WJC: Better now than never

I know, I know... I'm late on the WJC finals. Apologies and all, but I've been busy freezing my ass off and basically not taking my first week back to work very well even though all I really do all day is draw motorcycles.

So here's our gold medal champion Artturi "Art" Lehkonen, who was indeed quite the artist out on the ice, in a shopping cart.

Honestly after hearing how he was basically held together with duct tape in order to finish the tournament, AND performed amazingly, he really needed the shopping cart to wheel him around.

Also next time I hear a Team Canada navel gazing ad about US! HEART! SKILL! I'm gonna punch my TV. Enough already.  And lose the gatorade.

World Junior Championship update!

He who shall be known as "Fuck you Vancouver for picking Jordan Subban ONE PICK AHEAD" is actually turning into a "Eh no problem Vancouver for picking Jordan Subban one pick ahead". Honestly, how much fun is Martin Reway to watch? I hope you're checking out Slovakia at the WJC this year. If he were Marko Dano's size people would probably talk more about him.

Let's see...
- Didn't look out of place in preseason. Actually looked like he should make the team by his own skill, will, and ability. But yea, is still very young.
- Continues to play well against teams that are defined as "way better than Slovakia".
- Continues to play well against the best teams with the better talent at the WJC.
- So much skill... Can the Habs borrow him for the powerplay?
- The puck is on a string with him. He's like a mini-Kovalev with a side order of Gallagher.
- Current scoring leader of the tournament!

As for the other Habs kids...
- De La Rose would be PERFECT for Eller's line.
- Collberg continues having a tough time scoring but still creates a lot.
- Lehkonen got hit AGAIN by De La Rose.
- Fucale probably would have made more saves than Paterson.
- Hudon proved that idiot Sutter he should probably play more.

We're number....4?

 Who's number 1?

(Murray: Shaddup I didn't even get to play)

Congrats to Galchenyuk and Team USA on their Gold medal win. Congrats to Collberg and Team Sweden on their Silver medal. Russia gets Bronzed. Canada gets a delayed flight home.

Hey maybe you guys should scout up how Sweden's hockey program is creating such fantastic teams?

Oh by the way, the NHL lockout may be over and the season may start at the latest on the 19th. This is, of course, assuming everyone votes YES, the BoG don't fuck it up, and everyone can come home on time or whatever.

Team Canada Bronzed

Congrats, boys!

 Gally's got the dish!

The little guys do matter

So as Team Canada was clawing it's way back from a 6-1 deficit for their one chance to play for gold, of which Brendan Gallagher's giant heart played a key role in, Montreal's ye olde radio host tweeted "No question Gallagher is special. But just another reason why Habs must get bigger & tougher."

So the goal and two assists and the constant drive by the smallest man on the ice wasn't enough eh? The little guy who took a hard hit that sent him face first into the glass but he continued on without even a stagger in his step while bigger players around him were dropping like flies... I'm pretty sure we all loved Oleksiak's 6'7" invisibility act this whole tourney. Or Huberdeau's terrible rage misconduct. Or Boone Jenner loosing his mind and spearing the guy who just elbowed him. Or Stone, who found the sweet spot to score almost every game, was completely shut down. Those are the big tough guys, right?

Gallagher never quits. And if you attempt to stop him, you'll be taking a penalty hauling him down. Or he'll just go right through you. Pretty sure he would have gotten another Player of the Game belt if he didn't get the one last game.

Sadly it wasn't meant to be, as the comeback came up short by a goal post and a terrible night for projected high pick Ryan Murray (who scored a hat trick plus an assist for the wrong team by accident). But the littlest engine that could didn't give up. Heartbreaking to see him after the game, trying desperately to hold back the tears, his eyes red, attempting to speak with a lump in his throat, desperately hiding his disappointment behind his great smile.

It was a great game in the end. Russian skill prevailed (and it was beautiful), but the grit and determination from the smallest player gets taken away and spun around to comment on the need for BIG TOUGH ROAR! when the big guys were doing little to support the little guys for most of the game...

(These are the same people who bitch about the Habs not drafting a little guy named Claude Giroux while poopooing Yakupov as a potential pick...even though they're the same height. Pretty sure if Habs got Giroux at the time, you would have heard "another fucking smurf"...which is what happened when Gallagher was selected. In the 5th round).

Besides, there's a guy named Jarred Tinordi who would like to have a word with you about big and tough Habs prospects...

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So the gold medal game will go down between Sweden and Russia (which I kind of predicted, though was hoping Canada would surprise), leaving Canada to fight for bronze against Finland (who were on the verge of surprising Sweden when lady luck turned around and kicked them real hard in the face). Both should be fantastic, unless Sweden does their super-efficient mechanically perfect shutdown thing and bore us all to death.

It's that time of year again!

No, not Boxing Day. It's the U20 World Junior Championships!

Team Canada has 3 Habs: Nathan Beaulieu, ie. the only defenceman who looks like he knows what he's doing out there, is slotted in currently as the "specialist". Hopefully they change that. Michael Bournival is here to do what he does best, and that's to be a slightly more offensive Tom Pyatt. And our favourite little sparkplug Brendan Gallagher finally got removed from the uselessness of a checking line winger, and onto the top line by Jaden Schwartz and Mark Scheiffle's side, drop kicking Brett Connolly down. You can't grow a heart as big as Gallagher's, you just have it.

If you can't find Gallagher, just look in the net. He's usually there.

Team USA has 1 Hab: Future gronk Jarred Tinordi. Please don't crush your future teammates. Please don't.

Team Czech has 1 Hab: Daniel Pribyl. I have no idea how he plays but he's got an A on his sweater and was gathering much praise from his coaches. (Edit: looks like he's out with a leg laceration but hopes to get back in if possible...however, heard it's so bad it bleeds every time he bends his knees).

Of course, I'm all for Team Canada and fiercely support my country. However for some reason I've always had a soft spot for the plucky underdog Scandinavian team. This year, Norway isn't in the tourney...but Denmark is! And Lars Eller's baby brother Mads is on the team. Also, I don't know why but I've always loved Latvia's team. There's a dude on their roster who plays in the USA school system that I'm hoping the Habs can nab at the draft named Zemgus Girgensons. He's pretty big so you can't miss him.

Watch out for the Russians. GRIGORENKO and YAKUPOV on the same team. Be still my beating heart.

Double Whammy

USA 8 Germany 2

Canada 8 Czech 1 (well, technically 2, but the ref had a quick whistle)

I'm sensing a pattern, here...

Oh and 1 Subban-o-rama. Spin!

I find it odd that Team Canada throws PK in the middle on the powerplay instead of the point where he usually resides, but he causes much havoc over there. McD was solid. He looks like he doesn't do anything but actual does everything before you realize it. Kristo is a speedy guy, and they use him a lot on the PK. He also hurt himself blocking a shot and limped off the ice, but came back almost immediated and nearly scored. Subban also dinged himself on a play but stayed the whole shift as Canada was locked in their zone and he couldn't leave. These young Habs are made of win and awesome.

My brother: Sens' building never heard that horn blast for the home team that much.

The Ole Ole Ole chant was sounded in the 3rd period.

First the Juniors then the World!

I caught Team Canada's 7-0 smackdown on Slovakia yesterday, which wasn't too bad considering the team only got there an hour before the game thanks to SNOWMAGEDDON making their bus late. But how are the Habs kids doing? PK Subban nabbed 2 assists that sloppy night, worked pretty solid defensively (especially when the forwards didn't get back in time to help with a few odd-man rushes), and even though he wasn't in his speedy top self, he was everywhere. Set up some nice powerplay work, a couple of hits, did a few spin-o-ramas, and flashed that lovely smile! Also seems to enjoy messing around with Tavares, but can only dominate him at video games. Still, PK's got that scary hard shot.

Nicholas Torp is another defenseman in the Habs system. He's a lean, mean, hitting machine. A bit like Bouillon, actually, and not just 'cause he's vertically challenged. Totally railroads Pietrangelo there. Look out for number 6!

I haven't seen Kristo or McD yet, but I think their game is on tv this Friday afternoon. I do know that Team Canada is going to have one hell of a battle against Team USA, though. Tangradi is there too! (Subban's teammate with the Bulls).