Get to the Chawppa! Habs 3, Predators 2

AK46 fears no Predator

Trap hockey is boring and every "weak" Western team does it. (Well, maybe not the Coyotes). Like the Blues, and the Blue Jackets... I mean the Preds were hit by the injury/flu bug as well. Arnott wasn't playing. Weber wasn't playing (I voted for him lots for the ASG). Belak wasn't playing. Bonk was playing though. I'm actually surprised the Phone Booth crowd remembered him enough to boo him. Surprisingly enough Jordin Tootoo was playing even though he was listed with an undisclosed injury. Though he looked a bit in pain when he got bowling balled by Cube. Still, "weak" trap hockey teams usually give the Habs absolute fits, so when you see Carbo clapping at the end then you know he's happy they managed to escape it with 3 goals and 2 points.

Arnie could fight Tootoo...
- Case in point, the Habs had 2 shots on net in the second period and one of them went in.
- Despite that, Habs have a lot of patience.
- AK46 is still on fire and with a powerplay goal no doubt. Beautiful shot. SKILLED shot.
- Josh Gorges: power forward. He may not score goals but his work carrying the puck into the offensive zone and dropping it for Gui! for the opening goal in the dying seconds of the first period is every incentive NOT to trade this man. Hey look, the best defenseman on the team! Leads the team in plus-minus! Doesn't just dump in the puck or turn it over to ever opposition player! Send him in a deal for a sweet return of an overrated wank! (I'm still pissed off at the rumors and will be until the fucking trade deadline is over).
- Fruit Punch thinks he's the Rocket. Nice move, but too bad it didn't connect.
- D'Agostini should sit next game and let Stewart play. The fourth line is more suitable for Stewie anyway.
- Max Pacioretty: I can't stop raving about this kid. He was carrying his line of veterans half the game and doing lots of good work tonight. Never mind the turnover, at least he fights to fix his errors.
- Halak was at his best so far this season. Noticed he's actually absorbing the pucks to eliminate the rebounds. A little wonky with pucks trickling over his legs/glove though but that can be fixed.
- Komisaurus is like Dr.Jekyll-Mr.Hyde: a nice guy who transforms into a beastie when he puts that mouth guard in his mouth.
- Bonk scored the game winner again, by deflecting Markov's shot. Thanks Bonk! Didn't know you were still on the team!
- It was a rather boring game but I think the most excitement I got was when no one could score on the empty net. Kovy's hit a skate. Lang missed. Markov slapped it and missed even though he was right in front. At least it drove the Predators batty.

Conclusion: This team will be evil when Chet Pickard goes pro...

Other things to mention
- Well, Carbo suggested that if Price can't play before the ASG then he shouldn't play in the ASG. That said, the kid went crazy with trying to cure his injuries much to Carbo's delight but with a little worry on the side. Still, I'm sure we can re-vote him in next year but I'm guessing he REALLY wants to go and is probably really disappointed he may have to miss it. Got his new pads and everything.
- Woo Leafs won! Why am I happy? 'Cause they beat the fucking Whalicanes and I hate them. Any points they don't get is good for everyone come playoff time.
- Buins only managed 2 goals against the Islanders with Yann Danis in nets?
- It's FUCKING COLD out.

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?