Habs 1, Crosby 3, Some other guys 3: Call Patrick Jane, we've found Red John

He is Maaaaaar...io?

Oooo suspense.

Don't know much about the credibility of the dying words of some douchebag dead in a bathtub...

SO ANYWAY, can we stop riding the "hot hand" and get back to a schedule here boss? Reason why I hate that is it puts the emphasis on the wrong syllable where such an emphasis is not needed. A mailed in Thrashers team, a tired (crappy) Islanders team, a sucky Lundqvist who randomly steals games, and the Islanders fully awake again... These were tools of practice. But you're not going to walk into Pittsburgh with a flu-ridden team and hope to win on the efforts of Kyle Chipchura alone. Though he did come close, just Guimauve is fucking useless...CALL UP RUSSELL OR WHITE! GIVE CHIPPER LINEMATES! I mean notice how a line of Chips/Patches/Dagger buzz? Yea, where is that? If anything we can only hope Gomez breathed on a few of them and left a parting gift.

BLARGH!
- I missed you Pricey!
- Check out the stickhandling. On his knees, after a tricky bouncy dump in that would have gone in if your name was Pavelec. Sees a Pen coming for him. So whilst off balanced and holding his stick high close the black he quickly flicks the puck to the glass and out of harm's way. Skills.
- Check out the other guy's stickhandling sending it right to a DoG penalty. Pleky scores! Merci MAF!
- Crosby tried to make his third a highlight reel but lost the puck in his feet. Showoff. Instead the third was a garbage goal that needed to be reviewed in case he kicked it in.
- Pleky vs Guerin? I laughed.
- Gionta looked a little drunk.
- Gorges was the only defenceman with a hit. You know you're sick when...?
- I guess Coach don't know to put Lapierre against Crosby. He's only been in his face all his life.
- Finally people realize Chipper isn't as slow as you think he is. And woo he's winning faceoffs now!
- That net knocking off penalty was total fucking bogus. And no goalie in the world would be able to stop that shot (unless it was just the two of them out there, but I digress).
- Jaro too small to cover corners. This is the sad fact :(
- Jaro almost pulled a Biron when he ran to the top of the circle to get to the puck first. My heart stopped.
- They really looked sick out there. Well most of them. Metro still looked ready to puke. Fanned on two shots in a row. I would have been happier if someone had thrown up.
- Since the game was out of reach I was hoping Moen would score a hat trick in 5 minutes. That or Price gets a goal, assist, and a fighting major. Gotta watch it when you touch a goalie's head and knock off their masks. They bite!
- RDS highlight of the night: they called McKee "McCabe". Ouch.
- To Chicago!

It's so easy when you're evil: Habs 1, Devils 4

What the fuck is that thing?!

Regardless of the outcome of this game, two things have come to light. Well, maybe 3.

One: Carey Price is the glue that holds the team solid. Komo said he's like a calming influence on everyone when he's back there.

Two: Kovalev is not the problem people think he is. This man has fire, soul, and a drive to win it all. But if just one of his linemates checks out early, then there's not much he can do unless he goes at it alone.

Three: Max Pacioretty is the real deal. Welcome to the team, kid. T-shirts will be made tomorrow. For his first NHL game, to get his first NHL goal, especially against the oddly hot-handed Clemmenson and against the boring New Jersey Defensvils, I salut you. All night his line buzzed and caused fits. Hell Carbo had him out on the PK and the PP!

Conclusion: The outcome of this game meant nothing to me. I'm just so happy for Patches, and equally happy for the Patches-Chipper-Begin line who were probably the best line out there other than KovyPleks.

I also wonder if Weber will make an appearance next game. I mean sitting Breezer won't kill anyone...

Bulldogs report!
I'd like to send my congratulations to Loic Lacasse for winning his first AHL game. Despite a shakey start and being thrown in at the deep end, the game turned around and he turned around as well. Also to Thomas Beauregard and his first two AHL goals scored. Good work kids. Bulldogs beat the Syracuse Crunch 4-3. I managed to catch the end of it right after the Devils game and caught the sound of O'Byrne deep in an after siren line brawl behind Lacasse's net. I hope Rhino can pull himself together with the Bulldogs. We all know they'll take care of him. Good luck, kid.

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So I caught the WJC USA-Slovakia game this afternoon. Team USA can crow all they want about the game against Canada where a player was out too early from a penalty for a goal (hey, he doesn't let himself out of the box so don't look at him), but what I saw was a disjointed team who probably came in thinking it would be an easy game only to come face-to-face with a Slovakian wall who played on his head for his team and country: Jaroslav Janus. Also Team Slovakia had a few very good forwards who looked like they studied the Kovy DVD, and they worked hard together defensively. As a Habs fan though, I appreciated the great work displayed by Danny Kristo. Kristo is a high school hockey leaguer that Habs drafted last time. In this game, like most games, he was used mainly on the penalty kill but everytime he did he had a few short handed chances. Eventually as the game went on and panic hit the coach, he went on more thanks to a few line shuffles. Won some faceoffs, created things, had chances. It didn't amount to anything but he's one of the youngest on the team and one of the guys not asked to do much of anything. His speed is incredible though. As was Ryan McDonagh. He had two tough breaks in the Canada game (stick breaking on a Tavares giveaway, puck bounced off him and into his net). But this guy is a solid defenseman. I was more than surprised to not see him on the ice when they pulled McCollum for an extra man. What was the result of the pulled goalie? A goal for the Slovakian team. Sure the Americans scored one later on a second attempt, but by then it was pretty much over. Both players are young and can still improve, but I'm very satisfied with their abilities right now. It would not shock me to see McD next year in Hamilton. Kristo will come around later though. He's going to college first!

Hockey Weekend!

"Drop the space helmet for a cow, Doctor, and look! The Habs won!"

Well, I'm all hockeyed out. Saturday was my final ticket in my Victory Pack where the Habs beat the Sabres 3-2. (Which means I get another pair of free tickets, so one more game for me)! And Sunday I checked out the Hamilton Bulldogs, who unfortunately lost to the Baby-Sens 5-3 (though 4 of those goals were on the powerplay). Off to point-form impressions!

Saturday
- Boo me once, fine. But boo me later, PISS OFF! Really, guys. Stop booing O'Byrne. Give the kid a break. I was one of the many fans with actual brains to try and drown out the boos with cheers. He wasn't even playing that night anyway.
- Teams scored off defensive errors. Higgins did the first which led to a nifty through-the-legs mind trick via Vanek.
- Fruit Punch finally doesn't shoot at the net during a 2-on-1 and instead waits, then passes to Begin and BINGO it's in. At least he's learning.
- Two of Sergei's penalties were extremely suspect. Especially the first one. Just his luck to get picked on for the phantom hooking/slashing call.
- First time I ever saw a hooking penalty shared by both teams. Creative interpretation.
- Mmm Andrei Kostitsyn gobbling his own rebounds and dunking cookies.
- Kovy can stickhandle his way into my heart all night. He was driving the Sabres up the wall.
- Kovy was also giving them fits with this year's clinic on how to forecheck and annoy the piss out of them.
- Kovy doesn't dump pucks on line changes and people should know this already. So when he's holding the zone for 2 minutes, get your ass into position 'cause you're making him look bad when he swings the puck to the blue line and no one is there.
- Dandy on defense got bored and went all Bobby Orr. Too bad he didn't score. But it was still fun to watch.
- Anyone else on the Sabres that score other than Vanek? Nope.
- Though that Spacek guy was one fast bugger. Habs had his number though.
- Rivet? Boo! Gorges? YAY!
- I feel sorry for Lalime sometimes.
- We had powerplays?
- The Captain and Markov dancing for goals again.
- Thank god there was no shootout. And people, quit running into Price!

Sunday
- Weber is scary with that shot. I think players blocking it cross their heart and pray their armor holds, while goalies just duck and hope he misses. Two goals tonight! And the Swiss flag was raised proudly by a few fans.
- Pacioretty goes to the net! Why can't we do that? What a smart kid though. I think he's been watching Kovy's DVD. What stickhandling! And a beautiful shorthanded goal. Straight off a face off and he's down the ice, dodging everyone for a driveby backhander.
- Baby-Sens learn to dive early.
- Baby-Sens appear to live and breathe off the powerplay.
- Baby-Sens still play better than the regular Sens. What's up with that?
- Chipchura as captain is like a burgeoning Brendan Morrow. He's got the power, and the bite, and ain't afraid to tell anyone he's not happy with them. He'll also drop the gloves, and almost did tonight when someone hit him from behind after the whistle.
- Holy shit Shawn Belle is fast. Also has a scary shot.
- Erm Cody Bass trying to get Yannick Weber to fight after a clean hit? Excuse me while I scratch my head on that one. "Roughing" penalty for both, looked more like 2 minutes for hugging.
- Desharnais is so tiny it's too cute, but he plays like a monster.
- The more fights Stewart wins, the more people don't want to fight him. And Flynn was right there next to him too.
- Not much Denis could do on half those powerplay goals except hope someone on defense is watching the guy hiding behind him.
- Wished the Habs would get fans on the ice for contest shots...

In conclusions: Woo! I'm one satisfied customer with this weekend.

We Want Patches! We Want Chips! Weber takes the point!

So Pacioretty, Chipchura, and Weber are still with the team, now hanging around Mont Tremblant for some practice and some team building/relaxing. Don't think they'll get to golfing though. It's supposed to snow up there.

I don't know whether to plan the parade, or call for the collapse.
Grapes has done an aboutface turn and proclaimed the Habs will contend for the East. Other than his bizarre dress sense, the only thing he ever cared about on the team was Price (which is fine by me, and I only watch Coach's Corner to see what he's wearing anyway). But more praise other than our goalie from old Grapes? The man who walked into Roberval with a Bruins banner? Has climate change affected Hell that the fires burn less brightly? Not even a snarky comment about the Leafs top line centering ex-Habski Grabovski or how Ryder will burn the lamp out at the Bell Center for the Pooh Bears? Hmm...

Tricolore 2, Santa Claus Men 1
If you missed this game, you have missed the game of the (pre)season with the save of the (pre)season as the Habs beat the Robots 2-1 in a shootout, again. Patches scored the only goal in regulation off a lovely play between him and Kovy, while Leino the Shootout God of Finland did it for the Wings. Both also repeated in the shootout, but while Price stoned Hossa and Count Filppula, Lang mirrored Patches for the win. That's twice the Habkins have been able to spare with the Wings, where even their FOURTH line is a terror to behold.

And speaking about the Berenstain Bears...
On my way home from floor hockey I managed to catch the middle-to-the-end of the 3-1 bear hunt, tuned in right after Gui! scored a goal after he learned a few things watching Holmstrom and worked a bit with Marc Denis. Halak was solid, further solidifying Montreal's golden goalie tandem that ranked #1 on the Hockey News’ Goalie Confidence Index, only allowing Lurch to score in the 3rd on a powerplay, but even then it was 1 out of 34 launched his way, and we all know how Lurch can launch it. Actually all goals were powerplay goals, so looks like things are going well. Tiny Tim wasn't in nets for the bears, instead it was Fernandez. Captain K also returned tonight! And a classy move by him at the end, shaking hands with Ryder and Lurch at center ice.

Ryder got nothing on that lamp.


And I got my first two pairs of free tickets, FedEx Overnight Express-ed to my door last night! So I'll be taking in the final preseason game against the Wild this weekend, and the Coyotes (JETS!) on the 18th. Maybe I'll sport my Jets' t-shirt under my Habs shirt.