts, as does every goal. Goals are used to break ties in the standings. Exhibit A: Look at the standings right now. In two games play, 1 win and 1 overtime loss puts the Habs 1st in the Northeast, 3rd in the East in general. Why? It says so at the bottom: superior point percentage vs fewer games played, greater number of points earned in games, greater difference of goals for and against. Say at the end of the year the team is tied with the evil Flyers for first. No one wants to come up short because they were being "kind" to the Leafs one night.

Secondly, bulking up aging players stats. Look at the age of both teams and you'll find the Habs have exactly the same number of players in their mid-20s or under. Leafs have TWO goalies who are designated veterans in the 30+ category (Cujo is over 40). Habs have TWO goalies of 21 and 23. Funny how these kids are more capable of carrying a team than two veterans. Ever wonder why Huet was traded? Would it matter to the Leafs if they let Pogge play?

Thirdly, this notion of giving the youngsters a break... May I direct your attention to February 19th of the last season in a game against the Rangers. Habs were down 5-0. Habs rallied back to win 6-5 in a shootout. Determination, that's one thing the Habs have always banked on. And on the flipside, look at the game against the Sens in March of that season. Habs were up 7-1 and took a nap in the 3rd period, the struggling Sens scored 4 more goals. Carbonneau said it best, that he was satisfied his troops didn't take the Leafs lightly. They're a young team, give them an inch and they'll go the whole mile. It's a team that almost mirrors ours last season. The underdogs, pegged to finish low in the standings, yet surprised everyone by going fulltilt to 1st in the East and two playoff series. We've been there, we've done that, we know how it works. The difference is more than just goaltenders but the quality of the entire staff involved. I don't believe Wilson has what it takes to reform that ragtag group of players. If he can't make do with what he's got, he's gotta find a way to do it. Lindy Ruff is doing it in Buffalo. Carbo did it last year. We don't have any Ovechkins, Crosbys, Staal brothers. We got hard workers, and a strong group organizing it. The players love it, the city loves it, and the fans love them. What Wilson said in his after-game presser would not have sat well at all here. Finger pointing veterans instead of finger pointing yourself. Neutralize the outcome, not publicly criticize. Then again, public relations was never his forte... (Frankly those veterans he criticized were telling the press exactly why they lost, and did it better than their coach). But he wasn't even half the player Carbo was, so I'll leave it at that. The high of beating Detroit has definitely been grounded by the Tricolore. In fact, Detroit's loss to them is the perfect example of a team taking them lightly. Montreal, however, will not roll over. Habs still have things to prove to the world as well, since many, in particular in Leafs Nation believe the Canadiens were a fluke last year. And that's far from the truth.

Oh and Cherry, Dandy and TK are not members of the so-called Number 1 Power Play Unit. Third period was lock down, the guys were trying things out and having some fun, and Sergei was trying for a hat trick (Sergei is a young player of 20 who came up midway last season by the way, not an old timer bulking stats). Funny though, no one ever said anything like this when Detroit kept the peddal to the medal and beat up the Habs, running Roy out of town...

This is the NHL. There is no pity and no surrender. Habs fans sing Ole Ole Ole even when they're losing (it's a Go Habs Go type cheer). And there are still 80 games left to play, boys.

Mats Who? We Got Toronto Covered

Hamrlik, Kovalev, Sergei Kostitsyn twice, Tangay and Gui!Gui!Gui! made my evening. And you know what? The boys played a lovely game. A much better showing than yesterday. The Leafs may have been high flying on their win over Detroit, but I'd say today was a reality check. And don't give me any of this Habs beat Toronto's Junior Team, because for the most part, Habs are also 50% juniors entering in just their second year including our goalie tandem of two kids younger than my brother. Wilson will have lots of work to do. They may have figured Detroit's robotic style (who hasn't? Jarvis even said they figured out what the Leafs were doing against them and inadvertedly figured the new Leafs early) but they couldn't catch up with the speedy little Habs and were rather rattled by their toughness and skill as well. Grabs may have the speed and hands of his old team but he's a bit of a wimp...

Also to note, the power play goals were not done by the Kovy-Pleky-Kostitsyn line. THAT should be scary to hear. Even so, Cherry took time after the game to say that even if he praised the Habs, he goes on blasting Carbo for putting out the (not yet this year) Number 1 Power Play unit in the 3rd in a 6-1 game! What is Carbo supposed to do? Roll over and sleep on it? There's still a game going here!

The Mad Piper
Halak proved Hockey News right about the Number 1 Goalie Confidence voting. He was better at playing the puck, but needs to stay up. Too many times I saw him just resolve to sit on his rear with his back to the play and pray nothing gets past him. Methinks Rollie will talk to him about that.

Toskala was chased out and Cujo came in for the 3rd period.

A New Hockey Song
Tonight HNIC unveiled the winner of the Hockey Song Contest. It's the bagpipes march one. I guess it's ok. BUT extra points to the runner up kid from Toronto who said he's a Montreal fan when Ron asked him if he's routing for the Leafs tonight. Cassé!

"You can join my line anytime," says Lang to Sergei and TK

Well, no he didn't say that. But he could have.

The first game of the 100th season just ended in a 2-1 shootout victory by the Buffaslugs (or Buffabolts as my brother calls them...Seriously, get that old sweater back please). The 3rd line with Sergei Kostitsyn and Tom Kostopoulos winging Robert Lang was the best of the evening from that terrible first period onward. Langer pots goal numero uno for the Habs and for his career as a Hab and nets himself the 3rd star of the night, so...ya, too bad for you Mats! Many chances in a 4-on-4 overtime in favor of Les Boys, but second star of the evening Ryan Miiiiiiiiiiller (as I'm sure Jeanneret was yelling his face off) was sharp. Also, when I see Kovy check someone off the puck during a PK and create a scoring chance, I just smile. Overall not a bad game despite the team working off the rust, Koivu looking totally out of whack, and the officials being idiots for the most part (especially on that Gui! penalty right when Markov scored...ROBBED by a ref for a player falling by himself). However, Carey Price gets the first star of the evening and rightfully so after being shot at 36 times and only letting in one goal. Nice to know there is no problem there. (Not that I ever thought there would be a problem there). I'll forgive Komisaurus for falling and ultimately causing that one goal. Just don't do it tomorrow buddy. *wink*

And speaking of tomorrow, good ol' Jaro is supposed to be playing. Bring your party hat, kid. Leafs usually pelt 40 or more towards our goal. And god knows how hyper they're going to be after beating the Wings on their banner-raising night. Hey, for the record, I never doubt any team. Even the Leafs. (I'm actually hoping they squeak into the playoffs just so we can maybe see a rinkindled proper Habs-Leafs rivalry. So long as we come out of it on top, of course).

Remember folks, this could have been worse.
Just ask Joey Mac. (Actually why is Joey Mac in nets instead of DP? Hip problems again?) Coach Gordon's debut was spoiled by King Spoiler himself, Martin Brodeur. Well, no it wasn't that bad, 2-1 Devils. Streit got a point for an assist. Actually tonight I was missing you on that powerplay, my fine Swiss friend... (Calling Lieutenant Weber, I expect you to be up here in December. Be ready.)

Over in New York, the Rags won...again. Stop it. It's not funny anymore. They beat Chicago 4-2 and RDS showed a clip of Huet cursing the skies as the puck ran right through him. It looked oddly familiar. (His new mask looks kind of cool though).

Actually, seems it wasn't the night for former Habs goalies. Capitals lost 7-4 against Atlanta, and Theo was pulled in the 2nd period in his regular season debut. For the record, he gave up 4 of those. Florida losts 6-4 against the Hurricanes, where Vokoun only made 18 saves.

And it could have been even worse, folks
Former goalie Clint Malarchuk shot himself in the chin "by accident", but an investigation in the matter calls it suspicious. They aren't really buying that gun going off by itself thing and think instead of shooting rabbits, he was trying to kill himself after arguing with the wife and drinking while taking his meds. I'll just leave it at that, the guy has been through enough already. Instead of remembering him bleeding to near-death on the ice, I'll remember him from that Good Friday Brawl between the Nordiques and the Habs where he danced a bit with Sevigny. Those were the days...

One-Hundred Seasons of Flying Pucks!

The season has started! The season has started! Ya, sure the Rags/Bolts/Sens/Pens technically started the season last week in Europe, but I'm talking about on this side of the pond. Nos Glorieux will open their 100th season tomorrow in Buffalo, and launch their first home game next Wednesday against the Bruins. I'll be at the home opener, where the club will also unveil their Ring of Honor and tip their hats to the players and builders in the HHOF. There's a long season ahead but the team looks its most promising and exciting for years. Of course, even in the summer, the team shirts are out and the flags flap on the cars (not mine, I hate those car flags, they always fall off too), so honestly the scene isn't much different, but the BUZZ is up. I'm not one for predictions though. I'd rather just watch the season and let the boys impress me.

And what a better way to open the season than having the radio coincidentally play a Coldplay Menage a Trois with "Fix You" right in the middle. Nice. (Of course, the station is from Burlington, so it is an extreme coincidence). Here's to a good season, boys.

Lights will guide you home, and ignite your bones, and I will try to fix you

Know Thy Enemy: What I like and dislike about the other guys (in alphabetical order).

Anaheim Ducks
Like: No longer named after the Disney film, per say.
Dislike: They really need to find a sweater that works...

Atlanta Thrashers
Like: They got their hands on TMR boy Angelo "No Relation to Tony or Phil" Esposito
Dislike: Baby blue sweater with the name running down that one sleeve. Third option is a little better, but looks like something that belongs in FOOTBALL.

Boston Bruins
Like: They always give us a good game as the longest standing STEADY rival the Habs got.
Dislike: FUCKING CHARA keep your stick off Kovy's FACE! Douche.

Buffalo Sabres
Like: Rick Jeanneret. Holy mackerel! HE SCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORES!!!
Dislike: Buffalo Buffaloes? C'mon guys, put some SABRES on that shirt.

Calgary Flames
Like: Um...I like the city... The Stampede was fun.
Dislike: Bertuzzi is still playing?

Carolina Hurricanes
Like: They got the balls to wear swirling toilet water on their shirts. Ok, ok... Cam Ward played for Team Canada last IIHF tourney.
Dislike: Well, how's that for karma, Williams?

Chicago Blackhawks
Like: Huet's new home. Jonathan Toews is wicked.
Dislike: Eh...I'll pass on this. In honor of Huet.

Colorado Avalanche
Like: Why would I like the Nordiques?
Dislike: THEY'RE THE NORDIQUES!!!

Columbus Blue Jackets
Like: Rick Nash, woah.
Dislike: Fuck you, Umbergurlar. Never laugh at your opponent. Twat. Thank god I don't have to see his face 6 times a season anymore.

Dallas Stars
Like: Marty Turco! (And Morrow, Modano).
Dislike: Hey Avery, how's your spleen? Hey Mickey Ribs? Ya, screw you too.

Detroit Red Wings
Like: Annoying the Red Wings is always fun.
Dislike: Do these guys have faith in their youth at all or would they rather wait for them to be 30 before giving them a roster spot?

Edmonton Oilers
Like: Too cold to care...Though that's how you do a "Winter Classic". Habs, Oils, minus 30, yup.
Dislike: Edmonton itself.

Florida Panthers
Like: Vokoun was once upon a time drafted by the Habs. About 15 years later, he finally learned how to play better.
Dislike: Hockey players with sun tans.

Los Angeles Kings
Like: 1993 was priceless.
Dislike: That would be like kicking someone when they're down...

Minnesota Wild
Like: Watching Gaborik flip over Hasek was fun.
Dislike: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

Nashville Predators
Like: Hamilton called, they'd like your hockey team. And nice of you to draft Chet Pickard.
Dislike: Come on, admit it. Tennessee depressed Radulov so much he jumped ship and went home to play.

New Jersey Devils
Like: Martin Brodeur
Dislike: Another team that bores the opposition to death.

New York Islanders
Like: Streit's new home.
Dislike: Streit's new home? What?

New York Rangers
Like: Nothing I like about the Rags. I've never even been to New York either, so I can't personally even comment on the town.
Dislike: Where hockey players go to end their careers. It's getting OLD!

Ottawa Senators
Like: It's an hour away and pretty easy to get tickets to watch the Habs there.
Dislike: This isn't Sparta.

Philadelphia Flyers
Like: ...
Dislike: I've hated the Flyers since they were created. Changed hockey for the worse. C'mon Komisaurus, paste one of those baboons into the boards like Big Bird did in the 70s.

Phoenix Coyotes
Like: They used to be the Jets...
Dislike: Gretzky. He may be The Great One but he can't run a team (or any venture, really) for beans. Back to Winnipeg you go!

Pittsburgh Penguins
Like: Aww that logo is so cute...
Dislike: Aww that logo is so cute... I can't take them seriously, even with Crosby, Malkin, and one of the Staal brothers.

San Jose Sharks
Like: Uh...Nabby?
Dislike: That one Habs game last season there was atrocious. Who bribed the refs?

St. Louis Blues
Like: Proud to wear a big blue note on their shirts.
Dislike: Can't say. Their blueliners have mostly managed to injure themselves, so out of respect, I'll put any comment on hold. Besides, they were smart enough not to wear this.

Tampa Bay Lightning
Like: All forwards, no defense. Sounds like a hoot!
Dislike: Well, former classmate Vincent Lecavalier works there so I'll stay mum on this one, even if he pelted me with his mid-court rockets while I didn't have any goalie gear...

Toronto Maple Leafs
Like: You can keep, Grabs. He turned his back on the family.
Dislike: Are you rebuilding or contending? Make up your fucking mind and stop trading away (or attempting to trade away) draft picks for veterans. But I'll give you one break since you annoyed and embarresed the Wings on their Stanley Cup Banner hoisting night. But that's only ONE point from me. ONE!

Vancouver Canucks
Like: No, I liked the stick-on-rink logo better.
Dislike: Mike Gillis is an idiot.

Washington Capitals
Like: Ovechkin. He's crazy.
Dislike: Theo? LOL.

Swedes Play Hockey in Giant Golf Balls

I know this isn't about the Habs but it was a lazy Sunday and I had nothing else to do but flip channels. Oh, I did some laundry actually. That's always good to do. Anyway, the Sens and Pens were playing overseas in what looked like a giant golf ball or a crashed Death Star and I thought "Hey! It's hockey! I don't like either team but Fleury is a funny guy so maybe I'll watch it and drink some tea."

Ya, um... Hartsburg? Is that your new tactic to getting the Sens to play hard by having everyone all over the place? Whatever works for you, man.

Also noticed Therrien has the Pens playing just like he had the Canadiens play. In other words: badly. Have fun with Fedotenko and Satan.

In other news:
The Hamilton Bulldogs beat the Toronto Marlies and won the Iceberg Cup from some preseason mini tournament thing, and Desharnais got MVP. And for the record, I really hope the Habs give this little guy a serious look one day. He may be small but he's damn good!

And That Was Boring...

I've heard that Jacques Lemaire coaches teams to a boring, solid T but I never saw it live. Now I have, and I concure. Maybe it's a tactic to bore the piss out of your opponents?

Anyway, final preseason game sets a 3-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild, where Koivu's bigger little brother Mikko got a small cheer from the crowd as the announcer mentioned him in the opening lineup. Gaborik played nicely too, despite Risebrough saying they're not going to sign him an extension eventhough he wants to stay there. Huh? What? Can we take him, then? Trade?

As the team goes on vacation without him, Carey Price wonders how well they'd play with Denis in nets
Of the Habs that managed to stay awake were (thankfully) Carey Price, who was rather spectacular and if he had fallen for the sleep-trap, it would have been 5-0 Wild in the first period. Rolling his eyes after making a flurry of point-blank close ranged saves after once again saving his defense's ass...well, that really said it all about the game. Maxim Lapierre, Tom Kostopoulos, and Steve Begin were the only offense with life. The powerplay stank about as bad as the metro (it smelt like skunk from Snowdown to Namur) and all the other lines just cycled the puck around for 3 hours. It got so bad that by the mid-third period the entire crowd yelled "SHOOT!!!" which they did, ever so lightly, right at Backstrom for an easy save. Begin also had a fight with some guy who came after him once the game was over. Dunno what that was all about... I know Begin checked someone, and it was rather clean. He got elbowed earlier too, which he already returned with a small tussle and a cross-check, but was that the reason?

There are fans who suck, and fans who suck more.
I also told some kids behind me to stop booing 'cause they were driving me up the fucking wall. Glad that isn't my normal seat... (I was stuck under the kid's zone.) And people who leave losing games at the last 5 minutes of play, you all suck!