Habs 3, Rags 1: Go fish

Apparently there was a game on tonight.

Apparently someone forgot to tell the Rangers, though.

What do you think about that, Torts?

Yea, thought so.

Hear that? That was the sound of the many Rangers fans calling for Sather's (and probably Torts') head. Shall we knit?

So, what was good about this?
- Kept the Rangers to 11 shots for 2 periods. Really thought they ended with 11 shots, actually. Either way I don't think they cracked 20.
- The goalie doesn't need to stand on his head for once. (Actually hasn't needed to do so since that Sharks game). The defense blocks whatever doesn't miss.
- Sergei Kostitsyn WITH ANOTHER GOAL, JACQUES! You can put him on the powerplay anytime now!
- Metro has 16 goals.
- Dubinsky? Callahan? Drury? Chief? McCloud!
- Pleky is indestructible and stabbed Del Zotto in the heart by making him look silly for the empty netter.
- Anyone see Gaborik?
- Avery is still a jerk.
- Habs now nestled semi-comfy in 6th place and totally sneaking up on the Sens (who lost again).
- GIVE GAINEY CREDIT YOU SILLY HABS FANS.

Habs 4, Bruins 1: Olympic hangover

One down, eighteen games to go. Funny how that snuck up on us all, eh?

The Bruins have officially bored their home crowd to death. Sometimes I think they're worse than the Devils in that DEFENSE FIRST shell of Claude Julien. We make fun of Lemaire and Martin for that system, but what about him? When the most exciting offense you get is coming from old man Recchi, there's something wrong. Even teacher's pet Michael Ryder has turned back into the lame Michael Ryder Bob Gainey didn't want to sign. There's a very solid reason why he lost his spot to Sergei Kostitsyn...

It's weird seeing regular hockey now. There are no cowbells. There's no automatic icing. I wish we had brought over the crease violation rule but whatever. The "U!S!A!" chant was redundant, especially considering there are more Canadians on the Bruins than Americans... Congrats, Bruins. You have an Olympic benchwarmer.

And after using two periods to find the magic again, Habs exploded on Tuukka Rask for 4 unanswered goals including a sad empty netter just as Rask had left (poor kid). I didn't even realize the net was empty. Actually I don't even think Pouliot knew the net was empty until he just happened to look up before dumping it in.

Price hasn't lost a beat. Having his buddy Rask on the other end of the rink was interesting too. And you know Price is comfy when he stickhandles around a forechecker and calmly passes the puck to his defenceman.

Andrei Kostitsyn is shaking off the rust. And playing on the line with his brother this time is perfect.

HMCS Hal Gill was huge.

Andrei Markov didn't look like the man we saw struggle through the Olympics.

And as the first and second line weren't eble to capitalize or finish, the third and fourth line picked up the slack. Metro with his wonderful ability to destroy his former teams (reason number 1 on why Glen Metropolit must remain a Hab: we need the goals on the Bruins, Flyers, Capitals, Thrashers, etc). The Concordia in me is still capable of cheering for the McGill in Darche Vader. I really like Lapierre with Moore and Moen, even if I was a tad lukewarm on the trade for Moore. If it lights a fire under Lapierre's ass, then I'm happy. I WILL BE VERY SAD IF TOM PYATT GOES BACK TO HAMILTON YOU HEAR ME, JACQUES?! Especially if he's replaced with Dagger or Bergeron.

(Edit: Nevermind... Dagger's been traded to the Blues for a U of Michigan boy. I'll miss those eyebrows but I'm intrigued by this Palushaj kid. HE GOES TO THE NET!)

You dropped something, Tuukka.

Habs head West. It won't be easy...but we'll get to see Saku again!

Habs 5, Whalercanes 1: The curse is broken!

It takes an especially terrible team like the Carolina Hurricanes to make this the perfect present for the Habs just before the holidays. And the fact the Habs haven't won on this day since 1945, in a game both Lach and Bouchard played in...well, maybe the magical jersey retirement of our oldest living players is still sprinkling some more magic. It's the ghosts! The ghosts off Christmas past, present, and future! And they wear Bleu-Blanc-Rouge.

Funniest moment of the night was the double minor to Gomez who spent the whole time GLARING from the box at the ref he had chewed out. Apparently his eyebrows grow fluffier when he's pissed.

So finally the curse is broken. Habs win. Free wings. A better night for Jaro even with his rebounds, two-goal night on the powerplay for Metro (screw you, Gui!), deliciously beautiful and easy goal for Sergei that scared away Cam Ward, Markov''s sneaky sneak goal, Andrei's in your face goal, and a multipoint night for SuperPleky and Gomez. Hey Pleky is right behind Crosby in points! And what a happy bunch at the end. Anyone see Sergei? Looked like someone spiked his water with sugar.

As for the Hurricanes... get your Taylor Hall jerseys ready. (Though I'd love to have that kid here).

Leafs lost. Sens were stomped on. Sabres lost. Panthers lost. I don't know where the Habs are now in the standings but the glorious return of Markov keeps on being glorious even if he had some rough shifts tonight (looked like bad ice sticking the puck since he wasn't the only one fanning on it dangerously). And well, I don't celebrate Christmas so... HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Habs big fat nothing, Flames 1: Twits get shutout

And at home too! Oh the huge manatee!

RDS then had an epiphany midway through the 3rd: that the goalies have a razor thin margin of error. Wow! Just realized this now? What? Tired of blaming Price? (Who's only victories came via him basically stealing the game for them).

Though they did play better defensively tonight, blocking shots and taking care of them, the PK was spot on too but was missing those short handed chances. Even if I think Gorges, Spacek, and Hammer are playing way too many minutes and just getting beaten up day in and day out... Gorges looked so tired when he took that tripping penalty. Oh and the new guy from the Devils did a fine, simple job. I think we'll get some good minutes and work from him.

But good lord our offense is a bloody mess. No structure and no actual cohesive pressure. Nothing could really get set up or organized, and if they did, same old story: sticks in skates, passes behind, flubbed shots, missed shots, shooting wide or getting blocked.

Whatever.

Oh and after the game, Cammy was the mouthpiece of the evening. Holy crap does this man talk! Even CTV's local game weasle was like "this man just screams 'Captain'". Yea, they're still obssessed with that.

Yup.
- I'm thinking a healthy dose of Andrew Conboy could do some good for this team. He's huge, he's fast, he's mean, and he goes to the net. And he's got a song! We've got a great big CONBOY rocking through the night!
- And while your at it, CALL UP SERGEI FFS!!!
- Jokinen's moustache was frightening. On par with Don VanMoustached.
- Urge. To destroy. Benoit Brunet. Rising!
- So by looking like a mutation of the Minnesota Wild and the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Habs fail to score and run around a lot.
- I actually love these jerseys. But the boys looked wierd out there tonight. And White looked like a little boy in his. Some silly trivia on the sweaters.
- Jaro's glove was bouncy tonight.
- Phaneuf appears to have lost his eyebrows.
- At least Pleky bounces when he gets hit. If that were Tanguay, he'd have broken his aura.
- Yes, we're awesome when it's 4-on-4 hockey time. So can we get those larger rinks now?
- Apparently it's National Hit Tomas Plekanec Month.
- Kipper was yawning while making those saves.
- Damn you invisible shield over the other goal!

I'm disappointed that the NHL has decided to keep the Brodeur Rule. What a bunch of idiots...