Habs 7, Red Wings 2: Absolute Satisfaction

As a Habs fan first and Blackhawks fan second, that was the most satisfying win this year since the Habs trolled the Bruins early on in the season. Also because for the past two days TSN990 has been kissing thr Red Wings ass non-stop. At least now we go on a break with these guys confused and squirming behind their microphones, confused and shocked on what happened tonight.

By the way, I was wishing for the game to turn out this way. Not solely because I can't stand the Red Wings, mostly because I was sick to death of the fuckwit mediots.

We now have about a week of free wings. Thanks!
- Rene Bourque bounced a Gomez pass off his leg while doing what we got him for: crashing the net.
- My boy Emelin! His first NHL goal (finally) against the top team of the League? Yes please, thank you sir, I would like some more. So happy for the Gremelin. Crowd gave him a great reception. He had two more great chances as well.
- Little Big DD, so crafty. Dirty little squeaker on his first goal, wonderful smile on his second. (A powerplay goal to boot). Almost had a hat trick. Actually, almost had four goals!
- Red Wings fans bitch more than Habs fans about penalties, but seriously? You guys have nothing to bitch about... Interference is called "defence" for them.
- SuperPleky's 10th!
- Before Conk could test the ice, Patches scored on him.
- Lost in all the goals, Price was just incredible tonight. Right off the bat he made a big glove save off a laser from the point. Stopped plenty with Holmstrom's fat ass in his face, none very easy. And if he doesn't make that partial breakaway toe-save off his old buddy Darren Helm, I think this game ends completely differently...
- We know it's stupid superstitions, but would it kill you to shut the fuck up about shutouts Gord?
- And SHUT THE FUCK UP ABOUT PK! Shocking, I know. Coach is coaching. What a fucking concept!
- Lars Eller's job tonight was to help shut down Pavel Datsyuk. How did he do? Datsyuk had zeros across the board and a -1.
- Habs penalty kill is currently #1 in the League.
- Might be up 6-2 but that doesn't stop Erik Cole from crashing the net. One more and he's got 20.
- SOMEONE THREW AN OCTOPUS ON THE ICE! I don't know what's more disturbing: putting a squishy smelly octopus in a bag and successfully sneaking it into the Bell Centre, or sitting there with a squishy smelly octopus until about 10 seconds were left in the game.

Of course the results of tonight's effort didn't stop TSN from pissing on the Habs all game. I mean the Wings had a built in excuse what with Lidstrom suddenly pulling out from the lineup due to the flu. Because you know, we have no idea what that's like. I'd say regardless of the score, neither team stopped playing. If it was too much trouble for you, Bob, you could have just gone to play Solitaire on your iPad somewhere else.

Actually, scratch that. Keep disrespecting the Habs, everyone. You know they'll love to prove you wrong.

Feels good going on the break on a high. Now Price and Diaz (!!!!) get to go to the All-Star Game and party with Jimmy Howard. Awkward much?

I mean, really?

So I was able to catch two of the Hawks goals and saw Havlat get rocked by that fucker Kromagnonwall (you know he'll end someone's career one of these days) before I went off to see Terminator Salvation. Apparently nuclear fallout is a large Baysplosion and a mere hotlamp, but I digress. Then upon my return, I discovered Khabibulin was pulled and replaced by Huet and that the 3rd back-up was on the bench. Oh fiddlesticks... If Khabi is hurt, then may god have mercy on your souls, young BabyHawks...

Thankfully the BabyHawks won. Better 'cause it was in overtime. Suck it, Hockey Robots. Take your 3 hour board battle and shove it.

Havlat and Khabi better be OK...

Habs Rock Detroit! (Habs 3, Wings 1)

I had a terrible day at work today. My newish computer, the one they gave me in August while taking away my prefectly fine and not-so-slow computer, died on me while I was rebooting because it was acting slow. Apparently I may have lost all my stuff on it as well, which stinks. (Backup? On that pitiful amount of space they give us over the server? My PSDs run up to 50mb each!) Luckily I'm well ahead on the project, so it's no problem for my schedule, but I spent my entire day doing nothing while the IT guy went running around trying to figure out what to do and how to fix it. Actually, I took a nap (which helped me kill time and paid off later for my own hockey game). Eventually he gave me a temporary computer, which didn't allow me to install anything and didn't even have the right photoshop on it. Didn't matter anyway since I couldn't install our homebrew programs since I was locked out. Sigh...

I bought myself a classic Doctor Who DVD to cheer myself up. Tomb of the Cybermen, all found and complete. I love Patrick Troughton. (Well, I loved Peter Davison more, but the 2nd Doc is so much fun). That sort of cheered me up.

But what really made my day was getting into my car and switching over the radio to CJAD later after hockey just in time to catch Super Pleky score on the powerplay! And the guys I played with said "oh it's probably 3-0 Detroit, with a goal by O'Byrne". Ha! Ye of little faith.

My prediction for this game was a 2-1 shootout victory, but I guess we can't measure teams via preseason eh? Actually, I figured since we've had so many shootouts, what's one more? Also Detroit looses more in overtime/shootout games. This is the 3rd regulation loss for Detroit EVER this season. And don't regard TSN's headline. Habs didn't steal this. They worked hard, they played hard, they played SMART and they played the Wings right into their own forecheck-less neutral zone variation trap. They also finally learned how to bounce pucks off defensemen for deflections into nets, which was how Fruit Punch opened the scoring by deflecting it off Lidstrom. ConkBlock was all over the place. But they didn't look tired. They looked like the usual hockey robots of Detroit. And hey, they said the Bruins would be tired when they beat the boys 6-1.

The downer was that Price lost out his shutout bid, but them's the brakes. O'Byrne, who rebounded after that terrible Monday with a good effort, pyloned up in the 3rd period after just handing it lightly to Franzen, who totally danced in and around him right up to a picture perfect shot. Needless to say, the kid was BENCHED for the rest of that one. Actually Carbo may want to keep him benched for every third period when we're trying to hold on to a suitable winning lead. Third period was shutdown defense time, where the boys had to deal with one and a half penalties at the start, and patiently awaited their opportunities. Oddly enough Habs outshot the Wings for the first two periods. Just the third combined the powerplays and defensive play, the shots tipped in Detroit's favor. (More +30 shots for Pricey)!

Casualties: Alex Tanguay from a 1st period hit by Brad Stuart. Said his neck was bugging him. Sounds like he got whiplashed. Kostopoulos took his spot on the Koivu/Higgins line. (Worked well enough for Master Higgins to get a goal)!

All in all, excellent effort. It was a step up from how they played against the Islanders, but with an better result. Wings have the number 1 powerplay, and didn't get anything on it. (Habs converted 1). Sergei is also back to hitting people with his gritty checks.

On my drive home, I smiled as I heard the Carey Chant and Go Habs Go pour out of my speakers. Habs fans are everywhere! We've invaded! To quote a certain tin man: "You will be like us!"

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.