Round 3 Game 2: I want my Big Sexy back!

...Ugh. I totally didn't say that. But seriously. WHERE O WHERE IS RYAN O'BYRNE?! What have you done with him, coach? Puck handling problems? IT'S THE FUCKING FLYERS! AND IT'S FUCKING RYAN O'BYRNE! He's not going to dipsy doodle around 5 guys. That's PK's job. But he is going to line someone up and give them more than a love tap worthy of Lady Byng herself. And who knows, he might surprise you standing at the blueline and slapping the puck on net. Who knows. HE MIGHT HIT SOMETHING CALLED NET! IT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE! I HAVE SEEN IT! (As rare as it might be).

And why is Bergeron not locked in a suitcase shipped off to Alert?

Sergei was playing. Pouliot was finally pressboxed. Frankly all I saw was Sergei get called off for a line change almost immediately after he started his shift so he was pretty useless. I expect Pouliot will be back next game and Sergei ordering the hot dogs...

If Price sharpied Philippians 4:13 on his blocker ("I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"), we need him to sharpie something on Jaro's glove. That thing only seems to catch pucks going wide. But the Jaro in these two games looks more like the Jaro from a season or two ago. You know, the one everyone selectively forgot about. The one that needs a 5-goal cushion to get a win.

One question to Bob Cole: Who the FUCK is "Brionta"?!

Best thing I saw all night was Dominic Moore fake like he was slipping by the bench to trip Pronger as he skated by. Seriously. I laughed for 10 minutes because of that.

And now for something completely different. Or maybe just the Habs powerplay.

Habs 3, Sabres 0: Full circle

FINALLY!

If last night abhorrent display of hockey was any indication for tonight's game, well, that's why we keep watching right? Where they failed to protect their goalie, where they failed to apply pressure, where they failed to give the opposing goalie anything difficult, tonight they succeded.

Perhaps it was because the Habs have problems when the other team plays like crap. When their system is broken, they can't handle it. Are they that structured that in order to properly take on a team, that team itself needs to be good and structured itself?

And contrary to their previous ventures, Jaro didn't have to steal anything. I think the D made more saves than he did. AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO SEE!

Hockey is a team game. And when you play solid as a team you get results. There was no epic meltdown in the final seconds tonight (as annoying as it is to see that happen but to see them fix their mistake makes it all good).

I'm finishing up fast 'cause I got new Doctor Who to watch OMG~!
- Back-to-back shutouts for Jaro.
- The Third Line was the star of the show. Sergei was back and his return really solidifies Moore and Moen.
- Rhino scored into the PROPER net for once! (Although the puck had gone out of play and no one noticed except Moore, but he did try to tell them!)
- Of course Rhino nearly fell into his own net and nearly scored on himself just before.
- Sergei reminded us what a 3rd period goal looked like.
- Pyatt gave us a prime example of pure Bulldogs hockey and made Tyler Myers look silly. (Yea he'll probably win the Calder, but eh...so did Samsonov).
- Lindy Ruff got upset and sent out the goons near the end. See you in the playoffs, douche.
- And when stuff got rough, everyone had each other's back. Though Lappy really shouldn't fight, but he couldn't get in a good position and had no choice but to defend himself on the guy swinging at his head.
- Our PK is good, our PP however has died a horrible death. At least they're scoring 5-on-5 now.

Habs started this season's series with Price stealing a win for them. Habs ended this season's series by dominating the Division Leader with a very convincing win.

Full circle.

Habs 3, Canuckleheads 2: It's opposites day!

Leafs win.

Habs win.

Michael Ryder is available for trade.

Though let's look at the reality here...

- Leafs faced Yann Danis who hasn't started a games in like 3 months standing behind a Devils team that can't score and has lost quite a few games recently.

- Canucks are pegged as a rather terrible road team who either squeak by for a win or fall flat on their faces, and they're currently on the longest road trip in history. Early December they rolled into a barnburner in New Jersey and then shutout the Flyers the very next day, only to be destroyed by the struggling Hurricanes and the Predators. Just this past Saturday they were losing to the Leafs before they remembered they were the Canucks facing Toskalol and the Leafs were paying Raycroft an extra incentive to stone them. Luongo gave up 3 goals early then. Gave up 3 again, like last year.

- Michael Ryder is pretty useless. There's a reason why Bob would only offer him one-year deals.

I seem to recall everyone was planning the parade last week, and then grabbing their pitchforks a few days later...

Back to our game.
It was one of the weirdest, flukiest performances by Jaro to date, but the defence backed him up well enough to cover that problem. Rhino was a beast tonight. Definitely NOT the way they played while in Vancouver where they essentially forgot their lifeforce in Calgary and hung Price out to dry, embarressing him in front of his friends and family.

I'm guessing the majority of those 45 shots came in that sequence when Jaro couldn't freeze the puck and finally after what felt like 5 minutes, Maxwell was able to clear?

And in the spirit of opposites day, Sergei Kostitsyn gave up hoping someone will finish his perfect passes and decided to put the puck in the net himself. It stood to remind everyone why Bob ran after him to calm him down and prevent him from leaving the team. With Cammy gone until after the break, we'll probably get to see that lovely SK74-Pleks-AK46 line that was always good when Carbo put them together.

Is it a full moon outside? Because I noticed Lapierre too. There should be a giveaway when he scores. Maybe he'll do it more.

And after 5 tries Plek gets the weirdest goal of his career.

Problaby the most important part of tonights game? All 3 Habs goals were 5-on-5 goals. It has been a REDICULOUSLY LONG TIME since the Habs scored any even-strength goals!

But like I said after that Rangers game... Dammit Habs, stop teasing us. Of course with the news that Cammy's gone until after the break, I'm hoping this win will give them that confidence and realization that they CAN win games when they play in the other end of the rink.

Whatever you do, just beat the Bruins so PJ Stock can whine about it when he does the sports news on CHOM in the morning.

Bruins have lost their last 8 games...and we see them twice this week.

Habs 6, Rags 0: Zaba Daba Do

As seen on twitter (from yesterday): @Voros34 Me and SeanAveryDotCom in Montreal hitting the "Montreal Pool Hall" for a hotdog and poutine.

As seen on the ice, Voros going for Markov late in the 3rd meets our big, mean manchild Rhino who introduces him to his fists. See Georges? That's how you do it.

Wow, the Rangers really sucked tonight. Here I was looking for a good hard smackdown, and I got it, but it's kind of disappointing when the team you want the Habs to seriously smackdown don't even show any fight in them... I honestly don't know how the Rags got over 30 shots though. Someone trigger happy on the shot clock?

Credit bigtime to the Habs once again showing us their mysterious ability to play strong as a team and seriously shut down Gaborik, but even he seriously lacked that goalscoring bite he always seems to have. Actually other than a few missed nets for the Rags I think their best shot in two periods came from Higgy, who shot it wide anyway (same ol' Higgy).

The Gong Show started early with Avery being Avery, complaining all the way to the box. By the 3rd period, Torts was sitting there with this face of absolute disbelief. We didn't get a tirade after the game though, but his press conference was still kind of funny. (Better questions than Cassie Campbell's STUPID MORON UNPROFESSIONAL question... Seriously lady? Trying to cause trouble? Way to put Jaro in an uncomfortable position there). Serious ownage, thy name is Michael Cammalleri! (His dad was there cheering tonight). I wonder how much Matt Zaba was sweating as he watched Stunndqvist get pulled...

BennyPoo, we love you. Lapierre with a greasy goal. Gomez makes his old teams cry. Holy SuperPleky what an awesome goal. BIG night for Cammy and Spacek. Darche got another assist! Sergei came back and traded missed chances with Patches but also smashed someone on the boards in a typical Sergei-smashy fasion (though his foot problem was pretty evident all game).

It's nice when the other team doesn't bother to defend for once.

A full team effort, a full 60 minutes of effort, two nights in a row? Able to match two different systems consistently and not panic with the puck. Able to shut down the only scorers on two teams (minus that Parise cherry picking breakaway). Able to excel to almost perfection with special teams (though that lackadaisical routine on the powerplay drives my brother up the wall). Can they continue this? I think I've asked this before.

Dammit Habs, stop teasing us.

I love you, man!

"The Rangers were shut out for the second straight game and for the fourth time in seven contests." Ouchie?

This is what happens in the West Island on a Saturday Night

That's what's currently piled in my kitchen. Still some left in the fridge too. I'm sure it would have been more if my buddy Etienne had joined us, but he was at a wedding. For the record, I only had ONE Boreal Rousse.

So I was being social and having a house warming party 5 months after the fact I moved in while the Habs won their final pre-season game in what sounded like a raucous of a penalty fest, battle back, team building type game. Well it sounded way better than that fucking mailed in snooze fest I witness last year where the Wild basically practiced their damn trap on us in a 3-0 loss. (Thankfully it was free). And the things you learn from CTV News highlights!

1. Price's glove isnt a problem as the douchebags keep trying to make it. Got the play of the day too!

2. STEWIE SCORED ON RYAN FUCKING MILLER! Too bad it's not a real goal. The kid deserves a real goal. Even Metro thinks so.

3. I think I'm in love with Ryan O'Byrne.

4. I know I'm in love with Brian Gionta.

5. WTF were they doing that tallied up 42 penalty minutes in only 2 periods?!

As a side note: if Kaleta isn't suspended for boarding/injuring Pyatt at least we have the satisfaction of knowing Rhino rearranged his face in return. Too bad too, Pyatt was really starting to grow on me... Hope he comes back soon.

It's off to the Ranch. And then it's off to Truculent Toronto. Apparently Big George will make it too.